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Cosmic Debris 1996 09
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I S S U E # 1 6 : S E P T E M B E R 1 9 9 6
... Insert Topical Cliche Here ...
==========================================================================
WHO IN THE HELL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ELECTRONIC...THING?
- The Specialists -
DJ Johnson.................Editor
Jim Andrews................HTML
coLeSLaw...................Graphic Artist
Lauren Marshall............Administration
Louise Johnson.............Administration
- The Cosmik Writers -
Jim Andrews, Cai Campbell, coLeSLAw, Robert Cummings, Shaun Dale,
Phil Dirt, David Fenigsohn, Alex Gedeon, Keith Gillard, Steven Leith
Steve Marshall, The Platterpuss, Paul Remington, John Sekerka
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
EDITOR'S NOTES - Welcoming a new writer to Cosmik, talking about the winners
of the Jon And The Nightriders CD/Picture giveaway, and just generally
spouting off about whatever he wants to.
THE HALIBUTS AT SWEET 16 - Rick Johnson and Pete Curry, the outstanding
guitar tandem of The Halibuts, discuss the long history of the band,
their love of traditional surf music, and their new CD, Life On The
Bottom.
QUADROPHENIA COMES ALIVE - For six evenings, the surviving 3/4ths of The
Who thrilled audiences at New York City's Madison Square Garden by
performing their masterpiece, Quadrophenia. Our own Steve Marshall was
on hand for one of those performances. This is his report.
BOOKS - "Please Kill Me: An Oral Biography Of Punk" - Written by Legs McNeil
and Gillian McCain, this is a book that uses segments of many interviews
to tell the story of the New York punk scene, from The dawn of the
underground to the bitter end.
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK: CONVENTIONAL WISDOM - As we all wait for the smoke to
clear, Shaun Dale looks back at the conventions and tells us what, if
anything, there is to learn from them.
RECORD REVIEWS - There ain't no polka, Cajun, calypso, traditional
Scottish bagpipe music, country or opera in this issue, but check back
next month, cuz ya never know. Meanwhile, here's a little bit of
everything else.
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE (Steven Leith) - As the unemployment figures skyrocket
and aid to the poor crashes in flames, what will become of these people
that the statisticians prefer not to count?
PHIL'S GARAGE (Phil Dirt) - The Aqua Velvets -vs- The Beach Boys?
llllllLLLLLLLLet's get ready to grumble! Rock 'n' Roll Politics, aging
Dinosaurus Wilsonius' sightings, and fairground mentality come under the
microscope of Mr. Dirt.
THE AUDIO FILE (Cai Campbell) - Cai
THE AUDIO FILE (Cai Campbell) - talks
THE AUDIO FILE (Cai Campbell) - about
THE AUDIO FILE (Cai Campbell) - quad.
STUFF I NOTICED (DJ Johnson) - Various things that pissed off the editor guy
this month, including every single freakin' person at the GOP convention.
TAPE HISS (John Sekerka) - Our newest addition to the Cosmik Debris staff is
Ottawa, Canada disc jockey John Sekerka. For the first of his monthly
interviews, transcribed from his radio programs, John talks with
multi-instrumentalist Beth Custer of both Club Foot Orchestra and Trance
Mission.
THE DEBRIS FIELD: Let's see...THIS month, we've got quotes, jokes, a cartoon,
and even a recipe from ancient Rome. Something with lots of fish parts.
Not that we'd EAT it, mind you, but it makes damned interesting reading.
CONTACT!!! - How to find us, and what kind of bait to use.
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EDITOR'S NOTES
By DJ Johnson
And here we go with issue 16 of Cosmik Debris. Thanks for reading it!
We've got another unusual mix of genres for you this month, starting with
our interview with The Halibuts. As our ever-growing surf contingent is
well aware, The Halibuts are one of the most respected and talented bands
on the scene. They've been at it for 16 years now...get it? Issue 16?
Halibuts?? Uh...okay, it's a stretch. Forget the 16 thing and just enjoy
our interview with guitarists Pete Curry and Rick Johnson. Those of you
who are checking us out on the web will also be able to hear clips from
three songs off of the new Life At The Bottom CD. You will also note that
we have WAY more sound clips in our review section than ever before. We've
decided that this is one of the best things about a web zine, so we're going
to bring you more of it. Hopefully, it won't be long until we can offer
video clips and who knows what other cool stuff.
We've got a new writer to tell you about. We got REAL lucky when John
Sekerka contacted us last month. His reviews will appear in our pages,
as will his column, Tape Hiss. Tape Hiss isn't a typical zine column.
It will be transcripts of his radio program interviews. John is a DJ in
Ottawa, and he interviews some great performers. First up for the Cosmik
Debris version of Tape Hiss is his interview with multi-instrumentalist
Beth Custer, a musical genius who splits her time between Trance Mission
and The Club Foot Orchestra. Check it out.
In addition to the interviews, we have reviews of Townshend, Entwistle and
Daltrey's performance of Quadrophenia at Madison Square Garden last month,
and the book "Please Kill Me: An Uncensored Oral History Of Punk" by Legs
McNeil and Gillian McCain. All of this is balanced, as usual, by our
slate of columns and Shaun Dale's Political Playbook series, plus record
reviews and a new and HIGHLY improved Debris Field.
And now it's time to announce the winners of the Jon And The Nightriders
CD & Autographed 8x10 giveaway. Here are the five lucky winners:
Richard deCastongrene of Scotts Valley, California.
Randy Barton of Ft. Worth, Texas.
Erich J. Petre of Centreville, Virginia.
Cath Watkins of Southampton, England.
John M. Hewer of Richmond, BC, Canada.
Congratulations to all. By the way, it seems that Mr. Hewer is a member of
that awesome Canadian surf band known as Huevos Rancheros. Looks like we
might just have an interview with them in the near future! This month,
we're joining forces with The Halibuts and Upstart Records to give away
five copies of their CD, Life On The Bottom, as well as five Halibuts
T-Shirts. Look for entry forms in two places...inside the Halibuts interview,
and in a separate table of contents entry. As usual, those of you who are
reading Cosmik's ascii version can just send e-mail to moonbaby@serv.net
with "Halibuts Contest" in the subject line, and your name, address, and
phone number in the message. Everybody gets an equal chance. In fact, two
of the five winners of this months contest were ascii subscribers.
That's about all for now. Be sure to check out our second annual Halloween
issue next month, too. We're planning some fun stuff for that one.
Enjoy.
DJ Johnson
Editor
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THE HALIBUTS AT SWEET 16
Interviewed by DJ Johnson
The surf comes in waves, as everybody knows. The same is true of
instrumental surf music. From 1961 until 1964, surf music had quite
an audience. The arrival of The Beatles and all their fellow British
rockers put an end to it, though some bands continued to record for a
few years after that. By the 70's, it was all over. At the end of
that decade, however, the surf was up once again, thanks to bands like
Jon And The Nightriders, The Insect Surfers, The Surf Raiders, and the
band that was probably the most traditional of them all, The Halibuts. By
1984, the tide had gone out once again, leaving only a handful of die
hard fans for surf bands to play to. Just about every surf band called
it quits. The Halibuts were unique in that they didn't need mass
acceptance and hard cash. They all had great careers outside of music,
and the main reason they ever played in the first place was... well, to
play. To play surf music together. Whether it was in a garage or a club
wasn't really a big issue.
When the third wave came rolling in a few years ago, The Halibuts were still
there. Today, they are considered by many to be the finest trad surf
band in the business. They are also (arguably) the longest-lived band of
the genre, having played together continuously for 16 years (though some
claim the Chantays never broke up).
Their latest CD, Life On The Bottom (Upstart Records), is outstanding.
Not content to rely on one style, the music runs the gamut from fast
traditional surf ("Suicide Bay") to exotica ("Istanbul") to happy tropical
luau music ("Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai"). Guitarists Pete Curry and Rick Johnson gave
this interview as they were packing for a gig in Santa Barbara. They talked
about their music, the art of being equipment snobs, and the friendship
shared by the entire band.
* * * *
COSMIK: How did the band originally get together?
RICK: Kevin, Joe and I were really into the whole thing, with Bermuda
shorts and Beach Blanket movies, and we were surfing, riding longboards.
We really liked the music, and we were collecting it. You could get
those albums really cheap then. I remember paying a dime for Ventures
albums. Near that same time, John Blair came out with "Surf Beat '80,"
which was pretty darned good...as good as anything I could find in the
stores. And the Ventures had come around again right around that same
time, and they hadn't played in a long time. We were just learning
how to play, and really liked the music, so we just started playing it.
COSMIK: You were just learning to play then?
RICK: Yeah.
COSMIK: So at the time of your first album, you'd only been playing for a
short time?
RICK: Yeah, that's for darned sure, and Pete can attest to that, because he
was the engineer. It was in his studio. He wasn't a Halibut then.
COSMIK: Several of you knew each other in school?
RICK: Yeah, Joey and I knew each other since junior high, and Kevin and I
had known each other since we were about ten years old. At the time we
started doing The Halibuts, we all worked together at a local ice skating
rink. We actually used to practice in one of the banquet rooms they had
there.
COSMIK: Was everybody learning their instruments at the same time?
RICK: Kevin, Joe and I learned at the same time. We started at exactly the
same time.
COSMIK: When you started out, was it specifically to play surf music, or
was it just to play...music.
RICK: You know, I'm not sure about the other guys, but I know that for me,
that's exactly what it was. I really liked surf music and that's what I
wanted to play. And at the time, I was actually teaching them the songs,
so I guess maybe they were stuck with what I was going to show them,
because I was the guy taking the time to figure out the songs.
COSMIK: ...and they're so grateful you weren't into disco.
RICK: (Laughs) Yeah, I don't think that was a problem.
COSMIK: How did you end up recording in the studio where Pete worked?
RICK: We had met Chris Ashford from What? Records up at a radio show, a local
surf show that still exists to this day...
PETE: Jim Dunfrund.
RICK: Jim Dunfrund...his show is "Surf Wave." Anyway, we met Chris Ashford
up there, and he was looking to make a compilation album, and he asked
us if we'd be interested. And we definitely were, because this was miles
above anything we'd done before. You know, we'd just played some parties,
and basically just been some friends playing in the garage.
COSMIK: Well, you must have made some kind of impression at the parties,
then, for them to want you to record for them.
RICK: No, he actually took a risk. He didn't know much about us. We had
only played parties for friends...we weren't really on a "party circuit."
He took a risk.
COSMIK: Was surf music the main thing What? Records did?
RICK: No, they had done NO surf music...
PETE: No, he had The Germs, and The Controllers, and a bunch of punk stuff.
But Chris liked surf music, and he had just gotten Davie Allen. And that's
how I met The Halibuts. I was playing drums with Davie Allen.
RICK: Tell him how long you've been playin' drums, Pete.
PETE: Uh...a long time.
RICK: Playing drums longer than playing guitar.
PETE: Oh, yeah. Actually, The Halibuts is the only band I ever played guitar
in.
COSMIK: No way!
PETE: Yeah, I'd just started playing guitar when I joined them.
COSMIK: And what year was that?
PETE: '83. I'd been playing drums all that time, and I played bass a little
bit, but mostly I was a drummer. I was actually a professional musician,
whatever that means. I didn't do anything else for a long time...just
playing drums. So I knew what NOT to do by listening to all the guitar
players I played with. (Laughs.)
COSMIK: Anti-Influences! (Laughs.)
PETE: Yeah!
COSMIK: So you were working in the studio...How long had you been doing that?
PETE: Well, I had a partner...It was just a 4-Track studio that we owned. It
was mostly for our own use. I knew Chris because...well, actually, Chris
introduced me to Davie Allen, too...But he just said "I've got these guys
I want to record a couple of songs for a compilation." And they came over,
and they were such nice guys. (Laughs.) And I said "THIS looks like fun!
A lot more fun than lugging around a drum set!"
RICK: And we said "THIS guy can really play guitar. Let's get him in the
band. Then we'll be a REAL band."
COSMIK: You were playing the lead up to that point, right Rick?
RICK: Yeah, I was the only guitar at the time.
COSMIK: How did you handle switching over to rhythm?
RICK: You know, I think it just evolved, because...
PETE: He took it really well. (Laughs.)
RICK: (Laughs) No, it just kind of evolved, I think. In the beginning,
Pete was playing mostly rhythm, and then there was a time when it was
a solid 50/50. Then, I think, I stopped writing songs, and Pete was
writing more songs than I was. And you write songs for yourself, mostly.
PETE: I think it's a lot easier to play something you write than to show it
to somebody else.
RICK: Yeah. It definitely didn't bother me. We were just making music, and it
was a lot of fun to play...
PETE: Also, I had a bigger amp than him. (Laughs.)
COSMIK: I wanted to ask about your sax player...Dr. Joseph Lyou. Do I have
this right...he's, basically, a shrink?
RICK: No, he's not a shrink, but he has a Ph.D. in psychology...
COSMIK: What does he do?
RICK: He works for an environmental watchdog group.
PETE: Bridge The Gap. They tie up things like toxic waste dumps in the
courts. They do what they can to stop them. Everybody has their own
opinions. I think it's pretty cool.
COSMIK: It IS cool! I guess I was just assuming there HAD to be a shrink
in the band...for any band to stay together 16 years.
PETE: Well, my wife, Kita, is a psychologist.
RICK: And she's actually a big part of the band.
PETE: Yeah, she does the song order...
RICK: ...helps with the merchandising...
PETE: And she gets me to throw out all those bad songs, and reminds me when
they sound just like someone elses.
COSMIK: So how does a band stay together 16 years? It's not very common.
RICK: Well, I think it's just friendship. There's not a lot of attitudes
here.
PETE: Yeah, everybody's really easy going.
COSMIK: Do you think it helps not being stuck together on the road 300 days
out of the year?
PETE: I dunno. Never tried it. We've always had a real good time whenever
we've traveled. It's just really hard to keep careers going, and families.
COSMIK: And you all have quite impressive careers outside music...
RICK: Yeah, that's what makes the travel so tough.
PETE: Except for me. I just make furniture. I have a little shop in my
house.
COSMIK: When you do get to travel, it's not for very long at a time, is it?
RICK: No, it's usually a three or four day trip. We took one trip, when
we went to Austin, that was over a week.
PETE: We're going to do more traveling once we get stuff...kind of aligned.
It's just a matter of doing the legwork.
RICK: Yeah, getting some gigs.
COSMIK: Upstart [The Halibuts' record label] is really big on touring. How
much friction is there over touring?
PETE: I don't think it's friction, but they say they could do a lot more if
we traveled more. But we do what we can, and we plan on doing more.
RICK: It's just been tough. But actually, we really are planning to do more.
COSMIK: This question may seem a little bit indelicate, but...after 16 years,
do you guys ever just want to kill each other?
PETE: No...
RICK: I don't think we've ever been MAD at each other. Heck, I've even lived
with Joe, and then I lived with Bruce, and man, if you don't hate somebody
after that, you're NEVER gonna hate 'em.
PETE: They had separate rooms...
COSMIK: It's pretty amazing for a band to play together that long.
RICK: Well, it's interesting. I don't think, at least when we started, our
aspirations were to be anything like this. We were just having fun. And
a lot of times it seems to just go back to that, where we're just kind of
of playing over at Randy's house and then doing our Toes show. It's not
"geez, how are we going to get a record contract or how are we going to
get on the next soundtrack." It would be nice if all that happened more
often, but...
COSMIK: So maybe the secret is to not have expectations, but just try to have
fun.
RICK: That probably has a lot to do with it.
COSMIK: So you guys have been together for both waves of surf revival.
When, approximately, would you say the second wave of surf died?
PETE: Right when I joined. (Laughs.)
RICK: (Laughs) I would say about the time Gnarly came out...'84. I think
John [Blair] was not playing any longer, and...
PETE: Surf Raiders broke up.
RICK: Yeah, I'm not sure exactly when they stopped playing, but it seemed to
be around that time. The Ventures weren't coming around very much, and
Surfaris had kind of stopped playing.
COSMIK: But The Halibuts stayed together. How did everything change for you?
PETE: We were playing at this one place...Toes Tavern, where that live record
was recorded, about every six weeks or two months, and we never had any
trouble getting a crowd there. We always had people coming to see us...
It's kind of evolved over the years. There are some people who have been
coming to see us for over ten years there.
RICK: That's what kept us going. You know, we just kept playing together in
the garage, rehearsing for our one show every six weeks or so. It was
maybe a lot more low key. That was the only thing that was really going
on, was Toes Tavern.
COSMIK: It sounds like you guys have just always played for fun.
PETE: Yeah.
RICK: Definitely.
COSMIK: Not many bands are able to hold on to that for long.
PETE: Well, that's probably why we're still together.
COSMIK: When you write your songs, do you write, basically...from a melody
in your head? Because all of your music is extremely melodic.
PETE: Sometimes. But sometimes I start with a drum part, and sometimes I
start with a chord progression. And sometimes we'll actually record a
chord progression and drum part, and I'll write the melody later. Or
I'll change what I have. Like, "It's A Wonderful Halibut." The whole
thing was done before I wrote the melody.
COSMIK: How about "Life On The Bottom?"
PETE: Oh, that one I wrote the melody first. It was like I'd just put a new
set of flatwounds on the guitar. (Laughs)
RICK: (Laughs) Everything was sounding reeeally good.
COSMIK: When the third wave hit, which was...what, about two years ago?
PETE: Yeah, about.
COSMIK: When the third wave hit...when did you first know it had?
PETE: We got a song in Endless Summer II. And then Upstart was interested
in picking up Chumming, which we had put out ourselves...and that
kind of made us suspicious. It was like "Somebody from Massachusetts
is actually interested enough to find us and call us?"
COSMIK: Something was up...
RICK: When Pulp Fiction came out...about a week later there were forty new
surf bands. I didn't really realize it had hit until I noticed that there
were so many bands, I mean, that's when you really thought...gee, I guess
there's a third wave, here.
COSMIK: And how many people did you have in the bars screaming out "play Pulp
Fiction?"
RICK: Not too many! We have a pretty educated surf crowd in Toes Tavern,
I think.
PETE: And they really come to see The Halibuts. It's really cool. They don't
necessarily come to see surf music. It's sort of...our people.
RICK: The South Bay has a lot of surf history, too. So I guess it's not
anything brand new to them.
COSMIK: Toes is a pretty special place for The Halibuts, isn't it?
PETE: Yeah.
RICK: It is, yeah. The original owner was just such a good friend, and
really loved music, and would let us in any time we wanted to play. Then
he opened up three other Toes Taverns. Coincidentally, we're playing at
Toes in Santa Barbara tonight.
COSMIK: Oh, I didn't even know there were more.
RICK: Well, he no longer owns any of them, but there's Redondo Beach, and
Santa Barbara, Pasadena, and there was another one in Canoga Park. He
was really good to us, and was a really good friend who really liked our
music.
COSMIK: When you put out Chumming on your own, which is such a hard thing in
itself to make work...What was the difference between that experience and
when Upstart picked it up, as far as sales...
RICK: You can see it move when you handle it yourself, but now the record
company handles it, so I don't SEE the sales. I don't know, maybe Pete
does. He talks to them more than I do.
PETE: I don't have any idea how many we've sold, because it takes a while to
get statements and stuff. It's a good question, though. I'd be curious
to find out. It made it easier for us [to go with Upstart], though, it
made us more legitimate, kinda... They've been really great.
COSMIK: Changing direction a bit here...Most surf bands don't surf. The
Halibuts, I think, have more surfers than any band I know of.
RICK: Maybe not The Eliminators...They surf quite a bit.
COSMIK: I think I heard that the entire original lineup of The Halibuts surfed.
RICK: The entire original lineup DID! Then Pete joined and messed everything
up. (Laughs) And then we replaced our drummer with Randy, and he doesn't
surf, either.
COSMIK: Do you still get a lot of time in on the waves?
RICK: Uh, you know, the older you get, the less time you get. I used to surf
almost every single day, and now it's maybe two or three times a month.
COSMIK: You were a film star, briefly, weren't you.
RICK: A film star?
COSMIK: Yeah, walkin' the board.
RICK: Oh! Yeah, in Curt's movie! [Ed. Note: A shot of Rick Johnson surfing
appeared in Curt's film "Longboarder."] Yeah, there's a shot of me in
there.
COSMIK: Is that what you normally do? Longboard?
RICK: Yeah, I love to nose-ride.
COSMIK: So you were surfing before you were ever playing.
RICK: Oh yeah.
COSMIK: Were you all listening to the surf music at the time?
RICK: Definitely. Kevin, Joey and I, we were definitely into it. We were
always taking trips to Disneyland or Knottsberry Farm to see The Surfaris
or whoever was playing there. We were really into it.
