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==== ISSUE 129 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [November 24, 1997]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gaj@westnet.com
Sr. Correspondents: Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren,
Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva
Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Tracey Bleile, Lee
Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Patrick Carmosino,
Krisjanis Gale, Bill Holmes, Eric Hsu, Tim
Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Stephen Lin, Scott Miller,
Linda Scott, Rainier Simoneaux, Scott Slonaker,
Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon West,
Lang Whitaker
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gaj@westnet.com
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
==================================================================
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| Contents |
`------------'
REVIEW: Jane's Addiction, _Kettle Whistle_ - Sean Eric McGill
REVIEW: Dave Matthews Band, _Live At Red Rocks 8.24.95_ - Lang Whitaker
REVIEW: Cornershop, _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Chumbawamba, _Tubthumper_ - Simon West
INTERVIEW: Fig Dish - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Pat Dinizio, _Songs And Sounds_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Beats & Rhymes Hip-Hop Music of the '90s_
- Lang Whitaker
REVIEW: Tanya Donelly, _Lovesongs for Underdogs_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: Morphine, _B-Sides and Otherwise_ - Rainier Simoneaux
REVIEW: Jonatha Brooke, _10c Wings_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Various Artists, _MTV Buzz Bin Volume 2_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Joan Baez, _Gone From Danger_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Greg Garing, _Alone_ - Lee Graham Bridges
REVIEW: Various, _Fuzzy Logic_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Club NRG Volume 1_ / _Mega Hits Dance
Party Vol. 1_ - Bob Gajarsky
DOORS CONTEST GIVEAWAY
NEWS: Consumable's Searchable Archives, Michael Hutchence, Verve Pipe,
Violent Femmes, Chris Vrenna / Rasputina
TOUR DATES: Daniel Cartier, Paula Cole / Devlins, Deftones / Limp
Bizkit, Dots Will Echo, Dream Theatre , Duran Duran, Everclear / Our
Lady Peace / Letters To Cleo , Fly, Irving Plaza (New York City
concert hall), Jane's Addiction, Jars of Clay / Plumb, Freedy
Johnston, Lords of Acid / Jack Off Jill, Magnolia Thunderfinger,
Holly McNarland, Moby, Motley Crue, Moxy Fruvous, Pantera /
Anthrax / Coal Chamber , Phish, Promise Ring / Compound Red, Rolling
Stones / Third Eye Blind, Jim Rose Circus, Semisonic, Sister Hazel,
Stereolab / High Llamas, Subrosa, Superdrag, Third Eye Blind
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consuamble
---
REVIEW: Jane's Addiction, _Kettle Whistle_ (Warner)
- Sean Eric McGill
"We've taken things as far as they can go."
These are the words spoken by Perry Farrell in 1991 concerning
the breakup of Jane's Addiction, the seminal alternative rock band that
helped define a genre. Now, more than six years later, we have _Kettle
Whistle_ , the new album from Jane's Addiction. So, maybe things hadn't
gone as far as they could have...or maybe they have.
With Flea replacing original bassist Eric Avery, the lineup
remains the same. And, on the four new tracks, the sound certainly
remains the same. While Porno for Pyros did retain some of the
original elements of the Jane's Addiction sound, they certainly had
their own style. And with Dave Navarro teaming with Flea in the Red
Hot Chili Peppers, there seemed little chance for any new music coming
from Jane's Addiction.
But, if you get technical, _Kettle Whistle_ isn't really a new
album from Jane's Addiction. Between bootlegs and singles, all but four
of the songs available have been available before. Technicalities
aside, _Kettle Whistle_ is a new Jane's Addiction album in that while
a good bit of the music has been available in the past, it does mark
the first time you can get it all in one widely-available package.
Of the newer batch of songs, "Kettle Whistle" is clearly the
best. In one song, all the things that I personally always loved about
Jane's Addiction is perfectly captured: the soaring vocals of Farrell,
the driving rhythm section, and Navarro's guitar work. And while the
majority of the older tracks are live versions, the live version of
"Whores" (from the debut album) captures the energy of a Jane's
Addiction live performance better than any of the others.
With a one-song performance on Saturday Night Live under their
belt and a mostly sold-out tour underway, it seems like Jane's Addiction
is back. And even if it is for just this short while, I'm going to
enjoy them while they're around. They changed everything we thought we
knew about alternative rock a decade ago, and at a time when the genre
they helped create has become increasingly stagnant, perhaps they can do
the same again.
---
REVIEW: Dave Matthews Band, _Live At Red Rocks 8.24.95_ (RCA)
- Lang Whitaker
Live/concert albums are often like Saturday Night Live
sketches- they seem like a great idea whenever they are hatched into
production, but by the time the finished product rolls along, it is
often disappointing. It's no surprise, really. Without the luxury of
overproducing in the studio and having any number of musicians
available to call upon, it is difficult to replicate in a live setting
the sound that the public has embraced. As a result, many artists
either play live using taped tracks instead of live musicians (common
in the R&B genre), or they just don't perform live at all.
However, there are some times when it does work. It takes not
only the right band but also the right style of music. With the Dave
Matthews Band, it works, and it works very well.
