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Pop
and Contemporary Music
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Fun Lovin' Criminals - 100% Colombian
Chrysalis 7243 4970 5616 Reviewed
by JH
The three members of the Fun Lovin' Criminals are straight off the streets
of New York City, and so is their music. Some may describe the bands style
as 'Rap', I do not. The vocal delivery is Hip Hop or Rap, but the backing
instrumentation draws from a huge range of influences; funk, blues (B.
B. King guests on one track), jazz (a jazz brass section appears in several
songs), rock, soul or R & B. You name it and it's in there. The tempo
and feel of the tracks, varying from soft and moody to guitars driven
at a speed approaching thrash, makes the sound impossible to pigeon hole.
The songs are often accounts of incidents, usually robberies, murder and
other aspects of hard urban Street life. Frequently conjuring images in
the Tarrantino vein, they are all executed with tongue firmly planted.
The lyrics always rhyme but never sound forced, and humour is often present
in the lighter Songs, along with plenty of double entendres. Don't be
put off by the image, you'll be missing out on a fine album and one of
the more original bands around at the moment. 100% Colombian had a hard
act to follow as Come Find Yourself the bands first album, was for me,
one of the best albums of last year. Thankfully this new outing doesn't
let the band down. Whether or not they are criminals they are certainly
having fun.
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Susan Tedeschi - Just Won't Burn
Tone Cool CDTC1164 Reviewed
by AH
Tedeschi looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but then looks
can be deceiving because this lady is one raucous belter of a singer.
The opening track 'Rock Me Right' sets the pace - Susans whisky soaked
vocals merging wonderfully with 18 year old guitar wunderkind Sean Costello's
caustic lead. She brings the pace down a little with 'You Need To Be With
Me' a mid-paced rocker featuring another blistering solo from Costello.
On the wonderful 'It Hurts So Bad' you can feel the pain in her vocals
especially when she pleads for her lover to come back to her because 'she
misses him so'. The comparisons to Bonnie Raitt can be made on the quieter
songs especially 'Looking For Answers' and the plaintive 'Angel from Montgomery'
but where this girl is out on her own is when she's belting it out with
the passion and soul of a young Ella James or a Janis Joplin. It's such
a volcano of a voice it can catch you unawares, erupting all over this
album with phenomenal power. Just take a listen to 'Mama, He Treats Your
Daughter Mean' as a classic example. Tedesehi can move into whatever musical
territory she chooses. She has the talent to be around for a long time
and I believe she'll be the biggest thing since Bonnie or Janis. (No point
in sitting on the fence!). Go buy.
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Chuck E. Weiss - Extremely Cool
Rykodisc/Slow River SRRCD Reviewed
by JM
Not the most productive of musicians, but one for whom gloomily wins out,
this is Chuck's second album in 17 years. Sometime resident lounge act
at The Viper Rooms - the album comes with an executive production credit
for Johnny Depp - Chuck is an old LA bar buddy of Tom Waits whose influence
here is plain to see. Indeed, with Waits producing, playing guitar, and
lending his 'vocal stylings' to many of the songs, its plain to hear too.
In the guise of raddled hepcats, they take us on a tour of blues styles
- from the clunking, roaring Howlin' Wolfisms of 'Devil With Blue Suede
Shoes', through the swampy 'Just Don't Care', the Creole 'Oh Marcy', and
the demented scat-singing of 'Do You Know What I Idi Amin?'. For the trad-jazz
song 'Roll On Jordan', Waits contrives a period-authentic sound, steeped
in 1920s prohibition atmosphere (and murky as hell), but for the most
part studio tricks are kept to a minimum. Weiss delivers his lyrics and
Beat poetry in a ragged, whiskey-breath baritone, while the band - guitar,
bass, accordion and organ, piano, drums, saxes and trumpet - play like
the Mob was after them. Cool as you like.
