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Consumable Online Issue 071
==== ISSUE 71 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [March 19, 1996]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Dan Enright, Tim
Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric
McGill, Tim Mohr, Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker
Correspondents: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron,
Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Stephen Jackson, Daniel
Kane, Mario Lia, P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott,
Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir Wallner
Also Contributing: Michele Morabito, Oleg Pshenichny
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak,
Jason Williams
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form other than within this
document must be obtained from the editor.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
CONCERT REVIEW: Sting, Moscow - Oleg Pshenichny
REVIEW: Queensryche, _Promised Land_ CD-Rom - Dan Birchall
REVIEW: Love and Rockets, _Sweet F.A._ - Stephen Lin
REVIEW: Lou Reed, _Set The Twilight Reeling_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: Frank Black, _The Cult of Ray_ - Eric Hsu
REVIEW: The Pharcyde, _Labcabincalifornia_ - Martin Bate
CONCERT REVIEW: The Wrens, New York City - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Michael Shrieve, _Two Doors_ - Ali Sinclair
REVIEW: John Taylor, _Feelings Are Good and Other Lies_ - Michele Morabito
REVIEW: Mike Pinder, _A Planet With One Mind..._ - Linda Scott
CONTEST: Consumable/World Domination giveaway!
NEWS: Sex Pistols 20th Anniversary, Performing Songwriter
TOUR DATES: AC/DC, Barenaked Ladies / Bogmen, Frank Black / Jonny Polonsky,
Jackson Browne, Brother Cane, Combine, Cravin' Melon, Deftones, Diamond
Rio, Arlo & Abe Guthrie, Hum / Mercury Rev, Love and Rockets, Ziggy
Marley & Melody Makers, Menthol, Mystery Machine, Mysteries of Life,
Ken Nordine, O-Matic, Poi Dog Pondering, Professor & Maryann, Rake's
Progress, Sister Machine Gun / Gravity Kills, Sting, Swales, They Might
Be Giants / Swales, Tina & The B Side Movement, Tiny Lights, Urchins,
Uzjsmedoma, Weston
ADDITION: Killing Joke _Democracy_
Back Issues of Consumable
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Sting, Moscow, March 13-14
- Oleg Pshenichny
The red stars on the towers of the Moscow Kremlin don't
often meet the big western stars, so two of Sting's gigs in the
Great Kremlin Palace (March 13 and 14) were a great sensation for
Russia. The media went crazy and sometimes we felt nearly into
Sting-mania. The tickets (from 15 to 100 US dollars) blew out in
under 2 days and on the days of the concerts tickets were selling
for around $400 on the black market. The special black "ZIL" limousine
(a type of Russian goverment special car) with the license number
STING 77 took Mr. Sumner around Moscow. The shows were not commercial
in the truest sense because the local Alfa bank paid for everything to
promote the concert, and the ticket money went to a local charity.
It was standing room only in this former Palace for the
Communist Congress - and the "New Russians", in fur, gold and diamonds
occupied most of the first fifty rows. It was obvious they didn't
bother themselves what kind of artist they want to see - he's *The
Big Star*. But the rest of the audience was warm and excited to listen
to Sting.
The March 13th concert was the first in his current world tour.
Russians call it "wet" - the program was not perfectly cooked yet, and
the band was a little afraid of the new audience, new programm and bad
acoustics of this monstrous official Palace.
Sting's band is the same that recorded the _Mercury Falling_ album,
which is now firmly on the top of the Russian charts - with no spare
copies in the shops - and in the Top 5 in U.K., with the exception of
the Memphis horns. If you already have listened to _Mercury Falling_
and have the old live double (non United States) album _Bring On The Night_,
you can mix the impression to generate a picture of his sound. Sting
shows himself as a grown-up, tired, obsessed with
what-is-the-meaning-of-it-all problems, but still powerful musician.
The improvisation and personal instrument-playing possibilities of,
say Mr. Kenny Kirkland, are bound very tightly to the pop-format of
the concert. Everything was well rehearsed and prepared long before
the concert including every little gesture and musical "improvisation".
Sting moved rarely and slowly; it's the father of six children on the
stage, not the rock-rebel or jazz-pop-classic genius in free flight
of the fantasy. In this critic's estimation, the show was performed
not to expand on any of Sting's horizons, but to bring music from
his most recent album directly to the people.
The second show was much more relaxed because of even better
sound. The set list was copied from the night before with Russian
"How are you?"'s for the audience, one-time Sting jumping, one-time
moving from left corner to the right corner (the most visible gesture
during the whole show) and an improvisation of "When The World Is
Running Down". The problem is, despite any lack of Sting doing
anything surprising during his show, the audience - as well as myself -
visibly and audibly liked the show. When the music is this good, even
a less than perfect stage presence can't dampen the overall concert.
