alfke@CSVAX.CALTECH.EDU (J. Peter Alfke) (11/18/86)
[1] Woodentops, the Palace (H'wood) 13 November Yah, it was great. Even more frenetic than the pre-Giant studio stuff. Quite a different perspective; the thrash-speed version of "Love Train" and the Stones version of "Love Affair With Everyday Livin'". And on a similar subject, I have now seen the CD of Giant, but at $20.99 I passed it up. Gah. [2] The Mighty Lemon Drops, "Happy Head" Mentioned this last week on net.muzak, and still don't have time to really do a coherent review, but there's a lot of early-Bunnymen influence as well as an overall sixties-garage-pop sound. But that still doesn't really describe it. Play this record. [3] The Soft Boys Borrowed some Soft Boys and Robyn Hitchcock from a friend, and have started to listen. "Underwater Moonlight" is just the grooviest thing! "Black Snake Diamond Role" is pretty good too, but missing (for the most part) the harmonies and grindy guitar of the Soft Boys. Still like it a lot. [4] A Flock of Seagulls Oh yeah, them. Got their first album at my then-girlfriend's insistence, and liked it. Course, this was back when I was just discovering that there was music beyond fusion and AOR. Every once in a while I pull the album out and play it; mostly for that nostalgic feeling, but hey, it's fun pop and has some catchy melodies and isn't too reprehensible (unlike their succeeding albums which I have never touched even with a twenty-foot pole). [5] Cabaret Voltaire "Crackdown" 12" Found it at last! Eight and a half minutes of sonic gnarliness, even if the tippy-tappy percussion has been partly eclipsed by a more conventional beat. [6] Kate Bush, "Experiment 4" Friend bought it and played it on my stereo. Right speaker was out (still haven't fixed this). Sounded good. Really good. For a pop song. Why is it the greatest thing in the world? Haven't these people heard "I Wanna Destroy You" (see #2)?? Or "Talk About the Weather"? Or the live version of "Set The Controls For the Heart of the Sun"? Or "Shallow Then Halo"? Or "Get Out of My House" or "Under Ice" or ........... [7] Hofmann & Wicinski & Trowbridge Oh shut up. Or at least talk about something worthwhile. (Or just continue, this ranting is actually fun to read. For a while.) --Peter Alfke alfke@csvax.caltech.edu "Please don't call me Reg (someone somewhere It's not my name" cracks DOWN)