rpk@mit-eddie.UUCP (Robert Krajewski) (03/28/84)
King Sunny Ade: Ajoo [Makossa International, album] Yet more evidence for Ade's preeminence on the Nigerian pop scene: this his is third release in 16 months, and yet there's no sign of faltering. The previous album (on Mango/Island) was more agressively mixed, like a rock record, but the power and beauty of the band still comes through on Ajoo, which actually is the same album released in Nigeria. It's another albumfull of juju, with steel guitars, talking drums, and a generally hypnotic sound that's appropriate for both dancing and close listening. ``Gbeyogbeyo'' is very interesting for its majestic pace and synth arrangment. The The: Soul Mining [Some Bizarre/Epic, album] Matt Johnson, known by what must be the ultimate ``new wave'' name (can you recall 1979 ?) has created a very personal album, laying bare emotions that you felt but you thought no one would ever try to sing about because their expression would lend themselves to 3-minute, easily-digested pop ditties. The really stunning achievement of this album is, despite the darkness of some of the songs, his emotional singing (not quite like anybody else at the moment), how gorgeous the melodies and arrangements are, transforming the length of the songs from self-indulgence to an opportunity to let the songs grow and build. Especially notable are ``Uncertain Smile'' and ``This is the Day.'' Grandmaster and Melle Mel: ``White Lines'' [Sugar Hill, 12"] Certainly the best anti-drug song to come out in a long time: I wonder if Nancy Reagan is break-dancing to it ? Melle Mel takes disco/break talk and conventions and twists them around to paint an ironically seductive picture of the cocaine rush. A great groove, too. Simple Minds: Sparkle in the Rain [A & M, album] Wonderful: they've taken the sheen of ``New Gold Dream'' and beefed up the sound more aggressively here. There's even a cover of ``Street Hassle.'' So the album is less dreamy than the previous one, but it makes up for the loss with invigorating movement. Oh yeah, lyrics indecipherable, as usual. B-Boys: ``Rock the House'' + ``Cutting Herbie'' [Vintertainment, 12"] Very adept scratching from New York; the first cut is a fair rap about the scene in NYC, while the second cut is a cut of ``Rockit,'' which makes it a very hard-hitting, even psychedelic, dance track. Run-DMC: ``It's Like That'' + ``Sucker MCs'' ``Hard Times'' + ``Jam-Master Jay'' [Profile, 12"] Run-DMC may be the first ``album-class'' rap group (it's actually a duo), certainly besting the Furious Five for consistency of material (though *their* best stuff is incomparable). The first cuts for each single are hard-hitting raps about working your way up out of adversity (it may be the inner city for them, but it doesn't soften the impact for just folks), the second cuts for each are sharp boasts, more imaginative that anything else by rap groups. Musical backgrounds are sharp and rhythmic, while the rappers trade off phrases at a dizzying clip. Their next single should be interesting: it will feature very heavy guitar (almost a punk/metal rap). Two new albums, one by Thomas Dolby, and one by Laurie Anderson, have just been released; their contemporaneity does not seem accidental. Both artists are at home with technology, and video, and both approach the pop song format from decidely non-pop directions. (An article in the NYT has already noted this.) It also seems that Dolby is moving towards looser song structures (compared to his previous album), while Anderson is tightening up her pieces and hanging more substantial musical arrangements on them. Thomas Dolby: The Flat Earth [Capitol, album] Don't let ``Hyperactive'' fool you; this album is more surreal and drawn out (but not to excess) than that single or most of the stuff on ``Golden Age.'' Dolby has incorporated new rhythmic influences (notably, funk and some latin stuff), but they are merely for arrangement, not the base of the song (unlike the Talking Heads ``Remain In Light.'') The first side, consisting of just three long songs, starts with ``Dissidents,'' quiet and slightly disturbing: an ominous funk bass riff supports sinuous synth lines, again showing Dolby's skill for getting just the right sound. The title cut which follows oscillates between melancholia and gentle inspiration; ``Screen Kiss'' closes the side with a tale of a young family's troubles, without lapsing into the detached ``social-commentary'' attitude typical of purported ``meaningfull'' songwriters. Side two kicks off with ``White City,'' the only fast ``rock'' song on the album, and then we are transported into a strange land with ``Mulu the Rain Forest'' Then a cover of Dan Hicks' ``I Scare Myself'' follows, with nary a synth in sight. ``Hyperactive'' is last, and that's probably the only real place for it. In general, the lyrics are more pointillistic that earlier, but one can still get the general ideas of most of the songs. Also, the music and the arrangements, especially in ``Earth'' and ``Screen Kiss,'' are among the prettiest he's done. Recommended. Laurie Anderson: Mr. Heartbreak [Warner Brothers, album] More a collection of songs instead of monologues set to music, this album, with an all-star cast, is very listenable and yet very quirky. ``Sharkey's Day'' about a man who discovers life can be more exciting away from the desk, features an arrangment weaving many voices, exotic percussion (common throughout the album), and cutting rhythm guitar from Adrian Belew. Most of the helping hands on the album belong to Peter Gabriel (who actually make only one recognisable vocal appearance) and Bill Laswell, bass player for Material. Other songs feature Orientalism (``Kokoku''), fables set in futuristic soundscapes (``Langue d'Amour''), and even references to Thomas Pynchon (``Gravity's Angel''). On the whole, a very worthwhile record and one with much more staying power than ``Big Science.'' I'm still not quite sure what the ``commercial'' tack in this record is supposed to be. Ms. Anderson's work has always been very accessible, and her musical backdrops are emimently listenable, using ``rougher'' sounds (such as in ``New York City Social Life'') to a humorous or sound-painting end. -- ``Bob'' (Robert P. Krajewski) ARPA: RpK@MC MIT Local: RpK@OZ UUCP: genradbo!miteddie!rpk or genradbo!miteddie!mitvax!rpk