The concert was filmed by the main Russian TV and they were
allowed to shoot first three song to 15 television companies from all
around the world. For more information on Sting's world tour, check
out the Fields of Gold homepage at
http://www.rrz.uni-koeln.de/wiso-fak/wisostatsem/autoren/sting/index.html
SET LIST: "If I Ever Lose My Faith", "If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free",
"King Of Pain", "Hounds Of Winter", "I Hung My Head", "Let Your Soul Be
Your Pilot", "You Still Touch Me", "Seven Days", "Fields Of Gold", "25
To Midnight", "4 Seasons", "It's Probably Me/Sister Moon", "Shape Of My
Heart", "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Roxanne", "Englishman
In New York", "This Cowboy Song/When The World Is Running Down", "Every
Breath You Take", "She's Too Good", "Nothing 'Bout Me", "Lithium Sunset"
While not contributing articles to Consumable or doing publicity
for concerts in Russia, Oleg Pshenichny reports and writes on rock and
roll in Russia for several of the country's top newspapers.
---
REVIEW: Queensryche, _Promised Land_ CD-Rom (EMI)
- Dan Birchall
Like its namesake album, Queensryche's new _Promised Land_ CD-ROM
has been a long time coming. Fans first heard that a CD-ROM was in
the works in May of 1994, a full five months before the album was
released. At that time, the CD-ROM was expected along with the album.
Things didn't go as expected - release dates told to fans slipped at
least ten times! Meanwhile, the _Promised Land_ album went platinum,
and Queensryche toured extensively, so fans weren't left completely
disappointed. Despite the delays, the fruit of their labors should
redeem Queensryche in the eyes of their fans. The two-disc CD-ROM
set pushes the envelope in every way. Expectations will be high
after the wait, but even the most jaded fans should be in for a
few surprises.
Old and new fans alike should enjoy the Big Log disc, a
virtual copy of Big Log Studio - the cabin in the San Juan Islands
where Queensryche recorded the _Promised Land_ album. Dozens of
audio and video clips are scattered throughout the cabin, and may
be found by looking closely at everyday items. The clips can also
be viewed together in the form of a short video documentary. Also
hidden in the cabin are three full-length videos for songs from
the album. Big Log pales in comparison to the Promised Land disc,
which is truly in a league of its own - a hundred minutes of digital
audio and video, 70 computer-generated digital environments, and two
thousand high-color ray traced images, all packed onto one disc!
In a Consumable interview several months ago, Michael Wilton said
that the game would take 30 hours to win, but he may have
underestimated.
The sheer volume of visual and aural information is
overwhelming. The graphics are vivid, ranging from realistic to
absurd. There are rich sounds and hundreds, if not thousands, of
items which interact with the user in various ways, and puzzles
galore. Even the members of Queensryche make appearances in
unexpected places. When members of the band appear, they invariably
offer ethical morsels, in the form of encouragement, scolding or
advice. Despite Queensryche's success in the world of music,
its members have retained a strong sense of values which are the
basis of the puzzles within the game. The ecology of each world
on the disc can be endangered in some way, and once endangered,
each world can be saved. The game is by no means a "shoot-em-up";
the ultimate goal of reassembling a five-part Native American totem
pole can be reached without violence. The victor's reward, of
course, is a performance of a never-before-heard Queensryche song
entitled "Two Miles High."
This CD-ROM set is certainly not for the faint of heart,
or the faint of hardware - it requires at least a 486 PC or '040 Mac,
8 megabytes of RAM, 16-bit color and a dual-speed CD-ROM drive,
and a recommended system is at least one notch better in each
department. Each musician's world is a game unto itself, and with
short-cuts and connections between the worlds, it is very easy to
lose one's sense of direction. Once users get past the initial
shock and sensory overload, though, both discs are full of
challenges, fun, and opportunities for mind-opening experiences -
things that Queensryche's fans have come to expect from "The Thinking
Mind's Metal Band."
---
REVIEW: Love and Rockets, _Sweet F.A._ (American)
- Stephen Lin
I'll admit that I was a little disappointed when Love and
Rockets released _Hot Trip to Heaven_ in 1994; not because it wasn't
a good album, but because it didn't sound like the Love and Rockets
I expected. A similar fear for Love and Rockets new release, _Sweet
F.A._, disappeared less than ten seconds into the album. I was
immediately greeted by a classic, pristine Love and Rockets sound
reminiscent of _Earth Sun Moon_. Skipping ahead, I discovered that
the fuzz distortion sound from _Love and Rockets_ was also present.
