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== ISSUE 195 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [December 9, 1999]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim
Kennedy, Al Muzer, Joe Silva
Correspondents: Michelle Aguilar, Christina Apeles, Niles J.
Baranowski, Mike Bederka, Jason
Cahill, Matthew Carlin, Patrick Carmosino, John
Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Paul
Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Scott Hudson,
Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes
Long, I.K. MacLeod, Wilson Neate, Mike Pfeiffer,
Linda Scott, Don Share, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So,
Chelsea Spear, Jon Steltenpohl, Michael Van Gorden,
Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription
information is given at the end of this issue.
==================================================================
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: Fiona Apple, _When the Pawn..._ - John Davidson
REVIEW: Marilyn Manson, _The Last Tour on Earth_- Michelle Aguilar
CONCERT REVIEW: Everything But The Girl - Wilson Neate
REVIEW: Tonic, _Sugar_ - Paul Hanson
REVIEW: Tori Amos, _To Venus and Back_ - Chelsea Spear
REVIEW: Chris Cornell, _Euphoria Morning_ - Scott Hudson
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Violator: The Album_ - Michelle Aguilar
REVIEW: Paula Cole, _Amen_ - Michael Van Gorden
REVIEW: Whitlams, _Love This City_ - Chris Hill
COMPILATION REVIEWS: Friends Again, Totally Hits, Game Time - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: The Faces, _Good Boys...When They're Asleep_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: The Get Up Kids, _Something to Write Home About_ - Kerwin So
NEWS: Jimmy and Doug's Farm Club, Supersphere.com
TOUR DATES: John Digiweed, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Ben Harper, Jayhawks,
Mike Ness, Michael Penn / Aimee Mann, Rage Against The Machine /
Gang Starr
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Fiona Apple, _When the Pawn..._ (Epic)
- John Davidson
Young, precocious, and potent, Fiona Apple made a big splash in
the market a few years back with her debut album, _Tidal_. Whether
sliding through the pubescent rage door that Alanis opened or the
channeling raw wounds a la Tori Amos, her distinctly smoky voice and
wavering rhythms parlayed a sound beyond her years. The goofiness of
fame ensued, focusing on her behavior (that rattled speech on a
televised awards show, her dwindling figure, her Lolita-inspired
videos, etc.) and more often than not, gave her talent short thrift.
Another just dessert for the insatiable appetite of stardom?
Now older and a little less bolder on her follow up to _Tidal_,
_When the Pawn..._ proves to be a strong move of growth in her
songwriting. Thematically, she's moved beyond the fragile trappings
of adolescent pain in order to confront her place in the world. "All my
life is on me now," she sings on the first track ("On the Bound"), "hail
the pages turning." Her bleeding heart seems more focused, and much of
the album speaks of the love in her life that has come and gone since.
Yet, while her confessional style is at once better than anything on
_Tidal_, the words still lag; few lyrics are an even match for her
formidable vocal talent.
It is, of course, Apple's voice that separates her from her peers.
Some of the most popular vocalists of the past ten years have made a career
out of an unlimited range or the ability to break glass with a high note,
yet it's Apple's lack of range that puts the focus on her bloozy, sexy
delivery. She dips, she crawls, she pouts, she lets her husky tone and
swooning turns of phrase to carry her message. This isn't a singer who
has to over-emote, and it's a vivid reminder that talent can become
popular if allowed to stand solo. From the wobbling kilter of "To Your
Love" to the delicate lullaby of "I Know," Apple's command of her vocal
instrument has clearly become more assured with experience, and her jazzy
instinct on the keyboard has improved, too.
Finally, there's that title. Sure, it's pretty flaccid and surely,
it's even a little indulgent. Yet with everyone (including the record
label) truncating that albatross, her quest of self-reliance and redemption
("When you go solo, you hold your own hand") may be falling more than a
few deaf ears. But that's okay. She's maturing and doing things her own
way. _When the Pawn..._ ultimately shows the portrait of an artist as a
maturing young woman. A surprising and rewarding sophomore album.
---
REVIEW: Marilyn Manson, _The Last Tour on Earth_ (Interscope)
- Michelle Aguilar
Ok, I'll admit that I came pretty late to the Marilyn Manson
dope show. Old fart that I am, I went for months in 1996 seeing these
14-year-olds hanging around my little, overpriced, super-intellectual
Massachusetts college town. They'd be loitering outside my favorite
music store or outside Starbucks, with their hair dyed raven black or
bright red, wearing chain-link wallets on their baggy camoflage pants
and their black tee-shirts that spelled out "Marilyn Manson" in fonts
that reminded me, old fart that I am, of Misfits tee-shirts.
"Who the heck is this Marilyn Manson guy anyway?" I'd ask
myself. Just when I thought I'd finally figured it out - repetitive,
Trent Reznor-influenced industrial death metal; a sort of O-Negative
lite; a Christian Death with a slightly better sense of humor - 1998's
_Mechanical Animals_ proved me and others wrong. Suddenly everybody
started talking about Manson in the same breath with Bowie and Ozzy
and Alice. And now we have this new album, "The Last Tour on Earth."
This collection of live performances from Manson's Midwestern
tour in 1998 and 1999, builds on the promises hinted at in _Mechanical
Animals_, stripping away even more of Reznor's formidable wall of
industrial metal guitars that made 1996's _Antichrist Superstar_ sound
like the band was drowning in a pool of its own soulless sludge.
Instead, the band live opts for even more Bowie-esque glam, with
snarly but sexy guitar riffs that would make Mick Ronson's day. This
new sound lends an unexpected exuberance to a live album supposedly
full of jaded, neo-Satan metal anthems.
If there's one thing those '70s glam boys knew, it was that
bigger is better. Many of the songs _The Last Tour on Earth_ subscribe
to that philosophy. "Rock is Dead" and "Irresponsible Hate Anthem," the
way they're played here, with trebly distorted guitars that at times
sound almost like horns, evoke the grandiose guitar riffs of a
modern-day Black Sabbath. "The Last Day on Earth," which relies on
sad acoustic guitar and lonely electric piano, recalls David Bowie's
more epic moments on "Hunky Dory," when he would make his songs sound
like he was singing from the tundras of Antarctica.
