Interview: Before Clearwater concert, Adrian Belew discusses how he put ‘Beat’ together

Belew talks about the new King Crimson, his memoir and more

Before taking the stage with King Crimson at the Capitol Theatre on Friday, guitarist and vocalist Adrian Belew will discuss the creation of his 1989 solo album “Op Zop Too Wah,” or as it’s better known, “The Big Blue Album.”

The talk — which is free and open to the public — is part of the Creative Pinellas “Focus on the Artist” series. Belew’s 1989 album was released toward the end of his first stint with King Crimson. However, it’s a far cry from the often complex and knotty music of that band. Instead, Belew created a playful, off-kilter pop album that veered from reggae to new wave to Beatlesque ballads.

In a recent phone interview from his home in Nashville, Belew said he’s looking forward to talking about the album, which was prompted by a label executive who told him to write a hit single.

“I don’t do marketing,” Belew said. “I don’t try to figure out what would be a hit, because I don’t know. I don’t do math. I don’t do science. I do art. And the result is ‘Op Zop Too Wah.’”