Some of the acoustic songs sounded as if they belonged on _Express_.
Essentially, _Sweet F.A._ is the perfect conglomeration of most styles
that Love and Rockets has employed over the past decade and beyond.
But even that statement doesn't fully do this album justice.
In addition to quite possibly being the best Love and
Rockets album ever, _Sweet F.A._ also represents the most
painstaking work the band has completed to date. After working
in San Francisco and London, Love and Rockets went to Los Angeles
to begin the final recording phase. Unfortunately, they nearly
lost their lives to a catastrophic fire in a house owned by
superproducer Rick Rubin. Luckily the trio survived; many of the
demos and all of their equipment did not. Undaunted, they entered
a second studio prepared to use more minimalistic approach than they
had in the past six years. They eliminated a great deal of the
overdubbing and effects which allows the songs to speak more for
themselves. In addition, they recorded while all three performed in
the same room. The culmination of these factors and Rubin's
brilliance helped create this masterpiece.
"Judgement Day" has the same kind of darkness that could be
found in their works as members of Bauhaus. The title track has the
same sort of angelic feel similar to songs from Love and Rockets'
earlier days. "Use Me" seems to contain an angry atmosphere not
unlike "Motorcycle" from their self-titled album from 1988. The
whole album displays a wide variety of emotions while maintaining
the continuity of one focused piece of art.
Before the April release of _Sweet F.A._, Love and Rockets
will release an EP titled _The Glittering Darkness_. The EP will
contain a number of previously unreleased tracks as well as "Sweet
F.A." Whether you're an avid fan or if you're a hardcore Goth still
lamenting about the disbanding of Bauhaus or even if you're completely
new to Love and Rockets, this album is well worth your time. Love
and Rockets has officially returned with an album that should satisfy
a fan from any point in the history of Ash, J, and Haskins.
---
REVIEW: Lou Reed, _Set The Twilight Reeling_ (Warner)
- Reto Koradi
Since the Grammys for this year have already been given away,
the race for next year is already finished in one category: Lou Reed
will win hands down for ugliest album packaging. But as long as an
album has his name on it, not even this blue mess will stop us from
listening. It's been 4 years since his last real album, the intimate
and sad _Magic And Loss_, and six years since the fabulous _New York_.
But Lou Reed hasn't been lazy; there was a Velvet Underground reunion
(showing that all other band members look twice as old as him), a
book, soundtracks, and contributions to other people's albums and samplers.
Lou Reed was always a master of simplicity, of creating a maximal
effect with minimal means. This hasn't changed on this new album; there's
just Reed's voice and guitars, plus bass and drums and the production is slim
and clean. There are a few tracks in the classic Lou Reed style, like the
catchy first single "Hooky Wooky" or "NYC Man". Laurie Anderson contributes
some background vocals on the slow, simple, but beautiful "Hang On To Your
Emotions". Highlights are "The Proposition", where Reed's great guitar
takes over the melody line, and the vocals define the rhythm, or the epic
"Riptide", which starts out with noisy, Hendrix style, guitars.
One track that you will most certainly not hear on US radio is the
controversial "Sex With Your Parents (Motherfucker)". It's a sarcastic song
about Republican politicians ("something more disgusting than Robert Dole").
Talking about Lou Reed's music without mentioning his lyrics is
impossible, as he is a poet as much as a musician. Many of the songs
deal with emotions. "Trade In" talks about realizing that your life is
messed up, and wanting to be another person ("how could I think that it was
true, a child that is raised by an idiot, and that idiot then becomes you").
There are very deep and beautiful sentences, like "first came fire, then
came light, then came feeling, then came sight" from the dark and intense
"Finish Line". Others just capture real life and make you think, such as
"you're so civilized it hurts". Tracks like "Adventurer" can be viewed as
poems with music just as well as songs with lyrics.
If this album has one problem, it's that there are hardly songs
that will make great singles and could ignite huge sales. These songs take
time and attention. But Lou Reed just has more class than most others, and
_Set The Twilight Reeling_ is a clear proof of that. You can't miss it at
your record store: just remember, it's the ugly blue one that you need.
---
REVIEW: Frank Black, _The Cult of Ray_ (American)
- Eric Hsu
Somewhere between _Bleach_ and _Nevermind_, Kurt Cobain dropped the
heavy-metal mask and Nirvana embraced popdom with a whole heart. He later
said he was inspired by Black Francis of the Pixies, who was writing very
poppy stuff and yet retaining some kind of alternative credibility. The
Pixies produced pop with surface abrasions (mainly Black Francis's
screaming) and a certain self-consciousness. The video for "Here Comes
Your Man" had the band "lip-syncing" by opening their mouths as wide as
they could, an attempt to trade in pop currency while critiquing the
process.