The melodic melodramas of glam are here too, in the jaded,
wormhole-inside-the-glory-of-success delivery of Manson hits like "The
Dope Show" and "I Don't Like The Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)." These
songs get slow, anthemic treatments that sound both huge and sparse at
the same time. Even the originally very muddled hit, "Sweet Dreams" has
this odd contradiction of sound that surprisingly recalls Bauhaus. In
fact, there are a number of songs in the Manson set that live, sound a
rather bit like live Bauhaus, with Manson at times even copping Peter
Murphy's trademark short gasping/screaming vocal style that, bless his
red-velvet-lined heart, always sounded like a giant bird being strangled
ten seconds at a time. "Inauguration of the Mechanical Christ" and
"The Last Day on Earth" have moments that sound like musical variations
on Bauhaus' "Kick in the Eye." And while we on the topic of Brit-punk,
the wanly performed "I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)"
wavers between Alice Cooper and the Gang of Four, leaning a lot more
towards Gang of Four than I would have ever expected from a band that
started out in the death-metal cd bins.
The typical Manson trademark theatrics are still here -
cop-baiting, drug-extolling, fan-bashing and cartoonish cynicism -
which have made him the latest gadfly for The Good People of America,
the parents of all those pasty-faced, black-garbed children hanging
outside my Starbucks. They love Manson, as you can plainly hear in
the background throughout. You can almost hear how young they must be,
how excited they are at the sense of being inside something momentous,
something dangerous, even if what they're participating in is in
reality a pre-packaged light and magic show; a fact that of course,
Manson himself would be the first to tell you.
But the songs are strong, tight, and somehow bigger than many
of the studio versions. I have to admit that for the first time, I was
tempted to want to see a Marilyn Manson concert. Perhaps this is
because the live recordings somehow manage to communicate the
excitement, the sheer spectacle surrounding a Manson show, despite
the fact that the tracks are disjointed and clearly not from a single,
continuous performance.
The spectacle does have an occasional downside, however.
Sometimes the theatrics are too much, with Manson spending a lot of
time in his song introductions inveighing about incidents in specific
cities with "the pigs" and fundamentalist religious types about which
we can only speculate. Still, as someone who was initially fooled (and
not all that impressed) with the industrial-metal stylings of _Smells
Like Children_ and _Antichrist Superstar_, I was pleasantly surprised
by _The Last Tour on Earth_. This live album accomplishes a rare feat -
preserving the basic integrity of original studio recordings, while at
the same time giving them a sense of momentum, urgency and excitement
that so many live albums fail to communicate.
Given that many tour albums are so often just pale, poorly
realized versions of the lusher studio album the artist was out
pimping, it is refreshing to hear a live recording with attitude,
with performances that set out to make me a believer.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Everything But The Girl; New York City
- Wilson Neate
A couple of months ago, during an inexcusable moment of weakness,
I found myself watching a characteristically vapid and pointless VH-1
program whose storyline was something highly substantive like "bands
who were big for about a second and then vanished completely." Alongside
such foundational pop luminaries as Wang Chung, A Flock of Seagulls,
Talk Talk, Modern English and Naked Eyes (who?), much to my
consternation, Everything But The Girl were treated to their own segment.
Fans of EBTG who were unfortunate enough to see this program
were no doubt delighted to learn that, according to VH-1's narrative,
Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn essentially came out of nowhere in 1994, had
a fluke hit with a ditty called "Missing" and "are still recording
music." Hmm, I was under the impression that --- in addition to their
own work before EBTG --- Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn had released six
full studio albums together prior to the release of "Missing," and,
since then, have continued to enjoy popular and critical acclaim
globally. I must have imagined all of that.
Still, while EBTG's illustrious peers, A Flock of Seagulls (at
least in the alternate reality of VH-1), would be hard-pressed to fill
a paper bag with what remains of their once trademark hairstyles, I am
pleased to report that EBTG not only filled the Hammerstein Ballroom
last night, they sold it out. Quite an achievement for an alleged
one-hit-wonder act.
As the official Everything But The Girl website
( http://www.ebtg.com ) informs us, this was to be the last concert of
the century for Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn. It was also their only US
appearance in support of the recent release of the predictably
near-perfect _Temperamental_, which has to be an 11th hour contender
for album of the year.
EBTG had the right idea last night, dispensing with that tired
convention known as the opening act - which, 90% of the time, is a bad
idea as much for the audience which has to wait its way through it as
it is for the band that has to play for an unreceptive crowd. Mercifully,
EBTG opted to entrust the warm-up responsibilities to a low-key, onstage
DJ who enabled us to go about our regular, pre-show business of drinking
and chatting with minimum distraction.
Maybe to check if anyone was listening, though, in the midst
of his spinning activities, he broke the unwritten rule and actually
played an EBTG track ("Five Fathoms"). In this case, however, it was
a calculated, smart move that was met with general approval and just
turned the level of expectancy and excitement up another notch.
Accompanied by a bass player and drummer who enhanced the
programmed beats, EBTG kicked off the show with "Before Today" and
went on to deliver a slick, hour-and-a-half-long set of material drawn
primarily from _Walking Wounded_ and _Temperamental_.
While in musical terms it's been a long and diverse journey
from Hull University in 1982 to New York's Hammerstein Ballroom in
1999, the most recent stages of that trek have been particularly
exciting for Everything But The Girl and their fans. And the experience
of them live really underscores the quite remarkable way in which Watt
and Thorn have reinvented themselves, especially over the last five years.
Indeed, their career seems to have gone against the grain of
the rock and roll narrative; while bands these days usually make a huge
initial impact, enjoy a short-lived period in which they coincide
perfectly with the current trends and then descend into anonymity or
irrelevance, EBTG have gone from strength to strength and have remained
totally relevant.