Playing their own brand of improvisation laced
jazz/folk/rock/worldbeat fusion, DMB has sewn their seed all over the
U.S. in the past few years through incessant touring, word of mouth,
and by allowing their fans to record (and later trade tapes within
their thriving underground network) their live shows. The only problem
with this formula is one that has arisen in the past two or three
years. As the technology level of the fans has progressed, CD's of
live shows were being mass produced and sold at Mom and Pop record
shops all around the country. In order to fight this burgeoning
industry, DMB recently announced plans to release a CD series of old
concerts from their archives on RCA, which not only puts more music
out there for the hardcore DMB fans that had refused to buy the
bootleg CD's, but the CD series will also begin drawing milk from a
cash cow just now being milked by the cluster of granola bands known
for their live shows and intensly loyal, bong-addled fans (Phish,
Widespread Panic, DMB).
Releasing the concert they chose for the first CD is
somewhat of a dubious choice. Not that it isn't a good collection,
because it is an excellent CD. It is curious because there are many
other shows surviving on tape that are much more phenomenal. Maybe
DMB was simply trying not to set the bar too high for themselves right
off the bat.
The two discs of _Live at Red Rock_ contain material that
encompasses not only most of DMB's studio work, but also several fan
favorites never before released. The vertical jam of "#36", a tribute
to slain South African apartheid activist Chris Hani, and the elderly
love song "Granny" both make their official debut, although both have
been passed around from taper to taper too many times to be counted.
Also included is the encore standard of "All Along the Watchtower",
which DMB reworks into a cover that ranges from plaintive to powerful.
Dave Matthews also contributes a solo, acoustic version of
"Typical Situation", on which his fantastic guitar playing is
featured. It's rare that a rhythm guitar player is so universally
hailed, but once you hear Matthews' inflections and interpretations,
it makes sense. Part of the Dave Matthews legend is that he never
learned any chords on the guitar, instead figuring out for himself
which notes sounded good together. It's that self-taught rawness that
rings loud, clear, and sweet in the echo of Matthews' guitar.
Providing counterpoint and melodies to Matthews' guitar are
the violin playing of Boyd Tinsley and the reed work of Leroi Moore,
two completely contrasting styles that go in the same direction.
Tinsley is probably the only 6'2", dreadlocked, black violin player
in modern rock and roll. His lively playing is complemented in a live
setting by his happy feet. He doesn't so much play music as he seems
to channel it - his body flailing and swinging around in time to the
rhythms. His electricity translates well, as you can hear the crowd
responding to Tinsley's antics. His solos on songs like "Ants
Marching" and "Tripping Billies" are tight. On the other hand, Moore
is a sedentary figure that stays planted in place during the live
shows. It's kind of surprising, because the level of his saxaphone
and flute work is often below the levels that Tinsley and Matthews
generate. On slower songs, like "Lover Lay Down", Moore seems very
much at home.
The unifying force behind DMB is the drumming of Carter
Beauford. Blessed with ambidexterity beyond reproach, Beauford's
jazz origins allow him to interpret the basic rock rhythms of some
songs ("Too Much", "Tripping Billies") in new and nuclear ways. Other
songs that are more complex really allow Beauford to glow from behind
his kit. For example, the 6/4 lope of "Proudest Monkey" provides
plenty of room for Beauford to run all over the place, while always
being back at home by the downbeat. Also, check out Beauford's
two-minute drum solo that kicks off "#36". Bassist Stefan Lessard's
reserved groove is the perfect complement to Beauford's electric
style. Lessard is always in the pocket and never gets in the way
of the myriad of things going on in between all of the instruments.
The show from _Live at Red Rocks_ is atypical from most DMB
shows in several ways. To begin with, Dave Matthews has always had
a penchant for what his fans have come to call Dave-speak, a
nervous, unintelligible stream of consciousness that would spew forth
with the regularity of Old Faithful from Matthews between songs.
Curiously, there is very little, if any, of that. I don't know if it
was edited out or whether Matthews was just off kilter that night, but
for whatever reason, the Dave-speak is missing.
Another surprise about the _LARR_ disc is that the wee Tim
Reynolds, the studio guitarist who contributes to all of the DMB
albums, plays with the band that night. His presence infuriates many
fans, who point out that he is not officially in the band. However,
who cares. Reynolds is a virtuostic guitarist, and he doesn't clog
up the sound at all.
All in all, _Live At Red Rocks_ is a wonderful testament to
everything that makes DMB so great, as well as a good stepping stone
towards the next live release.
---
REVIEW: Cornershop, _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_
(Luaka Bop/Warner)
- Al Muzer
Fueled by the propulsive acoustic beat and simplistic chant
("everybody needs a bosom for a pillow") of the surprise radio hit,
"Brimful Of Asha," vocalist/guitarist Tjinder Singh and his multi
national four-piece come close to delivering the artistic revelation
hinted at on 1995s uneven (yet interesting) _Woman's Gotta Have It_.
While it does boast more than enough potential hits and
Beck-friendly beats to attract your average, flavor-of-the-minute
alterna-diletante; _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ is still enough
of a stylistic melange to captivate - and frequently delight - even the
most jaded music fan.
Kicking things off with the smooth, swaying pulse and
harmonium-driven hypno-groove of "Sleep On The Left Side," Cornershop
establishes a loose, straight-outta-left-field playfulness driven by
sitar, percussion, acoustic guitar, deft scratching, Dholki, Tamboura,
an occasionally breathtaking weirdness and a sly Punjabi folk-funk
shuffle that makes _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ a perfect addition
to a five-disc CD player already loaded with Cibo Matto's _Viva! La
Woman_ , Beck's _Odelay_ , the Beasties' _Paul's Boutique_ and an
Esquivel compilation.
---
REVIEW: Chumbawamba, _Tubthumper_ (Republic/Universal)
- Simon West
That's right - that song. One of the most unlikely hits in recent
months comes from one of the most unlikely sources. Chumbawamba have
been around for more than ten years, but chart success has eluded them
up until now. They'll need another hit now, of course. Unfortunately,
_Tubthumper_ seems to be equipped with just the one.