When the Pixies split up, Kim Deal went on to write a clutch of hit
songs with the Breeders, but Frank Black (as he is now known) has pretty
much dropped out of sight on his (now) three solo albums. This is not a big
surprise in the sense that the Breeders play with pop in structurally
obvious ways, like making funny sounds and using distortion in nonstandard
ways, but the result remains super-catchy pop. On _The Cult of Ray_ we
find Frank Black playing against pop in ways that are not so easy on the
public ear.
_The Cult of Ray_ sounds like the product of a man who's lost faith
in rock and listening to this tape may undermine your own faith in
punk/pop. The band has a spontaneous feel to it, but the songs are arranged
oddly. Frank sings and there is a straightahead bass and drum rhythm
section, but the guitar solos nonstop through the whole record. That's
right, it's just a duet between Frank and a wanking Steve Vai-ish guitar
hero (Lyle Workman) with drums and bass indicating chords. The idea sounds
cooler than the reality, but Frank Black seems to want to get away from the
alternative-standard arrangement of distorted guitar blasting out song
chords.
Many other aspects of the record reflect an exhaustion with pop;
I'm desperately trying to avoid any words prefixed with post-. There
is a questionable but thought-provoking theory that a creative form in
decline becomes self-referential and we have that in spades here. There's
a song about "Punk Rock City"; "Jesus Was Right" claims "I/ play guitar
for elevation.../ I like distortion when I barre chord", the next song has
Frank saying "But the chorus was pretty much the same/ every time I wrote
this song". Throw in "Dance War" and "Mosh, Don't Pass the Guy" and most of
the record is about rock.
The songs also draw on real oddball/novelty concerns and material,
another sign of an exhausted form. "The Marsist" is about a guy obsessed
with reaching the face mountain on Mars, the title track is about Ray
Bradbury, the last track uses the name "Shazeb Andleeb" (rhymed with
"glebe"!). This is reminiscent of Wire's material when they were at their
creative nadir (song titles like "ZEGK HOQP" and "Eels Sang Lino"), hoping
weirdo wordplay would add inspiration to the same old forms.
Musically, the feeling is similar: "The Marsist" takes a "Pretty
Woman"-style lick and sets it against a wailing one-note guitar yell. The
chord progressions are close to standard pop with one or two weird chords
thrown in, or with an extra measure here or there to keep the rhythm less
ordinary.
It's great to see Frank Black pushing at the boundaries of his
musical world, but this tape has a real transitional feel to it. The songs
that work best are the straightest like "The Men in Black" and this is not
a great sign on an experimental record. In some sense, the experiments are
as obvious as the Breeders' experiments. If you look at the later John
Lennon Beatles songs, he tries the same kinds of experiments: odd lyrics,
throwing in extra measures or using odd rhythms, and there are numerous
other similar examples. It's not terrible to be found repeating the same
kind of experiments as John Lennon, especially since Frank Black has
already worked out a number of pop formulas on the Pixies records and done
more than his share of influencing. But ultimately you are judged by the
quality of your music and the music that you inspire, and _The Cult of Ray_
is interesting, but lacking on both counts.
---
REVIEW: The Pharcyde, _Labcabincalifornia_ (Delicious Vinyl/Capitol)
- Martin Bate
If the cartoon rollercoaster-ride cover of The Pharcyde's 1992
debut _Bizarre Ride II..._ was a good indication of what was in store,
then you can be sure that The Pharcyde knew what they were doing here;
the band, subdued, under a starry night-sky in smooth white tuxes.
Before they were characterised by a manic (sometimes verging
on *sick*) sense of humour interlaced with a human frailty rarely heard
in hip-hop circles - how many rappers do you hear talking about getting
dumped or not even being able to get a girlfriend in the first place? -
and a sound incorporating everything from sleek, soulful jazz to a
resolutely old-skool flava. 1996 sees The Pharcyde concentrating on
following the smoother path of past glories like "Passing Me By" and
"Otha Fish" without sacrificing any of their skills.
"Bullshit" glides in on a scattering of swingbeat stardust
before "Pharcyde" kicks in proper with *the* definitive Pharcyde rap
which should be blasting out of every vehicle's stereo from coast to
coast.
"Groupie Therapy" demonstrates The Pharcyde approach to the war
of the sexes. While casual onlookers will spot the 'Bitches' and 'Hoes'
and point the finger those that look closer will discover the sting in the
tale :- Fat Lip phones his girlfriend to tell her he loves her before
disappearing with a groupie on tour, only to get back and find his
girlfriend has been doing the same thing. And "Now I seek counselling from
a therapist twice a week". Not yer average every-day type rappers.
