Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Cosmic Debris 1997 10
C O S M I K D E B R I S
O C T O B E R , 1 9 9 7 - I S S U E # 2 9
____________________________________________________________________________
- The Specialists -
DJ Johnson.................Editor
Shaun Dale.................Associate Editor
Wayne Burke................HTML
coLeSLaw...................Graphic Artist
Lauren Marshall............Administrative Assistant
Louise Johnson.............Administrative Assistant
Sarah Sterley..............Research Assistant
- The Cosmik Writers -
Jeff Apter, Ann Arbor, coLeSLAw, Robert Cummings, Shaun
Dale, Phil Dirt, DJ Johnson, Steven Leith, Steve Marshall,
Rusty Pipes, Paul Remington, John Sekerka and David Walley.
_____________________________________________________________________________
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
EDITOR'S NOTES: Lots of stuff to talk about this month, from columns on
hold to columns making an entrance to changes in the Cosmik system.
LUX INTERIOR - ALL THE NEWS FROM BADSVILLE: This month we were lucky enough
to get separate interviews with Lux Interior and Poison Ivy Rorschach of
The Cramps. With Lux, the conversation covered a wide array of topics,
including cars, records, Cramps, and outrage. Interview by DJ Johnson.
POISON IVY - TALKIN' AXES & AMPS WITH THE QUEEN OF THE CRAMPS: Our interview
with Poison Ivy, on the other hand, focused on a very specific topic:
guitar! After twenty-some years of rockin', critics are finally starting
to comment favorably on Ivy's nasty sound. See what she thinks of the
whole thing. Interview by DJ Johnson.
NO DAMAGE DONE - FICTION DAMAGE TURNS FICTION: San Diego's Fiction talks to
Paul Remington about their unique approach to music and the differences
between Fiction Damage and Fiction. The name and personnel changes haven't
slowed this talented trio down a bit. Interview by Paul Remington.
TAPE HISS INTERVIEWS: This month we present talks with Steve Wynn (Gutterball,
Dream Syndicate) and Tortelvis (Dread Zeppelin). How's THAT for contrast?
Hmmm? Hmmm? Interviews by John Sekerka.
KACY CROWLEY - REBEL WITH A CLUE: From the street music culture of Austin to
the world stage, Kacy Crowley's journey has led her down some bumpy roads.
With the release of her major label debut, Rebellious, things are looking
up. Article by Jeff Apter.
IN THE BOOKS: Reviews of books about everything from country music to zine
culture.
RECORD REVIEWS: Almost 80 of 'em this month. What, are we crazy? Ya gotta
ask? C'mon.
CLASSIC EXAMPLE (Robert Cummings): This month, Mr. Cummings examines the
music of his own favorite composer, Prokofiev.
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE (Steven Leith): The war over encryption is previewed.
PHIL'S GARAGE (Phil Dirt): For a Halloween feast, drop by the Beastro.
FREE ASSOCIATIONS (Shaun Dale): Debut of our associate editor's information
and observation column. This month: a band looking for a label, voter
turnout, and Di -vs- Mother T.
WALLEY AT WITZEND (David Walley): A love story.
CLOSET PHILOSOPHY (Rusty Pipes): A face, a faith, and fictons.
CONTACTS: How to send us hate mail and/or checks just for the hell of it.
___________________________________________________________________________
EDITOR'S NOTES
By DJ Johnson
Life is good. We just put the finishing touches on the October issue, as
you know because you're here, and we're all very pleased with the way it
came out. As usual, we didn't even know for sure who our interviews would
be with until about two weeks ago. We just kinda float around looking at
this band and that band until it feels just right, and then we boldly spring
into action. Someone fires off a memo. From there, it quickly becomes an
e-mail, and before you can figure out how much of your computer is deductible
in the current tax year, two or three of us are discussing it openly. I mean
hard-hitting action-speak, like "man, The Cramps would be a killer interview!"
Then the drinking begins, and though it's not really central to the process,
we cling to it for reasons of chemical dependency. Two weeks, fourteen cases
of Michelob and two or three short naps later, Cosmik Debris hits the ol'
invisible magazine rack.
This month we did it up right. The Cramps were indeed a blast to interview,
and we ended up with two separate conversations to present. Lux talked
about collecting comics, cars, and records, and about music in general. Ivy's
interview is a bit different. This is the first interview we've done
specifically for the musicians that read Cosmik. We talked about guitar
and sound, right down the colors generated by different chords. In the past
we've often managed to get guitar questions in, and many of you have written
to us asking for more. We'll do our best. We hope you enjoy the Poison Ivy
interview. Be sure to send e-mail to moonbaby@serv.net to voice your
opinion on this concept. Be sure to give the sound clips a listen, too.
While those interviews were goin' on, Paul Remington was deep in conversation
with an outstanding young band called Fiction. [Formerly known as Fiction
Damage.] This is a band with so much skill and talent that they have
attracted the attention, and earned the admiration, of Mike Keneally and
Steve Vai. Be sure to give them a listen. There are sound clips at the
end of the interview.
John Sekerka's Tape Hiss Interviews are also quite noteworthy. Former Dream
Syndicate member Steve Wynn and Dread Zeppelin's Tortelvis make an interesting
contrast. We didn't have access to Wynn's latest, but there is a clip of
Dread Zeppelin for your amusement. Finally, Jeff Apter profiles Atlantic
Records' recording artist, Kacy Crowley, as she steps from the shadows of
Austin to the world stage. Clip hunters will find two at the end of that
article.
And, of course, there are several clips in the review section.
There... I promised one of our readers that I'd reveal the location of our
sound clips in Editor's Notes. All done.
Now I can tell you about a whole 'nuther sound clip. A big long clips.
Beginning October 27th and running through November 1st, we'll have a
special 2-hour Audible Debris episode called "The First Ever Official Cosmik
Halloween Thingy!" The music will include everything from the traditional
to the rare, from Screamin' Jay to The Rattles to Black Sabbath. Halloween
party music right from your computer. Don't forget!
Speaking of Audible Debris, we've had to temporarily cut it from weekly to
bi-weekly for various reasons including time consumption/difficulty factors,
technical difficulties, and angry little lawyers claiming we can't play just
any song we feel like without paying the artist or getting written permission.
In the words of the late great Pat Paulsen, "Picky, picky, picky." As a
result, you'll probably hear more independent label music on future shows.
Indie folk tend to understand that 8-bit mono RealAudio isn't a big medium
with bootleggers. And they also understand that it's a great way to get
people to hear and buy their records. Not a tough concept, unless you're
a lawyer or somethin'.
Other things that need to be announced? Yeah, our ascii (text) version is
no longer e-mailed to subscribers. This wasn't part of the plan. The entire
list of subscribers, which has grown to include far more people than I ever
expected when I started this thing, was destroyed when hackers broke into
our ISP's system and began deleting everything they could see. As it was
an old fashioned Pine address book file, there was no backup. We had
considered scrapping the subscriptions in recent months, but had decided
against it. Some #%&#ing hacker reconsidered for us. It's still available
for download every month on the website, and back issues can now be found
at http://www.etext.org.
One last thing... I haven't quit writing my column, Stuff I Noticed. I've
simply been too busy with Cosmik and Audible Debris over the past few months.
Thank you to those who sent me concerned e-mail. It'll be back. Meanwhile,
Cosmik's Associate Editor, Shaun Dale, kicks off his new column, Free
Associations. It's a mixture of information and commentary sure to enlighten
or enrage you, and you know how much you love being enraged, so get t'readin'.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! See ya next month.
Deej
____________________________________________________________________________
THE CRAMPS - All The News From Badsville
Lux Interior interviewed by DJ Johnson
It's a well known story by now. Lux Interior (not his real name) met
Poison Ivy Rorschach (not her real name) in California as she was
hitchhiking. Of course, there's an equally well known story where
they met in a college class, but I like this one better because it
holds that Ivy was wearing jeans with a big hole in the backside,
through which Lux saw bright red panties and knew instantly that he'd
found his true love. You've gotta admit, it's a better story. I didn't
ask Lux which one was correct when I interviewed him one late September
afternoon, partly because I was afraid the boring college story would
turn out to be true. Instead, we talked about records, cars, soul, blues,
records, collecting stuff (like records), sexploitation flicks, sex in
general, and the music on Big Beat From Badsville, the latest LP/CD from
The Cramps. Most everyone knows at least something about The Cramps, so
we'll dispense with the intro and jump right in.
* * *
Cosmik: You have new digs since your last album. How did you end up with
Epitaph, a label known for high-speed punk?
Lux: Well, they put out our last album on vinyl because we were on
Medicine Records, who is going through Warner Brothers, and they
don't do vinyl because they think it's an ancient thing of the
past. So Epitaph contacted them and said "you're not putting
it out on vinyl, at least let US put it out on vinyl." So they
let Epitaph put out Flame Job on vinyl. We met them at that time
when that happened because they were bringing us test pressings,
and we got to know them then and really dug them. They all seem
like real people as opposed to some of the people we were dealing
with at Warner Brothers. Then Medicine Records went out of business
and we just went straight to them.
Cosmik: What's your general opinion of that type of music, the stuff that's
most commonly associated with Epitaph?
Lux: I don't know, I'm not too familiar with it. I'm not too into what
you'd think of when you say "punk rock." I mean, everybody's got a
different idea of what punk rock is. I think of it as what was going
on in the Bowery when we started playing, but the fast melodic punk
rock that's coming out now... I think it's great, I think it's a good
thing, and it's doing its job for a lot of people, but I don't listen
to it too much. Although they've got quite a lot of good stuff on that
label, and they've got another label called Fat Possum that's got an
amazing record by T. Model Ford, which I really love.
Cosmik: Yeah. I love the R.L. Burnside, too. That raw blues.
Lux: Uh huh. I just like rock and roll, and that kind of punk rock stuff,
it's more of a pop music. I could dig going to a club and being there,
but I don't sit at home listening to it.
Cosmik: Do you think the label "punk" ought to be retired at this point
because it doesn't really mean any one thing?
Lux: Yeah, cuz I don't really know what it is. Actually, I'd consider what
Epitaph is doing to be punk rock. It's kinda like... we started that
term "psychobilly" when we started in the spring of '76, we were advertising
ourselves as that and saying that's what we did. To us, it was a mixture
of garage punk from the 60s and rockabilly and all that, and all the things
we do. Later on, it became... There is a thing called "psychobilly," which
is real fast, 90 mile an hour rockabilly-flavored punk rock, and I don't
think we're that. I think the same thing's happened to punk rock. It's
become something different from what it was originally, and so what people
think of as punk rock now is not the same thing as what I thought of as
punk rock for years.
Cosmik: Ask any three people what punk rock is and you'll get three different
answers.
Lux: Oh yeah. I like William Burroughs' definition the best. He said "I
always thought that a punk was somebody that took it up the ass." (Laughs)
Cosmik: {Laughs) Never heard that one, but it works. Have labels tried to
change your sound in the past?
Lux: No. Nobody has, that I can think of, outside of a casual remark or
something about this or that. They've never really attempted to say
"I want you guys to do this or that..."
Cosmik: ...to make you more commercial.
Lux: Yeah, you know, there've been some really timid attempts, but I think
we just appear too crazy to try and even get started in that direction.
Cosmik: So sometimes your scary personae will come in handy.
Lux: It has! A lot of times people will come to see us, people from
record companies, and they're supposed to come back later, and they
don't. They'll say "I was too freaked out! I saw your show and I left."
So that's good. It keeps away the evil spirits.
Cosmik: The new album is just what we all expected: another batch of
great Cramps tunes. I don't think there's another band that's
been doing it as long as you that has stayed faithful to their
original sound and vision. How have you been able to do that through
all the personnel changes and with all the changes in the sounds
around you?
Lux: Well, you know it's just basically that me and Ivy have always written
all the songs, and we had the idea for this band before we'd even HAD
any bands, because we were going to see other people in bands. That
really doesn't change. We still listen to a lot of the same old records
that we listened to back then, so it seems perfectly natural to us. We
just like rock and roll. It's no effort to keep doing this. It would
be an effort to do something else cuz this just seems like the bullseye
of what's fun and what gets us out to an exciting show in a town near
you.
Cosmik: Are you a soul music fan?
Lux: Oh yeah.
Cosmik: You know the old "answer records," like "Work With Me Annie," and
then Etta James answered with "Roll With Me, Henry," and then somebody
came up with "Annie Had A Baby..." I noticed you've continued the legend
of Sheena. "Sheena's In A Goth Gang Now" is punk, but there's some R&B
in your approach to some of your tunes.
Lux: It's strange; no one ever comments on it. Everybody says we do
garage punk and psychedelic and rockabilly, but there's all kinds of
60s and 70s soul in our songs, too, and definitely rhythm and blues,
and blues. "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog," you know, that was just like a
60s soul song. Most of our albums have that influence, but it seems like
nobody ever brings that up. We love soul music.
Cosmik: Most bands make their influences obvious from song to song, but you
seem to have distilled a lot of different influences into a very consistent
single thing, so I wonder if maybe a lot of people can't actually hear
the R&B or any of the other influences anymore, like they just hear "the
Cramps' sound."
Lux: Yeah, I think a record collector, somebody who just can't get enough
music and buys all kinds of music and listens to it, would hear it, but
most people wouldn't. Led Zeppelin was a band that came straight from
the blues. You listen to what they did in the 70s, and most people would
think that was totally original and didn't come from ANYWHERE... but it
did. And it's the same with most other bands.
Cosmik: I want to ask you about the imagery in some of your music. "Monkey
With Your Tail," for instance, is another hot dose of animalism, which
is one of the aspects of your music that fascinates me. What is it about
that aspect of human nature that draws you?
Lux: You know, I can't really give you an honest answer, cuz I ain't got
one. It seems like that comes up a lot in the records we listen to.
A real rock and roll song, I think, is about sex most of the time. So
that leads you to "I Wanna Be Your Dog." That's one of the things that
a lot of people would like to pretend, that human beings are above
being like animals. We kind of enjoy that idea, but that that's what we
are: one more animal.
Cosmik: And the best sex is animalistic?
Lux: Yeah, well, sex is pretty animalistic, I think. It can have more than
that, but that was definitely part of the blues, kind of an attack on
that idea that now we're cultured, civilized people and we're above that
kind of thing. Seems like the blues has always been about "no, we're not
above that kind of thing."
Cosmik: The monkey sounds in that song are great. I have that song on a
tape segued from "Wild Women Of Wongo" by The Tubes, by the way. Killer
segue.
Lux: I've seen The Tubes several times now, but I saw them before they had
any records out. They were opening for The New York Dolls right as The
Dolls' first record came out in San Francisco. We were not expecting
anything. It was just a band named The Tubes, you know? It could have
been anything. It could have been four guys with beards come out and
and play violins, you know? And out came Fee Waybill with these two-foot
high platforms. We weren't ready for it at all. They were amazing, and
then The New York Dolls came out and they were amazing, too.
Cosmik: Man, I don't know if I could stand a double header like that. I'd
be too hyped.
Lux: I remember that night David Johansen (NY Dolls singer) came out wearing
a T-shirt that had a picture of Marilyn Monroe on the front... It was
like a black and white picture, and he had painted her hair blonde and her
face pink, and then he put lipstick on her lips. Then when he started
sweatin' about the fourth or fifth song, her lips just ran down his
stomach. (Laughs)
Cosmik: What a cool thing to see! The Tubes, and maybe sometimes The Dolls,
had a certain level of camp in their performances. Do you think there's
an element of that in your show?
Lux: I would say The Tubes were a more theatrical group. We don't do anything
very theatrical except be ourselves. You wouldn't call The New York Dolls
a theatrical kind of group. They were just an R&B band that came out and
played as themselves, and that's kind of what we do. We don't have props,
but it's definitely entertaining.
Cosmik: Most of your sex songs are about danger in one way or another. The
image of woman as predator. Does sex without danger bore you?
Lux: Well, geez, I think just about any sex is exciting, but it's even more
exciting if there's a little danger involved, I'm sure.
Cosmik: Your music... the sound of it... is dangerous, too. Put the imagery
with the sound and you're probably the most dangerous sounding band of
all time. What kind of resistance have you seen from churches or parent
groups over the years?
Lux: Oh, some people are really upset by us and go to great lengths to try
and do something about it, but it's never caused us too much of a problem.
Except that we've missed out on opportunities because of it. We've had
the cops come, like in Florida, cops come to watch and make sure we don't
get out of hand. Florida's pretty back there, and always has been, for
some reason. I don't know why that is.
Cosmik: Aw, they're just still mad because Morrison died and got off the
hook.
Lux: Yeah, they're lookin' for somebody.
Cosmik: Let me throw a quote at you, one you know well... "Each one of us,
in his timidity, has a limit beyond which he is outraged." Of course,
the quote goes on toward analyzing public attitude, but...what are
YOUR limits? What are you outraged by?
Lux: What outrages me is that people can be so satisfied and half asleep.
I don't want to go back to the 50s or something, but I do remember a time
when cars looked like rocket ships, and people wanted to have a wild time
and dress sexy and dance sexy and try new, crazy things. It seems like
these days there's an abundance of boringness and timidity, and that's
the kind of thing that outrages me, you know? Boring people, that's
nothing new, but the numbers are growing rather than going down. It's
not a good sign.
Cosmik: What is your life like? I mean when you're not recording or touring.
What do you like to do when there's no claims on your time?
Lux: We have a huge collection of old horror comics from the 50s... And I
have 80-some old 3-D cameras; I do a lot of 3-D photography. That's
a passion of mine. I watch Ivy prance around the house in fabulous
sexy outfits...
Cosmik: Not a bad life!
Lux: No, it's great. I can't think of any way to improve upon it. We have
a huge record collection of 78s and 45s, and we play that stuff all the
time. We have a huge collection of sexploitation videotapes, like the
stuff Something Weird is putting out. [Ed.Note: Something Weird is a
Seattle-based video company. Call 206-361-3759 or visit their website
at http://www.somethingweird.com/.] We're involved in the custom car
thing that's happening here in LA, and we go to a lot of that stuff.
We have a '56 Dodge.
Cosmik: Wouldn't happen to have a flamejob on it, would it?
Lux: Actually, it doesn't. We want to get some other cars, but we don't
have anywhere to park them right now. I don't have the heart to put a
flamejob on this one because when we bought it, it only had 38,000 miles
on it and it was like brand new. We got it for like $1,500. I'd rather
buy something that's a little bit more of a junker, because if it's junky
you don't mind stripping the paint and customizing it and putting flames
on it. But not this one.
Cosmik: It would feel like sacrilege?
Lux: Yeah. It's stock. Except that we put leopard-skin seat covers in.
That's the only thing that's not stock. It's pretty amazing to have a
completely stock car from 1956 that's so new. You don't wanna mess that
up.
Cosmik: Do you turn your own wrenches?
Lux: Oh, it depends. I spent my life fixing cars, but lately I just don't
have the time. When something goes wrong with it, unless it's something
pretty easy to fix, I'd just as soon let someone else do it because I
just don't have the time anymore.
Cosmik: Trying to picture you working on an engine...
Lux: Oh yeah, I've done that all my life.
Cosmik: So you were into the car club scene?
Lux: Yeah. Back when I first started buying cars, I'd always buy 'em, they
wouldn't be running, and I'd have to put a new engine in 'em or something.
I'm pretty much... I'm about a half-ass mechanic, I'd say. Course, I
couldn't work on one of these cars today, but the old cars I can. You
open up the hood on these cars today and it looks like a computer.
Cosmik: It's not like anything you'd be proud to drive, anyway. I still
dream of having a '57 T-Bird. Someday I'll have it.
Lux: When I was a kid, I used to say "someday I'll have one," and I hate to
say I still haven't got one, but maybe that'll happen before they throw
me in the box.
Cosmik: What, you mean a '57 Bird? You wanted one, too?
Lux: Yeah, or a '55 or '56.
Cosmik: Cool. Those were great cars. Let's shift gears a bit here and talk
about your record collection, because I know that's one of your biggest
passions. You've been at it a long time now.
Lux: Yeah, actually my brother was a real juvenile delinquent in the 50s, and
he had an amazing collection of 45s. At one point he decided he didn't
want them anymore and he gave me this huge collection of his stuff. That
was in the early 70s, and music was really boring at that time. When I
met Ivy, we were discovering all these rockabilly records in junk stores
in Sacramento. Ever since then we've been record collectors, and we've
amassed quite a bunch.
Cosmik: What kind of space does the collection require at this point?
Lux: Oh, a bunch of rooms. More room than we've got, because they're
stacked up in boxes all over the place instead of being easily
accessible, but we've got some great stuff. We've got all the Sun
Records 45s and 78s, except for a few. There are like maybe 6 or 8
of the early blues numbers that we don't have.
Cosmik: Whoa, so you're saying you actually own almost everything ever
put out by Sun?
Lux: Yeah, we have over 200. When me and Ivy first met, we had an old '61
Chevy station wagon, and we heard that you could still buy Sun Records
in Memphis, so we drove to Memphis from Sacramento. This was in 1972.
You could buy Sun Records at six for a dollar at Selective Hits, which
was the Sun warehouse. So you could buy "Flying Saucers Rock And Roll"
by Billy Lee Riley for 18 cents. We went in and bought boxloads of them,
kept one of each, and used the rest to trade for other stuff. When we
lived in Ohio it was especially amazing because we'd just find unbelievably
rare things. All the southerners would come to Ohio to work in the
Steel Mill and the rubber companies in the 50s and 60s, and they brought
their records with them that never made it out of the south, and they
ended up in the junk stores around Akron and Cleveland. We went in there
and got that stuff. We got stuff like the Teen Kings record... it's
Roy Orbison's band, before he was on Sun, doing "Ooby Dooby." It's a
different recording. There were only about 300 [pressed], and we found
one of those. We found all these unbelievably obscure records. We've
been doing that for 25 years or something, so we've amassed a lot of
them.
Cosmik: Did you ever go through the business of cataloging all that?
Lux: We have them in alphabetical order, like we have all the rockabilly
in one place, all the rock and roll instrumentals in one place, all the
surf instrumentals in another place, R&B in another place, blues, you
know...
Cosmik: With all of that, it seems like you'd be overwhelmed by choices.
How do you even decide what to listen to?
Lux: Well, over the years you get to know them just like they're friends.
Like friends you have on your mind, and you think "oh, I wanna listen
to that," and you just go grab it. When you've got a LOT of records,
it's more fun, because you can just go looking through them, and you
always find something that you don't remember what it sounds like, and
you rediscover something you haven't heard in ten years.
Cosmik: So if you're in the mood for Little Walter, you might find yourself
listening to Charlie Musselwhite?
Lux: Uh huh. I think we've got a pretty good selection. When we first
started out, it was collecting the vocal groups from the 50s, like The
Orioles and the Castelles, and all these weird R&B vocal groups that
would do the real slow stuff, you know, the stuff that's even slower
than doo-wop. The slow, dreamy, druggy kind of stuff. As we were doing
that, we just ran into rockabilly by accident. We'd buy some record, put
the needle down, and we'd say "I wonder what THIS sounds like?" And it
would be some guy going "HYAYAYAYAYAHH!!!" And we'd go "My GOD," you
know? And that's when it first dawned on us, I think, because we were
thinking we wanted to have a band. We'd go see all these bands and we'd
be thinkin' to ourselves "boy, it would be cool if WE had a band," and
then it dawned on us because of some record we brought home, "geez, we
could play this stuff." There were all these bands, like The Rolling
Stones and The New York Dolls, that took R&B and did something with it,
but nobody had really done anything with rockabilly yet. We thought that
would give us a real head start, that we'd have some resources to do
something that came from the blues but hadn't been done yet.
Cosmik: Hey, when you drove away from Selective Hits with all those Sun
records, did you feel like you'd just robbed Fort Knox?
Lux: Oh, yeah! Oh, man... And they not only had Sun records, but they had
stuff from a lot of other labels that were there, too. It was just
amazing. Then when we went to Ohio... We basically went there to get
jobs to buy guitars, because we were on our way to New York, to CBGB's
and everything, because we knew we wanted to have a band. When we got
to Ohio we found there was a place THERE selling Sun records really cheap,
too. They had done the same thing. They had bought a bunch of records
earlier at Selective Hits in Memphis, and they were selling them for a
dollar to five dollars, and the really rare ones were ten dollars.
Cosmik: Which is still one hell of a buy.
Lux: Yeah, oh... I can't even imagine what the really rare records are going
for these days. But that's what's great. These days, you don't have to
have it that way. You can buy reissues. Back then, there was only one
way to get that stuff. You had to find it somewhere, in a junk store or
something, you just had to discover it. Which was the more FUN way of
doing it, but I'm really thrilled that all these reissues are out now so
people can hear it all. We talked about it for a long time when we first
had a band, you know, and people would say "50s music? You don't sound
like 50s music!" People had no idea of the great music that had happened,
rockabilly in particular, just because none of it had been re-released.
Outside of Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis, you know, there wasn't much that
anybody had even heard. It was pretty obscure stuff. Then when all these
reissues started happening, people became aware of this amazing heritage
of great American music that nobody knew about. Which is really good.
You know, it's just music. People shouldn't have to pay 100 dollars for
a record. It's insane.
Cosmik: Agreed. You know, I'd never heard Charlie Feathers until Charly
Records put out some Sun compilation CDs. Hearing him was such a
revelation.
Lux: Oh, he's my all-time idol. He's just really amazing. Sun Records,
in particular, you know just about anything you buy on Sun Records has
gotta be pretty good. When we recorded at Phillips Records in Memphis,
Sam Phillips came walking into the place, and that was a real amazing
shock. He was covered with grease all over his hands. The hedges had
grown up over the sign in the front, and he was out cutting them with
electric hedge trimmers, and the thing just exploded all over him. So
he was covered with grease, and we all grabbed him and we were shaking
his hand, getting grease all over ourselves! (Laughs)
Cosmik: "It's okay, it's Sam Phillips grease!" (Laughs)
Lux: Yeah, boy, I said "we have almost every record that you ever made here.
Almost every 45 and everything." And he looks up and he goes "Well, y'know
what? You're lucky." (Laughs)
Cosmik: Damn straight! What are some of the prizes of the collection, not
necessarily in terms of market value, but in terms of how big a buzz it
was to find them?
Lux: Lemme see... We found Vern Pullens doin' "Bop Crazy Baby" on Spade
Records, which there are probably only about a hundred of... There's
one that we have by Hank Davis called "Women Train." He has a new CD
out that's really great, and he left that one off. It was the only one
he left off... probably because he thinks it's sexist these days. But
that was a great rockabilly 45 that we found. We've got "Hot And Cold"
by Marvin Rainwater, we've got all the Charlie Feathers singles... We've
got quite a few things from Star-A-Day Records. Those are really great,
all the Star-A-Day stuff... I dunno, I could go on and on about this.
Cosmik: What are some of the records you always look for but never find?
Lux: Well, I really would like "Indian Rock" by The Linn Twins. We've got
one record by them, but this one is like... WAY out there. It's like
"Love Me" by The Phantom, or something. I've seen one copy of it, and
the guy wouldn't sell it.
Cosmik: Is this a rockabilly?
Lux: It's rockabilly, but it's way beyond that, even. It's rockabilly
from outer space. Really archaic, wild, out of control thing.
Cosmik: Is your record collecting habit and your affinity for collectors
partly responsible for the number of singles and EPs you've put out for
each album?
Lux: Oh yeah. To us, the 45 RPM single is... We tend to think in terms of
songs and not albums anyway, so when people say "this is your best album,"
or "I don't like this album as much as that album," I never even know what
to think of it because we think in terms of songs. I'm sure if someone
said "I don't like this song as much as that song," I could start to think
about that. A single is usually the best thing on an album, anyway.
Cosmik: Do you have any use for CDs, or see any hope for the format as a
collector's item?
Lux: I don't know about a collector's item, but I think it's really great that
it happened. Because of that, a whole hell of a lot of music has been
reissued that would not have been reissued otherwise. One of the first
things that came out was that Robert Johnson box set, and it sold something
like 300,000 copies. A Robert Johnson set! If somebody put out a Robert
Johnson ALBUM, it would probably sell about 2,000 copies. But everybody
had new CD players and everybody bought that. I think that's amazing.
Anything that can make people buy a Robert Johnson record, well it's a
good thing.
Cosmik: Are you particularly fond of Halloween?
Lux: Oh yeah, it's always a special night for us.
Cosmik: Are you playing anywhere this Halloween?
Lux: Yeah, in San Francisco. Played there last year, too. We like to play
there on Halloween because they like to dress up insane and go all-out.
Cosmik: When you do shows on Halloween, do you do anything different than
usual, or is usual different ENOUGH?
Lux: That's the one night we dress up... like I'll wear a dress or something.
We're not just the "normal Cramps" that night. Last year our drummer went
as Elizabeth Taylor. [Laughs]
Cosmik: You've been doing this a long time. Do you ever get burned out on
it and want to call it a day?
Lux: Oh, no. It's the funnest thing we do. It gives us energy, it doesn't
take energy.
Cosmik: What's in the plans? What's next?
Lux: Well, we're touring America in a couple weeks, and then we go to Europe
and do a lot of touring... Then after that, we've got some ideas for things,
but I don't wanna say anything because half the time you say something it
doesn't happen, and you're left saying "How come THAT happened?"
Cosmik: [Laughs] Hey, I understand. I'm a big believer in "the jinx" myself.
Well, I've just got one more question here, but it's a long one...
Your music reflects a different culture than most people have been
exposed to: surreal art, trash novels, b-movies... If someone, let's
say someone reading this interview and getting curious about The Cramps,
was going to prepare to listen to your music for the first time, what
would you suggest as a prep course? What would be the perfect films,
books, paintings, etc, to absorb before turning up The Cramps?
Lux: I'd get some 50s horror comics. The kind that were extremely gruesome
and sexy. The kind that inspired them to write that book, The Seduction
Of The Innocents, that talked about how our youth was being destroyed by
comic books. That's one of the first things that happened in the 50s that
led to the youth revolution of the 60s. I'd tell people to buy some
reissues of old rockabilly records, or any kind of real great rock and
roll records. Get some of the sexploitation movies that Something Weird
Video is putting out on video. There's a huge wealth of these sexploitation
movies that people don't even know about yet, and they should. It's a
real important part of Americana. It's a whole world that exists that is
still yet to be known.
____________________________________________________________________________
POISON IVY RORSCHACH - Talkin' Axes & Amps With The Queen Of The Cramps
Interviewed by DJ Johnson
"This is Ivy. Lux said you had guitar questions?" I was more than a little
surprised, and anything but prepared. I had finished up my interview with
Lux Interior only an hour or two before, and I was already transcribing from
tape when the phone rang. Being the suspicious type, I had figured Ivy
must have blown off the interview because she'd heard all the questions
before anyway. Let's face it, The Cramps have been making great rock and
roll records for two decades. That's probably several thousand interviews.
Who could blame her for getting burned out on the whole process. But here
she was, apparently anxious to talk about one of her favorite topics.
Poison Ivy Rorschach once said she admired anyone who declared themselves
king or queen of their own little world, or words to that effect. She never
had to declare herself queen. It was an unspoken fact acknowledged by all
who witnessed The Cramps in performance. As the Gretch-slinging,
garter-wearing head mistress of rock and roll, Ivy has probably been lusted
after more than any other woman in the biz, and it's unfortunate that the
public perception often stops right there, because behind the sex goddess
image there lurks a mighty fine guitarist.
In recent years, Ivy's playing has finally been mentioned favorably in
various guitar publications, but the press in general almost seems to be
unaware that she even plays guitar at all. This is somewhat perplexing
to Ivy, but then she's certainly no stranger to sexist attitudes, and that
is most likely the root of the matter. We began with that subject.
* * *
Cosmik: Ivy, your playing on Badsville is hotter than ever, and I talk to
players all the time who list you as an influence. Not bad for someone
the critics said "couldn't play." Are you surprised to find yourself
getting that kind of recognition?
Poison Ivy: Yeah, it does seem like I'm getting it on this album, though
I'm still surprised how little I... Like I've gotten recognition, like
from Guitar Player [Magazine], and this and that, but like you mentioned
that you thought I must get tired of answering guitar questions, and
NOBODY ever talks to me about music or guitar. It's actually weird
that they don't. They say stuff like..."Lux's sidekick." [Laughs]
What am I, Igor going "Huhuhuh, Lux, let's play 'Surfin' Bird'" or
something?
Cosmik: Do you resent that a lot?
Poison Ivy: Well, it's just kind of weird, because they'll also say we're
sexist, but they won't even comment on my playing as being unique, which
I find pretty sexist.
Cosmik: It seems like there would be a paradox there, because the way you
dress on stage would invite sexist attitudes, but the danger in your
persona would make a lot of people afraid to approach you that way.
Poison Ivy: It does. Yeah, it does. No, I don't have problems. Some
other band, some female guitar player, said she got hassled, but I don't.
I guess I look like I would dish it back.
Cosmik: It just seems to me that you would scare them away from doing that.
Poison Ivy: I think we even get the kind of fans that wanna BE scared by us.
Cosmik: I can tell you really love the key of E...
Poison Ivy: I do.
Cosmik: Powerful chord, isn't it?
Poison Ivy: It is. I also love D. I love the D to E thing a lot. Something
about going back and forth from D to E. Isn't that strange how if you
change key, it doesn't seem the same? Cuz I know that color... like in
sound and color there's supposed to be different frequencies, like a higher
octave of sound is supposed to manifest in colors like green or red. That
must just be something that you hear in a different chord. Yeah, I love
E. I also love E because I like doing a lot of open things.
Cosmik: Like open string stuff, riffing and all that.
Poison Ivy: Yeah.
Cosmik: And you can obviously also kick ass in other keys, but it seems
like even the songs in other keys touch on E somewhere in the meat of
the riff. "Monkey With Your Tail," for instance, which is in F-sharp.
Poison Ivy: Yeah, I don't know why, I just always feel it's like home. It's
like headquarters or something. [Laughs]
Cosmik: It's your anchor.
Poison Ivy: It must be. Cuz you're right, that song starts in F-Sharp and
then goes back and forth on E. It's also partly to do with the keys the
singer sings in. Which I think a lot of bands don't bother to do that,
to play in good keys for the singers, because with a lot of bands, it's
the singer that keeps me from liking the band. We'll always try like
10 different keys until we find one that's just in the pocket for the
singer. I wonder if some bands do that, and I think they should consider
it, because with a lot of these bands I think the guy can't sing, but the
band's just not finding his key. You know, it helps.
Cosmik: On a lot of the indie punk records I get, the singers are just
struggling.
Poison Ivy: I think it's like every man for himself. They don't think "maybe
we should move that or adjust that." That's one thing we always do. We
always experiment. Lux has a pretty good range, and he can sing things
in different keys, but sometimes a song just sounds more exciting if he
sings it higher. Or just the opposite; depending on the nature of the song
and the tempo, it might sound more sinister if he sings it low. So we'll
rehearse it in like three different keys, and they'll all have different
feels to them. Even if he can sing all of them, maybe one of 'em, he's
straining his voice, and sometimes straining his voice makes it sound
more exciting, so we'll go with it. So we experiment a lot. I think we
work harder than some bands in that department. Doesn't sound like it.
The way it comes off, they say we have simple boneheaded songs that don't
evolve, but there's a lot of work there.
Cosmik: Yeah, but they say it because it's not glossy.
Poison Ivy: I think it's like a cultural slur. When someone is from outside
a culture, they'll say "all that music sounds alike," or "all those people
from that culture LOOK alike," because they're not tuned in to all those
subtleties. To a lot of people blues all sounds alike. I'm not tuned
into the subtleties of reggae. I know there's a lot of it there, but it's
just not my world. Or hip-hop. It's just all different for different
people, and they should at least acknowledge that maybe they just don't
know instead of criticizing. Maybe it's better just to back off and say
"I don't know that."
Cosmik: I can't tell you how often I end up defending reggae to people who
don't even know where Jamaica is.
Poison Ivy: Yeah, and any kind of music, you have to really be into it, and
you have to figure if you're NOT into something, it could be because you,
the listener, haven't really jumped into that world or that culture. There
are types of music I like that I won't attempt to play or be influenced by.
I like music from India, but it wouldn't be authentic if... I mean, how
could I begin to be influenced? It's so culturally different. So I'm
going to play what I think I can play authentically.
Cosmik: And would it even work in the context of The Cramps.
Poison Ivy: Not right now. I mean... [laughs] that might take about 50 years
to incorporate it into the music.
Cosmik: Then again, The Cramps just might BE there in 50 years. [Laughs]
So for now you continue to explore the power of the open chords and
rockabilly and punk. I'm guessing that you're fond of Link Wray.
Poison Ivy: Oh, I LOVE Link Wray. Still. He was initially my biggest
influence, and he still is. I hear more and more. No matter how long
I've been doing this, I hear something new when I listen to him. Maybe
because I'm not the same person, maybe I know more from playing longer.
It enables me to hear more now, so it seems like I'm always hearing
something new and getting influenced by some new aspect of Link Wray.
He's just so... it's like guitar at the end of the world. So austere.
And so much drama. You know, he makes the most out of the least, for
sure.
Cosmik: So many guitar players follow the path of the intricate melody, which
is fine, whereas it seems your focus has been the power you can get
out of the open strings, and just finding the guts, the balls of an E
chord, which is why I asked you about Link.
Poison Ivy: Yeah, that's probably what made me aware of it or tuned me into
it, because my favorite guitarist is Link Wray, and I guess the thing I
like in what he does is what I wanna do, too. I just like hearing a lot
of strings splashing all at once. And just the austerity and the starkness
of how he plays, you know? The drama that's created by not overplaying.
Cosmik: Exactly. Which is still the number one crime committed by the average
guitarist, in my opinion. With all these songs in E and A, how do you
manage to keep it fresh and dangerous sounding where so many other
players can't?
Poison Ivy: I don't know. And I appreciate you saying that, because some
people would say that we just keep doing the same thing over and over,
which I don't think we do. So that means you're tuned into the subtlety
of it, which is great. I don't know... We collect a lot of records,
and I just hear a variety of things done in that key on those records.