COSMIK: Now that surf music is popular, do you find it amazing that surf
filmmakers and ESPN programmers are using Gary Hoey-type music instead
of surf music for surf footage? I mean, does that seem like surf to you?
RICK: Not at all. But I don't know, if you go down to the beach and see the
little 14 year old kids that are surfing, I don't know if I see so many of
the young kids listening to traditional surf music. Our crowd at Toes
tends to be a bit older. Maybe it doesn't surprise me all that much, but
you know, I sure can't stand it. I'll turn it off and listen to a CD.
COSMIK: I was sure disappointed to see Endless Summer II and hear only one
track by you, and then all that Gary Hoey music.
PETE: So was I. (Laughs)
RICK: And actually, we were all a bit surprised, because I went to a preview
of it, and I had heard when he was showing footage, he would just put on
a Halibut CD and show the footage, and I was surprised when I went in there
and only heard the one song.
COSMIK: I get frustrated watching surfing competitions on ESPN and hearing
this heavy metal Satriani type music. Just doesn't seem right to me.
RICK: Not my cup of tea, either. Just doesn't seem to fit with surfing.
COSMIK: How many surf film soundtracks have you done?
PETE: I don't know... The funniest one was...one of our songs was in the
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit video that came out in 1995. That was
hilarious. It was like, there was a bunch of Gary Hoey-type music for
most of it, and all of a sudden, "The Natives Are Restless" [from the
album CHUMMING] appeared.
RICK: Also, we did some stuff in a National Geographic program about Surfer
Girls, and I just saw a commercial the other day, it's being replayed
on, I don't know, WGN or TBS in a week or two. It's a special on women's
surfing.
COSMIK: Any inquiries about doing other soundtracks?
PETE: Well, Life On The Bottom hasn't been out long enough to have anything
happen yet, I don't think. It takes a little while for them to get around.
We're hoping.
RICK: They kinda come out of the blue, sometimes. The record gets given to
somebody who likes it and calls you...somebody YOU didn't give it to.
It just got passed along. It's something we never pursued. They just
kind of pop up here and there, and it's pretty cool.
COSMIK: It had to be great the first time you ever watched a surf film and
heard your music.
RICK: You know, the most amazing thing I ever had was...one day I was doing
my dishes and watching surfing on ESPN, and on comes "Skinny Dip," [from
the album GNARLY, released in 1986] but it was by Mike Palm, and I didn't
even know Agent Orange had recorded it. And I'm standing in my kitchen
going "what the hell is THAT!?"
COSMIK: Let's talk about Chumming a bit here... How long of a period were
those songs written over?
PETE: Oh, I don't know...Two years? Or three years, maybe?
RICK: Two or three years, yeah.
PETE: Usually what happens is I'll bring a song in and we'll learn it and
start playing it for a while before we record it.
COSMIK: So they're usually worked out live long before they ever hit the
studio.
PETE: Yeah.
COSMIK: How long was it between albums...after Chumming? Almost three years,
wasn't it? Were you planning on going that long?
PETE: Well, it was about FIVE years between Live At Toes and Chumming.
Because there wasn't any interest. It was just our core group of people
who were following us and the people that read Pipeline and New Gandy
Dancer, and that stuff. And that was about it, then. There wasn't any
reason to do it.
COSMIK: Did that ever drive you crazy? Were you ever just itching to put
some new material out?
RICK: No, we were really content with just playing live. You know, we were
coming up with new songs and stuff, but the marketing on a record or CD,
we didn't discuss it that much.
COSMIK: The studio work isn't that big a deal to you guys...
PETE: Oh no!! I think you misunderstand... It's a HUGE deal. Some of those
songs, we started over three or four times. We have a studio. We have
our own 16-Track, so there's no pressure on us. We don't have to book
time...we can just do it whenever we feel like it.
RICK: And spend as much time on it as we want...
PETE: Or as little... We have a guy, Dennis Moody, that comes and mixes stuff
after it's recorded.
COSMIK: You guys have a new bass player, but it was like musical chairs for
a while, with lots of guys sitting in...
PETE: Kevin, the original guy, started a family and his wife had twins. And
that was it, as far as time for the band goes.
COSMIK: Couldn't do it, huh?
PETE: Yeah. So on all except for one song, I'm playing bass on Life On The
Bottom. Mike Palm plays on the other song.
COSMIK: So the new bass player isn't on Life On The Bottom at all?
RICK: No, no...
COSMIK: I think it's cool that you recorded Mike Palm [Agent Orange guitarist
and occasional Halibut bassist] and got a document of him playing as a
Halibut...
PETE: Yeah, he really helped us out. He traveled a bit with us. He went to
Texas with us, and it was great playing with him.
RICK: Yeah, that was a lot of fun.
COSMIK: And it was obvious that he was really getting into it, too. He's
off playing with Agent Orange right now, isn't he?
PETE: They're back, now.
RICK: Actually, Joe, our sax player, just got back yesterday from a surf trip
in Mexico with Mike.
COSMIK: So Mike is another authentic surfer...
RICK: Yeah, he's an authentic surfer.
COSMIK: He seems like he'd be the banzai type, too.
RICK: Oh yeah, he's a lot of fun.
COSMIK: So who else sat in on bass during that period.
PETE: Dave Sherman, the guitar player from the Hillbilly Soul Surfers. Do
you know about them?
COSMIK: Yeah!
PETE: That's another one of MY bands...
RICK: That's probably my favorite other instrumental band to go see.
COSMIK: Who all DO you like to listen to, just for leisure?
RICK: I actually like a lot of the older stuff. The new Cowabunga album is
great for that. I ALWAYS listen to my Jon and the Nightriders albums.
My Surf Beat '80 album is just...I mean, it's vinyl and it's worn to
nothing!
COSMIK: Who have you heard that impresses you these days?
PETE: I like Shig and Buzz.
COSMIK: Are they still together?
PETE: I just have the one CD. I don't know if they were playing live or
anything. And there's an Eddie Angel track on that compilation that he
put out...
RICK: The Rock, Don't Run album.
PETE: Yeah. Do you have that?
COSMIK: Uh uh. Who put that out? Eddie Angel put that out?
PETE: Yeah. It's on Spinout Records.
RICK: That's a fun album. That's a PARTY album!
PETE: "The Natives Are Restless" is on it. And then there's like a couple of
Surf Kings songs, a couple of...The Kaisers, and that band from Boston
that you already mentioned [The Fathoms]. That's a really cool compilation.
(Ed. Note: To order the 18-track Rock, Don't Run compilation CD, send check
or money order in the amount of 15 dollars to SPINOUT RECORDS - 4402 Soper
Ave Nashville, TN 37204. And Voume Two is coming up in just a few months.)
COSMIK: Who were your big influences?
RICK: I think when I started it was Paul Johnson. I really like Paul Johnson,
though I don't have a guitar tone like his, but I just like the stuff he
does, and I always did listen to him. And when I was learning, I have to
admit, The Surf Raiders...Neil, from The Surf Raiders, sometimes I'd call
him up and ask him how to play a song, and he was always real helpful.
COSMIK: Bob Dalley's band...
RICK: Yeah, and Bob was always real helpful, too.
COSMIK: How 'bout you, Pete?
PETE: Gee...well...You know what I really liked? Those little solos Jeff
Beck did when he was in The Yardbirds. It's kind of embarrassing, at
this point. And I always liked The Ventures when I was a kid, but I was
playing drums and Mel Taylor was like my hero. When I started playing
guitar, I don't know WHAT I liked. Right now, my favorite old surf song
would probably be "Baja," by The Astronauts. Everything about that
record sounds cool to me.
COSMIK: Are you guys equipment snobs at all?
RICK: You bet! Snobby as can be!
COSMIK: Nothing after 1963?
RICK: Well, I have a '64...Well, I'm embarrassed to say, but I also have a
'72 Jaguar...
COSMIK: For shame!
PETE: They're gonna PRINT that, Rick!
COSMIK: I dunno if I want to start "Jaguargate."
PETE: I have a bunch of stuff. When we record, I use all kinds of stuff.
When we play live, I have a '60 Jazz Master. That's my main guitar.
And a '61 Showman 12...a little blonde one with one twelve inch speaker.
COSMIK: And you've got some authentic reverb tanks...
PETE: Uh huh. [puts on a mock-snobby voice] I've got a brown one and a white
one and two black ones! The newest one I have is a '64.
COSMIK: Does the whole band go for the vintage?
RICK: Yeah, I've got a '63 Showman and a '63 reverb, and Bruce plays out of
an old Bandmaster when he plays keyboards...
PETE: Yeah, a '62 Bandmaster and a Farfisa organ.
RICK: Joey plays a Selmer Mark VI.
PETE: Randy's got a '67 Ludwig silver sparkle drum set that sounds just fine.
COSMIK: What size strings do you use?
RICK: I use .12's.
PETE: Yeah, so do I. .12's to .54 flatwounds.
COSMIK: BIG ol' strings. Well, we're gonna change directions again here,
because I want to ask you, Pete, how hard it is to balance the furniture
building business and The Halibuts AND Jon and the Nightriders.
PETE: Well, uh, the work comes last. (Laughs) My wife's really supportive.
We played last night...We've only played three times as Jon and the
Nightriders. There doesn't seem to be any problem.
RICK: He's been doing this the whole time he's been in The Halibuts, he's
been in other bands.
PETE: Yeah, I've played pretty regularly with The Hillbilly Soul Surfers,
and for a while I was playing with The Boardwalkers. It's mostly because
I play three instruments, so I like to be in a band playing each of the
instruments. You have to, or you lose it.
RICK: I don't think we've really had any conflict.
PETE: No, it's just like whoever gets the job first gets me.
COSMIK: What was that Boardwalkers track on the Instro Nation comp?
PETE: Instro Nation...I don't know. "It's A Bikini World?" No..."Bikini
Drag," maybe? I'm not on that. Do you have that Shots In The Dark comp?
COSMIK: Yeah! I love that!
PETE: I'm playing drums on that Boardwalkers track. There was one other song
I played something on...I don't think it came out yet.
COSMIK: Was it fun recording with Paul Johnson? [Ed. Note: Johnson appeared
on the new Jon And The Nightriders album with Curry.]
PETE: Yeah, actually, it was. He's a very conscientious guy. Like, for the
songs that he wrote, he comes in with real specific ideas. Which is kind
of unique for me, because usually I'm left to my own devices, as far as
coming up with parts. It was kind of interesting. He came in, and he
actually had music written out, which didn't do me any good, because...
(laughs)
COSMIK: (Laughs) Because you don't read.
PETE: No. I mean, I read English, but... (Laughs) But I guess HE does.
COSMIK: Not a lot of trial and error with him, then?
PETE: He was REAL specific.
COSMIK: How about John Blair?
PETE: Now, John's the opposite. He was pretty much...like whatever I wanted
to do was fine with him.
COSMIK: Who were the people who've helped you guys along the way?
PETE: Well, Jake, Glenn and Chris at Upstart. My wife, Kita.
RICK: Yeah, definitely Kita. Jim Dunfrund.
PETE: Yeah, Jim Dunfrund. John Stafford...
RICK: Phil Dirt. He gives us a lot of support up in the Bay Area.
PETE: OH! You know somebody else who's helped us a lot? Dave Arnson. [of
The Insect Surfers.] Just by being real supportive.
RICK: Definitely Dave...
COSMIK: Everybody says that. That Dave Arnson's one of the most supportive
people in the scene.
RICK: In a sense, he kind of coordinates and holds a lot of it together, I
think, with all the shows he sets up and...was that him that put Instro
Nation together?
COSMIK: Yup.
PETE: Of course, we're not ON it... (Laughs)
RICK: Yeah, I know. (Laughs)
COSMIK: Well, so he screwed up, but he tried. I know you guys have a gig
you need to get to tonight, but before we wrap it up I wanted to talk
a bit about the new CD, Life On The Bottom. How do you compare this CD
to the previous one, Chumming, as far as the feel, the experience of
recording it, and everything else?
PETE: Well, it's a little happier.
RICK: I think we put even more time into Life On The Bottom than Chumming.
At least I did.
PETE: Yeah, Rick's learning how to engineer
RICK: Which is pretty neat for me.
PETE: There's a little more experimenting on Life On The Bottom. Not like
strange instruments or anything, but...well, yeah, there ARE some strange
instruments. My wife gave me a Kukulele. It's not really a toy, but it
almost is. It's got a plastic fretboard and it's got a scale like a
baritone ukulele. And it's triangular shaped with a big long point so you
can stick in in the sand at the beach. I used that on all the things
that sound like ukuleles...It's really the Kukulele.
COSMIK: That's amazing. So this thing really has good enough tone for
recording, huh?
PETE: Well...I didn't say that! (Laughs) And I also used...you know those
Macaferi plastic guitars? I borrowed one of those from Bob Beland and
used that for the solo on Madcap.
RICK: I think I played a Dobro on one...
PETE: Yeah, Dobro's on it, and we ran an acoustic piano through a Fender
amp to get the vibrato on it. That's the piano on "Life On The Bottom."
That's an old upright piano.
COSMIK: Which I think is outstanding. Who was the guy who played that part?
PETE: That was Bob Beland. He and his wife did the cover.
COSMIK: Yeah! I was going to mention the cover. Had that concept ever been
done before, do you know?
RICK: I don't think so, not that we know of.
COSMIK: It's brilliant!
RICK: Yeah, they really did a great job on that.
PETE: Bob wrote a song on Chumming with me, too, and he co-wrote three on
Life On The Bottom.
COSMIK: Who actually came up with the idea for the cover?
RICK: Bob.
COSMIK: And his wife [Mary Roth Beland] did the design?
PETE: Yeah, she does a lot of packaging for Mattel. She's a freelance
graphic designer and artist. She did the Chumming cover, and they
actually cleaned up the Live At Toes cover a bit and helped with the
graphics.
COSMIK: I love the picture on that cover.
RICK: That was Kevin's wedding.
PETE: There are two more guys in that picture that have been painted out.
Marty Korth did that.
COSMIK: How did Bob present the Life On The Bottom cover concept to you?
PETE: Well, we were working on a completely different idea, and we weren't
to the point where there were mock-ups made, but the photo's had been
scanned and stuff. And then he just thought of this, and we said "whoa."
RICK: I actually remember Pete coming to practice and trying to describe it,
and we were all like "awww, I don't know about this, this doesn't sound
very interesting to me." But when he brought the mock-up in, everybody
just went "oh my gosh, that's great!"
PETE: They did a really wonderful job on it.
COSMIK: The music is fantastic on Life On The Bottom. I like it better
than Chumming, and I liked Chumming a LOT.
PETE: That's good, I like it better than Chumming too. It's got more variety
and the playing's a little...you know, it's tighter, but a little more
over the top, almost.
RICK: The melodies are definitely more complex. There's a lot more in it.
PETE: Yeah, there were more riffs on Chumming.
COSMIK: I'm a sucker for atmosphere, and I think there was more atmosphere
on Life On The Bottom. It has more mystique, like on the title track...
RICK: It's definitely moody.
COSMIK: Well, I'll let you guys head out for Santa Barbara. One more
question, though...You've been there for the 2nd and 3rd waves of surf.
Can you picture yourselves being there for the 4th?
PETE: Why not? Well, I dunno. We're not really going to change much, I
don't think, unless something happens I'm not aware of.
RICK: Unless we quit getting tubes for our amps..
PETE: Yeah, if they quit making tubes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOWNSHEND, ENTWISTLE & DALTREY PRESENT QUADROPHENIA
Madison Square Garden - New York, NY - July 20, 1996
Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Opening
by Steve Marshall
For six nights at Madison Square Garden, 90,000 Who fans were able to fulfill a
lifelong dream - to see the epic Quadrophenia performed live, in its entirety,
by the three remaining members of the band. Aside from the Prince's Trust
concert in London, these six shows were the only scheduled performances. At Pete
Townshend's request, the show was simply billed as Quadrophenia. "The Who" was
not mentioned at all in the billing, or on the tickets. As far as Townshend is
concerned, The Who is dead. For that reason (also to avoid typing all three of
their names over and over), I'm going to refer to the band as TED (Townshend,
Entwistle, & Daltrey) for the rest of this review.
Due to his well-publicized tinnitus problem, Townshend only played acoustic
guitar during the performances. "To play the electric guitar, or rather to be
comfortable playing, I have to play it loud," said Townshend in a radio
interview. "Because of my ears, I physically can't consistently expose myself
to loud noises. But the acoustic guitar . . . well you can feel that without
having to turn it up, feel it vibrating against your chest and resonating in
your head. So consequently, I'm a lot more comfortable with the acoustic these
days."
Townshend's skill and prowess on the acoustic enhanced things tremendously.
Along with Townshend, lead vocalist Roger Daltrey and bassist John Entwistle,
there were eighteen people on stage at any given moment - including four backup
singers, a horn section and two keyboardists. There were also two additional
guitarists - Geoff Whitehorn on lead and Townshend's younger brother, Simon, on
electric rhythm. Jodi Linscott did an excellent job on percussion, and Zak
Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) was outstanding on the drums. The late Keith Moon
(The Who's original drummer) gave Zak his first drum kit, and his influence was
readily apparent.
British actor Phil Daniels provided narration between the songs. Daniels played
Jimmy (the story's main character) in the film version of Quadrophenia. For
those not familiar with the complex story of a mod kid with four personalities,
the narration tied things together. Also appearing onstage with TED were two
'special guests' - Billy Idol and Gary Glitter. Idol was perfect in his roles as
Ace Face and the bell boy. He had the attitude and the swagger to boot. Dressed
in leather with poofed up hair, Glitter looked ridiculous as he stumbled
through his lines and missed his cues.
The lights went out as the ocean sounds of "I am the Sea" filled the air. Images
of waves crashing against the beach appeared on the video screens. The waves
changed into video clips of The Who smashing their equipment on the Smothers
Brothers show, and other early footage. Daltrey screamed, "Can you see the real
me, can ya... CAN YA?," the stage lights came up and TED burst into "The Real
Me." Entwistle's fluid bass runs on the song were phenomenal. On the album's
title track, the crowd got its first taste of Starkey's drumming capability.
Townshend's first lead vocal of the night came on "Cut My Hair." He hit all his
notes and even embellished on a few of them. When the song came to an end, a
reporter appeared on the screen, talking about violence between 'rival gangs of
mods and rockers.' As the news report faded, the band kicked into what was one
of the most exciting songs of the evening - "The Punk and the Godfather." In
addition to another stellar performance by Entwistle, this was also the first
appearance of Gary Glitter. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as some would have
it), there were several instances where you couldn't hear him at all.
The technical problems continued into "I'm One." There were several points
toward the end of the song where Pete's guitar was inaudible. Simon Townshend
took over lead vocals on "The Dirty Jobs." Decked out in his uniform, shades and
hat, he looked cool and sounded great. Whitehorn got a chance to show off a bit
on this one, adding a solo to the end of the song. One of the most intense and
inspired moments of the show came during "Helpless Dancer," with Roger and Pete
trading vocal lines back and forth.
"I've Had Enough" saw the return of Glitter, but this time, the comic relief
made up for it. When it got to the point where he was supposed to sing "but
things ain't quite that simple," he just stood there looking dumbfounded, then
suddenly blurted out "SIMPLLLLE!" Billy Idol made his first appearance of the
evening as Ace Face, the leader of the mods. The highlight of the song was when
the four vocalists took turns singing the "I've had enough of living..." lines
on the chorus. It was a nice touch, and added a new perspective to the song.
"5:15" was played with unmatched freshness and vitality. Entwistle's soaring
bass solo on the song was spectacular. His ability and technique never cease to
amaze me. Idol returned to the stage on "Sea and Sand," reprising his role as
Ace Face. Townshend stepped back into the spotlight for a blistering solo
acoustic version of "Drowned." After this, it no longer mattered that he wasn't
playing electric. Idol came back again - this time in Keith Moon's bell boy
role, completely outfitted for the part (including luggage).
"Dr. Jimmy" was undeniably better than any other performance of the song I've
heard. Daltrey hit notes he hasn't hit since recording the album, including the
high note on the line "the stars are falling..." It was as if he had been saving
his voice for the end. From the start of the piano and drum intro to "The Rock,"
it was easy to anticipate the monumental finale just minutes away. Carin's
complex synth string arrangements were everything they should be, and
Whitehorn's solos were grand and majestic.
As the sounds of the storm emanated from the stage to signal the beginning of
"Love, Reign O'er Me," the lights on the audience flashed in synch with the
lightning on the screens. This song has always been a vocal workout for Daltrey,
and his voice never sounded better. In all the times I've seen or heard The Who
live, I had never heard him hit all the notes in this song on stage. Until
tonight, that is. In an amazing feat of vocal acrobatics, he hit the final
falsetto note and then proceeded to hold it for the full duration to end the
set. Following a brief ovation the band played a rousing finale of "I'm the Face,"
as Roger re-introduced the guests.