The Pharcyde once admitted that hip-hop still hadn't produced a
song that could make you cry (a journalist's slightly suspect
pre-requisite for 'real' music) but didn't preclude the possibility.
Well, "Moment in Time" is a slow soul-full about absent friends that's
"Life is just a moment in time" hook puts a lump in the throat.
Congratulations gentlemen!
And it goes on. Pianos tinkle gently, the double bass ebbs and
flows, the snare shuffles, and guitars pimp like it's 1976 and The
Pharcyde have just meatmorphosised into a hip-hop Isley Brothers. Special
mentions to "Hey You" which is smooth like Haagen-Daas, floating like a
butterfly and stingling like a bee and "The Hustle" which is Saturday
Night Fever dragged into 90's Brooklyn.
"Devil Music" steals in with lyric of the year in its bite-the-
hand-that-feeds chorus of "Every time I step to the microphone/I put my
soul on 2 inch reels that I don't even own" over the album's roughest
beat, before the uplifting "The E.N.D." rides off into the sunset and
rounds off the impression that the last hour has been a genuine bona-fide
*journey*.
This'll be a disappointment to those who are looking for more of
the same after the debut - this is a different kind of genius altogether
to _Bizarre Ride II..._. But to those of us who are always looking for
hip-hop artists never frightened to surprise and grow, this is a
revelation.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: The Wrens, March 7, 1996, New York City
- Bob Gajarsky
Sam Goody (New York) and Request Magazine have started a
free concert series in an intimate setting in one of the upper floors
of the chain store's housing. New Jersey's latest export, The Wrens,
were the featured attraction to a crowd of curious on-lookers and loyal
fans who ventured out in unsafe conditions to see their heroes.
The four piece band didn't disappoint these fans. Although this
show was billed as a tuneup for their upcoming tour in support of
their most recent Grass Records release, _Secaucus_ (named after their
town of residence), brothers Kevin and Greg Whelan, Charles Bissell
and Jerry MacDonnell were in synch during the furious and fast pace
of their set. The Wrens, who alternately sound like Weezer meets
Nirvana while trying to encompass the entire history of music, part one,
showed off their pop/metal/rock (NOT glam) side on such tracks as
"Surprise, Honeycomb" and the current single "Rest Your Head". They
also interspersed slower tracks such as "Won't Get Too Far", where
drummer MacDonnell dropped the sticks for the melodica (nee: hooter)
and the entire group played in an almost acoustic manner.
The Wrens truly flourished under the live setting, as the brothers
Whelan were jumping, kicking, and actually *enjoying* themselves. In an
ever playful moment, Kevin noticed that some of the audience were seated,
Indian-style, while enjoying the show. "We've never played to
an audience where anyone was sitting on the floor", Whelan announced,
and the band proceeded to play the next track on their collective backs.
Those in the back couldn't quite see the guitarists, but that soon
changed as everyone was back on their feet and rocking again.
It's always refreshing to see a band that can not only play
in a live setting, but take that environment and make it their own. On
this icy cold night, the Wrens warmed up an audience with their special
brand of music.
---
REVIEW: Michael Shrieve, _Two Doors_ (CMP Records)
- Ali Sinclair
Michael Shrieve, drummer for Santana for seven years, and who
has also played with Pete Townshend, John McLaughlin, Stevie Winwood,
The Rolling Stones and others, has released _Two Doors_: 19 tracks of
hard jazz/rock fusion and driving, exploratory jazz. _Two Doors_, two
styles, two sessions: "Deep Umbra", the first eight pieces, recorded
in 1995 with Shawn Lane on guitar and Jonas Hellborg on bass: the
remaining pieces, entitled "Flying Polly", with the excellent Bill
Frisell on guitar and Wayne Horvitz on organ. Shrieve recorded an
album, _Fascination_, with Frisell and Horvitz in 1993, and these are
unreleased tracks from these sessions.
The music is not just about drums: if the drums are the fire
and energy behind the music, then the guitars and keyboards are the
electricity and spark. Both "sides" of the recording are ensemble
works: each musician, each instrument woven into a searching adventure
of sound.
The recording is powerful, pulsing, pushing: raw, strong,
stylish--and complete. It's like the musical, liquid essence of all
that is metal: yet it's delicate and pure. Take the track
"Locomotion", an unstoppable engine with silver wings. The only
question I have: how come Shawn Lane on "Caress of Lillith" (my
favorite track) sounds more like Bill Frisell than Bill Frisell?