It's kind of a weird form of meditation, I guess, because meditation
means just focusing on one thing for a very long time and finding all
the different layers of it and all the different things you can get out
of it instead of flitting from here to there. It's like "what ELSE can
I wring out of this chord? Is there another way to attack it?" But I
have a lot of inspiration. There's just such great stuff on records, so
there's always somebody to [listen to], and there's an infinite amount
of ways to play even the most cliched rock and roll. There are just so
many angles. If what I do is fresher than what others do, I don't know
what it is, unless they're just not listening to enough records to get
inspired.
Cosmik: I think it goes back to not knowing when not to play, too. I listen
to "Cramps Stomp," and there's so much power from chords just tailing off,
just hitting a chord and letting it snarl and sneer.
Poison Ivy: It's a real joy to play 'em that way. I think some guitarists
get led into an ego thing where they want to perform in some technical
way, which even if you can it's not always the best thing to choose to
do. I still like the idea of playing for the pure euphoria. My favorite
thing to play, still, is rhythm. It's just so euphoric that I really
get high playing. Certain things I play don't even feel like it's me
playing it, and that's my favorite kind of playing. I think guitarists
can get caught up in trying to be recognized for something technical or
intricate that they're doing, but they lose the whole world of getting
high just from playing when they do that.
Cosmik: Is "Haulass Hyena" in the key of A with the tape sped up?
Poison Ivy: It's got shifting keys. It was really hard to learn it, in
a way, to remember where to go, and now I've got to learn it again
because we have to go on tour soon. So many songs, I've recorded
them and never played them since. I remember I got out every guitar
boogie record we had... there's like "Earthquake Boogie," "Guitar
Boogie Shuffle," the Larry Collins/Joe Maphis "Hurricane" and... I think
I got out like 10 different guitar boogie records and I thought "can I
cram all this into one song?" [Laughs] Our poor drummer, he's so good
on it, but boy, when we first wrote the song we were like "okay, when
this part comes you do like this, and then you stop, and then you..."
and he was just staring into space. But then they did it, and they
learned it pretty quickly.
Cosmik: They got it down. I was talking to Lux about the animal imagery
tunes, like "Monkey With Your Tail" is my favorite track on the new
album.
Poison Ivy: It's mine, but I don't know why. It's something really juvenile
about it that I like, or jungly, or primitive... I don't know what it is.
Cosmik: The beast within... The wild thing.
Poison Ivy: Yeah. I really love doo-wop R&B vocal group stuff. It kinda
reminds me of that.
Cosmik: Really? You're a doo-wop fan?
Poison Ivy: Oh, that's how we got into the record collecting, initially.
Vocal groups. Then we just discovered rockabilly and everything else
while buying that. It's still an influence, but it's an influence that's
not recognized because we don't sing harmony. I get guitar parts from
vocal harmony parts. We don't get ideas from regular sources. We'll
get ideas for guitar parts from the saxophone parts on a record. Things
that aren't obvious. I love sax, you know? We've never had one in our
band, but I love sax. I don't PLAY sax, but I like it as much as guitar
to listen to, like 50s rock and roll, the really obnoxious kind of sax.
Cosmik: The kind of sax with guts and balls.
Poison Ivy: Yeah, and like that baritone sax that sounds really dirty.
Cosmik: Tone that really vibrates ya.
Poison Ivy: Big Jay McNeeley... He's not baritone, he's alto, but he's really
wild. He's wicked.
Cosmik: I was talking with Lux about the kinds of sounds you've absorbed into
your music. With you guys it's all melted into a central sound so nobody
would be apt to say "oh, check out the R&B influence in this one," but it's
definitely there. There IS R&B. Like "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog."
Poison Ivy: Yeah. Oh, that and... "Ultra Twist" was totally like the Ike-ettes
and that kind of influence. I'm trying to remember which song on this
album is kind of like a soul song... Well, "Super Goo" went past that.
By the time we finished that, it got pretty schlocky. [Laughs]
Cosmik: I loved your version of "Peter Gunn" on the Del-Fi Mancini tribute.
(Shots In The Dark.)
Poison Ivy: I love the song "Peter Gunn," and that was an opportunity to do
it. I don't know if The Cramps would have had an excuse to do it. Aside
from just collecting records in general, we collect certain songs, and
"Peter Gunn" is one of them. With some songs, it's hard to find a bad
version. They're all really fascinating, but different. There are all
these cool but very different versions of "Peter Gunn," so I've just
always wanted to do that song.
Cosmik: I'm curious... What did you think of The Art Of Noise's version?
Poison Ivy: Well, I was about to say there's not a bad version, EXCEPT...
That one just didn't make it for me. And I love Duane Eddy so much, but
I just didn't see what... I guess it helped Art Of Noise more than it
helped him. But there are some songs that are pretty hard to screw up,
like that one, "Harlem Nocturne," and "Night Train." All the versions
there are are just usually pretty great, and I just wanted to add my own.
Cosmik: How did you get involved with the Del-Fi project?
Poison Ivy: We were at a friends house, and he said he was going to be doing
something for it. He had a list of what everybody was doing, and I was
pretty amazed that no one was doing "Peter Gunn," so I just said "Oooo!
Here's my chance!" Del-Fi seemed excited to have my track on there, too.
They seemed like nice people, and they're based in LA, too. So it was
easy to do.
Cosmik: I assume you collect surf records, also?
Poison Ivy: Yeah.
Cosmik: Did you get a little buzz from being on a label with so much surf
history?
Poison Ivy: Oh, definitely. That was part of why I wanted to do it. I used
to collect their records before we were IN a band, and I never thought I'd
have a song on Del-Fi! I mean, that's probably a silly thing to get
excited about, but I was even excited about having a record on RCA in
Spain. Most people would think "well, that's a major," but to me, it was
the label Elvis was on. "Wow, I'm on the label ELVIS was on!" So, yeah,
it was great. Del-Fi had a LOT of cool stuff on it.
Cosmik: Is that a major buzz for you, having been a collector all your life,
knowing that people are out there madly collecting all your stuff?
Poison Ivy: Yeah, it's weird. Some of the records are really collector's
items now.
Cosmik: I asked Lux about this, too. You put out five or six EPs and singles
for each album, and most bands don't do that. You guys make some of the
coolest collector's items out there.
Poison Ivy: Yeah, and then there's the whole bootleg thing, too, which is
vast.
Cosmik: Does that bug you?
Poison Ivy: Most of it does, because a lot of it is pretty bad quality. There
are some that are pretty good, but most of them aren't. And they retitle
songs because we have fans that'll collect everything. So they change the
title of a song, and our fans take the records home and... like they'll
call "Psychotic Reaction" something, like on one they called it "A Walk
Down Broadway." So the fans think "well I never heard them do THAT song,
I guess I'd better plunk down all my dough and buy this." Then they take it
home and it's "Psychotic Reaction." It's mean. But other ones seem more
fan oriented. Some are really slick and have bar codes, and you can tell
it's just there to hustle money, and then another one will be like a real
crazy looking fan thing by some psycho, and that's kinda more interesting.
Cosmik: [Laughs] That's a whole 'nother scary area.
Poison Ivy: Yeah, but it's kind of exciting.
Cosmik: You played without a bass player in the band for a long long time.
Was it hard to adjust to playing WITH a bassist?
Poison Ivy: No, it wasn't, because it evolved in a real natural way on A
Date With Elvis. We didn't have a fourth band member, and I had already
done that song, "Surfin' Dead," for the soundtrack of Return Of The Living
Dead. We were still between members at the time that we made that, so I
just made a wall of guitar and included bass. They said they wanted it
to be "real pop," but OUR notion of pop was like Phil Spector, not 80s
pop, so we put that Phil Spector thing, that kind of "bomp...bomp-bomp...
bomp...bomp-bomp" beat in there. Then, when we made A Date With Elvis,
we still didn't have anyone. Also, the bass I played with was a Dan
Electro 6 string, and I also played a little bit of Fender VI on A Date
With Elvis. I only played a real bass on one song. But I kinda dug it.
It seemed even more prehistoric, to me. It was simpler. It's kind of,
in a way, given me more space to go from chords to lead and whatever. It
hasn't really changed what The Cramps is. A lot of people think it has,
but Slim [bassist Slim Chance] still takes solos on "TV Set," and he plays
those breaks on "God Monster." That's the bass player, it ain't me. So
nothing's different. It's just a different octave. In a way, we're still
acting like a two-guitar band. He does very un-typical things for a bass.
A lot of the fuzz is on bass. The fuzz pedal immediately takes all the low
end out anyhow. So it really hasn't been much of a change. The place I
notice the difference is on rockabilly songs. It's given them more power.
It's nothing slicker. I've heard people say it's slicker. It's just that
you have an octave. With Brian Gregory and The Kid, we had them playing
bass lines on the guitar. They were playing everything on the 5th and
6th strings, just literally bass lines. Nothing's changed, in that way.
To me, it's just more primitive and prehistoric and heavy, and it just
evolved naturally.
Cosmik: Is gear a big issue with you? Are you into gear?
Poison Ivy: Yeah... Yeah.
Cosmik: What's your setup right now?
Poison Ivy: My 1958 Gretch Chet Atkins 6120. Usually I play several guitars,
but this is the first time I played a whole album with that guitar.
Cosmik: Kind of gave it a cohesive sound, too, didn't it?
Poison Ivy: Oh, it's a great sound. I record with small amps. You get a
bigger sound with small amps. I prefer that.
Cosmik: Like what?
Poison Ivy: Valco. Live, I play with vintage Fenders. 15 inch speakers.
Real simple and tiny. Small gear, big noise. Now, everything's miked,
so when you see the stacks it's all for show. It's got nothing to do
with the sound that's being made at all. You know, not that "show"
doesn't have its use, but that's all it is, it's just show.
* * *
We had run well past the allotted time for this interview, so I asked Ivy
if she'd do one more thing for me. I asked her to do a quick voiceover for
our online "radio" show, Audible Debris, that I could use as a segue into
Cramps tunes. After 45 minutes of conversation in which she sounded like
Ivy, the girl next door, it was definitely Poison Ivy Rorschach who quickly
said "Hi, this is Poison Ivy. Stay sick with Cosmik Debris." Look for The
Cramps in the coming month, because they may just slide into your town for
a while, and you wouldn't want to miss that.
____________________________________________________________________________
NO DAMAGE DONE: Fiction Damage Turns Fiction
Interviewed by Paul Remington
1996 was a good year for bob and the boys. Their band, Fiction Damage,
released their first CD after nearly two years of writing, performing and
recording. Momentum was building. Heathen Stuff received airplay on local
radio, and they snagged as many gigs in and around the San Diego area as
they could. With all that, these ambitious musicians still describe how they
hope to "slip through the cracks" and hit it big.
And why not? Their music has the elements that can take a band to the top.
They perform a repertoire of original music. They have personality, solid
musicianship, and a following. Their music is hard rock with an interesting
twist that requires musical aptitude and a good ear. They have an
understanding of dynamics in writing, and a use of space. But, while they're
hard, they're also soft. While they're eclectic and progressive, they're also
steeped in "pop". Simply put, they are unique with a very original sound.
So, who are "they," you ask?
Meet bob, the songwriter, lyricist, vocalist and bass player of the band.
Yes bob. No first name; no last name. Just bob. Why? To understand why, you
need to appreciate the essence of bob. This can be captured through his
music, his lyrics, and his writing on the band's Website. bob is not a
follower of trends or the status quo. When asked why he goes by bob, he
replied, "I figured I could get away with it because it's such an unglamorous
name. The idea is that someday we'll have a good laugh at up-and-comers being
referred to as `bob-esque'."
Then there's the quiet and levelheaded Mike McQuilken; the timekeeper of the
group. He wields the sticks and has a surprising mix of musical influences
affecting his playing and the sound of the band. He's studied African rhythm
and is sharpening his skills performing straight-ahead, mainstream bop jazz
on the side, which is a whole different style of drumming. He's currently
studying with Toss Panos, former drummer for Mike Keneally [Zappa, Vai, and
Beer for Dolphins] and Z [Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa's band]. His skills are
wide-ranging. Heathen Stuff allows McQuilken to stretch his abilities.
Listen to Angelina or any of the other pieces on the disk. His presence is
distinct and solid.
The next member of the group requires some explanation. TJ Brinjak is the
guitarist, replacing George Sanchez. The addition of TJ was a natural one.
bob describes TJ as influencing the band, "Pretty massively, not only
because of his influence, but because . . . there are latent things that we
have, influence-wise. There are things that we have inside us that he's
brought out." The band promises the addition of TJ to be a positive change.
As for the band's name: they've decided to get rid of the Damage and keep
the Fiction--literally.
The October release of Fiction's newest CD, Five Short Stories, launches
a new phase in the band's career. Released as an EP, Five Short Stories
tells a tale in five songs of the maturation and ultimate demise of
love--love's birth and death. The work on this CD still has that old Fiction
Damage sound, but there are some exciting new additions to their style.
Although mostly electric, there's an acoustic quality to some of the pieces.
Vocal arranging has been well thought out. bob's songwriting talents are very
well presented. The pieces have legs . . . they stay with you.
While the San Diego music scene is glutted with thousands of bands, there's
always that one band that stands out amongst the crowd. Fiction is one of
those bands. Five Short Stories shows great maturity and promise. If this
is the direction the band is taking, it's a fantastic one.
The band is well aware of this, as the following interview attests. We caught
up with Fiction a few weeks prior to the release of Five Short Stories.
The band was clearly excited about the release, and the addition of Brinjak
to the group. They sported insight, confidence, and one cannot overlook the
unavoidable bob wit.
- - -
Cosmik: Tell me who Fiction Damage is and why you changed the band's name
to "Fiction"?
McQuilken: Well . . . we wanted to get rid of the Damage. [Laughs]
bob: The damage was done. No, actually we found out that there was a huge
band at the top of the charts called Fiction Damage.
Cosmik: Really? Wow . . . they couldn't be that huge. I've never heard of
them. [Laughter]
Brinjak: Mariah Carey's backup band, I believe, was called Fiction Damage.
Cosmik: Are they still around?
Brinjak: No . . . no . . .
bob: No, I just meant that they were physically huge. [Laughs] No . . .
seriously, it was because we wanted to get a new guitarist and a new
line-up, and we were thinking of new, new, new.
Cosmik: Your current CD, "Heathen Stuff," is actually material that was
written over two years ago. Is that right?
McQuilken: Yeah, most of it, except for about four of the songs.
Cosmik: How much time did it actually take to get that material recorded?
Was it a two year effort, or did it take two years to finally get it
released?
bob: You know, it did kind of take a while to get it down. Right around the
time we started recording, we hooked-up with our management. We were kind
of trying to figure out what our relationship was going to be like with
them, and try and record shows, and get a reputation going. But, then we
recorded most of the basics for Heathen Stuff in a studio here in
San
Diego called Double Time. We came away with decent basics, but the studio
wasn't really what we were after. [Mike] Keneally records a lot of stuff
there. So, there was kind of an eclectic vibe. Our thing has always been
to think eclectically with an eclectic approach without really having a
"shiny" production.
Cosmik: Songwriting seems to play a big role with the band. You don't just
crank out circular rhythms with banal 4/4 time, all the time. You know
what I mean?
bob: Yeah, totally. I think that's why we have the dynamic of the fans we
have. I've been writing for years and years and years, playing all kinds
of different styles with all kinds of different bands. So I got to the
point where I could craft a decent song by bringing it to the band. Mike's
background is a lot of fusion, jazz, and a lot of African stuff that I've
never been exposed to. T.J.'s coming from a sort of hard rock, R&B sort
of background. It's just a question of not getting too . . . committed,
or printing too polished a demo. Just bringing it in, throwing it into
the pile and seeing what happens. That's where things start to get
interesting.
Cosmik: I would assume, once you bring a new tune to the rest of the band,
that's when the piece really begins to take focus; when you begin
developing it.
bob: Yes, exactly. Like, Mike, T.J. and myself; we can sort of throw in an
idea, rehearse it a few times, then take it back to the acoustic guitar
for a while. Other possibilities start to come out.
Cosmik: The Heathen Stuff CD is primarily electric. Do you focus at all
on more acoustic instrumentation with the new band format, or are you
taking primarily the same approach?
McQuilken: I would say, it's primarily still going to be electric, but our
dynamic range has expanded to the point that we have softer, more subtle
areas, but we still crank it up to get the intensity across. There's
probably a little bit more of an R&B--a jazzier kind of sound on the new
material. We basically played the five songs that are coming out on this
new CD, back to back, at a club on Wednesday.
Cosmik: How did that go?
McQuilken: It went really well!
bob: It was so cool... so seventies.
Cosmik: So seventies?
bob: People were just standing there with their jaws down around their knees.
I should probably make note of the fact that San Diego and the scene here
has as much to do with molding our sound as anything else. It's a vast
metropolis populated by eight trillion bands, either of which sound like
Green Day or Alice in Chains.
Cosmik: So, there's a lot of similarity between a lot for the sounds that
are being created in that area.
bob: Absolutely. With us, it's always . . . I don't know if it's some
fetishistic thing to go against the grain, or if it's just wanting to
offer people something new, or just sort of like just guffawing at the
word "alternative." But, for us, it's always . . . When I was a kid and
I got turned on to music, it was always something like punk rock, new
wave, or something like that. You'd always hear Johnny Rotten and all
those guys talking about what punk was and what punk wasn't. The thing
that stuck with me was, whatever it sounded like sonically, it was a
shaking-up of the status quo. It was sort of going the opposite direction
of whatever the status quo was. It's funny because we've been really
influenced by the anonymity of San Diego music. So much so, we wanted to
do the opposite. That means to not necessarily have a ton of attitude,
and not necessarily slam people against the back wall, but actually
entertain, and actually be a band in the old sense. And, it's funny . . .
it sounds very "Pollyanna" of us, but at least, for me, personally, it's
kind of an evil glint. I mean, we do sing-alongs and stuff, which is just
not done. And I find that a lot of fun.
Cosmik: It sounds as though you're not interested in fitting into the norm.
You're interested in paving your own road and following that.
bob: All three of us have one great big thing in common: we couldn't fit in
if we wanted to. We would try, and we would fail. It's just the way it is.
Cosmik: How is that accepted in the San Diego area? If the audience is
primarily acclimated to a specific sound and specific style of band, and
a band like Fiction comes along, do you find you've received appreciation
from your audience? Mike Keneally, I would assume, would be considered
"non-standard" in the San Diego area, like your band . . . how is Fiction
accepted?
bob: I think you'd be amazed. People come around so fast. They sort of
snap-out of their nose piercing and have new attitudes so fast. At first
they resist. It just amazes me how many people get into it.
Cosmik: Yeah, it's like anything else new. It's a matter of accepting it.
Once they hear it, and they get turned onto it, the rest is natural. I
think musicianship really speaks for itself, in many respects. Especially
if you have a new sound and a new approach, that's one of the greatest
assets you can have; originality. That's what defines trendsetters, and
the movers and shakers in the music scene. Just fitting into what is
currently out there is kind of like . . . what else can you do with it?
Where can you go with it?
McQuilken: That's a good question. I think that's something we're trying to
do. I think one of the things we have that gives us the capability to go
off in another direction is also because the three of us come from
completely different musical backgrounds. So, bob's basically the
songwriter in the band, but he introduces ideas and stuff like that.
Just like the background that T.J. and I come from, we may interpret
something a little bit different than he may have intended it. Sometimes
it works really, really well, sometimes it needs to be a combination of
the two things, but it always mutates it a little bit. Thankfully, it
always seems to do that for the better.
Brinjak: I think it ends up being kind of organic, like the music in New
Orleans. You're gonna have jazz music there, you're gonna have a ton of
gospel music, blues, bluegrass, and just because of the location there,
those things are gonna blend into one big organic mix. I think that's
kind of the thing that happens here. Just like what Mike [McQuilken] was
saying, that everyone's approach to whatever ideas bob brings us, we'd
approach it a lot differently than a lot of bands would.
Cosmik: I get a kick out of some of the lyrics in your music. Is that
primarily bob writing that?
bob: Yes.
Cosmik: If I can quote a segment of lyrics from "Company Man," you wrote:
"Now you're standing at the bus stop with your book of Limbaugh quotes,
and your Nicoteenage memories jammed like fingers down your throat."
Heathen Stuff is loaded with lyrics like that, and it's very creative.
Even when you get on your Website [http://www.erols.com/damage/home.htm],
the writing is very much the same way.
bob: I like to write. Certain things can really talk to me in a certain way.
A tune like "Company Man", it might sound like an indictment, but it's not.
It's a cautionary tale. I was almost writing that to myself. Like, if you
end up like this, I will kill you. [Laughs] You know, we still have to have
day-gigs, and stuff like that. And it's very conflicting having to say,
"Yes sir, yes sir", all day. It bugs me. I tend to not cut myself too much
slack on that.
Cosmik: It seems to me you're writing more from the inside out than the
outside in. The most interesting part of the Website, for me, is the Band
Diary.
[Band laughs]
Cosmik: It's the most unique area of the Website, I think. It's deep, in the
same way Heathen Stuff is. Now, when you write the lyrics, is that pretty
much static? You write it and that's the way it goes, or when you get in
the studio, do you find pieces and lyrics mold and change along with what
the other band members feel.
bob: Yeah, that always changes, definitely. Sometimes I'll have a lyric that's
so . . . it's sort of my problem, because I have to sing them. Sometimes
I'll have a lyric that's just so close to home that it's got to be that
way. But, in a lot of cases, there's a lot of ways of saying the same
thing. If there's something I need to say in a certain way, I'm not going
to change that. I don't care what happens to the band politics.
Cosmik: In terms of the content of the lyrics, do you envision getting into
social issues? Like, right now I know the big issues in the news are
Princess Diana's death, and the death of Mother Teresa. Are you moved and
inspired by the mass-global? Or, do you avoid that kind of depth?
bob: Oh, no . . . we totally do. The next project we're working on is actually
a 70 minute rock opera based on the life of Johnny Versacci. When I was
younger, I was much more into writing about political stuff and things
like that. I used to read a lot of politically angry and rotten stuff.
But, the older I get, the more I get into the things that are universal.
I mean, if you write a good song about some sort of promotional scenario,
I think that can speak to someone politically.
Cosmik: Some people have an issue with the "We Are the World" syndrome of
songwriting, where you sit for 15 minutes and crank out a one-hit-wonder
based solely on auspices that are politically correct. While you may pay
attention to political and social issues, I just can't imagine Fiction
coming out with anything related to that kind of approach.
bob: Not only that, you really limit yourself on rhymes. What rhymes with
"Mother Teresa"? Except for maybe, "Wendy and Lisa". [Laughter]
T.J.: There ya' go!
Cosmik: Well, there you go . . . right there, you have the seeds of a new tune.
bob: I'm gonna grab a pencil. [Laughs]
Cosmik: Yeah, write that down.
bob: One thing that's really cool--recently--is that the addition of T.J.
has taken the songwriting in another direction. He and I have had some
true collaborations--some real 50/50 stuff. Like, he has some chord
sequences and I have some lyrics, or vice-versa.
Cosmik: Have you worked together prior to him joining the band?
bob: No, not really.
Cosmik: With George's [Sanchez] departure from the band, how has T.J.'s
influence changed the sound of Fiction?
bob: Pretty massively, not only because of his influence, but because of . . .
there's latent things that we have, influence-wise. There are things that
we have inside us that he's brought out. I was talking about the liner
notes for the new CD. I have a "latent-stack full" problem that he kind
of just drudged that out of me. So, it's definitely changed us.
Cosmik: I think it was T.J. that mentioned the word "organic" when describing
your sound.
Brinjak: Definitely.
Cosmik: Is that descriptive of your approach to your influence to the band?
Brinjak: Yeah, I just realized, as far as the song writing goes, we would
have a chance to hammer things out, see what works, and see what does
not. Like bob said, it just took off pretty quickly. We'd hang out on my
back porch with acoustic guitars and, just about every time, we come out
with something usable.
Cosmik: That sounds great! It sounds just plain enjoyable.
[Band agrees, in unison]
bob: T.J. And I believe that will come through on the new CD, "Five Short
Stories".
Cosmik: That's right . . . that's the new CD that's coming out. And, when is
that slated for release?
bob: Probably be the end of September [1997]. We're at the point now that
we're just adding a couple of final overdubs and we have some lead vocals
to do. We actually mixed the single; the first song--it's called, "Love
Reaches Out". I was getting ready to go on vacation for a while, and we
wanted to have something to give our management, to make them drool.
Cosmik: Did you pass it to them?
bob: Oh yeah.
Cosmik: What did they think?
bob: They really dug it! Everybody's really eating it up.
Brinjak: Yup.
Cosmik: I'm on your Website now, and it says the following about "Love
Reaches Out":
"Love Reaches Out takes an interesting structural trip from Beatle-ish to
Police-ish to Sneaker Pimp-esque to 'Dark Side of The Moon'--like in a
scant four or so minutes."
[Band laughs]
Cosmik: I found the material on Heathen Stuff really grew on me. I'm quite
interested to hear what comes out of the new incarnation.
bob: Well, it's "pop-ier", but at the same time it almost isn't, because
there's pop as such, and there's pop in reference to what's popular now.
And, I think for the public at large, Five Short Stories, in a certain
way, is going to be a bit more challenging. Music now can almost smack
you against the wall. That's what music seems to be like on the radio
now.
Cosmik: Much of popular music is very homogenized and uninteresting, from a
uniquely creative standpoint. Most stations play a repertoire of maybe 30
or 40 tunes, then recycle them endlessly throughout the day.
bob: . . .over and over. It's the same thing with radio in San Diego. Out
here you have your so-called "alternative" stations.
Cosmik: Yeah, modern rock.
bob: Yeah, the alternative stations have about a 10 song play list.
Cosmik: [Laughs] That's about it--that's exactly right! I mentioned in the
review I wrote for Heathen Stuff, the only concern I have about the
release was the eclectic nature of the material. How was it going to get
airplay? I think the tunes on that CD are very playable on the air, it's
just a matter of a station wanting to promote it. How has that been a
factor with your last CD?
McQuilken: As far as radio play is concerned, at least in the California
area, there basically is the 30 or 40 song rotation, which is mostly
major signed acts. Some of the radio stations, from time to time, have
a "locals only" type of show where they will play basically what's
happening in the local music scene. We've received some airplay on those
shows. Really, until you gain the support of a major label, you might as
well forget about getting rotational radio play.
bob: Unless you're handy with a sidearm. [Laughs]
Cosmik: So, you find getting in heavy rotation is a difficult thing to achieve.
bob: It's tough. Back in the old days--like during the mid-eighties--if you
were an alternative band, or what was called back then an "Indie" band,
if you had the resources, you could find an independent promoter, line
their pockets, and count on them to get your product out there to college
alternative stations. You'd get a biweekly report that stated that you've
been added here, you've been added to Chapel Hill, you guys are doing
really good in Arkansas, and it was great. You had, like, a little map.
These are the places you need to get out to. These are the places you
need to focus on.
Cosmik: That becomes your gig list.
bob: Exactly . . . exactly. It's really nice. For example, if you were added
at the University of Connecticut, if you were number one with a bullet,
you knew you could call and book a show and make a grand, and just widen
your audience that much more. But, now it's just so overpopulated. Even
the independent promoters, they have to think that you're God before they'll
touch you.
Cosmik: You're with High Time Records. Are you going to stay with High Time?
bob: That's actually our management company. We've released our CDs as a
totally independent thing, and we just refer to it as High Time. We'd
like to get a deal, but it would have to be a certain kind of deal. What
we've been looking at are smaller labels and bigger label distribution.
For example, the way Red Ant is distributed by Warner. That's kind of
what we'd like to end up with. Obviously, that's the ideal situation. A
small label that doesn't have a zillion band roster.
Cosmik: Exactly. Mike Keneally is signed through Immune Records, which is
also a small label. He seems to be getting some visibility and doing well.
Immune's owner, Suzanne Forrest, has given valuable attention to Keneally.
bob: You know, it's funny, Paul, because you get these labels, like High
Time, which we're through . . . High Time is like, us, sitting at our
desk. And, Immune, I know, is Suzanne Forrest sitting at her desk.
[Laughs] Suzanne's cool.
Cosmik: Yeah, she is. She's been very supportive. She's been good to Cosmik,
and a great Keneally supporter. So, now, I know Keneally has made some
real positive and humorous comments about Fiction Damage. Specifically,
he stated, "If I were on a lifeboat with Fiction Damage and there were
insufficient supplies to sustain all of us, I would gladly sacrifice
myself that they might survive. Their contribution to American culture
is that great." Typical humorous Keneally quote. I understand you guys
had a chance to gig with him.
bob: Oh, it was the greatest! Mike, our drummer, got in touch with him. We
wanted to do, uh . . . well, you tell him about it, Mike.
McQuilken: Basically, we had this show set up at Sam Goody in Horton Plaza,
which is actually the largest Sam Goody in California. It's a three level
store, and on the bottom level they have a coffee house area, and they
set up a stage there. You can get a couple of hundred people in there
listening to you. So, we had this show set up there. What we wanted to do
was . . . this was a point in time when George was no longer in the band,
and we had a couple-three weeks to get the show together. I think the
first time we got to work with him was about two weeks before the show
was supposed to be. So, we gave Keneally a call, and he said he'd help
us out with the show.
Cosmik: Nice guy.
bob: Yeah, he is. He's so cool!
McQuilken: We played with another musician . . . oh, his name just slipped
my mind.
bob: Steve Kruse. Yeah, Steve's an LA session guy. He just did Billy Joel's
new single. We were chuckling about that. He's someone that our manager,
Kathleen, set us up with. The three of us had been saying "let's do
something unique, let's do something different. If there's a guitar on
"Missing Something" [on Heathen Stuff], let's make it a harp solo." We
were all very "high concept" at first, and that just ended up being the
reality. It's like, Why not? Let's get a harp player.
Cosmik: Well that's a unique approach. So, you got together with Steve Kruse
and Mike Keneally. How did the gig go? I assume you clicked with Keneally
immediately.
McQuilken: It went really well. We had a short rehearsal over at my place
before the gig, then went down there. Mike played Keyboards.
Cosmik: Yeah, he actually started out as a keyboard player, which surprised
me. I've always known him more through his guitar talents. He's very
adept at the keys.
bob: Yeah, he's a great keyboard player. It was killer because we were sort
of going for that greasy Hammond organ and Leslie speaker thing, and he
was all over that! You didn't even have to explain it to him.
Cosmik: It's right under his fingers.
Brinjak: Insert tab A into slot B, and there's a band. My favorite thing
about playing with those guys was just the level of experience and
professionalism they had. For me, getting up there and singing is such
a vulnerable experience. But, with a band like this, and all those guys
behind that, I felt like a well-cradled baby. It was cool.
Cosmik: Is that the only time you played with Keneally?
McQuilken: Well, we opened for Beer for Dolphins [Keneally's band] three
times.
Cosmik: I know he's been quite active in the San Diego area. I'm thinking
of clubs like The Casbah and many others.
bob: We played the Casbah on our first show, and we opened for Mike there.
Cosmik: Really?
McQuilken: Yeah that was . . . that's right.
Cosmik: That was rather historic, in a Fiction Damage kind of way.
bob: Yeah, time will tell if it's truly historic. If anyone gives a damn!
[Laughs]
Cosmik: If anyone gives a Damage, you mean.
[Laughter]
bob: If it's not ours, we're done with it. And this other gig we did with
Keneally and Kruse was T.J.'s first show too. That was total baptism by
fire. We did a lot of instrument changes, and I was playing an upright
electric bass. We did the song, "Gethsemane". I started it out acoustic,
and Mike came on during the big drum explosion section. We segued that
into a drum solo that was monumental! I grabbed a bass, and T.J. picked
up a guitar, and we finished it out like a power trio. It was not an easy
show. It was very ambitious.
Cosmik: That's great. You'd stretch your abilities, then you walk away from
that with more confidence, I would expect.
bob: Yeah, exactly. The big thing we were going for was the whole idea of
people coming down, they know what the CD sounds like, some of them do
and some of them don't . . . some of them were really entertained by it.
They really let themselves see us as a band that's not afraid to go out
on a limb. For me, personally, that was really important.
Cosmik: That makes sense. You put yourself on the line, and people recognize
that. And, I think it's natural an audience would respond to that.
bob: Yeah, they totally do. I know I do, when I see a band like that. They're
not just cranking out the hits, you know; they're artists.
Cosmik: Also, I suspect when you play live, you don't just play exactly what's
on the CD the same way it's recorded. A lot of bands, when you see them
live, it sounds as though they just put the CD on and pushed play. With
many bands it sounds worse than the CD.
bob: That's boring. You know, people already know the songs. Obviously, we're
stuck, to an extent, since we're trying to achieve a stature to leave
crummy jobs behind. In a lot of cases we need to play the songs as they
are, because people don't necessarily know the CD.
Cosmik: I'd think the improvisational element of the tunes themselves allow
you to do a lot with each tune. Even if you play the song exactly the
same, you can take completely different solos each time.
bob: A lot of the songs on Heathen Stuff were constructed specifically
that way. When we have the freedom to do that live, obviously that's the
dream: to be able to completely deconstruct each piece. There have been
nights where we just let it go where it wants to go. "Gethsemane"'s like
that; "Angelina"'s like that; "Missing Something"'s like that. I like to
watch a band where you never know what's going to happen.
Cosmik: Absolutely . . . otherwise it becomes predictable. In terms of the
musician, it gets boring, having to play the same tune night after night.
bob: And then, where can you go with that? All you can do is change your
hairstyle. [Laughter]
Cosmik: Speaking of Keneally, I understand you, Mike [McQuilken], took lessons
from Keneally's drummer, Toss Panos.
McQuilken: I was doing it, like, every four to six weeks, and now I think
it's been something like eight or ten weeks since I've actually gotten
together with him. Sometime soon I'll hook back up with him and get some
things going.
Cosmik: Yeah, he's a fantastic drummer.
McQuilken: Oh yeah!
Cosmik: You also play in a hard bop band?
McQuilken: Well . . . I'm playing a little bit with one right now. Part of
working with Toss Panos was to broaden my education and work on my
drumming. I used to play in the San Diego youth jazz band, and stuff like
that. But, it wasn't in the same style as Elvin Jones or Jack DeJohnette.
And, I just wanted to open myself up to be able to not only understand
that but to be able to play in that manner, take those influences and
incorporate that into any style I'm playing. I think you're going to hear
those influences coming out on the new CD. The one thing about Toss Panos
was, for me, I was just playing along with CDs. He said, "You know, you
need to find some guys to play with."
Cosmik: This was after Heathen Stuff came out, right?
McQuilken: Yeah, this was after that. So, I get together once a week or once
every couple of weeks, with a couple of other guys to go over Real Book
charts. It's kind of like a drum lesson for me.
Cosmik: It sounds as though this has had a major change on your approach to
the instrumentation and music, and the band. It's difficult to find any
up-and-coming rock bands that are conscious of the musical element.
bob: Again, it's us, it's the status-quo, and I hate the status quo. I don't
care what the status quo is, I'm gonna hate it. [Laughs]
Cosmik: And, ultimately, I think it doesn't matter what it is. I mean, you
know what you want, and that's all that matters.
bob: Yeah . . . exactly. And, Heathen Stuff . . . It, uh . . . it sounds
like . . .
Cosmik: How does it sound to you now, when you listen to it?
bob: Oh, we love it! I'm always going to love that CD.
McQuilken: Right.
bob: But, it's the sound of three guys trying to out brilliant each other,
and that's cool. That has its place. But, Buffy and Jodie ain't gonna buy
it. Five Short Stories is very much a song effort. Let's take this
ridiculous amount of expertise we have and lets bring it to bear in a
way that not only floors people musically, but also gets an emotion out
there.
Cosmik: Let's talk about that for a little bit. What is the concept behind
the Five Short Stories?
bob: It all came about because we wanted to change the name of the band from
Fiction Damage to Fiction. For me, personally, as soon as I saw that word
sitting there on a page, I was like, "Oh man . . . this is band-concept
heaven." You know, I started thinking about books, and fonts. You could
do this . . . you could do that. You could have a very complete visual
package. Not only that, but since we're one of those silly bands that are
too smart for their own damn good, it all fit together. It grew into this
thing where we decided to put out a CD and decided, let's almost style it
like a book. Like, the CD has a Forward, it has a Table of Contents, and
it's very complete, visually. What happened was--as far as the "Five Short
Stories" thing--we printed the songs and had the songs down as basic tracks
in the studio. We stuck them in a certain order and realized that it was
a big long story. If you put them in a certain order, it was about the
birth and death of love, and what it is that takes love and twists it into
the inverse. So, the beginning is all very positive, hippie-dippy, love
reaches out, and I could cry kind of thing. The first song is about how
love is everything. The second song is about how it's scary to be this
vulnerable. The third song is about baggage, and how you can bring baggage
to the table and just destroy love. And, the fourth song is about the pain
and mistrust, and the bad things that can come from that. And, the last
song is just, like . . . see ya'!
Cosmik: So, you found the concept and explored it--like Vai did with Fire
Garden.
bob: Exactly . . . Totally!
Cosmik: How long is the CD? Does each piece segue and flow into the next,
or are they independent entities.
bob: They're independent. But, it's us, so some of them are pretty damn long.
[Laughs]
Cosmik: Good! I like it when they're long.
bob: You'll love the last song. It's called, "I Know Why". The description I
wrote on the Website probably sums it up pretty nicely. But, it's this
very, very dark, spooky jazz waltz. The lyrics are kind of Ray Charles,
histrionic and over the top. Lots of "Baby, baby, baby . . ." and it's
just one of those "ache" songs. Then, there's this false ending that
comes back in to this whole-improvised section that goes on for a . . .
pretty fair spell.
Cosmik: How much time did you actually spend in the studio? I suspect you
worked all this out ahead of time. With a studio, time is money.
McQuilken: We wrote these songs very quickly. It almost seems like those
four or five songs we wrote all within a month. I mean, got them arranged
to the point where they were ready to record. So, we went in and laid down
drums in a day. We went back and did the bass guitar. Actually, [addresses
bob] the bass was doubled, wasn't it?
bob: Yeah, I did a lot of bass doubling. I love doing that.