After a short break, TED returned to the stage. Townshend walked up to the
microphone and said, "We had a few little, kind of, technical problems tonight,
and the promoter of the show has decided to give you all your money back... No,
what the promoter has decided is that WE should give you your money back by
coming out and playing you a few extra tunes." After an energetic "Behind Blue
Eyes," the rest of the band left the stage to Townshend and Daltrey. They did a
cool, stripped-down acoustic version of "Won't Get Fooled Again," performed with
amazing energy and conviction. It was clear that they were having a great time
onstage together. Once again, Townshend got to stretch out on the acoustic, with
an extended solo at the end of the song.
The band came back after that for a roof-raising version of "Magic Bus,"
featuring Roger on harmonica. The biggest surprise of the night, though, was
when Daltrey picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing "Naked Eye." He
sang and played the first verse by himself, then was joined by the band for the
rest of the song. As Townshend stepped to the microphone to sing his verses, his
voice was at its peak. It's really amazing how well Townshend's and Daltrey's
voices have held up over the years. They've never sounded better.
Me'Shell Ndegeocello turned in a brief, but impressive 30 minute opening set.
Mixing funk with jazz, rhythm & blues, and a bit of rap, her songs were
provocative, and on occasion, spiritual at the same time. She had a tight band
of musicians onstage with her, and performed songs from both of her CDs. The
guitar work was particularly impressive on several songs, especially on her hit
"If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)" and "Ecclesiastes: Free My
Heart" from her latest CD. While she was an unlikely candidate to be an opening
act for a group like TED, she put on a good performance.
I went into this concert with high expectations, and it surpassed every one of
them. It was refreshing to see that bands like TED are still capable of
exhibiting such a degree of sheer power and brilliance onstage. The only way
this could have been better is if Keith Moon were still alive. Without a doubt,
the best concert of the year.
Reviewer's note: As this issue of Cosmik went to press, tour dates to take
Quadrophenia on the road were being announced for the fall in selected cities
across the United States. Check with local promoters for more information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
GETTING IT STRAIGHT: The Story Of The Punks, By The Punks
A look at the new book "Please Kill Me: An Uncensored Oral History Of Punk."
Authors: Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
Publisher: Grove Press
By DJ Johnson
What does "punk" mean? There are as many answers to that question as there
are people willing to offer them. That's why most attempts to write about
the New York punk scene of the 70s have been miserable failures. "Please
Kill Me: An Uncensored Oral History Of Punk" takes on the subject in the only
style with a chance for success--they let the people who were there tell the
story. Hundreds of interviews, conducted by authors Legs McNeil and Gillian
McCain, are offered up, a paragraphed or two at a time, effectively telling the
stories and detailing the personalities of the time.
Beginning, as any good punk book must, with the Velvet Underground, there
is a constant cycling of the cast of characters who are telling the story.
There are very few quotes from Lou Reed himself, but through the comments
of Nico, Paul Morrissey, Billy Name, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Danny
Fields and several others, a rather unsettling image of Reed begins to form.
Much of that is obvious backbiting--and in fact, there is plenty of that to
go around throughout the book--but there are several instances where everyone's
stories match up perfectly. Reed comes off as possibly the most demented,
maladjusted, paranoid weirdo on the planet. Most of the interesting stories
are told in great detail. Scenesters speak through the side of their mouths
about how they made the Velvets, or how they made Warhol, or how they made
the scene what it was. The Exploding Plastic Inevitable, made up of two men
and a woman who would perform strange S&M dance movements in front of The
Velvet Underground, is described as wonderful and creative, or as self-indulgent
bullshit, depending on who's telling the story at that moment. The battles
between Reed and Nico, between Reed and Cage, the mutual mistrust between
Reed and Warhol, and the Velvets' mistrust of the hippies at the Fillmore
West are all discussed in great detail. My favorite quote is also the
shortest of the entire book: Maureen Tucker's statement that "I didn't
like that peace-love shit."
The tortured artists scene that grew around The Velvet Underground didn't
last. The MC5 and Iggy & The Stooges came along and changed everything
forever, shifting the focus from S&M oddness to total chaos. The stories
of both bands are told by the players, relatives, fans, and managers.
Well known stories, like Wayne Kramer's drug bust, the orgies at the
Trans-Love house, and the various heroin OD's, take on a personal dimension
when they are related by the people who were actually involved. It's one
thing to know that Wayne Kramer was sent to prison. It's another thing
altogether when you hear about it from Kramer himself. His fear, anger
and feelings of betrayal make for a very human and unsettling story. His
description of the 1968 Democratic Convention, and the police riot that
ensued, is as hair-raising as it is enlightening. The MC5 were considered
the band of the revolution after that gig, at least until they played at
The Fillmore in a show to benefit a strange group of people who called
themselves "The Motherfuckers." They were tough and angry street people,
and The MC5 were their heroes, until they showed up for the gig in a limo.
It was all downhill from there.
The scene shifts to New York City once again as The Ramones, The New York
Dolls, Wayne County, Blondie, The Dead Boys and other bands started popping
up at Max's Kansas City, the legendary punk club where most of the scenesters
hung out. The stories of this era are as much about the groupies as they
are about the bands. Anya Phillips, Bebe Buell, Gyda Gash, and Connie Ramone
knew as much about the goings on as Richard Hell did, so it's interesting to
get their perspectives. Claws come out quite often, but that's how it is in
any community, and the NYC punk scene was nothing if not a community. The
stories of heroin abuse, transvestites, hooking, and knife fights fill a great
deal more of the pages than do stories of music. Some of this is extremely
disturbing to those of us who lead sheltered lives. Sid Vicious using toiler
water, complete with vomit and urine, to liquefy his heroin for a quick fix;
Dee Dee Ramone selling his body to men to get money for smack; Lou Reed coming
on to a heterosexual man, asking him to shit in his mouth...If this had been
written as a novel it would have been rejected. But this is not bad fiction.
This is ugly truth.
As the book progresses, people die. One by one, the musicians and groupies
alike die by needle or knife, until it becomes apparent that surviving the
era was a herculean task on a par with winning the decathlon. Johnny Thunders,
Stiv Bators, Sid Vicious, Nancy Spungeon, Jerry Nolan, Billy Murcia, and what
seems like a few thousand others, didn't make it. That Iggy Pop DID make it
seems impossible. Many more of the people in these stories fell in the late
80s and early 90s, victims of AIDS. The scene itself died a quiet and
uncelebrated death, though exactly when is up for debate. One theory offered
up in the book marks the time of death as the moment the Sex Pistols began their
US tour; the reason being that punk became trendy, the scene became polluted,
and it wasn't about the community anymore. As Legs McNeil points out, spiked
hair and safety pins had nothing to do with the punk lifestyle until the Sex
Pistols came along. Suddenly, it was all about something manufactured. The
book ends with the death of Jerry Nolan, the drummer of The New York Dolls
and The Heartbreakers, who seemed to lose his direction when his best friend,
Johnny Thunders, took the needle-ride off the planet in 1991. A story like
this really couldn't end any other way.
As a historical reference, "Please Kill Me" is of limited use. You certainly
can't trust the "Cast Of Characters" list in the back of the book. It lists
Mick Jones as the bass player of The Clash (he was the guitarist and lead
vocalist), and Steve Jones as the drummer of The Sex Pistols (he was the
guitarist). It lists Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, who is only mentioned
in passing in the book itself, but it fails to mention Stiv Bators of The Dead
Boys, who is an important figure through much of the book. It's as if the
list was added by the publisher at the last second with no time left for
checking the facts. The book itself is not always trustworthy, either. After
all, there are too many personal angles fueled by grudges and dislikes. How
can you take Sylvia Reed's word for anything on the subject of Anya Phillips
when it's obvious from the start that their relationship was based on jealousy?
However, if you follow the consistencies from statement to statement, the
true story emerges. From the moment you pick up on that flow of truth, the
book becomes difficult to put down. This is not a happy story with a tidy
ending. This is a story of human interaction pushed to extremes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK: CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
By Shaun Dale
First the news...
The parties convened. Nominations were made. For the Republicans, it's
Dole. The Dems gave Clinton the nod once more.
Oh yeah, and in a shocker, Ross Perot bough...er, earned the Reform Party
spot on the ballot.
So now what?
Actually, there were some points of interest at the conventions. Gen.
Colin Powell (USA, tired and retired) was only occasionally booed as he
told the delegates assembled "I'm one of you even though I disagree with
virtually everything you believe." Liddy Dole cut the pilot for the
daytime talk show she's always wanted. And perky Susan Molinari forgot
that she was a convention keynoter and gave her high school commencement
speech instead.
Molinari was probably the high point of Republican offensiveness. This
woman, who pulls down about $140k a year to supplement the meager
earnings of her ex-Congresscritter hubby who has turned to the confines
of Gucci Gulch for his keep these days, was tapped to relate to working
families. Molinari's a third generation pol (her dad had the family
Congressional seat before her) who was weaned on a government nipple.
She is wealthy beyond the imagination of most working families in this
country. Who better to commiserate with the struggles of raising kids
on a budget or to lecture us on personal responsibility? Sheesh.
The biggest actual news at the Republican Convention was Jack Kemp's
addition to the ticket. To add a little youth and vitality to the Dole
campaign, they turned to a man in his sixties who hasn't won an election
in almost a decade and has never won anything bigger than his old Buffalo,
NY Congressional district. This is the secret to taking California and
New York out of the Clinton column and sweeping Dole to victory?
It's been a long time since Jack Kemp connected on a Hail Mary. It's
gonna be a while longer...
The Reform Party had an interesting twist. They met in two different
places on successive weekends, with voting taking place in between by
mail and email. Does anyone believe that Dick Lamm ever had a chance?
Does anyone care?
The Democrats checked in last, but the ticket is still first in the
polls. The best speech of the week wasn't carried in prime time, so you
may have missed it, but you might look for a transcript at the C-SPAN
website (http://www.c-span.org) or someplace. If you are, like me, of a
progressive bent and looking for a good reason to suck it up and vote for
Bill, Jesse Jackson's convention address will give you more than enough
reasons. (Point your browser at http://www.orci.com/lxlloyd/rain/JESSE.html
for a copy of the speech.) Jesse didn't pretend he likes everything Clinton
has done, but he clearly understands that there's no option if we want any
progressive place at the political table during the waning years of the
century.
Of course, I cling to the position that this year, "It's the Supreme Court,
stupid"...
Al Gore kicked off his Presidential bid for 2000 in fine form, with a speech
that combined self deprecating wit and a level of emotional involvement that
took many viewers by surprise. With the '96 nomination locked up for months,
this was the real campaign speech of the convention.
Of course, no review would be complete without mention of the convention
scandal - the resignation of strategist Dick Morris from the Clinton team.
It seems that...well, frankly, no one seems quite sure what happened and
Morris isn't saying, but the tabloids say it involves a woman who is, or
was, a hooker, and some amazingly sophomoric attempts by the spinmeister to
impress her with his presidential clout.
The Republicans would love to make hay out of a Clinton aide's inability
to keep it zipped. Unfortunately for them, Morris' client list includes
such Republican luminaries as Gov. Pete Wilson of California, Sen. Jesse
Helms and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. These gents really don't
want to know what Dick was doing when he worked for *them*.
Bottom line on the Morris thing? He's a strategist who's leaving just
in time for the tacticians to take over. A minor loss to the campaign,
a minor distraction at convention time, but this isn't the breakthrough
opportunity Dole needs.
Maybe the breakthrough will come in the debates.
The dates aren't set, the formats aren't decided and we don't even know
who will be in them (Perot is a possibility and Harry Browne's Libertarian
supporters are clamoring for inclusion) but some combination of a major
misstep by Clinton and a magnificent performance by Dole in a nationally
televised debate could tilt the field to
even.
It's hard to imagine, though. While the President counsels his supporters
against overconfidence and pundits everywhere insist that this is a horserace
despite Dole's two digit deficit in the polls, the general election campaign
is starting to look a lot like the Republican primaries. Remember the Buchanan
Brigades? The Forbes insurgency? Lamar!?
I'm not bold enough to declare it over, of course. I mean, after all, I
want to leave you with some motivation to check in here next month. That
rotund lady in the corner seems to be clearing her throat, though...
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808 STATE: Don Solaris (ZTT/Warner)
Reviewed by Keith Gillard.
Four years after the release of Gorgeous, 808 State return with a vengeance.
Although Gorgeous was slagged (somewhat unfairly) for not being as
ground-breaking as their previous work, that particular complaint is not
likely to raised against Don Solaris. One of the originators of the
"intelligent techno" genre, 808 State have a wonderful talent of combining
actual songwriting (strong melodies) with innovative sounds and rhythms.
I have found that my all-time favorite albums are often ones that I did not
love on first listen. Perhaps too adventurous for easy consumption, these
are the albums that define how we listen to music from that point onwards.
Don Solaris could easily be such an album.
We begin with the same squiggly sound effect that closed Gorgeous, a lovely
bit of continuity. The lead-off single, "Bond," takes a cue from the
drum'n'bass movement without jumping on any bandwagons. It sounds more
like the work that Graham Massey did for Bjork than 808 State proper. The
anvil playing is a very nice touch. "Bird" also features laid-back heavy
rhythm, but also the strings and hypnotic atmospheres 808 State are so well
known for. "Azura" hearkens back to both "Lift" (from Ex:el), with gorgeous
strings, and melody played on steel drums. The breakbeat work here is
particularly tasty, as are the vocals. This track will be the second
single.
I love "Black Dartangnon" - the unique 808 soprano sax and bass clarinet.
Nobody else has combined these instruments with techno, dub, and jazz
influences for such strong effect. Somewhat reminiscent of "Black Morpheus"
(from Gorgeous), one would assume that the title is a reference. "Joyrider"
makes me actually enjoy the Roland 727 - I thought those sounds would never
sound cool again. The soprano sax is joyous over an uplifting (but not
cheesy) rhythmic score - and real kalimba. the breakdown is super funky.
"Lopez" is a fine piece of pop, featuring vocals by James Dean Bradfield of
the Manic Street Preachers. "Joy gives me my last regret" goes the hook,
and the song is a beautiful reflection of this sentiment. It is both joyous
and bittersweet, in a way that David Sylvian might have done had he gone for
heavy drums. Lovely guitar work as well. It also has the distinction of
being one of very few danceable pieces in 5/4 time (although here it's
15/8).
An Aphex Twin influence can be heard in "Balboa." The melody has very
interesting unusual harmonic structure, working within itself - but I
wouldn't want to try to work out a chord progression for it! "Kohoutek"
starts off with some very cool rhythmic material, which is kept in the
overall mix but unfortunately becomes very difficult to discern once the
main drums come in. This track features three different electric pianos -
and real ones, not just samples or that awful DX7 tine piano which has
spread like a virus throughout R&B. The bridge is definitely the high point
of the song.
"Mooz" features vocals by another quirky Icelandic chanteuse, Ragga (last
time it was Bjork). Very cool. More acoustic instruments on "Jerusahat"
- zither, berinbau, and the classic 808 bass clarinet. This track is
positively anthemic, and could make anybody feel like celebrating. Don
Solaris closes with "Banacheq," featuring some rockin' guitar work and vocal
samples. I smell a big club remix hit here. However, I would have
preferred the album to have closed with "Jerusahat." Otherwise, the pacing
in this album is brilliant. A lot of work went into track sequence and
flow.
The graphics for Don Solaris are fantastic as well. I have the import
version, which features a translucent dust jacket (a nice touch). Beneath
the jacket, the cover is done in dark, muted colors, very warm and inviting.
It is printed like a textbook - it even smells like one! - and the same dark,
muted, approach is used throughout. Unfortunately, this does make some of
the smaller text difficult to read.
Overall, I do not expect to hear as good an album as Don Solaris in this
genre for some time. I hope that 808 State do not take as long to produce
their next album, although the work they have done individually since
Gorgeous has been outstanding (particularly Graham Massey). Nobody else
makes uplifting melodic electronic music without coming off as cheesy
(although they did a couple of times on Gorgeous). 808 State is one of the
most innovative bands anywhere currently, and I can recommend Don Solaris
to anyone.
Songwriting: 8/10
Production: 9/10
Performance: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
BARTOK: The Three Piano Concertos: No. 1 (1926); No. 2 (1930-31); No. 3
(1945). Yefim Bronfman, Piano; Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted
by Esa-Pekka Salonen. SONY SK 66718 [DDD] 75:40
PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonatas: No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 14; No. 3 in A Minor, Op.
28; No. 5 in C Major, Op. 38; No. 9 in C Major, Op. 103. Yefim Bronfman,
Piano. SONY SK 53273 [DDD] 65:46
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
The Bartok concertos make for a challenging trio. The Second of the group
is, along with the Prokofiev Second and Rachmaninov Third, the most
difficult hurdle in the literature of piano/orchestral music. You don't
venture onto this highway unless you're willing to drive through a gauntlet
of pianistic nightmares. Yefim Bronfman smoothly negotiates every
treacherous turn, every slippery curve with convincing skill. But it's not
technique that reigns supreme in these performances, it's cultivated musical
insight.
Listen to his deft rendering of the Second's first movement cadenza (track
one; 6:48); hear how he catches its menace, its Bartokian folkish impudence.
And does anyone, with the possible exception of Anda/DG, impart a greater
sense of foreboding and mystery to the second movement? Bronfman's account
of the First Concerto, driven but not impetuous, brash but not fulsome,
challenges the classic Serkin/Columbia (which Sony ought to reissue). He may
actually surpass Serkin in the mechanical, percussion-laden second movement.
Listen, for instance, to the ominous, brutal build-up (track 8; 3:03), where
he manages, thanks in no small part to the adroit conducting of Esa-Pekka
Salonen and to the Los Angeles Philharmonic's gifted percussion battery, to
set the music on fire with an explosion of primordial sounds. Bronfman
perfectly captures the repose and mellowed spirit of the Third Concerto,
the product of a dying composer. I've not heard a version to surpass this
one. Listen to his tender playing of the opening theme, or to his inspired
enactment of the second movement, with its impassioned religiosity and hope
in the face of death.
Bartok has been well served on records in these works. Kovacevich/Philips
and Jando/Naxos are worthwhile alternatives, the former artist offering
appropriate urgency and drive, the latter, an Hungarian, grasping the idiom
of his countryman Bartok's concertos with knowing interpretive insight. Both
these cycles, however, offer sonics not quite on the level of Sony's
splendid 20-bit sound process, used here. And the Anda/DG and
Serkin/Columbia First, while well-engineered for their time, are sonically
left in the dust.
In Bronfman's other new release, we are offered the third and final volume
in his survey of the Prokofiev Sonatas. There have been fourteen other such
cycles issued in the past six or seven years, making this repertory as
heavily trafficked as the Beethoven Sonatas. Pianists must contend with the
imposing likes of Raekallio/Ondine and Berman/Chandos to name two of the
better efforts. As I write this, Gavrilov's cycle on DG is still coming out
and is probably worthy of attention. Also-rans of some interest include
Sandor/Vox (a re-issue) and McLachlan/Olympia. Where does Bronfman fall in
this esteemed company?
His capstone issue features a Third to rank with the best (Graffman/CBS
Great Performances). Try Bronfman's close, beginning with the recapitulation
of the main theme (track 5; 5:30), and notice how he disrobes the
gossamer-layered textures with a cleverly-nuanced light touch that
captivates the ear while instructing the mind. The notes effervesce beneath
his nimble fingers as they speed breathlessly by with an athletic grace. A
performance to cherish!
Bronfman's Fifth (heard here in the composer's earlier-and better-version)
surpasses all others I've heard. Listen to his delicious rendering of the
free-spirited decadence of the middle movement, or sample his caustic
account of the intractable but bizarrely appealing finale.
If Bronfman's Second is surpassed by Berman's, and his Ninth equaled by that
of Raekallio, Berman and others, his traversals are nonetheless worthwhile
entries. He plumbs the earlier work for a more expressive yield than most
other pianists and generally succeeds, but at the expense, as in the first
movement, of needed momentum and vitality. His Ninth is a fine account:
gentle, lyrical, witty; and featuring a silken tone, an especially welcome
attribute in this unpretentious, beautiful work. This is a splendid disc,
then, that caps a cycle (Nos. 7 and 8 comprised Volume I and Nos. 1, 4 and
6 Volume 2) which, in my considered opinion, is clearly among the top two
or three in the Prokofiev sonata sweepstakes. Excellent sound here, too.