If you like rock, if you like jazz, either, or both, I think
you'll enjoy _Two Doors_ - very much; I know I do!
---
REVIEW: John Taylor, _Feelings Are Good and Other Lies_ (B5 Records)
- Michele Morabito
John Taylor's latest release, _Feelings Are Good and Other Lies,
wasn't quite what I expected - a solid, unique, independent album. First,
it is available only on mail order and it is released on a small indie label
(instead of Capitol where his main band, Duran Duran are housed). It is a
good freshman effort, and as expected, a couple names got pulled in to
work on it; David Palmer (who's worked with Rod Stewart) and the Sex
Pistols' Steve Jones plays guitar on all tracks to add that punky groove
thing.
The lyrics are elemental and naked, full of personal angst of what
he sees, knows, understands, and feels. If you like this type of lyrical
writing, you'll love this album. It sounds along the lines of the Nirvana /
Green Day / Foo Fighters, without being slickly produced. Phone
instruments are also used to add flair to the style of the songs. Taylor's
vocal's aren't bad either, but he still needs a bit of refining.
John is also part of a showcase group called the Neurotic
Outsiders, which had a semi-residency in Los Angeles' hip Viper Room.
Taylor's album is available from B5 Records for $15; the label
is located on the web at http://www.b5records.com/ or via e-mail at
jtsmedia@aol.com
---
REVIEW: Mike Pinder, _A Planet With One Mind: Stories From Around
The World For The Child Within Us All_ (One Step Records)
- Linda Scott
The album title says it all . _A Planet With One Mind_ is a
collection of seven children's stories. Background music is suited to
the mood and origin of each tale. An unlikely candidate for the local
cd store? True enough. This one will be found in the children's
section of the bookstore, but what makes it interesting to music buffs
is the artist behind its production. That person is Mike Pinder, one
of the original Moody Blues.
In fact, Pinder helped form that legendary rock band in 1964 in
Birmingham, England. They started out on the fast track opening for
the Beatles on The Fab Four's last tour. Later that year they released
the hit "Go Now" followed by the megahit "Nights In White Satin" in 1967.
Mike Pinder's Mellotron keyboard gave the band its unique symphonic pop
sound. For 14 years he produced the sound that took the Moodies from
_Days of Future Passed_ through _Octave_, and his was the voice reading
most of the poetry on their albums in the 70s. By 1978, the Moody Blues
had sold 50 million albums worldwide, and Pinder had met his future wife,
walked away from the rock world, and never looked back. He now says
that he felt he had raised a band, and now he wanted to raise a
family. With his youngest now 16, Mike is taking a cautious step
back toward the recording industry with the founding of One Step
Records. Last year he released _Among The Stars_ which has the old
Moody Blues' sound with a classical jazz flavor. _A Planet With One
Mind_ is the label's second offering.
This is a terrific children's collection focusing on legends
and myths around the world. The stories are exceptional, by
high-quality authors. Award-winning children's author Tomie dePaola
is represented with _The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush_ which Pinder
reads to the accompaniment of Peyote ceremonial music. An Indian tale
has sitar and tambour sound while a Chinese selection includes Chinese
temple flute and a koto harp. One of Mike's goals was to have his
story collection be a multicultural musical education that would
enhance the positive story messages, and he has succeeded. The
stories make the album appropriate for children of all ages, but
grade school children will best appreciate the music, message and
story. Pinder plans a trilogy of these albums with the others
expected to be released in late spring and summer and a box set by
the end of the year.
So if you were expecting the Moody Blues or (from the title)
some New Age sounds, this isn't it. This is something better. Moody
Blues completists need a copy as does anyone with a child; you won't
go wrong with this as a gift for someone else's child, either. And,
if you like to sit and listen to a storyteller with some very special
music, pick up _A Planet With One Mind_, a gentle album which
should make Mike Pinder very proud.
---
CONTEST:The contest for this issue of Consumable is sponsored
in conjunction with World Domination Recordings/Independent Project
Records. A free compilation CD will be given away to five lucky winners;
the only other place to get this CD was at the industry event, South by
Southwest in Austin, Texas.
The sampler includes tracks from Dave Allen and the Elastic
Purejoy (see interview in March 9 issue of Consumable), Loop Guru
(UK techno/ambient/jungle/world beat/trance), instrumental rock and
roll from Scenic (including founding member of Savage Republic, Bruce
Licher), Gigantaur (Australian pop), and more.
To enter? Just drop an e-mail to nina@blarg.net; the e-mail
should have a subject header of "WORLD CONTEST" and the content
of the message should include your name, address and e-mail address.