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Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Columbia Legacy Mastersound Collector's Edition CK64406 Reviewed
by RP
By the mid 1980s Springsteen's albums and concert performances (whether
consciously or not) were descending into parody. The gritty American working
class realities of songs heard ten years earlier had been assimilated
and diluted to a point where 'Born in the USA: was another yuppie rock
anthem. Yet Springsteen, still trading on the same topics of unemployment
and poverty, continued to attract audiences that were largely determined
to ignore these issues and who rarely gave more than a plug-nickle for
them anyway. So, although The Boss was as popular as ever, his sharp edged
social observations were blunted. Backtracking to 'Thunder Road'; 'Meeting
Across the River'; 'Tenth Avenue Freeze Out'; and the title track of this
excellent master tape to CD transfer, is like musically rolling up the
shirt sleeves and dirtying your hands through honest endeavour. Born to
Run has heaps of integrity and Sony's Super 20-Bit Mapping Process reveals
it all. Forget the flimsy LP version unless, of course, the £23.95 asking
price is a choker. The greater vocal energy, transparency, and tactile
qualities of guitar, drums and sax are marks of distinction.
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Beth Orton - Central Reservation
Heavenly Recordings HVNLP22 Reviewed
by JH
This album is the follow up to a cracker of a first album, Trailer Park,
and has been a long time coming. Has the wait been worth it? Yes and,
unfortunately, no. Let me elaborate. Both Orton is singer songwriter of
the old scnool - she is talented and can tell a story with her songs,
overlaying the emotion with just the right music. She has a fabulous voice,
husky but with such fragility that at times you fear it might just crack.
A wider range of instruments and a simple production style lends a very
impromptu feel to the whole album. At times it is a little too simplistic,
and the music becomes discordant and disconnected, or rambles to an inconclusive
finish, especially in the songs featuring Ben Watt's Abstract Sounds.
Too abstract I fear, for a simple lad like me (Careful with that axe,
Pete. Ed). The acoustic songs have a power, immediacy and moments of rare
beauty, allowing you to hear right through the imagery to the thoughts
behind the songs. Sadly, too much of Central Reservation is forgettable,
and at the end of the LP I found myself humming tunes from the first album.
Yet another 'difficult second album'. If you've got the first one and
loved it, then this is well worth a try. If not, you know where to start.
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Iggy and The Stooges - Raw Power
Columbia/Legacy 485176-2 Reviewed
by JM
20 bit diqitally re-mastered from original Columbia recording of 1973.
This is arguably the single most influential rock album of the 70s. Not
for nothing is lggy Pop, lead-singer and song-writer, known as the Grandaddy
of Punk. Generations of be-leathered rock'n'roll sociopaths have been
galvanised by the intensity of the performances captured on Raw Power.
Trouble is, before this edition, they were hearing the half-assed, incoherant
mix perpetrated by David Bowie. Bootleg versions of other mixes abounded
in recent years, but for this official edition the tapes were remixed
for posterity by lggy himself. Those familiar with the original can now
hear what the bass and rhythm guitar are doing - even the drums make their
presence known. Those who have not experienced this landmark of rock'n'roll
have not yet lived. On taut, wired rockers like 'Death Trip' or 'Search
& Destroy', guitarist and singer battle it out, driving one another to
ever increasing heights of savagery. As the tortured, feral screams of
James Williamson's guitar build in synchronisation with the raddled vocal
exorcism of "Honey, honey, I can tell/Your pretty face is going to hell!''
catharsis is achieved. On torrid ballads like 'Penetration' it gets low
down and dirty, Its prophetic too, for at one point lggy snarls "If ya
wanna make a buck/Boy, ya gotta be a geek..". How right that turned out
to be.
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Eva Cassidy - Eva By Heart
Blix Street Records 02-10047 Reviewed
by RG
Don't be put off by the "Toast of Radio Two" reputation, or the mawkish
sentimentality surrounding her untimely death from cancer, Eva Cassidy
has a voice you should hear. She is, in a pop industry obsessed with publishing
rights, that rarest of animals, a singer of other peoples' songs. And
what a singer! There's none of the tortured angst of the archetypal American
torch songster. In its place is a vocal purity that avoids being clinical,
and a control that holds the lyric with out crushing its delicacy. But
it's her interpretation that makes her so special. Moving effortlessly
between different styles and genres, she is impossible to pigeonhole.