Cosmik: Well, that's a neat thing too, you use fretless bass, which a lot
guys can't do.
bob: Well, sometimes I can't either. [Band laughs] It depends on what my
consumption is on any one given evening. [Laughs] It also depends on what
the stage lighting is like. It's really weird. Like, I play upside-down.
If you just take a normal bass and flip it, that's how I play.
Cosmik: So, you took the Jimi Hendrix approach.
bob: Yeah . . . exactly! When you take a right handed bass and flip it left
handed, there's no little markers on the side of the neck anymore. You
have to watch it really, really closely. Obviously, when you're singing
at the same time, it's definitely . . . I have a long way to go.
Cosmik: It's a lot to pay attention to.
bob: Yeah, it definitely takes a lot of mental energy.
Cosmik: The sound of a fretless bass is so beautiful.
bob: Very expressive.
Cosmik: Talk about organic.
Brinjak: Paul, um . . . about bob playing fretless bass and singing at the
same time . . . I don't know how a human being does that.
Cosmik: I can't do it. I play guitar, and I can't sing and play at the same
time. I've tried, and worked at it. It just doesn't come naturally.
Bob: What makes it work is . . . I'm a singer, like, just miles and miles
above anything else. That ability came first, and then the desire to
accompany it--we're talking about when I was a kid--the kinesthetic of
playing came second. So, they developed at the same time. It was like a
piece of music. It was like a counterpoint. Singing and playing bass has
always given me a McCartney-ish, contrapuntal way of thinking of the bass
line and the melody. And I love it! I love to take a song into the studio
when all the tracks are printed, and solo the bass and the voice to kind
of see if the counterpoint is happening there. It's very much like a
classical composition where the violins are doing X, and the viola is
doing Y, they fit together in a certain way.
Cosmik: Is the instrumentation of each piece decided prior to going into the
studio, or do you determine that while recording?
bob: Instrumentation is a funny thing when you're in a three-piece.
Cosmik: I'd think it would be. Your sound is a very big sound, even for
three guys. When I first heard your material I thought, oh, there must be
five guys in this band.
bob: Yeah, exactly. It's a never-ending discipline, when you're in a power-trio,
to stay that way until the song is begging for you not to. Because, there's
some songs you end up doing as a power-trio, you add some stuff, and you
end up shaking that stuff away. It's such a beautiful thing. Some of those
Cream albums, some of those mid-period Police albums where they're just,
like, "Look, we're a three-piece, we're gonna be a three-piece, and there's
gonna be a lot of space in here, and that's gonna be the fourth band
member." But, it's true . . . on Heathen Stuff we had a lot of stuff
going on, and I think those songs kind of wanted that. On this one, it's
definitely more sparse, but that was kind of an agenda all its own.
Cosmik: But, that was a component you wanted built-in to it anyway.
bob: Exactly! And it's tough, too, because you have to think about, "Well,
this is cool in the studio, but if we put the London Symphony Orchestra on
this, how are we going to perform it live? Does it have the energy, does
it hold your interest?" Some things are funny. You can look at what other
power-trios have done in the studio to spice up the fact they're in the
studio, and there's not that live energy. Can we take this out live, and
not have that four-part harmony going? That's something that always has
to be considered. For me, that's the fascination of a three piece. That's
it, in a nutshell.
Cosmik: If I were to go the room and ask who your primary musical influences
were, what would they be? Let's start with Mike [McQuilken].
McQuilken: I grew up on the old "prog" [progressive] rock field, and also
bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin. I'm more along the lines of what I call
real fusion, which would be early Mahavishnu Orchestra or Return to Forever.
That's the kind of stuff that I still like listening to. Most recently
I've been listening to the Bozzio/Levin/Stevens release. Those are my
influences and what I like to listen to. But, I'm also big into hard bop,
like New York style jazz. I really like what you hear from the musicians
playing the club circuits there. So, those are basically my influences.
bob: Mike's got a lot of African things going on too.
McQuilken: Yeah . . .
bob: Things that have come to play a huge part in what our songs sound like.
Cosmik: Tell me about that.
McQuilken: Well . . . I had met a guy from Ibou M'Eaye who was a member of
the Wolof tribe. That was in 1987, or something like that. I had never
seen traditional African drums before. I studied with him for a couple
of years. There's a guy named Paulo that puts out the Djembe line, and
that's the whole West Coast of Africa's style of drums.
Cosmik: So, you've pretty much adopted that into your sound.
McQuilken: After getting into that, and then delving more into music history,
you find the jazz greats that we know of that came out of the swing era
of the `50s and developed the bop style of the `60s, they used that. That
probably influenced Elvin [Jones].
Cosmik: Okay, T.J. . . . you're up.
Brinjak: Well, let's see . . . I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock
and blues, then around college I took a heavier course in R&B and gospel.
As far as specifics, I really like Ray Charles, and Janet Jackson. As for
the new guitar stuff that you'll hear on the new EP, Five Short Stories,
it'll be pretty easy for the listener to pick things out. Like, here's
some hard rock stuff, here's some George Lynch, here's a whole lot of
Stevie Ray Vaughn, and some more Stevie Ray Vaughn, and . . .
Cosmik: . . . even more Stevie Ray Vaughn. [Band laughs]
Brinjak: You're going to hear a lot of that.
bob: And some Sarah Vaughn. [Laughs] Yeah . . . We recorded it in a motorcycle,
too.
Cosmik: What?!
bob: I saw that in a feature. Wasn't that in Cosmik Debris about Ben Vaughn
recording it in a car? It was so cool! [Ed.Note: Refers to our July 1997
interview with, and separate article about, Ben Vaughn. He had just recorded
an entire album, Rambler '65, inside his car.]
Cosmik: Oh that's where you got that. [Laughs] Okay, stay with me bob . . .
you're next.
bob: For me, it's not so much a question of influence as much as it is, under
the influence. [Laughs] I started out back in the wonderful days of punk
rock anarchy, and I loved the Pistols, the Clash, the Subway Sect, the
Damned, the UK Subs, the Specials, and all that kind of stuff. All that
stuff is coming around again now, and it's annoying the hell out of me!
You wouldn't believe, man . . . the shows we play, the kids are like,
"Play some punk . . . play some ska." I thought I was gonna want to do
that when I was this age, like, now I can be all my heroes. It's like,
"kids . . . that stuff was old when I was your age. Can we please offer
you . . ."
Cosmik: . . . something new.
bob: Yeah . . . and then, from that, I got into the . . . well, you know how
punk and new wave was. It was always, [English accent] "London school,
no it's New York school, no it's London School.'
Cosmik: London Calling. [Clash LP]
bob: Yeah . . . exactly, exactly! Then I jumped across the Atlantic and got
into all the CD stuff, television, Patty Smith, the Heads, the Ramones,
Blondie, XTC, and all that stuff. The one that really stood-out was the
Police. I worshiped the Police when I was a kid. They let me in. Everything
was so sparse that you could see, like . . . this is what a guitar does,
this is what a bass does, and this is what the drums can do. I couldn't
really get into music before that, because I couldn't figure out what the
hell everyone was doing. So, that was kind of my primer. Than when I went
to school I really had the time and inclination to get into my head and
study music. I've always been a real pop guy. I love pop. But, at the
same time, I have this left-of-center thing. In college I got into the
Beatles, Beach Boys, Big Star, all this sort of stuff. If you want to be
a GOOD pop writer as opposed to a crummy hack, all the lessons are there
to be learned. I think college was where I began dissecting all that
stuff, getting into the studio, and getting into the "classic" and "pop"
stuff. There's a lot of modern stuff that I really like. I love Michael
Penn, I love Jeff Buckley, a lot of alternative bands. For me, there are
three chunks: new wave/punk, `60s pop, and modern "alternative" music. I
just slap that all together.
Cosmik: It sounds like you take those influences and weave them into your
music. But, writing pop music seems to be a real art. There's so many
elements to pay attention to, not only in the piece itself, but in how
it's recorded, produced, and marketed. All three of you seem to have a
real eclectic mix.
bob: Yeah . . . it's cool to see how it all comes together.
Cosmik: What's the long-term projection for the band? Do you have any
visions of other recording projects, live releases, tours?
McQuilken: I think the next one will be, "One Long Story". [Laughs]
Cosmik: [Laughing] It's like one of those `70s concept albums where the
whole side is one tune.
bob: Yeah!
Cosmik: That would be really cool, artistically.
bob: Mike . . . wouldn't it be cool to put out a live CD?
McQuilken: Yeah. I think that would be really good. That's what we should
probably do next.
Cosmik: That's a real test of a band; what they sound like live. A real
good band will do a better performance than the studio album because the
spontaneous element exists, and the music recreates itself.
bob: Exactly. It's all different when you're getting feedback from people.
[Western accent] It's a whole different shootin' match!
Cosmik: How are the gigs going these days? Are you guys booked-up?
bob: No . . . it's hard to get shows in San Diego. There are ten trillion
bands, and nine trillion of them . . . I don't want to, like . . . we
have a non-negativity policy, but they suck, They're clogging up the club
circuit. Clubs are opening and closing so fast you can't get a following
going. In Southern California--I don't know if you've ever been out
here--it's a whole different thing. In the course of my day I can travel
100 miles, easy, all for rehearsal. Make sure you have enough gas. It's
so spread out and it's so diffuse. There's so many trillions of bands,
and the things that get bands back to clubs is--of course this is
universal--how many people come and how many get smashed on the club's
wares.
Cosmik: There's a lot of competition.
bob: Yeah . . . and you have to make a decision, at some point. You have to
make a very conscious decision: Are we going to be a big San Diego band,
and are we going to use San Diego as a thermometer of what we need to develop or not develop. Or, are we going to picture ourselves as a national thing and not a geographically based phenomenon. It's hard to make those decisions.
Cosmik: How do you approach that? That's an excellent question.
bob: Well, we just try to play as many shows as we can get, and we try to
get as many people to the shows we play, but we try not to let that end
up being the sole focus.
Brinjak: Definitely. I like bob's point about thinking of yourself as a
national act. I could see, possibly, with this band, doing the shows in
San Diego just to get out there to play as a group . . .
bob: Yeah!
Brinjak: . . . and I can also see this band slipping through the cracks,
like Jewel or Stone Temple Pilots. Nobody thinks of them as a San Diego
act. But, that's where they cut their teeth before they slipped through
the cracks. Now San Diegens [sic] say, "Wow! I don't remember you." I see
that could definitely happening to us.
bob: Yeah, that's a good point.
Cosmik: It seems as though you have a lot of control over what you're doing.
Do you feel, If you became a national act, you might lose some of that
control?
bob: Over my dead body! No, that's not going to happen. I don't care if Joe
Schmoe at MegaStar Records wants us to have Cindy Crawford's left buttock
on our cover--they can eat me!
Cosmik: Either that or the biggest sin would to be told you could have no
tunes over five minutes long.
bob: We're not going to get all attitudinal about it. I like three-minute
songs, too. I think that there are fewer forms of art higher than the
three-minute pop song. I aspire to it, a lot of the time.
Cosmik: It's a different thing . . . a different approach.
bob: It's something we've come to terms with more on the new CD, and
obviously we have these big explorations and there's a lot of weirdness . . .
I think you'll be blown away when you hear the first tune, Love Reaches
Out. It's a four-minute pop song. It's definitely Fiction; it's definitely
us. There are lots of weird noises, and lots of left-field sentiments, and
stuff like that. But it's a pop song, and it's not because of Ahmet
Ertegun. The thing is, we want to be successful.
Cosmik: But at the same time, you don't want to compromise your own artistic
abilities to make it successful. I think that would ruin the fun.
bob: I think I would do a Cobain, at that point.
Cosmik: Oh man . . . we don't want that . . .
bob: I wouldn't do it in your house! [Laughter]
Cosmik: Okay . . . so if you live in the San Diego are, go check out Fiction.
Heathen Stuff is available on CD in stores in the US. People can get it
at any Sam Goody, Tower Records, and Blockbuster Music.
bob: Probably the easiest way to get it is through our Website.
[http://www.erols.com/damage/home.htm]
Cosmik: Five Short Stories comes out in October, so your fans will be
looking for that. Things sound as though they're going well for each of
you. Listen, guys . . . thank you for chatting with Cosmik.
bob: You guys are like . . . gods!
(Copyright 1997 Paul Remington, All Rights Reserved)
____________________________________________________________________________
TAPE HISS INTERVIEWS
By John Sekerka
[The following interviews are transcribed from John Sekerka's radio show,
Tape Hiss, which runs on CHUO FM in Ottawa, Canada. Each month, Cosmik
Debris will present a pair of Tape Hiss interviews. This month, we're
proud to present interviews with Tortelvis (Dread Zeppelin) and Steve
Wynn.]
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
STEVE WYNN
Former leader of the influential guitar pioneers The Dream Syndicate, and
now a veteran solo performer, Steve Wynn talks from his New York home,
avoiding the dreaded packing ritual before a month long tour
John: There's one burning question I feel obliged to lead off with: who is
going to win the World Series?
Steve: Good question. Being a lifetime Dodger fan and a current New York
resident, to be completely schizophrenic I'm kinda looking toward a
Dodger/Yankee series. I'll put my money on the Yankees.
John: Is it true that on the night of a gig you were at the ballpark watching
Fernando Valenzuela duel Dwight Gooden in extra innings?
Steve: Yes, you've done your homework. It was an amazing game. That was back
when they were the two top pitchers in baseball. It was scoreless in the
ninth inning and I had a gig at eleven o'clock. I hung on till the tenth
inning - the last possible second. I ran outta the stadium, jumped in my
car, drove to the gig, got there just in time and opened with "Talkin'
Fernando Valenzuela Blues", which, unfortunately was never taped.
John: Maybe we should change the subject.
Steve: Hell, I'll talk about anything, as long as I don't have to pack.
John: Who is in your band these days?
Steve: The Continental Drifters, which feature former Dream Syndicate Mark
Walton, Robert Mecher, Peter Holseapple and Vicki Peterson from The Bangles.
They play their own set as well.
John: Your last record, "Melting in the Dark", was a great rocking album.
Where are you heading with "Sweetness of Light"?
Steve: It's a slightly more upbeat, positive, poppy version of the last one.
That's drawing on my rusty rock critic skills.
John: How did you get involved with Boston's Come for the "Dark" record?
Steve: Come has taken similar territory as The Dream Syndicate. They're a
two guitar band in which there's not really a lead and a rhythm. The two
guitarists are kinda snaking around, doing a lot of improvisation. I put
them in the same tradition as Television and Quicksilver Messenger Service.
I was a big fan of theirs, and they knew my material really well. We were
actually trying to get that together for quite a long time. It was three
years after we agreed that we could get together and make the record.
John: You're renown for short recording times. How long did it take to make
the new album?
Steve: The last few records took ten days, and that seemed just fine. This
time I spent twenty. That's a quick record in most peoples' eyes, but for
me it was like "Tusk." Actually it wasn't long enough for me to get too
neurotic or self-indulgent, but long enough where I could stand back and
see what I will like to hear six months from now.
John: I've always liked the spontaneity and freshness of your records.
Steve: Out of the fifteen records that I've made, I only spent more than a
month on a couple. Because I record quickly it can come off as if I don't
care, or I'm just not a perfectionist, or I'm lazy, or I'm a slacker. I
think that by taking longer, you don't necessarily get a better record. Out
of boredom or over inspection, you might file off all the cool things, and
leave all the boring stuff. Mistakes are not necessarily a bad thing. I like
to record the whole band together in the studio, so everybody plays off each
other. It's not quite the extent of a jazz band, but you are reacting. And
even in a scripted, non-improvisational pop song you still have room for
give and take.
John: When The Dream Syndicate first came on the scene in '82, there was a
definite danger element to the music. When you're young and rebellious, and
the world is there for the taking, it's easy to have that attitude. How do
you feel about losing that exciting element of danger?
Steve: You can never be as naive and innocent as when you start out, but I
think the danger element is still there. Mostly live, but sometimes on
record, as in Marvin Gaye's "That's the Way Love is", which I think can get
as frenzied as anything on "Days of Wine and Roses". Just the fact that I'm
better at what I do now, it would be a lie for me to fake some kind of
teenage rebellion danger. I think it comes in different ways now - lyrically
"Melting in the Dark" was quite disturbing, probably as ugly in its own way
as anything that The Dream Syndicate ever did.
John: I just wanna backtrack to something you mentioned earlier. Were you
really a rock critic?
Steve: Well, a sports writer actually, and I ended up reviewing music as
well cuz that was the best way to get free records. That didn't last very
long. I just didn't enjoy being that analytical about something I loved.
John: And what about sports writing?
Steve: My dream was to be on the masthead of Sports Illustrated. Something
happened called punk rock which changed my whole way of thinking, and that
was it. I was corrupted.
John: Did you have a goofy nickname when you were a sports writer?
Steve: I should've. I probably would've lasted longer.
John: Don't you get tired talking about The Dream Syndicate?
Steve: No, I'm proud of those times, and as a music fan, I know how that is:
when a band starts out it's real exciting. I'm glad that "Days of Wine and
Roses" is important to a lot of people. I was talking to somebody the other
day, wondering if when I'm seventy years old and making my thirtieth record,
will I still be talking about a record I made in 1982?
John: As much as I like that record, I do prefer the follow up, "The Medicine
Show." That one kinda got buried. Was that because you got signed to a
major (A&M) and they didn't know what to do with it?
Steve: Yeah. Back then, to be going from an indie to a major - we were
actually the first band to really do it. To this day I don't think indies
are any better than majors. There are artist driven majors, and corrupt
indies. We spent a lot of time on "The Medicine Show", plus we changed our
sound ... a lot of things. The funny thing is that in the States there was a
backlash, but in Europe that record was and is seen as the band's
masterpiece. In a recent issue of The London Guardian, it made the forty
best records list in the forty years of rock'n'roll.
John: What I particularly like is the dual guitar interplay of you and Karl
Percoda. Did he leave the band shortly after that record?
Steve: Yeah, it was a complete personality conflict thing. We played well
together, made really great music, but grew to hate each others' guts. We
were young and all the stupid things played a part: egos, drugs and liquor.
It was sad because I think we could have made a lot more good music
together.
John: Did that personality clash effect "The Medicine Show"?
Steve: Yeah, that record took six months to make. That was the least fun
I've ever had doing anything in music. I like the results, but making the
record was miserable. It was almost nervous breakdown inducing. And to have
it slagged in the States made it even worse. By the time we got some
indication (positive feedback) from Europe, we were too far gone.
John: It's not as immediate as "Days", a lot of long songs, slow to build,
some jams. Maybe it just threw people for a loop.
Steve: Right. It was a very different record. All my music heroes would
change from record to record. But you're expected to find your sound and
stick with it. Sadly, it's the only record I've done that's out of print
right now.
John: Do you know what Karl's up to these days?
Steve: He ended up getting his PhD in literature, moved to Charlottesville,
Virginia, and he became a professor there. I heard recently that he's been
playing in a band, and that he's made a record. Though I don't know anything
about it. I'm real curious. I'd love to get together and play with him - not
as the Dream Syndicate though. I think reunions are silly.
John: You've done a lot of collaborating. How do you hook up with all these
people?
Steve: By touring for fifteen years you make friends. That's the case with
Howard Gelb of Giant Sand, Peter Buck of R.E.M., John Wesley Harding or
Come. They were just peers I've admired. Then there's people like Lou Reed,
bassist Fernando Saunders, or Flo & Eddie, of whom I was a fan and sought
out.
John: What about Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde?
Steve: Oh yeah, we went out for a while. I still talk to her every week. We
live three thousand miles apart, but we talk all the time. She's one of my
best friends.
John: Were you romantically linked when collaborating on music?
Steve: No, but since we broke up, we've done a lot of stuff together. We
covered Nick Cave's "The Ship Song", we've sung several duets on my records,
and we've toured together.
John: There were quite a few L.A. bands in the mid eighties that were very
influential: Concrete Blonde, X, Gun club, Green On Red ...
Steve: All great bands.
John: Recently I spoke with Chuck Prophet from Green On Red fame, and your
name came up.
Steve: Right, we wrote "Look Both Ways" for his "Brother Aldo" album. I did
it again for my "Fluorescent" album.
John: Two different versions.
Steve: Two very different versions, in fact. His came first, and it's more
Townes Van Zandt folky, while mine is more a Bob Dylan "Desire" era stomper.
Chuck's a great guitarist, I'd love to work with him. This might sound
blasphemous, but he's in a league of Richard Thompson or Tom Verlaine. I
think he's that good. For whatever reason, maybe his records don't sell that
well - who knows, but I don't think he gets that kind of credit.
John: Agreed. One of the things that came up was the "Danny and Dusty" album
which you made with Green On Red's Danny Stuart. Whose idea was that project
anyway?
Steve: Danny's girlfriend at the time was doing a record of L.A. psychedelic
people doing country music. Danny and I decided to put together a song for
the compilation. We had so much fun doing the one song that we turned it
into an entire album.
John: Now wait a minute, you claimed that you didn't have a nickname as a
sports journalist, but are you not in fact Dusty?
Steve: I am Dusty. That's cuz Danny called me Dusty all the time. I have no
idea why. "Hey Dusty, let's go get a beer." I think I was pretty clean at
the time. I washed my clothes. I bathed regularly. We liked the whole Waylon
and Willie thing so we called the record Danny and Dusty.
John: Did you get caught up in that wild L.A. scene, becoming a casualty of
excess living - the big rock'n'roll stereotype?
Steve: Oh there was a lot of decadence. I definitely consumed a fair share
of brown alcohol, but that's part of being young, and the transition of a
music fan to the point of some level of success, and people offering you
everything all the time. It's hard to say no. Hopefully you get through that
point and get on with life.
John: Is indie supergroup Gutterball still an ongoing side project?
Steve: As much as it ever was. It's always been more of a social gathering
that got recorded every now and then.
John: So who's in the band, or is it a revolving door thing?
Steve: It's pretty steady. It's Bryan Harvey and Johnny Hott from House of
Freaks, Steve McCarthy from The Long Ryders and myself. At first we had Bob
Rupe on bass, but he was replaced pretty quickly by Armstead Welford from
Love Tractor. That's been the band now for four years. It's a real fun
group. We did a record as a side project goof kinda thing and it became
really popular. There was a period where we tried to turn into a real band,
do a lot of touring, photo sessions, whatever real bands do. And we found
that it just wasn't what the band was all about. The more serious we took
it, the more we got sick of it. It's kind of a band that'll make a record
every couple of years. We all agreed not to spoil it. The last one
["Weasel"] came out in '95, so there should be another record in '98.
John: Did the House of Freaks call it a day?
Steve: They did, which is really sad.
John: Yeah, I loved that band.
Steve: They were a great band, but you know it was just two people, which is
basically a marriage. I think they still get along, but I think they were
just sick of playing together. Their last record "Invisible Jewel", which
got ignored...
John: That was a fantastic record!
Steve: It's an amazing record, and it's also the roots of a lot of what's
happening now in music. It was really ahead of its time.
John: Johnny Hott's wild percussion is just mind blowing - everything from steel
drums to oil drums.
Steve: That sound can now be heard in Sparklehorse. Johnny played in Cracker
for a year, but he quit that recently. Bryan is playing ukulele in a
Hawaiian band, and loving it.
John: Thanks for the lowdown on all my favourite performers.
Steve: This is like an encyclopedia interview!
John: Say, it's been a long time since you've come to Ottawa...
Steve: I think it was '88, and I have a picture of the marquee cuz it said
"Tonight: Dream Syndicate, Tomorrow: Mark Farner [Grand Funk Railroad]".
John: That sounds like our little town.
Steve: I just love that. I still cherish that photo. That just said it all.
John: Steve... it's time to pack.
Steve: Damn.
..tape hiss
DREAD ZEPPELIN'S TORTELVIS
In an era of music tributes there is no equal to TortElvis, the man who
mixes the King's music with Led Zeppelin and reggae. After a brief hiatus in
which milk deliveries took precedence over music, TortElvis is back, bigger
than ever.
John: How's the milk business?
TortElvis: I been all around the world the last year and a half, setting up
home delivery systems for countries in need. And son, it sure is satisfying.
John: You seem to have some strange callings in life.
TortElvis: That's right. I'm an entertainer by night and a regular working
man by day. Just one of the boys.
John: Do you still have your towel boy?
TortElvis: Yes. Charlie Hodge [former NHL goalie] hands me my towel and
water. Everywhere I go, he goes. In fact when I deliver milk in the
wee hours of the morning, he's there by my side.
John: What poundage are you up to these days?
TortElvis: I'm proud to say I've broken the 300 mark. Right now I'm at 345
pounds, ladies and gentlemen.
John: How did you achieve that level; is it with the help of those big fat
burgers?
TortElvis: Ya gotta eat a lotta fat, that's for sure. Mainly it's sitting
around doin' nothing. Unfortunately 'cause I work so hard, it's hard to
keep the weight up, but I'm doing the best I can.
John: Wow. So I guess it's safe to say that you won't be reverting to the
early Elvis as we know him on the US commemorative stamp.
TortElvis: That's quite obvious by looking at my girth. But I'm proud to do
the later Elvis: the Vegas years. I think that's the most interesting time
in his life.
John: So how did you happen on the idea of moulding the Elvis persona with Led
Zeppelin tunes?
TortElvis: It was actually an idea that Elvis himself had talked about
shortly before his death. I pretty well stole the idea. It's something
that I think he would be doing if he was still around.
John: So you think he's long in the grave?
TortElvis: Well yes I do. There's no doubt about it. But the spirit lives
all over the world, and hopefully I'm doing my part to keep the faith
alive.
John: Here's a question you may choose not to answer: I happen to know on
good authority that that's not your real hair and those are not your real
sideburns. Now when you take them off, would people recognize you on the
street?
TortElvis: I'm proud to say that after all these years of performing, I've
finally grown real sideburns. You can come to the shows and feel them for
yourself. Do whatever you want, but just don't shave 'em off. The hair may
or may not be real at this point, but I am semi-recognizable when I walk the
streets.
John: Can you run down the current line-up for those who haven't experienced
the Dread Zeppelin experience?
TortElvis: We've got six players plus Charlie. Karl Jah plays lead guitar.
He's an exact replica of Jimmy Page ...as far as playing goes. On the other
guitar we've got Jah Paul Joe: he's the prince of peace and love. On bass
guitar there's Butros Buttboy, who's also a fantastic dancer. And, this is a
true story by the way, Spice, a former member of Menudo, plays drums. The
fabulous Ed Zeppelin from Trinidad on congas rounds it out.
John: You have a fine voice; have you been singing all your life?
TortElvis: Oh yes. I was singing "Love Me Tender" out of the womb.
John: Did you ever get a chance to meet the King himself?
TortElvis: Yes I did. I met him in January 1977. He wasn't looking too good
- way overweight. I was standing on the side of the stage as he went on for
one of his final concerts. I told him "Elvis, watch your step." He turned
and smiled. That's the very last I saw of him.
John: I think that's more than we ever wanted to know, thanks TortElvis.
TortElvis: Wellthankyouverymuchson.
..tape hiss
____________________________________________________________________________
IN THE BOOKS - A stack of book reviews we've been meanin' to write
SPACE IS THE PLACE: THE LIVES AND TIMES OF SUN RA by John F. Szwed
(Pantheon) $29.95, 476 pages
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Herman Poole "Sonny" Blount was born in Alabama in 1914, but Sun Ra was born
over and over in times and places beyond description, if not belief. John
Szwed, a professor of music and African American studies at Yale
University, has written a comprehensive and revealing look at Sun Ra's
transformational life and transformative music.
Szwed traces Sun Ra's development from his Birmingham roots to his
elevation as an innovative leader on the progressive jazz scene and the
flamboyant front man for the various incarnations of his Arkestra. Drawing
on an incredible range of documentary sources and original research, Szwed
has produced a valuable and overdue document of one of the most
idiosyncratic and accomplished figures in American musical history.
Sun Ra's music is well documented by recordings, often self produced,
from throughout his career. This volume contains a 22 page discography that
gives ample evidence of that. Written documentation of his life and career
has been less widely available and far sketchier in its contents. A
selected bibliography reflects magazine articles, concert and recording
reviews and brief interviews scattered among many publications over decades.
Szwed's integration of these would be a worthy contribution in itself.
That contribution is enhanced by a considerable body of original research
which includes interviews with musicians, family members and others with
various levels of personal and musical involvement with Sun Ra.
That research allowed Szwed to move past the musical and more deeply into
the personal aspects of Sun Ra's life. He also provides insightful linkage
between Sun Ra's distinctive cosmology and the tradition of African American
thought, with connections to Egyptology, numerology, tales of the diaspora
and general feelings of "otherness." The overall effect is to leave the
reader with a knowledge of a man that only enhances the experience of his
music. He also examines Sun Ra's roots in the African American musical
spectrum, most explicitly his strong grounding in the swing music of
mentors like Fletcher Henderson.
A review can only point at the wealth of material to be found in this book.
It is a must read for anyone with a serious interest in the development of
modern jazz, African American history and one of its central figures. It's
an entertaining and informative book for anyone who enjoys popular biography.
(C) 1997 - Shaun Dale
I WANT TO TAKE YOU HIGHER - The Psychedelic Era 1965-1969 (Chronicle Books)
208 pages; 200 full-color and black-and-white images.
Reviewed by
Jeff Apter
Having recently strolled the length and breadth of Haight Street for the
first time - starting at the Ashbury intersection, naturally - I have a
pretty clear 'after' picture of hippie haven, San Francisco. This lavish
book, tieing-in (tie-dyeing in?) with the like-named Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame exhibit, fills in the 'before' gap in my education. Offering a trippy
snapshot of the latter half of the 1960s, its every page is jam-packed with
posters, pictures, prose and paraphernalia, presenting the obligatory icons
of the age (Lennon's Rolls, Woodstock fever, shaggy scenester Ginsberg),
along with surprising revelations.
The biggest of these revelations is that the book's main essayists - former
Rolling Stone writer Charles Perry and underground mover'n'shaker Barry
Miles - track down psychedelia's ground zero to 1965, not 1967, as commonly
believed. They also reveal how London was every bit as 'happening' as San
Francisco. For instance, Ken Kesey's first 'Acid Tests' took place in '65,
as did an epochal London poetry reading, which kicked out the Albert Hall's
jams and kickstarted the London underground. And as Ginsberg chanted mantras
to the Brits, a Nevada saloon was being given a psychedelic makeover,
evolving into the 'Red Dog Saloon,' a forerunner to hippie HQs such as the
Fillmore and Avalon ballrooms. And also during 1965, Dr Timothy Leary and
his lysergic-loving acolytes were gobbling LSD as if they were M&Ms. So,
despite the hallmarks of 1967 - 'Human Be-Ins' at San Francisco's Golden
Gate Park, dazzling debuts from Hendrix, The Doors, The Dead and Pink Floyd,
the emergence of 'Rolling Stone' and 'International Times' - the authors
contend that '1967 was the beginning of the end' for psychedelia. That
comment makes plenty of sense when you scan the 'timeline' that runs along
the bottom of each page of 'Higher', which plots the escalating Vietnam
body-count and the political dramas breaking out all over as the 60s rolled
on. But the perennial problem of 'art vs commerce' was just as influential
in psychedelia's downfall. Grace Slick, during one of the book's many candid
flashbacks, reveals how she thought Donovan 'too cute...too commercial.' The
end was nigh when 'Mellow Yellow' scaled the charts.
Irrespective of exactly when psychedelia began and what killed it off, the
latter half of the 1960s were still tumultuous years of social, cultural and
political upheaval, 'a time when anything was possible', according to the
book's editor, and Hall of Fame curator, James Hencke. This utopian dream
runs like an electrical current through 'I Want To Take You Higher', via its
hundreds of potent images and wistful essays (mostly written with the
benefit of hindsight, admittedly). To me, some of the most vivid images are
the posters of Family Dog music marathons and Grateful Dead shows, an
artistic style that screams 'psychedelia', with its chunky, curvaceous type
and eye-popping colors. One glance at this artwork will remind you exactly
why the book's called 'I Want To Take You Higher.'
(C) 1997 - Jeff Apter
NASA / TREK by Constance Penley (Verso) $11.00
Reviewed by John Sekerka
You know the joke "what's this button for?". It might as well be etched on
Christa McAuliffe's gravestone. She, of course was the astronaut/teacher on
board the ill fated Challenger/fireworks mission we all watched in horror. I
knew she was an all-around super mom, the perfect Republican housewife, but
there is much more to the story, and Constance Penley gets right down to it.
There doesn't seem to be a tiresome tale to be told of the space program,
but few written words are as riveting as those found in Nasa/Trek. Penley
dissects the space program down to it's bare bones, leaving a bit of a
freakish skeleton. This is very popular science, looked at from a cynical,
clinical, speculative and feminist view. Spending time on subjects like
McAuliffe and Star Trek guarantees an increased attention level, cleverly
leading the reader at a brisk pace. You'll learn a lot, and it won't hurt a
bit.
(C) 1997 - John Sekerka
THE ALL MUSIC GUIDE TO COUNTRY - The Experts' Guide To The Best Recordings
In Country Music * Miller-Freeman Books * 611 pages
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is the 5th chapter in the All Music Guide series, and like the jazz,
blues, rock, and multi-genre books before it, it's an extremely useful
addition to any comprehensive collection of musical reference books. Those
who take full advantage of the information will discover new musical loves
without wasting a wad of money on CDs that weren't even what they were
looking for.
As usual, the bulk of this book consists of CD reviews, recommendations,
and warnings, but some of the most interesting text can be found in the
essay section. There are excellent short primers on a wide variety of
country sub-genres, including honky-tonk, Nashville sound, urban cowboy,
Western swing, rockabilly, country rock, the Lubbock scene, the Bakersfield
sound, singing cowboys... even country comedy. Each essay is accompanied
by a "music map": an excellent reference tool that follows the evolution of
each sub-genre in much the same way a flow chart outlines a computer
program. These charts, in conjunction with the list of definitions of
various sub-genres that opens the book, makes it extremely easy to pursue
a sound you particularly enjoy. Let's say you know you like Buck Owens'
music and you want to find other artists to check out. A quick glance at
the heading for Buck Owens in the review section will reveal that he is a
performer of the "Bakersfield sound." The music map of the Bakersfield
sound tips you off to the existence of players like Tommy Collins, Wynn
Stewart, Rose Maddox, and Merle Haggard.
'Course, if you didn't know of the existence of Merle Haggard, you're going
to need more than this book to get a clue, but that's another matter.
The Bakersfield map also shows a branch that comes from honky-tonk, which
can lead you into yet another list of your future country heroes. All of
these players have listings and listening recommendations in the review
section, so it's easy to follow up your research from the music map.
Looking up "Bakersfield Sound" in the list of definitions reveals the
components of the sound, making it simple to understand just what it is
that's drawing you. Nice system. A system that worked for me, by the way.
As you may surmise from this article, I discovered what it was about country
music I loved best when I looked up Buck Owens in the review section. I'm
now well on my way to having a fairly comprehensive collection of Bakersfield
influenced country music, and I'm planning an article on the subject for a
future issue of Cosmik. Having just recently discovered my country fixation,
it could have taken me a long, long time to figure it all out and discover
Ferlin Husky and Rose Maddox.
The All Music Guide is put together by four editors and sixty-three
contributing writers, some you'll agree with and some you'll be making voodoo
doll likenesses of, but by and large, the recommendations are valuable and
astute. Just about anyone with a taste for country music would enjoy The
All Music Guide To Country, but it's absolutely essential for anyone who is
just beginning to explore the genre.
(C) 1997 - DJ Johnson
RAMBLIN' ROSE - The Life and Career of Rose Maddox - by Jonny Whiteside
Published by Vanderbilt University Press/Country Music Foundation Press
Ever wondered from where Ani DiFranco's defiant, flip-'em-the-bird stance
sprang? Rose Maddox is a likely role model. Here, biographer Jonny Whiteside
accurately documents the rich life and strange times of 'country's original,
high-kicking firebrand'; in the process he also sets in stone (well, words,
anyway) Maddox's significance as a groundbreaking performer and an
accidental feminist, years ahead of her time. Yet the book's title is
deceptive: the wayward, talented Maddox brothers and tyrannical mother Lula
take up as much time centerstage as 'The Sweetheart of Hillbilly Swing'.
The Maddox family's hand-to-mouth struggle in the early 1930s was the
non-fiction version of Steinbeck's Dustbowl novels, as they hit the road
from backwoods Boaz in search of their mother's dream of Californian
sunshine. Whiteside documents it vividly here; it's probably the most
engrossing passage of his faithful, by-the-numbers biography. And it
wouldn't take a degree in psychology to understand from whom the Maddoxes
inherited their independent spirit, or their musical acumen. Like a
ferocious mother bear looking out for her cubs, hugely ambitious matriarch
Lula left corpses of promoters and club owners strewn by the roadside as she
carved out her sibling's career and security. As for music, it was in the
blood: Grandpa Maddox, a young man touched by the Lord, wandered the lost
highways of Dixie 'a-preachin' and a-playin' his fiddle'. And the
ultra-tight-knit Maddoxes were astute: they knew that music offered them a
passage out of Dustbowl destitution.
'Ramblin' Rose' plots Rose's rollercoaster ride of a career, particularly
how she chewed asphalt up and down the west coast, slowly outgrowing the
rodeo circuit (where she shared the bill with 'wild cow milking'
free-for-alls). Several thousand miles later, she'd outgrown her brothers,
too, as the crowds and cash started to roll in. As successful as she was,
though, personal happiness eluded Rose: her relationships with son, Donnie,
and mother Lula, redefined the term 'patchy', and she endured more heartache
than the most maudlin country balladeer could ever imagine.
Whiteside doesn't overlook the music, of course. He details Rose's
unpredictable solo output, and plots the evolution of the Maddox sound: how
traces of r'n'b, rockabilly and boogie helped them cast off their
hillbilly-swing-band roots (along the way inspiring hordes of imitators).
Rose and her brothers are also remembered as entertainers, with eye-popping
outfits and rapid-response stage patter adding a Vaudevillian twist to their
crowd-pleasing shows. As an aside, 'Ramblin' Rose' provides insider's
glimpses into the early, unreliable days of the music biz, and shows how
aggressive rivalry was between 'countrypolitan Nashville' and 'hard-country
California'.
