rpk@mit-eddie.UUCP (Robert Krajewski) (01/08/85)
Here is a rundown on some of the stuff I have been listening to lately:
some of it is tangentially realted to the contents of net.music for the
past week or so:
* The Smiths have a new album out called ``Hatful of Hollow.'' It is
currently only available through ``normal'' channels in the UK (on Rough
Trade, of course). Since there is no indication that Sire will release the
album in the US, it has been doing well here (the Boston/Cambridge
intellectual/bohemian ghetto) even as an import. Apparently, it is a low
price album even in the UK: one record store (the Harvard Coop) has been
selling it for the astonishingly low price of $5.47.
Anyway, the album consists of 16 (!) tracks. The three recent UK
singles (``Heaven Knows,'' ``William...,'' ``How Soon Is Now ?'') and
their B-sides are included), the single (un-remixed) version of ``Hand in
Glove'', along with versions of other random B-sides and selected songs
from the first album cuts that were recorded at BBC radio shows.
Well, now that I've given you all this information, how is the record ?
Well, it's an admirable holding action until the next album comes out in
February -- the first two singles I mentioned above are Charming in the
usual Smiths mode (it's hard to tell if Morissey's voice is getting better,
or if I'm just getting used to its eccentricities). However, ``How Soon is
Now'' is 6:43 of lean, classic contemporary psychedelia -- the way the group
stretches out is a refreshing change, and strength of the rhythm guitar
makes the song very stately. The ``old'' live cuts are close to the
originals, with some interesting changes that aren't apparent on the first
listen. Recommended for fans, and actually a pretty good introduction to
the group as well for the curious.
* Depeche Mode quite surprised me last year with ``Construction Time
Again,'' with its tasteful sound (lots of sampled, non-electronic
sources), plus just enough of the so-called ``metallic'' accenting), simple
but dignified lyrics. The new album, ``Some Great Reward,'' is pretty much
in the same mature vein, but is less satisfying. The ballad ``Somebody''
is certainly uncommonly good, as well as ``Stories of Old.'' The two singles
fare less well -- the songs ``People Are People'' and ``Master and Servant''
are both well-crafted and have interesting sounds, but tend to drag on.
Certainly above the usual drivel, but disappointing.
* I've only listened to ``Zoolook'' by Jean-Michel Jarre (currently an
import only) a few times, and I've got mixed reactions to it. Although I
like some ambient stuff, I find extended space-music works in the vein in
which Mr. Jarre evidently specialised to be not especially captivating.
``But look, you hipster,'' a voice in my head said at the record shop,
``there's Adrian Belew and Laurie Anderson on the credits, and he's using
a Fairlight now.'' OK, so I cough up the money. ``Ethnicolor'' starts off
by mixing spaciness and sampled vocals -- not much of a change -- but then
actually hits the ground and gets pleasantly funky. The second cut,
``Diva'' features the luscious speaking voice of the avant-garde superstar
herself wrapped around words (nonsense ? another language ?) -- it's mildly
captivating. The second side is more sampling/funk/space fusion; I really
must listen to a few more times to see if it works. But from what I can
determine, Mr. Jarre is a competent, perceptive, but not great synth
wizard.
* The new Aztec Camera album, ``Knife,'' finds Roddy Frame in more crisp
musical settings (less of a pop feel here) produced by Mark Knopfler. Mr.
Frame is still in love with with arty, darting lyrics, but there is more
discipline and the aim of getting a message across (except, perhaps, on the
nine minute title cut -- is this punk rock yet ??). Funny thing is, I was
expecting more guitar here -- and on this album the guitar work is indeed
very good -- but keyboards are important too, as synths seem to be
important, but not intrusive, in the arrangements. Definitely an
improvement over the original.
* One of the bigger cults these days in the UK, from what I can garner in
the NME, Face, and Zigzag, is the Cocteau Twins. I always marvelled at the
beauty of their album covers as I browsed though the bins of the local
designated Record Boutique for Young, Post-Punk Moderns, but never bothered
to take the chance on what nestled inside. I heard rumblings of their
music through reviews and strings of rapturous adjectives of their fans,
but unfortunately none of the college stations that would play them could
blast through the FM multipath hellhole surrounding my abode. Well, about
three weeks ago I finally took the chance on the new album, ``Treasure.''