As Mary says, she has an uncanny knack of making even the most familiar
song her own. In a career cut short, she only recorded a single studio
album, a live set, and a still to be released disc of duets with Chuck
Brown. There's also a sampler, Songbird, but I've avoided reviewing that
on the basis that if you like what you near, you'll be buying in other
discs anyway. This is my favourite (the live set suffers from her crippling
shyness), and the place to start. Pop it in the drawer, key up track two
'Time Is A Healer' and you'll understand what all the fuss is about!
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Ani Difranco - Up Up Up Up Up Up
Cooking Vinyl Cook CD 173 Reviewed
by JH
"Oh no not another female singer songwriter" cried my better half as play
was pressed for this new Ani Difranco album, "Well yes but this one is
different" I stated. "How so?" came the reply. "Well its different and,
well, different". Admittedly not the most succinct or informative reply
I have ever given, but it set me thinking. I listen to a lot of female
vocals but UpUpUpUpUpUp really stands out from the crowd. So what makes
it different? There's good lyrics, songs you connect with, the odd social
commentary. Nothing new there. Its originality lies in its arrangements.
The album enthuses some great songs with a mixture of almost experimental
music, pure funk and silence. This variation is its strength. Just when
I was getting comfortable with the album, up pops a banjo, and a great
country inspired track. Both intros and finales are treated with great
care, grabbing your interest very quickly, and leaving you satisfied when
the track ends. Ani Difranco is a prolific artist (more than a dozen albums
and she is only 28) and judging by the quality of UpUpUpUpUpUp she is
capable of many more. Give it a whirl.
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Levester "Big Lucky" Carter - Lucky 13
Blueside Records WESF 106 Reviewed
by PS
I first heard "Big Lucky" Carter in Charleston, South Carolina when the
blues show on the Local PBS station played a few singles from sixties
label Hi Records. I could not understand why this great bluesman in the
John Lee Hooker tradition wasn't better known. Just a few rare appearances,
some compilations and other peoples tracks. To have your album debut at
the age of 78 is unusual. To do it and be acclaimed as an undiscovered
master of Memphis blues is unique. From the new version of his only real
claim to blues fame 'Goofer Dust', to 'Pleasure for your Treasure' this
album cooks. The double entendre of 'Miss Lola May's Mule' and 'Graze
in your Pastures' will just crease you up. In fact, any true blues lover
will love this album that was fifty years a-comin'. This is not glittzy
"Coffee Table" blues. This is the authentic sound of people who have come
together for years in clubs, bars and finally studios, to make music they
love. 'Big Lucky' on vocal and guitar and the cream of Memphis blues,
give a sound that is pure craft. Some records you should live with. Some
are to die for. This one I would kill for, and you don't get many that
good.
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Mark May and the Agitators - Telephone Road, Houston, Tx
Icehouse P2 50690 Reviewed
by AH
On his second release for Memphis blues label Icehouse, Mark May confirms
what we all suspected - he's got what it takes to become the next blues
superstar. 'Telephone Road' is littered with tasty licks, incendiary solos
and top rate singing, and top notch songs mostly written by May himself.
Opener 'Mercury Blues' gets the ball rolling with some rock tinged soloing,
but things really light up with the sexually soaked 'Sweet Spot', funky
little tale with some delightful wah guitar. Next up is the nine minute
slow blues of 'Lights Are On But Nobody's Home', written by Albert Collins,
and featuring solos the lceman himself would be proud of. 'Back In The
Joint' is a glorious slab of funky blues with some totally fireball guitar
playing from May. Things get all soulful with the beautiful 'Took Me Surprise',
featuring a gorgeous sax solo from Eric Demmer. Mark gets a helping hand
from Larry McCray on 'She's A Stranger' but saves the most explosive playing
for 'I'll Be Around', one minute all funky and the next invoking the spirit
of Hendrix. Sound quality is very good throughout, and the playing from
his backing band is exemplary. Losing Stevie Ray left a massive void but
Mark May is living proof that the blues is in safe hands.
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Gene - Revelations
Polydor Records GENEL 4 547 119-1 Reviewed
by JH
"Gene? They sound like the Smiths… don't they?" An oft heard complaint,
was it true? And if so, has anything changed with this album? A change
of image, floppy fringes to skinheads has helped them extricate themselves
from the Smiths shadow, and lead man Rossiter is making good use of the
music press after the (mostly undeserved) hard time the band has received
in the past. Revelations is their latest album and their best to date
mixing the old elements of some well observed social commentary and melancholia
with some very good tunes. A pretty standard four piece outfit wielding
guitars, bass, drums and keyboards they rely on a big, busy guitar based
sound which drives the songs along and provides plenty of sing along moments.
