rpk@mit-eddie.UUCP (Robert Krajewski) (02/13/84)
;;; -*-Mode:Text-*- True West: [Bring Out Your Dead, EP] Produced by Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate, True West evokes a truly American blend of rock and roll with pyschedelic overtones (especially on the cover of Pink Floyd's ``Lucifer Sam''). The prominent sound elements are a simple rock sound and very trebly guitars, like the Byrds' but less polished. I especially like the folkish ``Hollywood Holiday.'' Steve Nieve: Keyboard Jungle [Demon, album, England] Don't expect anything like you'd heard on pop radio; on this record, Elvis the C's keyboardist stretches out into a creative blend of classical, romantic, and music-hall-influenced acoustic piano pieces. The jacket design is very witty, and there are some free-form ramblings by Chris Difford (ex-Squeeze) that accompany each ``song.'' XTC: Mummer [Virgin, album, England] or [Geffen, album] XTC have made both their most ``commercial'' and yet their most idiosyncratic album (since guitarist Dave Gregory joined the band). The drummer left shortly after the sessions for the album began, so most of the songs lack the familiar authoratitative *thwack* of earlier XTC. The album may be considered ``commercial'' because of the surface simplicity and polished melodicism of most of the songs, but three others (``Beating of Hearts,'' ``Human Alchemy,'' and ``Deliver Us from the Elements'') feature strange sounds and droning washes over exotic rhythms. Now that Geffen has finally decided to release the album in the states (it was out in England in November), maybe they can build on the auidence that noticed ``Senses Working Overtime.'' Depeche Mode: Construction Time Again [Sire/Mute, album] Depeche-Mode have evolved from somewhat frivolous synthpop ensemble into a more thoughtful group with the release of this album. You know things are different when the first cut says ``now I find that most of the time, love's not enough in itself.'' Simple, yes, but refreshing, given the surface candy glaze of much synth pop. I even detect woodwinds and percussion (some metallic) in the mix; it definitely has a very clean, tranquil sound. Style Council: Introducing the Style Council [Polydor, EP] Somebody on the net mentioned that Paul Weller had started a ``jazz band.'' Well, not really. The Style Council draw heavily on American r&b (now whenever will more than a handful of American WHITE bands ever do the same ?), mostly some light funk, Motown (of course), and vocal groups. But there's also some acoustic guitar strumming and deft ivory-tickling (by Mick Talbot, the other member of the ``group''). The Style Council is like the Jam its love for r&b (now it's more explicit) and its commercial success in England (though not as much). Best cuts: ``Speak Like a Child'' and ``Long Hot Summer.'' However, the club mix of the latter is a waste of vinyl. X: More Fun in the New World [Elektra, album] When a American band starts complaining about not getting enough airplay because of the British Invasion Mark II, they'd better be good. X is good enough to complain, and they *are* getting played on the radio now (sort of) and MTV (at 4am). Their unique punk/blues/country blend (though it's much more than a mixture), propelled by the Airplane-like vocals of John Doe and Exene, the incredible guitar playing of Billy Zoom, and the Ramones-like beat of D.J. Bonebrake, can't but elicit enthusiasm. Rock is supposed to do that, I've heard. Golden Palominos: [Celluloid, album] Or ``NY Jazz Wierdness You Can Dance To.'' Arto Lindsay, Bill Laswell, Fred Frith, Anton Fier, and a cast of thousands make cacophonous, cerebral stuff to dance to, though I doubt it's getting played anywhere outside a couple of avant-garde shows. Some of it's pretty good, and not grating at all, but some of it is humorless obscurity for it's own sake. Hunters And Collectors: [A & M/Oz, album] These guys, though they hail from Oz, are not Men at Work. They play a noisy (but danceable) blend of native (to Austrailia) rhythms and post-punk frenzy, sometimes made more mainstream by punchy horn charts. Although it's a remarkably original and unpretentious sound, I found the record not immediately accessible, and some of the cuts may go on for too long. Recommended if you like a psycedelic element in your dance music. Into Battle With the Art of Noise [Island/ZTT, 12" single] Frankly, I'm surprised at how such a strange-sounding piece of vinyl could be in the top 10 in the dance charts. It's a bizarre lark perpetrated by Trevor Horn (producer for the first ABC album, the latest by Yes, ex-Buggle), Paul Morley (a writer for the NME) and various cohorts on the rest of the record industry. The tools are scratch/dub production techniques and what sounds like a lot of Fairlight CMI hackery and a droll sense of humour. More like an EP, it features processed drum machines, altered voices, and the sounds of entire symphony orchestras crashing. But it's catchy, and you can dance to it. -- ``Bob'' (Robert P. Krajewski) ARPA: RpK@MC MIT Local: RpK@OZ UUCP: genradbo!miteddie!rpk or genradbo!miteddie!mitvax!rpk
salomon@smu.UUCP (02/14/84)
#R:mit-eddi:-124000:smu:20200003:000:396 smu!salomon Feb 13 08:24:00 1984 Here in Dallas, I heard a live cut of 'In a Big Country', and I am sure that i will find some way to make it to the show. The three songs that you mentioned are as good as any three on BOY(U2). These guys simply need more time. If you know a Tony Masterson(MIT-EE) Please tell him that Marc Salomon says hi. Where are the Clash when you need them? Marc Salomon - SMU Dallas Texas