_Tubthumper_ kicks off with "Tubthumping" - that song. The success
is thoroughly deserved - an absolutely classic chorus, and overall the
best lager-related chant since Underworld's "Born Slippy". The stated
definition of Chumba's Tubthumping is "... stumbling home from your
local bar, when the world is ready to be PUT RIGHT...", and the music
and lyrics convey this attitude well.
As every article about the band has pointed out, as "England's
Favorite Anarchists", Chumbawamba's lyrics tend to deal with social and
political issues, and _Tubthumper_ continues the tradition. The usual
activist topics are all represented, from homelessness and
exploitation of the workers, to Britain's new government in the rather
good next single, "Amnesia".
Perhaps the biggest disappointment with _Tubthumper_ is the mood
overall. The music is pleasant - good hooks, nice bit of brass here
and there, very tuneful, but largely forgettable. A couple of songs
beside the single stand out - "One By One", dedicated to "to all
workers who take on bosses", and the anti-racist "Scapegoat", but by
and large it's all rather uneventful. Perhaps amiable catchiness is
the best way to put your point across, but I like a little more
aggression with my social commentary, whether it's the punk snarl and
bile of Carter USM, the rage of the Manics, or even the hip-hop/Clash
style of The 25th Of May (no, seriously, does _anyone_ remember?)
Chumbawamba hit this groove occasionally, notably on "I Want More"
with its attack on the "tearoom England" of the upper classes, but
elsewhere the lyrics are less effective because the music just won't
let you get riled up enough.
By and large though, _Tubthumper_ is a success - not least
because of the lyrical content currently infiltrating even the dullest
record collections around the world. A little more aggression might have
made for a truly memorable album, rather than simply a good one. A final
note - the album is significantly poorer without the booklet's
accompanying set of quotes and comments. These had to be excised for
legal reasons Stateside, but can be found in their entirety at The
First Church Of Chumbawamba - http://www.chumba.com . Well worth
checking out, which applies to the album as well.
---
REVIEW: Pat DiNizio, _Songs and Sounds_ (Velvel)
- Bill Holmes
I'll admit, I was nervous when I saw the press release claiming
that Smithereens songwriter and vocalist DiNizio was recording with a
different group of people to capture a new sound. And the record's
introductory track, the drifting "Where Am I Going", threw a scare into
me. But once the opening notes of "Nobody But Me" cranked out of my
speakers, all was right with the world again - this great pop mine still
had a thick gold vein.
I wouldn't blame DiNizio if he did try something new. The
Smithereens have crafted some of the catchiest pop songs of the past
fifteen years, yet flirt with cult status at best. So after the last
record (the disappointing _A Date With The Smithereens_ ) didn't set
the world on fire, rumors flew that Pat would try a new band while the
rest of the Smithereens backed up Kink Dave Davies. Hearing that the
band included a jazz horn player didn't make my day - I love jazz, but
I love Pat's pop songs much, much more.
With _Songs And Sounds_ , DiNizio seems to have satisfied his
muse while preserving the pop sensibilities of his former band.
Ironically, this record sounds more like earlier work like _Green
Thoughts_ than a departure! "124 MPH", "Running Jumping Standing
Still" and especially "Today It's You" are the best songs he's
written in five years. Had this disc come out under The Smithereens
banner, most people (myself included) would have thought it to be a
great comeback record.
Bassist J J Burnel (ex-Stranglers!) and Tony Smith are a
formidable rhythm section, and Sonny Fortune contributes some excellent
sax work on the haunting intro to "No Love Lost" and especially the
smoky cafi closer, "I'd Rather Have The Blues". Producer Don Dixon
aptly mixes the flavor of the disc accordingly - ballads like "Lisa"
smooth and graceful; pop-rockers like "Everyday World" have that
updated 1960's slap.
Smithereens fans will be encouraged that the band recently
played as a unit at the New York "Cave Stomp" festival, and the new
rumors are that the reformed band will be recording and releasing a
record in 1998. Until then, _Songs And Sounds_ will keep fans more
than satisfied, and hopefully bring some long-overdue recognition to
the fold.
---
INTERVIEW: Fig Dish
- Al Muzer
"Things do get a little strange here and there, don't
they," chuckles guitarist/vocalist Blake Smith when a few of the
more creative lyrical moments on Figdish's second Polydor Records
release, _When Shove Goes Back To Push_ , are mentioned.
"We had most of the lyrics written down before we showed
up at the studio," he continues. "As soon as we got there, however,
we started drinking - basically, all day long. We wound up in the
vocal booth at some point but nobody could remember any of the
words! So, we just kind'a made shit up as we went along," he laughs.
"You know, 'Hey! Now that sounds pretty cool!' That's why things on
the record may seem a little, uhm, obtuse at times."
One of the brightest-sounding records of 1997, the latest
offering from the Chicago-based four-piece picks up the crunchy,
Raspberries-flavored, guitar-pop torch their critically-acclaimed
1995 debut, _That's What Love Songs Often Do_ , carried while it
adds even more hooks, harmonies, glockenspiel, pseudo-metal riffs,
techno-churn chaos, smart-ass lyrics, jangling power chords and
revved-up guitar madness to the group's arsenal.
"We're all huge fans of good pop music," Smith says of his
bandmates. "The great thing about being in Figdish is that the four
of us all share a common pop vocabulary. We've all known each other
since high school and we all come from the same place musically, so
we don't have to consciously try to effect any particular pose. We
just play what comes naturally to us."
