Press

For a musician to achieve success once in a career is an impressive accomplishment. But to do so twice with two different bands is a remarkable feat. British multi-instrumentalist and producer Ian McDonald certainly belongs in the latter category. In 1969, he co-founded the progressive rock band King Crimson, playing keyboards and woodwinds on their outstanding debut record, In the Court of the Crimson King, before leaving. Seven years later, McDonald joined Foreigner and enjoyed tremendous commercial success with that group's first three albums, Foreigner, Double Vision and Head Games.

We spoke with multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald about a double dose of flip sides from Foreigner's "Double Vision" album and celebrate the vinyl debut of the Honey West album "Bad Old World," as a follow up to our 2017 Goldmine interview with Ian.

This is a great album for anyone who is looking to see that real music and artistry has not gone by the wayside. So much today, has been replaced with machines and auto-tune control, when people, in reality, want raw and real talent. Who could be better to bring talent to a head than original Rock artists like McDonald and Zurkowski?

Legendary British Multi-Instrumentalist IAN McDONALD (King Crimson, T.Rex, Foreigner) called into JACKY BAM BAM's show on 93.3 WMMR to chat about his new band HONEY WEST!! "Bad Old World" is the new album. Written with Ted Zurkowski, it's truly a perfect debut, with a mix of Prog and straight ahead Rock & Roll!!

A cat that can make the jump from King Crimson to Foreigner is the kind of cat that has chops age doesn't dim as Ian McDonald proves here by the truck load. Sounding as much in the AOR pocket as ever, this crew wakes up dormant rock genes with its take no prisoners approach and non stop rocking. Everyone on here has chops to spare and it all comes out in the mix. Killer rock the way it's supposed to be.

Ian McDonald, best known for founding British supergroups King Crimson and Foreigner, takes the prize as the most interesting old-new act in music. His new group, Honey West, released their debut album, Bad Old World to rave reviews for its sound and lyrics. The album features Honey West founder, accomplished actor and neighbor Ted Zurkowski (the Actor's Studio), McDonald's son Maxwell on bass, and Steve Holley from Paul McCartney's Wings on drums.

IAN McDONALD was first heard on the late 1969 progressive rock debut album by King Crimson, "In the Court of the Crimson King," the one with the painting of a screaming face of the "21st Century Schizoid Man." In addition to co-writing, Ian McDonald played saxophone, flute, keyboards and other instruments on this classic album. 40 years ago, in 1977, he was part of another group's debut album with a painting on the cover, the sextet Foreigner, and remained with them for their three '70s albums. Now Ian McDonald is a key member and co-writer in a new band, Honey West. Goldmine spoke with Ian McDonald about all three of these groups, T. Rex, and even Doc Severinsen.

British rock legend Ian McDonald doesn't seem to have an ounce of inflated rock star ego. Reserved and humble during our conversation, McDonald acts more like the guy next door than the guy in the spotlight who just happened to co-found iconic bands King Crimson and Foreigner. Ironically, that guy next door is now in a band with his neighbor. How perfect is that?

Honey West is a New York City band fronted by singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor Ted Zurkowski. Today, Honey West also includes music legend Ian McDonald - the multi-instrumentalist who was an original, founding member of both King Crimson and Foreigner - and the current lineup recently joined me in FUV's Studio A.

As the single's title and group's name suggest, New York-based Honey West has a soft spot for the long-lasting. Perhaps this soft spot isn't too surprising, given Honey West's intimate relationship with rock and roll legacies. Vocalist-guitarist (and actor, founder of New York's Shakespearean Co. Frog & Peach) Ted Zurkowski makes up one half of the group's songwriting and conceptual nucleus. Multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald makes up the other half - you might know Ian too, in fact, if you're a classic rock regular, you probably do.

For McDonald, getting involved in the new band was as easy as crossing the street. He tells ABC Radio that he joined Honey West after befriending his New York City neighbor Ted Zurkowski, a Shakespearean actor-turned-singer/songwriter. "Ted and I used to live literally across the street from one another, and... we got talking and I discovered that Ted had a band," McDonald tells ABC Radio. Ian says he liked the group and Zurkowski's "energy and charisma," but felt they were "a little rough around the edges," something he thought he could help with.

Honey West is what happens when a British rock giant and an acclaimed member of New York's acting community walk into a recording studio and produce an album of original songs. Multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald is a founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, and guitarist and lead vocalist Ted Zurkowski is a member of the world-famous Actors Studio and the co-founder of New York Shakespeare ensemble, Frog & Peach.

Given his august history, including helping to form King Crimson and Foreigner, it usually merits some attention when Ian McDonald gets excited about something. The multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer's latest venture is Honey West, a new group out of New York that he formed with musician/actor and neighbor Ted Zurkowski, who also teaches at the Actors Studio. The group's debut album, Bad Old World, comes out May 19 and features the single "Dementia," whose inventive lyric video -- directed by McDonald's son Maxwell and shot in real-time featuring items from his father's apartment...