At their best they resemble early REM, melodic but with a distortion edge
and those dark lyrics. On some of the tracks the music loses a little
cohesion but this is partly due to uninspired production, which reaIly
lets them down. This is a decent album which is well worth a look from
a band who are maturing well. You might have passed first time round,
but they've become good tune smiths instead of poor Smiths clones.
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John Campbell - One Believer
Elektra 7559610862 Reviewed
by AH
There were few more imposing sights in blues than John Campbell. When
only 16 years old he was horrendously injured in a drag racing accident
and spent 6 months recovering in hospital where he had over 2000 stitches
in his face. It was while he was recovering he picked up the acoustic
guitar and taught himself to play. Twenty or so years later he recorded
'One Believer', one of the darkest, meanest and moodiest blues albums
you're ever likely to experience. Campbell didn't so much sing, he growled.
'Devil In My Closet' tells of the heartache and despair of his woman cheating
on him. 'World Of Trouble' perfectly documents the dangers that lurk around
every corner for all of us. The moving 'Tiny Coffin' tells of the senseless
driveby Shooting of a 6 year old boy, Campbell's voice dripping with anger
and despair and his guitar playing at its darkest. The lyrics hit home
hard ("It takes a tiny coffin for a six year old, it takes a small hole
in the ground. You could fill it up with my tears and rage, as they lowered
Billy down"). Throughout 'One Believer', Campbell gets blood out of his
guitar arid attacks the music with breathtaking ferocity. Sadly, he died
in his sleep from heart failure at the age of 41. 'One Believer' will
remain as a lasting and moving testament to a wonderful talent.
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John Mellencamp - The Lonesome Jubilee
Ultradisc UDCD634 Reviewed
by AH
Albums come and go but some just grow and grow, and this for me is one
of the finest rock albums ever made. From the opening lines of 'Paper
In Fire' ("She had a dream and boy it was a good one") Mellencamp takes
us on a rollercoaster ride of all that is great about American roots rock.
The band absolutely cook, in particular (Kenny) has never lost touch with
who he is or where he came from. He understands the working man's plight
and how difficult it can be just to get by, beautifully described in 'Hard
Times For An Honest Man', but he also knows the importance of chilling
out and having fun every once in a while (take a listen to the lazy 'Rooty
Toot Toot'). Whenever I mention to anyone that I'm a fan of this guy they
more often than not say "Oh! Isn't he the chap that did 'Jack And Diane'?"
Well, yes he is but he also happens to be responsible for some of the
best music to have ever come out of America. If you've discovered him
already then you know what I'm talking about, if not, and you're a fan
of Springsteen, Petty, Seger etc. do yourself a huge favour and buy this
album - I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
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Garbage - Version 2.0
Mushroom Records MUSH 29LP Reviewed
by JH
Version 2.0 suffers from a bad case of DSAS (Difficult Second Album Syndrome),
an affliction which troubles a lot of bands. Especially after a storming
debut. Three Americans fronted by a Scottish female vocalist, Shirley
Mansun is at least half the reason they sound so good. Pouty, sensuous
and disdainful all at once, her vocal delivery is straight from male fantasy
land. A deep feminine voice, it is used to great effect, the breathy quality
caressing, the power shocking. The rest of the band produce a wall of
power, industrial in its intensity, fuelled with feedback and distortion,
but at the same time layered with subtlety. The tracks are strongly rhythmic
with frequent changes of pace; never a soft, melodious sound, but often
strangely languid. Sudden silence is the order of the day, followed by
full power re-entry. The lyrics are strong and angst ridden, fitting the
delivery and music perfectly. But it's all a bit brutal after the poise
and controlled anger of the first album. That album, Garbage, was a fabulous
piece of work. Version 2.0 is less good. Poor production smears the tunes,
and the all important edge is frequently lost. Don't get me wrong, this
isn't garbage, but following their first outing has proved difficult.