Whiteside keeps his hand on his heart as he tells Rose Maddox's remarkable
story; what emerges is a portrait of a rough-hewn survivor, whose life falls
fairly and squarely into the 'I wouldn't believe it if it wasn't true'
category.
(C) 1997 - Jeff Apter
SEARCH & DESTROY #1-6, #7-11 by V. Vale (V Search) $19.95 (each)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Absolutely essential reading for any zine or punk fan, the compete set of
Search & Destroy is collected in full tabloid size glory. This is 1977-'79,
San Francisco. V. Vale is hammering out punk's first zine on a typewriter at
the City Lights bookstore, a beat hangout. This is the stuff of legend. Jam
packed with photos and interviews of everybody, and I mean everybody, who
was a punk, Search & Destroy has reached mythical status, and for those
unlucky to have missed it the first time around, this two set collection is
a godsend. Read what Debbie Harry, Joey Ramone and Patti Smith had to say,
when there were no agents or record company hassles to get in the way. Read
Iggy Pop discussing painting. Read Devo talking about neutron bombs. Read
.... ah, just read it all damn it!
(C) 1997 - John Sekerka
_____________________________________________________________________________
RECORD REVIEWS!
BIG RAY & THE FUTURAS: Self titled (Ray Line Records)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is an extremely honest recording that features exactly zero overdubs
and zero punch-ins. Furthermore, most of these tracks were done in one
or two takes. I've heard other bands that made similar claims and sounded
like they should have tried a few more takes, but Big Ray & The Futuras have
their act together. These guys dish out a big sound, and all three players
contribute a chunk of atmosphere and personality. Krishna Jain's slightly
distorted bass tone gives the music muscle and bite, blending perfectly with
Paul Wilson's outstanding drumming. (The more I listen to Wilson, the more
I appreciate his technical skill.) Guitarist Chris Neff brings it all
together with his tasteful, textured chording and melodic solos. The entire
thing is bathed in reverb, the way the good Lord intended, making Wilson's
drums all the bigger and draping the band in atmosphere. The final few
tracks were recorded live at The Continental in Greenwich Village, New York,
and these tracks sound as good as the studio cuts. Guess they really meant
that "no overdubs or punch-ins" thing. (Ray Line Records: 8 Lee St.
Somerville, MA 02145 - (617) 666-0253 - E-mail futuras@hotmail.com)
THE BLUE STINGRAYS: Surf-n-Burn (Epitone)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This one kinda popped up out of nowhere a few weeks back, and it was a real
mystery. A quick spin through the liner notes only made matters worse. The
story goes that The Blue Stingrays debuted in 1959, made a small handful of
albums, and vanished, never having allowed their identities to become known.
Says here they even made their recording engineers wear blindfolds. Uh huh.
Well, it's a hoax, folks, right down to the convincing looking album covers
shown in the liner notes. Word on the street is that this is a fun little
one-off project for Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and some
of his buddies. Makes sense because Campbell is a big fan of surf music,
and because the playing on Surf-n-Burn is quite tasteful. The originals
are well written and some are even catchy, and the cover of "Goldfinger"
is fantastic. So why don't I love this album? Because when it comes to
surf, I need to hear reverb, and Surf-n-Burn is dry as chalk. By the time
they finally discover the reverb knob at track 10 ("Surfer's Life"), I'm
like a starving dog smelling steak. Turns out to be fake steak, because
the drought is back four minutes later. The 'verb returns here and there,
but always on one guitar, and always in very light doses. Despite all that,
this album came closer than any other to convincing me surf could be played
with no reverb, and I can see the merits to the approach, but I find myself
thinking how fine Surf-N-Burn would be if they'd just given it a bit of
sea spray.
BOY WONDER: Wonder-Wear (Cherrydisc)
Reviewed by Jeff Apter
In the power pop cosmos, two of 97's finest are The Muffs' Happy Birthday
To Me and Sloan's One Chord To Another. Wonder-Wear - direct from indie
heaven, Cambridge's Fort Apache Studios - completes the trilogy. Boy Wonder
are a feisty four-piece who mix a garage-band swagger with a well-tuned ear
for melody and have tongues wedged so far in their cheeks they could just
about choke. To this you can add a surreptitious slant on sexual politics;
if you could imagine the heartstruck emotions and teeth-rotting melodies of
50's teen-tragedy-pop given a brutal, grrrrl power makeover, then you'll
understand Boy Wonder: this is where the Crystals collide head-on with
Juliana Hatfield. Main songwriter, crooner, strummer and
power-pop-goddess-in-the-making, Paula Kelly, has a wicked glint in here eye
as she taunts wayward lovers. When she warns "I'll do anything it takes / To
make your black heart sting," swear you're not the one who's done her wrong.
It's only when she hands the mic over to guitarist Jake Zavracky, as she
does on four tracks here, that I question the "wonder" in their
"Wonder-Wear."
MEREDITH BROOKS: Blurring the Edges (Capitol)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
For those who don't pay a whole lot of attention to the charts, Meredith
Brooks has been a mainstay on those charts for most of the summer with her
song, "Bitch." Contrary to what you would think from the title, the song
has an unexpectedly positive message. She's admitting she can be a bitch,
but that's just one side of her multi-faceted personality. Listeners will
learn quite a bit about Brooks by listening to the Blurring the Edges.
She's not just another angry young woman who hates men. The obvious
comparisons to Alanis haven't hurt record sales at all, but they're not
something she's entirely comfortable with.
Musically, the CD has a definite edge to it, and most of the songs stand up
quite well to repeated listening. The only one that doesn't is "Watched You
Fall," which comes across as little more than an exercise in whining. The
leadoff track, "I Need" is a cool tune with a great hook, and it's the latest
single. There are a couple of tunes--"My Little Town" and "Stop"-- that
sound like they could be Sheryl Crow songs, only with better vocals. Other
highlights include "What Would Happen," and the bluesy "It Don't Get Better."
Brooks is an accomplished guitarist as well. Her playing is inspired, but
not overdone.
Blurring the Edges is a fine, energetic debut from Brooks. She exhibits a
keen sense of drama, with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Her songwriting
skills are a bit lacking at times, but she shows a lot of potential. You'll
be hearing a lot more from her.
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 5 in B Flat. Royal Scottish National Orchestra
conducted by Georg Tintner. NAXOS 8.553452 [DDD] 76:46
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Georg Tintner is an eighty-year-old Viennese conductor virtually unknown to
the average concertgoer and record collector, virtually unknown even in the
inner circles of classical music. At least, until now he was. How he emerges
as a major interpreter of the music of Anton Bruckner at this stage in his
career is a miracle of this modern age. His previous obscurity is rather
easy to explain, though. When the insanity of Hitler had reached Austria in
1938 (via the so-called Anschluss), Tintner fled, eventually arriving in New
Zealand, then settling finally in Australia. Neither of these countries can
hardly be described as the Mecca of classical music activity, though Tintner
remained quite active within them. In 1987, following a stint at the English
National Opera, he moved to Canada. Somehow Naxos stumbled across him. And,
owing to that good fortune, we are blessed with this magnificent recording.
Karajan, Wand, Barenboim and many others have traveled this road with
success, and Tintner joins them with a reading that balances the majestic
with the subtle, always eschewing any tendency to go over the top, or to
wallow in the score's seductive beauties. Most importantly, he demonstrates
a fine sense of structure here, without which all talent for phrasing and
highlighting of crucial detail would be squandered. In the end, he serves up
a multi-faceted Bruckner, unbridled by any self-righteous inspiration to
view the music in some new or extreme way. From the quiet pizzicato-bass
opening of the first movement on to the glorious, brass-dominated ending of
the finale, you hear Bruckner neither fettered by mannerism nor inflated by
pomposity, but rendered judiciously yet compellingly.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, which under Neeme Jarvi made dozens
of recordings for the Chandos label, most notably of works by Prokofiev and
Shostakovich, performs admirably here, showing nearly as much skill now as
world-class ensembles. I do wish, however, their strings would swell in
number or at least in their collective sound. The well-balanced recording
was made at a slightly lower than usual level; so you may want to crank up
the volume a bit. Tintner himself provides very enlightening notes to top
off this most attractive release.
J.J. CALE: Anyway the Wind Blows - The Anthology (Mercury)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
"Anyway the Wind Blows" is more than an anthology. It's a 50 song
documentary of a career which has been simultaneously one of the most
influential and unsung in popular music.
Covered by artists ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Santana, Cale's music is
familiar to a good many people who have never heard him play it. In fact,
Cale's music, in the form of Eric Clapton's recordings of "After Midnight"
and "Cocaine," is familiar to just about everyone who has paid any attention
at all to popular music in the last 25 years or so.
While he's produced bona-fide hits as a songwriter, he remains something of
a cult figure as a performer. With a performing style more suited to clubs
than concert halls and an idiosyncratic approach to recording (Cale's early
experience as a recording engineer has given him a specific notion of how he
wants his records to sound, and how to get the sound he wants), J.J. Cale is
one of those players who has justifiably earned the mantle of an "artist's
artist."
He's earned a great deal more than that, though, and if you are among
those who have missed his original work, this is a great place to catch up.
The 50 songs on this 2 disc set include all the essentials from his
recording career along with a handful of rarities. There are over 2 and 1/2
hours of quality songs and solid performances altogether.
If you're a long time fan, all the reasons you're a long time fan are
gathered in one place. This collection is giving my now less-than-pristine
stack of Cale vinyl a well deserved retirement to a place of honor on the
shelf.
Track List:
Disc One: Call Me The Breeze * Crazy Mama * Magnolia * After Midnight * Lies
* Changes * If You're Ever In Oklahoma * Midnight In Memphis * Cajun Moon *
Rock And Roll Records * Anyway The Wind Blows * Crying * Everlovin' Woman *
I Got The Same Old Blues * Woke Up This Morning * Cocaine * The Woman That
Got Away * Ride Me High * Hey Baby * Durango * I'll Make Love To You Anytime
* Don't Cry Sister * Thirteen Days * Things Ain't Simple * Sensitive Kind
Disc Two: Carry On * Runaround * Mama Don't * City Girls * Devil In
Disguise * You Keep Me Hangin' On * Downtown L.A. * A Thing Going On *
Don't Wait * Wish I Had Me A Dollar (live) * Money Talks * Hard Times *
People Lie * Unemployment * Trouble In The City * Santa Cruz * Shanghaid *
Change Your Mind * New Orleans * Humdinger * Lonesome Train * Jailer *
Artificial Paradise * Long Way Home * Closer To You
JOHN CALE: Eat/Kiss - Music for the Films of Andy Warhol (Rykodisc)
Reviewed by Jeff Apter
Do not file under "easy listening." This album may come from the classical
side of John Cale's big brain, yet the sounds within are as dissonant and
brooding as anything he created with the Velvets. Comprising Cale's scores
for two early Warhol films, "Eat/Kiss" is an exceptional live recording
(though you'd hardly know there was an audience), from a 1995 performance in
France, with subdued accompaniment from ex-Velvet time-keeper Mo Tucker,
plus BJ Cole and The Soldier String Quartet. Cale drifts through many styles
and sounds, from the mournful, elegiac "Frozen Warning" (originally warbled
by ice maiden Nico), to near-Oriental stylings and elegant, esoteric Michael
Nyman-like pieces, driven by harpsichord and weird operatic wailings. While
I question whether Warhol's trashy pop-art deserved such high-art
compositions, Eat/Kiss is brilliant, beguiling mood music, nonetheless.
CHEAP TRICK: At Budokan (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Anybody who was alive in 1978 knows about Cheap Trick At Budokan.
Couldn't help it. It was a sensation then, and it still stands up
nearly 20 years later. Why? Because of the Japanese audience's
infectious excitement, and because Cheap Trick's music was
incredibly well-structured power pop. Songs like "Hello There,"
"Big Eyes," "Come On, Come On," and "I Want You To Want Me" never
go out of date.
The gold disc is, of course, a format of choice among audiophiles
because it will not fall apart in 20 years like aluminum discs, but
you're really paying for the work of the remastering engineer...
who is apparently uncredited here. The sound is quite good, if still
a little light on the bottom end, and the noise level is negligible.
The CD booklet effectively re-creates the 12-inch insert that came with
the original LP, right down to the section of Japanese text. I'm
going to assume that the already bulging booklet had no room for
re-issue notes, because I sure can't find any.
It'll be interesting to find out if Cheap Trick At Budokan sells like
the recent Nirvana gold discs. All I know is this: twenty years hasn't
taken the sting out of this album's punch, and great power pop never
fades away. All these years later, we're still ready to rock.
CHEIKH LO: Ne La Thiass (World Circuit)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
The best musical moments are those of discovery, and the moment I
discovered Cheikh Lo is one of the best moments of all.
Cheikh Lo is a Senegalese composer, singer and guitarist whose six song,
self produced cassette swept through his homeland and captured the
attention of Youssou N'Dour, who produced this expanded and refined
version for the international market. Heavily accented by the Cuban
rhythms that have enjoyed long popularity in West Africa, the music also
carries hints of mento and other influences acquired by Cheikh Lo during
his years playing for tourists in Dakar's hotels and doing session work
in Paris studios.
An adherent of the Mourides sect of Islam, much of the music is
devotional, which is reflected in the heartfelt delivery which is a
major factor in Cheikh Lo's ability to move the listener with his
vocals even when not a word is intelligible. (Happily, the accompanying
booklet includes full translations of the lyric, in both English and
French. Read them. There's a wealth of fine poetic images and
intriguing folklore in the offing.)
The music itself is transformative. Based on acoustic guitars,
acoustic bass and the tama, or talking drum, with subtle touches of
keyboards, sax, flute and electric bass, the distinctively African
treatment of Cuban Son music is a marvel. I found it literally
uplifting, making me feel lighter in body and spirit and moving me to
tap my hands and feet until the impulse to get up and dance around the
room was simply irresistible.
I don't know if this is the best music I've heard this year, or even
this month. I do know it's the most exciting musical discovery I've
enjoyed in a very long while. More please!
Track List: Boul di Tagale * Ne La Thiass * Ndogal * Doxademe * Sant
Maam * Set * Cheikh Ibra Fall * Bamba Sunu Goorgui * Guiss Guiss
CHOPIN: Twelve Etudes, Op. 10; Four Rondos, Opp. 1, 5, 16, 73 (includes two
piano version). Frederic Chiu, Piano. HARMONIA MUNDI HMU 907201 [DDD] 77:10
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Frederic Chiu has been stirring up some controversy with critics of late. As
far as I can tell, though, most have taken a decidedly favorable stance
regarding his highly individual style, a style less radical than that of the
young Glenn Gould, to be sure, but far more provocative than the approaches
of most leading pianists of the day. I count myself among his admirers, if I
can judge from four discs from his Prokofiev cycle and the one under review
here. On the whole, his Chopin is sprightly and incisive in the Rondos, and
probing and colorful in the Etudes.
I like his slightly slow tempo in the third etude (E Major), how he manages
to skirt the saccharine and sentimental by adding a pinch of sobriety. His
"Black Key Etude" is among the best versions I've heard, certainly
surpassing one Horowitz account (RCA) and equaling another (Sony). Chiu
wrings out the gloom and tension in the E-Flat Minor in so ravishing a way
as to tempt the depressed to skip their Prozac. And the verve and
playfulness he unleashes in the tenth etude (F Major) are enough to make you
forget all about the delicious gloom of the eighth. A little overuse of
rubato afflicts the F Minor Etude, though overall it's not a bad version,
your interest never actually waning. His "Revolutionary Etude" sounds a bit
stiff and "studied," but then, you say, these are studies. In the end, his
set is compelling for its freshness and insights. Of recent note is the 1996
Sony release of the Op. 10 with the Op.25 Etudes, featuring young Japanese
pianist Yukio Yokoyama. Chiu may be more the thinker here, but Yokoyama is
more the romantic. Of course, there are others in the horse race including
Ashkenazy and the iconic Cortot. In Op. 10 I'll say that Chiu comfortably
holds his own in the company of most, if not all, of the most prominent
Chopin players.
His readings of the much less popular Rondos are just as successful. He
reveals the Op. 16 work as a delight, deftly pointing up its lighthearted
classicism and making you wonder why more pianists don't play this
thoroughly enjoyable work. Chiu performs both versions of the Op. 73,
overdubbing the second piano part, thereby accompanying himself and posing
the question: are two Frederic Chius better than one? Personally, I'll opt
for the splendidly enacted solo version, the two piano rendition seeming too
regally rich for the peasant palate, though it surely is no virtuosic
misfire in Chiu's four talented hands. The other two Rondos also receive
fine performances, the Op. 5 (Rondo a la Mazur) unveiled as another gem.
Harmonia Mundi provides excellent sound, and pianist Chiu, with one hand,
I'll surmise, has written informative notes. In sum, a very fine release.
ROGER DALTREY: Martyrs & Madmen: The Best of Roger Daltrey (Rhino)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Roger Daltrey is best known as the microphone-swinging lead vocalist for
The Who. While his solo efforts are usually less than spectacular, there
are always at least a few songs that are more than capable of standing on
their own. Most of those songs are included on the new compilation from
Rhino, entitled Martyrs & Madmen. The title comes from one of Daltrey's
better solo tunes, although for some reason, the song doesn't appear on
this CD.
All the FM favorites, like "Giving it All Away," "Free Me," "Say it Ain't
So, Joe," "After the Fire," and "Under a Raging Moon" are on the CD.
There are a few tracks that are missing; but overall, the bulk of his
best solo material is all here. Martyrs & Madmen is a fine introduction
to Daltrey's solo work. The fact that most of these tracks come from
albums that are long out of print just makes it that much better.
TRACK LIST:
One Man Band * It's a Hard Life * Giving it All Away * Thinking * World
Over * Oceans Away * One of the Boys * Avenging Annie * Say it Ain't So,
Joe * Parade * Free Me * Without Your Love * Waiting For a Friend *
Walking in My Sleep * Parting Would Be Painless * After the Fire * Let Me
Down Easy * The Pride You Hide * Under a Raging Moon (single version) *
Lover's Storm
THE DAMBUILDERS: Against The Stars (EastWest Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
The Dambuilders had built up strong indie street cred with a stack of
tapes, discs and 7" releases on some ten different labels before landing
with EastWest/Elektra in 1994. This, their third EastWest CD, shouldn't
cost them any of that hard earned rep, and should, if the attention
"Burn This Bridge" is getting from radio is any indication, broaden
their audience to a new, and well deserved, level.
This is simply a wonderful piece of pop music. With all four members
(Dave Derby, bass; Joan Wasser, violin, guitar, keyboards; Eric Masunga,
guitar; Kevin March, drums) making vocal and compositional contributions,
the songs reflect the collaborative harmony that has kept the band
intact for years beyond the average lifespan of indie (or other) acts.
The songs themselves are bright, danceable and often reflect elements of
humor that provides an appealing alternative to the alt.everythinsucks
school of songwriting. If you've been a fan for awhile, you'll surely
find something to enjoy here. If the Dambuilders are brand new to you,
don't be surprised if you find yourself scouring the bins for back
catalog selections. There's plenty to find.
Track List: Digitize * Break Up With Your Boyfriend * Burn This Bridge *
Herstory * You Might Want Me Around * You'll Never Know * Itch It *
Discopolis * Luster * I Was Wrong * On The Slide * Seek And Destroy *
Wished On The Wrong Star
BO DIDDLEY: His Best (Chess/MCA)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
What becomes a legend most?
How about a collection of twenty of his finest performances on a brand
new CD suitable for replacing that stack of scratched up vinyl you've
been hanging on to just because the songs are so damn good?
That's what MCA has done for Bo Diddley on this new volume from the
Chess Records 50th Anniversary series. The 20 songs included here,
recorded for Chess between 1955 and 1966, provided the core material
that includes songs that have become standards of the rock genre - "Bo
Diddley," "Mona," "Who Do You Love?," and "I'm A Man" are all on hand
and they're all songs you know by heart even if you've never heard the
originals.
There have been a lot of Bo Diddley sides recorded since these, but
there is no question that the album title says it all - these are truly
his best and he is truly one of the best. This should be one of the
basic pieces in any roots rock collection.
Track List: Bo Diddley * I'm A Man * You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care)
* Diddley Daddy * Pretty Thing * Bring It To Jerome * I'm Lookin' For A
Woman * Who Do You Love? * Hey Bo Diddley * Mona * Before You Accuse Me
* Say Man * Dearest Darling * Crackin' Up * The Story Of Bo Diddley *
Road Runner * Pills * I Can Tell * You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover *
Ooh Baby
TANYA DONNELLY: Lovesongs For Underdogs (Reprise)
Reviewed by Jeff Apter
Throwing Muses, The Breeders, Belly - ace strum-popper Tanya Donnelly works
her way through bands at the same rate most of us go through socks. She's
finally wised up to the fact she works best alone, although for much of
Lovesongs she's enlisted Wally Gagel - of prickly rockers Orbit - as
co-producer, engineer and one-man band. As the none-too-subtle title
implies, Donnelly's romantic streak has a dark smudge. "It's a tinkertoy
world," she snarls in her surly little-girl-lost voice one minute, yet she
still cries at sad films and dreams of the next time "someone writes another
beautiful song." I'm unsure if she's the perennial fencesitter, happy to
have an each-way bet on life's vicissitudes - although the album's closing
line, "I've got it made," might prove that TD's an optimist after all. One
thing for sure is that she hasn't lost her knack with pristine guitar-pop,
typified here by "Pretty Deep," "Landspeed Song" or "Swoon." There's a
punkish drive to "Lantern," while "Acrobat" is more pensive, a solitary
strum in a darkened room, albeit punctuated with gorgeous brushstrokes of
cello, and "Clipped" fluctuates between ominous rumblings and golden
sunbursts of chiming guitars. Despite "Lovesongs" deft tunes and the fact
that Donnelly virtually wrote the alterna-pop songbook, however, she's still
living in the shadows of the Alanises and Courtneys of this world. There's
no justice.
DOWN BY LAW: Last Of The Sharpshooters (Epitaph)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Last year's All Scratched Up made my personal top five list, so I
looked forward to the new Down By Law list with a combination of eager
anticipation and cautious apprehension. Could they do it again? Why
not. Down By Law is a terrific band. Did they do it again?
Absolutely.
There are fifteen new songs on the disc and there's not a weak moment in the
lot. Once again combining straight ahead punk rock that emphasizes the
rock, a tough pop sensibility that makes the music accessible to listeners
who might be put off by some of the hard core scene and reggae in the
tradition of the Clash for a dash of flavor, the band continues to impress.
Singer/guitarist Dave Smalley continues to carry most of the songwriting
load, but lead guitarist Sam Williams provides music to support Smalley's
lyrics on three cuts and "DJG" is all Sam's. Bassist Angry John Dimambro
cowrote "The Last Goodbye" with Smalley.
The band was shopping for a new drummer at release time and the drums
heard on the disc are uncredited, but the core trio are at top form.
Sam Williams is one of the best young guitarists on the punk scene and
Dimambro is rock solid as always. Dave Smalley's distinctive vocals and
fine songs would stand out in any setting.
There's an emphasis on social concerns in many of the songs here, with
patented DBL anthems ranging from comments on the violence in American
society to a call for British withdrawal from Ireland. Along with songs of
social import, Down By Law continues to be one of the only punk bands on the
planet that can deliver a convincing love song.
Another stellar effort and a perfectly good reason to get out of your
chair and head to the record store right now.
Track List: USA Today * No Equalizer * Call To Arms * Guns Of '96 * Get Out
* Burning Heart * Question Marks & Periods * Urban Napalm * D.J.G. *
Concrete Times * No One Gets Away * The Last Goodby * Factory Day * The Cool
Crowd * Self-Destruction
FRANCK: Le Chasseur maudit; Les Eolides; Symphony in D Minor. Arnhem
Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Roberto Benzi. NAXOS 8.553631 [DDD]
67:58
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
This is the first volume in a projected series of all the orchestral music
by Cesar Franck (1822-1890). It won't comprise many discs, since Franck was
not particularly prolific in this realm--not prolific, but quite vital,
nevertheless.
The D Minor Symphony is the major work here, of course, and Benzi's reading
of it is on the slow (but not lackluster) side. His tempos, and even to some
extent his approach, are similar to the controversial studio performance
from the 1950's by Furtwangler and the Vienna Philharmonic. The latter
ensemble has an edge over this solid but less suave orchestra from Arnhem.
If comparison between these two recordings continues, it must be noted that
the Naxos sound reproduction is vastly superior to the good mono effort
Decca's engineers afforded the iconic Furtwangler. Moreover, one also
notices that the latter actually sounds slower in the first movement, in
spite of his marginally faster tempos (18:03 vs. 18:37). True, Furtwangler
effectively harnesses a profound grimness, but does so at the expense of
energy and thrust, of color and flexibility.
Benzi, on the other hand, shortchanges no aspects of the symphony's broad
and colorful expressive palette to achieve his ends. On the whole he is a
middle-of-the-roader, straddling emotional fences and steering clear of
interpretive extremes, preferring clarity and straightforwardness to
swashbuckling risk-taking. Perhaps he could be more imaginative and less
earth-bound, but in the end you can't fault him for delivering a powerful
and direct, if slightly heavy-handed, performance. The first movement comes
across with plenty of muscle and darkness; the lyricism of the second sings,
even if the tempo for the main theme could be a bit more animated; and the
joie de vivre of the finale sparkles.
The two symphonic poems are substantial bonuses here: again the playing and
interpretations are solid. The string section of this Dutch orchestra, by
the way, sounds quite impressive throughout the disc; and if I gave the
impression above that the group as a whole is a second-string assemblage,
let me dispel that notion now: they play with spirit and polish and are
decidedly superior to many better-known orchestras. I look forward to more
recordings from them. Good notes. In sum, a fine issue.
HERBIE HANCOCK: Man-Child (Mobile Fidelity)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
A steaming slice of essential funky fusion, Man-Child found Herbie
Hancock in search of the sound and the players that would create the
landmark fusion album Head Hunters. All of the Head Hunters players
are on hand here--Hancock (keyboards), Bennie Maupin (sax), Paul Jackson
(bass), Harvey Mason (drums) and Bill Summers (perc)--along with an
all-star lineup ranging from Wayne Shorter to Stevie Wonder.
The overwhelming success of Head Hunters has eclipsed Man-Child in
the Hancock catalog, and this gold disc reissue from Mobile Fidelity is
a welcome step in the direction of restoring this fine album to a proper
place in the affections of jazz fans generally and fusion followers in
particular.
The revival of funk-based fusion is particularly welcome at this point
in jazz development. With the "contemporary" jazz artists making an
effort to incorporate funk and R&B elements in the jazz environment,
it's worthwhile to be reminded that it has been done before, and very
well indeed. There are lessons all over this disc for contemporary
players, and great enjoyment for music lovers as well.
Track List: Hang Up Your Hang Ups * Sun Touch * The Traitor * Bubbles *
Steppin' In It * Heartbeat
THE HENTCHMEN: Broad Appeal (Norton)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
With each of the sixteen tracks on the new Hentchmen disc weighing in at
about two minutes, this will be a half hour or so well spent for fans of
garage rock sixties style.
The trio (organ, drums, guitar) could use the services of a bass player
with a strong voice if they ever wanted to break out of the indie
garage ghetto, but they sound like they're having a lot of fun right
where they're at.
Mixing up original vocal and instro tunes with a couple well chosen
covers, this could be taken for one of the spate of sixties garage
reissues in the bins these days - high energy, mid-fi performances with
that distinctive sound of a band recording live in the studio.
There's nothing earthshaking here, just decent tunes played with joy and
sincerity. Come to think of it, a little joyful sincerity can be pretty
musically earthshaking these days. Worth finding for fans of sixties
garage or just plain good times.
Track List: Michigan Blues * Slow Down * Casmere And Campau * Chrissy
Rides Again * Half Step Away * Exit 154 * Old Enough To Drive * Four
Eyed Buick * Red Hot Car * Lookin' For A Girl * Shadow Play * Leaving
The Highlands * My Catalina * Nothing To Say * Celibate Stroll * Lucille
BILLIE HOLIDAY: Songs for Distinguished Lovers (Classic Records/Verve)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Ask any Billie Holiday fan to tell you what they consider to be her best
material, and they'll most likely say it's the music she recorded for Verve.
Producer extraordinaire, Norman Granz always surrounded her with the best
players on the jazz scene at the time and this album was no exception. The
immaculate sound quality doesn't hurt matters either. From the time your
stylus settles into the groove on this vinyl pressing, you can tell you're
in for a treat. Originally cut in January 1957, this album sounds like it
was recorded yesterday. Surface noise is non-existent.
The bass drum on "Day In, Day Out" is deep and tight, never muddy. Barney
Kessel's aggressive guitar work on the track sounds warm and natural. When
tenor sax legend Ben Webster's solo comes in, you'll swear he's right there
in the room with you. Channel separation on "A Foggy Day" is outstanding.
The solos from Kessel, and master pianist Jimmy Rowles, are firmly planted
in the left channel. You won't hear a thing out of the right side until
trumpet virtuoso Harry "Sweets" Edison comes in.
Edison really stretches out on the classic "One for My Baby," and never
sounded better. One of the album's best sounding tracks is "Just One of
Those Things." The dynamic range on the entire album is superb, but it
really stands out here. Kessel turns in another dazzling solo, as does
Rowles. Like all vinyl pressings from Classic, the album features the
original labels, and the edges of the album are rounded and smooth. If
you're a fan of the great Lady Day, this album (also available on gold CD)
is a must for your collection.
HOLST: The Planets, Op. 22. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by
Herbert von Karajan. Elgar: The Enigma Variations, Op. 36. London Symphony
Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux. LONDON "The Classic Sound" Series 452
303-2 [ADD] 78:29
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Nostradamus, the 16th Century mystic and prophet, made many startling
predictions, as most surely know--predictions that came true with astounding
regularity, even though many were made centuries before the forecasted
events occurred. One of his more esoteric and apocalyptic ones was that "in
1999 a king will come out of the sky and Mars will emerge the victor."
Pretty scary stuff. Listening to Mars, The Bringer of War, the opening
movement of The Planets, one hears a veritable musical Armageddon here. I
have never heard such a savage performance of this music. Never. This
recording, from 1961, often features playing that exudes wanton power and
warlike character, voraciously intent upon gobbling up all obstacles in its
sonic quest to register on some nearby Richter scale.
But there is excitement aplenty in all this power, not decibel-laden
bluster: details emerge cleanly; rhythms are emphatic and urgent; and
dynamics and a sense of climax, critical elements here, are perfectly
rendered. Venus is touching in its peaceful sadness; Mercury is fleet and
deliciously diaphanous. The whole reading is incisive and enlightening in
capturing the essence of each planet portrait. The recent Dutoit, also on
London, is beautifully played and thoughtfully interpreted, though
relatively tame compared with this one by Karajan, surely one of his finest
recordings. As a footnote to my commentary about Nostradamus, I should
mention that the reference to Mars in his prophecy most probably refers to
the God of War, not to the planet. If that comes as a disappointment to the
prophets of doom among you, cheer up: though we won't be crushed by
Martians, fellow earthlings will do us in--if Nostradamus is correct!
For all the aural and visceral excitement generated by Holst's most popular
work, Elgar's The Enigma Variations comes across clearly as the greater,
more profound piece. Some call it this British composer's greatest creation.
That's saying a lot when one considers the high quality of the symphonies,
concertos, The Dream of Gerontius and other works. But the assessment begs
notice still: are there any other theme-and-variations orchestral works that
surpass this masterpiece in sheer beauty and subtle construction? Brahms'
Haydn Variations come to mind, but don't emerge the winner.
For those who may not know what the "Enigma" in the title refers to here,
let me say it pertains to a second or counter-theme in the piece--a theme
which is never heard. If it is unheard, you ask, how can it be in the work?
Well, that's part of the enigma; but bear in mind that it may be musically
implied somewhere. Elgar revealed his secret to three people, all of whom
took it with them to the grave. So we can only speculate about what the
theme is. One theory is that since each variation describes a friend of
Elgar (or love--his wife is depicted in the first), the second theme is a
non-musical one, that of friendship. Who knows?
What we do know for sure is that this 1958 reading is on the same artistic
level as its decidedly quite different disc mate. Monteux, a Frenchman who
was principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1961 until his
death in 1964, goes to the heart of this wonderful piece, capturing its
British elegance, its sensual (and unVictorian) romance, its kinetic verve,
and its buoyant color. Sir Adrian Boult and many others have made splendid
recordings of this work, but Monteux's rendition can stand with the best.
Good notes and quite vivid and detailed sound in both recordings, especially
considering their age. As far as I'm concerned, in the reissue realm this is
the most important disc of the year so far. Better purchase it before 1999!
RAY WYLIE HUBBARD: Dangerous Spirits (Philo)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
One of the finest songwriters to come out of the Texas progressive
country scene, Ray Wylie Hubbard's best known song, "Up Against The
Wall, Redneck Mother," is hardly his best. It's a fine song, and he's
written other lighthearted honky tonk gems to accompany it, but singers
in search of a song know that Hubbard's output is a country music
motherlode.
"Dangerous Spirits" yields 12 nuggets from the rich vein of Hubbard's
songbook. Philo Records, part of the Rounder group, is in a position to
give the disc distribution that has been a problem for a number of
Hubbard's independent releases over the years. Here's hoping a lot of
people hear this one.
He taps a bit of everything here. Densely textured ballads, country
gospel-flavored love songs, even a taste of the honky tonk humor of
"Mother" on "Hey That's All Right." Hubbard delivers the song in a
straight-forward style, backed by a mostly acoustic outfit and singing
like a man who's seen enough to have something to write about.
Ray Wylie Hubbard probably won't be knocking any of the popular hat
singers off the charts with this one, but he's just likely to provide a
song or two for them to chart with, and to inspire a bunch more.
Believe me, you're almost always better off getting it straight from the
source, and this is the straight stuff.
Track List: Dangerous Spirits * If Heaven Is Not A Place To Go * Without
Love (We're Just Wastin' Time) * Hey That's All Right * Last Train To
Amsterdam * The Last Younger Son * Resurrection * Crimson Dragon Tattoo
* The Sun Also Rises * The Ballad Of The Crimson Kings
GREGORY ISAACS: Hold Tight (Heartbeat)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Although he's been one of reggae's most prolific voices for over twenty
years, it's still a treat when a new set of tracks from Jamaica's "Cool
Ruler" hits the shelves.
"Hold Tight" offers thirteen slices of island soul, Isaacs style.
Recorded in Jamaica and England with producers/players/vocalists
Mafia (Leroy Heywood) and Fluxy (Dave Heywood) backing him every step of
the way without intruding on the trademark reggae soul sound that has
made Gregory Isaacs a major figure in the music for a long while, this
is a non-stop delight.
Few in reggae deliver a love lyric with the sweet conviction that Isaacs
summons up, and that's the main focus here. While he's more than
capable of laying down hard consciousness, "Hold Tight" is at its best
when it's at its most personal. The way Isaacs sings about the feelings
between lovers he shows that a love song can be very spiritually
conscious indeed.
Solid performances from a master of the form.
Track List: Miss Cutie Cutie * Wah Dee * Hold Tight * Mi No Want * Tan
So Back * Thank You Mr. Judge * Kill Them With Music * Lady On The
Frontline * Come Make Love To Me * Get Deport * Don't Go * Motherless
Children * I Miss You
JETHRO TULL: Living In The Past (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
If Living In The Past isn't deserving of the 24 karat gold CD treatment,
what is? Essentially a "best of" that culled tunes from their first five
albums and added a few interesting live tracks, it was so well programmed
and so listenable that most people don't think of it as an anthology at
all. It's respected and revered as an essential ingredient to any decent
Tull collection. Originally a double LP, it was trimmed to fit a single
CD, and in the process, two of Tull's most enduring tracks were scuttled.
Who knows what the thinking was at Chrysalis when "Teacher" and "Bouree"
hit the cutting room floor, but it's a moot point now; Mobile Fidelity
Sound Lab has restored order.
Even at the price of 41 dollars--low by gold double CD standards--this
set won't be within every budget. But those who take the plunge will
not be disappointed. MoFi has returned Living In The Past to its original
length and restored the booklet as well. The Chrysalis CD's "booklet" was
nothing more than two pages of small photographs. The original insert was
filled with outstanding pictures and track-by-track player credits, all of
which are present in the Mobile Fidelity package.
The A/B comparison between the Chrysalis and Mobile Fidelity discs finds
Mobile Fidelity the clear winner. In fact, this is the most shocking A/B
I've experienced yet. I never had any illusions about the sound quality
of the Chrysalis, but after this comparison I'm not quite sure how I ever
forced myself to listen to the old version. It sounds lifeless and flat.
The gold discs have punch and clarity, radically improved separation, and
all the warmth it should have. Some tracks, like "Bouree" and "Driving
Song" were warm to begin with, but even ice cold tracks like "Inside"
are improved here. On nearly every track, Ian Anderson's flute has regained
the extra dimension of breath, a wonderful component that was present on
the LP but sadly missing from the original CD.
There's only one thing to bitch about, and it needs to be said. Those of
us who care enough about an album to shell out big bucks for a gold CD
would very much appreciate re-release notes. As copious as possible,
please, but if that's too much trouble, at least give us the essential
information. We're curious creatures, and some of us like to know all the
details. There's almost nothing in these liner notes that wasn't in the
original LP booklet. We want to know what happened in the studio THIS
time around. That being said, I have to say that I'm crazy about this
release in every other way. In this case, the 24k gold treatment is much
more than just an offering to audiophiles. It's like a star on the walk
of fame or a jersey number on an outfield wall. It's a high honor for a
masterpiece of rock and roll.
STEPHEN KENT: Family Tree (City of Tribes)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
This two disc set chronicles nearly a decade of Stephen Kent's
explorations of the Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo, a wind instrument
fashioned by nature (the traditional didgeridoo is a tree branch
hollowed by termites) and capable of producing some of the most haunting
sounds in the human musical vocabulary.