The pivotal moment in their career came with "Missing" -
especially the Todd Terry remix thereof - a track that seemed almost
like an afterthought, albeit a brilliant one, to the hitherto standard
jazz/folk tinged pop fare on 1994's _Amplified Heart_. While "Missing"
gave a clue as to the direction they were taking, few people could have
imagined that EBTG would emerge as the leading exponents of such classy,
dance-oriented pop music as they have of late - first with 1996's
predominantly drum and bass-influenced _Walking Wounded_ and this year
with the more house-derived _Temperamental_.
In this latest stage of their career, Ben Watt has pretty much
yielded the vocals to Tracey Thorn and has channeled his considerable
talents as a musician, DJ and producer into crafting their strikingly
original new sound. And on their last two records - as they proved last
night - they've achieved a perfectly balanced form, harmoniously
combining the strength and clarity of Thorn's evocative vocals with a
danceable, compelling musical texture, in ironic contrast perhaps to
the disharmony that their lyrics continue to foreground. Their songs
relentlessly work through highly personalized accounts of regret, loss,
and general unhappiness in and out of love - quite a remarkable artistic
feat in itself, given the reality of their own enduring long-term
relationship.
Lyrical content aside, though, what you hear in EBTG's songs
is the melody of Tracey Thorn's voice, foregrounded and perfectly
complimented by the unobtrusive yet distinctive collage of sounds
created by Watt. And in terms of that melody, Thorn consistently manages
to somehow project a beautifully ambivalent quality that is at once
detached and intimate, strong and fragile, disinterested and emotive.
That ambiguous nature of Thorn's voice epitomizes the creative
tension that makes their music so distinctive. EBTG's sound contrasts
starkly with much of the currently popular techno/DJ based fodder. A
great deal of the latter is characterized by repetition, by a tendency
to trade in a single affect and by a penchant for clinical, sampled
textures that often jar with each other and that are often stripped of
any of their original meaning, used only toward some simplistic,
functional end. By contrast, Watt and Thorn build a subtle, seamless
musical and vocal whole and pull off a stunning marriage of the
impersonality of the sample/electronic dance beat and a uniquely
identifiable, expressive sound that has always been the essence of
EBTG.
As last night's show emphasized, their achievement is a
synthesis of opposites. They build their tracks as a hybridization of
the anonymous house/breakbeat sound and the highly personal, inscribing
within the framework of the former a range and depth of feeling and
mood largely absent from much electronic music, which seems focused
only on a superficial, party-oriented euphoria.
Last night, that craft was exemplified by EBTG's performance
of the track "Single," a song dominated by a slow techno drum beat but
shot through with feeling. With sleight of hand, Ben Watt not only
manages to sample Tim Buckley's 1970 classic "Song To The Siren" -
quite an accomplishment in itself - but he also makes "Single" hinge
around this minimal, almost unnoticable hook. That sample isn't just
a technical effect that sounds good or serves some novelty purpose.
Rather, EBTG use it as a beautifully simple, intertextual homage to
Buckley that simultaneously provides them with the emotive material
with which to construct their song. While Buckley's masterpiece of
longing and loneliness is pared down to that fragile sample, both
musically and vocally, "Single" draws out and articulates the affective
quality of the original.
Not surprisingly, "Missing" drew the biggest reaction and
provided a rare moment of interaction (apart from a couple of "thank
you"s) as Tracey Thorn yielded the vocals to the crowd on the chorus.
But then, everything was well-received last night, especially "Walking
Wounded," "Wrong," and the new songs "Five Fathoms," "Blame," "Hatfield
1980," "Temperamental" and "The Future of the Future."
For an encore, they treated us to a version of "Protection."
While 3D has claimed some degree of credit for the rebirth of EBTG,
owing to Thorn's work with Massive Attack, it remains that Thorn wrote
the lyrics and it really is her vocals that make the song.
Despite their lack of verbal interaction with the crowd, they
clearly enjoyed themselves, something that was confirmed the next day
as their website's top five list of "What Rocks Today!" was updated to
include The Hammerstein Ballroom.
---
REVIEW: Tonic, _Sugar_ (Universal)
- Paul Hanson
Following up a smash debut can't be easy. You have lots of time
to write, and rewrite, the songs that end up on the debut, but in the
music industry today, long periods of inactivity allow trends and the
flavor of the month to change. Look at Def Leppard, Scorpions, and Motley
Crue, all bands that have either changed their style to catch up or
resorted to rehashing their old songs and releasing them in altered
formats, like a live album.
Tonic's _Lemon Parade_ caught me by surprise. I wasn't expecting
to like it, but I always found it an above-decent album. It's been a
while since I listened to it, but I still have a soft spot for its
single "If You Could Only See." The song has personal meaning to me
because I think of the song being sung from a friend of mine's
perspective, talking about his 'better half.'
So now, faced with following up a commercially successful debut,
what's a band to do? Tonic's answer is to write strong songs, write
them well, and give the fans that were devoted to their 1st album
additional songs to cherish. There are multiple gems here, starting
with opener "Future Says Run" which is followed by the _American Pie_
soundtrack anthem "You Wanted More." "Mean to Me" ventures near "If You
Could Only See" territory with the lyrics, "There's an empty place
inside that is hurting/ Place that keeps my heart . . ./ Why do you
have to drag me down to make me see."
And like the lyrics, the music here is sharp. There's not a
virtuoso in the band, no "Guitar Player of the Year" candidate, but I
don't hear Tonic as a band that's concerned with winning awards. Instead,
they want to write good songs. And on _Sugar_ they have.
---
REVIEW: Tori Amos, _To Venus and Back_ (Atlantic)
- Chelsea Spear
The press kit that accompanies Tori Amos's latest creative
venture comes complete with a pile of clippings about a quarter of an
inch thick that detail the singer's recent relationship with MP3.com on
her recent tour with Alanis Morrisette. After listening to _To Venus
and Back_, this partnership should come as no surprise.