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Kelly Willis - What I Deserve
Rykodisc RCD10458 Reviewed
by AH
She's been called 'an angel with hell scorched wings'. I'm not sure about
that, but one thing is for certain - Kelly Willis is the jewel in Country's
crown, and what she deserves is recognition of that fact. Far from following
the sugar sweet path of so many of her contemporaries, Kelly lives on
the rootsier edge of town. Her voice is a wonderful tool which she bends
with quite awesome effect, especially on the title track, where she longs
'for comfort for my shaken soul' and the self penned 'Talk Like That'.
She's a more than capable songwriter, contributing six of the thirteen
tracks here. Adding lovely shimmering guitar to most of the tracks is
Green On Red's Chuck Prophet and the whole album has a wonderful 'on the
road' feel straight from playing in the sweaty roadhouses of America's
back yard. One of the album's undoubted highlights is Kelly's cover of
Nick Drake's 'Times Has Told Me' - so good it eases the original firmly
into second place. She gets all protective on 'Cradle Of Love' and raises
the temperature considerably on the bluesy 'Got A Feeling for Ya'. The
Album draws to a close with the achingly sad 'Not Long For This World',
a sparse lament for a broken heart which lends itself perfectly to her
tear stained voice.
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Antonio Forcione and Sabina Sciubba - Meet me in London
Naim CD 021 Reviewed
by CT
Acoustic guitar and female vocals can have a special flavor, but its a
heady mix that works on the less-is-more principle. On this release from
Naim Audio, Antonio moves from front-line guitarist to provide the song
foundations, backdrops and tonal embellishments for Sabina to sing her
way in and out of. There are a number of cover versions, such as Stevie
Wonders' Visions', Al Jarreaus 'Could You Believe', and Timmy Thomas 'Why
Can't We Live Together'. Recording engineer Peter Williams has gone for
a very English, dry and unadorned sound and it works well enough to leave
the focus on the musicians. Antonio is as subtly Latino as ever and shows
a different side to his playing than on previous releases. Sabina has
a good voice, but it is her phrasing arid fine use of space that makes
the album that bit more involving for me, especially on the slower songs
like Caruso, which is homage to the great tenor. This must be one of the
most difficult songs to sing, but they both manage to bring that extra
bit of tension to bear where the song needs it. It's a very close and
somehow personal album, with no one out to impress and its all the better
for that.
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Furslide - Adventure
Meanwhile CDVUSX 151 Reviewed
by JH
The most aptly titled album this month, year, decade, take your pick.
Settle down in front of this album and enjoy an adventure, a true musical
roller coaster ride. Genre mixing is touted as the "happening thing" in
the music business, but there are few bands who manage to mix so much
into one song let alone an album, from lndie through Britpop, taking in
Prog. Rock and Folk, and through to a thrashy grungy sound, Furslide are
influenced by and make use of them all, but still sound fresh and new!
Strong female vocals lead the group, and again the range of different
styles is amazing. From Joni Mitchell to Alanis Morrisette they are all
in there. I'm not saying the woman is an impressionist, but boy is she
versatile. The one thing that is consistent, is the space and importance
given over to those vocals. The guitar solos and instrumentation will
change suddenly, fade to background or simplicity, abort suddenly or return
to some consistent melodic thread. The lyric is then delivered in a sudden
oasis of calm, Its intensity framed by a particular musical image. Very
effective, with the unobtrusive production being employed to further focus
the effect. The band come across as a band (a rare occurrence). They really
lay down and keep to a tune, even when it disappears behind the vocals,
a guitar riff or some sweeping orchestration. There is a rhythmic intensity
that draws you deep into a song, With all the performers working so well
together, you can't help hut hum or sing along. The presence of such strong
influences could be seen as a lack of originality, but the sheer quality
of the execution helps stave off the accusations of dirivitism. It becomes
a musical game; guess the influence, name the band, identify the performer.
This album is far too complex to get to grips with on a quick listen,
or to adequately describe in the extended space I have here. What you
need to know is that it is Bloody Good! Several plays later and you are
still uncovering new detail, finding new interplay between the musicians.
This is a disc to cherish, and you will keep coming back to it. The book
style of the CD case adds to this feeling, no plastic bits floating around
here! Furslide are going to really struggle to improve on this in the
future. I really can't recommend Adventure highly enough.