I was pleasantly surprised. Very pretty music, but with an edge recalling
Joy Division -- light at times, at other times drenched in eerie echo.
It's rather hard to catch the words at times (some of them may be in
ancient Greek, judging from the one-word, classical titles of the songs),
but it doesn't seem to matter: the music is convincing at setting a mood,
and the vocals (done by a woman) command quite an emotional range even if
the singer is not blessed with a particularly techically impressive voice
-- though there is nothing to complain about.
The Twins also have a single ``Pepper Tree''/``Spangle Maker''/``Pearly
Dew-Drops' Drops'' which is just as captivating. I hear tell that their
ventures into video complement the music and are just as striking. The
album that came out before that single, ``Head Over Heels'' is in the same
vein. Now for the Bad News: all the records are available only as imports
on the (exceedingly cool) 4AD label. The Twins also appear in a project
called This Mortal Coil, which also comprises members of other 4AD bands
like Colourbox (who have done an excellent version of U-Roy's ``Say You'')
and the more familiar Modern English. I've not heard any of TMC -- can you
netters clue me in ?
* Just because the Village Voice likes the Replacements doesn't mean they
wear glasses and look alienated -- hell, these are kids (well, they are
pushing 20 or so now, after almost five years of playing) with a happy love
for unpretentious rock and roll that could out-root-ize the essays of Dave
Marsh any old day. Heck, on ``Let It Be,'' there's even a Kiss cover. The
Replacement evidently were lumped in the ``hardcore'' pigeonhole, but this
album combines energy with a sloppy but endearing pop feel, and the
willingness to try new things even as the music is definitely their own.
You have already seen a song-by-song description of the album in this
newsgroup, so go out and buy it, dammit.
Other recommended albums (some recent, some not so recent):
Bangles: All Other The Place [I am in love with this.]
Hoodoo Gurus: Stoneage Romeos [How come Australians can do American trash
better than Americans can nowadays ?]
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: The Legendary A & M Sessions
[Very 60s punk/blues, with nascent wimp David Gates producing. This sound
actually predates the movement, which was, let's face it, primarily inspired
by the British Invasion (especially the Yardbirds), by about TWO YEARS.]
Throbbing Lobster compilations: [Stuff from this area: some good, some
derivative, some actually brilliant, but no real clunkers. My only
complaint is the sound is perhaps a trifle anti-synth/progressive
reactionary, when there are still bands here that use them
imaginatively.]
* Interesting Dance Singles
Herbie Hancock: Metal Beat [Out Trevor-Horns Trevor Horn. VERY heavy, and
metallic, just like it says.]
Dazz Band: Let It All Blow [A sophisticated, almost jazzy fusion of older
funk, newer beatbox sounds, and, yes, even humour.]
Chaka Khan: aww, c'mon, it's great (Let's get plebian, eh ?)
Air Force One: See The Light, Feel the Heat [RR and Mondale are edited into
what we KNOW they'd really say.]
By the way, I was quite anti-disco at one point, too, (though always on a
record-by-record basis) even though I liked Chic's instrumentals (better
and more exciting musically than a lot of ANY pop crap within five years of
it) and the sophistication of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. What
really annoyed me about disco (especially 1978-era) was the lack of musical
variety, and the almost always mindless lyrics -- and what was worse, how
self-referential the whole thing was.
But after it ``died,'' disco (maybe just urban music that people dance to)
got better: it got more in touch with real people -- rock and roll elements
can be heard in a lot of new songs, and the closest music to disco, funk,
has made it more interesting, humourous, topical, and varied. More
specifically, at least one aspect of rap has forced dance music to get in
touch with reality, and the need for the new (not always good in itself,
but at least things get moving stylistically) has brought such wildly
avant-garde notions as scratching and sampling into pop. Hell, I've heard
r&b things that, for sheer joy of experimentation, blow anglo/art crap
played on ``new music'' programs right out of the water.
It's like that,
and that's the way it is !
--
``Bob'' (Robert P. Krajewski)
ARPA: RpK@MC
MIT Local: RpK@OZ
UUCP: genradbo!miteddie!rpk
or genradbo!miteddie!mitvax!rpk