The contest ends on March 25, 1996.
---
NEWS: > The March/April issue of Performing Songwriter, with
interviews containing feature interviews with Rickie Lee Jones
and the October Project and numerous other mini-interviews, is
available in stores for $4.95. For further information, they
can be contacted on the WWW at http://songs.com/noma/tps or via
e-mail at perfsong@aol.com
> The surviving members of the Sex Pistols - Johnny Rotten,
Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glem Matlock - held a press conference
on Monday, March 18 to announce plans to celebrate their 20th
anniversary. The WWW site containing pictures and further
information, which will reportedly be taken down sometime
March 19 or 20, is http://www.hob.com/sexpistols
---
TOUR DATES
AC/DC
Mar. 21 Montreal, QC Forum
Mar. 23 Toronto, ON Skydome
Mar. 25 Pittsburgh, PA Civic Arena
Mar. 27-28 Detroit, MI Palafce
Mar. 29 Dayton, OH Nutter Center
Mar. 30 Cleveland, OH Gund Arena
Barenaked Ladies / Bogmen
Mar. 23 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
Mar. 24 Portland, OR La Luna
Mar. 26 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts
Mar. 27 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly Events Center
Mar. 29 Anaheim, CA Freedman Theatre
Mar. 30 West Hollywood, CA Legion
Mar. 31 San Diego, CA4th and B
Frank Black / Jonny Polonsky
Mar. 21 Boston, MA Paradise
Mar. 22 Portland, ME Granny Killiams
Mar. 23 Montreal, QC Cafe Campus
Mar. 25 Toronto, ON Opera House
Mar. 26 London, ON Call The Office
Mar. 28 Detroit, MI St. Andrews
Mar. 29 Buffalo, NY Network
Mar. 30 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Mar. 31 Pittsburgh, PA Graffiti
Jackson Browne
Mar. 21 Indianapolis, IN Orpheum
Mar. 22 Des Moines, IA Des Moines Civic Center
Mar. 23 St. Louis, MO Fox Theatre
Mar. 25 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Riverside
Mar. 26 Toledo, OH Stranahan Theatre
Mar. 27 Pittsburgh, PA Palumbi Center
Mar. 29 State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center
Mar. 30 Buffalo, NY Shea's Buffalo Theatre
Mar. 31 Hartford, CT Meadow's Music Theatre
Brother Cane
Mar. 21 Toledo, OH Asylum
Mar. 22 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
Mar. 23 Ottawa Barrymore's
Mar. 24 Montreal, QC Club Soda
Mar. 28 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Mar. 29 Detroit, MI State Theatre
Combine
Mar. 21 Philadelphia, PA Nick's
Mar. 22 New York, NY Coney Island High
Mar. 23 Boston, MA Rathskellar
Mar. 24 Providence, RI Club Babyhead
Mar. 26 Asbury Park, NJ Saint
Cravin' Melon
Mar. 21 Little Rock, AR Juanita's
Mar. 22 Fayetteville, AR JR's
Mar. 23 Oxford, MS Old Miss U
Mar. 26 Starksville, MS Ricks
Mar. 27 Auburn, AL War Eagel Supper Club
Mar. 29 Clemson, SC Clemson U (Campus sweep)
Mar. 30 Atlanta, GA Chameleon
Deftones
Mar. 20 Chicago, IL The Metro
Mar. 21 Indianapolis, IN Emmerson Theatre
Mar. 22 Detroit, MI Shelter
Mar. 23 Toronto, ONT Opera House
Mar. 24 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
Mar. 26 New York, NY Coney Island High
Mar. 27 Washington, D.C. Black Cat
Mar. 29 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint
Mar. 30 Boston, MA Mama Kin Concert Hall
Mar. 31 Philadelphia, PA Khyber Pass
Diamond Rio
Mar. 19 New York, NY The Bottom Line
Mar. 21 Austin, TX Travis County Expo Center
Mar. 22 Lafayette, LA Cajun Dome
Mar. 23 Shreveport, LA Memorial Auditorium
Mar. 28 Grand Rapids, MI DeVos Hall Theater
Mar. 29 Rockford, IL Metro Center
Mar. 30 Merrillville, IN Star Plaza Theater
Mar. 31 Davenport, IA Adler Theater
Arlo & Abe Guthrie
Mar. 26-27 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
Mar. 29 Kalamazoo, MI Kalamazoo State Theatre
Hum / Mercury Rev
Mar. 22 Milwaukee, WI Annex Bar