"One of my favorite comments that I hear about the band
when people see us live is that our gigs are more like watching a
gang than a band," he adds. "We get out there and we're all, like,
totally tuned in to each other and completely into putting on a
great show."
"It's all, you know, about delivering 'the rock' to the
people," Smith laughs. "And, while that might sound kind'a corny and
may even border on Spinal Tap, the thing is, we all love music so
much that our pure love for playing and making music sometimes makes
us come off as a little bit weird on stage."
"We almost seem like a put-on or like we're goofing on the
audience when we're really goin' at it up there," he chuckles. "We
jump around all over the place and like to strike these really
dramatic, Ted Nugent-as-guitar-God poses. The thing is, though, as
much as we love having fun, we're more than half-serious about what
we're doing."
"You know, we've tossed a few television sets out of a few
windows and gotten ourselves into a bit of trouble every now and
then," Smith laughs when asked just how far he and his band were
willing to take their quest for rock 'n' roll fun."
"Which makes a lot of the people we know ask us stuff
like, 'What the hell are you guys doin'? Don't you want this?' [a
career as a musician] And I'm, like, 'Well, yeah! This is what this
is to me.' Partying. Getting loose. Having fun, man, when I was a
kid growing up in the '80s, that was what rock was all about, you
know? People really enjoying what they were doing."
"Rock has just gotten so damn tight-assed over the last few
years," he says with a mixture of frustration and genuine disgust.
"You turn on the radio anymore and everyone you hear is so damn
serious and so damn straight-faced - it's fuckin' rock, man! Lighten
up, have some fun! Throw a party!"
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Beats & Rhymes Hip-Hop Music of
the '90s_ (Rhino)
- Lang Whitaker
Even though I love rap music, I often find myself switching
it off these days. Nothing against Puffy or Master P, but there is a
definite lack of creativity today in the Hip-Hop Nation. I get tired
of hearing every song from the 80's being re-done with some monotone
soliloquoy spoken on top of it in which the phrase "around the world"
is rhymed with "pearls". Even more discouraging than the lack of
creativity is the lack of of subject matter out there. It's almost a
shame that N.W.A. and The Geto Boys ever hit it big, because everyone
else has been busy trying to "keep it real" ever since, even if they
were never real to begin with (witness Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Kris Kross).
_Beats and Rhymes: Hip-Hop Music of the '90s_ , is a new three
record collection from Rhino Records that recalls the earlier days of
rap music, back when weekends meant two-turntables and a microphone,
not two glocks and a 40. A well planned compilation effort, on the
whole it is an extremely upliting and satisfying listen, despite
the reality of the topics that are often confronted.
There are many highlights between the three discs, which
makes it hard to single out only a few. On the first disc, A Tribe
Called Quest shows their visionary genius on "Bonita Applebum", a
ghetto love song that features not one, but two samples the Fugees
eventually stole and turned into millions of greenbacks. KRS-One and
Boogie Down Productions warn of the controlling power of money on
"Love's Gonna Get 'Cha (Material Love)". A young but funk-filled Teddy
Riley produces a fading star in Big Daddy Kane on "I Get the Job Done".
On Disc Two, Brand Nubian, featuring Grand Puba and Sadat X,
slows down Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians' "What I Am" on the
track "Slow Down", an amazing tale of a life lost to substance abuse.
The Leaders Of The New School, with a pre-Whoo-ha! Busta Rhymes,
contribute the comical "Case of the PTA". DJ Quik describes in
accurate detail a night in California on "Tonite".
The final disc is full of jams; from Del, the Funkee
Homosapien's biting social critique of the hip-hop style biters on
"Mistadobalina", to "Ya Mama", The Pharcyde's recreation of lunchroom
snaps. Also worth checking out is the amazing Chip-Fu of Fu Schnickens,
who dances all over the track on "La Schmoove".
As I listened to the discs, several things stood out at me. One
of the primary things I noticed was the lost art of scratching. Nowadays
scratching appears in every genre on the radio (Hanson's "HmmBop!"), and
even then it only gets a cursory shot. On the discs of this collection,
scratching is often one of the key elements, if not the main ingredient,
in the songs. For example, on Heavy D. & The Boyz's "Who's The Man (Jeep
Bass)", a version of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" is scratched in
throughout the songs.
Another seemingly lost art form is the proper use of samples.
In the songs of this collection, samples are used sparingly, usually
arriving in two and three beat loops. There are usually seperate bass
lines running underneath them, so that when the samples play over the
bass parts they add to the song, not totally comprise it. Even the
samples that are longer in length (Brickell on "Slow Down") are sped up
or slowed down enough to be almost unrecognizable. This is a sharp
contrast to the "sample" of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" in Janet
Jackson's "Got 'Til It's Gone", or Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out", which
essentially is the entire song "More Money, More Problems".
As the violent content of rap music has increased through
the 90's, the mainsteam popularity and financial lucrativity have also
ballooned. However, with the growing fame and fortune that find rap
artists, there eventually comes a point where the music loses its
connection to the man on the street, and as a result, the credibility
goes out the window too. Many artists nowadays are doing cover tunes
of old rap songs (Eric Sermon's "Rapper's Delight"; Snoop Doggy Dogg's
"The Vapors"). Until rap music returns to its roots, thank God for
compilation albums like this.