Highly recommended.
LES BAXTER: The Exotic Moods Of Les Baxter (Capitol)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
To many, Les Baxter was the king of exotica. Others argue in favor of
Martin Denny, and some even think Arthur Lyman was the cat's meow. As
soon as you've become bored with trying to name a king, pop these two
discs into the changer and float away to a tropical paradise. The Exotic
Moods Of Les Baxter is a 2-CD set containing 40 of Baxter's most dreamy
tunes, including "Acapulco," "City Of Veils," "Tehran," "Papagayo," and
the classic "Quiet Village."
Baxter had a unique ear, capable of hearing exotic possibilities in
everything from classical to swing. A boppin' rhythm section with a
walking bassline and brushes on the snare became tropical the moment
Baxter added the string sections playing in exotic scales. This is not
to say that Baxter was a minimalist. Not by any means. Most of his
music is draped in small touches and embellishments, layered so deep as
to become the musical equivalent of an ornate Ming vase. Finger cymbals,
shakers, vibes, pan flutes, timpani, wood blocks, and bird calls as far
as the ear could hear.
The selection on these two discs is culled from Baxter's Capitol Albums,
including Ritual Of The Savage, Tamboo, The Sacred Idol, Ports Of Pleasure,
Caribbean Moonlight, African Jazz, Jungle Jazz, and Jewels Of The Sea.
There are a few extras, like the previously unreleased "Bocoa," and "The
Left Arm Of Buddha," which was taken from a 1956 single. The liner notes
are not too informative about the various tracks or the albums from which
they were taken, but they do offer a nice condensed look at Baxter's life
and career. The CDs themselves can't offer a similar look at his music,
since they only cover a small fraction of his career. In fact, exotica was
just another side road he took along the way. But it was a very productive
trip, and this is a great batch of snapshots.
THE BENT SCEPTORS: Blind Date With Destiny (Prescription)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
The Bent Sceptors are a throwback to the Fleshtones, who in turn are a
throwback themselves. Anyhoo, what ya got here is a dandy dozen collection
of curt numbers featuring wavy guitars, tambourines, Farfisa organs and yelp
vocals, just like they did in the sixties at the go-go clubs and bowling
lounges. Spirited performances perfect for stompin' parties and any occasion
where ya might wanna work up a sweat. Nice suits and clean cut appearances
underlie seething, hormone-bursting adventures - obvious to teens yet undetected
by chaperones.
BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS: Blood Sweat & Tears
(Mobile Fidelity Soundlab - Original Master Recording Anadisq 200 LP)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Blood, Sweat & Tears were forerunners of the once burgeoning Chicago "big
band" sound, which took jazz-rock fusion and layered on the horns thick,
loud, and nasty. Although their first album was more artistically
reassuring, this, their posthumously titled second release, has all the
hits. Songs like "Spinning Wheel" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy"
became FM radio staples rather quickly.
Besides the hits, BS&T has some very original engaging compositions which
are sure to please the attentive listener. This audiophile release reveals
many subtleties missing from my well worn original. Sonic secrets become
apparent such as the vibrato in David Clayton-Thomas' voice in "Spinning
Wheel" and the subtle interplay throughout the horn arrangement on "Blues -
Part II."
Mobile Fidelity has done another fine job in the production department.
The original packaging is exactly duplicated and the music is delivered in
pure and pristine form. The record itself lives up to the quality and
performance of the Anadisq 200 LP. I only have one suggestion, whether you
purchase this copy or listen to the old one already tucked away in your
collection: play side two first REALLY LOUD. It will totally change your
outlook on this great record.
TWO FROM YEFIM BRONFMAN
BARTOK: The Three Piano Concertos: No. 1 (1926); No. 2 (1930-31); No. 3
(1945). Yefim Bronfman, Piano; Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted
by Esa-Pekka Salonen. SONY SK 66718 [DDD] 75:40
PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonatas: No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 14; No. 3 in A Minor, Op.
28; No. 5 in C Major, Op. 38; No. 9 in C Major, Op. 103. Yefim Bronfman,
Piano. SONY SK 53273 [DDD] 65:46
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
The Bartok concertos make for a challenging trio. The Second of the group
is, along with the Prokofiev Second and Rachmaninov Third, the most
difficult hurdle in the literature of piano/orchestral music. You don't
venture onto this highway unless you're willing to drive through a gauntlet
of pianistic nightmares. Yefim Bronfman smoothly negotiates every
treacherous turn, every slippery curve with convincing skill. But it's not
technique that reigns supreme in these performances, it's cultivated musical
insight.
Listen to his deft rendering of the Second's first movement cadenza (track
one; 6:48); hear how he catches its menace, its Bartokian folkish impudence.
And does anyone, with the possible exception of Anda/DG, impart a greater
sense of foreboding and mystery to the second movement? Bronfman's account
of the First Concerto, driven but not impetuous, brash but not fulsome,
challenges the classic Serkin/Columbia (which Sony ought to reissue). He may
actually surpass Serkin in the mechanical, percussion-laden second movement.
Listen, for instance, to the ominous, brutal build-up (track 8; 3:03), where
he manages, thanks in no small part to the adroit conducting of Esa-Pekka
Salonen and to the Los Angeles Philharmonic's gifted percussion battery, to
set the music on fire with an explosion of primordial sounds. Bronfman
perfectly captures the repose and mellowed spirit of the Third Concerto,
the product of a dying composer. I've not heard a version to surpass this
one. Listen to his tender playing of the opening theme, or to his inspired
enactment of the second movement, with its impassioned religiosity and hope
in the face of death.
Bartok has been well served on records in these works. Kovacevich/Philips
and Jando/Naxos are worthwhile alternatives, the former artist offering
appropriate urgency and drive, the latter, an Hungarian, grasping the idiom
of his countryman Bartok's concertos with knowing interpretive insight. Both
these cycles, however, offer sonics not quite on the level of Sony's
splendid 20-bit sound process, used here. And the Anda/DG and
Serkin/Columbia First, while well-engineered for their time, are sonically
left in the dust.
In Bronfman's other new release, we are offered the third and final volume
in his survey of the Prokofiev Sonatas. There have been fourteen other such
cycles issued in the past six or seven years, making this repertory as
heavily trafficked as the Beethoven Sonatas. Pianists must contend with the
imposing likes of Raekallio/Ondine and Berman/Chandos to name two of the
better efforts. As I write this, Gavrilov's cycle on DG is still coming out
and is probably worthy of attention. Also-rans of some interest include
Sandor/Vox (a re-issue) and McLachlan/Olympia. Where does Bronfman fall in
this esteemed company?
His capstone issue features a Third to rank with the best (Graffman/CBS
Great Performances). Try Bronfman's close, beginning with the recapitulation
of the main theme (track 5; 5:30), and notice how he disrobes the
gossamer-layered textures with a cleverly-nuanced light touch that
captivates the ear while instructing the mind. The notes effervesce beneath
his nimble fingers as they speed breathlessly by with an athletic grace. A
performance to cherish!
Bronfman's Fifth (heard here in the composer's earlier-and better-version)
surpasses all others I've heard. Listen to his delicious rendering of the
free-spirited decadence of the middle movement, or sample his caustic
account of the intractable but bizarrely appealing finale.
If Bronfman's Second is surpassed by Berman's, and his Ninth equaled by that
of Raekallio, Berman and others, his traversals are nonetheless worthwhile
entries. He plumbs the earlier work for a more expressive yield than most
other pianists and generally succeeds, but at the expense, as in the first
movement, of needed momentum and vitality. His Ninth is a fine account:
gentle, lyrical, witty; and featuring a silken tone, an especially welcome
attribute in this unpretentious, beautiful work. This is a splendid disc,
then, that caps a cycle (Nos. 7 and 8 comprised Volume I and Nos. 1, 4 and
6 Volume 2) which, in my considered opinion, is clearly among the top two
or three in the Prokofiev sonata sweepstakes. Excellent sound here, too.
Highly recommended.
DENNIS BROWN: Milk and Honey (RAS)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
A more appropriate name can not be found for this CD. Milk and Honey is
a sweet, fulfilling collection of soulful reggae numbers. Dennis Brown
speaks and sings from his heart and one cannot help but feel his passion
for life and music while listening to this CD.
Dennis takes no sides in the turmoil that is Jamaica. Even when singing
in his moving "Revolution (part 3)" he sidesteps the jagged edges and
wisely states that no man is an island and sings "if you want to live
forever, you've got to love your neighbor." Dennis Brown's revolution
is one of the heart.
Brown's vocal style smoothly rises and falls with the adept reggae rhythms
found on this CD. The combined effect makes for some very moving reggae
music tempered by the best that the human spirit has to offer. "Let The
Light Of Jah Be All Blessing." "He That Overcometh Shall Inherit All
Things."
BUSH TETRAS: Boom In The Night (ROIR)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is a band that I completely missed the first time around, but I'm very
happy (and lucky) to have this CD in hand today. Bush Tetras was a unique
quartet that defied description when they appeared on the scene in 1980. Too
cerebral to be called punk, too funky to be called rock, too substantial to
be called pop, they ended up being tagged as "art rock." If The Doors were
"art rock," then I suppose it's an apt tag. Many of these tracks are dramatic
performance pieces that evoke the darkest Doors and the deepest Talking Heads.
Bush Tetras never recorded an album, but they did put out quite a few singles
and EP's during their three year run. Boom In The Night gathers several of
those singles and EP's, as well as a few demo tracks, onto one CD. "Cowboys
In Africa" opens the set with a powerful one-chord punk sound that carries
just a hint of Iggy and the Stooges' influence. I can't understand much of
what Cynthia Sley is singing on this track, but it doesn't seem to matter.
The song is pure energy. "Things That Go Boom In The Night" is a classic
example of how to present performance art rock without sucking the power out
of the music itself for the benefit of the vocal performance. Yes, there's
a bit of "When The Music's Over" in there, but they took it to another level.
If you're fond of the early music of The Bolshoi (before they became anemic
and poppy), you should check this out. If Bush Tetras didn't directly influence
them, I'd be surprised.
The funkier aspects of the band are explored in tracks like "Snake's Crawl,"
"Moonlite" and "Stand Up And Fight," songs which show Bush Tetras to be in
the same league as Talking Heads when it comes to rhythmic chops and unusual
vibes. "You Can't Be Funky" contains my favorite lyric of the CD; "You can't
be a lover if you got no control - You can't be funky if you haven't got a soul."
Too true. They were also able to make great funkified psychedelia. "It's So
Weird" is a musical acid trip decorated with a hesitant bass line, a psychotic
brittle guitar chopping up 9th chords, and seriously demented vocals. The
CD closes out with "Funky," a curious little 2:40 instrumental jam complete
with a horn section. If I could change one thing about Boom In The Night, it
would be a simple thing; I'd move this song back in the order a bit. It's
a nice tune, but a closer should leave you stunned, and there are 13 tracks
that can do that better. Small complaint about a great CD. This truly was
an excellent and unusual band.
CANNED HEAT & JOHN LEE HOOKER: Hooker 'n Heat
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab 24 KT Gold Ultradisc II CD (double disc set)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Canned Heat was a band whose heart and soul was blues and boogie. One need
not trace their roots any farther than John Lee Hooker to find the primal
source of their inspiration. John Lee Hooker's own emotional improvisational
style of guitar playing, coupled with his uncanny knack for balancing the
tension between blues and boogie, was the perfect model for a young band of
white boys latched into the blues revival scene of the mid sixties.
Canned Heat's own style of improvisational extended blues jams was spiritually
attuned to John Lee Hooker's own form, which made the two acts destined to
perform together. What makes their union that much more intriguing is the
fact that a crossroads of sorts is met. On one side, we have the weathered,
veteran bluesman, who almost single-handedly brought the rude, clamorous,
thrilling sound of back country juke joints to post-World War II blues
listeners. Then, on the other side, we have a group of young, eager musicians,
with heads full of new ideas and hands full of electricity. The melding not
only closes the gap, it obliterates it to the point where the resulting music
is a seamless integration of ideas and sounds, both old and new.
Disc one of this set is essentially a solo John Lee Hooker album. Canned Heat
is there only to witness and record their hero, waiting until the time is right
to join him. The session is open, relaxed, and John Lee Hooker treats the
listener to a fine selection of classic "Hook" tunes, which are loose and
filled with surprising improvisations. Occasionally he cuts loose and picks
up the tempo a bit, but then he slows back down, only teasing at what is to
come. Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson picks up the harmonica towards the end of the
set, and then you start to understand where the record is really heading.
Since John Lee Hooker does improvise a lot, it is almost impossible for anyone
to follow him, and even John himself is surprised that Alan can follow him
as he comments, "I dig this kid's harmonica, y'know. I don't know how you
follow me, but he do. You musta listened to my records all your life. I
see I can't lose you."
Disc two starts out slow and easy, and as the set progresses, the rest of
Canned Heat join John and Alan to slowly, steadily pick up the pace until
before long, the hordes of the Lord God King Boogie Woogie are unleashed in
syncopating sonic blues fury. The entire set, discs one and two, comprise
what can only be compared to a sexual experience, complete with foreplay,
teasing, tension, and sweet, sweet release.
Sadly, Alan Wilson died upon completion of this record, which was originally
recorded in 1970, and his picture graces the album cover only as a photo
hanging in silent reminder upon a shadowed wall. But his music lives on in
this exceptional issue of this brilliant record. There are many quiet
passages in this recording, giving ample opportunity for imperfections to
make themselves known. They do not. The music sounds so fresh and pure on
this Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc issue that you could swear it was recorded
only yesterday.
Hooker 'n Heat is a testament to music as an identifier and unifier, and is
even more a testament to the profound soul and talent which existed in a
small studio back in 1970. To experience it is to experience personal
enrichment.
PAUL COLLIN'S BEAT: The Kids Are The Same (Wagon Wheel)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
I never heard this second album by The Paul Collins Beat when it was
originally released in 1982, so listening to it now, it's like any other
new release. And with that thought in mind it's easy to see why it's
always been considered such a power pop classic. The first 2 songs, "That's
What Life Is All About" and "Dreaming" are everything the perfect pop tune
oughta be - concise, upbeat and filled to the brim with sing-alongable
hooks. But those two are only the beginning, as songs like "It's Just A
Matter Of Time," "I Will Say No," "Will You Listen" and the title track are
all worthy of repeated spins. Listen up and enjoy! (PO Box 1115, NYC NY
10276-1115)
RONNIE DAWSON: Just Rockin' And Rollin' (Upstart)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The last of the red hot rockabilly boys. Ronnie Dawson is so authentic that
you'll find yourself questioning Upstart's claim that this is a 1996 release.
There's nothing fancy in the sound that would indicate it came from the digital
age. Dawson's guitar sound is clean and bright, sometimes brittle, sometimes
hot as molten steel. Another authentic touch is the upright bass work of
Naokazu "Mr. Tone" Tone. "Mr. Tone" earns that nickname slapping out some
of the finest bottom end I've heard in years. Eddie Angel (Los Straitjackets)
is all over this album, sharing guitar duties with Dawson and Tjarko Jeen.
Behind it, Bruce Brand's drumming is right in the pocket, solid as a rock.
If this isn't the good time album of the year, I don't know what is. It
couldn't have been more authentic if the late great Sam Phillips had been
at the console. I'm giving it a "5 shot glass" rating and two speakers up.
MIKEY DREAD: Come To Mikey Dread's Dub Party (ROIR)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
After the plain and redundant title track has played out, this CD gets
pretty interesting. "Buh Yah Kah" has plenty going on to tempt your
imagination, and happily, that turns out to be the rule rather than the
exception the rest of the way. Mikey Dread is very much a part of the
Jamaican dub scene, having earned his wings riding the sliders for Lee
"Scratch" Perry and Sonia Pottinger in the early 70s. He has survived the
digital revolution, but he didn't necessarily join it. He tends to favor
classic reggae backgrounds and cheap video game sound effects--in fact, it
seems like half the album has sound effects from Space Invaders.
There are great moments on Dub Party, such as Deadly Headley's beautiful
saxophone in "Tourist Dub" and the dub cover of Cherry (retitled Cherrypie"),
which is filled with punchy bass and sexual banter. Clearly, though,
the greatest track is the closer, "Black Supremacy For South Africa," the
one and only straight reggae tune on the entire CD. It seems Mikey Dread
has a knack for conscious music, as well.
The problem with Dub Party is that the video game sounds get obnoxious after
a while. The fact that most of the songs are pretty damned good becomes
a moot point if you can't stand listening to them. Moderation is the key.
A few at a time. The best of these tracks are worth programming your CD
player for.
HUELYN DUVALL: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (Sundazed)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Huelyn had it all; a great voice, a great sound and most important, a great
name. Problem is, fate wasn't on Huelyn's side. Back in the crazy fifties a
slew of slick-haired crooners were vying for the rockabilly crown and history
shows only a few survived. Some drove cars off cliffs. Some fell prey to the
bottle. Some croaked on the porcelain god. And then some, like Huelyn here,
became computer service managers. Hell if those records weren't selling ya
hadda support the family! So all we have of Huelyn's brief fast lane fling
before it became a suburban crescent, is a bunch of uncharted singles and
unreleased demos in a dusty closet. Enter the good folks at Sundazed with
their duster and presto: Huelyn lives on in shiny, indestructible CD form.
So did the songs deserve their fate or was Huelyn just Elvis taking a wrong
turn? Well the tunes are fine, a smooth mix of country and rock with a
catchy flare, but I'm afraid Huelyn is destined to remain a footnote in
rock'n'roll history, and a fond memory to a select few. And that ain't such
a bad thing, is it?
THE FASTBACKS: New Mansions In Sound (Sub Pop)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Thank God for the Fastbacks! It seems like they've been around forever and
they have never sold out or compromised their sound. They should be huge
by now, but who cares about hitting the big time when you're having so much
fun? Who knows, maybe the Fastbacks will hit the big time. All they need
to do is to convince people to have as much fun as they are.
They just might be able to do that with this new release, because it is FUN
with a capital F (and U, and, um, N even.) The Fastbacks, led by Kurt Bloch
on guitar, is a fast, upbeat harmonic machine specializing in killer guitar
riffs and fantastic rock sweet vocals by Kim Warnick and Lulu Gargiulo.
The Fastbacks have gone through more drummers than Spinal Tap, but Mike
Musburger seems to be hanging in there (knock on wood.)
It's impossible to single out a Fastbacks record and call it "their best"
because their style has remained so consistently pleasing over the years
that you can point to just about any of their releases and call it a
classic Fastbacks record. New Mansions In Sound is certainly no exception
and in true Fastbacks fashion it contains a fine collection of Kurt Bloch
power-pop masterpieces. We are also treated to an obscure Who cover (Girl's
Eyes, written by Keith Moon) and a blistering cover of Montrose's "Space
Station #5."
If you haven't had a chance to check out the Fastbacks, this is your perfect
opportunity. New Mansions In Sound ranks right up their with their best
work. Be careful, because you'll soon find yourself wanting more.
Thankfully, the Fastbacks are a healthy addiction, offering nothing more
than FUN!
THE FATHOMS: Fathomless (Atomic Beat/AVI)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This Boston quintet plays a tough and gritty brand of traditional instrumental
surf music that positively drips both reverb and attitude. The sound is clean
without being sterile, beautiful without being tender, and 1962 without being
imitation. They inject a fantastic amount of mystique in their tunes, using
the sultry rasp of Dave Sholl's sax to put the noir atmosphere in place.
Frank Blandino and Greg Burgess are most definitely one of the best guitar
tandems to come along in quite a while. Blandino's solo's are often quite
exotic and always right on the mark. Burgess is a versatile rhythm player
with a great staccato picking sound reminiscent of The Astronauts. Stan
Kozlowski (drums) and Johnny Sciascia (bass) are solid players that sound
like they may have jazz backgrounds--particularly Sciascia, whose walking
bass lines often have a Latin jazz flavor.
Fathomless is 53 minutes long, and there isn't a second of filler. The exotic
sounds of songs like "Kwajalein" and "Riptide" are balanced by festive south
of the border tunes like "Cerveza On Dee Mesa." Even that tune maintains a
distinct layer of mystique that becomes obvious the moment Sholl leans in with
that fantastic sax. One of the most powerful possibilities in surf music is
this kind of surf-noir atmosphere. Galaxy Trio and Impala had better be
looking over their shoulders. The Fathoms have surfaced.
GORILLA: Obliterator (Hell Yeah! CD)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Well, enough has already been written about this punk rock group who just
happen to have an organ player that I don't even need to mention it. Oops.
I guess I just did. For those of you who are scratching your heads at this
point, don't worry, you didn't hear me wrong. Gorilla are a punk rock group
which features a powerful organ sound. Damn, I did it again!