__TV&B__ further chronicles Amos's search for the ghost in the
machine. Her last album, 1998's _from the choirgirl hotel_, found the
singer exploring electronic textures and wedding techno non-structure
to her take on classic songwriting, bringing a heart and a soul to this
kind of music not often found elsewhere. On _TV&B_, Amos occasionally
leaves her piano aside to write songs that seem exclusively written on
electronic instruments, such as the piquant, trebly "Datura" and the
haunting "Juarez," which dopplers to a beat that sounds like wind moving
over the desert. In other places, such as the noirish opening track
"Bliss," she brings her piano to a place where a heartbeat sounds like
an electronic drum. The overall effect suggests an album recorded by
the Lady in the Radiator from the movie _Eraserhead_, as produced by
Tom Waits circa _Bone Machine_.
Of course, unlike the Lady in the Radiator (often interpreted
by Lynch scholars as the voice of suicide), Tori can come off like an
agent of hope, or at least a desire to understand. The lyrics on this
album deal with women and their relationships with those around them -
"Bliss" suggests someone trying to extract herself from a stifling
parental relationship, "Juarez" deals with a heinous rape/murder in
Mexico, and the rapturous, decadent snare drum and tinkly melodies of
"Josephine" suggests Jeanette Winterson, a reinvention of the Napoleonic
War from the General's girlfriend. With Tori, though, it's best to
leave lyrical interpretations to the intuitive mind; after all, logic
might balk at lines such as the opening gambit, "Father I killed my
monkey."
The second disc in this set features Amos's first official
live album. While one live set will do little to stop up the seemingly
endless flow of bootlegs the chanteuse's fans demand, it serves its
purpose to portray the intensity, beauty, and wry humour of Amos's
live shows. Hearing her live performance in such a well-produced,
high-quality context is a revelation in and of itself, and the set
list both reflects crowd favourites (such as a new version of
"Cornflake Girl," with a bluesy introduction) and rare beauties
like "Cooling" and "Purple People." Fans of Amos will doubtlessly
already own this, but new converts and the curious would do well to
check this out, if only for the considerable joys of this unusual
and delightful live set.
---
REVIEW: Chris Cornell, _Euphoria Morning_ (A&M)
- Scott Hudson
As former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell steps up to the
plate to release his debut solo effort, _Euphoria Morning_, no doubt
he will have his share of detractors. Perhaps the biggest will be
those diehard Soundgarden fans who feel that, by leaving the band, he
sold out his bandmates and his loyal fans.
The inescapable fact is that Chris Cornell was Soundgarden. He
was both the voice and the vision. In order to expand his musical
horizons he needed to blaze his own trail, in his own way and on his
own terms.
With _Euphoria Morning_, Cornell moves away from the grunge/metal
trappings that typified Soundgarden and into the arena of the emotional
and experimental.
Eleven alums Alain Johannes (guitar and backing vocals) and
Natasha Shneider (keyboards and backing vocals) were beckoned by
Cornell not only to play, but to co-write and co-produce the record as
well. Together, they weave a tapestry of tones and textures that provide
a brilliant backdrop for Cornell's often introspective lyrics while
showcasing his laryngellic virtuosity.
The hooky "Can't Change Me" combines an Eastern influence,
prevalent in mid-period Beatles music, with a classic Lennonesque,
monotone counter-harmony. "Flutter Girl" has a "While My Guitar Gently
Weeps" groove that anchors Johannes' outstanding "bumble-bee" guitar
vibrato.
"Preaching The End of The World" finds Cornell singing the
verses in a David Gates (Bread) falsetto against an acoustic guitar
backdrop. But once the chorus kicks in, all similarities to Bread come
to a screeching halt; Gates would be spitting up pieces of lung in an
attempt to reach the notes Cornell effortlessly nails.
"Wave Goodbye" is a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Jeff
Buckley that feature tender, gut-wrenching lyrics amidst a funky
"wah-wah" guitar groove.
The title track, "Sweet Euphoria," is a powerful solo effort
featuring just Cornell and his acoustic guitar lamenting a lost love.
"When I'm Down" is smoky lounge-room R&B number that wreaks of Ray
Charles, accompanied by Natasha Shneider's outstanding jazzy/blues
piano chops.
Also noteworthy are great tracks like "Follow My Way,"
"Disappearing One," "Moonchild," and the acoustic flourishes of
"Pillow of Your Bones," which are reminicent of Radiohead's "Paranoid
Android."
In _Euphoria Morning_, you have one of best releases of the
year, bar none. It is work that bears more of a resemblence to the
Temple of the Dog project than anything Soundgarden ever did.
In Chris Cornell, you have one of rock's greatest voices
creating musical magic in his own way and on his own terms.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Violator: The Album_ (Violator)
- Michelle Aguilar
Where is rap going into the 21st century? After rising like a
slow moving but powerful rocket into the mainstream after all these
years, is rap now on the decline? Is it an art finally hitting the
wall, lacking in new direction? Is it bereft, depleted of fresh ideas,
with nowhere left to go except into decontextualized Puff Daddy-esque
grandiosity or appropriation by alternative rock?
Rap entertainment mogul Chris Lighty, who owns Violator Records,
Violator Management and also produces the occasional rap record for LL
Cool J and others, doesn't think so. He points to beat innovators and
breakthrough artists like Busta Rhymes and the Flipmode Squad, Noreaga
and Q-Tip (from the defunct A Tribe Called Quest) as evidence that rap
is still evolving and changing as an art form.
Not coincidentally, all these artists, who have exploded in
popularity in the past three years or so, have Lighty in common and
have partnerships with either Violator Records or Violator Management.
It is this link that provides the common denominator behind this
Violator Records compilation, _Violator: The Album_. This album,
which debuted in August at the number one spot on Billboard's R&B
charts and was also the highest debuting album on the Billboard Top 200
pop charts that week, is a gem you might have missed if you're only an
occasional rap fan. But it's full of enough gems from that it's worth
your while to seek this disc out, maybe as a holiday present to your
own bad self.