---
REVIEW: Tanya Donelly, _Lovesongs for Underdogs_ (Reprise)
- Reto Koradi
She may be a member of the 20-something set, yet Tanya
Donelly can almost be considered a veteran in female alternative
rock: Throwing Muses, Breeders, Belly - her band list looks like the
who's who of the genre. And while fans were sad about the split of
Belly, this was not an end to seeing Tanya's face in the spotlight.
Donelly just found that the time has now come to put her own name and
face on a record cover.
The first few tracks of _Lovesongs for Underdogs_ do not show
a huge difference to past efforts. Songs like the single "Pretty Deep"
or "The Bright Light" could just as well have been on a next Belly
album. But the longer the album runs, the more variation comes into
play. There is a whole number of beautiful, slowly paced songs like
"Acrobat", and Donelly widens her territory even further. "Goat Girl"
is a playful, slightly folky tune, and "Bum" is atmospheric with
somewhat muddy instrumentation. Even though some of the songs show a
slight tendency in that direction, Donelly has not joined the league
of female singer/songwriters, as is shown by her vocals soaring over a
noisy background in "Breathe Around You".
While presenting herself as a solo artist, Donelly takes support
from prominent members of the Boston scene, with (former) members of the
Pixies, Throwing Muses, Letters To Cleo, Veruca Salt and Juliana Hatfield
Three, the latter being nobody else than her husband Dean Fisher on bass.
Most lyrics circle around relations, and are, as expected, much more
personal than the ones from her previous band projects.
_Lovesongs for Underdogs_ is certainly the most versatile and
mature effort of Tanya Donelly so far. In this natural development she
might have lost some of the charming freshness that made Belly's _Star_
so outstanding, but new qualities are added. And the most important
talents will probably always be with her. Despite its remarkable range,
her voice has a fragile touch that you can hardly get enough of once you
are hooked. And most of all, she has the capability of writing one great
song after the other.
---
REVIEW: Morphine, _B-Sides and Otherwise_ (Rykodisc)
- Rainier Simoneaux
A vintage illustration on the cover of this collection of rare
live cuts, soundtrack efforts, and other songs mined from Morphine's
past portrays a woman spiking a dish of pasta with poisonous
ingredients. Unfortunately, such a noxious blend is not too far from
the usual result when a band purges its vaults and issues their
findings within a single volume - a few cuts of remarkable quality
debased by others which are so uninspired so as to make one question
why they were recorded in the first place. Morphine's _B-Sides and
Otherwise_ , though, is at least derived from some quality stock.
Since forming in 1992, this Boston-based band has nurtured a
distinctive sound based on the smokey, brooding saxophone of Dana
Colley and the visceral voice and Beat lyrics of Mark Sandman to
create what may be the most uniquely potent music of this decade.
Of the twelve tracks amassed here, however, only the first three
capture the minimalist three-piece's craft at its sharpest, perhaps
because they are recordings of live radio broadcasts of previously
released material. Each of these embody the cool intensity which
Morphine brings to a live show and are engineered to perfection (making
one wonder about the power a live collection might contain). The
remainder of the tracks vary from ambient instrumental soundtrack
material to "Pulled over the Car", a quirky, angular song from the Yes
sessions which has become a staple of their live sets over the past few
years. Other songs, such as "Sundayafternoonweightlessness", give
glimpses into Morphine's more improvisational experiments. Ironically,
it's during these attempts at the avant-garde ("Kerouac", "My Brain") that
they become almost innocuous and banal - one can appreciate the light
of day without having to stare directly into the sun.
Though hardly as consistent and solid as their previous albums,
_B-Sides and Otherwise_ should be a welcomed addition to the collection
of devoted fans. Those who have yet to discover the emotionally explosive
sounds of Morphine would be doing themselves a disservice by not
checking into their previous studio material.
---
REVIEW: Jonatha Brooke, _10c Wings_ (Refuge/MCA)
- Jon Steltenpohl
_10c Wings_ is the second album by The Story's Jonatha Brooke
since she stopped performing with her partner Jennifer Kimball. Brooke
wrote all of the songs, and Kimball sang backup. But, even after a few
albums, it still feels like something's missing. There was an innocent
feel to the first album by The Story that Brooke has never been able to
match, and the lack of Kimball's harmonies only seem to highlight that
fact.
Sure, Brooke's writing is still there, and when she gets a song
right, it really hits its mark. "Because I Told You" is one of those
great songs. It's quiet, personal, and touching. Brooke's voice is
whispered and insistent. Later in the song, she layers some warm
harmonies at just the right spots. Acoustic guitar and a hand drum set
a background with atmospheric touches by a guitar and synthesizer.
"Annie" follows the same pattern. The song is a personal message to
a messed up girl that really gets your emotional attention.
"Blood From a Stone" starts out with the same promise that
"Because I Told You" and "Annie" have, but after the first verse, a
cymbal and a few other sounds rumbles up that take away all of the
intimacy. "Genius or a Fool" is buried in sad sounding horns and a
weird chorus of male voices at the end. "Crumbs" starts out good, but
ends in some sort of homage to The Beatles "Golden Slumbers".
What gives? There's not much in the basic lyrics and melodies
of these songs that's any different than the quiet, tender songs on
the album. Brooke just seems drawn to the flame of "radio ready"
sounds that singe her charming, innocent style into a run-of-the-mill
faux Sheryl Crow. Not that this is new. Brooke started the
transformation on the second The Story album, _The Angel in the
House_, and unfortunately, the style still doesn't work for her.
Still, _10c Wings_ gives us enough to like on this album.