Okay, okay, so now yer probably wondering how the hell THAT works! Very
well. Very well indeed. You see, Gorilla are not punk rock in the strictest
sense. Sure, they play hard rock with screeching vocals, but they are also
very melodic and have a strong rhythmic sense. The organ helps maintain
both these aspects of their music without coming off as sounding cheesy.
Indeed, the Gorilla sound is anything but cheesy. It is hard, pulsating
melodic power-pop punk.
Gorilla have had a number of releases on popular independent labels like
Estrus, Thrill Jockey, and Bag of Hammers. Did I mention Sub Pop? No?
Well they've been on Sub Pop too. Now they've released this fine collection
of foot-stompin' head-bangin' numbers on the always great Hell Yeah! label,
and it's more fun than a barrel full of monkeys, I tell ya!
Besides the always pervasive organ, Gorilla feature a twin guitar attack
which ensure that the pulsating energy is punctuated by bouts of sonic fury.
This particular collection has been masterfully produced by the ever
illustrious Kurt Bloch, so you know you're in for a good time. Crank it up
and break out the Twister game! It's Gorilla!
BERES HAMMOND: Putting Up Resistance (RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Beres Hammond deserves a huge amount of respect for hanging in for over 20
years--some of them pretty lean. He started his career in 1975 with Zap
Pow, and he went solo in 1980. It wasn't until the early part of this
decade that Hammond began to get the attention he deserved.
Putting Up Resistance is a masterful mix of consciousness, deep sounds,
and the sweet soulfulness of Hammond's vocals. The title track was a
gigantic hit in Jamaica--and deservedly so. Hammond's choice of musicians
doesn't hurt. You want deep sound? Here's the band to work with. Robbie
Shakespeare (bass), Sly Dunbar (drums), China Smith (guitar), and Clive Hunt
(keyboards). If somebody asked me to assemble my dream reggae band, this
would probably be it, with the addition of Dean Frazer on sax. And hey,
whattaya know!? There's Dean Frazer on sax! The musicianship couldn't be
better, and Tappa Zukie's production is flawless.
There are quite a few highlights among the 12 tracks. One of the most
surprising is Hammond's soulful reading of "Tonight's The Night." The song
turns out to be pretty damned good without Mod Rod Stewart's primping,
preening and posturing. "On The Dance Floor" has hints of "Zombie
Jamboree" in the lyric, giving an otherwise traditional soul song a nice
tropical twist. "Strange" and "Give Me A Break" are deep and moving tunes
that elevate the album to an even higher pedestal for those who love that
hesitant beat.
With this powerful album, perhaps Hammond will finally get the full respect
he truly deserves. He certainly has mine.
IRON BUTTERFLY: Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida
(Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs 24k Gold CD)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
It's a song with a dividing line; one side fills with those who hate it,
always hated it, always will hate it. The other side is filled with those
who love it, never got sick of it, and crave it still. On that side of
the room, the line forms behind me. This was the record I actually wore
out over ten copies of. If I could wear out a CD, that would be my one
dead disc. Now I have this incredible 24k gold baby to play with.
The track layout is the first big surprise. All six tracks from the
original album are here in their proper order, but there are two bonus
tracks. As you most likely know, the album ends with the title track.
The MOFI disc ends with the title track...three times. First, there is
the album version--seventeen minutes and five seconds of reverb-splashed
psychedelia, exploding drums, spooky church organ, moaning ghost-like
guitar and extremely deep bass. Second, there is the live version--
eighteen minutes and fifty one seconds of alternate-universe Butterfly,
complete with a much more distorted bass, a faster tempo and totally
different solos from everyone except keyboardist Doug Ingle, who apparently
never strayed from his original solos when the band played live. Finally,
there is the single version. It's only two minutes and fifty three seconds
long, and that means all the solos have been ripped out of it, leaving just
the vocal sections. True Butterfly fans have always considered this track
to be a sad case of butchery, a blatant occurrence of sacrilege and a
general waste of time. Still, from a completist's point of view, it's nice
to have it on the disc.
The sound quality is as good as it could ever be. What the hell does THAT
mean? Well, in comparison to most MoFi CDs, this isn't a major sonic stunner.
The source tape of Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida is notoriously hissy, and there is
only so much you can do when it's that noisy. They did an admirable job
of reducing it, but it's still there. What does stand out is the separation.
Ron Bushy's legendary drum solo sounds amazing here, with the drum strikes
in one channel and the reverb tail in another, making what was already a
big sound absolutely huge. Another definite improvement is the overall
warmth of the sound. No surprise, though, since warm sound is Mobile
Fidelity's calling card. Lee Dorman's bass sound is somehow deeper and
more fluid. How'd they do that? It was already the deepest and most fluid
bass album of the 60s! Well, I'm entitled to my opinion, anyway.
For the icing on this cake, the original liner notes have been expanded to
include brand new notes, including a history of the band and the song, and
a track-by-track rundown filled with interesting facts and anecdotes. In
the week and a half since I got this CD, everybody who's seen it in the
stack by my desk has had a comment about it. Some say "Man, my whole
youth is wrapped up in there!" And some don't. They're on the other side
of the line, and they're saying something or other, but you know what? I
can't hear 'em with the headphones on.
J CHURCH: Nostalgic For Nothing (Broken Rekkids)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Whatcha got here are all the singles released by one of the best and most
underrated punk bands active in the U.S. today. Many of their songs are
rather politically oriented, but not always, as on one of my favorite cuts,
"Cool Guitar Girl" which is a slightly renamed remake of the Heavenly
underground hit of a few years ago. If you like your Punk Rock played with
intelligence and bit of variety, this is one band you really ought to check
out. And, if you're already familiar with these guys, this is a great way to
catch up with all their great 45s from the last couple of years. (PO Box
460402, San Francisco CA 94146-0402)
MILT JACKSON & WES MONTGOMERY: Bags Meets Wes! (DCC Jazz)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
DCC Jazz had done it again!
They continue to document the finest in cool jazz in a series of
re-issues on their excellent 24k gold disc format. It's been said that
audiophiles listen to the recording, while musicians listen to the
songs. There's plenty here for both.
Recorded in 1961, this disc puts vibes master Jackson and guitar great
Montgomery together with perhaps as fine a rhythm section as could have
been assembled at the time. Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass
and the drumming of "Philly" Joe Jones give these two brilliant soloists
all the room they need and more.
Maybe it's the particular tone and sensuality of the vibes, or the
enveloping richness that only Wes Montgomery seemed to pull from a
guitar, but if someone were to ask me today "What do you mean by 'cool
jazz?,'" this is the disc I'd put on first.
In addition to the seven cuts on the original release, the CD treats us
to three alternate tracks. These versions of three of the original
seven were rejected by Montgomery, whose reputation for perfectionism is
legend. The legend is clearly warranted, because it would take a far
more perfectionist ear than mine to discover the flaws in these
performances. I'm just grateful for anything that gives me another 17
or so minutes of this session.
DCC has once again put together a fine package, reproducing the original
art, notes and labels from the Riverside release.
Tracks: "S.K.J." - Stablemates - Stairway to the Stars - Blue Roz - Sam
Sack - Jingles - Delilah
Bonus Cuts: Stairway to the Stars - Jingles - Delilah
JALE: So Wound (Sub Pop)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Jale come from the same school of disjointed quirky-pop girl-group
harmonizing as classic Throwing Muses, Lush, and the Breeders. Jale stands
out from this crowd, and it's not just because they don't record for the
4AD record label. Jale's music has strong, well established undercurrents
of folk sensibilities.
This aspect of their music is not immediately apparent, but as you listen
to the CD, the strong lead vocals and harmonizing of Eve Hartling, Jennifer
Pierce, and Laura Stein shed light on influences stretching to Joan Baez
and Joni Mitchell. The heavy-handedness which this might presume simply is
not there, though. It's just enough to keep the music from falling into the
Breeders' cracks.
Mike Belitsky supports the group's sound with his solid and versatile
drumming skills. The guitar playing of Eve and Jennifer is equally
versatile as they wend their way around each other in evocative style.
Laura rounds out the sound with her noticeably forward-yet-subdued style
of bass playing.
The songwriting is solid and the music is very enjoyable, from the almost
haunting "Sign of Life," to the rousing "All Ready," and the equally rollicking
and somber "Mosquito." Each song tells a story, and the mood of the music fits
each to a tee. The stories themselves are day-in-the-life type vignettes
with a liberal sprinkling of arm-chair philosophizing. All in all this is
a fine collection of songs suitable for any frame of mind you might happen
to find yourself in.
JUNO REACTOR: Beyond The Infinite (Hypnotic/Cleopatra)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Ben Watkins and Mike Maguire are the techno-wiz's who mixed Tracy Lords'
"Control" for the Mortal Kombat soundtrack. If you've ever heard that,
you either like techno or you got drunk and stumbled into the wrong night
club. I'm going to assume it's the former, thereby avoiding having to
explain the entire genre.
90 percent of the techno music I hear bores me. If it can't create an
atmosphere and maintain it, I don't want to know about it. When it can
create an entire universe, I'm a happy traveler. That is the case with
Beyond The Infinite. Watkins & Maguire avoid the fingernails-on-chalkboard
screeching repetition that destroys most techno, opting instead for a
sparse and rhythmic sound, rarely involving more than a handful of sounds
at a time. This (usually) uncluttered approach is highly effective in that
it allows the listener to embrace everything that's happening in the mix.
Then again, there are moments where everything explodes into sound soup.
Those passages feel more like transport than plot, moving you along at
breathtaking speeds to the next musical idea.
Some of the cliche elements of the genre are present--there are plenty of
1-2-3-4 kick drums and pulsing programmed bass lines. However, most of
this music is quite satisfying. The title track flows like a dream of
utopia, picking up speed as it goes. "Samurai" fuses oriental beauty with
cold technical circuitry. Perhaps the most sparse soundscape of all is
in the track called "Silver," a simple pulsing foundation with a very exotic
mid-eastern melody in the distance. The last track, "Mars," is the final
transport, a full force onslaught of sound bullet-training you home.
Juno Reactor seems to be taking hard electronic music back to the fork in
the road where the genre took a wrong turn a few years back. It will be
interesting to see where they go from here.
RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK: I, Eye, Aye (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Another chapter in Rhino's chronicle of Atlantic's Montreux Jazz Festival
catalog, this 1972 performance finds Roland Kirk in fine form.
Credited with tenor, manzello, stritch, clarinet, flute, nose flute, siren
and "other stuff," Kirk is joined by Ron Burton on piano, Henry "Pete" Pearson
on bass, Robert Shy on drums, and percussionist Joe "Habeo" Texidor.
The seven musical cuts here are interspersed with raps titled "Rahsaantalks,"
and the spoken words are a valuable link to the thoughts and soul of one of
jazz's most original instrumentalists.
The opening cut, "Seasons," features Rahsaan the flautist. Kirk's flute work
has not often received the recognition I think it deserves, but this cut
clearly shows that the flute was one of his finest instrumental voices.
The traditional spiritual "Balm in Gilead" is preceded by a spoken dedication
to Paul Robeson, and Kirk is clearly pleased by the European audiences response
to Robeson's name. The track is presented as a dirge, with Kirk's rich tenor
over a tambourine which evokes images of the Black churches in which this song
evolved.
The Kirk classic "Volunteered Slavery" highlights the band, especially Burton
and Shy, and ends in a signature free jazz collapse. It is followed by "Blue
Rol No. 2," a 12 bar blues featuring Kirk on nose flute, which allows him to
make a running verbal commentary on his own playing.
"Satin Doll/Improvisation" gives Kirk the opportunity to show off his fabled
circular breathing technique and his facility at the simultaneous playing of
multiple instruments. Playing two and three horns at once sounds gimmicky
in the abstract, but when done by Roland Kirk the novelty aspect is transcended
by the sheer artistry of his performance.
"Serenade to a Cuckoo" and "Pedal Up" close the disc in fine form, continuing
to display the magic of a Rahsaan Roland Kirk performance. While clearly in
the jazz tradition, there had been nothing like Roland Kirk before his appearance,
and we have not seen his like since his too-early departure.
This is a wonderful document of a marvelous performer. To the folks at the
Rhino/Atlantic Jazz Gallery I can only say MORE!
THE LIVELY ONES: Hang Five!!! The Best of The Lively Ones (Del-Fi CD)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
The Lively Ones are very important in the history of surf music. It's not
just because of their obvious love and grasp of the form, or the emotion
and passion they put into their music. The Lively Ones will maintain their
position in the annals of surfdom simply because they were there right at
the very beginning (as the Expressos) in 1960, along with Dick Dale and The
Del-Tones.
The Lively Ones made no bones about their admiration of Dick Dale. On their
first full length LP, the first three cuts were Dick Dale covers! Heck,
even the two founding members of The Lively Ones, Ed Chiaverini and Ray Hunt,
met at a Dick Dale dance!
But the Lively Ones were not simply Dick Dale clones. Although their sound
was very much the surf sound of the day, with fat reverb-drenched guitars
and a wailing sax, they still had a sound unique unto themselves and were
tighter and more talented than many of their contemporaries. While not
strong in the songwriting department, The Lively Ones succeeded in taking
established surf tunes and actually improving on them! Take their smash
hit "Surf Rider." It was originally a Ventures tuned called "Spudnik" (off
of their "Mashed Potatoes and Gravy" album.) The Ventures themselves
changed the song title to "Surf Rider" when they later recorded it for
their "Let's Go Surfin'" LP. The Lively Ones version of "Surf Rider" can
be heard along with the closing credits in the movie Pulp Fiction.
This particular collection takes the absolute best of The Lively Ones, who
have numerous LP titles to their credit (all of which are way hard to find)
and presents them on one convenient CD chock full with 24 tracks. This
collection illustrates just how talented and committed this group of surf
fiends were. It also helps illustrate the versatility of a band in an era
when the surf sound was not noted for having such. Hang Five!!! is an
essential collection for any surf fan.
MACKA B: Sign Of The Times (RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Yes indeed, the Ariwa Records vault is definitely open, and RAS is
releasing the contents at quite a clip. Mad Professor's studio has been
a birthing ground for some of the most interesting British dub music, and
if you listen to it all in chronological order, you can really hear the
evolution of dub from the analog to the digital era's.
This decade-old recording by Macka B was made before he became a wheel, but
you can sure hear that all his best elements were already developed. One
of the most inventive toasters (reggae rappers) you'll ever hear, Macka B
takes a skewed view of important issues and gets that importance across with
a cynical snicker. In "False Preacher," Macka delivers this hilarious (and
all too realistic) sermon...
"And the Lord said 'Your Parson should not drive any old car.
He should have a brand new BMW to drive
So when he comes to church he can come to church on time.'
That's what the LOOOOORD said!"
By the way, that song should be listened to back-to-back with The Rolling
Stones' "Far Away Eyes." Trust me, it'll be great.
Macka also takes on Apartheid, hatred, intolerance, oppression, and...
the wet look. Every track is a great story--some funny, some tragic, but
all engrossing. The rapid-fire pace and the density of information makes
Sign of The Times stand up to frequent listenings. You can hear something
new every time.
I have only one question, and hopefully somebody out there can help me with
it. The album was reportedly released in 1986, yet "We've Had Enough" is
about a murder that happened in February of 1987. It isn't listed as a
bonus track. Hmmmm. So there you have it. Sign Of The Times is a great
collection of stories that comes with its own built in mystery.
MAD PROFESSOR: Dub Me Crazy (RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This 1982 recording shows that Mad Professor had a pretty fine rookie year.
The debut album for himself AND his Ariwa Studio, Dub Me Crazy is filled
with innovative sounds and ideas. "Dub Power" will drive 70 percent of
the people nuts in nothing flat, because there is a scary vocal track which
appears to have been electronically altered so that it is about a half step
flat. Either that, or the vocalist reeeeeally sucks. I'd prefer to think
it was a turn of a knob. Is this a negative? Nope. More like an interesting
experiment on an album filled with ground breaking dub concepts.
The best way to judge this album is to compare it to other dub recordings of
that era. Most of them sound dull when scrutinized here in the digital age.
Dub Me Crazy is anything but dull. The Prof seems to have anticipated the
wide open soundscapes to come, and he did an amazing job of pushing the
available technology to the limits. It's not surprising that he remains one
of the most important dub artists.
RAS has acquired Ariwa's entire booty of great releases, most of which have
been pretty damned hard to find over the years. Lucky us! With the new Dub
revolution now in full swing, it's good to know that the great recordings
from this catalog will find the new audience.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS -- Catch a Fire (Mobile Fidelity)
by Steve Marshall
In 1973, Bob Marley and The Wailers released their third album (and major
label debut), Catch a Fire. With songs like "Stir It Up" and "Concrete
Jungle" (both of which featured uncredited solos by Muscle Shoals' guitarist
Wayne Perkins), this was one of the first albums to introduce reggae to the
masses. Reggae artists like Black Uhuru, Majek Fashek and South Africa's
Lucky Dube, all site Marley as a major influence. His songs have inspired
countless other 'non-reggae' musicians as well, such as The Rolling Stones,
Phish, Santana and Frank Zappa.
MFSL's audiophile editions of Catch a Fire made major improvements on the
sound quality. The superb channel separation and dynamic range (on both the
CD and vinyl pressings) allow the band's sparse arrangements to shine like
never before. You can hear the individual guitar tracks on "Slave Driver"
and "Baby We've Got a Date" with no trouble at all. Aston Barrett's bass
was much deeper on the vinyl pressing - almost too deep. I thought the CD
was much more enjoyable. The bass response on the CD was perfect. You can
literally feel every note.
Both formats feature additional artwork not included in the original release.
The vinyl pressing boasts a new gatefold cover, as well as liner notes from
the original album. The CD booklet includes everything from the vinyl edition,
plus an extra photo of Marley onstage. Mobile Fidelity did a great job on
Catch a Fire. If Marley was still around to see and hear what has been done
with this classic album, he would have been proud.
LES MCCANN & EDDIE HARRIS: Swiss Movement (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Rhino Records is reissuing Atlantic's catalog of recordings from the
Montreux Jazz Festival under the "Souvenirs de Montreux" imprint. This
release from the 1969 festival is more than enough justification for the
series.
This is festival jazz in its finest sense - two artists who might
otherwise never have joined forces coming together in an essentially
unrehearsed jam in front of an appreciative artist. Well, three
artists, actually.
Atlantic's producer Joel Dorn put labelmates McCann (with his trio) and
Harris together and they were joined by trumpeter Benny Bailey, who had
been a regular on the European jazz circuit.
The disc opens with "Compared to What?," a Gene McDaniels composition
that had been in the McCann Trio's (McCann, piano & vocals; Leroy
Vinnegar, bass; Donald Dean, drums) repertoire for several years. This
version, with fine solos by Harris on tenor and Bailey, became the
definitive cut, and earned a spot on the US charts.
"Cold Duck Time" is credited to Harris, but is essentially an
improvisational piece by the band. Harris really takes over the McCann
tune "Kathleen's Theme," making his horn honk, scream and cry.
"You've Got It In Your Soulness" is a classic festival jam - every time
I hear it I want to take the speakers outside, turn the volume up and
lie down on the lawn.
The original album closed with "The Generation Gap," another McCann
piece, with Bailey waxing Milesish. The CD restores a cut that was
trimmed (for time considerations) from the '69 release, Leroy Vinnegar's
"Kaftan," which is given a spare, percussive treatment that allows each
of the players to contribute.
The performances are not flawless, and careful listeners will hear the
players calling out chord changes and struggling to stay together on
unfamiliar material. That is the nature of the jam session, though, and
this is a fine one which deserves this reissue.
The original album was made possible by Atlantic's early commitment to
support the then young Montreux festival. This disc is made possible by
Rhino's commitment to releasing some of the finest jazz available. You
could make more releases of this quality possible by buying this one.
MOMUS: Hippopotamomus (1991) (Creation)
Reviewed by Keith Gillard.
For those of you who have not been following my monthly series on Momus, I
would recommend going back to read previous reviews (of future albums, as
I'm dealing with them in reverse order of release). Or better yet, read
the article and interview about and with him in the May issue of Cosmik.
Having dealt with that, what is Hippopotamomus about? Well, the lyrics have
very colorful subjects..."Copulating artiodactyl mammals." Cannibalism.
Inflatable international advertising figures. Having sex in front of
children. Professors seducing literature students. Puppeteers indecently
using their tools. Dismemberment for the sake of art. Masturbating primates.
Pornography. And the very crime of singing about such things as pornography,
masturbating, indecent puppeteers, and professors' private offices.