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Iron Butterfly - ln-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Simply VinyI Reviewed
by DA
My original copy of this album, bought in the early seventies sounds like
fingernails scraping down a blackboard, so I was eager to get the Simply
Vinyl re-issue clamped up to the Orbe in the hope of some improvement.
Unfortunately the margin is slight; the fingernails have obviously had
a manicure, and there is now at least some semblance of bass, but on the
whole this is an album which should avoid bright sounding systems. Production
wise ln-A-Gadda-Da-Vida sounds much more dated than some of its UK contemporaries,
such as the Beatles' 'double white' album, and musically it gains its
reputation not from the short tracks on side one, but from the title track,
which takes up the whole of side two. Frequently described as prototype
heavy metal, this track certainly relies on a killer riff to hold the
listener's attention. The middle section, with it's drum solo and spacey
organ / guitar motif rambles a little in places, but not enough to have
you reaching for a magazine, then it's back to the familiar riff for the
finale. Always more of a classic for the Americans than the Brits, this
album still appeals, despite the aged production. However if you don't
know it already, you might be wise to try before you buy.
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Jah Wobble- Deep Space
Thirty Hertz Records 30HZCD9 Reviewed
by JM
When you first come across this you wonder what on earth old Wob thinks
he's up to. Then, after repeated visits, the veil lifts and all - well,
most -becomes clear. On lengthy excursions, the intergalactic jazz of
Gong and Sun Ra, the space rock of Hawkwind and Amon Duul, and the Krautrock
experimentalism of Neu and Can are melded. Then, just when you've got
used to the whole early-70s cosmic rhythm of it, and you think you've
got the handle on the enterprise, why, he hits you with the crumhorns.
As if that were not sufficiently odd, rauschpfeife, Northumbrian pipes
and early percussion instruments join the longhaired jam session. In the
fullness of time we also get a clanking, wheezing harmonium. So you scratch
your head. Then you remember how Wobble identifies with William Blake,
the well-known Cockney seer (a man given to apprehending trees full of
Seraphim on his walks round Lambeth and regularly communing with the Prophet
Isaiah). Blake's visionary mediaevalism was deeply unfashionable and he
was thought mad. But not Wob. In these millennial times such a mixture
of ancient and modern, the spiritual and the technological, is both meet
and right. Deep Space gets down and grooves like the Choir Invisible.
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Peter Hammill - This
FIE9118 Reviewed
by DA
Peter Hammill is a hugely influential artist with over thirty albums to
his name, and yet he remains almost stubbornly unknown amongst the music
buying public. The cognoscenti would have you believe that acquiring the
taste requires great deal of work, but I disagree and This is a good place
to start. The only instrument that remains constant across a Hammill album
is his voice, and a fine instrument it is. He also provides most of the
instrumental backing, with the addition of a few favoured musicians. Thus
the arrangement and instrumental density are selected to suit each song,
and range from the simple piano, and multi-tracked vocals of Since The
Kids to the pseudo gypsy violin of Nightman. Elsewhere, the staccato delivery
and heavy beat of Always Is Next will appeal to rhythm junkies whereas
the hypnotic ebb and flow of The Light Continent will find favour with
those who prefer the more ambient. The remaining standout track, Stupid,
Invokes the feeling of a deep forest at night, with the listener strolling
with the rhythm and the saxophone skulking behind the bushes. This is
an album that is both different and familiar. Try it and you'll find a
lot to like, but be warned: Hammill can be very addictive.
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Echo And The Bunnymen - Evergreen
London 828 980-2 Reviewed
by RG
The camouflage clad new-wave underachievers are back. And how! History
might have passed them by but for an uncharacteristic desire to kick against
the pricks and right a few wrongs. I mean - Simple Minds? He always had
a great voice, but this is an older and wiser McCulloch. And Will Sargeant's
urgent guitar has mellowed and matured into a far more powerful instrument.
The combination creates anthemic slabs of song with the emotive qualities
of stadium rock, but the depth and intelligence of the best bar bands.