"Because I Told You" and "Annie" along with the title track and "Shame
On Us" are all such good songs that they make up for the shortcomings
of the rest of the album. Listening to a track like "10 cent Wings" is
a beautiful experience. Brooke is singing about a flight on angel
wings, and her song takes you right along. This is the musician who
made that first album such a success, partner or not. Clearly, she
recognized the strength of the song in making it the title cut. _10c
Wings_ has some gems on it, but as an album, it isn't the masterpiece
those gems would suggest.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _MTV Buzz Bin Volume 2_ (Mammoth)
- Bob Gajarsky
Another alterna-compilation, this twelve song collection
from Mammoth consists of songs from MTV's 'Buzz Bin' which broke
over into widespread acceptance in the modern rock circles. Some of
these songs aren't entirely indicative of their albums - see Nada
Surf, Primitive Radio Gods, and Flaming Lips - while others offer
a brief glimpse into the artists' repertoire (such as the Cardigans).
The Goo Goo Dolls still sound like Paul Westerberg, the Counting
Crows still sound like Van Morrison, and the Chemical Brothers still
sound like...the Chemical Brothers. Most hearty fans of the genre will
have several of the artist's accompanying full length albums, but
for the modern rock fan's holiday goodie bag, you could do far worse
than a copy of _MTV Buzz Bin Volume 2_ .
TRACK LISTING: 311 - Down, Cardigans - Lovefool, Nada Surf -
Popular, Folk Implosion - Natural One, Counting Crows - Mr. Jones,
Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth, Cake -
The Distance, Goo Goo Dolls - Naked, Live - Pain Lies On The Riverside,
Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly, Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun
(Instrumental), D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
---
REVIEW: Joan Baez, _Gone From Danger_ (Guardian)
- Jon Steltenpohl
It's hard not to think of Joan Baez as a hippie folk singer.
The image is just too strong. But, a quick listen to her latest album,
_Gone From Danger_, and your mental image might start to change. Even
before you get a chance to pop in the CD, there's a mature Baez on the
cover smiling at you with a huge grin. Open the booklet and you'll
find about 10 pictures of Baez at complete ease with herself with that
huge beaming good. And Baez has a reason to smile. Press play, and
you'll hear a great modern folk album. _Gone From Danger_ is as
accessible to the current folk music community as it is to fans of
"pop" folk artists like Shawn Colvin and The Indigo Girls.
Like most of her recordings, Baez is at ease covering other
people's songs. This time around, she focuses on the new crop of young
folk singers. Inspired by her recent tour with "folkie du jour" Dar
Williams, Baez has chosen 9 songs by such artists as Richard Shindell,
Betty Elders, and Williams herself. These are all up and coming stars
of the current folk scene (yes, there is a thriving folk scene), and
Baez put a lot of work into choosing songs that touched her in some way.
Baez chose 3 Shindell songs for this album, and with good
reason. Hew fills his songs with down to earth lyrics and rustic
melodies. Elders' "Crack in the Mirror" is a chilling account of a
molester's self delusions that packs the strongest emotional punch on
the album. There are two songs by Williams, "February" and "If I Wrote
You". "If I Wrote You" is the better of the two, and it's an intimate
portrait of the self-doubt of someone secretly in love.
But, perhaps the best song on the album is the only one
co-written by Baez herself. "Lily" is a bittersweet song about a
second grade friend who cuts her hair and leaves a Mennonite community.
Baez came from such a background, and she sings with such conviction
that it's likely that the girl in the song was one of her friends.
"Lily" starts with what sounds like a sampled drum beat, but it still
features acoustic guitar and beautiful harmonies.
Baez brings to all of these songs the skills of a veteran
musician who's not afraid to keep herself up to date. With the help
of the producers from her last studio album , _Play Me Backwards_,
Baez gives _Gone From Danger_ a distinctively modern sound without
sacrificing the emotion or style of her earlier work. All told, _Gone
From Danger_ is an album that reestablishes Baez for a new generation.
She hasn't evolved enough to lose her fans, but _Gone From Danger_ is
such a good album that she's bound to attract new ones.
For more information, lyrics, and samples, visit the Joan Baez
Web Page at http://baez.woz.org . To hear samples, call 1-800-890-0800
and use artist code 1061.
---
REVIEW: Greg Garing, _Alone_ (Revolution)
- Lee Graham Bridges
To say, as the press release does, that Greg Garing's new album
_Alone_ represents a mixture of country-western rock and techno
comparable to a melding of "Orbison with Orbital" would be grossly
inaccurate. Garing is a country boy at heart, and his music follows
suit: part bluesy rock, part country-western, and a pinch of modern
beats and an occasional technoism, a drone in the background or a beep
or whistle or click. The end result is not a blend of country and
techno elements (such as certain moments on The KLF's _Chill Out_ ),
but rather a modern rendition of certain traditional music.
Among the album's real strengths is the exposition of Garing's
ability to create solid music. Each song is efficiently crafted and well
packaged. "Safe Within Your Arms" starts up fairly plainly, then moves
into a cute, mellow instrumental. "Dream Too Real To Hold", between its
oddly dark calliope sounds, ambient drones, and Garing's vocals' uncanny
likeness to that of Tim Booth of James, sounds like it could be an
outtake from the Tim Booth/Angelo Badalamenti collaboration _Booth and
the Bad Angel_ .
On the flipside, Garing's vocals can often sound whiny and
strained instead of strong and moving. The lyrics are not too
outstanding either; themes of lost love, found love, and the like abound.
_Alone_ is a solid performance on Greg Garing's part, but despite
his skills, the listener is still left wondering what exactly Garing was
striving to create.