Kent's recordings accompany this ancient sound with everything from
middle eastern percussion to digital samples, and then some, to create
sounds that range from trance to dance to solo didgeridoo work that will
transport you to the Australian plains and into dreamtime.
Disc One features solo work and tracks from Kent's projects; Trance
Mission, Lights In A Fat City and Beasts Of Paradise are included, along
with work featuring vocalist Eda Maxym. Disc Two is Kent solo, in a more
traditional setting as he pays homage to the heavenly light show
Hale-Bopp provided this year.
This is an astonishing collection, demonstrating that the fine line
between music that moves your bones and music that transports your
senses can disappear at any moment under the impact of the right time,
tone and player.
These discs should appeal to fans of World Music, trance, psych or just
about anyone who is willing to let sound shake them or soothe them.
Track List:
Disc 1: Energizer * Yekke * Head Light (Trance Mission) * Jungnawangra *
Hole In The Road (w/Eda Maxym) * Zozobra (Trance Mission) * Veedeevu
(Lights In A Fat City) * Red Rock (Beasts Of Paradise) * Toots Pts 1 & 2
Disc 2: Hale * Comet Allez Vouz? * Bopp
LAJTHA: Symphonies: No. 3, Op. 45; No. 4 (Spring), Op. 52. Suite No. 2, Op.
38. Pecs Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicolas Pasquet. MARCO POLO
8.223671 [DDD] 74:15
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Dmitri Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony's finale is said to be an example of
forced jubilation, the bombastic ending supposedly representing the
composer's reaction to the repressive Stalin regime's dictum that artists
must celebrate and be happy in their works. The Fourth Symphony of Laszlo
Lajtha (1892-1963) (pronounced Lye-tuh) is perhaps another such example, as
evidenced especially in the finale and in the first half of the opening
movement. In the early 1950's the Hungarian Communist government, at the
behest of its Soviet bosses, began demanding that composers write less
complex, more approachable and optimistic music. Lajtha must have felt the
pressure, as he turned away from the grimness and dark emotions of the Third
Symphony toward the buoyancy and folkish joy of the Fourth. It's not hard to
speculate that this work was written to appease the Communist censors, since
it came in a particularly depressing time in the composer's life, owing to
his lack of a major position and ban on his travel abroad, a time when one
might normally have expected doom-and-gloom music from his eager pen.
The Fourth, forced joyous emotions or no, is a major work. While it may not
quite rank with the greatest symphonies of the century, it is nonetheless
thoroughly enjoyable and superior to the several lesser symphonies of
Shostakovich, for example. Speaking of Shostakovich, the first movement of
the "Spring" Symphony invokes that composer's Ninth and Fifteenth
Symphonies, especially their lighthearted and colorful first movements. The
Allegretto second movement sounds utterly Hungarian, featuring a theme
similar to the alternate theme in the fourth movement of Bartok's Concerto
for Orchestra. Both must have come from the same Hungarian folk source. The
finale is joyous and jubilantly raucous. By the way, the Hungarian Communist
cultural czars turned thumbs down on this work, hearing negative Western
influences in it. Translation: despite its rather direct expressive language
and folk-like character, it still sounded a bit too modern for their
leftist-extremist, we're-looking-out-for-the-good-of-the-people ears. But
Lajtha was lucky--he was never arrested for his imagined artistic sins, as
were many other artists.
The Third Symphony is derived from music Lajtha composed for the film
version of T.S. Elliot's Murder in the Cathedral. The idiom here is darker,
menacing, deeper than that of the Fourth. It opens with the most
sinister-sounding clarinet solo I've ever heard. The music hardly lightens
as the movement progresses, seeming the Hyde side of its older sibling. The
second (and last) movement continues the generally grim mood, though greater
color is present throughout, here and there invoking folk images, but
hallucinatory folk images, in no way benign as in the succeeding symphony.
Again, we have a work whose excellence begs greater notice. I'm not sure
which of these two symphonies achieves a higher level of artistic
expression. The "Spring" is more appealing, deftly joyous; the Third is
darker, more profound. Both are indispensable to twentieth-century
enthusiasts.
The Suite No. 2 is based on Lajtha's unperformed ballet, The Grove of Four
Gods. The music is light and enjoyable, making a fine filler here. The Pecs
Symphony Orchestra performs splendidly under the knowing baton of Nicolas
Pasquet, capturing the folk elements and drama with idiomatic rightness and
impressive virtuosity. Marco Polo provides excellent sound and good notes.
To those unfamiliar with the music of Lajtha, they will mostly be pleased by
this disc. Strongly recommended.
LA TRAVERSEE: Traditional songs from France, Celtic Brittany, Canada and
Louisiana. Sandra Reid, vocals. LYRICHORD 7432 [DDD] 50:57
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Sandra Reid is an undeniably talented singer who has assembled music with a
Francophile folkish slant for this disc. I'll hazard a guess that this issue
won't hit the charts, not owing to any artistic or musical deficiency, mind
you, but because its market appeal is fairly limited. If, like chant, this
quaint idiom--mostly post-Renaissance folk songs from France, Celtic
Brittany, Canada and Louisiana--got more exposure, it might take off like
the proverbial rocket. I say "mostly post Renaissance" since a few songs are
either of a more recent origin, Vive l'Amour (track 12), for instance, or
appear in a decidedly modern-sounding arrangement.
Almost every selection here is of some considerable appeal, not least
because Reid has chosen to sing the texts in their original languages. An
exotic melancholy permeates The Huron Carol (track 8) that lingers in the
mind's ear long after its 5:20 duration has run. Ar Pilhaouer (track 2) has
a delicious charm in its rhythmic lyrics and engaging accompaniment of the
uillean pipes by Jerry Sullivan. In fact, the accompaniments often are
almost as beguiling as the singing: try Blanche comme la niege (track 3),
where Randy Crafton's bodhran spices the gloomy atmosphere with just the
right dose of rhythmic color. But don't take that to mean that Reid isn't
the star here. She is compelling in every piece, even in the more seemingly
out-of-place items. Louisiana Suite (track 11) and Vive l'Amour (track 12)
are two selections that stick out perhaps not quite like sore thumbs, but at
least like dirty fingers, mainly because of their self-consciously
contemporary sound. The latter song actually conjures up images of a
smoke-filled café in 1950's Paris, replete with small jazz ensemble and pop
singer in a gaudy red gown who strolls from table to table, crooning love
sentiments to the woozy patrons. This is one of Reed's most effective and
atmospheric performances.
All in all, this collection points up this mezzo's formidable versatility.
No doubt, she's a talent who could score many triumphs in different genres,
probably including the operatic stage. Lyrichord offers intelligent notes
and excellent sound. Strongly recommended.
LIFE OF AGONY: Soul Searching Sun (Roadrunner)
Reviewed by Jeff Apter
'My mind is dangerous,' Life of Agony frontman Keith Caputo warns on the
track of the same name - so you know this is no place for wimps, OK? Deep,
dark messages such as this recur throughout their third long-player, 'Soul
Searching Sun'; the poetically-named 'Hemophiliac In Me' typifies their
for-the-throat attack. Yet there's a surprisingly melodic side to this
tumultuous and tormented foursome straight outta Brooklyn. Despite its theme
(or maybe because of it), 'Heroin Dreams' is a slowburning rocker; the
aforementioned 'My Mind Is Dangerous' is another cut that relies more on
ambience than ampage to broadcast its 'life is tough, watch your back'
message. Likewise 'Angry Tree', while 'Desire' takes a near-funky turn.
Sure, in the main their sound is heavy enough to sink a ship, yet LOA are
wise to the fact that melody and menace aren't necessarily oxymorons. When
it needs to be, their playing is deft and guileful, and in keeping with the
tradition of metal belters such as Coverdale and Dickinson, Caputo's vocals
are soul-heavy. And if you're looking for bloodlines, comparisons to
staunchly indie acts such as Fugazi and Sick Of It All would probably ease
LOA's pain, just a little.
LIONROCK: An Instinct For Detection (Time Bomb)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
By the time track three was beginning, I was hooked on this double CD of
trance-inducing ethereal grooves. It was clear there was something different
about Lionrock, something that gave the music a sincerity not usually found
in the genre. Turns out this ain't no computer programmer with a hobby.
Lionrock is a band.
Justin Robertson has made his bones in the British club scene, which is a
whole 'nuther world than you might think it is. The popular theory among
non-scenesters is that anybody with a few turntables and a mixer can be a
star. El-wrong-o. The good ones can keep a dance floor full of clubbers
happily gyrating, but the great ones can weave an atmosphere and drive the
dancers like high-tech automobiles. Robertson is an artist in that world,
and it turns out he's no slouch with conventional instruments, either.
The Lionrock project has now grown into a rather unconventional band that
has earned a rep as a fine live act. The key is that Robertson has been
able to transport his sense of mystery and tension from the turntables to
the arena of live performance.
Disc one is new material, a 70 minute atmospheric time trip that runs
parallel to a Sherlock Holmes adventure that we only visit in brief
glimpses. Disc two contains 40 minutes of remixes of disc
one tracks
(including one by that busy duo, The Chemical Brothers) and a few of
Lionrock's early singles. In the hands of remixers, much of the charm
and warmth is banished in favor of techno flash, and for that reason I
probably won't be flipping the tray in the single-width, 2-CD jewel box
too often.
I have very few bitches with this release. It might have been nice to see
them go the rest of the way, though. The drums remain mostly or entirely
machine generated (there are a few places where it's a tough call), and
while that's most likely calculated to retain the flavor of techno and
house, bands like Electric Groove Temple have shown it can be done very
effectively with a living, breathing drummer. But I doubt Robertson and
company are actively trying to make any particular point. This is about
sensation and groove, about a long mind trip, and about twice as cool as
anything I've heard like it in a long while. (Time Bomb Recordings: 219
Broadway - Suite 519, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.)
LUNA: Pup Tent (Elektra)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Luna brought producer Pat McCarthy (Madonna, R.E.M., etc.) aboard for
their fourth release, and credit him with pushing the edges of their
moody pop toward new levels of textural complexity. Led by former
Galaxie 500 frontman Dean Wareham, the foursome (Wareham, vocals &
guitar; Justin Harwood, bass, keyboards, trumpet & guitar; Lee Wall,
drums & percussion) are augmented by the sounds of mandolin, dobro,
marimba, vibes, accordion, cello and "bits and bobs" to create layers of
sound with an intriguing complexity that still retains a certain
skeletal architecture that avoids any hint of "wall of sound"
production.
Wareham's lyrics are spare slices of life that are variously poignant,
paranoid and perceptive. Sometimes all of the above. He uses his full
vocal range and a variety of miking and mixing techniques to fit his
vocal performances to the lyrics and to the guitar driven background of
moody pop performances delivered by the band.
This is thoughtful music for people who think. It's a peculiar sort of
pop music that seems crafted with no particular regard for its
popularity. The band continues it's dedication to providing what the
songs require rather than what the market might desire. In the process,
they've developed an audience of their own by staying on the scene long
enough to be found. If you're among those who haven't found them yet,
search this CD out. You might not like it. They might not care. But
then again, this just might be what you've been waiting for all along.
Track List: IHOP * Beautiful View * Pup Tent * Bobby Peru * Beggar's
Blues * Tracy I Love You * Whispers * City Kitty * The Creeps * Fuzzy
Wuzzy
WARNE MARSH & LEE KONITZ: Live At The Montmartre Club (Mobile Fidelity)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz became acquainted and inexorably associated as
the twin sax attack in Lennie Tristano's combo in the early 50s. With
both well established as early masters of the cool style that Tristano,
as much as anyone, exemplified, Konitz went on to play in a variety of
styles and settings while Marsh spent time in and out of music,
confining his musical activities to explorations of the cool style in
its well established West Coast setting and occasional teaching gigs.
This disc, recorded live in Copenhagen in 1975, was a reunion of sorts.
Konitz traveled widely, but was based in New York, while Marsh rarely
strayed from his Los Angeles home. The Danish Jazz Exchange made Marsh
an offer he apparently couldn't refuse, however, and a series of dates
was arranged for a Warne Marsh-Lee Konitz Quintet that included Dave
Cliff on guitar, Peter Ind on bass and drummer Alan Levitt.
The musical result was well worth whatever offer had been made. Marsh
and Konitz picked up where they'd left off, playing everything from
Tristano classics to Konitz originals to a pair of J.S. Bach's Two Voice
Inventions. The unison playing they had trademarked over twenty years
earlier still rang true as a bell and their individual solos were as
creative and demanding as would be expected from two masters.
Warne Marsh is sadly under-represented on CD, and this is an excellent
opportunity to hear him in a nearly ideal setting, with his old bandmate
Konitz and an outstanding rhythm section, playing live for an
appreciative audience. Mobile Fidelity's Ultradisc II 24 karat gold
format captures the music wonderfully and the label has done a better
than average job of documenting the music with session notes and a
1993 essay on the disc from Alun Morgan.
Track List: Kary's Trance * Foolin' Myself * Sound-Lee * Two Voice
Invention No. 1 Allegro * Two Not One * Darn That Dream * 317 East
32nd Street * Two Voice Invention No. 13 Allegro Tranquillo * April *
Everything Happens To Me
Allegro
MAYFIELD: Mayfield (Zerodisc)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Sure, it would be easy to trash this new project from former Tears For
Fears founder Curt Smith. I mean, these days who's willing to admit
that they *liked* Tears For Fears (obviously no one living bought all
those albums...) and the "Curt is Mayfield" shtick could be considered
pretty cheesy if you aren't willing to regard it as kind of funny.
Still...
The fact of the matter is that Curt Smith has had a hand in writing some
of the most popular pop songs of the last couple decades because he's
actually pretty good at it. And Curt *isn't* Mayfield. Mayfield is a
very much a band effort, and it's a pretty damn good band. Along with
Smith on vocals and bass there's Charlton Pettus on guitar (Pettus also
shares writing credit with Smith, who has always been at his best as a
collaborative writer), Doug Petty and Russ Irwin on keyboards and Shawn
Pelton on drums. The combination punch on keyboards is a major ingredient
in the big, sometimes almost orchestral, sound that supports Smith's big
vocal approach. (The touring band will feature a replacement for Irwin
who is now playing keyboards with Aerosmith. Rich Pegano, who is heard
on "Reach Out", is the new full time drummer.)
"What Are We Fighting For" is the hit, a soulful ballad that's largely
representative of the feel of the disc. Anyone curious about Smith's
sentiments regarding former Tears bandmate Roland Orzabal will have no
doubts after hearing "Sun King," which Smith admits is an "incredibly
base and angry" take on his longtime musical partner.
The album is on Zerodisc, an indie label formed by Smith in order to
insure that Mayfield had full control of their fate. With his mega-
platinum history he could have no doubt tapped the bank account of the
major label of his choice, so respect is due to the commitment reflected
by going the indie route with the band.
This is one worth repeated listening, and the more I hear it the more I
like it. Is Curt Mayfield? Not exactly, but he's a big part of it and
it sounds like a part he was born to play.
Track List: What Are We Fighting For? * Sorry Town * Jasmine's Taste *
Reach Out * Trees * Mother England * Snow Hill * I Don't Want To Be
Around * Sun King * Gone Again
DERRICK MORGAN: Time Marches On (Heartbeat)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Subtitled "sings Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae," this is an essential
retrospective of one of the pioneer voices in Jamaican music. Derrick
Morgan's recording career began in 1959 on Duke Reid's Treasure Isle
label. By the next year, he was the acknowledged King of Ska, occupying
the top seven spots on the Jamaican music charts at the same time.
His 1966 hit, "Tougher Than Tough," is considered the first Rock Steady
record. His career has continued to flourish as his music has adapted
to the Reggae style. Today he is an honored elder statesman on the
festival circuit.
The twenty one cuts assembled here show Morgan in all three styles,
accompanied by many other Jamaican legends. Lloyd Brevette & the
Skatalites, Desmond and George Dekker, Ernest Ranglin, Earl "Chinna"
Smith and many more have been part of the Morgan sound over the years.
As a producer, Morgan has been an instrumental part of the sound of
artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley and Max Romeo.
The cuts here cover a twenty seven year range from 1959 to 1996, showing
solid development at each stage in an amazing career. This is a crucial
collection, both historically and musically. Fittingly, Heartbeat has
provided a booklet with a brief overview of Morgan's music and extensive
track by track notes. This belongs in every serious collection of
Jamaican music.
Track List:
The Ska Years: Time Marches On * Fatman * You're A Pest * I Wish I Were
An Apple * Love Not To Brag * Lover Boy
The Rock Steady Years: Do The Beng Beng * Father Killiam * Bad Luck On
Me * Ain't That Crazy * Tears On My Pillow * Lagga Head * Stumbling
Block * Conquering Ruler
The Reggae Years: Top Of The Pop * What A Bam Bam * Searching So Long *
Reggae Train * Rudies Don't Fear * I Shot The Deputy * Moon Hop (live)
NATHAN & THE ZYDECO CHA CHAS: I'm A Zydeco Hog (Rounder)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
From the opening notes of "Tante Rosa," it's clear that the sessions for
Nathan Williams and his Zydeco Cha Chas sixth Rounder album tore the
roof off of New Orleans Mid-City Bowling Lanes. That's right, bowling
lanes.
The Mid-City Rock n' Bowl nights provide a home for some of the best in
zydeco and some of the best is what they got in this hot set from the
Martinville, LA, based Cha Chas.
Playing the piano accordion in the style of zydeco legend Clifton
Chenier and backed by a rocking quintet, Nathan Williams, a native
Creole speaker, plays in the authentic zydeco tradition without
sacrificing a bit of the hard driving dance rhythms that the
contemporary zydeco scene demands. His ability to play a crowd pleaser
- whether a boogie, a blues or a bayou flavored polka - is evident in
the enthusiastic reactions of the demanding Mid-City audience on hand
for this live recording.
"Take your shoes off," he exhorts the crowd, kicking off a rockin' "Tout
Partout." You can do what you want with your shoes, but you'd best roll
up the carpets before you put this one on. There's a bayou party on
every track.
Track List: Tante Rosa * Hey Bebe * Grand Prix (What A Price I Had To
Pay) * Tout Partout * Josephine Ce Pas Ma Femme * Zydeco Hog * Slow
Horses And Fast Women * Oh Yie Yie (Mon Couer Fais Mal) * El Sid O's
Zydeco Boogaloo * Everything On The Hog * Stomp Down Zydeco * Why You
Wanna Make Poor Cha Cha Cry? * You Got Me Baby Now You Don't * Zydeco
Road
NRBQ: You're Nice People You Are (Rounder)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Formed in 1967, they really aren't all that new anymore, and they don't
play all that much R&B either, but the New Rhythm & Blues Quartet (NRBQ)
continue to be one of the longest lasting and most crowd pleasing acts
on the scene.
They certainly *can* play R&B, along with about anything else they want.
In fact, over the last 30 years, that's been one of their strongest
suits - the ability to play damn near anything it takes to make an
audience happy. It's pretty hard to think of a popular style they haven't
successfully attacked over time.
Another quality that has endeared them to crowds has been a stubborn
reluctance to take themselves and their craft too seriously. There has
always been a large portion of fun in the NRBQ recipe. That's certainly
a major ingredient in their new release, You're Nice People You Are.
You're Nice People... is a family record. It would be easy to
categorize it as a children's record, but it would be a shame, 'cause
there's plenty of enjoyment here for mom and dad, too. There's no
instrumental compromise - the band plays with all the talent and energy
you'd expect. The simplicity and humor that infect the songs have been
a feature of NRBQ's music for decades (maybe for once they won't take
critical knocks for their sometimes goofy good nature). Nope, this is a
perfectly good NRBQ record that just happens to be full of songs that
kids will love.
Like the best of, say, Woody Guthrie's "children's" material, this is
one you're just as likely to enjoy when they're all tucked away as when
they're all over the house. But don't get to like it so much that you
hide it from the kids. It's a family album, after all...
Track List: You're Nice People You Are * Encyclopedia * Always Safety
First * The Music Lesson * There's A Girl, There's A Boy * Next Stop
Brattleboro * Spider * Keep Lookin' For Tumbleweeds, Danny * It's St.
Patrick's Day * We're Walking * Plenty Of Somethin' * You're Nice People
You Are (Repise) * Sleep
THE PENETRATORS: Hit The Jet Stream With... (Continental Records)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
I love this spy thing. The Penetrators, a quartet of surf slingin'
super spies from Bama, have made a 7" EP that is a blast to listen to,
not just because of the quality tunes, but also because of the theme.
Imagine, if you will, our four heroes from the Southern Surf Syndicate
as they wing toward Moscow aboard their private jet. Pilot Buck
Bangalore's voice breaks in between tracks to give the boys progress
reports, mission briefings, emergency instructions, and sightseeing
tips while the beautiful flight attendants, Midge Keebler and Pepper
Burns, serve martinis and side arms. There's adventure and danger
when Bangalore hastily and nervously announces that "there's folks
here running around with automatic weapons, some of them are shooting,
so what we're gonna try to do here is get into the air as soon as
possible." My kind of pilot! All of this is great fun, but what
about the music? It's the freakin' Penetrators! What do you THINK
the music is like? Four wet, wetter, and thoroughly drenched spy/surf
tunes that'll have you moving your feet as you go for your gun. Great
stuff, this. Some traditionalists will bitch about the "gimmicky"
aspect of this platter, but as Buck Bangalore says, "sit down, shut up
and enjoy the flight." (Send $3.75 US post-paid to Continental Records:
PO Box 4336 Bellingham, WA 98227-4336. This is the first release on the
official label of Continental Magazine. Check out their website at
http://www.az.com/~sberry.)
ART PEPPER: Intensity (DCC)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
By 1963, when Contemporary Records released these sides, recorded in
1960, Art Pepper was in San Quentin, serving a 15 year sentence stemming
from his heroin addiction. In the original liner notes, he was referred
to in the past tense. Indeed, he wouldn't re-enter a recording studio
until 1975, though he was in and out of prison enough to allow for some
brief gigs in the 1960s.
One can only wonder what might have developed during that lost decade
and a half. Certainly "Intensity" shows an artist on a precipice, ready
to step into uncharted musical territory. A well established figure on
the West Coast jazz scene, Pepper was becoming increasingly influenced
by the playing of John Coltrane and intrigued by the possibilities
opening up in the playing of "free" artists like Ornette Coleman.
The seven tracks that were released in 1963 are, on the surface, a
conventional collection of standards, and much of the playing is in the
more or less conventional mold, to the degree that Pepper was ever
conventional (closely associated with the West Coast, or "cool" jazz
scene, he was always one of the more energetic and emotional players in
that school). At some point on each cut, though, Pepper would break a
rule somehow, taking a liberty with his alto horn that defied logic and
made perfect sense. Ably backed by Jimmy Bond on bass, drummer Frank
Butler and the relatively little known and greatly underappreciated
piano of Dolo Coker, Art Pepper closed the first chapter of his career
with a brilliant album, full of adventure, packed with promise.
Included on the CD release is "Five Points," a Pepper original which
richly deserves its spot in the set. Unconstrained by whatever
loyalties he had to the composers of the seven standards that accompany
it, he stretches out, exploring multiple registers and challenging the
rhythm section every step of the way.
Art Pepper would return to recording in 1975 and take his well deserved
place as a senior statesman of jazz until his death at 57 in 1982. By
the end, he had defeated some of his demons and gained some of the
recognition he was due. Those past tense references in 1963 proved to
be thankfully premature. We'll never know what was lost, though, in
those missing years.
Thankfully, with this audiophile release, using DCC's 24 karat gold disc
format to reveal every note and nuance of the music, we know what we
had. As always, the DCC package sets a high standard, including the
original art, notes and labels as well as a biography of Contemporary
Records (and Good Time Jazz) founder Lester Koenig by his son and
successor John.
This is a technically excellent release of a historically important
document of brilliant music. Needless to say, I recommend it without
reservation. (To reach DCC, call 1-800-301-MUSIC)
Track List: I Can't Believe That I'm In Love With You * I Love You *
Come Rain Or Come Shine * Long Ago (And Far Away) * Gone With The Wind *
I Wished On The Moon * Too Close For Comfort * Five Points (bonus track)
PIE: "gone" (Bigtop/Kimchee)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
"gone" is a tasty little 5 slice EP whipped up by a Boston based
trio who combine with pure thrash, a bit of Neil Youngish dino-
balladry and a giant guitar sound to fill an alternative crust.
There's a lot packed into 25 minutes here - enough to make you wish
there was another slice when it's all over...or two...or six. Hopefully
the response to the five tracks here will inspire a full length release
in the near future. These guys are players, and if they have a few more
songs as interesting as these I'd like to hear them.
This one's worth looking for. If you can't find it where you live, try
writing Big Top Records at 995 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02319.
Track List: Our History * My Germs Shirt * Swarthmore * Smashed Your
Dreams * Her Gleam
COZY POWELL: The Best of Cozy Powell (Polydor)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Cozy Powell is probably best known for his consummate drumming with the
Jeff Beck Group in the early 70's. In 1975, he joined forces with Ritchie
Blackmore's Rainbow on the Rainbow Rising album. After a five-year stint
in Rainbow, he assumed the difficult task of filling in for Carl Palmer
in ELP (enabling the group to keep the same acronym) while Palmer was
in Asia. The thing that most people don't know is that he produced three
solo albums of instrumental jazz-rock. This CD is a compilation of those
three albums.
Powell's albums, while concentrating on drums, always featured great lineups
of musicians. Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, David Sancious, Jack Bruce and Max
Middleton are just a few of the names appearing on this CD. The synths on
"Killer" sound dated when you hear them now, but the guitar and bass riffs
produced by Moore and Bruce speak for themselves. "Sweet Poison" was one of
the highlights on his first (and best) album, Over the Top, and is included
here. "The Loner" could have easily fit in on any one of Jeff Beck's 70's
albums.
Most of the cuts from the other two albums, Tilt and Octopuss, are good too.
"Cat Moves" features Beck himself on guitar. "The Blister" sounds like
"Killer" part two--basically the same melody, only faster. On the Octopuss
album, Powell started experimenting with an orchestra, but the results
sounded like little more than a movie score. "Dartmoore" is a blues workout
for Gary Moore, and another highlight on the CD. The Best of Cozy Powell
marks the US debut of this material on CD, and takes a comprehensive look
at the solo career of one of rock's best drummers. If you're a fan of Jeff
Beck's Wired, Blow by Blow, and There and Back albums, don't miss this CD.
ELVIS PRESLEY: 24 Karat Hits! (DCC)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Elvis Presley's discography offers nearly 800 individual songs, all of
which I'm certain you can find on one of the innumerable re-issues and
re-packagings out there. If you can settle for just twenty four of
those songs, these are the twenty four to get. Even if you've got them,
and then some, this is the release you want.
As far as the music is concerned, a glimpse at the track list will tell
the tale. From "Heartbreak Hotel" to "Suspicious Minds," every track is
indeed a 24 karat gold hit. As far as the release is concerned, these
24 karat hits deserve nothing less than DCC's 24 karat gold compact disc
format.
As much as Elvis Presley was the king of rock n' roll, DCC's Steve Hoffman
is the king of remastering classic recordings for compact disc. The
sound on this disc is simply impeccable. This *is* the way you want to
hear Elvis, Bill Black, Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana, Chet Atkins, Floyd
Kramer, the Jordanaires and all the others who contributed to the
Presley sound. It is revelatory to hear this music, which made it's mark
through AM radio speakers and low-fi 45s, in this format.
As always, the DCC package is outstanding. An original compilation,
it's put together in a style undistinguishable from an vintage RCA
original. Included are recording notes from Presley engineer Bill
Porter along with logs of the A&R supervisors, studio locations,
musicians and engineers that were used for the cuts.
Hard core Elvis fans will get this to complete their collections, of
course, but anyone with a passing interest in rock history or an
appreciation of good music will want it. Elvis was the king. The jewel
box that holds this disc is the finest castle he ever lived in. (To reach
DCC, call 1-800-301-MUSIC)
Track List:
Heartbreak Hotel * Love Me * Don't Be Cruel * Hound Dog *
Love Me Tender * All Shook Up * (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear * Jailhouse
Rock * Wear My Ring Around Your Neck * A Big Hunk O' Love * Stuck On You
* It's Now Or Never * Are You Lonesome Tonight? * Surrender * (Marie's
The Name) His Latest Flame * Little Sister * Can't Help Falling In Love
* Good Luck Charm * She's Not You * Return To Sender * (You're The)
Devil In Disguise * Crying In The Chapel * In The Ghetto * Suspicious
Minds
RADIO TARIFA: Rumba Argelina (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This remarkable album was recorded in 1993, but it's just now getting wide
distribution through World Circuit. The band is from the southern tip of
Spain, but the music reaches across the strait to Africa, blending the
various influences into a whole new creation of sound. The performances
are sometimes simple and beautiful, sometimes technically dazzling and
brilliant. Geraldo Nunez's Spanish guitar work in "Tangos del Agujero"
is out of this world, and Fain S. Duenas performs pure magic on several
instruments, including buzuki, tar, cumbus, guitar, derbuka, and tabla.
Duenas also wrote most of the songs, using traditional lyrics for many
of them. The liner notes include English translations of the lyrics, and
these should keep you entertained for a while. The imagery isn't what I
expected from this dramatic music; there's a song about "naughty flies" that
bite "under the apron." Hmmm. Me personally, I found it much more enjoyable
to put the booklet down and remain ignorant of the lyrics, opting instead
to let this exotic hybrid of Spanish and African music wash over me. It's
an experience well worth having.
RAINBOW: The Very Best of Rainbow (Polydor)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Ritchie Blackmore has never been known for his congeniality. From the early
Deep Purple days, to Rainbow, back to Deep Purple, and then back to Rainbow
again, Blackmore has kicked more people out of his bands than just about
anyone in the history of music. Rainbow was probably the worst in that
respect. In nine years, seventeen people (besides Blackmore) were in various
stages of the group.
The band's first three studio albums provided the best material. Highlights
from these albums were all over the radio. "Man on the Silver Mountain" and
"Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" were FM mainstays. The best thing about these
albums was the progressive edge. They weren't just 'classic rock;' the music
had substance. Songs like "Stargazer" and "Gates Of Babylon" show this more
exciting and dramatic side of the band.
Then, the music changed. Vocalist Ronnie James Dio left the band. They began
recording material that was more commercial. Fans of the band's progressive
music soon lost interest. It was good news for Rainbow though, as the change
in material translated into bigger record sales. All of the band's hits from
the 80's are here--"Since You Been Gone," "Stone Cold" and "Street of
Dreams"--plus the lesser hits like "Jealous Lover" and "I Surrender."
The liner notes come as a poster-style booklet, including a new 'family tree'
for the band. The Very Best of Rainbow is a good retrospective of the band's
career, although it is a bit light on the early material.
TRACK LIST:
Man on the Silver Mountain * Catch the Rainbow * Starstruck * Stargazer *
Kill the King * Long Live Rock 'n' Roll * Gates of Babylon * Since You Been
Gone * All Night Long * I Surrender * Can't Happen Here * Jealous Lover *
Stone Cold * Power * Can't Let You Go * Street of Dreams
REAL LULU: We Love Nick (Big Beef Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Real Lulu is Kattie Dougherty (guitar, vocals), Sharon Gavlick (bass,
vocals) and Gregg Spence (drums), though Spence only appears on seven of
the fourteen cuts on this CD, with five other drummers mounting the
throne for a cut or two apiece. There's also reference to yet another
drummer who has done live work with the band. I can only assume that
Dayton, Ohio is in the running for drum capitol of the known universe.
Dougherty is the principal songwriter, though Gavlick contributes 4 & 1/2
tunes to the mix ("Hell" is co-written by the pair, and produced by Kim
Deal, the only departure from the self production - with Andy Valeri -of
the remaining cuts).
Maybe Kattie and Sharon use so many drummers because they just flat wear
them out. They produce some pretty serious two piece thrash between
them and use a big drum sound to round it out. The most distinctive
features of the sound are their vocal harmonies, which can approach
actual harmonized screaming in spots, balanced with a poppy, well,
almost sweetness in other places. They're also capable of delivering
some tasty instro, though, as demonstrated in the first half of Gavlick's
"Throwing God Out With The Bathwater/Nightly."
Overall, this is a juicy slab of Midwestern madness, with a fittingly
big sound for the Big Beef label. If you happen to be near Dayton, or
have reason to pass through, I encourage you to keep an eye open for
Real Lulu - they sound like a hell of a club band. (Big Beef Records
PO Box 303 WBB, Dayton, OH 45409)
Track List: Let Me * You * Pushed * Smokin You Away * Always Never (The
Married Song) * Time * Hell * Throwing God Out With The Bathwater/
Nightly) * Mary's Cry * Little Leaver * I Mind * Coal Black Hair *
Bobcat
STEVE ROACH: On This Planet (Fathom Records)
Reviewed by coLeSLAw
For those who think of ambient music as a vast, empty wasteland of
non-noise, I present Steve Roach. A full "the-way-every-CD-should-be"
73 minutes of music explode at you from the very opening, and just
keeps on going. Like a sonic big bang, lasting an eternity, pulsating
ever outward in a force stronger than anything we know, but moving in
a way that cannot be measured. This sound is rich, dense, and full of
life. Rolling through percussive hills into washed out valleys of
undefinable noise, it is a landscape piece that seems as alien as it
does familiar.
On This Planet is a ten song collection of the best of Roach's live
performances over the last year. These were not pieces chosen by some
marketing stiff sitting in a badly lit room puffing on Newports writing
liner notes from a legal pad that was penned by someone who has never
heard the album, but merely wrote what sounded good from what they were
told the album sounded like from someone who is really into pop music.
These are the tracks that made Steve musically "wet". In the liner
notes he encourages the listener to listen to these songs at a volume
approximating that which he recorded them at. I love my computer
speakers, they are very good computer speakers, but I do not think this
is a possibility. If it matters, I did my best. I am rumbling the white-
trash neighborhood I reside in into new levels of musical awareness
(whether they like it or not).
Having done so, I can now offer my own recommendation, or "amendment"
perhaps would be more suitable, to Steve's request. Yes, turn this
album up loud, as loud as it will go without causing that yukky over-
driving sound that means your speakers are in their final death throes.
But turn it up, close your eyes and picture Steve up there on stage,
looking like a cross between a one-man NASA mission control booth and a
dark wizard calling forth the fiery dragon that lives under the smoking
mountain. Ignore the track names and times, they become unimportant, as
he has weaved these pieces into one solid yet flowing mass of orgasmic
vibration. Do this all at night, with incense, with candles, with what-
ever turns your crank, but don't say that you weren't warned......
.....you might not ever come back.
ROLLING STONES: Bridges To Babylon (Virgin)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
This is the best Rolling Stones album since 1978's Some Girls.
Maybe better than that. Maybe the best since 1972's Exile On Main
Street.
I'll stop there. No way I'm gonna say this one's better than Exile.
Wouldn't be prudent. Nah gawna doot. Nope.
But if you've been listening to the Rolling Stones for the last twenty
years and wondering what all the fuss was about, this is the answer. I
don't know if it's because producer Don Was knew exactly what I wanted a
new Rolling Stones album to sound like, or whether it's because Mick and
Keith have apparently been sandbagging some of their best songs since
"Sticky Fingers," or whether...well, I don't know what it is, but the
songs *are* great, it *does* sound exactly like what I wanted a new Stones
album to sound like and the band is in exceptional form.
Bluesy ballads, scorching rockers, butt-bumping funk, a couple fine
vocal performances by Keith Richards, 13 new songs altogether - this,
gentle reader, is the real deal.
But you won't believe me. I know, I know. "The World's Greatest Rock
And Roll Band" is on the cusp of becoming "The World's Greatest Rocking
Chair Band." Well, maybe. But not yet. I don't know if they have two
good albums left in 'em, but they sure had one great one. And this is
it.
Have I made myself perfectly clear?
I know it's only rock and roll, but I like it.
Track List: Flip The Switch * Anybody Seen My Baby? * Low Down * Already
Over Me * Gunface * You Don't Have To Mean It * Out Of Control * Saint
Of Me * Might As Well Get Juiced * Always Suffering * Too Tight * Thief
In The Night * How Can I Stop
TODD RUNDGREN: With a Twist (Guardian)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Imagine this
You walk into a grocery store. You hear the usual 'grocery
store music.' This time, though, it sounds slightly familiar. Suddenly, you
recognize the lyrics of one of your favorite Todd tunes. You stop for a
minute and ask yourself--"who in the hell is butchering this song?" Then
you recognize the singer - it's Todd, butchering his own song! You ask
yourself why, but all you can do is shake your head in disbelief. How can
he do this to his own song?
Normally, Rundgren is always on the cutting edge of music. This time,
though, he's been sucked into believing that people really want to hear
lounge versions of some of his biggest hits (and a few misses too). It
just doesn't work. Two of the songs--"Never Never Land" and "A Dream Goes
On Forever"--actually sound pretty good. However, aside from those, it's
all you can do to keep from hitting the eject button. For completists only.
OUMOU SANGARE: Worotan (World Circuit)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Oumo Sangare is a young woman from Mali who composes and sings songs
which blend traditional styles with lyrics that contradict the
traditions of her culture and blend African and European instrumentation
beautifully and seamlessly.
Most of her material is topical, and the translations of the lyrics
reflect her rejection of patriarchal conditions of oppression that women
in her society face. Without the translation, the chant, call and
response, choral and other vocal styles she utilizes reflect the deep
sources of African American gospel. Not knowing what she is saying, it
would be easy to hear the echoes of a Holiness Pentecostal choir singing
in tongues. It would be nearly as easy to hear Ella caught up in
ecstatic scat.
She is accompanied on several cuts by a jazz horn section (Pee Wee
Ellis, tenor; Winston Rollins, trombone; Graeme Hamilton, trumpet)
along with the African ensemble which joined her in a British studio.
As is so often the case, the guitar work, here provided by Baba Salah
and Boubacar Diallo, leaves me feeling that Africa is the greatest
hotbed of guitar outside of Nashville. Those Mali cats play wild as
mountain dew...
An expressive voice, an impressive instrumental unit and songs that can
hold interest on several levels add up to an altogether fascinating and
satisfying contribution to the world music scene. With the Warner Music
Group providing distribution, this shouldn't be too hard to find. It's
too good to miss.