All of this, as could be expected, was too much for some people. It still
is too much for many. Betty Page, writing for NME, rated it zero, although
she praised individual aspects of it. Her disgust at the subject matter (or
what it made her think of, at any rate) overwhelmed all traces of
professionalism and she wrote one of the most amusing album reviews of all
time. I thoroughly recommend it - go and read it at Momus' website.
(Finish reading Cosmik first!)
Page was not the only one to react against Hippopotamomus. Although I have
been unable to turn up any information as to why, one track and the original
cover are missing from all reprints of the album. The original pressing
(which I am fortunate enough to have), featured "Michelin Mad," as well as
cover depicting the Michelin Man with a hippopotamus head. Now, the track
is deleted, and the cover shows only a floating hippopotamus head. I would
like to know exactly why this is, but think that any of us can add up that
particular equation. Momus himself refers to the reprint as the "neutered
version."
At the time of its release, Hippopotamomus was described as a "kind of joky
record for the fans," which it is. It is also the furthest he went in his
exploration of the taboo. But it is more than that. The songwriting is as
just strong as one would expect from a writer of Momus' calibre. Even when
the subject matter is repulsive, he still finds beautiful ways to write about
it.
The most exciting part of Hippopotamomus, however, is the production. While
parts of it borrow from the acid house scene which was going on at the time,
Momus takes these ideas and uses them differently than anyone else did until
a few years later. "Marquis of Sadness" and "The Painter and His Model" both
foretell the coming of trip hop. Obviously sampled-and-stretched piano makes
a lovely melodic statement in "Song in Contravention." A lot of the production
on this album seems strange (and brilliant) even now - I would like very much
to be able to truly hear it for the first time with 1991 ears.
Hippopotamomus was dedicated to Serge Gainsbourg, who had always been an
influence on Momus' songwriting. The album title itself is a reference to
Gaisbourg's "L'Hippopodame," the wordplay here coming from "popo," or "shit."
Momus makes references to and suggestions of Gainsbourg throughout the album,
but is honest about it.
After all that exposition and explanation, on to the songs! The title track
features very unusual TB-303 bassline and a great vocal sample, with lyrics
about the last hippopotamomus fossilized in the act of copulation.
"I Ate a Girl Right Up" is not about oral sex, as most people expected, given
Momus' past subject matter. No, it's much worse than that - cannibalism.
All set to a very disturbing choir and bell background, with very groovy
analogue percolations all around.
If you're upset that you are unlikely to ever find or hear "Michelin Man,"
perhaps it will help to know that it is likely the weakest track on the album.
Although it has a very nice chorus, the production does not fit the rest of
the album. I believe every sound on it is generated by a Korg M1, which even
in 1991 was already 3 years old. Hardly as interestingly fresh as the rest
of the album.
"A Dull Documentary" takes "Chopsticks" to places it has never been before.
In this, a baby-sitter has sex with his guest, knowing that his charge, a
little girl, is watching from the doorway. He goes on to reveal that he
himself witnessed the sexual act at a similarly young age, and now it excites
him to have such a voyeur. Strange stuff.
"Marquis of Sadness" tells the story of "the new writer in residence" at a
university, and how all his students (or at least the young pretty female
ones) desire him. "I'll get along quite nicely in this university / In my
little office with its sofa and its key / They'll call on me at all hours
for gin and sympathy / Bringing bad but intimate poetry." The production
sounds very trip-hop, even if the out-of-tune little girl who sings the
verses does not.
"Bluestocking" is an extremely strong track. In it, Momus sings the praises
of his well-read lover. He lists some of the greatest erotic literature in
a wonderfully lyrical way: "You've read: Ovid, Anais Nin, the Song of Solomon,
the Perfumed Garden and Georges Bataille's The
Story of the Eye, the Petronius
Satyricon, the Arabian Nights, the Decameron, the Marquis de Sade's 120 Days,
and Serge Gainsbourg singing songs to Sweet Jane B." Brilliant.
The Pet Shop Boys influence (or parallel) rears its head on "Ventriloquists
and Dolls," although it was a few more years before the Pet Shops started
using drum loops like this. Some very interesting guitar work from Noko
here as well (more so in the verses than the actual solo). I would have
liked to have heard remixes of this track, had it only had the good fortune
to be released as a single.
"The Painter and His Model" is very shocking in its subject matter, but
subtle enough that one might not notice the actual drift of the lyric if one
was not paying close attention. Again, the production here sounds a few years
ahead of the rest of the world. It still sounds fresh, five years later.
With its haunting melody and insidious groove, you might find yourself singing
it at the most inappropriate times. Well, I do, anyway...
The award for strangest production goes to "A Monkey for Sallie" - another
one you don't want to start singing on the bus... "I've never seen such
lively curiosity / The way it paws at Sallie / And invariably plays with
itself from dawn to dusk / From dusk to the crack of dawn / I bought a monkey
for Sallie / Wicked as the day is long." Again, the TB303 is used here very
innovatively, along with some very strange drum sounds. Add to that mix some
very lush, showtune-type strings and choirs, and you have a wonderfully
perverted little song.
Perhaps the most interesting lyrics are those of "Pornography": "Pornography:
It's just the stuff of every young girl's dreams / Just a young girl's diary
rendered into photography / It's just the body / Are you scared of the body?
Are you scared of me?." Makes one think. The melody is wonderful, with
elements of jazz and blues, set against congas and strange wiggly electronic
noises.
The album closes with "Song in Contravention," which is certainly not a joke
song (I don't believe "Pornography" was either). This song is about censorship.
"Song in contravention of sections of the law / That deal with making public
private thoughts / With lyrics so explicit and descriptions so perverse / They
constitute the crime that it reports." Putting these last two songs together
at the end of otherwise amusing/disturbing album is an interesting choice.
Is Momus putting across a message here?
Overall, this is an incredible, ground-breaking album. But it is so different,
even now, it is difficult to imagine what it would have sounded like in 1991.
It is unfortunate that albums like this cannot be commercial successes, but
I don't believe that that was the objective. The objective was likely to create
a good album, and a "sort of joky record for the fans." Hippopotamomus is
both. However, I would caution you not to buy it until you're a Momus fan
(and you will be) - try Voyager or Slender Sherbet first. Then, perhaps,
you might be ready for this one.
Songwriting: 8/10
Production: 9/10
Performance: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
MYSTIC REVEALERS: Space And Dub (RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is the dub version of Mystic Revealers' outstanding album "Space And
Time." On first listen, it seems more like a "Music Minus One" record than
a dub record. On closer inspection, the subtle details start to come out
one by one, revealing an intricate and beautiful canvas of sound. One of
the reasons for the confusion is that the mixer (David Rowe) has an extremely
smooth style and light touch. Where most mixers drop everything but the
bass and high hat, Rowe will leave the subtle keyboard, or the string section,
or anything else at his disposal that will keep full chords in the sound.
The result is a transition so smooth that you might miss it if you're not
paying attention. While this might not win "best album to take acid to,"
it just might become one of your favorite atmosphere enhancers. It's also
a very pleasant headphone album because there is so much going on in the
mix--none of it particularly radical, but all of it quite beautiful.
THE NEW CHRISTS: Born Out Of Time (Lance Rock)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Along with Radio Birdman and The Saints, The New Christs were the
inspiration for much of the truly amazing music that came out of Australia
in the mid to late 80s. They put out a handful of singles and a few albums,
most of which have pretty much disappeared. This 12-song disc gathers
together some of their best material, remixed by NC vocalist and producer
Rob Younger. While there are a few things missing that I would have liked
to see included (such as the mighty "I Saw God"), this is still a mighty
fine album and a great introduction to one of the most influential bands
of the last 15 years. (1223 College Drive, Nanaimo BC, CANADA V9R-5Z5)
PINK FLOYD: Atom Heart Mother (Mobile Fidelity)
by Steve Marshall
In 1970, Pink Floyd released their fifth album, Atom Heart Mother. The title
came from a headline bassist Roger Waters saw about a pregnant woman with an
atomic-powered pacemaker. This was the band's first collaboration with studio
wizard Alan Parsons (who later engineered the classic 'Dark Side of the Moon'
as well). When I did an A/B test between with MFSL's Anadisq II vinyl pressing
and the recently remastered Capitol CD, the MFSL vinyl put Capitol's remaster
to shame. It sounded warmer and much more natural.
On the side-long title track, the orchestra was rich and vibrant. Waters'
bass on "If" is much deeper than the remaster. The album really shines on
"Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast." You can practically smell the eggs cooking
when you hear the track. David Gilmour's acoustic guitar work on the cut is
clear as a bell. One of the coolest things about MFSL's vinyl pressing of
Atom Heart Mother is that it includes the dripping water runoff groove. On
the original album, the last thing you hear as the album ends is the sound
of water dripping. It didn't fade out like most albums would. If you had a
manual turntable, the dripping would continue into an endless void until
you actually lifted the needle from the record. Some things, you just can't
do with CDs.
When Capitol reissued Atom Heart Mother on CD last year, it included the
lyrics and new photos, but omitted the original inside gatefold cover art
(included in MFSL's vinyl pressing). Unfortunately, it also included a lot
of tape hiss. MFSL's vinyl pressing was breathtakingly quiet. Purely in
terms of sound quality, the Anadisq 200 pressing can't be beat. The dynamic
range and channel separation are excellent, as you'd expect. The bottom
line here - if you want lyrics, new photos and tape hiss, pick up the
Capitol CD. Otherwise, stick with the MFSL pressing.
PEE WEE RUSSELL: Portrait Of Pee Wee
(DCC 180+ Pure Virgin Vinyl - Analogue Pressing)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Until this wonderful album came my way, I had only heard scratchy, fuzzy,
hissing recordings of clarinet master Pee Wee Russell. This re-release
of a 1958 recording is pressed on heavy virgin vinyl, cut with DCC's
all-vacuum tube system, and the result is stunning. There is no noise
at all. It's so quiet, in fact, that it can be a bit disorienting in
headphones when one channel momentarily has no active instruments. Early
in the first track, "That Old Feeling," one of those moments occurs, and for
just a second there is suspicion. Relax--the headphones are working fine.
There simply isn't any hiss to remind you that they're working. Believe
me, you'll get used to it in a big hurry.
In this atmosphere of pure sound, Pee Wee's unique tone takes on new
dimensions previously only appreciated in live performance. This pleasant
phenomena also holds true for the other outstanding musicians on the
record, especially Ruby Braff on trumpet. Pee Wee and Ruby's interplay
throughout this LP is nothing short of brilliant, and on "I Used To Love
You," Vic Dickenson's joins them with a trombone solo that deserves
similar praise.
The music runs the gamut from swing ("Exactly Like You") to cool blues
("Pee Wee's Blues") to not-so-traditional arrangements of standards ("I've
Got The World On A String"). Every song emanates a personal vibe
reminiscent of the intimacy of a live club performance, and that illusion
is enhanced greatly by the near-flawless sound reproduction.
The final track, "Oh No!," finds the entire band throwing in the kitchen
sink. After a traditional intro and joyful solos from Pee Wee, Ruby,
Vic, Bud Freeman (Sax), Karl Kiffe (drums), and Nat Pierce (piano), The
band breaks into all out dixiland jazz and takes it down the home stretch,
a dizzying end to a breathtaking album.
Pee Wee Russell, while well loved among jazz aficionados, remains unknown
to many casual listeners, and that's a damned shame. Very few clarinet
players ever reached the level of perfection that Pee Wee seemed to reach
so easily. There is a wealth of recorded material out there to discover,
but this is bound to be the ultimate Pee Wee Russell release--the one you'll
always come back to.
SIX FINGER SATELLITE: Paranormalized (SubPop)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Thank God for bands you can't categorize. Six Finger Satellite records in
its own studio, known as The Parlour, where they are free to let their minds
wander. And wander, they do! Their music seems like the logical conclusion
of the twenty years of evolution since Devo occupied the garden of Eden, but
only in terms of chaotic synthscapes. The attitude is something else again.
One or all of these guys must have Lizzy Borden for a muse! There is no
way to listen to this CD without becoming disoriented and paranoid. Not even
with the lights on. Nothing happens as expected--there is no safe ground.
J. Ryan's vocal delivery comes from underneath the track, compressed and
distorted, as if he were screaming out from beneath the post-nuclear rubble.
The music comes in shock waves, jerks, spurts, and pulsing currents. The
end result is 33 minutes of shock therapy that would even scare the hell out
of Iggy.
SOUNDTRACK: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Music by Victor Young - Ray Heindorf conducting The Warner Bros. Studio
Orchestra (DCC Compact Classics 180+ Virgin Vinyl Analogue Pressing)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
This 1943 cinematic adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's classic novel was a
success on many levels, not the least of which was Victor Young's brilliant
motion picture music score. At that time, music for a motion picture was
generally thought of as little more than sometimes-necessary filler, and it
wouldn't be until years later when the artistic credibility of motion
picture soundtracks were rightly honored.
In 1958, fifteen years after the release of the movie, Ray Heindorf was
given the opportunity to record the motion picture score of his choosing.
Being a music lover and musician, Ray invariably settled on the score of
"For Whom The Bell Tolls," a masterwork of his close friend, the late
Victor Young.
The music in "For Whom The Bell Tolls" succeeded (as all great soundtracks
do) in raising the emotional stakes of the motion picture without getting
in its way. The vibrant emotional textures of the film provided the basis
for a richly textured score. Cued by that first tolling of the bell, the
work is a thrilling musical experience of immense impact. The turbulence
of war, the poignancy of romance, and the inner drives of the characters
themselves are all captured musically in sweeping dramatics.
The record itself was a landmark achievement in 1958, for it was the very
first release on Warner Bros. Records (WB-1201). This audiophile release
brings back the magic from near 40 years gone by, and you wouldn't ever
guess that this astounding recording was mastered off of the original
three-track master tapes! The sound quality is impeccable and the dynamic
range this recording offers is brilliant and full bodied. Aside from some
very slight audio imperfections found on the original master tape, there is
virtually no dirty noise. Warner Bros. took a lot of care to see that this
recording was of highest quality, and that effort has paid off. Even after
40 years, this recording stands up to the demands of today's quality audio
equipment. The high standards of Warner Bros. past coupled with the high
standards of DCC present make for a rich, vibrant listening experience
which is the emotionally satisfying music of Victor Young.
THORAZINE: Crazy Uncle Paul's Dead Squirrel Wedding (Hell Yeah!)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
No matter what else they do during their career, Thorazine's place in rock
history is secure; they are probably the only band ever sued by a huge drug
company. They want them to change the name of the band, but that's another
story for another time. We're here to talk about the music.
Thorazine plays angry snotty punk with authority. One thing is certain...
they aren't sitting on the fence with any of these subjects. "Fuck You"
seems to be the central theme, and in songs like "Antiquated Male" and
"Get Out," the crucifixion is brutal. Jo-Ann Rogan double tracks most of
her vocals, and it's oh-so-close-but-not-quite in tune, creating a kind of
flanging effect that'll either pump you up or drive you nuts. After a
satisfyingly raw and flailing first half, the album steadily gains depth,
most noticeable in Elliott Taylor's guitar hooks. The music flies at and
around you like dishes thrown by a furious girlfriend. In fact, some men
may suffer terrible guilt by association listening to this album. Good!
We're all scum. As Rogan says, "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck
you!!!"
THE TOASTERS: Hard Band For Dead (Moon Ska)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The 6th full length release from New York City's ska kings, The Toasters,
isn't full of surprises. This is a band that you expect good clean solid
ska from, and Hard Band For Dead doesn't disappoint. The horn section just
keeps getting better, and this time out they have a real showcase tune to
flaunt; "Maxwell Smart," which is the theme song from Get Smart. The horn
section gets to have some fun in a Mancini kind of way. The coolest and
most chaotic moment of the disc comes in the final track, "Dave Goes Crazy,"
when "Rock Steady" Freddie Reiter and his sax go supernova. Sentimental
sap that I am, I have to choose "Speak Your Mind" as my favorite track, not
because it's the best song on the disc (cuz, like...it's not), but because
of the guest appearance of the great Laurel Aitken on vocals. The secret of
The Toasters is consistency. If you can only buy one Toasters album, just
close your eyes and reach into the rack and grab. It'll be a good album.
Hard Band For Dead keeps the streak alive.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Lost Treasures (Del-Fi)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
I'm not sure Lost Treasures is the proper title for this CD. Perhaps "Weird
Shit Volume One" would be more appropriate. That's not necessarily an
indictment, either, because some of this is truly cool shit. Come to think
of it, maybe it's a perfect title. There is a little bit of everything from
the storied Del-Fi vaults, including surf, exotica, rock n roll and...well,
novelty tunes.
Some of the novelty songs are screwball enough to qualify for Doctor
Demento's show. "Voodoo Mash Pt.I/Pt.II" (Shalimar & His Friends) and
"The Way Out Mummy" (Bob Ridgley) are relics of the Monster Mash era,
both silly as hell, and a lot of fun when you get right down to it. "The
F.B.I." (The Mincy's) is one of those folksy storytelling tunes that were
so popular in the post-Kingston Trio era. Each verse is about another
legendary gangster and how the F.B.I. finally blew 'em away. And it doesn't
get much more "novelty" than The Bedwells' "Karate." It's a ballad with a
twist--frequent screams, moans, grunts and groans accompanying the sounds of
karate kicks and punches.
On the serious side of the vault, they found a nice (if derivative) track
by The American Four called "Soul Food." This was an early recording by
Arthur Lee (who later founded the band Love) that sounded more than a little
bit like any of a dozen Booker T. and the MG's tracks. Since Lee was from
Memphis, it's not that surprising. There are also excellent exotica tracks
by the amazing Eden Ahbez ("Tobago") and Yo Yo Hashi ("Yo Yo's Pad"), which
will hopefully convince you to pick up their CDs. Ahbez' album, Eden's
Island, is one of the most unusual collections of beautiful music you'll
ever hear. These exotica tracks seem strangely out of place here, however.
For such a diverse collection of strange music, it has a surprisingly
coherent flow that is only interrupted by these exotica tracks. Quite the
paradox.
So are they treasures? Sure. If you were one of those 60s kids who had a
little turntable with a 45-stacker and a pile of singles that you'd play
over and over, or an AM radio that you thought of as your personal preacher,
then these songs really are lost treasures. Many of the original 45s served
as masters for the CD, which means the most integral component--needle
scratch--is happily present. This isn't music that is going to interest
audiophiles, anyway. I proudly admit to being of the era, having the little
box-phonograph and having been addicted to the radio (back when radio was
worth getting addicted to). I suspect, however, that this music may baffle
those who answered "none of the above." Their loss.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Max's Kansas City 1976 (ROIR)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Just in case some of you were exclusively listening to The Bee Gee's in the
70s, I'll bring you up to speed. Max's Kansas City was a club in New York
City where the punk scene was born. New York's scene of that period remains
one of the most intriguing episodes in the storied history of rock and roll.
This album contains songs by several of the bands that were heavily identified
with Max's at the time; Wayne County And the Back Street Boys, Cherry Vanilla
And Her Statten Island Band, Suicide, Pere Ubu, John Collins Band, The Fast,
Harry Toledo, The Brats, Phillip Rambow, and The Terrorists. As far as I
can tell, none of it was actually recorded live at Max's. This is studio
stuff, some of which doesn't seem too "punk" today. The opening track is
probably the biggest highlight. Wayne (now Jayne) County and the Back Street
Boys' "Max's Kansas City" is a fond calling of the roll, mentioning a great
many of the bands that made the scene what it was. "Final Solution," by
Pere Ubu, is a dark little masterpiece fronted by nasty distorted bass
guitar and some raw-wah guitar eruptions. Then there's "Rocket U.S.A.," by
Suicide--a minimalists psychedelic nightmare. If you can get a contact
high from a heroin user, this is it. The original 10 tracks are all here,
along with 4 bonus CD tracks. All in all, Max's Kansas City is an interesting
little document of the period, filled with songs you don't already have on
ten other compilations.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: School House Rock 4 CD Box Set (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
If people keep annoying you by calling you a "Gen X'er," then you're probably
familiar, at least, with School House Rock. It was a simple idea--write
catchy songs that teach math, grammar, social studies, etc. and use them
as soundtracks for entertaining three minute cartoons. In practice, it far
surpassed the hopes and dreams of its creator, David McCall. Today,
30-somethings are as sentimental about School House Rock as 40-somethings
are about the space race. Now they can relive it all through this new 4
CD box set, which contains the music from every episode, as well as some
new tunes about money.
The set begins with Disc 1: Multiplication Rock. Now, math was never my
thing, and I haven't really had to use it in over a decade, but I have to
admit that I learned several multiplication tricks listening to this disc.
(I must have been daydreaming that day in school.) If School House Rock
can teach a 37 year old dog new tricks, imagine what it can do for kids.
And HAS DONE for kids. Now my kids are listening and will soon be watching,
because ABC has ordered a whole new series. I'm hoping they will mix the
originals in, because songs like "My Hero, Zero," "Little Twelvetoes," and
"Naughty Number Nine" are too brilliant to be left rotting in the vaults.
They have too much to teach.
Disc 2: Grammar Rock contains some of the most fondly remembered tunes, such
as "Lolly Lolly Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here," "Conjunction Junction,"
"Unpack Your Adjectives," "Busy Prepositions" and "Rufus Xavier
Sarsaparilla." I have friends who can rattle off the lyrics to all these
songs, which means the series did it's job. Disc 3: America Rock tells
the story of the USA, starting with "No More Kings," a very well put
explanation of the reasons we got sick of living under British rule. The
other 10 tracks deal with everything from the war for independence to the
American dream to equality. The great classic of this disc is "I'm Just A
Bill," an excellent lesson about how laws begin, and a great lead in to
"Three Ring Government," which teaches about the three branches of the US
Government. There is more to be learned from this single disc than from
some books on the subject of American history.
Disc 4: Science Rock contains all the cool tunes that taught you about the
human body, gravity, the solar system, energy conservation, electricity, and
computers. The final four tracks are from the Scooter Computer & Mr. Chips
series. The first track is an overview of computers, the second teaches
about software, the third is about hardware, and the final track teaches
about the things computers are good for. ("Number Cruncher.") Considering the
fact that this series was on the air during the earliest days of the computer
revolution, these final four tracks may have been the most important of them
all.
The packaging is VERY cool. The box is a denim covered notebook--a real
functioning three-ring binder. The four CDs are stored two behind the front
cover and two behind the back cover. Inside, the liner notes are printed
on 5 & 1/2 by 11 inch notebook paper. The notes are extremely informative,
telling the story of how the series came to be, what went into it's making,
and even how certain songs were inspired. It's a great story, and the music
continues to work its magic on the kidlets. My girls, 9 and 6 years of age,
have been listening to these discs with me as I prepared to write this. The
6 year old is already memorizing some of the songs. And ya know what? Me too.
WEEN: 12 Golden Country Greats (Elektra)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Just when ya think Ween have run out of targets, they find another. This time
around they go too far. Traveling allaway to Nashville to employ the greatest
pickin' sidemen ever on a lovely collection of country ballads. It's a sick,
sick joke. Y'see, the tunes sound all twangy and waltzy like, and a quick
listen will reveal nothing more. But upon closer inspection you'll find
yerself do-se-do-ing to the likes of "Piss Up A Rope" ("yer up shit's creek
with a turd for a paddle" is the least offensive line) and "Help Me Scrape
The Mucus Off My Brain." And if that ain't enough, the pranksters Ween come
a couple short of the promised twelve Greats. It's sick, sick I tell ya.
**************************************************************************
COSMIK QUICKIES: Reviews For People Who Are In A Big Freakin' Hurry.
EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER: Brain Salad Surgery (Rhino)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Rhino recently reissued a new version of ELP's 1973 masterpiece, Brain Salad
Surgery. The reissue includes a new 3-D cover, a 25-minute interview on the
making of the album and new liner notes. As far as sound quality on the new
disc, it's perfect. They used the same tapes that were used on the reissue
from three years ago on the Victory label. The main difference here is that
the Victory disc had better packaging. Unless you're a completist, look for
the Victory reissue instead.
JETHRO TULL: Aqualung 25th Anniversary Special Edition (Chrysalis)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Seems like everywhere you look these days, albums are being remastered,
remixed and repackaged. Add Jethro Tull's Aqualung to the list. Chrysalis
did a beautiful job on this one. They added six bonus tracks (some available
on CD for the first time) and extensively reworked the packaging. The new CD
comes in a slipcover that houses the metallic gray jewel box and the new
20-page booklet. Unfortunately, the sound quality is awful. Even the original
vinyl sounds better. It says that the CD was digitally remastered, but I
have to wonder what source tapes they used. The bottom line here - great
packaging, terrible sound.
KORNGOLD: Sinfonietta in B Major, Op.5; Violin Concerto
in D Major, Op. 35. Ulrike Anima Math, Violin; Dallas
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Litton.
DORIAN DOR-90216 [DDD] 70:06
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, composer: a child genius, an also-ran adult. That's
the common wisdom on this much-underrated musical titan. Forced to flee the
Nazis, Korngold landed in Hollywood, detouring his career there to write
beautiful but mostly artistically vapid film scores. Still, his overall
contributions were considerable. Here, we have the Sinfonietta, the product
of a fifteen-year-old mind. Astonishing! It's a full-blown symphony of
remarkable maturity, orchestrationally and musically. And the Violin Concerto
is a masterpiece of serene beauty. Math and Litton combine to offer an
excellent rendering of the concerto, and the latter conducts the Sinfonietta
with poise and insight. Splendid sound. Thumbs up.
PATTI SMITH: Gone Again (Arista)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Longtime fans and new ones alike are sure to be pleased with Smith's latest
CD. Gone Again is a compelling new collection of music and poetry from one
of music's most important artists, her first in eight years. The title track
(also the last song written with her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith), is
a forceful rocker. "About a Boy" and Smith's cover of Dylan's "Wicked
Messenger" are but two of the highlights. Recommended.
TEARS FOR FEARS: Saturnine Martial & Lunatic (Mercury)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
The atmospheric instrumentals that make up almost a third of this collection
of B-sides are the most interesting songs here. Several of the other cuts
are quite good too. The band's rare cover of David Bowie's classic "Ashes
to Ashes" is included, and is sure to please the fans. Naturally with this
kind of CD, there's bound to be some flops, but there are enough good tracks
to make up for them.
VARIOUS ARTISTS - English Freakbeat Vol. 2 (Archive International Productions)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Lovers of mid-60s British R&B will definitely want to waste no time getting
a copy of this even though a few songs of the 23 songs included have
previously been released on other comps. Some of the many highlights on
here are the rollicking "Let Me In" by The Sessions, "Time to Start Loving
You" by Mickey Finn (their more well known "Garden Of My Mind" is also
included), "Face" by The Koobas and The Syndicats "Howlin' For My Baby."
All in all this is a fine compilation that's sure to please the
Anglophiles, not to mention anyone into cool rockin' sounds.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Wild Surf! (Del-Fi)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
More cool early tracks from the rich Del-Fi Surf mines, including a handful
from The Lively Ones, The Sentinals, The Centurions, The Impacts and others.
The five tracks by The Sentinals are my reason for loving this CD. I love
that latin flavored surf. A few rather common--yet quite indispensable--tunes
are sprinkled in with the unknown tracks, including "Bullwinkle, Pt. II") by
The Centurions, "Surf Rider" by The Lively Ones, and "Bombora" by The Surfaris.
With 24 tracks in all, it's a good time waiting to be had.
EARL WILD, THE ROMANTIC MASTER: Virtuoso Piano
Transcriptions SONY SK 62036 [DDD] 66:54
Reviewed by Robert Cummings
Saint-Saens/Wild: Le Rouet d'Omphale, Op. 31; Handel/Wild: Air and Variations
-- The Harmonious Blacksmith; Chopin/Wild: Largo from Piano Concerto No.2;
Rachmaninov/Wild: Midsummer Nights; Tchaikovsky/Pabst: Paraphrase On Sleeping
Beauty; Faur/Wild: Improvisation on Aprs un rve; Bach/Wild: Hommage
Poulenc; Mozart/Backhaus: Serenade from Don Giovanni; Churchill/Wild:
Reminiscences of Snow White: Whistle While You Work; I'm Wishing; One Song;
Heigh-Ho; Someday My Prince Will Come; Tchaikovsky/Wild: At The Ball;
Tchaikovsky/Wild: Dance of The Four Swans from Swan Lake; J. Strauss,
Jr./Tausig: One Lives But Once; Kreisler/Rachmaninov: Liebeslied.
This notice comes with a recommendation and a caveat: the playing is
exquisitely sculpted to render each composition's musical period and style
with appropriate charm, virtuosity, and interpretive insight, yet the
music's artistic worth is suspect, coming as it does under the dubious
umbrella of virtuoso piano transcriptions. Earl Wild, a pianist whose
consistently skillful playing has often struck me as cold in the past,
has long been associated with this genre and always seemed perfectly
attuned to it. Here, he gives us a shimmering and elegant Saint-Saens, a
brilliant and sentimental Rachmaninov, and he renders the knuckle-busting
Strauss/Tausig with seeming ease. Good sound. If the showy genre appeals
to you, go for it.
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BETWEEN ZERO AND ONE
By Steven Leith
HOW DO YOU DEFINE "JOB SECURITY"
Let's end the massive social net presided over by Federal, State and Local
officials. I for one am sick and tired of helping pay $30,000 per year per
person for up to 2% of the US population. This number is expected to grow
to nearly 4% by the end of the decade and in some States it is already that
high.
Before you get all excited about "Ending Welfare as we know it," I would
like to point out that I am talking about the prison system.
The United States' safety net for the unemployed is incarceration. It costs
the tax payers of this country far more then the safety net of the most
socialist western European nation.
Regardless of what the official numbers on unemployment in America are, the
real number is 14% unemployment and rising. This number is very near the
European numbers (European states actually publish the real numbers).
No one seems to want to address the real issue of crime. Even moderate
increases in unemployment lead to increases in crime. When you have massive
unemployment of whole segments of the society you will have a massive
increase in crime. Sound like liberal molly coddling of the guilty?
The Merva and Fowles study found that in the U.S a 1% increase in unemployment
results in a 6.7 % increase in Homicides. Do you feel safer knowing that
someone will be locked up for life after they kill you?
This is not rocket science. The reason the Afro-American community in the
U.S. has the highest crime rate is because it has the highest unemployment
rate. The bad news is that you are next.
Yes, you of the cyber-culture are the next group to feel the automation
juggernaut that slashed manufacturing jobs in the early 60s and led to
urban riots. Knowledge bases, intelligent agents, smart programs and just
in time hiring will eliminate many more jobs in the next few years than
will be created.
Automation is moving into white collar and professional areas. Fewer people
making more goods for a shrinking market. Sound odd? If my rant does not
convince you there is a major cliff toward which the West is rushing like
lemmings, then read Jeremy Rifkin's book "The End of Work."
Although Rifkin is optimistic that we will rethink our society in time to
save it, he concedes that if we do not, an "Outlaw Culture" will arise that
will make current crime seem like Disneyland.
The outlaw culture of this Country, and possibly the world, will soon contain
a large percentage of college educated computer literate unemployed. They
will be criminals because they can not find work in a society that demands
market place work as a prerequisite for individual worth.
They will destabilize an already shaky world economy and will help usher in
a new age of anarchy. Sound fun to you? Then you are reading too much
cyber-fiction. It scares me shitless.
010101011010010111001101100010011001010110110001101001011001010111011001101
Between Zero & One
http://www.speakeasy.org/~leith/
leith@speakeasy.org
011010010111001101100010011001010110110001101001011001010111011001101010101
PHIL'S GARAGE
By Phil Dirt
Beach Velvet vs. the Aqua Boys
A few weeks ago, I got a call from Miles Corbin. He's all excited because he has
wrangled an opening slot for his band the Aqua Velvets at the Concord Pavilion, a
13,000 seat outdoor arena. Miles wants to know if I would do his sound at the big
gig. Now, I've done their sound many times in the studio and at KFJC events, and
I've done sound for a whole lot of surf bands, but I've never done it in a place
that big. I'm thrilled. I said "You Bet!"
I asked who is the headliner, and Miles says "The Beach Boys." I laughed. I
hadn't seen them since they played at my high school in 1963. They were awful
then, but they might have gotten better since so many years have passed.
The big day comes, and I drive with my wife the 2 hours from Santa Cruz to
Concord. On arrival, I check in at the gate with numerous of the umpteen dozen
guards, and get directed to the rear loading dock. I park my car, and saunter
into the backstage area, where I encounter Michael Lindner (bass) and Don Spindt
(drums). A few hellos & how are you's, and Miles (guitar) and his wife Grace join
us, along with Hank Manninger (guitar). Miles gives my wife & me our all access
passes, and we proceed into the stage area.
Miles says it's a funny set-up. It seems they usually only have an acoustic
opener, so there aren't enough channels to send the sound from the mics to the
main house sound board out in front. The house techies have decided to mix from
the stage via the monitor board. I think this is not too bad, but figure I better
make quick buddies with the stage sound crew. I go over and introduce myself. It
doesn't take long to discover that there are no monitors for mixing on stage, so
the results would be blind. Not good.
I go out the house main board and chat with the head honcho there. He explains
that he will get a stereo feed from the stage, and that is what will feed the
house. Well, that's fine, but if I have to be out front to hear the mix, how do
we actually do the mix. He says not to fret, we can communicate with the stage
via their radio or phone. Cool, that should work, assuming everyone gets along
while in remote control.
I bide my time waiting while the Beach Boys sound guy & the stage crew work out
the feeds, the effects, and track down the monster buzz coming in through several
mic lines. That little devil turns out to be the wireless receivers stationed
next to the transformer cage.
A good hour goes by, and I have plenty of free time to cruise the food backstage,
watch the endless parade of former-glory celebs, and marvel at the size of the
Beach Boys' entourage. I also notice that there is more equipment on stage than
any five bands could reasonably use...three keyboards, four guitars amps, a
percussion rack, and more drums than any sane player could orchestrate. What a
monster sound should come from all that gear!
Finally the Aqua Velvets can load their more rational gear allotment onto the
stage, and we can begin soundcheck. 20 more minutes flash by, and not a single
note has been played yet by the Aquas. It seems that there are more bugs at the
stage. The house mogul is yacking with the stage boss, and it becomes pretty
clear each thinks the other doesn't know what he's doing and that the requests
and requirements are unreasonable. After some political and barely civil
exchanges over who's getting what from where, the stage is finally ready. Now, I
don't want you to think these guys were top drawer...they were. They just didn't
communicate very well through these initial stages.
Once the band can give up some sound, it starts to gel. Trouble is, the crowd has
started to come into the arena, so the sound check will be in public. After about
fifteen minutes on the kit, the rest comes up quickly as individuals. We decide
to do a song, and start talking back and forth about the mix. The house manager
brings up a basic mix, and I kibitz to sweeten it until it sounds like the Aqua
Velvets. What a huge sound. I asked how much power he's using in the house, and
he counts out loud tapping off amps with his fingers until he responds "75,000
watts." Yikes!
It's time to introduce the Aqua Velvets, a chore handled by the stage soundman,
who mumbles "Please welcome the Beach Boys' special guests, the Aqua Vulvas," or
something like that. Big applause. Now, I know none of these people have ever
heard of the Aqua Velvets. They're mostly 40 plus nostalgia cravers who brought
their kids to show 'em some "real music."
The Aqua Velvets walk on stage and witness 12,000 retro-teens already sitting
down, and another 1,000 sliding in. Miles walks to the mic, and says "Thanks,
we're the Aqua Velvets." They rip right into a hot opener, and we scramble onto
the phone to the stage because there are some glitches in the sound. By the end
of the first number, they're sounding great, and huger than any surf band ever.
They open with "Surf Mania," a high energy and melodic number from their new
second CD "Surf Mania."
They dash through their more rockin' material, from all three CD's, getting ample
applause and appreciation from an audience that had no idea they were going to
play. BGP (Bill Graham Presents) and the Concord Pavilion had been promoting the
event far and wide as "The Beach Boys and Special Guests." Given their lofty
position on the bill, they are allotted a grand total of thirty minutes.
Being the incredibly professional and seasoned musicians they are, their last note
fades away at 29:53. Miles hollers "Thank you, we're the Aqua Velvets." The stage
announcer closes with "The Aqua Vulvas ladies & gentlemen. Give them a big
applause. The Beach Boys will be right out."
About fifteen minutes escape, and out come 12 people making up the Beach Boys.
Now, I'm no fan, so I can't tell you who they all were, but I did recognize Mike
Love & one of the Wilsons (is that Carl? Who's still living?), Bruce Johnston and
Al Jardine. They open up with one of their many hit singles. Right away,
I'm struck with how 12 people don't sound any bigger than the 4 in the Aqua
Velvets. Then I notice, there may be three to four guitars on stage, but they
are all playing the same thing mostly, and very few leads. There are three
keyboards doing what one could, a bass, and a drummer, and a percussionist
and sax player. The saxman squirts out a note from time to time, and the
percussion is limited to occasional use of a conga drum. I start looking
for the high vocalist. I can hear it, but it's not Mike, Al, or even Bruce. Is
it on tape? No, there it is. It's the twenty-something percussionist, cupping his
hand over his ear to hear because his monitors suck. Now, I've seen the "one
living Drifter left in the line up" fairgrounds acts before, but they at least
provide the signature sound of the band. So, here's the trademark high vocals
beautifully sung like Al used to coming from a kid in a black leather vest
looking very rock n roll among an aging herd of former glory riders. Then I
realize the big question, why isn't Al singing his own parts?
Alas, I'll never know. Alas, I really don't care, I just needed something to
ponder while they played all 500 of their AM radio golden hits at half speed
while an endless parade of grandchildren came on stage to share the microphones,
driving the forty to fifty somethings in the audience to whimper "why don't my
kids sing with me" while not noticing that the brood they brought in tow are
looking around wondering why they are there.
It can't be a generation thing. I'm from that era. I don't like that fairgrounds
crap at all. Then I get it. They're the ones that voted for Clinton & Gore. They
were the former societal leading edge that quickly faded into the corporate
structure of faceless existence longing for the nostalgia of the yesterday that
never was. They were the suburban zit posse that used to terrorize the malt shop and
skate arena. They were the most likely to succeed cheerleaders and football heroes
who succeeded at losing their edge and their drive of anything except their
BMW's and vintage Mustangs. Imagine the sadness of seeing 13,000 overweight
graying middle to upper income family hams trying to bounce around in their seats
and succumbing to the overwhelming need to snap their fingers not quite in time
with their likewise advanced state icons of the golden age on stage. It really
makes you understand what Pete Townshend meant when he wrote "I hope I die before
I get old." He wasn't talking years, just attitude.
It was quite a contrast to watch Grace (Miles' wife) bouncing around, changing
clothes between nearly every Beach Boy song, video taping relentlessly, and doing
the near-bump-and-grind out in the audience in her form fitting summer dress
while the aged ones drooled through binoculars while their factory issue wives
pretended not to notice.
One of the cleanest sounding, most talented writing & playing teams has just
opened for one of the most dreaded aging fairgrounds dinosaurs. There was a
secret part of me that wanted the Beach Boys to be good. At least the Aqua
Velvets were great, and I had the best seat in the house.
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THE AUDIO FILE
By Cai Campbell
Do Audiophiles Dream of Quadraphonic Sheep?
Part I - Initiation
In my years of record collecting, I've encountered just about every
oddity and curio produced within the industry. Even though I had
known about quadraphonic records and had seen them during my
frequent record bin gorging sessions, I had never actually purchased
one. At the time, all I knew was that you needed some vintage 70's
era equipment to enjoy the recordings in their full quad brilliance.
The thought very much appealed to me, but it was never anything more
than a flight of fancy.
Then one day I bought a record which would change this perspective.
I was at one of my favorite record shops when I happened upon a
quadraphonic copy of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." Being
the obsessive Floyd head that I am, I just had to buy it. From that
point on, I was always on the lookout for quad equipment which would
allow me to enjoy this recording to its fullest.
For a few years after that, I kept my eyes open, and nothing ever
surfaced. Since I had only the one quad recording, I was not
exactly militant in my search. Then one day a friend of mine was
showing me his new "surround sound" system he had just purchased. I
didn't know squat about surround sound at the time, so I thought
quad was making a comeback with a new name. I ran home, grabbed my
Floyd record, and marched on back to my friend's house. We played
the record on his new system, and, well, despite the encouragement
of organic indulgence, "Dark Side of the Moon" did not run circles
around the room as we had anticipated.
After that, I conducted a bit of research, and learned the essence
of quadraphonic recordings (specifically, quadraphonic vinyl
records.) I wondered how the heck you could even get sound to four
speakers when there are only two groove walls in a record groove. I
learned that the information to be sent to the rear channels is
encoded in the master signal (the front channel information.) To
retrieve this extra information, a decoder must be employed. There
had been quad amps manufactured as well as stand-alone decoders
which could do the trick. A quad amp could decode the information
and power four separate speakers. If a simple decoder were
employed, then a separate amp would have to be used to power the
rear speakers. In any event, I now knew what I needed if I were to
ever enjoy my quad Floyd LP.
I still didn't rush out looking for the equipment. Even though my
curiosity for quadraphonic LP's had been raised a bit, it remained
just that: a curiosity. None of my record collecting friends were
into quad, so I just kind of wandered about, hoping that one day I
would run into something.
There was an old electronics shop I used to frequent simply because
they were one of the only shops in town which stocked phono cartridges
and styluses. The owner was an interesting fellow who had been
running the place for close to 40 years. One thing which always
amused me about him was the fact that he simply refused to ever
lower his prices on anything, even if it meant he had to carry stock
that was quite literally many years old. So his shop was chock full
of old, outdated merchandise, which was essentially brand new! I
had asked him if he had a quadraphonic decoder and he shook his
head. But one day I happened by and noticed he was having a
going-out-of-business sale. After 40 years he was calling it quits,
and FINALLY he was reducing the price on all his old stock. The
sale had been going on for some time, so when I got there the store
was pretty barren. On a whim, I asked him again if he happened to
have a quadraphonic decoder. His eyes lit up and he went into the
back room and brought out a dusty cardboaard box. It was a vintage
1973 Panasonic CD-4 demodulator, complete with special phono
cartridge, and it had never even been opened! I was able to walk
out the door with it after having parted with only $50.00. He grumbled
as I left about how he couldn't sell it for the original retail
price of $250.00.
I couldn't wait to get home and hook it up. I just happened to have
an extra amp and pair of speakers I could use. I realized I had
only one quadraphonic record to my name and decided right there that
I had better remedy that situation. There was a record store not
too far away which I remembered had a special quadraphonic section.
So I rushed on over there and bought up all twenty-odd titles they
happened to have. I didn't really care what music I got, I just
wanted to experience this new quad setup with some variety. Plus, I
had just created a reason to head my record collection down a new
avenue.
The CD-4 system was easy enough to configure and the test record it
came with, although uninspired, did indeed provide true four channel
sound. I was set! So I plopped my quad copy of "Dark Side of the
Moon" on the turntable and sat back, prepared to be blown away...
and... I wasn't. As much as I love the record, when you are
expecting quad and only get stereo, it's something of a
disappointment. I felt a sense of deja vu as I remembered the
surround sound fiasco a couple years earlier. Undaunted, I started
playing a few more of the quad records I had just purchased. Always
it was the same result: no quad sound.
I started to wonder what could possibly be wrong. Then I proceeded
to read the record jacket information as well as the manual which
came with the CD-4 demodulator. It suddenly dawned on me that all
quad formats were not created equal. It was like the beta versus
VHS dilemma: two formats which serve the same purpose, but
different machines were required for each. In other words, I could
only enjoy records which were produced for my particular
demodulator. In this case, records bearing the Quadradisc logo
would be compatible with my system. Unfortunately, almost all my
records, including the Floyd LP, bore the SQ quadraphonic logo. I
only ended up with one record out of the stack which was a
Quadradisc, and it was Joni Mitchell (not my favorite artist by a
long shot.) Still, I tossed the record on the turntable and it
produced clean quadraphonic sound. My mission was clear: I had to
find more Quadradisc LP's!
With this bit of enlightenment, I learned a few more things about
quad. There were actually a handful of other formats which had been
produced besides Quadradisc and SQ, but those two emerged as the
most popular. Again, just like the beta versus VHS battle, the
inferior format gained the widest acceptance, that being SQ
quadraphonic.
Both SQ and Quadradisc employed similar means of attaining the same
end. The implementation differed, however. Quadradisc required you
to use a special cartridge, yet offered true discreet four channel
sound. The SQ format, although compatible with existing stereo
cartridges, used a matrix encoding scheme which allowed sound to
"bleed" from one channel to another. An SQ system could not offer
100% "true" quad sound. The nature of the Quadradisc system was
such that a new form of vinyl was needed to produce the records.
This new vinyl was dubbed "super vinyl" which is the same vinyl used
in the first generation of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab LP's. This
vinyl was sonically superior and physically stronger than standard
vinyl, so Quadradisc LP's are better than their stereo counterparts,
even when played on a standard stereo system.
I was consoled by the fact that my particular setup was superior,
but was dismayed by the lack of Quadradiscs available. Ever
vigilant, I have acquired many Quadradisc LP's and have learned that
there were actually quite a few titles produced. After listening
intently to many of these recordings, I have learned that there is
quite an art to mixing an LP for quad as opposed to stereo. In many
instances, the quad mix sounds haphazard and unnatural. It's as if
the engineer didn't fully understand the concept. On the other
hand, a few of the quad recordings outshine their stereo
counterparts by a long shot. In these instances it is obvious that
the engineer had a firm grasp of the concept and environment. As
far as Quadradisc pressings go, I point to Harry Nilsson - "Nilsson
Schmilsson," Doors - "Best of the Doors," and Henry Mancini -
"Return of the Pink Panther." These recordings epitomize the
potential of a quad environment and more than live up to all the
hype.
One curious note I uncovered is the fact that "Dark Side of the Moon"
was produced by Alan Parsons with quad foremost in mind. It is very
likely the first ever commercial recording (excluding demonstration
records) which was produced primarily for quad. This bit of
information makes me yearn even more for the experience of hearing
the first quadraphonic record I ever bought. It appears I will just
have to "wander around" some more and hope to bump into an SQ
decoder.
I have enjoyed my quad setup immensely and have to wonder what
happened to the quad movement and why it didn't capture the
imagination of the record-buying public the way stereo did. It
really does add a whole new dimension to your listening pleasure.
And now, with surround sound systems and home theaters becoming as
common as television sets in consumers home, along with advances in
technology, quad is experiencing something of a revival, or rebirth.
Perhaps it can be best looked at as a reincarnation.
Quadraphonic systems were simply ahead of their time when they
surfaced in the early 70's. In my next column, I will explore more
the technological side of multi-channel sound systems of the past,
present, and future. For now, thank you for indulging my trip down
memory lane, and if you have any Quadradisc recordings you wouldn't
mind selling, or if you just want to shoot the breeze, feel free to
contact me at vex@greatgig.com.
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STUFF I NOTICED
By DJ Johnson
I noticed PLENTY, that's what I noticed. How can you not, what with the
conventions happening every night and the FBI's incompetence glaring like
a supernova and OJ playing golf all day long with the cameras rolling...
You'd have to be blind--or at least so fed up that you choose to turn a
blind eye--in order to miss all this garbage. I'm fed up, but I'm still
putting up resistance. Give me time.
Let's start with the conventions. I can't say much about Ross Perot's speech,
at least not until he finishes. If he does, I'd appreciate a phone call to
let me know. At the GOP convention, Susan Molinari did some talking, and I
have to admit she's a hell of a speaker. It takes a special talent to spew
out the same old party line and make it sound like something new and even
revolutionary. Colin Powell did some talking. A lot, actually, after
which all I could think was "and you're a Republican in WHAT way, again?"
The throng hooted and hollered, showing support for everything he said in
such a way that I can't help but think they were put up to it. "Show
solidarity and flexibility, folks! You can stone the evil abortion monger
later when the cameras are off!" Jack Kemp did some talking. He's a good
man and a good speaker, but this speech was sorta toothless. No harm done
to either side. Elizabeth Dole did some talking AND some walking. That is,
she walked while she talked...till the PA squawked and Lizzy balked, then
grabbed a new mike and continued her walk. And her talk. And they say she
did good. I didn't notice. Being a soundman at heart, all I could think
about was what they could do at the soundboard to fix the technical problems.
Then Bob Dole did some talking. In fact, Bob Dole did a LOT of talking.
And just when you thought he was through talking, Bob Dole got his 2nd, 3rd
and 4th winds. He talked so much that even Ross freakin' Perot thought he
was a chatterbox. His speech writers didn't intend for Bob Dole to talk
for 57 minutes. They wanted Bob Dole to talk for 40 minutes--and then only
very very carefully. Elizabeth Dole didn't want Bob Dole to talk for 57
minutes. Jack Kemp didn't want him to, either. The only people who DID
want Bob Dole to talk for 57 minutes were the Democrats. Thank you, Bob
Dole, for making the upcoming Democratic convention such a success.
Well, let's face it, HE says "Bob Dole" at least once per sentence. It's
only common courtesy that I do the same.
I had intended to hand out the now-coveted Sharp Pointed Stick Award to Bob
"Tasty Foot" Dole, or Senator Gridlock, as he is known in DC. Had it all
engraved and everything. But it's not going to happen, because somebody
else is much much more deserving. (I imagine Bob Dole screaming "But it
was MY TURN!!!") And so the winner is...Mariah Carey. How'd she do it?
With this amazing remark, allegedly made during her appearance on the World
Entertainment News Network. I say alleged because I've only seen the quote
in one place, and you never know--she might actually be innocent on this
one. If that turns out to be the case, I blame a Seattle newspaper called
The Stranger, which ran the quote. If she actually said it...well, she's
going to hell, that's what! Oh yeah. You want to know what said did or
potentially did not say to earn this award. Here it is:
"When I watch TV and see those poor, starving kids all over the world,
I can't help but cry. I mean, I'd love to be skinny like that, but
not with all those flies and death and stuff."
This is the same woman who had her manager inform her bandmates, after years
of struggling together to make it big, that they were to refer to her as
"MISS Mariah" from that point on. Perhaps she'll use the sharp part of this
trophy to deflate her ego.
There is one more thing that must be mentioned this month, because...well,
because I noticed it. I noticed that the big theme of the Reform Party is
"We're not Democrats OR Republicans." The big battle cry was "There were
no provisions in the constitution about political parties!" And the big
selling point was "Now you won't have to choose between the lesser of two
evils anymore." Yeah, now we have three. I think the only way we'd ever
be able to have a government that truly represented the majority of the
people would be if we abolished all parties and had ten or twenty people
on the ballot, all of them running on their ideas and principles and not
on the agenda of any group. Yeah. Like THAT'S gonna happen.
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TAPE HISS: A monthly transcription of radio interviews conducted by our
own John Sekerka from his program on CHUO FM in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
This month: BETH CUSTER - "CARTOONS AND CLARINETS"
JOHN: San Fran res Beth Custer's clarinet appears in many places, one of
them being Saturday morning cartoons.
How do you compose for Felix The Cat?
BETH: There's twelve writers in the Club Foot Orchestra. We all madly write
a couple of minutes each week. It's quite a schedule.
JOHN: I tuned in for the music and was surprised by the quality of the
cartoon. It's quite surrealistic.
BETH: Each week is quite different and it's all hand drawn. No computers.
Y'know I realized that I always wanted to do this: seeing the CBS orchestra
as a kid, doing cartoon music. And now here I am.
JOHN: What is the musical process exactly?
BETH: Everyone has a different set-up. I saved my pennies and got a computer,
so I'm writing on that. I still turn on the television and watch the bits
over and over until it starts to scream at you. Then I sketch out scores
on the computer.
JOHN: How do you get in perfect sync with the action on screen?
BETH: Each week we get assigned different sections, maybe four or five running
from twenty seconds to a minute in length, with a time code on it. After
a while the tempo becomes real obvious.
JOHN: How do you decide on the type of music - there's pretty well everything
from jazz to ragtime to surf on the show.
BETH: Our producer Gino is a master at assigning people to the kind of scenes
they're suited for. Everyone has a different style in Club Foot, but
somehow it all ends up sounding the same. The band has a unique sound.
There are also short pieces of improvisations included.
JOHN: In Fantasia, the animation was done to fit the music. With Felix, it
looks like the animators are improvising to the music as well.
BETH: These days music's cut to the film, but in Carl Stalling's time they
cut to the music. I love Stalling, and I'm a big fan of Raymond Scott.
JOHN: Me too. Stalling used a lot of Scott's music for the Looney Toones
series, though most people think it was Stalling who wrote it all.
BETH: Yeah, Scott's music is great. Kronos Quartet did a series of his pieces
and hired me to arrange "The Penguin."
JOHN: I happened upon Raymond Scott through an animator friend. How did you
find out about him?
BETH: I'm a music hound. I used to work in record stores and the industry
itself, and assembled a collection. My love of music started very early
on. When I was five years old I'd just stare at the whip cream Herb Alpert
album cover.
JOHN: Who didn't?
BETH: I've always loved music. I started on piano at three.
JOHN: So when and why did you switch to clarinet?
BETH: I wanted to be in a band. For some reason in New York State in the
sixties, they gave everyone a musical test, after which you were assigned
an instrument. I was assigned the clarinet. I wanted to play the trumpet
or the drums because that's where all the boys were.
JOHN: Are there a lot of clarinet players out there?
BETH: There's quite a few in the Bay area. There's quite a glut, I mean
abundance. In fact I have a quintet called Clarinet Thing.
JOHN: How did the Club Foot Orchestra get started recording music for silent
films?
BETH: We had slogged around the clubs for years without much attention,
starting in the early eighties at Club Foot. We'd play odd-metered dance
music with a big horn section. After about five years we came upon the
idea of playing live music to silent films and it just took off. For some
reason it was a marriage made in heaven. Our fearless leader Richard
Marriott wrote the first two scores, The Cabinet of Dr. Kaligari and
Nosferatu. Then more members started writing. Metropolis and Buster
Keaton's Sherlock Junior followed, and now everyone contributed to
Pandora's Box. Somehow it works as a hectic collective with everyone
sparring for scenes.
JOHN: Recently I took in Charlie Chaplin's City Lights backed by a big
orchestra. He made that silent film even though talkies were the norm at
that point. He wanted it to transcend language barriers and be an
international event. I think that makes a lot of sense. Are there any
silent films being made these days that you know of?
BETH: I know a couple of filmmakers who've done small silent films. We've
done a couple of collaborations. I think it could be quite a great medium
that could come much further.
JOHN: Besides all these other pastimes, you're also your own record company.
BETH: Yeah, I've put out my solo CD, "The Shirt I Slept In." I'm trying to
sell it out of my kitchen. On my last birthday I decided to put out a CD
and shave my head--two things I'd never done.
JOHN: What is your hair situation these days?
BETH: I had to grow it back. It was too cold. I had to wear a hat to bed.
It's too trendy to shave your head these days, though it's very liberating.
I never realized that you have so many sensations on the top of your skull.
(Beth Custer's CD can be ordered at 88 Lundy's Lane, San Francisco, 94110)
============================================================================
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This month's random gathering of things, items & stuff!
Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will
organize itself into an undercover dictatorship.
- Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
All my humor is based upon destruction and despair. If the whole world were tranquil,
without disease and violence, I'd be standing on the breadline right in back of J. Edgar
Hoover.
- Lenny Bruce
Doctor: You're in very bad shape. You have little time to live.
Patient: How much is little?
Doctor: Ten.
Patient: Ten what? Years? Months? Weeks? Days?
Doctor: ...nine...eight...seven...
Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. . . . I think we're being run
by maniacs for maniacal ends . . . and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for
expressing that. That's what's insane about it.
- John Lennon
When, in the name of God, people hold black-and-white beliefs that cut them off from other
human beings; when, in the name of God, they give up their own sense of right and wrong;
when, in the name of God, they suffer financial deprivation; then, they are suffering from
religious addiction.
- Father Leo Booth, in his book "When God Becomes a Drug"
When written in Chinese the word crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger
and the other represents opportunity.
- John F. Kennedy
The blues was like that problem child that you may have had in the family. You was a little
bit ashamed to let anybody see him, but you loved him. You just didn't know how other people
would take it.
- B. B. King
DISGUSTING RECIPE OF THE MONTH
The following recipe is taken from an old Roman cookbook--"MARCUS GAVIUS APICIUS: DE RE
COQUINARIA"--edited and translated from Latin by Robert Maier.
PATINA DE PISCICULIS (Souffle of Small Fishes)
Ingredients:
------------
500g boiled fillet of small fishes or whole sardelles
150g dried raisins (sultanas)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. Liebstoeckl --(No English translation. In Latin it's called 'levisticum
officinale'. It's an umbelliferous plant with yellowish flowers.
Its dried roots are used as spice. It seems to be a kind of celery.)
1 tbsp. oregano
2 small diced onions
200ml oil
50ml Liquamen, or 1/2 tsp. salt --(Liquamen is a salty fish sauce. Most of the time you
can replace it with salt.)
some cornstarch
Instructions:
-------------
Mix raisins, pepper, Liebstoeckl, oregano, onion, wine, Liquamen and oil together and put in a
casserole. Cook until done. Then put small boiled fish fillets or boiled small whole fishes
into it. Thicken with a bit of cornstarch and serve.
"A mere 40 years ago, beach volleyball was just beginning. Now it is not only a sport in the
Olympics, there are over 30 countries that have a competition internationally. There are some
13 states with 25 cities in America. And there's a whole new world of opportunity opening up
thatdidn't even exist 30 years ago or 40 years ago, and no bureaucrat would have invented it.
And that's what freedom is all about."
- Newt Gingrich (At Republican Convention)
The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room,
each believing himself in mortal peril from the other,whom he assumes to have perfect vision.
- Henry Kissinger
How could the Pat Robertsons and the Pat Buchanans, presuming to be the spokespeople for God,
spew such doctrines of divisiveness, intolerance and inhumanity? Who is that God?
- Barbara Streisand
I have every sympathy with the American who was so horrified by what he had read of the
effects of smoking that he gave up reading.
- Lord Conesford
I once shook hands with Pat Boone and my whole right side sobered up.
- Dean Martin
There's something about me that makes a lot of people want to throw up.
- Pat Boone
"Family" this and "family" that. If I had a family I'd be furious that moral busybodies are
taking the perfectly good word 'family' and using it as a code for censorship the same way
"states' rights" was used to disguise racism in the mid-sixties.
- John Waters
THE TOP TEN ANAGRAMS MADE FROM THE NAME "COSMIK DEBRIS":
10. Is dick sombre?
9. O! Me birds sick!
8. Mr sick bodies.
7. Dick some ribs.
6. Sick bromides.
5. Dick or be miss.
4. Sick, dim, sober.
3. IBM'S is corked.
2. Dick-sore IBM'S.
And the number one anagram made from "Cosmik Debris"...
1. I miss bedrock!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR CONTACTING COSMIK DEBRIS' WRITERS
DJ Johnson (Editor)......moonbaby@serv.net
James Andrews............jimndrws@serv.net
Cai Campbell.............vex@serv.net
coLeSLAw.................coleslaw@greatgig.com
Robert Cummings..........rcummings@csrlink.net
Shaun Dale...............stdale@well.com
Phil Dirt................Luft.F@diversey.geis.com
David Fenigsohn..........a-davef@microsoft.com
Alex Gedeon..............abraxas@primenet.com
Keith Gillard............liquid@uniserve.com
Louise Johnson...........aquaria@serv.net
Steven Leith.............leith@serv.net
Lauren Marshall..........Ocean@pluto.njcc.com
Steve Marshall...........SteveM@pluto.njcc.com
The Platterpuss..........Plattrpuss@aol.com
Paul Remington...........premington@rochgte.fidonet.org
John Sekerka.............jsekerka@gsc.NRCan.gc.ca
Cosmik Debris' WWW site..http://www.greatgig.com/cosmikdebris
Subscription requests....moonbaby@serv.net
Jim Andrews' "JimbOnline" web site (contains tons of Windows 95
(tm) shareware) is at http://www.serv.net/~jimndrws
Shaun Dale's web site is at http://www.zipcon.com/~stdale
Phil Dirt's Surf Site is at http://www.cygnus.com/kfjc/surf
Keith Gillard's "Liquid Records WWW site is located
at http://haven.uniserve.com/~liquid
Steven Leith's web site is at http://www.serv.net/~leith
And a VERY special thanks to Gabe Martin for letting us use
his cool cartoons in The Debris Field. Gabe's outrageous WWW
site is at http://www.cts.com/~borderln/todays.html and there
are hundreds of his cartoons to check out there. (Cartoon ran
in WWW version only, of course.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE FOLLOWING IS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM COSMIKCO
Contents of this publication are the exclusive property of
COSMIK DEBRIS and CosmikCo. Any use of the contents herein
without the written permission of CosmikCo is forbidden. Same
thing with taping baseball games, which is a DEFINITE no-no.
I mean, there are people rotting in prisons for that one! Ever
share a cell with a guy named Manny who thinks you're real cute
just because you copied an article from a zine onto your
homepage??? Terrible! Simply awful! Oh, God, that's so tragic.
No, I can't be responsible for that. Okay, okay, how about this.
If you want to use an article from Cosmik Debris, just send e-mail
to moonbaby@serv.net and ask nicely. Perhaps, in this way, we
can prevent the tragic waste of a human life. As for baseball
games...think about it. It actually IS a boring game, so why
tape it, you know? Think about it. See you next month.