---
REVIEW: Various, _Fuzzy Logic_ (RPM USA)
- Bill Holmes
The world is full of bad compilation records. Hell, the used
bins are full of bad compilation records! As an incessant bin-browser,
I recognize that labels are constantly creating hodgepodges of songs
by their acts and flooding radio stations with them. The jocks, of
course, take them to the used record store when the shrink wrap is
still warm, where they wallow through the depreciation process until
they settle in at that under-$3 level. That's when people like me
figure that for a price the worst that can happen is that I get a
small piece of firewood, a Frisbee and a jewel case along with my
major-label-only potpourri.
On the other hand, some labels issue compilations simply
because they love the music. Greg Colburn's RPM USA label previously
issued the you-gotta-get-it _Three Minute Revolution_ , a collection
of pop songs. This time Colburn has tuned his radio dial way to the
left and gathered up some great garage, fuzz and trash rock for your
dining and dancing pleasure. BOMP and SUNDAZED fans will want to rush
right out and grab this one - twenty six stacks o'wax that will get
you a speeding ticket in no time.
Kicking off with the growling "Full Grown Man" by Dragline,
_Fuzzy Logic_ doesn't stop cranking until 70 minutes later. Familiar
names doing yeoman work include The Montgomery Cliffs (killer!), The
Rockinghams (Jagger sings early Mott) and Love Nut's Max Mueller.
There are few clunkers here -standouts include the Botswanas' funky
"Soul Kiss", the Ramones-like "Beauty" by Adam West (you wish!) and
the scorching instrumental "Crown, Cork & Stomp" by The Walkers.
Perhaps my favorite cuts are The Piersons' "She's The Kind Of Girl" (a
song that belongs on radio right now) and the white trash opus "Double
Wide" by Big Bad John. The bands are mostly from the USA, with others
from as far away as Greece and Australia. Who says rock is dead?
What's as impressive as the music is the unselfish and
altruistic nature of the label and its owner. Music lover that he is,
Colburn includes contact addresses and phone numbers for the bands so
that you can follow up directly with those who push your pedal to the
metal. His aim with the compilations and the label, is to spread the
word about great music that doesn't get the attention that it
deserves. At $10 postpaid in the US and $14 for the rest of our world,
I highly recommend that you invest in the cause (contact RPM USA at PO
Box 10216, Baltimore MD, USA 21234 or email Greg Colburn at
link@sun-link.com for more information).
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Club NRG Volume 1_ /
Various Artists, _Mega Hits Dance Party Vol. 1_ (Interhit)
- Bob Gajarsky
Taking off where ZYX left off several years ago, Interhit
has firmly established itself in the dance community as one of the
leaders in the (American) Eurodance market. _Club NRG Volume 1_ and
_Mega Hits Dance Party Volume 1_ only serve to cement that
well-deserved reputation.
_Club NRG_ is a 16 track compilation of songs from the past
several years is packed with songs that, either in their current or
original format, will be familiar to most city clubgoers. And, DJs
will be happy to know that the beats-per-minute ranges from 120 to 140.
The Madonna sound-alike Blonde Ambition appear with two
Hi-NRG covers from the Material Girl's catalog ("Live To Tell" and
the classic Evita tune "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"). Lost turns
"Because You Loved Me" from a hideously boring ballad into a
listenable dance song, and Jimmy James' "Who Wants To Be Your
Lover" offers the potential to be a hit in the same clubs that
broke Erasure and Jimmy Somerville. Original songs by Interhit
artists Culture Beat ("Take Me Away") and Sonic Dream Collective
("Don't Go Breaking My Heart") have shown up on other Interhit
compilations and fit right at home here. The eminently popular cover
of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Nikki French makes
yet another appearance, this time in its 5 minute version.
A couple tracks miss the mark; even the most 'popular' dance
cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak", this time by Cynthiana, fails to
spark this listener. And even with new vocals, the Barry Harris (Kon
Kan) / Kimberly Wetmore "Together In Electric Dreams" falls short of
the original Moroder/Oakey version from the mid 80s.
In a similar vein, _Mega Hits_ focuses on cover versions of
top 10 pop songs. Many unbearable ballads are turned into listenable
dance songs; witness the transformation of the Spice Girls' "2
Become 1", in which Wildside do their best Stacey Q imitation, and
Linda Imperial's reworking of "Unbreak My Heart". Some of the tracks
have appeared on other Interhit compilations, but as always, enough
'new' songs make the collection fulfilling. And the bonus track "No
Tengo Dinero" could be the latest song to capture American hearts with
Spanish lyrics.
These Euro-discofied covers of pop songs will be a welcome
addition for anyone who purchased any of the early 90s ZYX series of
_Do It Again_ or lovers of the new Eurodance trend.
---
DOORS CONTEST GIVEAWAY
> In conjunction with C Notes Interactive and Elektra
Entertainment, Consumable Online is giving away five copies of the
Doors 4 disc box set. Reviewed in the November 6th issue of Consumable
( http://www.westnet.com/consumable/1997/11.06/revla.html ), this
collection includes some of their greatest hits, live performances,
and a never-before-completed track, "Orange County Suite".
To enter the contest, send an e-mail containing your name,
address, and phone number to contest@westnet.com before December 5.
Further information on the Doors and this box set can be found at
http://www.cnotes.com/cnotes.artists/doors.html
---
NEWS: > Consumable is now being archived through the site reference.com
- searchable archives for the list are available at
http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=Consumable@westnet.com
This is in addition to Consumable's existing search engine, located at
http://www.westnet.com/consumable/search.html
> INXS' Michael Hutchence was found dead from a self-induced
hanging in a Sydney, Australia hotel on Saturday morning. The band's
20th anniversary tour Down Under has been cancelled, and mourning
fans around the world are uncertain as to the band's future.