Track List: Kun Fe Ko * N'Guatu * Baba * Worotan * Denw * N'Diya Ni *
Tiebaw * Sabu * Fantan Ni Mone * Djorolen
SISTER 7: This the Trip (Arista Austin)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
This is one of the coolest CD's I've heard all year. Sister 7 has come up
with a winning combination of rock, blues, R&B, funk and hip-hop to create
a unique, irresistible sound on their third album, This the Trip. The band
consists of Patrice Pike on lead vocals, Wayne Sutton on vocals and guitar,
Darrell Phillips on vocals and bass, and Sean Phillips on drums. The CD
starts with the title track--a sexually charged, funk-based tune that begs
you to take notice. Pike's stark vocals on this tune are reminiscent of Ani
DiFranco. "Bottle Rocket" starts off with an R&B groove, then cuts loose
with a hard-rocking bluesy chorus a la Sass Jordan. .
"Nobody's Home" is a great song, with a killer hook on the chorus. "Say
Goodbye" is another highlight. The track features a Zeppelin-inspired main
riff, then slips into an R&B groove to deliver the one-two punch. "Flesh and
Bones" is probably the worst song on the disc, and even that isn't bad.
"Perfect" has an interesting chord progression on the chorus that catches
your attention on the first listen. The hip-hop elements and unusual guitar
work on "Shelter" form the foundation for yet another very cool tune. The
last tune on This the Trip is a hidden track called "Out of My Hands" (only
available on the CD).
If you haven't heard this band yet, call your local radio station and tell
them to play it. If they won't play it, tell them you're going to listen to
another station. This the Trip is a killer new CD that deserves to be heard.
Don't miss it.
SOMETHIN' FOR THE PEOPLE: This Time It's Personal (Warner Bros.)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
On first listen, Somethin' For The People's blend of hip-hop inflected
rhythms and soulful vocal stylings brought to mind R&B revivalists like
their Warner Brothers labelmate Eric Benet. Looking at the notes, I wasn't
the least bit surprised (and more than a little bit pleased) to find none
other than Mr. Benet himself making a guest appearance on "Act Like You Want
It."
As befits an album by a group whose initial impact came as a successful
production team for artists like Brandy and En Vogue, there are guests
aplenty on hand. Trina & Tamara join the SFP trio on "Somebody's Always
Talkin'" and "My Love Is The Shhh!." "...Shhh!" is, of course, the first
single, which was climbing the R&B charts ahead of the full CD release (and
no doubt will soon be crossing over to a chart near you). Puff Johnson joins
in on "Feel So Good" and DJ Kool joins SFP in declaring inter-coastal
hip-hop peace on "I Got Love."
While each of the guests makes a memorable contribution, it's the steady
beats, soaring voices and ringing harmonies of Sauce, Fuzzy and Cat Daddy
that make this a standout CD, and a standout it is. Romance, positivity and
artistry wrapped up in danceable mid-tempo rhythms, this one will help you
help someone keep warm on those long winter nights ahead of us...
Track List: This Time It's Personal (Intro) * All I Do * Days Like This * My
Love Is The Shhh! (w/Trina & Tamara) * Take It Or Leave It * Act Like You
Want It (w/Eric Benet) * Feel So Good (w/Puff Johnson) * What In The World?
* Somebody's Always Talkin' (w/Trina & Tamara) * I Got Love (w/DJ Kool) *
She's Always In My Hair * I Don't Get Down Like That * Playin' The Field *
SOUNDTRACK: A Smile Like Yours (Electra)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
From the look of the stills that are included in the CD booklet and
cover, "A Smile Like Yours" promises to be a humorous and heartwarming
flick about a cute couple and their baby. I'll let you decide how
intriguing that might sound...
Perhaps you'll be more intrigued after a glance at the soundtrack. Once
past the title cut, featuring Natalie Cole doing what Natalie Cole does,
we're treated to a tasty mix of soul classics and a couple new tracks in
the soul classic style.
With artists like the Supremes (Where Did Our Love Go), Ike & Tina Turner
(I Heard It Through The Grapevine), James Brown (I Got You) and Marvin
Gaye (Too Busy Thinking About My Baby) on hand, it goes without saying
that you'll find plenty of good music here. The too frequent problem
with discs like this is the presence of filler material that distracts
from the classic selections.
In addition to the Cole title cut, there are two new performances tucked
amidst the vintage R&B. Martha Davis and Ivan Neville contribute a
version of "Baby, You've Got What It Takes" which is right in the
vintage R&B mold. Kirby Coleman, Dooney Jones and Bilal Muslim update
"Love Will Keep Us Together." You can judge the song for yourself, but
my guess is you won't miss the Captain & Tenille a bit.
All in all a nice collection of songs and performances, this is worth
getting ahold of if there are gaps in your collection or if you happen
to catch the flick and fall in love with it. Listening to "A Smile Like
Yours" put a smile on my face.
Track List:
Natalie Cole/A Smile Like Yours * Martha Davis & Ivan
Neville/Baby, You've Got What It Takes * The Supremes/Where Did Our Love
Go * Ike & Tina Turner/I Heard It Through The Grapevine * James Brown/I
Got You (I Feel Good) * The Temptations/My Girl * Marvin Gaye/Too Busy
Thinking About My Baby * Kirby Coleman, Dooney Jones & Bilal Muslim/Love
Will Keep Us Together * Four Tops/Ain't No Woman (Like The One I Got) *
Santo & Johnny/Sleep Walk * Stevie Wonder/Isn't She Lovely
SOUNDTRACK: Your Cheatin' Heart (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is classic example of a soundtrack which outshines
the motion picture it was created to accompany. The 1964 movie, which
was a staple of the southern drive-in circuit in its day, was chiefly
notable for the vocal performances of 15 year old Hank Williams, Jr.,
lip-synched by George Hamilton in the largely fictionalized account of
his fabled father's career.
That's right, 15 year old Hank Williams, Jr. Groomed by his mother,
Audrey, to fill his father's boots since early childhood, by 1964 young
Hank could sing Dad's music with a strength and maturity that belied his
youth. That ability was enough to rescue many of the tracks from the
updated "countrypolitan" arrangements created for the movie. Recorded
with instrumentation that Hank, Sr. would never have been allowed to
bring to the 'Opry stage and staged to fit a story line that was just a
story, one shudders to thing of what might have occurred if the producers'
plan to have Hamilton sing the material himself had prevailed.
Of course, it might have turned out fine, anyway. These are some of the
finest songs in the country repertoire. It's hard to believe that some
of this material is nearly a half a century old by now. "Jambalaya,"
"Cold Cold Heart," "Hey Good Lookin'," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"
and, of course, the title track, are songs every aspiring country singer
is honor bound to learn. The movie performances of these, and several
other Williams classics, are, in fact, among the better examples of the
hundreds of versions available of each song.
Even if the soundtrack cuts (including three ("Kaw-liga," "You Win
Again," "Ramblin' Man") which ended up on the cutting room floor and are
restored here) were awful (and they aren't) this disc would belong in
the collection of any Williams fan. In addition to the soundtrack
material, there are eleven cuts from the three track demo masters that
Audrey Williams had Hank, Jr. cut to support her campaign to use the
youngster as the official soundtrack voice. Cut with acoustic backup,
often with just Bocephus on guitar, these come closer in spirit and
sound to his father's original sound and style than anything on the
soundtrack itself. These are the cuts which make the singer's youth the
most startling - he sings "Cold Cold Heart" like a man who's heart has
been broken more times a year for more years than he'd been alive and
"Ramblin' Man" like he'd been on the road for twice as long as that.
These demos, released here for the first time, are worth the price of
admission to "Your Cheatin' Heart." More than that, they make this one
essential for fans of two generations of Hanks.
Track List:
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Your Cheatin' Heart * Long Gone
Lonesome Blues * I Saw The Light * I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love
With You) * Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (w/saxophone) * Cold Cold Heart *
Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (w/electric guitar) * Hey Good Lookin'(w/
saxophone) * Hey Good Lookin' (w/electric guitar) * I'm So Lonesome I
Could Cry * Kaw-liga * You Win Again * Ramblin' Man
Acoustic Demo Versions: I Saw The Light * Jambalaya (On The Bayou) * I'm
So Lonesome I Could Cry * Long Gone Lonesome Blues * Cold Cold Heart *
You Win Again * There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight * I Saw The Light * I
Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) * Ramblin' Man
STEEL PULSE: Rage And Fury (Mesa/Atlantic)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Once upon a time, Steel Pulse was considered the future of reggae music and
was the favorite of one Bob Marley. They were incredible and in a category
all their own. Somewhere along the way, they decided poverty sucked and
changed their sound into something that, while not as limp as UB-40, wasn't
exactly thrilling, either. A few years back they released an album called
Vex, a return to their roots, featuring deep bass, dreamy grooves and cerebral
atmospherics. This, of course, was greeted as extremely good news.
Rage And Fury finds Steel Pulse seeking a middle ground between commercial
production values and roots reggae. The grooves are still deep and the
feeling is still serious and conscious, but there's a thin layer of sonic
gauze smoothing it out, presumably to make it more palatable for the masses.
Luckily, it doesn't detract from the power of the music, and in places it
actually adds to the headiness.
The songs are among the best Steel Pulse on record, covering everything from
the decay of Babylon to the sickness of the Klu Klux Klan to the senseless
violence of the dancehall gunmen. Oh, and amidst all this seriousness, a
beautiful, rich cover of "Brown Eyed Girl" that Van Morrison could appreciate.
To insure commercial success, several big names have cameo DJ spots, including
Mega Banton, Junkie Ranks, Michael Franti, Diana King, and the wonderful
Prezident Brown. There are a number of guest-heavy albums on the market
that don't have one tenth of the reggae power of Rage And Fury. One can
only hope that the strategy works and this becomes the model of what can
be achieved artistically without sacrificing the bottom line.
STELLAMARA: Star Of The Sea (City Of Tribes)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Combining elements ancient and new, Stellamara's new City Of Tribes
release is a sonic voyage through musical time and mental space. Or
mental time and musical space. Or something.
Something astonishing.
Principals Sonja Drakulich and Jeffery Stott bring artistic and academic
backgrounds in everything from Bulgarian choral singing to the Gnawan
trance rhythms of Morocco to the table and serve up a feast of exotic
instrumentation, haunting vocals and rhythmic melodies that seem to tap
a deep well of subconscious familiarity by blending traditions into
a surprisingly contemporary sound.
Joined by Gary Haggarty on violin and viola, Susu Pampanin on darbukas
and riqq, Marika Hughes on cello and Micheal Emenau on bells, gongs and
electronic samples, Drakulich and Stott round out the instrumental
accompaniment with bendir, zills, oud, darbuka, hammered dulcimer and
guitar. Drakulich pulls lyrics from 13th century Galacia, 15th Century
Spain, Persia, Croatia and from deep within her own musical experience
and inspiration.
The music thus produced defies simple description. This is one to hear
with ears and mind open. Given the opportunity, Stellamara will
transport you to a place outside of time through the medium of perfect
timing. This is world music for another world - one well worth a visit.
Track List: Maris * Kereshme * Zephyrus * Taqsim * Del Mar Rojo *
Immrama * Leda * Karuna * Oj Jabuko
MIKE STERN: Give And Take (Atlantic)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Give And Take, his eighth Atlantic release as a leader, finds Mike
Stern continuing to cleave to the jazz tradition while stretching its
definition with masterful guitar work and moving compositions.
Since his late seventies stint with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Stern has
played with a variety of luminaries including Billy Cobham, the Brecker
Brothers and Miles Davis' early eighties "comeback" band. Along the way
he's come to be identified as a bebopper with a rock n' roll heart, and
that's the mode you'll find him in on "Give and Take." Accompanied on
every track by bassist John Patitucci and in various spots by Jack
DeJohnette (drums), Don Alias (percussion), Michael Brecker (tenor),
David Sanborn (alto) and Gil Goldstein (piano), Stern turns in a solid
set of seven original tunes and four covers, ranging from the Cole
Porter standard "I Love You" to Jimi Hendrix's "Who Knows."
Capable of maintaining an astonishing fluidity of line even at breakneck
speed, there's far more than flash here, though there is some flash for
those that need some. There's a blend of passion and skill that a good
many players could take a lesson from, and a willingness to stretch and
risk that is the hallmark of great jazz. A good example of that is
found on "Giant Steps." With Brecker and Sanborn on hand, the obvious
thing to do is to share the demands of the Coltrane classic with a sax
player. The risky - indeed, the *jazz* - thing to do is to take on one
of the world's most famous saxophone solos with no saxophone at all.
Stern handles the challenge so skillfully that it's hard to remember
that this wasn't written as a guitar part.
On his original compositions, Stern is more than willing to share the
spotlight, with Brecker offering intriguing solos in several places and
Sanborn making an impressive contribution to "That's What You Think."
A hero in Europe and a regular on the NYC jazz club scene, Mike Stern is
overdue for some major attention from stateside audiences. Give And
Take offers plenty to pay attention to.
Track List: I Love You * Hook Up * Everything Changes * One Liners *
Jones Street * Lumpy * Rooms * That's What You Think * Giant Steps * Who
Knows * Oleo
TEXAS: White on Blonde (Mercury)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
It's been four years since the last Texas album here in the US. They
have been huge in Europe for years, but never got the break here that they
needed. They released their debut album, Southside, back in 1989 as
teenagers. To many, it remains their best effort to date. The signature
acoustic slide guitar heard on the album is gone now, and replaced by a
more 'mature' R&B-flavored sound. Their last album, Rick's Road, hinted
at this new musical direction with its cover of Al Green's "Tired of Being
Alone." One thing that has improved over the years is the voice of vocalist
Sharleen Spiteri. She has always had a great voice, but like a fine wine,
it's getting better with age.
The core trio of musicians from the first album is still intact--Spiteri on
vocals and rhythm guitar, Ally McErlaine on lead guitar, and Johnny McElhone
on bass--along with Richard Hynd on drums and Eddie Campbell on keyboards.
After the lead-in track featuring an excerpt of Cole Porter's "I Love Paris,"
the CD begins with "Say What You Want," the first US single and a #1 hit in
the UK (this CD was released overseas several months ago). "Halo" sounds like
it could have appeared on Southside, and is one of the best tracks on the CD.
"Put Your Arms Around Me" is a torch song in the truest sense, and features
great vocals from Spiteri.
It's no secret where they got the inspiration for "Black Eyed Boy." One of
the CD's better tunes, you'll swear you're listening to The Supremes doing a
cover of "Tears of a Clown" until the chorus comes in. The mood shifts from
Motown to something more sensual with the breathy vocals on "Polo Mint City."
Aside from "Halo," the closest thing to a rock song on the new CD is
"Postcard." Most of the other tracks have a 'retro' feel to them, and are
more R&B-oriented than on previous albums. A prime example is "Good Advice."
With its string arrangement and 70's sound, I kept looking to see if Barry
White was coming around the corner.
White on Blonde is a definite departure for the band, and they manage to pull
it off quite well. It's better than their last album, but not as good as the
first two. If you are familiar with the band's previous material, it may take
a few listens to get used to their new sound. If the 70's R&B scene is more
your style, though, chances are you'll love it.
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW ORCHESTRA: Texas Chainsaw Orchestra (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Have you noticed that the oh so adventurous experimentation of the
electronica scene has almost completely ignored the instrument section
of your local Good Value hardware store? Or that the possibilities of
petrolica, the application of gasoline powered instrumentation, has been
neglected by virtually the entire musical world?
Well, take heart music lovers! The Texas Chainsaw Orchestra are on hand
to clearcut a path for those with the courage (and major medical
coverage) to follow.
Rhino has issued the units' first official release, following the
underground classic "Toolshed Tapes," often bootlegged, never imitated.
Complete with historical notes from Black Diamond, Washington's foremost
hardware musicologists, Earl Black and Tom Decker, the Orchestra cuts up
on seven slices of pure pop for powered people.
Featuring various combinations of lead Stihl, rhythm McCullough and a
challenging assortment of other saws, drills, etchers, joiners and
household appliances, this cannot be described. It must be heard.
Inspired by the region that gave birth to Twin Peaks and Nirvana,
there's definitely something here for somebody. Maybe you. Try it and
see...
Track List: Tuning Up * Sabre Dance * American Woman * You Oughta Know *
Chain Gang * I Will Always Love You * Birthday
THIRD EYE BLIND: Third Eye Blind (Elektra)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Yeah. Third Eye Blind's self titled debut has already produced a
bona-fide hit single with "Semi-Charmed Life" and there are enough hook
filled chunks of solid pop and roll on this fourteen song collection to
provide months of chart action to come.
This is one of those discs that keep me reaching for the volume control.
Some inner voice keeps saying "That one would sound a little better if
it was just a little louder," and that inner voice is always right.
Stephan Jenkins has one of the more appealing voices in contemporary
rock and he's backed by a solid band. Kevin Cadogan plays guitar like
there's three of him, Aron Salazar plays bass like it's a lead
instrument without sacrificing a bit of the vital rhythm duty he's
responsible for and Brad Hargraves knows what to do and when to do it
with a drum kit.
Oh, did I mention that I really like this one? I do and I think you
will. I'm not sure you'll have any choice. These guys should be all
over your radio dial for quite awhile. And in your town. With fall
tour dates scheduled with U2 and the Rolling Stones, they've got the
product and they're getting the push to get huge fast. That's fine by
me. It's not often that I hear a single disc that I wish was a double
these days, but I'd love to hear 14 more songs like these any time.
You might as well buy this one now. It's probably too late to be the
first one on your block, but there's no reason to be the last one on
your planet.
Track List: Losing A Whole Year * Narcolepsy * Semi-Charmed Life *
Jumper * Graduate * How's It Going To Be * Thanks A Lot * Burning Man *
Good For You * London * I Want You * The Background * Motorcycle Drive
By * God Of Wine
THE TIKI TONES: Suburban Savage (Dionysus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Get your torches lit and your blue drinks mixed, because it's time for a
musical luau courtesy of our mysterious hosts, The Tiki Tones. Suburban
Savage finds the band in fine form as they rock and swirl on numbers like
"Spectre Detector," "Twister," and "Go Go Loco." While there is reverb in
their equation, it isn't as all-important as it is for most bands in the
genre. The sound is crisp enough for the snare to snap right in front of
your face, and clear enough to let you appreciate the wind on the bass
strings. When they do let the reverb dam burst, they make as exotic a sound
as you're likely to hear on a contemporary release. The keyboards, played
by an individual listed only as Lord Wahini, have a wonderfully bizarre way
of making even a darkly mysterious tune like "Don't Go In The Shed" shimmy
and swirl with a decidedly rockin' attitude. This one gets my highest
recommendation. (Dionysus Records: PO Box 1975, Burbank, CA 91507.)
VANESSA-MAE: Bach: Partita No. 3 for Solo Violin; Brahms: Scherzo in C Minor
for Violin and Piano; Beethoven: Romance No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra, Op.
50; Bruch: Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 46; Vanessa Mae:
Arrangement of "I'm A-Doun for Lack O' Johnnie". Vanessa Mae, Violin; London
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Viktor Fedotov. EMI 72435-55395-2 [DDD] 60:38
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
I've reviewed a fair number of recordings in my career, ranging from
Medieval chant and Renaissance choral music, on through the Baroque,
Classical and Romantic periods, on through the Twentieth Century, even
including avant garde computer music of the current day--you know, the weird
stuff that doesn't even sound like music. But I have never encountered a
disc quite like this one. Looking at the drab, new-age cover portrait, you'd
suspect the album contains a collection of virtuosic (and usually vapid)
showpieces, or at least some popular transcriptions of war horse repertory.
In fact, as you can glean from the headnote, it's comprised of fairly
substantive stuff--music of the three B's, plus that of another another B,
Bruch. None of this is put on the cover, though. Added to this distinguished
company, at the close of the disc, is Vanessa Mae's own take-off on the
traditional Scottish song, "I'm A-Doun for Lack O' Johnnie," upon which
Bruch based the third movement of his Scottish Fantasy. But Vanessa Mae's
piece is a pop creation that will headline an upcoming enhanced CD. Coming
on the heels of the other music on the recording, it's kind of like
following up the mesmerism of Hildegard's chants with the miasma of
anybody's Rap. Perhaps I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much.
And the album notes. You have to be almost an eagle to read them, and able
to distinguish red print from a sort of pink background on certain pages.
It's as if someone wanted to sabotage your efforts to read them. When I
finally summoned the courage to strain my nearly 20-20, spectacle-free,
half-century-old eyes to read the notes about Vanessa Mae, I learned her
birthday was October 27 (the same as Paganini's)--but, villains!--no year
was given. I knew she was around twenty, but couldn't help thinking that
someone on the EMI production team didn't want you to know her age, as if
intending to build up some kind of mystique about her. I also then began
wondering if maybe there was a conspiracy between the author of the notes
and the person who chose the font size for them. Ye gads, the plot thickens!
But what I discovered in the album credits rather shot down my conspiracy
theory regarding the stonewalling intents: there, next to her song title,
legible to the eye aided by a Hubbell-like magnifying glass, was the year of
Vanessa Mae's birth--1978! I was close!
But, you ask, what about the performances? As evidenced here, there can be
no doubt that Vanessa Mae is a transcendental talent. Anyone who can
play--and play quite well--such wide-ranging music is an artist not to be
dismissed as the glamour girl EMI is apparently hyping her as. Her Bach is
subtle and spirited, with deftly-nuanced dynamics and splendid technique.
The Beethoven and Brahms selections, while lesser pieces of those composers,
come across with individuality and color. She renders the Scottish Fantasy
with panache and charm, pointing up its warmth and melancholy, its romantic
radiance and bucolic joys. At her tender age, she may not yet have developed
the strong interpretive profile and tonal subtlety that many other great
artists have demonstrated in the Bach Partita or, for that matter, in the
Bruch Scottish Fantasy, but suffice it to say these readings are certainly
compelling and well worth the purchase price. Curiously, the sound
reproduction in the Bruch turns hard and shrill in places, though elsewhere
on the disc it's quite fine.
As for the Vanessa Mae song, "I'm A-Doun for Lack O' Johnnie," subtitled, "A
Little Scottish Fantasy," her many pop fans may well be taken by it.
Personally, I'm not crazy about all the processed vocalizing in the opening,
but can imagine that, shorn of effect, the piece is not without appeal.
I'll hazard a guess that, like most of Vanessa Mae's discs, this one will
sell big despite the noted production lapses. You certainly won't be
disappointed by this album, but do arm yourself with a Godzilla-sized
magnifying glass!
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Beg, Scream & Shout - The Big Ol' Box Of 60s Soul (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Retrospectives are cool for what they are, though they're rarely the top
attraction around Cosmik Central. But ever since this baby arrived,
it has been the absolute center of attention, getting played over and
over, being fawned over, being examined, pawed, and, in on one strange
occasion... cuddled. Why is this one so different? There are a lot of
answers to that question.
Beg, Scream & Shout is a 6-CD box set of fantastic 60s soul music,
which in itself doesn't make it particularly unique: there are plenty
of soul boxes out there. Lets start with the most important difference,
the music, and work our way to the trading cards. (Trading cards?!)
Most soul boxes suffer from predictability. The Wilson Picket song will
be "Midnight Hour" and the Martha & The Vandellas song will be "Dancing
In The Street." Nice to have in your collection, and it probably is. On
four or five different comps! Take a look at the track list for Beg, Scream
& Shout, and try this test: read the artist's name and try to guess which
song it'll be. With a few notable exceptions (Ben E. King's "Stand By Me,"
for instance), you will be surprised nearly every time. Quick! Which
Marvin Gaye tune do you expect? Your first twelve answers are incorrect.
It's "Can I Get A Witness." Which Aretha tune? Nope, nope, and uh-uh.
It's "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone." Martha & The Vandellas?
Save your breath. It's "You've Been In Love Too Long." This wonderful
unpredictability is the rule through all six discs, and that in itself
makes this set essential.
Seeing that they had something special on their hands, the design crew at
Rhino put together a highly entertaining package, centering on a theme
near and dear to many of us: The 45. The box itself is modelled after the
boxes that people used to tote their singles around in. Each CD is
snapped into a piece of plastic designed to look like a 45, grooves and
all. (The CD becomes the label!) Each of these assemblies is packed in
a 45-size sleeve with the tracks listed on the back. Furthermore, each
CD is designed to look like a different legendary 60s soul label. Nice
touch. The 14 page booklet (also 45-size) offers tech notes and all the
date and chart stats for each track, but no real information about the
artists.
This is where the trading cards come in. There's a card for each of the
144 artists in the set, each with a picture on the front and great bits
of trivia on the back. Is this necessary? No, but it's a lot of fun,
isn't it? You can easily lose track of time reading these cards. By the
way, I didn't know that Bobby Womack was suspected of killing Sam Cooke,
that he showed up for Sam's funeral in one of Sam's suits, and that he
married Sam's wife shortly after. Hmmmmm...
Let me tell ya, there's nothing better for a sweet soul mood than to put
all six of these discs into shuffle-play. The experience is much closer
to re-living 60s soul radio than it would be with any other set because
these weren't all big hits. Many of these are the songs that were here
for a summer and then gone from memory, or the songs we remember because
they were on the flipsides of some of our favorite singles. Many of them
are sublime. Some are entertainingly odd. F'rinstance, Don Covay's
"See-Saw," which has a great hook, excellent playing, wonderful vocal
harmonies, and one voice vamping in such gritty, tortured hysteria as to
suggest Miss Piggy after years of alcoholism and cigarettes. That's part
of the charm of Beg, Scream & Shout, part of what makes this the best
soul box money can buy.
TRACK LIST:
BEG I - The Soul Clan/That's How It Feels * The Delfonics/La-La Means
I Love You * The Fantastic Four/The Whole World Is A Stage * Ben E.
King/Stand By Me * The Precisions/You're The Best (That Ever Did It) * O.V.
Wright/Eight Men, Four Women * Brenda Holloway/Every Little Bit Hurts *
Toussaint McCall/Nothing Takes The Place Of You * Judy Clay & William
Bell/Private Number * The Mad Lads/I Don't Want To Lose Your Love *
The Jackson 5/Who's Lovin You * Garnet Mimms/Cry Baby * Brenda &
The Tabulations/Dry Your Eyes * Barbara Mason/Yes, I'm Ready * Smokey
Robinson & The Miracles/The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage * Sam &
Dave/When Something Is Wrong With My Baby * Otis Clay/That's How It Is
(When You're In Love) * The Sweet Inspirations/Sweet Inspirations *
Barbara Lewis/Baby, I'm Yours * Percy Sledge/It Tears Me Up * Mitty
Collier/I Had A Talk With My Man * Deon Jackson/Love Makes The World Go
Round * Al Green & The Soul Mates/Back Up Train * The Impressions/Choice
Of
Colors
BEG II - The Dynamics/Ice Cream Song * Otis Redding/I've Been
Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) * The Dells/Stay In My Corner * Jackie
Ross/Selfish One * Eddie Holman/Hey There Lonely Girl * William Bell/
Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday * Joe Hinton/Funny * Aaron Neville/Wrong
Number (I Am Sorry, Goodbye) * Tony Clarke/The Entertainer * Leon
Haywood/It's Got To Be Mellow * Tyrone Davis/Can I Change My Mind *
Bobby Hebb/Sunny * The Intruders/Cowboys To Girls * Dionne Warwick/Don't
Make Me Over * Maxine Brown/Oh No Not My Baby * Bobby Womack/Fly
Me To The Moon * Billy Stewart/I Do Love You * The Radiants/Voice Your
Choice * James & Bobby Purify/I'm Your Puppet * Esther Phillips/Release
Me * Gene Chandler/Rainbow * Jay Wiggins/Sad Girl * Irma Thomas/Wish
Someone Would Care * Ray Charles/In The Heat Of The Night * Lorraine
Ellison/Stay With Me
SCREAM I - Shorty Long/Function At The Junction * King Curtis/Memphis
Soul Stew * Dobie Gray/The "In" Crowd * The Blue-Belles/I Sold My
Heart To The Junkman * Barbara Acklin/Love Makes A Woman * The O'Jays/
Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette) * Bettye Swann/Make Me Yours * Clifford
Curry/She Shot A Hole In My Soul * Betty Everett/You're No Good * The
Ikettes/I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song) * Four Tops/7-Rooms Of Gloom *
Aretha Franklin/(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone * The Young
Holt Trio/Wack Wack * Solomon Burke/Got To Get You Off My Mind * Martha
& The Vandellas/You've Been In Love Too Long * James Carr/Pouring Water
On A Drowning Man * Fontella Bass/Rescue Me * Joe Tex/Show Me * Gladys
Knight & The Pips/Friendship Train * The Knight Bros/Temptation 'Bout
To Get Me * Clarence Carter/Snatching It Back * Lou Rawls/Dead End
Street Monologue/Dead End Street
SCREAM II - James Brown/Out Of Sight * The Esquires/Get On Up * Jerry
Butler/Only The Strong Survive * Willie Tee/Teasin' You * Mel & Tim/
Backfield In Motion * Erma Franklin/Piece Of My Heart * Chuck Jackson/I
Don't Want To Cry * The O'Kaysions/Girl Watcher * Stevie Wonder/I Was
Made To Love Her * Carla Thomas/B-A-B-Y * C & The Shells/You Are The
Circus * Wilson Pickett/I'm In Love * Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces/
Searching For My Love * The Velvelettes/He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' *
Joe Simon/The Chokin' Kind * Don Covay/Seesaw * The Showmen/39-21-46
* Ike & Tina Turner/A Fool In Love * Mary Wells/Bye Bye Baby * Brenton
Wood/The Oogum Boogum Song * Doris Troy/Just One Look * Booker T. & The
M.G.'s/Time Is Tight
SHOUT I - Arthur Conley/Sweet Soul Music * The Meters/Cissy Strut *
Archie Bell & The Drells/Tighten Up * Bob & Earl/Harlem Shuffle *
Howard Tate/Stop * Bull & The Matadors/The Funky Judge * Soul Brothers
Six/Some Kind Of Wonderful * Major Lance/The Monkey Time * The Supremes/
Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart * Alvin Cash & The Crawlers/Twine
Time * Gloria Jones/Tainted Love * The Joe Jeffrey Group/My Pledge Of
Love * Rex Garvin/Sock It To 'Em J.B. - Part I * Marvin Gaye/Can I Get
A Witness * Lee Rogers/I Want You To Have Everything * Shirley Ellis/
The Real Nitty Gritty * Rodger Collins/She's Looking Good * Cliff Nobles
& Co./The Horse * Johnnie Taylor/Who's Making Love * Bobby Patterson/
T.C.B. or T.Y.A. * Little Milton/Grits Ain't Groceries (All Around The
World) * The Isley Brothers/It's Your Thing * Darrell Banks/Open The
Door To Your Heart * Soul Sisters /I Can't Stand It * Dyke & The Blazers/
We Got More Soul
SHOUT II - Jackie Wilson/Baby Workout * Edwin Starr/Agent Double-O-Soul
* Robert Parker/Barefootin' * The Marvelows/I Do * Sir Mack Rice/
Mustang Sally * Soul Survivors/Expressway To Your Heart * The Capitols/
Cool Jerk * J.J. Jackson/But It's Alright * Etta James/Tell Mama * The
Flirtations/Nothing But A Heartache * The Temptations/(I Know) I'm
Losing You * Rufus Thomas/The Memphis Train * Mar-Keys/Last Night * The
Five Du-Tones/Shake A Tail Feather * The Contours/First I Look At The
Purse * Eddie Floyd/Big Bird * Bob Kuban & The In-Men/The Cheater * The
Marvelettes/Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead * Jr. Walker & The All Stars/
Shake And Fingerpop * The Fantastic Johnny C/Boogaloo Down Broadway *
Bar-Kays/Soul Finger * Kim Weston/Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A
Little While) * Eddie Holland/Leaving Here * David Ruffin/My Whole
World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) * The Show Stoppers/Ain't Nothin'
But A House Party
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Bossa Novaville - Ultra-Lounge #14 (Capitol)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
From the vaults to your changer. This collection of long lost bossa nova
music may add up to the best disc in Capitol's 18 volume Ultra-Lounge series.
Face it, though, that wonderful genre of music, developed by Antonio Carlos
Jobim, can take almost any abuse and still come out sensual and essential.
There are tracks here that bring odd ingredients, such as Moog, to the form,
but somehow or another it all works. The uptempo reading of "Witchcraft,"
by Joe Graves & The Diggers, comes as close to out of bounds as it gets,
but most of these tracks are downright gorgeous. Martin Denny's variation
on "Quiet Village" is particularly interesting in that it shifts to a
completely different style without losing much of its exotic flavor. Bossa
nova is/was quite exotic, as one listen to Bill Perkins' "Baia" will prove.
If that doesn't do it for you, Sergio Mendes, Si Zentner, or Laurindo
Almeida will. Me, I'm a pushover for Julie London's "Fly Me To The Moon,"
which appears here as the bonus track. This disc could just as easily have
been marketed as a high class jazz retrospective, but its inclusion in a
series known for intentionally cheesy music may limit sales to some of the
people who would truly appreciate it. Spread the word. This is a classy
collection.
TRACK LIST:
So Dance Samba (Jazz N Samba) (Wanda De Sah) * Meditation (Meditacao)
(Laurindo Almeida) * Little Bird/Little Boat (Bill Perkins) * Samba De
Orfeu (Ray Anthony) * Amy's Theme (Martin Denny) * Corcovado (Quiet Nights)
(Cannonball Adderley & Sergio Mendes) * The Look Of Love (Billy May) *
One Note Samba/Recado Bossa Nova (Leroy Holmes) * Triste (Howard Roberts) *
Miserlou (Laurindo Almeida & The Bossa Nova All-Star Band) * Desafinado
(Si Zentner) * Exotique Bossa Nova/Quiet Village Bossa Nova (Martin Denny) *
Witchcraft (Joe Graves & The Diggers) * Baia (Bill Perkins) * Que Sabe Voce
De Mim (Walter Wanderley) * The Girl From Ipanema/Manha De Carnaval (Laurindo
Almeida) * Mas Que Nada (Rubin Mitchell) * So Nice (Samba De Verao) (Wanda
De Sah & Sergio Mendes) * Fly Me To The Moon (Julie London)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Brown Eyed Soul - The Sound Of East L.A. (Vol. 1-3) (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
When I first visited LA in the early seventies, I had a pretty specific
image of what the music scene would be. A pair of images, really. Of
course, I expected to find a beach culture with the surf-based party music
I'd grown up on. I was also aware of the Sunset Strip scene - spandex,
eyeliner and loud guitars.
What I wasn't ready for were the radio dedication shows passing messages
between young lovers through the medium of doo-wop records. Cruise nights
on Whittier and Van Nuys Boulevards would find every radio tuned to Art
Laboe as he read expressions of undying affection to introduce the voices of
Mary Wells, Brenton Wood and a variety of others, both famed and obscure.
The audience for these shows was primarily Chicano. While their Texas
cousins might have been out scoring the latest Tejano tapes and the rest of
the city was trying to get ahold of the "next big thing," the East L.A.
market was keeping slow, romantic R&B alive while nurturing a select group
of artists all their own. Luckily, the music came through just fine on the
radios of Anglo R&B lovers like me, too. The three volumes of Rhino's
Brown Eyed Soul chronicle some of the best music from the golden age that
made DJs like Art Laboe and Huggy Boy the low-rider's best friend.
One of the strengths of the Brown Eyed Soul scene, and of these discs,
has always been the mix - the songs can be old or new, the artists
black, white or brown, the style sweet soul or solid rock. No barriers in
the barrio.
The result is three discs full of music you know by artists you can't
quite remember mixed with artists you know singing songs you never heard
and hits that crossed over to enough charts to be familiar to almost
everyone. The common denominator seems to be romance. With all three discs
on hand, you'll have a 48 song soundtrack for the makeout party of your
dreams. Music designed to move you to the backseat of a '57 Chev.
The discs are available individually, and they aren't individually themed -
there's a good variety of releases from the late fifties to the mid sixties
on each disc - so you may not *need* all three. Listen to one, though, and
you'll *want* all three. They're that good. Every one of them.
Track Lists:
Volume 1: The Turks/I'm A Fool * Tierra/Together * War/All Day Music *
The Penguins/Hey Senorita * Don Julian & The Meadowlarks/Heaven And
Paradise * Tony Clarke/The Entertainer * Van McCoy/Mr. D.J. * The M-M
& The Peanuts/I Found My Love * Thee Midniters/The Town I Live In *
Brenton Wood/Me And You * El Chicano/Brown Eyed Girl * The Carlos
Brothers/Tonight * Chuck Higgins/Pachuko Hop * The Five Satins/Our
Anniversary * Brothers Of Soul/I Guess That Don't Make Me A Loser *
Little Julian Herrera/Symbol Of Heaven
Volume 2: The Blendells/La La La La La * Rene & Roy/Queen Of My Heart *
Ritchie Valens/We Belong Together * Johnny "Guitar" Watson/Those Lonely,
Lonely Nights * War/Why Can't We Be Friends * McKinley Travis/Baby, Is There
Something On Your Mind * Billy Stewart/Sitting In The Park * The
Pardons/Diamonds And Pearls * The Gallahads/I'm Without A Girlfriend * The
Romancers/My Heart Cries * Thee Midnighters/Dreaming Casually * Cannibal &
The Headhunters/Please Baby Please * Jesse Belvin/Beware * The
Premieres/Farmer John * Brenton Wood/Baby You Got It * Hank Jacobs/ East
Side
Volume 3: The Olympics/Mine Exclusively * El Chicano/Tell Her She's
Lovely * Carol Hughes/Let's Get Together Again * Gene Chandler/I Fooled You
This Time * Bloodstone/Natural High * War/Don't Let No One Get You Down *
Cannibal & The Headhunters/Land Of 1000 Dances * Patti Drew/Tell Him * Bo
Diddley/I'm Sorry * Thee Midnighters/Making Ends Meet * Rosie & Ron/Bring Me
Happiness * Peaches & Herb/Close Your Eyes * Safaris/Image Of A Girl *
Brenton Wood/Catch You On The Rebound * It's Got To Be Mellow
VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Chess Blues-Rock Songbook (MCA/Chess)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Here's a question for you. What do Eric Clapton, The Blues Brothers, Van
Halen, Tom Jones, Janis Joplin, Jose Feliciano, Elvis Presley, The Who, The
Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Phish
(among numerous others) all have in common? If your answer was that they all
covered songs on the new blues-rock compilation from MCA/Chess - you win the
grand prize! Well, OK... You don't really win anything, but you got the
answer right.