From the opening track 'Don't Let It Get You Down', right through to the
fabulous majesty of 'Forgiven', there isn't a bad track here. Even 'Nothing
Lasts Forever', oddly irritating as a single, fits like a glove into the
context of the album as a whole. The Bunnymen have learnt pathos and control
to temper their energy and power, and suddenly their undoubted talents
have discovered an outlet capable of taking the strain. The frustration
of years spent in the wilderness gives the whole thing an unstoppable
focus and momentum. NME called it 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.
I can live with that.
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Tom Waits - Mule Variations
Anti/Epitaph 6547-2 Reviewed
by JM
The first album in seven years from the Beat poet laureate of low-rife
Americana comes at a time when his influence is most keenly felt. From
the Palace Brothers to Blur to the John Spencer Blues Explosion, bands
on both sides of the pond are now vigorously exploring their roots in
American folk idioms. Since his 80s classics Rain Dogs and SwordfishTrombones,
Waits has been the postmodern archeologist-in-chief. Here as before, blues
and country, polkas, bebop, hymns and western balladeering (among other
forms) have been deconstructed, subjected to weird percussion and weirder
arrangements, and the - frequently brilliant - lyrics delivered in that
extraordinary slurred rasp of a voice. The instrumentation is stripped
right back - and as with Keith Richards, its what they don't play as mach
as what they do that makes it - and it seems as if the dust of ages has
somehow patinated the ambience of these songs. Long heralded by critics
and musicians as a songwriter of genius, Waits presents his songs in a
willfully distorted, and occasionally demented fashion - mainstream consumers
previously familiar with his work from film soundtracks or tasteful cover
versions by the likes of Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen. But now that
Mule Variations has found itself high in the album charts we ran all see
what the fuss is about.
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Jazz
Music
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Django Bates - quiet nights
Screwgun screwu70007 Reviewed
by DD
I love this album. Recorded in '97 it's a heady mix of melodicism, abstraction
and frankly nutty fun which you'll love or hate forever at first listen.
Most accessible is the opening number 'Speak Low' which like all the vocals
on the album, is sung beautifully by Josephine Cronholm. From this we're
launched into a 'cut and paste' version of 'Teach Me Tonight' which somehow
blends a reggae influenced loping bass line, sax and keyboard bells and
effects, and makes toe whole thing work in a way that gives you a whole
new insight into the song. Then it's straight into recorded church bells
and the first original composition 'and the mermaid laughed', and onwards
and upwards taking in a frankly insane 'Hi lili hi lo' and an amazing
take on Ellington's 'Solitude'. This features a carefully doctored piano
(rumour has it that Bates flung a few pieces of cutlery and other detritus
inside the upright to achieve the desired effect). It certainly sounds
like it. Notes appear at random accompanied by the sound of hammers hitting,
well, whatever, but not strings. Again somehow it works. Fittingly, the
album closes with 'Over the rainbow'. If you've ever been tempted by the
yellow brick road, try it. You're going to love it, or hate it!
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Coleman Hawkins Quartet - Today And Now
Impulse IMP 11842 Reviewed
by DD
Recorded in 1962 during a particularly productive four week period that
also produced two other classic albums 'Desafinado', and his collaboration
with Ellington, this is one of Hawkins most easy-going and enjoyable sessions.
Virtually unrehearsed, Hawkins and his regular trio of Tommy Flanagan,
Major Holley and Eddy Locke are clearly having a great time. Three of
the albums seven cuts were completed in a single take and it is this air
of spontaneity and sheer enjoyment that permeates the album. The most
unlikely numbers, 'Put on your old grey bonnet', 'Don't sit under the
apple tree' to name but two, are transformed, the former becoming a great
blues workout lasting almost ten minutes. Although it's clearly a studio
session, the spontaneity gives the whole thing the feel of an outstanding
club date and what's lacking in audience 'atmosphere' is made up for by
improved recording quality. Nicely packaged in Impulse's digipac format,
20 bit re-mastered and with comprehensive notes all at mid price, what
are you waiting for?!
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Cassandra Wilson - Traveling Miles
Blue Note 7243 8 54123 25 Reviewed
by DD
Opening and closing with takes on 'Ran The Voodoo Down' this is Wilson's
Miles Davis inspired album and is her finest to date. Her previous Blue
Note Albums ('Blue Light 'Til Dawn' and 'New Moon Rising') had some fine
numbers but were a little patchy. The good numbers were stunning ('Come
On In My Kitchen' and 'Harvest Moon' leap to mind), and could bring a
whole new feel to familiar material, particularly the Neil Young song.