Yo' bad self is the lyrical substance of many of these songs,
with lots of references to gangbanging, clubbing and busting caps on
those who ain't fast enough, smooth enough, smart enough, or just man
enough to survive. In fact, I tried at one point to count just how
many times the word "bitch" made it onto this album (and believe me,
it made it on there a lot), but I got bored counting about sixty.
Which is why Q-Tip's, "Vivrant Thing," (which opens the album
and was the album's premier single) is a refreshing opener. A lusty
paean to the irresistible beauty of a confident woman who knows what
she wants from life and her man and is too mature to play head games.
Appropriately, the backing track is a tasty disco guitar sample of "I
Wanna Stay," by Barry White, who knew better than anyone the alluring
power of a sexy, strong woman. When the words, "Such a vivrant thing,"
roll off his tongue, there's something so sultry in it, so appealing
in the way dances off the beat, you're inclined to forgive any minor
shortcomings.
Followed immediately by an enchantingly unexpected sample of
the Broadway musical "Oliver" by the Flipmode Squad, "Whatcha Come
Around Here For," is mostly straight up gangsta posturing, with the
unmistakable jester-like vocals of Busta Rhymes and trade-offs by the
rest of the Squad floating over the whole thing. But the combination
of great samples and bursting enthusiasm of the rapping is so much
fun, the song is always over far too early and you don't care that
the Broadway sample repeated non-stop throughout is basically a
one-trick pony. It's too damn fun.
Noreaga and Scarlet join forces on track three for a he-said,
she-said take on the seminal N.W.A. hit "Straight Outta Compton,"
featuring female voices shouting, "I Want to F**** You," in a direct
quote of the old NWA line where the girls scream the same line to
Eazy-E. The difference here is Scarlett gets to quote it too, in a
sort of equal-opportunity, what's good for the goose is good for the
gander philosophy.
_Violator_ arrays its big guns early, with these three tunes and
LL Cool J's "Say What" (which is a fine tune but nothing earth-shattering)
laying down the groundwork for the album. But for all their heavy hitting,
there's a slight sense of these some of these artists, particularly
Flipmode Squad and Noreaga, offering up momentary diversions in their
career trajectories, fun but inconsequential experiments and ephemera,
as a favor to their good friend, manager and record executive, Chris
Lighty. What's even more interesting is the few glimpses we get of some
up and coming talent on this record, who are offering Lighty their best
here.
Particularly intriguing are the opening Q-Tip track, his first
bit of solo since leaving A Tribe Called Quest, and Mysonne, a
23-year-old rapper from the Bronx whose voice first made an appearance
on Mase's recent album, _Double Up._ Mysonne is featured on two tracks,
in a triumvirate including Mase and Eightball ("Do What Playas Do") a
catchy, swinging tune all about who's the real man that sounds like it
was made to be played in a convertible, cruising down the strip. There's
also his great crossover duet with breakthrough R&B artists, Next, which
features judicious use of a talkbox to great effect. And finally, there's
his driving track, "The Truth," which among other things features a fun
sample of Jack Nicholson screaming, "You can't handle the truth!"
Mysonne is definitely one to watch out for. I plan to seek out his
debut album whenever Def Jam releases it in the first half of 2000.
There are highlights from lesser-known but still fairly big-name
ghetto superstars, including the sexy, undeniable track, "Ohh Wee" by
Cru, guaranteed to get any group of party people moving, with its
undeniable driving groove. Also worth checking out is an intense
collaboration by Noreaga, Final Chapter, Iman Thug, Capone, Scarlett,
Musaliny and Mase, called "Thugged Out N*****," featuring great
interweaving trade-off raps that make the track come alive. You really
feel like everybody was sitting around together, having a great time
trying out their stuff on each other, each trying to do a little bit
better than the one before them. My favorite line by far? "Marilyn
Manson/dumb n*****/imagine me dancin' ---not!"
It's followed immediately by two other gems: First there's the
RZA-style Big Noyd track, "S*** That He Said," a breathless, gangsta
cautionary tale about how shooting your mouth off about the wrong guy
on the street can get you shot, featuring a eerie sample from the Four
Tops' "Good Lord Knows"; then there's the fun Latin hip-hop stylings of
longtime Violator artists, The Beatnuts, collaborating with Triple Seis
on "Beatnuts Forever." The result is a lush, disco-funk track with a
great string sample that sounds a bit like a Pras outtake.
There are some disappointments here, such as the Busta Rhymes,
Noreaga, Prodigy, et al. collaboration of "Violators" which sounds like
a permanent intro and really goes nowhere, despite some appealing
tough-chick rapping from Sonya Blade. Ditto on the other Busta Rhymes
track, with Flipmode Squad, all of which made me just want to go back
to the Flipmode genius on track two. Da Franchise and Ja Rule take a
great Teddy Pendergrass sample and do little with it, contributing a
fairly plodding rap. Mobb Deep, with "Nobody Likes Me" is equally
uninspired, with a one measure loop repeated endlessly, featuring a
fairly lifeless vocal track.
But _Violator_ is mostly a great sampler from a great wide-spread
stable of diverse rap and R&B artists, both for fans who couldn't get
most of these songs elsewhere, and for the rap dilettante looking for a
sure bet.
---
REVIEW: Paula Cole, _Amen_ (Imago/WB)
- Michael Van Gorden
Where have all the cowboys gone indeed! Probably best known
for the aforementioned song as well as her hit single "I Don't Want
To Wait", and her stint on the Lilith tour, the former Peter Gabriel
backup singer has really grown and matured as an artist.
Her latest work, _Amen_, opens with the pseudo 70's sound of
the Love Unlimited Orchestra funk in "I believe in Love". But don't
let the disco sound scare you. Unlike other so-called "Divas" of the
90's, Paula Cole can sing and emote without having to scream and
screech. And she handles this great opening number with class.