MCA is currently in the middle of a massive reissue program celebrating the
50th anniversary of Chess Records. The songs that make up this double-CD
package are the real roots of rock and roll. This is where it all began.
Not all of them are real 'blues' tunes, per se, but just about any rock
artist you can think of has cut their teeth on these songs. The key thing
on this collection is authenticity. All the classic tracks included here
are presented in their original versions; and overall, they sound better
than ever.
Rather than going into details on the individual tunes, check out the track
list below. The music speaks for itself. These songs have been covered
repeatedly by an endless list of artists. The Chess Blues-Rock Songbook
is an indispensable collection of the seminal tunes that influenced (and
continue to influence) multiple generations of rockers around the globe.
TRACK LIST:
Disc One: I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man (Muddy Waters) * Mother Earth
(Memphis Slim) * I Don't Know (Willie Mabon) * Sugar Mama (John Lee Hooker) *
24 Hours (Eddie Boyd) * Ice Cream Man (John Brim) * Jock-A-Mo (Sugar Boy
Crawford) * Wang Dang Doodle (Willie Dixon) * I Just Want to Make Love to
You (Muddy Waters) * Reconsider Baby (Lowell Fulson) * Eisenhower Blues (J.B.
Lenoir) * My Babe (Little Walter) * I'm a Man (Bo Diddley) * The Seventh Son
(Willie Mabon) * See You Later Alligator (Bobby Charles) * Trouble No More
(Muddy Waters) * Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry) * Who Do You Love? (Bo
Diddley)
Disc Two: Rock and Roll Music (Chuck Berry) * Walking By Myself (Jimmy
Rogers) * Mona (Bo Diddley) * Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry) * Suzie Q (Dale
Hawkins) * Memphis (Chuck Berry) * Back in the U.S.A. (Chuck Berry) * Back
Door Man (Howlin' Wolf) * Madison Blues (Elmore James) * Spoonful (Howlin'
Wolf) * You Shook Me (Muddy Waters) * The Red Rooster (Howlin' Wolf) * Bring
it On Home (Sonny Boy Williamson) * Help Me (Sonny Boy Williamson) * High
Heel Sneakers (Tommy Tucker) * Killing Floor (Howlin' Wolf) * More and More
(Little Milton) * Tell Mama (Etta James)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Chess Soul (MCA/Chess)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Chess records is best known for blues and early rock and roll, but these two
CDs of soul prove they had that area covered quite nicely, thank you. Etta
James, Fontella Bass, Mitty Collier, Irma Thomas, Gene Chandler, Ramsay Lewis
and a host of other incredible artists were doing in Chicago what the Motown
crew was doing in Detroit and the Stax gang was doing in Memphis. Of course,
Stax and Motown grabbed most of the headlines and a big helping of the airplay,
but there was some pure magic going down on tape in Chi-town.
Chess Soul collects 45 tunes that are as deeply soulful as your heart can
take. Much of this music is criminally overlooked by classic soul radio
today. Me, I've got this set now, so while the radio plays "Baby Love" for
the fourth time today, I'm rockin' to Etta James and her childhood pal,
Sugar Pie DeSanto, as they belt out "Do I Make Myself Clear" in fantastic
harmony. If that ain't gritty enough, I can click over to "Dirty Man," by
Laura Lee. Yeee GADS, this stuff stings in the best possible way. The
liner notes include a track list with as much session info as they could
dig up, a scattering of black and white photographs, and a thumbnail history
written by David Nathan, the U.S. editor of Blues & Soul Magazine.
This arrives at a time when Capitol, Rhino, and a handful of others are
putting out some excellent multi-CD soul sets. Is there a soul revival
in the air? Probably not, but with Chess Soul in the bins, at least the
tasteful minority can get a great collection of soul without going broke,
and they'll get an education in the merits of the Chicago sound at the
same time.
Track List:
Disc One: Mama Didn't Like (Jan Bradley) * Strange Feeling (Billy Stewart) *
I've Been So Lonely (Cookie & The Cupcakes * Soulful Dress (Sugar Pie
DeSanto) * Love Ain't Nothin' But A Monkey On Your Back (Johnny Nash) *
Who's That Guy? (The Kolettes) * Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud (Tony
Clarke) * I Had A Talk With My Man (Mitty Collier) * I Can't Help Myself
(The Gems) * Don't Mess Up A Good Thing (Fontella Bass & Bobby McClure) *
Voice Your Choice (The Radiants) * The Selfish One (Jackie Ross) * The
Entertainer (Tony Clarke) * I Do Love You (Billy Stewart) * Love Is A Five
Letter Word (James Phelps) * Soul Of A Man (Fontella Bass) * Temptation Bout
To Get Me (The Knight Brothers) * Do I Make Myself Clear (Etta James and
Sugar Pie DeSanto) * Take Me For A Little While (Jackie Ross) * What About
Me (The Valentinos) * I'm Satisfied (Mitty Collier) * Searching For My Love
(Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces) * Only Time Will Tell (Etta James)
Disc Two: Rescue Me (Fontella Bass) * I'm Not Ashamed (Bobby McClure) *
Stay By My Side (Jo Ann Garrett) * Have Pity On Me (Billy Young) * Wade In
The Water (Ramsay Lewis) * I Fooled You This Time (Gene Chandler) * Don't
Pass Me By (Big Maybelle) * Lonely Girl (Andrea Davis) * To Be A Lover (Gene
Chandler) * Don't Knock Love (Barbara Carr) * I Believe She Will (Eddie &
Ernie) * Mercy Mercy Mercy (Marlena Shaw) * A Love Reputation (Denise
LaSalle) * Dirty Man (Laura Lee) * I Can't Make It Without You (Fred Hughes) *
Hold On (The Radiants) * Good To Me (Irma Thomas) * You Left The Water
Running (Maurice & Mac) * Oh What A Day (The Dells) * Baby I Love You (Little
Milton) * Losers Weepers (Etta James) * Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation
(The Dells)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: A Dose Of Psychedelic Trance (Hypnotic)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
OK, two arguments in favor of the 12" record sleeve. First, the cover
art for this Hypnotic release is beautiful, and would be only more so in a
larger format. Second, I wouldn't need a magnifying glass to get what
information is provided in tiny psychedelic lettering even tinier small
print off the back.
But I did, so I can report that the folks at Hypnotic, in their ceaseless
quest to make electronic music from around the world accessible have
compiled ten tracks from the Israeli label Phonokol, and their subsidiary
label Trust in Trance Records, for the enjoyment of audiences who might not
be keeping up with the Tel Aviv dance club scene.
There are nine artists represented, but there's a group mind at work.
The mood and rhythm of the tracks is of a piece and except for a couple
jerky segues there are seventy five minutes of unmitigated music that will
make your mind dance as well as your body. The source may be foreign, but
the beat is universal. Well crafted throughout, these Israeli trance mixers
are masters of the form. Well worth checking out, but beware, once you get
started you're likely to stay aboard for the full ride.
Track List: Astral Projector/Enlightened Evolution (Remix) * Miko &
Har-El/Alala * Aban Don/Black & White * Shidapu/Paradise * Power Source/
Goaway * Kailum/Kailum * Astral Projector & MFG/The Sleeper Must Awake *
Nada/Transparent Future * MFG/The Prophecy * Mystica/Expose
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Golden Age Of Underground Radio w/B. Mitchel Reed(DCC)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
It's the generally held opinion of most everyone I talk to that radio
sucks. It has *always* been the generally held opinion of most people I
talk to that radio sucks.
Well, a lot of radio is pretty bad, but it wasn't all that long ago that
things were a lot worse. (OK, it was a pretty long time ago, but time is
relative, and *I* remember the bad old days...) Back in what people who
don't remember it seems like the golden age of rock n' roll radio, you
counted yourself lucky if your local station kept 20 songs from the top
40 in rotation. There was virtually no FM, there was absolutely no
stereo AM and nothing over 3 minutes long got as much as 3 seconds of
consideration for airplay. Station policies seemed to demand that all
the jocks talk over the beginning and end of every song and that every
commercial be delivered in high volume hysteria.
That began to change in the late 60s with the advent of "underground" FM
radio. Searching for creative freedom, disc jockeys like San
Francisco's Tom Donahue and L.A.'s B. Mitchel Reed moved of the AM dial
to stations that gave them license to play what they liked and display
their personalities in a more straightforward and generally understated
fashion. No matter how bad you think radio is today, people like
Donahue and BMR made it much, much better.
This disc combines some classic soundchecks and commercials from BMR's
broadcasts on L.A.'s KMET between 1968 and 1971 with some of the music
his show featured. Today it's hard to understand how revolutionary a
notion it was to play a full four minutes of so of Electric Flag or Dave
Mason on the radio, let alone 5+ minutes of Steppenwolf, 6+ of Brewer &
Shipley or the Airplane or, heaven forbid, a full 11:30 of Mark-Almond.
BMR did it, though, and helped make it possible for some of the finest
musicians of the time to get airplay.
There's an interesting mix of the obvious and the unusual among the
musical selections here and an entertaining mix of vintage commercials
and BMR's observations on the times here. Next time you find that
everything on the radio sucks, slip into some tie dye and slip this in
the player...
Track List: BMR Sign On * Spirit/I Got A Line On You * Donovan (with
the Jeff Beck Group)/Barabajagal * BMR * Ike & Tina Turner/Honkey Tonk
Women * BMR - Hip Bagel Commercial * Canned Heat/Rollin' And Tumblin' *
Electric Flag/Killing Floor * Leather Ltd. Commercial * BMR - Jeans West
Commercial * Dave Mason/Only You Know And I Know * BMR * Nillson/You
Can't Do That * BMR * The Byrds/Eight Miles High * Love/Alone Again Or *
BMR * Steppenwolf/The Pusher * BMR * Music Odyssey Commercial * BMR -
Fat Bernie's Waterbed * KMET News * Spirit/Nature's Way * Jefferson
Airplane/Wooden Ships * BMR * Grateful Dead Concert Commercial * BMR *
Brewer & Shipley/Wichi-Tai-To * BMR Sign-Off * Mark-Almond/The City
VARIOUS "ARTISTS": Golden Throats 4
Celebrities Butcher Songs Of The Beatles (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
My hands trembled as the priest mumbled on about redemption and salvation.
Suddenly the door opened with a sickening clang. "It's time." I was led
to the chamber and strapped into the chair, and the headphones were placed
over my ears. "Any last words," our Associate Editor said as he readied
his hand over the volume knob. "Please," I cried, "don't make me do this!"
Too late. It was time to listen to, and possibly review, Golden Throats 4.
Rhino had included a set of earplugs with the review copy. Now that's
salvation.
What's Golden Throats? It's a series of compilations from hell, that's
what it is! Collections of cover tunes recorded by movie actors and
other melodically challenged celebrities. This time around, the tunes
are of the Beatle variety, but even material that good can't transcend
performances this bad. Telly Savalas singing "Something?" Tragic, but
not fatal. How about George Burns faking his way through "With A Little
Help From My Friends?" Yeah, that's pretty rough, but at least you can
laugh about it. Mae West's walker-tapping warbling of "Day Tripper?"
MMMmmmm, okay, that one's pretty awful, but it all pales in comparison
to William "Captain Kirk" Shatner's embarrassingly twisted reading of
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." Spock... Bones... Friends don't let
ham actor friends make complete asses of themselves in public!
The real shock of volume four is the realization that the real singers
are as embarrassing as the actors. Bing Crosby's "Hey Jude" is pitiful!
This ain't Robert Stack I'm talkin' about here, this is Bing Freakin'
Crosby! He should have known better. The Brothers Four managed to suck
every ounce of passion from "Revolution," turning it into drek that would
have bored Mitch Miller. Tennessee Ernie Ford seemed to be doing an
impression of Abraham Lincoln "if the late great President were to attempt
'Let It Be' in the key of C." And then there's Jan & Dean, which I just
can't talk about because it breaks my heart!
Strangely enough, amidst all of this odd "music" there are a few tracks
that stand out as being... um... more odd than the others. Xavier
Hollander, better known as The Happy Hooker, practically fakes an orgasm
throughout "Michelle," the only problem being that you have to keep
pumping quarters in or the song stops every thirty seconds. If that
isn't enough, Claudine Longet's breathy "it's hard to sing with my ankles
behind my ears" approach to "Jealous Guy/Don't Let Me Down" proves that
shooting Spider Sabich wasn't her most heinous crime. Wait, this gets
weirder. How about "Got To Get You Into My Life" by a sweet li'l soprano
named Little Joe Peschi. No, I ain't %$&#ing kidding, the mother@#^$!#
was apparently a $#&$@!& singer when he was a *!@&*%$ yout. Not bad, but
Wayne Newton kinda had the market cornered.
All of this is weird, right? Right. But I saved the weirdest for last.
Theo Bikel... wonderful character actor, nice guy... singing "Piggies"
in a manner that, had it been the popular version, would have led Charles
Manson and the Family to kill Theo Bikel and leave everyone else the hell
alone. And I think, after you hear it, you'll agree that this would have
been okay.
What motivates us to listen to something like this? The same thing that
makes us watch Bloopers & Practical Jokes, I spose. The same thing that
makes us crane our necks to see the bloody crash victims as we drive by.
Morbid fascination and a capacity to laugh when we are in pain. Golden
Throats 4 is marvelously painful.
Track List:
In The Beginning/With A Little Help From My Friends (George Burns) * She's
Leaving Home (Joel Grey) * Spleen/Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (William
Shatner) * Something (Telly Savalas) * Day Tripper (Mae West) * Hey Jude
(Bing Crosby) * Michelle (Xavier Hollander) * Mission Impossible/Norwegian
Wood (Alan Copeland) * Let It Be (Tennessee Ernie Ford) * Got To Get You
Into My Life (Little Joe [Peschi]) * Revolution (Brothers Four) * She's A
Woman (Noel Harrison) * Jealous Guy/Don't Let Me Down (Claudine Longet) *
Piggies (Theo Bikel) * Norwegian Wood (Jan & Dean) * A Hard Day's Night
(George Maharis)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Knights of the Blues Table (Viceroy/Lightyear)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Tribute CDs seem to be everywhere these days. Some are good; some are not.
Knights of the Blues Table is one of the better, paying tribute to the
British blues movement of the early 60's. All of the musicians appearing on
the CD were asked to record either their favorite blues track, or a song that
influenced them personally. The CD is dedicated to one of the founders of
the British blues movement, Cyril Davies, and the musicians who followed in
his footsteps that are no longer with us.
The disc starts with a rare, previously unreleased track from Davies entitled
"KC Moan." Recorded at his home in 1954, this hidden track can only be heard
on newer CD players by scanning backwards beyond the first track (instructions
are on the CD). If your CD player can access this track, you'll also get to
hear a brief history of British blues by Pete Brown (who is probably best
known as the lyricist for Cream's "White Room")
Jack Bruce's rendition of Davies' "Send For Me" is the first 'real' cut on
the CD, and its cool, shuffling rhythm makes for an excellent lead track.
Georgie Fame's lounge take on "If You Live" almost sounds like a Ben Sidran
cut from the mid-80's. Chris Jagger gets help from his older brother, Mick,
on the acoustic "Racketeer Blues." Maggie Bell and Big Jim Sullivan turn in
a powerful, gut wrenching performance of "Blind Man" that shouldn't be
missed.
One of the best tracks is "Nine Below Zero," by Nine Below Zero, a new group
headed by Dennis Greaves (formerly of The Truth). Since they named the group
after the Sonny Boy Williamson tune, it was only appropriate that they do the
song. Although they're newcomers to the blues circuit, they play with real
authenticity. Last, but not least is the slow, burning take on "You Shook Me"
by ex-Rolling Stone guitarist, Mick Taylor, and ace keyboardist, Max Middleton.
Knights of the Blues Table is an excellent disc for blues-rock fans, as well
as those who are just discovering early 60's British blues. The liner notes
are informative, and include photos of the recording sessions that produced
the CD.
TRACK LIST:
KC Moan (Cyril Davies) / Oral History of British Blues (Pete Brown) * Send
For Me (Jack Bruce) * If You Live (Georgie Fame) * Go Down Sunshine (Duffy
Power) * Racketeer Blues (Chris Jagger & Atcha (featuring Mick Jagger)) *
Rocks in My Bed (Pete Brown / Phil Ryan) * Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
(Miller Anderson) * Blind Man (Maggie Bell / Big Jim Sullivan) * Travelling
Riverside Blues (Peter Green / Nigel Watson) * Drop Down Mama (TS McPhee) *
I've Got News for You (Clem Clempson) * Nine Below Zero (Nine Below Zero) *
Judgment Day (The Pretty Things) * Play On Little girl / T-Bone Shuffle
(Paul Jones / Otis Grand) * One More Mile (Mick Clarke / Lou Martin) * You
Shook Me (Mick Taylor / Max Middleton)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Kurtis Blow Presents The History Of Rap (Rhino)
Volume 1: The Genesis
Volume 2: The Birth Of The Rap Record
Volume 3: The Golden Age
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
From the Disc One opener, James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose,"
to the Biz Markie rap "Just A Friend" that closes Volume 3, Kurtis Blow
uses three discs to lead the listener down a thirty five track trail
through the history of rap.
Blow, whose own journey from NYC club DJ to influential artist to
seminal rap producer put him in direct touch with the development of the
form, is an excellent choice to put together this series, and he's done
the quality job his credentials would suggest. His personal notes on
the scene and the songs are almost worth the price of admission
themselves.
Volume 1, The Genesis, presents the obvious influences - J.B., the
Isleys and Booker T. - as well as less obvious choices from the likes
of The Jackson 5, Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band and Rhythm
Heritage. Altogether, it's a stunning and smoking set of funky dance
tracks that would be a welcome addition to any R&B collection, with or
without the rap relation.
Volume 2, The Birth Of The Rap Record, documents some of rap's pioneers,
including such seminal tracks as "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill
Gang, Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" and Blow's own breakthrough hit,
"The Breaks." These cuts, and the eight that join them on Disc 2, set
the foundation for a musical and social phenomenon that would soon break
out of the confines of the clubs and corners and become a dominating
force in popular music.
Volume 3, The Golden Age, is another set of a dozen tracks by the
artists that built a lasting edifice on that foundation. Run DMC,
Whodini, the Fat Boys, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie...the
names are hip hop legends, and deservedly so.
If rap's appeal is one of those things you never quite got a hold on,
these three discs will take you to school. If rap has already won its
place in your heart, and on your player, this is an essential collection
of some of the finest artists and cuts in its development. If you don't
own all these, you should. If you do, you should hear them put together
in a way that perhaps only Kurtis Blow could do.
If these are the only rap discs you'll ever own, these are the three you
need.
Track Lists:
Volume One: James Brown/Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose * The Isley Brothers/
Get Into Something * Booker T. & The M.G.'s/Melting Pot * Baby Huey/
Listen To Me * Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band/Scorpio * The
Jimmy Castor Bunch/It's Just Begun * Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo
Band/Apache * The Jackson 5/Hum Along And Dance * Black Heat/Love The
Life You Live * Rhythm Heritage/Theme From S.W.A.T. * Herman Kelly &
Life/Dance To The Drummer's Beat * Fatback/King Tim III (Personality
Jock)
Volume Two: Sugarhill Gang/Rapper's Delight * The Sequence/Funk You Up *
Funky Four Plus One More/Rappin And Rocking The House * Kurtis Blow/
Christmas Rappin' * Kurtis Blow/The Breaks * Spoonie Gee meets The
Sequence/Monster Jam * Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5/Jazzy Sensation *
The Treacherous Three/Feel The Heartbeat * Grandmaster Flash & The
Furious 5/The Message * "Love Bug" Starski/Starski Live At The Disco
Fever * Davy DMX/One For The Treble (Fresh)
Volume Three: Run DMC/Rock Box * Whodini/Friends * Whodini/Five Minutes
Of Funk * Fat Boys/Jail House Rap * The Kangol Kid, Dr. Ice & The
Educated Rapper/Roxanne, Roxanne - UTFO * M.C. Shan/The Bridge * Public
Enemy/Rebel Without A Pause * Boogie Down Productions/Criminal Minded *
Big Daddy Kane/Raw * Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock/It Takes Two * Biz Markie/
Vapors * Biz Markie/Just A Friend
VARIOUS ARTISTS: New Blues Hits (Bullseye Blues/Rounder)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Here's a great way to add some serious diversity to your blues collection
in one easy move. Stylistically, these 18 tracks run from gospel a cappella
("Life Is A Ballgame" by The Persuasions) through shuffle ("Trombone Party"
by Porky Cohen With Michelle Willson) to hot and fu-fu-funky ("No Use Talkin"
by Irma Thomas). All but three tracks are decidedly uptempo and upspirit,
making this one killer party disc, and a nice pickup for those who love the
blues but don't really want to feel too bad just now. Even among those three
slow tunes, there are no dark blue blankets to wrap up in and cry. Nope, this
is dancin' blues, partying blues, and laughing blues. And smokin' blues, by
and large. The most priceless gem is found at track 17. Blues legends Ruth
Brown and Johnny Adams sass and strut up a storm in "I Don't Know." If you're
a blues-newbie who has only heard The Blues Brothers' version of this
classic, this'll be revelatory. Whole damned disc is a blast.
Track List:
Life Is A Ballgame (Persuasions) * Can't See For Lookin' (Smokin' Joe
Kubek) * You Don't Drink What I Drink (Smokey Wilson) * Trombone Party
(Porky Cohen With Michelle Willson) * Hot Leftover #1 (Magic Dick & J. Geils &
Bluestime) * Running Out Of Time (Roomful Of Blues) * Promised Land (Holmes
Brothers) * No Use Talkin' (Irma Thomas) * The Talkin' Is Over, The Walkin'
Has Begun (Jumpin' Johnny Sansone) * Longwallin' (Pat Boyack & The Prowlers) *
Check Out Yourself (Tutu Jones) * Let Me Play With Your Poodle (Marcia Ball) *
Hot Leftover #3 (Magic Dick & J. Geils & Bluestime) * I Need Time (Andrew
"Jr. Boy" Jones) * One Foot In The Blues (Johnny Adams) * Soldier For The
Blues (Jimmy King) * I Don't Know (Ruth Brown and Johnny Adams) * Mean Case
Of The Blues (Eddie Clearwater)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Ruff Cut: Jah Works International (ROIR)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
"PUSH THE BASS!" the sticker on the front of the jewel box instructs.
Which is a fine idea, but check your levels first. The folks at the Jah
Works have provided a pretty deep bottom all by themselves.
Jah Works is a dub studio, but it's not tucked away into a corner of
Trenchtown. Rej Forte set up shop in the English countryside -
Berkshire to be exact - where he's been cranking out dub sides for
over a decade. "Ruff Cut" is a retrospective look at his work as an
artist and producer, from his 1982 debut playing with Pressure to new
riddims from G.T. Moore.
This is mainly players dub, using the talent of the musicians wherever
possible rather than depending on studio pyrotechnics. That's not to
denigrate the Jah Works production. The studio restraint is admirable
in an era when dub too often implies turning knobs and inserting samples
and too seldom calls on high level musician ship. You'll find great
playing on these cuts, produced with respect for the talent.
The mix is distinctive, though, and a definite Jah Works sound has been
developed. It's a sound that deserves to move far beyond the English
countryside and this compilation on ROIR is a well deserved giant step
into the wider world.
Track List: Hi-Tech Roots Dynamics & Martin Campbell/Jah Works Sound *
Hi-Tech Roots Dynamics & Martin Campbell/Jah Works Sound (sax version) *
G.T. Moore/Ganja Flower Dub * Jah Works Players/Turn To Jah * The
Outsider/Jerusalem * Roots Dynamics/Solomon's Temple * Martin Campbell/
Wicked Rule * Jah Works Players/Foundation Dub * G.T. Moore/Blind Man's
Dub * High Tech Roots Dynamics/Dubbing The Richman * Pressure/Dub To
Yourself * Roots Dynamics/Check Your Reality * Roots Dynamics & Martin
Campbell/Struggling For Freedom * The Outsider/Serengeti * The Dub
Crusaders/Rootsman Chant * Hi-Tech Roots Dynamics & Martin Campbell/Jah
Works Dub
VARIOUS ARTISTS: This Is Space (Cleopatra)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes
I've always had a great love for spacey music; little did I realize it's
officially a genre now!
So what the heck is Space Music, anyway? It seems just about any approach to
music that encourages a hypnotic trance qualifies as Space according to this
set. This is music to float away to. The unifying element is some sort of
drone, intended to sweep the listener away into alpha-wave land. The drone
can be made in many ways, from a single sustained note to a repetitive drum
groove. The trick in good space music is making the overall sound
interesting while keeping the drone prominent. The artists on This Is Space
are very good at this balancing act and you'll be amazed at how many
different ways Space Music can be created.
This compilation is a re-release of two earlier space rock compilations on
the Cleopatra label, Space Daze and Space 2000 which comprise 3 CD's. It
also comes with a bonus fourth CD which we'll tackle separately. Most of the
approaches across the three discs are not pure electronic but hybrids that
are much more interesting: electronic ambient, electronic band
instrumentals, electronics with vocals, electronics with drums and
samplings, electronics with a touch of sitar. Did I mention it's got some
Electronic Music? Everything seems to have synthesizers somewhere in the
mix. I tend to enjoy the instrumental pieces more; sometimes the pieces
using vocal samples can be annoying but there are not many of those.
One thing's for sure: this is not a techno-pop dance album, where most
synthesizers live these days. Sometimes This Is Space is a subtle wash that
has no discernible rhythm or melody, like Fripp & Eno's sublime minimalist
almost-sound-effects approach in "Wind on the Water." On cuts like "Spacelab"
the synthesizers cover all parts for a robotic feel, then there's "Sploosh,"
which has nice drum work, a synth bass and an exotic keyboard lead that's
quite catchy. Other times it's guitars, keyboards and drums driving away
with no small amount of frenzy, in a style that can only be called Space
Rock.
By coincidence only about ten days after first getting a listen to This Is
Space, I saw one of these groups, Sky Cries Mary, at the HORDE festival.
Even though their set was in the late afternoon, the crowd seemed to enjoy
the mesmerizing thrum they put out. I didn't recognize their contribution
to this album, "Rain," in the set though. Their lead singer was all decked
out with a mylar contraption behind her head that looked like it came out of
a Dr. Strange comic. It is Space after all... Fortunately that didn't stay
on the whole set and didn't distract from the performance. I've also seen
some nice work (both musically and graphically) from The Future Sound of
London on MTV recently.
The producers seem to think it helps to have been associated with legendary
group Hawkwind and its legacy, plus there's fellow Germans Amon Duul,
Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and one third of the Dream, Klaus Schultz,
represented here. There's also a few experimental English like David Bowie,
the aforementioned Robert Fripp and Brian Eno, plus Gong and a sans-Eno Roxy
Music cut. The whole thing tracks very well and stretches all the way back
to a Syd Barrett composition (do we need to identify him as Pink Floyd's
original guitarist?) from 1968, but I find it most interesting for introducing
several new Space artists that I hadn't encountered before. With many of them,
like The Future Sound of London, Ozric Tentacles, Spiral Realms and Delirium
I'm ready to hear more. And I thought my knowledge of Space Music was pretty
good.
This Is Space made me go back and re-listen to my vinyl copies of Amon
Duul's Wolf City, Fripp & Eno's Evening Star, Tangerine Dream's Phaedra, and
Kraftwerk's Man Machine. Along the way I began to wonder, where's
contributions by Jade Warrior, Nektar, Silver Apples, Dick Hyman, Roger
Powell, Synergy, Larajii, M. Frog Labat, Jean Michel Jarre and Patrick
Moraz? My list could go on; maybe those are too obscure historically. So
include old Genesis or Yes, some of Rundgren's spacey stuff perhaps? Where's
the Pink Floyd for chrissake? Surely they are the kings of Space. Is it too
obvious? Something from Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother, Echoes, More or
Obscured by Clouds would have fit nicely here. Space is vast, after all. Oh
well, they already have 3 CD's filled. In general, I must admit the choices
on This Is Space are quite good and the liner notes are very informative.
Then comes the "Bonus Ambient CD." A different kind of Space Music indeed,
this time from a bona fide space case, Steve Peregrine Took. Took at one
time was half of Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. That's as far as he got,
really. Bolan died in a car wreck in the late 70's; in 1980 Took managed to
choke on a cherry while in a drugged stupor. (One might say he "Took" his
own life. -- You can slap me now.) But some fans cared enough to tell his
story and master this body of work onto a CD. The liner notes tell of Steve
wrestling with drugs for several years after leaving T. Rex and making these
wonderful recordings around 1972.
Right. Actually he didn't wrestle at all, he loved his drugs and had a
reputation not only as a prodigious user but was nicknamed "The Phantom
Spiker." And the wonderful recordings? Well, maybe megadoses are required to
appreciate them. I find most cuts here are half-baked basement tapes. And
the ones that are not half-baked are half-fried basement tapes. The liner
notes are probably the best thing about this recording and contain more than
I ever wanted to know about Took. If they weren't so sympathetic they would
make a good anti-drug story. Only the most dedicated fans need apply. Nuff
said? Okay, let's pretend the fourth CD doesn't exist.
This Is Space weighs in as a damn nice primer on Space Music.
TRACK LIST:
Disc 1: Spacelab (Kraftwerk) * OV Light (Psychic TV and Thee Angels) * Adjust
Me (Hawkwind) * Blue Room (The Orb) * The Point Of No Return (Helios Creed) *
Evolution (live) (Legendary Pink Dots) * To The Other Side Of The Sky (Gong) *
Dark Matter (Delirium) * Sploosh (Ozric Tentacles) * Mrs. Fiend Goes To Outer
Space (Alien Sex Fiend) * Elements (Spiral Realms)
Disc 2: Here Come The Warm Jets (Brian Eno) * Silver Bird/Mastadon
(Pressurehead) * Lanky (Syd Barrett) * Nasa Arab (Coil) * Wie Der Wind Am
Ende Einer Strasse (Amon Duul) * Slo Blo/God Rock (Nik Turner) * 2000
Flushes (DIN) * Movements Of A Visionary (Tangerine Dream) * Rain [19.5
Remix] (Sky Cries Mary) * Eternity (Clock DVA)
Disc 3: Spineless Jelly (Future Sound Of London) * Wind Of Change (Hawkwind) *
Out Of The Blue (Roxy Music) * Anubian Light Destiny (Anubian Lights) *
Wahnfried 183 (Klaus Schulze) * All Saints (David Bowie) * Venusian Skyline
(Melting Euphoria) * The Last Lagoon (William Orbit) * A Trup To G9 (Spiral
Realms) * Space Does Not Care (Zero Gravity) * Antenna (Kraftwerk) * #9
(Aphex Twins) * Wind On The Water (Fripp & Eno) * Oblivium (Dilate)
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN & DOUBLE TROUBLE: Live at Carnegie Hall (Epic)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
On October 4, 1984 (the day after his 30th birthday), Stevie Ray Vaughan
played a show at world famous Carnegie Hall. This gig was a bit different
than usual, though. For the first time in the band's history, Stevie Ray and
Double Trouble (Chris Layton on drums, and Tommy Shannon on bass) expanded
the band's regular trio format in the second half of the show. Older brother
Jimmie Vaughan joined them onstage, along with Dr. John on keyboards, and
the five-piece Roomful of Blues horn section.
SRV chose a number of cover songs to be performed during the show, reflecting
his own musical influences. After being introduced by John Hammond (the man
who signed SRV to the Epic label), the band rips into "Scuttle Buttin'" and
an extended version of "Testifyin'." The horn section joins them for the
first of two Guitar Slim covers, "Letter to My Girlfriend," and stays onstage
until the encores. "Dirty Pool" showcases Stevie at his fiery best. One of the
highlights of the CD is hearing the interplay between Stevie and the horns on
"Pride and Joy." It's great to hear how easily he adapted the song to the
new arrangement.
On "The Things That I Used to Do," the audience is treated to one of the
few public appearances of the Vaughan brothers. The guitar work on this
track is awe-inspiring. As with any SRV show, one of the highlights here is
"Lenny," a beautiful instrumental from his debut album. Written for his wife,
he introduces it as "a song I've always wanted to play in a place like this."
The CD wraps up with a shorter than usual, solo version of "Rude Mood."
This CD is a worthy addition to any SRV collection. There are enough of the
hits to please the newcomers, and the variety in the set will please the
diehard fans too.
VOODOO CHILD/MOBY: The End Of Everything (Elektra)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Voodoo Child is just one of the various pseudonyms that The Artist
Currently Known As Moby has recorded under over the last few years.
Both names are used on the cover to "The End Of Everything," though the
writing and production credits belong to Moby alone.
There's also a new Moby disc out there, "Animal Rights," which finds
him working more in the rock idiom, but as Voodoo Child, he's produced a
set of meditational electronica with an oceanic feel. There's a mellow
groove here, but there's definitely a groove. The cover photo features
a tropical beach scene which appears quietly idyllic until you notice
that the palm fronds are being blown back by strong approaching winds.
So it is with the music - seemingly passive but with an insistent beat
and the occasional swell of sound that tells you there could be a storm
just outside your range of hearing.
This is not a pop record. It's something for people who like this kind
of thing. Of course, there's no way to know if you like this kind of
thing until you *listen* to this kind of thing. I suspect if more
people hear it, a lot of them will be surprised to find that they really
like it. I heartily encourage you to take the plunge and find out for
yourself...
Track List: Patient Love * Great Lake * Gentle Love * Honest Love * Slow
Motion Suicide * Dog Heaven * Reject
MUDDY WATERS: His Best - 1947 to 1956 (MCA/Chess)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
When it comes to the blues, one name that comes to mind before all others -
Muddy Waters. The fact that more artists have covered these songs than there
are tracks on this CD is an indication of his vast musical influence. Waters
started recording for the Aristocrat label (which later became Chess) in 1947,
accompanying blues pianist, Sunnyland Slim. In April of 1948, Waters recorded
the classics "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "I Feel Like Going Home" and he was
on his way.
By 1953, Waters could do no wrong. He had already waxed classics like "Rollin'
Stone," the two-part "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "She Moves Me," "Standing Around
Crying," and "Baby, Please Don't Go." At this point, there was no stopping
him. His band became known as 'The Headhunters,' due to their reputation of
blowing bands off the stage with their superior musicianship. Still, his
biggest success was yet to come.
In 1954, legendary bluesman Willie Dixon supplied Waters with the three
biggest hits of his career up to that point--"I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man,"
I Just Want to Make Love to You," and "I'm Ready." Muddy scored another major
hit in 1955 with his cover of Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man" (retitled "Mannish
Boy"). Waters' success continued over the next few years, although a bit more
sporadic. The second MCA / Chess collection, His Best: 1956 - 1964 (reviewed
last month in Cosmik), covers most of the highlights from that era.
For those who are just discovering Muddy Waters--start with the first disc,
then pick up the second one. If you're already a fan, the improved sound
quality and informative liner notes make each CD a worthy addition to your
collection. Together, these CDs are an excellent retrospective of a true
American treasure.
TRACK LIST:
I Can't Be Satisfied * I Feel Like Going Home * Train Fare Blues * Rollin'
and Tumblin', Part One * Rollin' Stone * Louisiana Blues * Long Distance
Call * Honey Bee * She Moves Me * Still a Fool * Standing Around Crying
* Baby, Please Don't Go * I Want You to Love Me * I'm Your Hoochie Coochie
Man * I Just Want to Make Love to You * I'm Ready * Young Fashioned Ways *
Mannish Boy * Sugar Sweet * Trouble No More
WEEZER: Pinkerton (DGC)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
For their self titled debut album Weezer used the production talents of
Ric Ocasek. On their sophomore effort, "Pinkerton," they passed on
outside help and handled production tasks themselves. The change is
clearly discernible.
While pop melodies as bright and catchy as "Buddy Holly" are to be found
throughout "Pinkerton," they're overlaid with a denser mix and underlie
a set of more personal, often darker, songs by Rivers Cuomo, who has
said that the album was an exorcism of his "inner Pinkerton."
I hope he got it all out.
Actually, the album is fine, but with a little guidance from the booth
it might have been great. Cuomo is one of the best melodists in the biz
and has an engaging voice. The rest of the band (Matt Sharp, bass;
Brian Bell, guitar; Patrick Wilson, drums) are talented players and
Sharp and Bell contribute enjoyable if not always harmonic backing
vocals. All the ingredients are in place for a terrific pop band.
Unfortunately, in this case, some of those great melodies are lost in
the mix. A little more jangle and a little less roar might help, guys.
There are bright spots and the folks that made "Weezer" a double
platinum selling MTV favorite will no doubt snag enough of this one to
justify a third album. If you're not in the hard core fan base, that
third album might be the one you want.
Track List: Tired Of Sex * Getchoo * No Other One * Why Bother? * Across
The Sea * The Good Life * El Scorcho * Pink Triangle * Falling For You *
Butterfly
DWIGHT YOAKAM: Under The Covers (Reprise)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Anyone who has ever played in a cover band knows that creative
interpretation of people's favorite songs is a path fraught with danger.
"You did it wrong!" is the typical response to any variation from the
original arrangement. Dwight Yoakam risks doing it wrong twelve times
on this disc and in the end gets it mostly right.
He picks a pretty safe opener. Roy Orbison's "Claudette" isn't the most
familiar Orbison tune and it's easily enough Yoakamized in a fashion
that doesn't stray too far from its rockabilly origins. It doesn't take
long for Dwight to stray of the safe track, though. The Clash's "Train
In Vain" becomes a honky tonk shuffle and it's the first of several
successful surprises on the disc.
Which is not to say that everything Yoakam tries here works as well as
he no doubt hoped. A swing band arrangement of the Kinks' "Tired of
Waiting"... well, let's just say I could have waited a little longer.