Mar. 23 Peoria, IL Madison Theatre
Love and Rockets
Mar. 22 San Francisco, CA Trocadero Transfer
Mar. 24 Phoenix, AZ Club Rio
Mar. 26 Dallas, TX Tree's
Mar. 28 Houston, TX Numbers
Mar. 29 New Orleans, LA Howlin Wolf
Mar. 30 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers
Mar. 21 Raleigh, NC Ritz
Mar. 23 Fort Lauderdale, FL Smoke Park Festival
Mar. 24 St. Petersburg, FL Janus Landing
Mar. 27 Pensacola, FL Bayfront Auditorium
Mar. 28 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Menthol
Mar. 19 Gainesville, FL Rickenbacher's
Mar. 20 Jacksonville, FL Club Five
Mar. 21 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Cafe Theatre
Mar. 22 Charleston, SC Music Farm
Mar. 23 Myrtle Beach, SC Sandpiper's
Mystery Machine
Mar. 21 Kitchener, ON Volacano (w/Treble Charger)
Mar. 22 Oshawa, ON Moonroom (w/ Treble Charger)
Mar. 23 Toronto, ON Horseshoe
Mysteries of Life
Mar. 25 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Mar. 27 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
Mar. 28 New London, CT Elngee Club
Mar. 29 Boston, MA Middle East
Mar. 30 Philadelphia, PA Cyberpass
Ken Nordine
Mar. 22 NewYork, NY Mondo Kim's (CD Signing)
Mar. 23 New York, NY Knitting Factory
O-Matic
Mar. 21 DeLand, FL Luigi's
Mar. 24 Birmingham, AL American Beat
Poi Dog Pondering
Mar. 23 Champaign, IL Virginia Theater
Mar. 26 Pittsburgh, PA Graffitti
Mar. 27 State College, PA Crowbar
Mar. 28 Philadelphia, PA Wxpn Show
Mar. 29 Asbury Park, NJ The Metro
Mar. 30 New York, NY Tramps
Professor & Maryann
Mar. 26 New York, NY Orange Bear
Mar. 26 New York, NY Ludlow St. Cafe
Rake's Progress
March 29 Fredonia, NY SUNY Fredonia
Sister Machine Gun / Gravity Kills
Mar. 21 Paradise Is., SC The Flamingo
Sting
Mar. 24-26 Rotterdam, Holland Ahoy
Mar. 27 Ghent, Belgium Flanders Expo
Mar. 29 Lille, France Zenith
Mar. 30 Caan, France Zenith
Mar. 31 Rennes, France Salle Omnisport
Swales
Mar. 21 Norman, OK Cafe 66th
Mar. 22 Kansas City, MO Hurricane
Mar. 23 St. Louis, MO Cicero's
Mar. 25 Minneapolis, MN The Fine Line (W/ Billy Pilgrim)
Mar. 27 Madison, WI Chamber
Mar. 28 Chicago, IL Schubas
Mar. 29 Dayton, OH Canal St.
They Might Be Giants
Mar. 21 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Mar. 28 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
They Might Be Giants / Swales
Mar. 30 Evanston, IL Northwestern Univ. Patten Gym
Mar. 31 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
Tina & The B Side Movement
Mar. 27 Santa Monica, CA Alligator Lounge
Tiny Lights
Mar. 21 Dayton, OH Canal St. Tavern
Mar. 22 Chicago, IL Lounge Ax
Mar. 23 Kalamazoo, MI Club Soda
Mar. 30 Sparta, NJ Krogh's
Urchins
Mar. 22 Freehold, NJ Harley's Steak House
Mar. 30 Bound Brook, NJ Palmyra Tea Room
Uzjsmedoma
Mar. 24 San Diego, CA Casbah
Mar. 25 Santa Monica, CA Alligator Lounge
Mar. 29 Eugene, OR John Henry's
Mar. 30 Seattle, WA The Off Ramp
Weston
Mar. 24 Bethlehem, PA Lehigh University
Mar. 29 Morristown, NJ Assumption H.S.
---
ADDITION: The Killing Joke album reviewed in Issue #70 of Consumable,
_Democracy_, will not be commercially released until April 16.
---
To get back issues of Consumable, check out:
FTP: eetsg22.bd.psu.edu in the directory /pub/Consumable
ftp.etext.org in the directory /pub/Zines/Consumable
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Engleski Jezik/Music/Consumable or
Hrvastki Jezik/Glazbena Rubrika/Consumable
(URL) gopher://diana.zems.etf.hr:70/11/eng/Music/Consumable
http://www.westnet.com/consumable/Consumable.html
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(CIS) on Compuserve Notes: GO FORUM
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Address any written correspondence to Bob Gajarsky, Consumable Online,
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===