The Paula Cole Band as they are called now, are on hand to
support Paula through the many different musical styles she explores
on _Amen_. The turntable scratch opens "Rhythm Of Life" and Paula
tries her hand at rapping. The lite jazz sound of "Free" accompany
the struggle on faces trying to help a loved one be more open, more
free, and how one can become imprisoned by it. Tionaa Watkins,
otherwise known as T-Boz from TLC helps out on background vocals
during the bittersweet number "Be Somebody". The song opens up with
a brutal yet, honest story of a boy who had so much promise, and yet
is gunned down simply for what he saw. The singer trying to find a
way, some inner strength to rise above it all: "And oh my God, what
is this Madness? I will not let it kill my Gladness".
The outcome, of course, is one that has met with much
resistance as far as Paula's fans and critics are concerned. That
of looking to God for relief. Odd how when one sings about evil,
most will say it is reality, and must be addressed, but when
confronted with something they have a hard time believing in, they
become less tolerant. Paula sounds more relaxed on this album, gone
is the anger, or confusion, the inner turmoil of the past. Some
attribute this to a new found interest in God. Whatever the
reason, it has allowed her to expand her musical horizon, to look
and express different sides of herself.
Other numbers such as "Pearl", "Suwannee Jo", and the silky
smooth "La Tonya" fill out a great album of new music. Musically
she is supported by The Paula Cole Band, guitarist Kevin Barry and
drummer Jay Bellerose. Tony Levin on bass, Greg Leisz on pedal steel
fill out the sound. Whatever it is that has inspired Paula Cole
this time out really shouldn't matter. The music is what matters
and this is the best album she has released.
---
REVIEW: Whitlams, _Love This City_ (Black Yak/Phantom IMPORT)
- Chris Hill
Fueled as it was by the death of bandmate and close friend
Stevie Plunder, the emotionally cathartic _Eternal Nightcap_
struck a responsive chord with the Australian public, catapulting
the Whitlams' third studio album to acclaim as the best selling
independent album in the country's history. Take a look at the
website (http://www.thewhitlams.com), and you'll see that the now
sole Whitlams frontman, Tim Freedman, was both aware and unfazed
by the expectations that _Talking Shop_ (the album's working
title) should surpass _...Nightcap_'s benchmark.
A last-minute name change, and _Love This City_ was released
November 1st to critical and popular Australian praise. (Outside
the country, it remains an import for now. A true shame, as the
initial pressings included an 8+ minute "secret" (mentioned in
every review I've seen) track of studio banter and song snippets.
At first, _Love This City_ disturbed, with the absence of
the angst and disturbance which permeated _Eternal Nightcap_,
notably found therein the trio of "Charlie" songs. The follow-
up album seemed slick and glib, overproduced and hollow compared
to the surgical revelations of the last album. Several songs
leapt out - "Time" (incredibly infectious with horns and hooky
chorus) and "Pretty As You" (with power chords that vibrate the
medulla oblongata), but overall, it struck as calculated and
forced, with orchestral treatments that leave songs lush and
shiny, rather than appreciably spare.
That was the first listen.
The second, each song leapt out with perfect clarity, which
displays both the unfair expectations faced by Freedman and the
meticulous care he took in assembling the album. Knowing the
scrutiny would be intense, each song was given a proper gestation
in the studio, whether located in Australia or the United States.
(Freedman travelled to Nashville to record several of the songs).
Several songs are familiar from earlier incarnations. "You
Gotta Love This City", the title track, is a revamping of an
earlier single b-side, luscious in its critical yet affectionate
condemnation of Sydney's winning bid to host the Olympic Games.
"My city is a whore/opened herself up to the world/Jumped up and
down in pastel shirts/And lathered up thinking about designs for
t-shirts". "400 Miles from Darwin" orchestrally reworks the
"Melbourne" single b-side, updating it to reflect Freedman's ire
at the East Timor slaughter currently underway. The song is a
moral mirror - how easy is it to feel comfortable and righteous,
safely watching "Schindler's List" in a theater, thinking we'd act
in a proper manner, though we hesitate while identical events
occur around us.
But it's the new ones that dazzle. "Time", with a fantastic
chorus of "Time, time, time/is doing well by us", tells an old
fact. Love comes, love goes, but the connections once built,
last, and can be rekindled. "It's been some months since she
came around/Lying where she used to lie/She's so beautiful I
could eat her" - honest and unashamed of sexual desire, the
refreshing "Time" evokes "I Make Hamburgers", a track from the
Whitlams' back catalog about a hamburger worker's liaisons
through his job. Walking the fine line between lewd and loving,
Freedman reminds us of the frank pleasure and enjoyment in love.
"Her Floor Is My Ceiling" enlists swirling strings and
resounding percussion to take a look at unrequited love between a
downstairs man and his upstairs, unattainable neighbor. "Oh, if
she liked the look of me/I'd get my act together".
"There's No-one" examines a similar loneliness. "It's
strange to be happy if your boyfriend is lonely/That's the way
they are/It's strange to be happy if your girlfriend's lonely/But
that's the way we are". Monogamous ties aren't a restriction as
much as a glory to revel in, and the loss is felt when there's no
one waiting at home for your call. Sweet gospel vocals and the
trademark Whitlams piano sound leave this song lingering in the
memory long after the music's faded.
"You Made Me Hard" gives an obvious initial impression, but
that would be in error. Written by Australian songwriter Bernie
Hayes, the song is about the steeling of a man thanks to a
woman's influence - he "was simple", but now he "knows". And to
give Freedman his due, how many songwriters would allow another's
contribution to an album that is sure to get the immediate sales
attention which follows a hit record? That kind of loyalty to
one's countrymen is laudable.
"Thankyou (for loving me at my worst)" is a bouncy, jaunty
nod of appreciation to fans and friends, and an indication that
the wild oats haven't been fully sown ("Can we be crazy for a few
more years? Have I got them in me?"). The funky "Chunky Chunky
Air Guitar", the current single in Australia, is a catchy radio
friendly track with nonsensical lyrics: "Bellhop blues with a
midget butt-boy in Sweden/Chockfull of puss and wolved by a
little French maid".
Fourteen songs plus the "secret" track make this a must-buy
now, while the band's non-Australian following numbers in the
cult status. With similarly talented bands like Crowded House
and Ben Folds Five striking mainstream gold, buying the imports
now will be cheaper than searching Ebay for rarities in the
future.
---
COMPILATION REVIEWS: Friends Again, Totally Hits, Game Time
- Bob Gajarsky
The second installment of the Friends soundtrack -
this time known as _Friends Again_ (Reprise) - mixes a wide
variety of music from the alternative spectrum. The mix of
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Penelope Houston on
"Angel And The Jerk" works perfectly - even those who aren't
fans of Green Day are likely to find themselves humming this
song. The bubblegum pop of newcomer Loreta on the album's
first single, "Trouble With Boys" proves to be an anomaly
from the general spirit of the album; more in the spirit
of the soundtrack are two excellent covers, Smash Mouth's
take on Let's Active's "Every Word Means No" and Robbie
Williams strong version of the Pet Shop Boys "I Wouldn't
Normally Do This Kind Of Thing". And the Chrissie Hynde
/ Lisa Kudrow (or Phoebe Buffay) track "Smelly Cat" does
provide some comic amusement. A kitschy hip-hop/rap
version of the Rembrandt's theme show closes the disc,
which was an unfortunate decision. Other than that one
track however - no matter how you feel about the television
show - _Friends Again_ is likely to receive repeated
listens.
_Totally Hits_ (Arista / WEA) is the label's answer
to the NOW compilation series. A huge success in its native
England, NOW (That's What I Call Music) is up to number 44;
the American equivalent is on number 3. Here, _Totally Hits_
incorporates all the musical genres for an 18 track hits
selection.
The modern rock artists featured here - Sugar Ray,
Santana / Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas, Barenaked Ladies,
Third Eye Blind, Sarah McLachlan and Madonna - occupy
one-third of the album's cuts. So although people who own
_Stunt_ or _Ray Of Light_ won't purchase this album (unless
they are collectors of BNL or the Material Girl), the hope
is that they might want to purchase the TLC album after
hearing "No Scrubs". Or Kid Rock, with "Bawitdaba".
Or, to avoid spending $16 on Cher's _Believe_ or Faith
Hill's _Faith_ for one song, you can buy _Totally Hits_
and save the money for something more worthwhile.
_Fox Sports Presents Game Time_ (Priority) is
targetted right on to the Gen-Xers who prefer Fox's
NFL pregame show to the competition on CBS. Again,
an 'answer' disc - this time to the Jock Rock series -
_Game Time_ covers rap (Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg, Master P),
rock and dance in a non-stop adrenaline rush.
While sports 'anthems' such as Blur's "Song #2" (woo
hoo) and Republica's "Ready To Go" are already staples,
some tracks such as Moby's "Bodyrock" and JS-16
techno standout "Stomp To My Beat" serve to pave the
way for future themes. Yet another album which could
serve as a party collection - if you ignore the
Fox interludes.
---
REVIEW: The Faces, _Good Boys...When They're Asleep_, (Rhino)
- Bill Holmes
Long before Rod The Mod became a balladeer (and I mean that in
a BAD way) and Ronnie Wood traded anorexic guitar poses with his evil
twin Keith Richards, they were two-fifths of The Faces, a group that
was either the best band in the world or the drunkest band...or maybe
both (it depends upon whether The Kinks were playing that night). First
formed as a group of jilted musical lovers, three Steve Marriott-less
Small Faces absorbed two Jeff Beck Group castoffs and caroused their way
to rock and roll history.
I tell you this because I was there. If you had to rely on the
printed word, or the record racks, or (gulp!) the airwaves, you'd never
know. Rhino Records bellied-up to the bar on your behalf with a single
disc "best of" collection, and they've even thrown in a previously
unreleased song to sweeten the pot. Dave Marsh, God bless him, scribed
the reverential liner notes and throws his hat in the ring on their
behalf. But for me, it's bittersweet -- a dynamic, earth-shattering,
genuine slice of rock and roll's foundation gets another breath of
life...but it's a nineteen track CD, not a three or four disc box set.
That said, this collection is a credible addition even if you
have some or all of the Faces titles, and if you have not dipped your
toe in these beer-soaked waters yet, it's a good place to start. With
any collection, you're going to get the obvious must-have's and agonize
over the why-couldn't-they-fit-that-in-too's, but it's hard to argue
with the selection _Good Boys_ offers. Rightfully grabbing the lion's
share from _A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse_, the midsection
of this chronologically organized platter gives us the band at their
rollicking best. The 1-2-3 punch of "Miss Judy's Farm," "You're So
Rude" and "Too Bad" is as balls to the wall powerful now as then, as
is the classic "Stay With Me", the definitive Wood/Stewart romp. The
three cuts from the embryonic _First Step_ are solid (and one is an
alternate version), and only "Memphis" from _Long Player_ or "My
Fault" from _Ooh La La_ are missed in these circumstances. Including
the final two singles "Pool Hall Richard" and "You Can Make Me Dance,
Sing Or Anything," is a no-brainer, and the sweet and pretty "Open To
Ideas" is a perfect coda to this too-short journey.
Who knows if the rumors of Rod hoarding his "better material"
were really true, but it's interesting to think how much longer The
Faces would have stuck it out if they got more credit and had more
hits. (One thing for certain -- if Rod tried to stick "D'ya Think I'm
Sexy" on a Faces album he'd have gotten his ass...er, arse...kicked!)
Even though they were staples of the Faces repertoire, many
recognizable songs like "I Know I'm Losing You" and "True Blue" could
not be included here because they were from Rod's "solo" career. But
what about the outtakes, the live cuts, the BBC sessions?
Ahh....there I go again talking about box sets instead of
thanking Rhino for letting all the Replacements and Black Crowes fans
see where the roots of their trees lie. And I'll admit it: when I
think of all the old bands getting together for the bucks after years
away from the limelight (do we really need more Journey and Styx
songs?), a small but hopeful flame burns in my heart that one day
these lads will rise again as well.
Unfortunately, Ronnie Lane's recent tragic death from MS rules
out reuniting the original lineup; the closest thing we've gotten to
that was Stewart's _Unplugged_ performance. But if the other four were
ever up for it, hell - I'll scour every corner bar looking for Tetsu
Yamauchi. And if I can't find him, I'll get a rooster haircut, some
velvet pants and a glass of bourbon and play the damn bass myself.
---
REVIEW: The Get Up Kids, _Something to Write Home About_ (Vagrant)
- Kerwin So
Let me start off by saying that I love the Get Up Kids. For a
while they represented all that was vital and appealing about rock 'n'
roll-- great songs, unbelievable energy, and emotion to spare. From
their critically acclaimed debut _Four Minute Mile,_ to their hard-to-find
"Woodson" EP, to this summer's smoother sounding but still excellent "Red
Letter Day" EP, the Get Up Kids could literally do no wrong. Even their
tributes to the Pixies and the Cure were inspired and true, entertaining
on their own while doing justice to the originals. The Get Up Kids
simultaneously defined and innovated the emerging face of emo rock.
So, what happened? The new CD _Something to Write Home About_
mocks its own title-- for a few pretty good songs, you have to wade
through a deluge of sappy filler. It's an album marred by bad
decisions. For one thing, the band decided to give up the able hands
of guys like Ed Rose and Bob Weston to produce the record themselves.
That was a huge mistake: besides putting too much emphasis on lead
singer Matt Pryor's whiny tenor, the entire record has a thoroughly
bland, almost adult-contemporary texture to it, and songs like the
rockin' "Close to Home," which could have been great, are sapped of
their potential.
Moreover, the vast majority of tracks the Get Up Kids chose to
include are ballads and mellower songs, devoid of the band's trademark
dynamics and blistering energy-- no doubt in an attempt to demonstrate
that they are "maturing." I completely welcome musicians' efforts to
grow and develop their sound, but one of the unfortunate outcomes of
this new emphasis on ballads (besides robbing long-time fans of the
band we once knew and loved) is the subsequent prominence of the lyrics.
The Get Up Kids still need more time to expand their lexicon and explore
other themes-- words like "anniversary" and "apology" are spewed forth
all too often.
Ironically, most of the good songs on _Something to Write Home
About_ have already been released. The song "Red Letter Day" can be
found on the EP of the same name, and "I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel"
was released as part of Tree Records' Postmarked Stamps 7" series.
Both songs sounded better in their previous incarnations. The only
truly new song which resembles the Get Up Kids of old is the solid "Ten
Minutes" (incidentally the only track on which guitarist Jim Suptic
sings lead), whose crunchy guitars, energizing rhythms, and
perfectly-placed vocal harmonies actually work well within the
context of the slick new production in a Foo Fighters sort of way.
The Get Up Kids tried to lose the "kids" in their name with
their latest record, trying to grow up too fast in a sometimes
treacherous emo scene that feeds on red-raw emotion, freshly scrubbed
youth, and bands who die out before they ever record their third album.
Sticking to a fiercely independent aesthetic, the Get Up Kids declined
major label offers in favor of signing with Vagrant, unfortunately
cementing a couple of mistakes in the process: alienating some of their
core fans with a lackluster new record, and losing the opportunity to
make it big and still produce a worthwhile work of art (like Capitol
now exiles Jimmy Eat World). Although _Something to Write Home About_
disappoints, I'm more than willing to give the band another chance, as
they still have a lot going for them, and have already written so many
great songs that they ought to be allowed some missteps before reaching
their mid-20s. Besides, their live show remains super-fun. Here's to
better decisions come the next time.
---
NEWS: > Jimmy Iovine (co-chairman of Interscope / Geffen / A&M)
and Doug Morris (chairman of Universal Music Group) have announced
the formation of Jimmy and Doug's Farm Club, a new record label
which allows artists to have direct contact with major record
executives, obtaining professional input and feedback from fans,
be showcased on a weekly television show on the USA Network, and
secure a major recording contract. The site will be located at
http://www.farmclub.com .
> Indie rock fans may want to check out the site
http://www.supersphere.com , where live performances from
groups such as Promise Ring, Fugazi, Joan of Arc, Don Caballero,
Kool Keith and more have been broadcast.
---
TOUR DATES:
John Digiweed
Dec. 10 San Francisco, CA 1015 Club
Dec. 11 Tempe, AZ Pompeii
Dec. 17 Los Angeles, CA Palace
Dec. 18 Boulder, CO Soma lOUNGE
Jan. 1 New York, NY Twilo
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Dec. 10 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Dec. 11 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Dec. 13 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
Dec. 15 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Ben Harper
Dec. 10 Providence, RI Lupo's
Dec. 11 Burlington, VT Memorial Aud.
Dec. 12 New Haven, CT Webster Theater
Jayhawks
Dec. 10 Moorhead, MN Kirby's
Dec. 11 Duluth, MN Shrine Auditorium
Dec. 18 Minneapolis MN, First Ave.
Mike Ness
Dec. 10 West Palm Beach, FL Carefree Theatre
Dec. 11 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
Dec. 12 St. Petersburg, FL State Theatre
Michael Penn / Aimee Mann
Dec. 14, 21 Los Angeles, CA Largo Cafe
Rage Against The Machine / Gang Starr
Dec. 11 New Orleans, LA Lakewood Arena
Dec. 13 Houston, TX Summit Arena
Dec. 14 San Antonio, TX Alamo Dome
Dec. 16 Phoenix, AZ America West Arena
Dec. 18 San Diego, CA Cox Arena
Dec. 19-20 Los Angeles, CA Great Western Forum
---
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