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The Vinyl Guide

If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related. Nate is a 40+ year vinyl collector, owns some of the most highly desired titles and enjoys them thoroughly. The Vinyl Guide is his journey through the history of music to speak with the artists and technicians who made music history and get the stories behind the records.

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  2. Ep562: The Discipline of Tony Levin

Ep562: The Discipline of Tony Levin

Aug 24, 2026

Bass legend Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, etc) reflects on Fripp, John Lennon, near-misses with Zappa, Pink Floyd, and life on the road.

new Stick Men album "Let's Thrak Again" available here

Topics Include:

  • Scheduling chaos / Ron Carter
  • Stickmen's "Let's Thrack Again" reworks a King Crimson rhythm concept
  • Tony defines "thracking" — playing five against seven simultaneously
  • Robert Fripp names complex King Crimson riffs with odd phrases
  • Tony rarely forgets bass parts, even decades later
  • Simple transitions, not hard parts, cause live disasters
  • Upcoming Beat tour features Zappa alumni, except Tony
  • Tony's first NYC band included ex-Mothers of Invention members
  • Peter Gabriel froze onstage during a hostile Zappa co-bill
  • Tony regrets missing a Herbie Hancock/Joni Mitchell session
  • He also turned down touring with Pink Floyd
  • David Gilmour flew in unannounced for a Les Paul tribute
  • Radio Registry once dispatched interchangeable NYC session bassists fast
  • Tony preferred live touring over endless studio session work
  • He's a self-described "road dog" still touring at his age
  • Off-stage, Tony writes memoirs, poetry, and takes photographs
  • He owns many basses but doesn't consider himself a collector
  • Discipline started as a side project before becoming King Crimson
  • Tony chose the Chapman stick over bass in that first rehearsal
  • Fripp lets players interpret parts; Gabriel invents wild new techniques
  • Peter Gabriel suggested cymbals on fingers, inspiring "funk fingers"
  • Tony isn't certain whether "Blood of Eden" used fretless bass
  • He senses a song's emotion before lyrics are finished
  • Tony learned King Crimson disbanded from a stranger at the opera
  • He never actually felt Thrak function as a "double trio"
  • No Australian dates planned yet, though he'd love to visit
  • King Crimson's future depends entirely on Robert Fripp's instincts
  • Aging has slowed his technical dexterity, but not memory
  • He recalls John Lennon's advice: "don't play too many notes"

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide