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==== ISSUE 136 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [February 24, 1998]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gaj@westnet.com
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim
Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean
Eric McGill, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker
Correspondents: Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott
Byron, Patrick Carmosino, Araballe Clauson,
Krisjanis Gale, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer,
Robin Lapid, Scott Miller, Linda Scott,
Scott Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon
Steltenpohl, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gaj@westnet.com
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Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
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| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Mono - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Various Artists, _What the World Needs Now: Big Deal
Artists Perform the Songs of Burt Bacharach_ - Scott Slonaker
REVIEW: Peter Case, _Full Service No Waiting_ - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Hip Hop Coast 2 Coast_ - Lang Whitaker
BOOK REVIEW: "No Mercy" The Authorised Autobiography of The
Stranglers by Paul Buckley - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: The Yardbirds, _BBC Sessions_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, _Struttin' Our
Stuff_ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Pave The Rocket, _Taken In_ - Jason Cahill
REVIEW: Scott McCarl, _Play On_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Quintaine Americana, _Decade of the Brain_ - Sean Eric McGill
REVIEW: Time Bomb Symphony, _If You See Kay_ - Bill Holmes
NEWS: Dodgy, Morrissey
TOUR DATES: Cravin' Melon, Fatboy Slim, Goldfinger / Sugar Ray,
Irving Plaza, Chantal Kreviazuk, Life Of Agony / Far, Reel Big
Fish / Pilfers / Mr. T Experience, Shake Appeal, Third Eye
Blind / Smashmouth
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Mono
- Al Muzer
Coming as no surprise to those who've paid even the
slightest attention to the pop charts over the last few years,
the sudden appearance of acts such as the Spice Girls, Prodigy,
Sugar Ray, Jimmy Ray, Fatboy Slim, Black Grape, Hanson, Aqua
and Chumbawamba on your favorite radio station's Top 40 playlist
is no accident.
Bored with grunge, tired of rap, not ready for metal
(again), leery of power pop, not about to get behind country on
anything approaching a major scale and not quite as enamored
with techno or electronica as the media predicted they'd be most
of America seems content letting mindless sports chants, peppy
instrumentals, chirpy teen pop ditties and one-off novelty
numbers fill the musical void until something comes along to
unify the nation's radio dials again.
In what appears to be just about the right place at
pretty close to the right time, Mono's 10-song Echo/Mercury
Records debut, _Formica Blues_ while not exactly the next big
thing a slumping record industry was hoping for is, nonetheless,
a lush, atmospheric, Phil Spectorian island of retro-futurist,
Portishead-aware trip-hop-pop that sounds positively stunning
when heard next to such mindless musical diversions as "Wannabe,"
"Firestarter," "Get Higher," "Fly," "Are You Jimmy Ray?" "Barbie
Girl" or "MMMbop."
The perfect soundtrack for your day-to-day grind -
especially if your life happens to be an obscure French art
film shot in black and white or a low budget spy flick circa
1964 - Mono is the moody, cinematic, post-St. Etienne pop
creation of London-based vocalist Siobhan De Mar (whose father,
Tony Meehan, played drums for Cliff Richard's Shadows) and
Brighton-born producer/keyboardist/guitarist/songwriter Martin
Virgo.
Already semi-known for his work on tracks by Bjork, Femi
Williams and Shara Nelson in addition to the minor notoriety he
gained with his classic remix of Massive Attack's "Unfinished
Sympathy"; Virgo was introduced to De Mar (paying the bills as a
session vocalist on a number of rap and dance tracks at the time)
two years ago by the duo's current manager.
"I was playing around in the studio on my own searching
for a new creative outlet when Siobhan and I were brought
together as 'possible working partners'," chuckles Virgo during
a recent phone call from London. "Who knew back then that it
would lead to all this! You know, the fact that the two of us
happened to work together so well from the beginning is quite
odd, really, because we're both very different people. Extreme
opposites, actually."
"I'd been doing a lot of straight-ahead dance records
and working on music that," he pauses to consider his words
carefully as he tries to describe the creative catalyst for
Mono's full-length debut, "while it was all quite good and was
personally very rewarding, it really was lacking in any form
of subtlety or real depth."
Attracting major label interest almost from the moment
their partnership was announced, Virgo and De Mar reached an
agreement with Echo (a Chrysalis imprint) and the captivating
singles "Life In Mono" and "Slimcea Girl" (named after a brand
of bread available during London's not so swinging '70s) were
released.
"Great songwriting has always fascinated me, so I really
wanted to convey a bit more of the actual song than is normally
allowed to come through on most dance tracks, " Virgo says of
his lush, dreamy, romantic, oddly-compelling musical creations
that sample or recall the likes of Isaac Hayes, Gil Evans, The
Ipcress Files, David Sylvian, Petula Clark, Portishead, Edith
Piaff, Artery, Dusty Springfield and the team of Burt Bacharach
and Hal David.
"My influences are the standard '60s nicks," he laughs.
"You know, the Beatles, Stones, Dionne, Dusty, Burt the usual.
And, while the songs on _Formica Blues_ are, I hope, obviously
influenced by the classics; I really tried to look at the
vocals, samples and music more as colors, moods and shadings
than as an actual foundation. My ultimate goal when we formed
Mono," Virgo adds after a bit of thought. "was to create something
with more drama, space and dynamics than I'd been permitted to
create working for other people."
An immediate success, "Life In Mono" quickly caught the
ear of actor Robert De Niro (in Europe working on an MTV-friendly
version of Dickens' Great Expectations with Ethan Hawke and
Gwyneth Paltrow) and the song soon became not only the music
for the closing credits of the film but the lead cut on a
soundtrack album that also includes Scott Weiland, Duncan Sheik,
Pulp, Iggy Pop and Chris Cornell.
"We're really quite pleased to be a part of the film,"
Virgo comments on the movie. "It' s definitely something of a
'dream start' for Mono to be involved with a project of this
size and magnitude this early on in our career."
"We're in the planning stages for our first major tour,"
he adds, "and the big hope here is that the movie will give us a
bit more name recognition when we begin our trek across America."
"Actually," Virgo laughs before ringing off, "the
interest America has shown in Mono so far has really surprised
me. I sort of thought we might be a bit too parochial for the
states, ya' know? I really didn't think we'd be able to get an
American [record] deal," he chortles, "unless I shaved my head,
wore devil horns and started dancing about madly on stage!"
---
REVIEW: Various Artists , _What the World Needs Now: Big Deal
Recording Artists Perform the Songs of Burt Bacharach_
(Big Deal)
- Scott Slonaker
Tribute albums have always been the favorite projects of indie
labels. When the songs are already familiar, it cuts by half the
name-recognition obstacle that any upstart label has to overcome.
So, it follows naturally that the New York pop label Big Deal
Records might celebrate its fifth anniversary by choosing a classic pop
craftsman like Burt Bacharach to pay their homage to. Bacharach's
compositions have been remade before, for sure (one reason why a song
like "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" is so recognizable),
but the chance for a group of acts who all generally have aspirations to
three minutes of radio fame to get their hands on Burt's nuggets is
tempting, for sure.
And, for the most part, Team Big Deal doesn't disappoint. The
two most familiar tunes covered on the record, "Raindrops Keep Falling on
My Head" and "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me", are right
at the top, as read by Japan's Shonen Knife and the Absolute Zeros,
respectively. The Knife's rendition is pleasantly foreign-sounding, all
tinkly pianos and stilted girl-group harmonies. The Zeros speed up the
tune most recognizable as an '80s hit for Naked Eyes to a Green Day-styled
bounce. Obvious, but still fun.
The more classicist acts in Big Deal's stable use Bacharach's
songs to indulge a few retro fantasies. The Wondermints, currently the
best Beach Boys tribute band in the world (compliment), wheel out the
moogs, horns, and layered harmonies for "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".
Idle adopt a similar loungy stance for "Make it Easy on Yourself". Barely
Pink's wide-eyed boyishness ends up perfectly suited for "It's Love That
Really Counts".
Other artists are less worried about the "tribute" aspect. The
Gladhands camp up "Promise Her Anything" with grin-inducing results,
Splitsville (formerly known as the Greenberry Woods) graft a chunk of
"Video Killed the Radio Star" onto "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
(horrors!), and Cockeyed Ghost fuzz out "Walk on By", reducing the Dionne
Warwick classic to a gibbering puddle of sonic Jell-O.
Special mentions should go to Hannah Cranna for giving the epic
Carpenters hit "(They Long To Be) Close To You", a really tough song to
do right, the old college try.
Not all of these remakes are going to appeal to everyone, especially
hard-core Bacharachers, but there can never be enough (mostly) well-meaning
pop bands in the world. At least as far as this critic is concerned.
---
REVIEW: Peter Case, _Full Service No Waiting_ (Vanguard)
- Daniel Aloi
Peter Case is so well-traveled, he could sit alone in a room
and come up with something that perfectly captures life on the road.
That was how the songs on _Full Service No Waiting,_ his
sixth solo album, came about. Locked inside with his tools -- a
Gibson J-45 and his "acoustic 1960s word processor," a manual
Smith-Corona -- he looks inside and draws on his experiences,
creating original work with the storytelling quality and just-right
feeling of classic folk songs (as in "Honey Child, a song that could
be 70 years old). And he has been off the road long enough to have
perspective on both the leaving and the staying.
Not that he waxes all wistful and romantic about his highway
miles. There are some regrets heard from the songwriter's (by now)
resident cast of down-and-outers, drifters and small-time criminals
on the run. In "On The Way Downtown," (written with his son, Joshua)
the narrator is surrounded by the ghosts of people from his past,
even as he keeps going out there with open expectations.
Case often writes from his own heart, looking for the same
truth in himself that he brings out from his characters. Coming to
terms with approaching midlife (and finding it good), he assesses
his grounded existence in "Beautiful Grind" -- finding little
moments in the family day-to-day that add up to a meaningful life
together for two people.
He's also reflective about a defining chapter from his more
than two decades as a musician. "Still Playin'" closes the album
with recollections of Case's days as a street singer, busking on
corners and sleeping on floors. A hard life sometimes, but one he
wouldn't have traded for anything. He also recalls good times
playing and singing in "See Through Eyes," even though "we laughed
and threw it away."
Never much of a musical experimenter, Case has a signature
sound that is a comforting constant on each album -- descending
guitar figures and harmonica playing, plaintive singing. It's all
organic, helping his vividly drawn characters to breathe. This
stamp is on all of his songs, even the ones inspired by traditional
music.
Producer Andrew Williams highlights Case's mastery of
dynamics, with a band including overbooked roots-rock sessionman
Greg Liesz, who plays an array of guitars.
There are some people who look back on Case's tenure in '80s
rock bands the Nerves and Plimsouls, and wonder, upon hearing him as
a singer-songwriter, where he changed along the way. I'm not one of
those.
Case stays faithful to his heart and the lure of the open
road -- even as he ignores it, contentedly staying at home in
California, the land he hightailed it out of Buffalo for, as a
teenager so many years ago.
Call it Americana, call it Triple-A, call it Contemporary
Folk. Whatever the label, this is honest music.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Hip Hop Coast 2 Coast_ (Priority)
- Lang Whitaker
Staying on top of the music world is a nearly impossible
mission. Moving almost as fast as the needle on Marv Albert's lie
detector, the rap and hip hop industry break new music and new
stars daily. Therefore, putting together an album of the best in
rap and hip hop is no easy feat due to the time constraints
involved. On _Hip Hop Coast 2 Coast_ New York's Hot 97 and Los
Angeles' Power 106 team up to provide a soundtrack for a "west to
east musical road trip of popular rap music."
There are several of rap's up and coming stars featured on
this compilation. "I'll Be" pairs Foxy Brown and her ill na na,
Jay Z, together like a ribald Ricky Ricardo and Lucille Ball,
airing out a lover's quarrel. Master P and Steady Mobb'n are
'bout it, 'bout it, rhyming about how they're trapped in a vicious
Catch 22 that won't allow them to escape the ghetto gangsta
lifestyle. NYC's Lost Boyz get a much deserved mainstream push
thanks to the inclusion of their track "Get Up". Also, the
rising E-40 teams with Too Short and K-Ci Hailey on the anthem
"Rapper's Ball". Interestingly, even though E-40 is every bit as
overweight as Biggie Smalls ever was, he flows without sounding
like he's got 6 ham sandwiches stuffed in his jowls.
Shuffled between the newer songs are some of hip hop's
finest from the last few years. "C.R.E.A.M" brings back the track
that launched the Wu Tang Clan onto the world stage. Jermaine
Dupri and Da Brat come funk, funk, funkin' along with the lazy
"Funkdafied", and LL Cool J's "Loungin' (Who Do Ya Luv)" bring
together a Carribean flavored groove with one of the more
memorable hooks of the last year.
Straying from the rap that dominates this album is one
of hip hop's all time greatest songs, Blackstreet's "No Diggity".
Producer Teddy Riley masterfully mixes a thumping bass, a piano
lick deeper than the Titanic, a convicted rap by Queen Pen, a few
tossed off lines by Dr. Dre, a synclavier vocal straight out of
Roger Troutman territory, and four part harmony for hip hop bliss.
I dare you to only listen to it once. This is the track that when
you're alone, like in the car by yourself, you play over and over
and sing along at the top of your lungs. Incidentally, the piano
in "No Diggity" sounds remarkably similar, production wise if not
musically, to the piano sound perfected by The RZA on Wu Tang
Clan's _Enter The 36 Chambers_ album.
That this CD was pieced together by two radio heavyweights
is no surprise. However, what is puzzling is that with the combined
foresight and industry pull of these two behemoths, they couldn't
scrounge up any tracks that were released in the past 6 months or
so. They say these songs were pulled from their playlists, but
Tribe Called Quest's "Award Tour"? That came out in '93. Granted,
Mack 10 and AllFrumTha I do collaborate on a brand new song (the
percolating "Make You Dance"), and there is a seldom heard remix
(Tribe DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad remixes Ice Cube's "What Can I
Do"). But somebody forgot to tell Power 106 and Hot 97 about
several of the more influential artists of the past few years:
Missy Elliot, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and even (shudder) Puffy Combs.
Profanity flies fast and furious, so those of you with
virgin ears be warned. Priority Records is pressing two versions
of this album- a clean and an explicit version. I was sent a copy
of the explicit album, and my guess would be that a clean copy
would be so full of beeps that it could double as a soundtrack
from "The Jerry Springer Show".
There is also a delicious irony nestled beneath all of
this. While "rap activists" like Mrs. C. DeLores Tucker rant and
rail against explicit hip hop albums, a portion of the proceeds
from this compilation will go to two youth charities in New York and
L.A. Even if Mrs. Tucker can't get rich off of her constant
badgering of artists like the late Tupac Shakur (who once rhymed
her name, Seinfeld-style, with a female body part), it's good to
see some artists willing to share the wealth with the less fortunate.
---
BOOK REVIEW: "No Mercy" The Authorised Autobiography of The
Stranglers by Paul Buckley
- Tim Kennedy
The Stranglers were the first band I ever went to see back
in 1978. Punk was tailing off in the capital, but in the rest of
Britain it was thriving. Thousands of kids were defacing their
clothing and dyeing their hair and any band that cared to tour the
provinces found crowds flocking to worship their antiheroes. One
of the bands that were 'semi-detached' from the punk vanguard but
who attracted a fanatical following amongst punks was the
Stranglers - 'semi-detached' in the sense that they pursued a
distinct path, with complicated keyboard-driven yet rhythmic and
aggressive psychedelic music. Keyboardist Dave Greenfield was
clearly familiar with the works of Rick Wakeman and Ray Manzarek.
Jet Black the drummer was at least old enough to be in sixties
bands. Guitarist and singer Hugh Cornwell looked well past his
teens. Only bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel could boast pretty-boy
looks, though he too was no teenager.
The main problem - as far as the press were concerned -
was the reputation for unprovoked aggression, associated
principally with JJ Burnel who was liable to take out his martial
arts skills on those who crossed him. Any bad review might be
followed by the hapless writer being kidnapped, driven to the
next town then left gagged and bound whilst the night's set was
played out on stage. After a couple of unsavoury incidents the
band were 'black-balled' by the press, compounding the vicious
circle further.
They were involved in some gig riots on the continent,
although it is not clear whether this was the fault of the band
or of conditions out of their control. They made ample use of
most hard drugs at one time or another, though it didn't seem
to blunt their creativity.
The band's reputation for nastiness was mostly deserved,
judging from the comments in this book from the lads themselves
alone. They seem to have mellowed somewhat now and JJ confesses
his sins here and admits he was beyond the pale. However, the
behaviour of the band should not detract from their music which
for a period of six or seven years (1977-1984) was of great
quality and clearly influences bands to this day.
In these days of political correctness the tone and
content of the early Stranglers records seem outrageous. Women
were sex objects, violence was a regular theme and the casual
attitude of the band to these issues would bring immediate
condemnation if it happened today. Their banter onstage rarely
went further than bad sexist jokes. However if you hunt through
any band's output from the 50s up to the 80s you'll find similar
gaffes, as Buckley points out. Allowances are made and excuses
are given. I would merely point out that at the time punk was
just about being as shocking as possible, and it was only later
that writers have tried to make punk seem in some way 'pure' and
'honest'.
Buckley never witnessed the band in its heyday of the
late 70s and relies instead on live recordings and the recorded
output to judge the band's musical merit. This is a drawback of
the book, although it makes up for it by having the full
cooperation of the band. The writing style is awkward and some
of the comparisons are laboured and unconvincing. Buckley's
closeness to the band has meant he has possibly paid too much
attention to the latter-day Stranglers - a rather sad reflection
of their former glory, and more of a hobby for the original
members still involved.
What has to be emphasised is that despite the differences
between the band and other punk outfits of the time outlined
above, this band commanded the most fanatical following of all -
and a huge one at that. The band were glorious live, and provided
inspiration amongst others to Joy Division (who were a support act
to the Stranglers early on) with their dark rat-infested vision.
They were somewhat right-wing in outlook - possibly close to some
of the beliefs of the current 'militias' of the US, though they
never proposed any direct action. In the early 80s they wrote a
(superb) concept album about alien abductions _The Gospel
According To The Meninblack_ which very much fits into this
paranoiac belief system, involving aliens breeding humans for
meat and even Jesus as an alien agent.
The eighties saw the band go into decline though a few
singles showed that they could still sell on a large scale. The
band lost its focus as Hugh became disenchanted with JJ's
aggression and he eventually split. Two new members were brought
in, a vocalist and a guitarist, but the lack of commercial
success of the 1990s output has left a yawning gap between the
financially-struggling newcomers and the rest who can rest on the
security of their royalties. Hugh has become a solo artist with
limited success, though he seems content enough. The two
parties do not talk - Hugh is still too nervous of JJ, who
detests his ex-partner for walking out.
Perhaps there was no band like them. They were
instrumental in showing punks that they could make more than a
noise - that musicianship was important. A generation grew up
that played strange dark music - ultimately 'goth' was probably
the Stranglers' doing. They were never huge, though they had more
'hits' than the Clash or the Pistols during the time of punk.
Songs like "Peaches" and "No More Heroes" defined punk for many
of us at the time, more so than the others who rarely toured the
provinces.
This is an interesting and honest, though not terribly
well-written, book. Nonetheless, it serves as the only source
for those who want to discover this fascinating band. The
decline of the band over time should not detract from the glory
of what they were; this is really the story of two bands, with
the latter-day group only a sideshow to the main event that was
the original Men In Black.
The committed fan will not find much that is new here, and
will wish that the writer had dug a little deeper into the
minutiae of the band - for there is much more to be found.
Perhaps a compilation of the best of official fanzine 'Strangled'
is in order.
---
REVIEW: The Yardbirds, _BBC Sessions_ (Warner Archives)
- Bill Holmes
Recent years have seen the radio vaults spring open,
releasing many classic hours of The King Biscuit Flower Hour and
John Peel sessions, among others, and the BBC Archives certainly
have more to offer than the Beatles legion of appearances. Case
in point is this collection, which captures the blues-rock
influenced Yardbirds in their middle guitar period (read Jeff
Beck, post-Clapton and pre-Page). The sound quality is amazingly
clean considering the lack of foresight most studios had at the
time, and the performances are stellar.
The only thing that sounds dated here is the radio chatter
from the sometimes befuddled announcers, offering long-stale jargon
like "that's really, really just TOO MUCH!" or some other effort to
be clever. But although most tracks are introduced in such a
manner, it's the fire within that's amazing. Jeff Beck simply
torches Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business". As one would
expect, blues covers dominate, and excellent versions of standards
like "Train Kept A'Rollin", "Smokestack Lightning" and "Dust My
Broom" are all two to three minute masterpieces. Naturally some of
the band's most famous songs are here as well, including "Shapes
Of Things" and the two Graham Gouldman numbers "For Your Love" and
"Heart Full Of Soul". My personal favorite "Over Under Sideways
Down" gets a major rave up as well.
Naturally live recordings show warts and all, and to say
the band butchers "Hang On Sloopy" would be generous. But with
twenty six cuts in all, those off moments are few and far between.
The last six cuts, recorded in 1967 and 1968 feature Jimmy Page on
guitar. Although still a couple of years before forming Led
Zeppelin, listen to cuts like "Little Games" and "Think About It"
and you can hear that this new direction was already flowing
through his head and fingers. While Page's style was not as
traditionally blues-rooted as Beck, it's remarkable in its own
right especially when you consider what was passing for lead
guitar work on commercial radio at the time.
Fans will be happy to gather these cuts under one roof,
and those too young to remember the band firsthand have a
worthwhile document that proves what the fuss was all about.
---
REVIEW: Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, _Struttin' Our
Stuff_ (Velvel)
- Linda Scott
Six years ago, Bill Wyman left the Rolling Stones; his
31-year run as the Stones' bassist came to an end when he
developed a dissatisfaction with touring. After he left, Wyman
pursued non-musical interests setting up London's Sticky Fingers
restaurants, writing his autobiography, _Stone Alone_ , and doing
professional photography. Luckily, the musical call was too
strong, and Wyman has been exploring musical genres other than
the hard rocking Stones style.
His latest musical excursion is the ambitious _Struttin'
Our Stuff_ . Wyman has a new group, The Rhythm Kings; and the
band has produced a 12 track debut album featuring blues, R&B,
and jazz styles dating back to the 1920s. _Struttin' Our Stuff_
is challenged to take this variety of genres over a long time
period and captive 1998 listeners. A difficult project, Wyman
was wise enough to select talented musicians for The Rhythm
Kings (Beverly Skeete, Terry Taylor Dave Hartley and Graham Broad)
and season the music with outstanding guests including Eric
Clapton, Peter Frampton and Albert Lee among others. These
performers add a level of sophistication and polish to the
debut album.
_Struttin' Our Stuff_ has a polished, professional sound
that's striking even at first listen. The album opens with a
cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1969 hit "Green River".
An instant attention-getter, this version is so close to the
original that it's startling when Wyman and Skeete come in on
vocals. Taylor does excellent guitar work here. The cover of the
Stones' "Melody" is not as close. The jazz/blues sound is still
there, but the lyrics have changed somewhat to accomodate the
male/female duet of Fame and Skeete. Clapton comes in on guitar -
always a showstopper. Wyman wrote a blues ballad, "Bad To Be
Alone" which Skeete sings to perfection in the style of the 20s
blues clubs, and the Wyman/Taylor composition, "Going Crazy
Overnight", possesses a distinctly Southern feel.
The band also covers Willie Mabon's "I'm Mad"
(1953) and Howlin Wolf's 1961 track "Down In The Bottom".
The album's closing track, John D. Loudermilk's hit from the
early '60s, "Tobacco Road" features Paul Carrack on vocals with
Frampton on guitar, and solidly wraps up this collection.
_Struttin' Our Stuff_ is an ambitious album with different
styles and several performers. Great performances from The Rhythm
Kings and Wyman's guests make a professional 'debut' album belying
the fact that each track was done in 1 to 3 takes. The album is
quite good, with lots of excellent covers interspersed with
original works, but it remains primarily for those with a broader
musical interest range.
---
REVIEW: Pave The Rocket, _Taken In_ (Deep Elm)
- Jason Cahill
Every once in a while a band will come along and, quite
simply, grab you by the collar, slap you in the face and force
you to remember exactly what it was that first drove you into the
waiting, hopeful and undiscriminating arms of independent music.
A band with sheer force and absolute passion, playing music that
exists in a world without rules, without boundaries. Pave The
Rocket is that band. From the opening chords of _Taken In_ you
just know you're listening to something very special and very
unique. The reason we all started listening in the first place.
As a band, Pave The Rocket haven't been around all that
long, only a few years. _Taken In_ is their debut release for
New York City independent label Deep Elm Records. Despite their
relative inexperience, however, the St. Louis based foursome have
managed to put together an album laced with a maturity and
emotional dissonance some bands never seem to find.
Musically, Pave The Rocket's sound seems most influenced
by Sunny Day Real Estate and Pond, bands with a unique ability to
combine force driven guitars with atmospheric and soft melodies
and vocals. The songs on _Taken In_ are raw and powerful, intense
and all too moving. Highlights include the album's first two songs,
"Drool" and "Remora", perfect examples of what can be accomplished
with a low budget and a who cares attitude. On the beautiful
ballad, "Little One", the band showcases their ability to write
poignant, heartfelt lyrics while still maintaining that raw,
unfiltered sound. Reminiscent of early Smashing Pumpkins, it
bleeds intensity and shows a versatility most bands often lack.
With its mature and emotional lyrics, and a sound which is
both blistering and brave, _Taken In_ is easily the best independent
release in quite some time.
---
REVIEW: Scott McCarl, _Play On_ (Titan)
- Bill Holmes
If you don't remember the name, there's two tip-offs
right on the CD cover: the words "ex Raspberries" under his
name, and the immortal imprimatur of that great label Titan
Records ("It's All Pop!"). In other words, if hooks and melody
are your thing, pop open the wallet and get this disc right away.
Raspberries fans need no excuse to grab this on sight -
this isn't some sideman hanging on to someone else's legacy like a
barnacle. McCarl added a strong jolt to the band and the seventeen
cuts here are proof positive that the man could pull his weight. His
slightly raspy vocals evoke Paul McCartney in his prime, floating
across sweet pop that calls to mind Badfinger, The Records, The
Beatles, and yes, his alma mater ("Go Down Swingin'" would have
been a hit for The Raspberries). The first ten cuts are newly
recorded, and as a bonus there are old tracks dating back up to
thirty years ago!
It's hard to pick favorites from the newer cuts, as there
are many standouts. The beauty of the midtempo "Fallin' In Lovin'",
the Rubinoos backing Scott on the infectious "In Love Without A
Girl", the collaboration with Kyle Vincent "Same Ol' Heartache"
(again with the amazing Tommy Dunbar and Al Chan lending a hand)
and the bouncy "I'll Be On My Way" will do for starters. There truly
isn't a bad cut among them. (His contribution to the Raspberries
tribute CD, "Nobody Knows", is also included here).
If any of the older material sounds dated, it's because of
the production, not the song writing. Regardless of the time period,
Scott's music echoes the feel of his influences and contemporaries.
"Don't Wanna Go" has an Artful Dodger sound, while "Surrender" and
"Wait A Minute Girl" will turn the head of any Badfinger fan. "Don't
Make Me Sad" (the song from Scott's demo that wowed Eric Carmen)
sounds like a John Lennon demo.
The booklet is wonderfully arranged; each song is annotated
and there's an illustrated biography that traces his career from
that first moment when pop whacked him upside the head. McCarl is
gracious with remembrances and kudos to fellow musicians, some of
whom made it big and some who weren't as lucky. Recent interest in
The Raspberries (books, album reissues) apparently reminded McCarl
not only that he was among the lucky ones, but that he still had
much more music to offer. If these recordings are any indication,
pop music fans will reap the rewards for quite a while. Welcome back!
The release is also notable for the return of Titan Records,
that great pop label owned and run by Tom Sorrells (Scott's friend
and fellow band member in Yellow Hair). Now Tom, how about a Gary
Charlson collection to send pop fans into absolute orbit?
---
REVIEW: Quintaine Americana, _Decade of the Brain_ (Roadrunner)
- Sean Eric McGill
I like Tool. I like Tool a lot.
That being said, I'm actually surprised I liked
Quintaine Americana's _Decade of the Brain_ as much as I did,
since they occasionally sound a lot like Tool. Perhaps it's
because you get the feeling that they just sound like Tool from
time to time, and they don't want to be Tool...there's a big
difference.
This trio from Boston sticks pretty close to what has
come to be the standard for heavier rock bands: a vocalist
with a penchant for screaming, a heavy bass line, the usual.
And while some of their songs have a dark edge to it, they
don't seem hell-bent on trying to top everyone else's dark
songs (which is good, since they'd have to top Korn's tale's
of child sexual abuse...and I really don't want to hear that).
I basically said that to get this one point out of
the way: if you're looking for something that will change the
way you feel about hard rock music - this ain't it. Which
leads to another point: that's not a bad thing. Quintaine
Americana creates their own sound by melding the sounds of
other bands. And what's more important is that a lot of these
influences on their sound aren't really evident in the first
listen or so.
Of note are the definitely blues-based "Swan Dive
Into A Lake of Fire", and the Tool-esque "Old Tricks Again".
But the highlights of the album are the album opener, "Black
Car", and "Burn", two straight-ahead rock songs that had me
ready to bounce around the room...but that's just me, I do
that a lot.
When people ask me what kind of music I review for
Consumable, my answer is usually something like "heavy
stuff" - and that's about right. Oh sure, my year-end lists
always have some abnormality in them (like when Tool and The
Artist were 1 & 2 one year), but for the most part, what I
review and listen to tends to be heavier rock.
This basically means that I'm pretty jaded musically
(no doubt partly due to two whole Korn albums seemingly about
little more than child sexual abuse). Say the word "fuck" on
your album, and a few years ago, I would actually perk up an
eyebrow. But alas, those days are long since gone. To put
it simply...you can't shock me anymore...but you can bore
me. But by not trying to be like every other band that has
come down the pike since harder rock became "cool" again
(it's too blue-collar to be "hip"), Quintaine Americana kept
my interest from start to finish, and left me wanting more.
Not that I'm overly surprised. Roadrunner has always
had a knack for putting out quality hard rock that falls
outside the mainstream, and Quintaine Americana is no exception.
---
REVIEW: Time Bomb Symphony, _If You See Kay_ (Chequered)
- Bill Holmes
First, to get past the sophomoric pun in the title...then,
you can enjoy the revelation that Time Bomb Symphony is actually
one Darren Robbins, the Midwest pop master who released _Steals
Your Girlfriend_ a few years back. I don't know why he and Adam
Schmitt (who also has his first in many a moon coming out this
year) are forever linked in my mind, but perhaps it's because
they're both multi-instrumentalists who have an ear for a good
hook and the chops to serve it up. The opening cut, "Take Me Or
Leave Me" is a perfect example - pulsating drums, sweeping guitar
chords and energetic vocals.
An even better comparison would be fellow Midwesterners
The Shoes, except Robbins packs more of a wallop. While I've
always admired The Shoes' pop sensibilities, ultimately they
wear thin on me because of the production; everything sounds
limp. If you feel the same then you might want to check out
"Better Love Next Time" and "LMLYD (Love Me Like You Do)", two
good examples of mid-tempo pop with a better punch. Not that the
songs here are bombastic - _If You See Kay_ has the same
demo/lo-fi production technique but somehow gets a little more
fuzz on the guitar, a little more snap on the drums.
Darren's voice is different than your classic pop tenor -
it's a huskier sound not unlike Jules Shear - and his playing is
solid. His writing displays versatility, from the raucous, chunky
"See You In Hell" to the bouncy "Perfect Rose" (complete with
"Tainted Love" keyboard riff). And yes, there's a couple more bad
puns, from the rocking "Act Your Rage" to "Better Love Next Time",
the latter another great Shoes meets Cars sound. The album closes
strongly with the catchy "Connected By The Moon" and the
rollicking bonus track "Heaven", which might be my favorite song
on the record.
While there's not any one song here that jumps off the
disc and screams "release me as a single!", _If You See Kay_ is
a solid effort that will please his old fans and hopefully gather
some new ones as well.
---
NEWS: > U.K. trio Dodgy are set to release a greatest hits
album in the summer of 1998, followed by a 'farewell' concert
at the Phoenix Festival. The band are expecting to be on a
hiatus from each other that could lead to a permanent dissolution
of the band.
> Another Morrissey compilation, _My Early Burglary
Years_, will hit shelves on May 12.
In another of the 'repackage' series, this effort collects
16 tracks from B-sides, albums, and an unreleased song.
The enhanced CD includes the video to the UK hit "Sunny",
along with both B-sides ("Swallow On My Neck", "Black Eyed Susan"),
other B-sides including "Sister I'm A Poet", "Girl Least Likely
To", "At Amber", "Pashernate Love", "I've Changed My Plea To Guilty",
"I'd Love To", Michael's Bones" and "Nobody Loves Us".
Album tracks include "Reader Meet Author" and "Boy Racer",
a live version of "Jack The Ripper" and "Boxers". The previously
unavailable track is a live version (from the early 90s) of the
T-Rex hit "Cosmic Dancer".
---
TOUR DATES:
Cravin' Melon
Feb. 24 Buies Creek, NC Campbell Univ
Feb. 27 Danville, VA Sir Richards
Fatboy Slim
Mar. 3 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro
Goldfinger / Sugar Ray
Feb. 24 Miami Beach, FL Cameo Theatre
Feb. 25 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Feb. 27 Houston, TX Theatre @Bayou
Feb. 28 Dallas, TX Bronco Bowl
Mar. 1 Austin, TX Ranch Studios
Mar. 3 Tempe, AZ Hayden Square
Mar. 4 San Diego, CA SOMA
Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com)
Mar. 3-4 Reel Big Fish / Mr. T Experience
Mar. 5 Government Mule
Chantal Kreviazuk
Mar. 2 Columbus, OH Ludlow's
Mar. 3 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Mar. 4 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club
Life Of Agony / Far
Mar. 1 Colorado Springs, CO Pure Energy
Mar. 4 Spokane, WA Outback Jacks
Reel Big Fish / Pilfers / Mr. T Experience
Feb. 24 Jacksonville, FL State Fairgrounds
Feb. 25 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Feb. 28 Washington, DC 930 Club
Mar. 1 Providence, RI Lupo's
Mar. 2 Scranton, PA Tink's
Mar. 3-4 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Shake Appeal
Mar. 3 Philadelphia, PA Khyber
Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth
Mar. 1 Washington, DC Bender Arena
Mar. 3 Providence, RI Lupo's
Mar. 4 Boston, MA Orpheum
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
> I was pleased to see Tim Kennedy's enthusiastic review
of the Stereophonics album, _Word Gets Around_ . A year ago
(January 1997) I was in London where I grabbed the opportunity
to see them play at the NME Brat Festival. They were openers,
one of 4 acts that night, and they knocked me out! Tight,
powerful, confident music from three guys who looked too young
to buy liquor legally. The next day I prowled the local record
stores and came up with a brilliant "single" CD with two A sides.
("Looks Like Chaplin" and "More Life In A Tramp's Vest"). I've
had a copy of _Word Gets Around_ for months. It's as satisfying
as Tim Kennedy says in his review. S.Z., Palo Alto, CA
---
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