But, this level of inspiration didn't carry across all the songs. This
time she's done it. Her original compositions are much stronger and she
knows it. Her singing is much more confident, and she even tackles Cindi
Lauper's 'Time After Time' as a rolling acoustic number with great success.
Mixing her own and other compositions equally with the directly Miles
related numbers, it's much more difficult to pick standout tracks, although
I particularly enjoyed 'Never Broken' with some fine violin backing from
Regina Carter, and 'Sky and Sea', along with the two takes of 'Runs The
Voodoo Down'. Recording quality is fine, with warm analogue-like' bass
in a spacious acoustic, and Wilson is in fine warm toned form throughout.
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David Lindley and WaIIy Ingram - Twango Bango Deluxe
Ulftone UTCD003 Reviewed
by DD
I've been a fan of Lindley both as a session man, and in his own right,
for more years than I care to remember. His major label releases seem
to have faded out a few years back, but more by chance than design, I've
recently found this release on Ulftone. From it's cheesy lurid pink cover,
it's even more cheesy song titles and lyrics - sample from 'Cat food sandwiches'
about life on the road - 'I've got cat food sandwiches waiting for me
back stage, and the woman who made them looks just like Jimmy Page' -
it's cheesy fun all the way. Lindley's playing is as strong as ever, his
singing is its usual reedy self, and Ingram, who I haven't heard before,
is clearly a percussionist tailor made to accompany him. The recording
quality, the album was made 'live on stage and in the studio' on Lindley's
Sony 8 track, is a little shut-in, but all the rhythmic drive and spontaneity
of the pair is well captured. Lindley himself sums up the album with these
carefully chosen words 'Big Bang. Big Twang. Big Good Thing'. I couldn't
put it better myself. Highly recommended if you want a smile on your face
and your foot tapping within the first few bars.
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Archie
Shepp and Horace Parlan - Trouble in Mind
SteepIechase SCS-1139 Reviewed
by DD
Shepp began his career in the '50's, playing tenor in R&B bands. The '60's
saw him expand into the avant garde. More recently he has held a variety
of academic positions in the States, has written and produced theatrical
works, and in his playing has been exploring blues and jazz roots. Trouble
In Mind, recorded in '80, is something of a companion piece to what many
consider his greatest album Goin' Home which was recorded in '77. Like
that, this is a duet with pianist Horace Parlan, and again the simplicity
really pays off. Across a selection of slow to mid-tempo blues, Steeplechase's
very natural recording places the duo in the room with you, and every
nuance of the performance is crystal clear. Shepp's playing, from breathy
soft tones to rough blues honking, is captured with real solidity and
presence. At no time do you feel the absence of bass or drums, the intensity
of the playing definitely proving that in this case less is more. Across
a well judged selection of blues, R&B and jazz standards, all the numbers
are equally strong, although I particularly like Shepp's interpretation
of the old classic 'St James' Infirmary' that closes the album. The only
drawback I can find with this fine release is that my pressing is slightly
noisy..
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Antonio
Forcione - Ghetto Paradise
Naim 032 Reviewed
by DD
Supported by Trilok Gurtu on percussion and Kai Eckhardt de Camargo on
fretless bass, this for me is Forcione's strongest set to date. His previous
albums have been beautifully played but I've always found them erring
a little too much towards the lyrical at the expense of more muscular
playing. Here the balance is spot on. Inspired by memories of his childhood
in a small farming community on the Adriatic coast, the 'Ghetto Paradise'
of the title, the music has real strength. The playing of the core trio
is particularly tight throughout and is complemented by additional percussion,
sax and vocals on a few tracks. Standouts include 'Maurizio's Party',
with particularly dynamic playing from Forcione underpinned by rock solid
percussion, and rolling fretless bass work: and 'Alhambra' with gently
puttering percussion and wordless, Indian sounding vocals. The album closes
with 'If', a beautiful solo on classical guitar dedicated to Forcione's
parents. The recording quality is up there with best, with plenty of air
around each instrument, good stage depth and particularly strong bass.
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