> A previously unreleased version of the Verve's Pipe "Reverend
Girl" will be offered over the Internet using AT&T's distribution. The
dree download will be available for one month via the band's web site,
located at http://www.thevervepipe.com .
> The Violent Femmes have gone on the web with their own
interactive site located at http://www.vfemmes.com
> The forthcoming album from cello trio Rasputina will be produced
by Chris Vrenna. Previously, Vrenna's work includes projects with
Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica and Marilyn Manson.
---
TOUR DATES (Please confirm with site before travelling):
Daniel Cartier
Nov. 26 New York, NY Fez
Nov. 27 Boston, MA Kendall Cafe
Paula Cole / Devlins
Nov. 28 Portland, ME State Theatre
Nov. 29 Providence, RI Lupos
Nov. 30 New Haven, CT Toads Place
Deftones / Limp Bizkit
Nov. 26 Clinton, MA St. Johns
Nov. 28 Providence, RI Lupos
Nov. 29 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony
Nov. 30 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Dots Will Echo
Nov. 26 New York, NY Brownies
Dream Theatre
Nov. 25 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Duran Duran
Nov. 26 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Sunrise Music Theatre
Nov. 28 Tampa, FL TPAC
Everclear / Our Lady Peace / Letters To Cleo
Nov. 26 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Nov. 28-29 Portland, OR La Luna
Dec. 1 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
Fly
Nov. 26 Fullerton, CA Club 369
Nov. 28 Santa Barbara, CA Yucatan
Nov. 29 Costa Mesa, CA Club Mesa
Irving Plaza (New York City concert hall: http://www.irvingplaza.com)
Nov. 26 Todd Rundgren
Nov. 28 Guster
Jane's Addiction
Nov. 28, Dec. 1 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amp.
Jars of Clay / Plumb
Nov. 28 Peoria, IL Madison Theatre
Nov. 29 Little Rock, AR Robinson Auditorium
Nov. 30 Kansas City, KS Memorial Hall
Freedy Johnston
Nov. 25 New York, NY Fez
Lords of Acid / Jack Off Jill
Nov. 24 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Nov. 25 Boston, MA Axis
Nov. 26 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Nov. 28 New York, NY Roxy
Nov. 29 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Magnolia Thunderfinger
Nov. 28 Long Beach, CA Clipper (W/ Wayne Kramer)
Holly McNarland
Nov. 25 Cincinnati, OH Top Cats
Nov. 26 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Nov. 27 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Nov. 28 Detroit, MI Shelter
Moby
Nov. 26 Phoenix, AZ Icehouse
Nov. 28 Boulder, CO Theater
Nov. 30 Minneapolis, MN 1st Avenue
Motley Crue
Nov. 25 Las Vegas, NV Aladdin Theatre
Nov. 26 San Bernadino, CA Orange Pavilion
Nov. 28 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena
Nov. 30 Denver, CO McNichols Sports Arena
Moxy Fruvous
Nov. 27-28 Chicago, IL Shuba's
Nov. 29 Cincinnati, OH Top Cats
Pantera / Anthrax / Coal Chamber
Nov. 24 Salt Lake City, UT Saltair Pavillion
Nov. 26 El Paso, TX County Coliseum
Nov. 28 Dallas, TX Fair Park Coliseum
Nov. 29 Houston, TX Westpark Ent. Ctr.
Nov. 30 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall
Phish
Nov. 26 Hartford, CT Harford Civic Ctr.
Nov. 28-30 Worcester, MA Centrum
Promise Ring / Compound Red
Nov. 26 Salt Lake City, UT The Moracan
Nov. 27 Denver, CO 15th St Bar
Nov. 28 St Louis, MO Side Door
Nov. 29 Omaha, NE The Cog Factory
Nov. 30 Chicago, IL Fireside Bowl
Rolling Stones / Third Eye Blind
Nov. 25 Minneapolis, MN HHH Metronome
Nov. 28 Seattle, WA Kingdome
Jim Rose Circus
Nov. 26 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live
Nov. 29 Albuquerque, NM Elrey Theatre
Nov. 30 Las Vegas, NV Huntridge Theatre
Semisonic
Nov. 28 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Sister Hazel
Nov. 24 Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Theatre
Nov. 25 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Stereolab / High Llamas
Nov. 24 San Francisco, CA Grt. Amer. Music Hall
Nov. 26 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
Nov. 28 Tempe, AZ Gibson's
Nov. 29 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
Subrosa
Nov. 30 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Superdrag
Nov. 24 Chicago, IL Riviera
Nov. 25 Milwaukee, WI Rave
Nov. 26 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Third Eye Blind
Nov. 29 Vancouver, BC Graceland
Nov. 30 Portland, OR La Luna
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
> I love your electronic magazine. Hooked since I read the
back issues with the Andy Partridge interview (I'm an XTC diehard).
Sitting here in my office in the central interior of wild British
Columbia, Canada, there's nothing better than having a cuppa and
reading about the latest musical happenings. And you know what? My
boss could walk right on by and think I was reading my work e-mail.
Try sitting at your desk reading a jumbo-sized Rolling Stone mag and
not getting caught - ain't gonna happen.
Keep up the good work! A.S., British Columbia
---
Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest continuous
collaborative music publication on the Internet.
To get back issues of Consumable, check out:
WWW: http://www.westnet.com/consumable
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===