Yoakam shows some facility as a swing crooner, but this isn't a song
that's meant to be swung, or crooned for that matter.
Two of the toughest tests come when Yoakam takes on the twin icons of
the 60s British Invasion. His uptempo, nearly bluegrass, take on the
Rolling Stones "The Last Time" is one of the strongest cuts on the
album, and the Lennon/McCartney cover, "Things We Said Today," should
pass muster with all but the purest of the purist crowd.
"North To Alaska" hardly departs from the original Johnny Horton
interpretation outside of the application of Yoakam's distinctive vocal
style and a bit of extra twang in the guitar. The disc is rounded out
with the bonus inclusion (uncredited on the outside of the package) of a
notable version of Jimmie Rodgers "T for Texas" which was previously
only available on a tribute compilation.
If you're a Dwight Yoakam fan, you'll like this one just fine. If you
buy it because of affection for the songs, well, some will make you
happier than others. I'm glad he made this music, and I'm glad I heard
it. I'm also glad that cd changers are programmable...
Track List: Claudette * Train In Vain * Tired Of Waiting For You * Good
Time Charlie's Got The Blues * Baby Don't Go (with Sheryl Crow) *
Playboy * Wichita Lineman * Here Comes The Night * The Last Time *
Things We Said Today * North To Alaska
____________________________________________________________________________
CLASSIC EXAMPLE
By Robert Cummings
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) led one of the most colorful musical careers
among classical musicians of this or any century. His father was a
well-to-do agriculturist, his mother an amateur pianist of considerable
ability, who was young Sergei's first teacher. By the time Prokofiev was
five he was composing piano pieces; at nine he wrote an opera. He would go
on to become one of the most prolific and artistically successful composers
of this century: he wrote more compositions that have entered the standard
repertory than any of his rivals, including Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Bartok
and Ravel. He was also a virtuoso pianist of the highest rank and an expert
chess player, who most probably could have contended for world championship
status with Capablanca and Alekhine, had he devoted more time to the game.
Such success and genius, as you might surmise, often produce a sizable ego,
and Prokofiev, while not overshadowing Brahms, Wagner, Beethoven and many
others in this dubious trait, often did manage to demonstrate fits of
incredible gall. One notable instance occurred during a concert in which the
composer was the soloist in his own titanically difficult Second Piano
Concerto (1913, rev. 1923), a rather revolutionary work much despised at
first by both critics and public alike, owing to its abundant dissonance.
Throughout the performance the audience hissed Prokofiev, and many took
early departure. At the work's end the composer stood up and bowed to a
chorus of boos and hisses, and perhaps dodged a tomato or two. To the
audience's utter dismay, he then sat back down at the piano and defiantly
played a most unwelcome encore!
Such nose-thumbing brashness was a prominent characteristic in the music of
Prokofiev, especially in the earlier compositions, as evidenced in the
concerto cited above, or in the darkly humorous ballet, Chout (1920), or in
the caustic Sarcasms for piano (1912-14). In the latter part of his career,
Prokofiev focused more on the lyrical side of his compositional talent,
creating works of soaring beauty, like the ballets Romeo and Juliet
(1935-36) and Cinderella (1940-44), the opera War and Peace (1941-52), and
the film scores Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Ivan the Terrible (1942-44). In
these works, one notices less the sardonic Prokofiev, and more the melodic
and nationalistic Prokofiev--a mature composer who could fill the
musical/historical canvas with vivid colors and riveting scenes. But even in
many early works, like the Classical Symphony (1916-17) and the Third Piano
Concerto (1921), attractive melodies and sophisticated orchestration abound.
And his set of nine piano sonatas, which spans nearly his entire career, is
widely regarded as the most important series since those of Beethoven and
Schubert. Nos. 3 (1917), 6 (1939), 7 (1939-42), and 8 (1939-44) are probably
the most commonly performed sonatas of this century and surely rank with the
best from any time.
But, you ask, beyond sarcasm, humor and beautiful melodies, how could one
more specifically describe the music of Prokofiev? Good question, but the
answer is more problematic than you might expect, since his style embraced
so many elements while still sounding from the same pen. The Classical
Symphony, mentioned above, is written as if Prokofiev had come from the time
of Haydn (1700's) into the twentieth century, carrying traits from that era
with him, while absorbing some modern elements. The orchestration is mostly
Haydnesque, but the music is peculiarly Prokofievian. His next symphony, No.
2 (1924), is so totally different that you could imagine Prokofiev had
developed the opposite scheme for its foundation: the composer coming back
from the bold future to write a prescient work to shock and astonish the
masses. His extraordinary opera The Fiery Angel (1919-27), which deals with
mysticism, devil possession and twisted love, makes films like The Exorcist
seem tame by comparison. Yet his Peter and The Wolf (1936) is cute and
charming, a much-admired classic for children. And so it goes. The Cantata
for The Twentieth Anniversary of The October Revolution (1936-37),
ostensibly a paean to the Soviet-Marxist state, is in actuality a veiled
satire on the Bolshevik revolution and its Communist leaders.
On and on the seeming contradictions go, but still we find those distinctive
musical fingerprints in his works: a predilection for the diatonic (white
keys), as opposed to the chromatic (black keys); a love for the key of C; a
tendency for large leaps in his melodies; a frantic, motoric quality in much
of his fast music; an uncanny ability to make reeds sound mischievous and
brass sound brazen; an inimitable talent to mesmerize with strings that
swirl and turn gossamer; an ability to draw attention to the music via some
clever effect or momentary flourish; and a chameleonic gift to create great
music in virtually every genre imaginable (film scores, sonatas and
concertos for piano and many other instruments, symphonies, choruses, songs,
band music, string quartets, children's music, operas, ballets, incidental
orchestral scores, and various chamber works). Prokofiev was an
indefatigable one-of-a-kind.
But what better way to demonstrate his style and music than to cite a few
clips from his scores. Try the graceful Gavotte from his Classical Symphony.
Or how about an excerpt from the ever-popular Third Concerto: this is from
the second movement and features a thrilling buildup to the fifth variation.
While we're on the subject of the thrilling, let's try an extract from The
Fiery Angel, a snippet from the last act where Renata, the opera's main
character, appears to have brought evil spirits to the nuns in the convent
she has joined, evil spirits a determined exorcist attempts to drive off
(employing the actual words from a Roman Catholic exorcism). To sample
Prokofiev's more melodic, more mellow side, try the love theme from the
Romeo and Juliet ballet, or the glorious closing to the massive opera War
and Peace. Prokofiev wrote a fair amount of chamber music; so let's try a
small dose. Here's a clip from the 1919 Overture on Hebrew Themes. Despite
the flavor here, Prokofiev was not Jewish. (I told you he was a chameleon!)
I could go on and on demonstrating the multi-faceted musical persona of this
composer, but I'll limit myself to one more clip: this is the famous Troika
from his 1933 Lieutenant Kije Suite. Sound familiar?
Well, there you have Prokofiev. I must confess I've been enamored of his
music for forty years, and if a desert island is in my future, joining me
would be food, water, Prokofiev, and other things, in that order. Next
month, the music of the irascible genius, Ludwig van Beethoven.
Factoids: Sergei Prokofiev - Sair-gay Pro-ko-fee-eff; (also,
Pruh-coffee-eff). Born, April 23, 1891 in Sontsovka, Ukraine; Died, Moscow,
March 5, 1953 (on the same day as Josef Stalin!) At Prokofiev's funeral,
colleagues violinist David Oistrakh and pianist Sviatoslav Richter wanted to
play something sad from among his many works, but could find nothing
suitable!
Clip Information: (Sound clips can be found at http://www.cosmik.com)
Gavotte from Classical Symphony (Kuchar/Naxos) Track 5
Piano Concerto No. 3 (Janis/Mercury) Track 2
The Fiery Angel (Jarvi/DG) (Act V) CD 2; Track 22
Romeo and Juliet (Ozawa/DG) CD 1; Track 21
War and Peace (Rostropovich/Erato) CD 4; Track 26
Overture on Hebrew Themes (Berlin Soloists/Teldec) Track 1
Lieutenant Kije Suite (Jarvi/Chandos) Track 3
____________________________________________________________________________
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE
By Steven Leith
WHEN ENCRYPTION IS OUTLAWED ONLY OUTLAWS WILL HAVE ENCRYPTION.
"Theyll have to pry my encryption software from my cold dead fingers." That
is what Americans should be yelling at congress. Instead their attention is
riveted on airplane crashes and fund raising calls made from the White
House.
While the media is busy with non-issues like scum-bag photo journalists, yet
another under-reported technology issue is about to change our lives. If
you think encryption technology is just for nerds, child pornographers and
terrorists, congratulations, you have been successfully brainwashed by the
Shadow Government.
You know the Shadow Government. They are the ones who brought you the
Iran Contra scandal, Coke for Guns in LA, various bloody dictatorships
around the world and the all time favorite, Vietnam war. The NSA, FBI,
CIA, G2 are your friends and if they think encryption is bad for the
country it must be so.
Giving these shadow agencies unparalleled access to your communication
doesnt mean they will really use it. After all, if you are not a
terrorist or a child-pornographer, why do you need to hide your
communications from the government?
Besides, they assure us that even though they will no longer need a
court order to read e-mail, no one else will be able to read it because
they will safeguard the encryption back door. There will never be
another Harold Nicholson in any agency tempted to sell the encryption
key to the highest bidder (Chinese?, Bill Gates?). Just because there
have been several high profile cases in recent years of moles going for
the big bucks, that is no reason to think it will ever happen again.
Funny that agencies whose very life is based on the fact that the best
defense against a determined assault is complete and utter secrecy
should now say that limited and crippled encryption will not fall easy
prey to information hungry enemies. It would be funny if it were not
for the fact that their only real enemy is the average U.S. citizen.
U.S. citizenry, besides being unmatched in their consumption of the
worlds resources, are also unmatched in their power to affect the Shadow
Government. It is people like you and I who threaten to divert funding from
Black-Ops to blackboards. We must be stopped.
Perhaps you are willing to give up some personal freedom to ensure that the
evil are punished. Are you also willing to give up your job? That is the
down side to the Shadow Governments plans. A world safe for them is not
safe for high-tech commerce.
Do you think Intel should not have the right to send production secrets
electronically from one fabrication plan to another? Do you think criminal
hackers will not crack crippled encryption systems used for funds transfers?
Do you think there should only be one group in the entire world who are
allowed to have secrets?
Luckily there are still sane
U.S. representatives. On September 24, the
House Commerce committee rejected the Shadow Governments new controls on
the use of encryption. They rejected the Intelligence Communities wish list
because of an overwhelming citizen outcry. Involved citizens are the Shadow
Governments worst nightmare.
Please take note! This was but one battle in the continuing war between the
citizens and the spooks. They will try again. The price of privacy is
eternal vigilance. Get involved and keep your eyes open.
LINKS
http://www.crypto.com/
Encryption Policy Resource Page
http://www.epic.org/
Electronic Privacy Information Center. Bookmark this for sure.
http://bs.mit.edu:8001/~jis/pgp.html
Be a dangerous subversive, download your PGP encryption software today.
http://www.fc.net/phrack/
Be a real dangerous subversive, read this zine.
http://www.disinfo.com/
A cool place to find stuff.
__________________________________________________________________________
PHIL'S GARAGE
By Phil Dirt
BEASTRO
Sally was on her way to meet her friend Alfredo. She had been on vacation
with her family in Rio del Minudo. They went there every year. She was now
of the age where she really wanted to be with friends instead of with her
mom and dad, but not yet old enough to have a say in it. Next year would be
different - she would be 30, and mom had said she could decide things like
this for herself then. Tonight, she cooked up an excuse to leave the house
to meet Alfredo.
She turned into the parking lot and paused, searching for an open parking
space. It wasn't difficult to find a spot. The lot was nearly empty. She
spied a slot down to the right that looked just right. She drove down there,
and eased her brand new red convertible Saturn Spatula in with no problem at
all, much to her relief.
She was very proud of her new car. It was here very first, and she had saved
for many years for the down payment. She had even paid the extra money at
the DMV for a personalized license plate. In school, her nickname had been
"Salad Oil," which now proudly shouted out from the rear of her car. Besides,
she had only been driving for a few days, and was still apprehensive about
the finer points of driving, like backing up and not hitting things.
She put her car in park, got out, and locked it up. She triple checked the
lock to be sure it was secured, and then proceeded to the entrance of diner
that she had agreed to meet Alfredo at. It was just past dusk, and the neon
sign over the door seamed to light up the evening sky with the eatery's name,
The Beastro. She though it was cute that they misspelled the name that way.
She would soon learn it was not an error.
As she entered, she looked around for Alfredo. In a few seconds, she spotted
him towards the kitchen, half buried behind a menu. She meandered over, and
silently slid into the luscious vinyl upholstery of the booth. As she slid
across the seat, it let out a bit of a motorboat sound that yielded to
squeaks as she settled in.
Without even looking up, Alfredo mumbled " I didn't think you were going to
make it." Sally replied "I had to tell my mom I was going to the library.
She gave me a list of books to pick up for her. I had to stop there first so
that she wouldn't figure out that it was a bogus excuse just to get out of
the house. What a pain." Alfredo responded "You don't have to worry. I don't
think she cares anymore."
Noting Sally's arrival, Grace Servant picked up another menu and walked to
the table. I see your party has arrived, Mr. Sauce. Here's a menu. Can I
get you something to drink while you decide what to order?
Sally said "No thanks," took the menu, and began to peruse the listings.
She couldn't find her usual favorite chef's salad on rye. Frustrated, she
started to read more carefully.
After about five minutes, Sally realized that something was different about
the menu. She was just about to mention it to Alfredo, when it dawned on her
what was different. The menu was black with orange trim, and bleeding crypt
style red letters. This was odd.
Again, she was about to speak to Alfredo about it, when she remembered the
date. It was October 31, and that probably meant it was a Halloween special
menu. Relieved, she went about deciding on a meal.
The menu looked cuter and cuter, and more thematic as she browsed.
BEASTRO - A FEAST FOR THE BEAST IN YOU
BONE APPETITE
Goat's Eye Dip
Stuffed Snozola
Finger Food Platter
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: TODAY'S SPECIAL
Rump Roast
Wart Hog Roast
Athletes Foot
SAND WITCHES
Nostril Dommis Pate
Knuckle
VEGETATIVE STATE
Hemlock Quiche
Artie's Choke
Prosthesis Rotissus
My Grain
ON TRAYS
Tender Loin
Herniated Membrane
Aorta con Tessa
EXTREMITY ROTISSERIE
Arm Char-broil
Leg of Former Customer
Finger Kabob
CALDRON DELIGHTS
Mar Soupial
Herniated Membrane
Hen's Teeth Broth
Pond Scum
Honey Bucket Stew
Cell Hairy Soup
TANTILLA DE ZERT
Ooze Pie
Lady Fingers
Necropolitan I Scream
Bumped Kin Pie
Rotting Festering Gob Bowl
LUBRICATION (SERVED IN A FROSTED FRANKEN STEIN)
Deteriorata Fermenta
House Whine
Colonic Tonic
Sally was having a difficult time deciding what to order. Grace came by
several times before taking their order.
Sally finally decided on Aorta con Tessa, with white whine sauce, instead of
the traditional red sauce, and selected boiled mountain oysters, instead of
the baked tumor. She decided on a glass of Deteriorata Fermenta.
Alfredo just remarked that he would have his "usual," to which Grace replied
"What else!"
It was dimly lit at the Beastro, not for any artistic concerns about the
atmosphere, but because of the substantial number of burned out and
flickering fluorescent lamps.
As Sally sat quietly, waiting to see what her dinner would REALLY be, her
eyes began to drift about the room. It slowly dawned on her that there were
no other customers at the Beastro. She thought to herself "This must be a
slow night."
She sipped slowly on her glass of Deteriorata Fermenta, not because it
was the way Emily Post would have her act, but because she just couldn't
quite place the taste. It was not a routine wine, but more of an alcoholic
beverage with a musty taste - not bad, just not very good.
She glanced over at Grace, who was standing at the counter stuffing new
soda straws into the dispensing jar. She had not noticed Grace with any
detail before, since being preoccupied with her menu whenever Grace was
at the table. In the poor light, she thought it looked like Grace was
sort of hunched over. She noticed that Grace kept looking at her, then
quickly looking away when their eyes met. "Nervous woman" she thought.
Just beyond Grace, through the opening between the counter and the kitchen,
she kept seeing a rapidly moving figure, racing past the aperture. Even in
the harsh incandescent light of the galley, she really couldn't make out
what the cook looked like, only that it appeared to be a man, very tall, and
sort of lumpy.
As she glanced back to her immediate surrounds and looked at Alfredo, she
realized that she had not actually seen him since arriving. He looked some
how not quite the same. He was in a shadow, directly under a burned out
light, but he looked - unkempt, maybe unshaven, sort of mysterious.
She was just about to ask Alfredo how he was, when Grace came over with a
tray that supported their meals. Grace placed Sally's dinner before her,
naming it "Aorta con Tessa with Mountain Oysters." The aroma emanating from
the platter was warm and strong, a bit pungent and sweet. Grace said "and
your usual..." as she placed a covered dingy platter before Alfredo. He just
nodded. Sally was pondering the unusual appearance of her dinner. She looked
up towards Alfredo, who was just uncovering his "usual." She was curious
just what it would be.
The main course inside seemed almost as high as the domed cover that had
hidden it from view. "It's so damn dark," she thought as she strained to see
what was on his plate. Just as she was poised to ask what it was, an old
pickup truck drove into the parking lot, making an awful worn-out racket.
Distracted, she looked out the window. Just as she looked back at Alfredo's
dinner, the driver of the pickup turned off his lights. In the rapidly
fading light, she thought there she saw a face on his plate. She was
startled for a second, but then her rational mind told her it was just an
illusion.
She decided not to make a big deal about what Alfredo was eating, and to
concentrate instead on her own plate. After all, it was shaped just like an
aorta. "These people here at the Beastro sure are creative" she thought.
Grace came over to ask how everything was, a necessary inquiry taught in
waitressing school, to be employed only when customer mouths are full, so no
actual complaints can be voiced. Sally mumbled "OK" muffled through her
half-chewed and hearty portion. She tried to get a good look at Grace, but
could see little due to the dim light. She couldn't see Grace's eyes, almost
as if she had none. She did notice certain scars on her face, but Grace
turned so quickly, she wasn't really sure.
Sally was munching on her meal, when a lightning flash lit up the whole
place, and for that electric instant, she saw a familiar face on Alfredo's
plate. It scared the Hell out of her. She shared her childlike fear with
Alfredo, saying "I know this will sound really stupid, and I know it's
Halloween and all, but I could swear I saw my mother's face on your plate."
Alfredo said, in his most reassuring voice "I told you not to worry."
____________________________________________________________________________
FREE ASSOCIATIONS...
By Shaun Dale, Associate Editor (for free)
My association with Cosmik Debris started when Deej offered me the
chance to spew some reflections on the '96 U.S. Presidential campaign.
That was pretty appealing because I've been a professional hack for a
number of years, helping candidates for everything from small town city
councils to the U.S. Senate. I've even had a piece of a couple Presidential
campaigns - small pieces, sure, for candidates who didn't stand a chance
(though you gotta admit, Jerry Brown was right about Bubba all along...),
but it's a living.
Anyway, when you're working on campaigns, you learn to sublimate your
opinions and do what you can to make your clients look good, so the
chance to write my own opinions in my own voice for the on-line audience was
a treat.
As the campaign wrapped up, and my Political Playbook series neared its end,
Deej slyly slipped me a couple CDs for review. "They're free, man," he
said, "and it feels real good..." Well, he successfully preyed on my
addictive personality and now I've got a 25 or so a month CD review jones.
Not to mention interviews, features and other music stuff that I've been
doing for the past year and whatever.
Which means it's been a long time since I've blessed you with political
insights, or any non-musical cultural commentary at all. Hence "Free
Associations," named for my slot as Associate Editor of Cosmik, which means
I'm pretty much free to do anything I'll do for free.
So watch this space. D.J. notices stuff. Stuff that gets him pissed
off enough to rant in his column. Me, I've just got this discursive
intellect that might jump from conspiracy theory to music to electoral
politics to B movies to...well to whatever comes to mind. And this is
where I'll tell you what it is. Or what is it. Or whatever.
For instance...
If you're among those who feel that Diana Spencer's death got too much
favorable attention compared to Mother Teresa's, consider this: Diana
could have lived a far more comfortable and private life in the jet set
cocoon she rejected in favor of a public life devoted to the advocacy of
causes like AIDS and the international landmine ban. Mother Teresa raked in
millions from friends and patrons like the Duvalier tyranny in Haiti and
used it in a lifelong campaign against gays, family planning and any hint of
social progress that might have alleviated the suffering in India that she
believed offered a level of nobility to its victims. Check out Christopher
Hitchens' authoritative research on the views and activities of Teresa.
Me, I have no more use for the British royal family than I do for the
Roman Catholic hierarchy, but judged as mere humans (and we're all,
after all, mere humans), Diana wins that one hands down.
******
On the musical front, I want to take a minute and plug the latest side
project by Down By Law frontman Dave Smalley. He's produced an album by a
British band named Travis Cut which he's shopping around to US labels
(European distribution is handled). If you, or someone you know, is in a
position to place a great album in the hands of a label with good
distribution, Dave's got a winner waiting for you.
******
If you're 18 and in the US, you can vote. If you can vote, you should. But
you probably didn't. Not this year. Nothing very sexy on the ballot, after
all. No Prez, no congresscritters, probably not even a state legislooter.
Nope, just a bunch of city councilmembers, school board types, maybe a sewer
commissioner or two. Might as well stay home, right? Wrong. Fact is, your
voice in these smaller "off-year" contests is stronger because of the
generally depressed turn out. And those local officials probably have a
greater impact on your life than you realize. Taxes, the level and nature
of local law enforcement, the number of potholes on your block, the
frequency of your trash pick-ups, the odds of your dog getting snagged by a
man with a net - that's all more likely to effect your day tomorrow than who
Al Gore has tapped for a $50k contribution or who the next ambassador to Mexico
will be. Really. You probably missed the primary in your town (here in
Seattle the turn out was under 25%). No excuse for blowing off the general
election. I'll see ya at the polls.
******
Anyway, time for me to dive back into the stacks o' wax on my desk and
make some recommendations for your next trip to Sam Goody's, but I'll be
back next month with more random observations and free associations. Til
then...
____________________________________________________________________________
WALLEY AT WITZEND
By David Walley
TALK TO ME
Once upon a time there was a woman who was married to a hard-working
dependable guy who, she insisted, never talked to her. Oh, he was
attentive enough, well-spoken, and good in bed which, after a decade
of marriage and a few kids, was saying something. Rarely if ever did
he have "night out with the boys", or make her a football widow during
playoff season. He was also a world-class putterer and do-it-yourself-er
who maintained their cars, things men were always good at.
At first when they just had each other, life was orderly, he worked
downtown, she freelanced out of the house as a design consultant, and
they talked about everything all of the time. Like most other couples,
they slept in on weekends (or when he called in sick to work), went to
the movies and dinner, and vacationed. Their first child, a girl,
significantly altered this cozy relationship, hers more than his. When
he was around, he was curious, helpful and even did the night shift
when asked. Before she crashed for the night, she'd fill him in on The
Latest Developments. Tradition was observed when it came to diapers:
ie. she did them since she was at home --- it was her girl, she knew
more about them than he did. It's not that he didn't try, it's just
that he made such a borscht and a shambles out of it that she was
forced to step in when she couldn't stand watching him fumble any
longer. Assuming that it was through genetic ineptitude, not unfamiliarity,
she stopped asking him altogether while secretly resenting him, wondering
why things were like that.
As her girl grew into a toddler, the woman's energy level, along with her
attention span, declined from the sheer exhaustion of keeping baby out of
mischief, her major activity since the business was on hold until she came
out the other side of Babyland. Their evenings together gradually grew
strained, being less of an inter-connected conversation and more like a
series of reports. In time, he stopped asking how her day was because he'd
know just by looking at her, and rather than have her re-live it in
excruciating detail, he sought to divert her with office gossip just to make
her laugh. Of course she was bushed and stressed out by the end of the day,
he'd be too if he was in her place.
For her part, since he didn't ask, she assumed that he no longer seemed as
interested in her or her world; and who else could she bitch to? Thinking
better of it, not wanting to bring him down when he seemed so up and
positive, she let him prattle on while she silently fumed inside. How could
he be bored with their child? Was he losing interest in their lives
together? Why didn't he say anything?
And because she didn't say anything to the contrary, he assumed everything
was UNDER CONTROL. He would have cooked dinner since he knew how, but she
preferred to do that herself as a matter of honor. Of course he'd wait,
there were other more important priorities in her life now. Still he did his
chores, maintained the cars and the house while she was nagged by the
feeling that he didn't care. Maybe he intuit it, eventually catch on and get
with the program, such as it had become, she'd dream.
Their second child, a boy, was less of a shock to her system because now
she had a good one in place. Her husband seemed to take more of an interest
and was marginally better with diapers too. When they were perchance alone
at night, she no longer thought of sharing details of the children with him,
and of course he didn't ask thinking that if there was anything out of the
extraordinary, she'd tell him. Finally when both children were in pre-K and
she had more time to herself to think about working again, she brooded,
meditating on his apparent ineptitude and indifference.
Introspectively overloaded and over the top in more ways than one, instead
of telling her husband any of this, she confided to her therapist at $40
dollars an hour. She was now well into the process of poisoning her sex
life, having convinced herself that his "oblivious" nature extended from his
children to her, though none of this had actually been confirmed. In
subsequent sessions she revealed elaborate fantasy scenarios of her husband
collapsing under the strain of the obligations, and how the children would
live in squalor and discord without her around. Afterwards at home, she'd
maintain a stiff upper lip when he asked why she seemed too stressed of late,
though behind her cool fascade she was actively speculating on who of her
friends her husband was checking out when she was put out to pasture.
The marriage would have gone south had not fortune intervened in the guise
of an emergency in her family which required her presence, alone, for a
weekend. After exhausting the possibilities of alternate care including
Rent-A-Nanny, Housekeepers-'r-Us, relatives or the like, she reluctantly
prepped her husband with a ten page single-spaced ukase including relevant
phone numbers and medical information. With a heavy heart she boarded her
plane for her mother's, and while buckling in thought it would be a modern
miracle if she returned home and they weren't all dead. Oh the house would
be standing and the cars would be runing, but everything inside would be a
wipe, and I'll bet that Clarisse (her nemesis, the likely Candidate, Mrs.
Perfect) will have put in an appearance by then, and that's IT for me. Her
mood nose-dived further when her departure was delayed for two hours because
of icing on the wings and she arrived at her mother's just after a freak
electrical storm had wiped out the phones.
When she finally got through it was The Witching Hour when the kids were
out of school and gnarly because they were hungry and tired. From the
ambient room noise it was obvious that all hell was breaking loose. There,
she thought grimly to herself, now he'll know what it's like. However,
rather than being frantic and crazed, he was surprisingly low-key and
cheerful. She imagined him talking in a shambles of a kitchen with a
sink-full of dirty dishes and the laundry was strewn in heaps around the
house, but obviously he wasn't letting on how bad it really was. Oh course
things weren't running as smoothly without her but for the most part he had
it covered. He sounded rushed and harried, but as everyone with young
children knows, having a coherent conversation at the Witching Hour was
fruitless. Not to worry, after he bedded the kids down, he'd call; she just
couldn't wait.
Yes it was certainly an experience to deal with the kids full-time, though
he hadn't run into anything untoward (she marveled at his sang froid).
Marnie's cold was better, she wasn't interested in what was pre-prepared for
dinner so he whipped up something which did the trick. When he picked up
Little Tommy from school, his first grade teacher told him his son was less
fidgety and had stopped being such a buttinsky in class (that wasn't on the
list, she thought). It also appeared the boy was outgrowing his need to have
his teddy eat real food because " Teddy liked pretend much better". (How did
he know that?). And on he went, very completely, enthusiastically, and in
loving and knowing detail.
She was waiting for the other shoe to fall since, as the saying goes, no
good deed goes unpunished. Still she was astonished how it was dropped
thirty-five minutes later into his update. "Oh and your friend, Clarisse
came over to check in to see that everything was all right (I'll bet, she
did)," he announced casually. "She was overdressed for the occasion and
wearing this perfume that was deadly. You think her husband goes for that?
Anyway I gave her a quick cup of coffee and sent her on her way. For some
reason she seemed disappointed when I told her that I had pick-up to do and
lunches to make, but I said I'd call her if I needed anything which I don't
think I'll do. I don't know what you see in her, dear, she's such an
overbearing cow at times, don't you think?"
She no longer had a clue what to think.
"I'm thinking of taking the kids to a ball game Saturday and then we'll
have pizza later. I probably shouldn't subject them to my cooking twice
without some kind of respite," he added in his charming self-deprecating
way and vowed to check in with her Saturday evening.
After hanging up she was thoroughly confused if not demoralized now that
the careful systematic reasoning she'd developed in therapy began to unravel
before her very ears. She was overcome with a whole raft of conflicting
emotions as well as a sinking feeling that perhaps she had misjudged him.
The anecdote about Clarisse was accurate and right on the money, she knew
because he was a bad liar, a quality she'd all but overlooked in her
catalogue of his sins. That night she experienced the first good sleep she'd
had in what seemed like years, and in the morning awoke refreshed and far
more capable of dealing with whatever shenanigans her mother had prepared
especially for her.
That night they talked for what seemed like the first time since the
children had come into their lives, and she found herself falling in
love with him all over again. "I'm just so amazed and delighted that
everything's all right at home, " she enthused.
"Why shouldn't they be? They're my kids too, I live here, I have to be a
participant, don't I?"
"But it's so funny that some of the things you told me I wasn't sure you
were even aware of."
"It's all part of maintenance isn't it, only it's on what's inside the
house, not outside ---"
"--- I mean I thought you weren't interested, you never said anything to
me--" "You never asked me. If you had, I would have told you, so I just
picked it up by myself."
"But I never saw you."
"Well, I was lurking around, you were just too pre-occupied to notice me.
I'm a good lurker, you know."
She admitted that he was and how intensely she missed him.
Still she couldn't kick the feeling of impending doom when she arrived
home the following afternoon. To her great relief, the children greeted
her enthusiastically; they were clean and well-turned out while the
house, save for the laundry room, a lost cause for even her, was in good
order. After dinner when the children were safely in bed, she made love like
she meant it, and told him so. The following Monday after cutting her
therapist loose, she asked her husband how exactly he made that "surprise"
that Marnie raved about.
Moral: Assume nothing; talk is much cheaper than therapy and twice as
effective. David G. Walley, dgwalley@bcn.net
____________________________________________________________________________
CLOSET PHILOSOPHY
With Rusty Pipes
FICTONS, FALSEHOODS AND THE FRIGHTENING FACE
October. Halloween. It's time to visit the haunted house I used to live in.
My parents, though not particularly religious, took the family to church
regularly, and there I was told to always be good because God was just behind
each of us, watching. I believed it without question. I even remember trying
to turn around fast enough to see God when I was very little. When I was five
my dad was able to build a big modern house. Moving in before it was complete,
my three brothers and I were given the basement, with my younger brother and
I sleeping in the large unfinished area directly under the living room. It
should have been too new to be a haunted house, but every now and then I
would wake up at night and see the blurry image of a face, glowing faintly
yellowish on the wall. I'm not kidding. It always appeared in the same place
and never changed. Most of the time it wasn't there, and when it was, turning
on the lights would make it disappear. I was worried at first it was a ghost,
but the face never did anything and I ended up only mystified. I forget whether
my Sunday school teacher told me or I came to the conclusion by myself, but I
came to believe that the face on the wall was The Face of God watching over
me.
Okay, it's not exactly a scary Halloween story but it's true.
Perception, and your belief in the rightness of your perceptions, creates your
reality. We'd like reality to be solid all the time so we can learn one set
of rules and get on with playing the game. Some rules of reality are indeed
solid enough to hold on to, but much is liquid we can only cup for a moment
or vapor we can't grasp at all. Perhaps our reality is all built out of
fictons. Quantum particles called "fictons" were postulated, somewhat
facetiously, by Robert Heinlein many years ago. Fictons both true and false,
he said in one of his Lazarus Long novels, are responsible for constructing
all the possible realities that arise from different choices. Fictons can
also be thought of as particles of fiction and non-fiction, the stuff that
makes up stories. Much of what we believe must be composed of fictons because
it comes from tales we've heard, the rest arises from direct experience. But
direct experience only speaks about our own corner of time and space. All we
know of other eras and places is composed of fictons and the march of fictons
down through the ages transmits our culture from one generation to another.
Most of the information-fictons we're fed these days are very poor quality
compared to real experience. Anything in the mainstream media is filtered
and twisted to viewpoints serving different commercial interests, all
subtleties are cut away and it's reduced to a sort of pasty soup, still
brightly colored and sweet, but certainly not something you can sink your
teeth into. Nuggets of celebrity are cooked up in this soup and served to
the public by TV, radio, newspaper and now the Net. Do we really know famous
people like Princess Dead, sorry, Princess Di? (There it is, my stalwart
editor, a mention of That Person in a magazine that should have no
conceivable interest in vestigial monarchs and their families.) We feel we
know a lot about celebrities like Diane but aside from a few who may have
actually met and talked with her, all we've gotten of her to form our images,
to base our opinions on, is a passel of fictons. Was there another reason
Prince Charles didn't like her? Was she really into stopping land mines or
was that just a good PR move? We can't tell without more info. More fictons.
In a similar vein I still carry an image of OJ as a likable guy slapsticking
his way through Naked Gun movies that is a polar opposite of a bloodstained
killer. At my information level I have trouble reconciling the two (but I
don't exactly loose sleep over it either). The same thing goes for
statesman-philanderer President Bill and countless other public figures. I
am fairly well read, I know my history, geography and have plenty of opinions
about things, but I am aware that all information outside my experience has
come to me as fictons. I tend to say "it appears to be..." and "it seems to
me..." a lot. My information may not necessarily be true. It's been presented
to me as a story. I decide whether to believe it or not.
Without doing your homework to corroborate a story you hear, you're always
taking it on faith that someone else has done their research accurately. The
Net presents new channels for ficton transmission without substantiation like
that. Windbags and demagogues in cyberspace actually put forth that men never
landed on the Moon and that the Holocaust never happened these days. Marshal
McLuhan was right, the medium is the message, and some credulous numbskulls
will always believe these messages just because the medium it came in on is
flashy. Others use more traditional mediums like the pulpit to give their
fictons weight and authority. They fear The Rules turning to vapor in their
hands, so they rage against evolution because it negates the Adam and Eve
story which negates the idea of Original Sin. Which takes away the reason
for saving us. Which is why Jesus came to this world. Follow that string of
fictons okay? That's why preachers erect the cumbersome architecture of
Creation Science and maintain the world is only 6000 years old. To protect
the Book. To keep the flock coming to church to hear what's in the Book. To
keep the donations flowing in.
Calm down already. The Bible tells wonderful stories and contains many good
teachings, but are all the accounts what really happened? From my vantage
point it seems some are and some aren't and I cannot tell for certain in
many cases. We're only 2000 years removed from the direct experience and
pardon me but I think I do detect a little manipulation of the stories for
effect here and there. I still can't help asking questions about the Bible's
version of things. Did God really take sides when one tiny tribe fought
another in those ancient days? If Jesus primarily taught us to love one
another, then why is all that violent Apocalyptic crap in the Scriptures? If
it's the Word of God then why didn't Jesus write the New Testament Himself?
Did it all go down in that contradictory way? No, probably it didn't, but I
wasn't there. I might slam the door on the preachers but I never lock it.
I'm willing to question my assumptions from time to time. I try to keep an
open mind about ALL things. I make my judgments tentative and revocable if
new evidence comes in.
Okay so the world is a tentative place full of fictons and most people can't
live with that fact, but there is at least one other thing I know FOR
CERTAIN from experience. God's Face does not appear on the wall of the my
family's basement any more. Why? Because carpet was put down in the living
room.
Remember, most nights I didn't see The Face. I didn't figure out why until
years later. Most nights my mom was not up late reading! C'mon, follow me on
this. Her chair was positioned in the living room above me in the basement,
along the edge of the wooden floor where it didn't quite match the rough
Ohio limestone edge of a planter box. The reading light for the chair aimed
down the wall almost vertically, hitting a small set of holes left open
along the joint of the floor and the planter box and leaking through the
unfinished ceiling of the basement. The reading light projected a pattern
of light through the holes that I took as a face upon the wall of my room,
the same wall that held up the stone planter box above. When my folks put
in carpeting years later, the light was blocked. For awhile in my life,
though, I was convinced of God's immediate presence. Now I know better.
He/She/It is EVERYWHERE.
But that's another column. And on corroded, creaky Halloween hinges, the
Closet door closes until next month.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR CONTACTING COSMIK DEBRIS' WRITERS
DJ Johnson (Editor)..........moonbaby@serv.net
Shaun Dale.(Assoc. Editor)...stdale@well.com
Jeff Apter...................jeffa@netaxis.com
Ann Arbor....................Nprice@aol.com
coLeSLAw.....................coleslaw@serv.net
Robert Cummings..............rcumming@csrlink.net
Phil Dirt....................reverb@cruzio.com
Louise Johnson...............aquaria@serv.net
Steven Leith.................leith@speakeasy.org
Lauren Marshall..............Ocean@pluto.njcc.com
Steve Marshall...............SteveM@pluto.njcc.com
Rusty Pipes..................RustyKLST@aol.com
Paul Remington...............prem@frontiernet.net
John Sekerka.................jsekerka@gsc.NRCan.gc.ca
Sparky Lou...................sparkylou@hotmail.com
David Walley.................dgwalley@bcn.net
Cosmik Debris' WWW site..http://www.cosmik.com/cosmikdebris
Subscription requests....moonbaby@serv.net
coLeSLAw's gAllARy is at http://www.serv.net/~coleslaw/
Shaun Dale's web site is at http://www.zipcon.com/stdale
Phil Dirt's Surf Site is at
http://members.cruzio.com:80/~reverb/central.html
