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I S S U E # 1 7 : O C T O B E R 1 9 9 6
DO UNTO PUMPKINS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THkm...AAAACK!!!
============================================================================
- The Specialists -
DJ Johnson.................Editor
Jim Andrews................HTML
coLeSLaw...................Graphic Artist
Lauren Marshall............Administrative Assistant
Louise Johnson.............Administrative Assistant and
Keeper Of The Debris
- The Cosmik Writers -
Jim Andrews, Cai Campbell, coLeSLAw, Robert Cummings, Shaun Dale,
Phil Dirt, David Fenigsohn, Alex Gedeon, Keith Gillard, DJ Johnson,
Steven Leith, Steve Marshall, The Platterpuss, Paul Remington, and
John Sekerka
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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
EDITOR'S NOTES: Happy Halloween! Contest winners announced.
ANYTHING BUT HARMLESS: Lance Kaufman's music demands attention. With Yard
Trauma in the 80's, he provided powerful Farfisa organ. With Harmless
in 1990, he unleashed an album filled with shattering and cerebral music
that demanded even closer attention. This year, he has taken on an
alter-ego, Karla Pundit, and released an exotic album of organ music.
What he'll do next is anybody's guess. In this interview, he discusses
all of those projects, his 56 unusual roommates, and his fascination
with the dark side of music.
INVASION OF THE BOSS MARTIANS!: Seattle's awesome surf combo is on the rise!
Guitarist Evan Foster discusses his music, his gear, and his zeal for
the entire scene.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS: Satan takes a break from whatever
it is he does all day and talks to our nervous interviewer about
Halloween and whatever the hell is on his little mind.
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK: The Fat Lady Tunes Up - As the Presidential elections
near a conclusion, the results are looking pretty obvious. Shaun Dale
takes a look at the good and the bad of it.
RECORD REVIEWS: Loads and loads of 'em. Oodles, even. (What the hell's an
oodle, exactly?)
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE (Steven Leith): Mr. Leith looks at another possible
future for the Internet, and shares a little advice: use it while you've
got it.
PHIL'S GARAGE (Phil Dirt): Sir Dirt's short story, "The Lady In The
Reverb," with a main character that doesn't resemble any living person.
Nope. Not one. Not him, either! Nobody. Back off! We have a lawyer!
THE AUDIO FILE (Cai Campbell): Cai's final Cosmik Debris column deals with
an affordable tool that can make all the difference in the world for your
sound system.
dead STUFF I NOTICED (DJ Johnson): Do you love your band? Do you want to
keep playing together forever and ever? Then DO NOT let this man
interview you!
TAPE HISS (John Sekerka): A double dose of rock and roll, as John interviews
Killdozer AND The Upper Crust.
THE DEBRIS FIELD (Louise Johnson): Our Debris Keeper, Louise, has outdone
herself this month! It's a Halloween potpourri.
RAISE THE DEAD (How to contact us!) You can either go through a medium,
which means all that down time while you wait for our spirit guides and
all that, or you can just...you know...send us e-mail. It's always good
to have options, isn't it?
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E D I T O R ' S N O T E S
By DJ Johnson
Happy Halloween! My favorite day of the year, actually--probably due to
my overactive dark side. In honor of the season, we've decked this issue
out in our own version of Halloween decor. Right off the bat, I'd like to
thank two people who worked a lot of extra hours to make it all come together.
coLeSLAw, our artist type guy, spent a lot of late night hours on the phone
with me this month batting ideas back and forth, creating great titles and
just generally being indispensable. I'd also like to thank Louise Johnson,
my wife, who has rescued The Debris Field from neglect by spending a lot
of time searching for cool stuff to put in there--and forsaking sleep in
order to tweak the Field until it looked absolutely incredible. Make sure
you check it out.
We're losing a writer. One we've lost before! Cai Campbell was one of the
four original Cosmik writers, and one of the people who helped shape Cosmik
from the beginning by sharing ideas and offering creative feedback on other
peoples' ideas. Cai has some great ideas for an E-Zine of his own, and he's
decided to make it happen. As soon as it's ready to fly, Cosmik Debris will
have an announcement, and we will have a link directly to Cai's page. We'll
miss his Audio File column and his educated reviews. Good luck, Cai.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank KFJC-FM disc jockey Anne Arbor
for inviting me to be interviewed on her drive time radio program, Dancing
In The Fast Lane With Ann Arbor. It gave me a chance to spend 20 minutes
going on and on about my favorite topic--Cosmik Debris--to listeners in San
Francisco and vicinity. Thanks, Ann.
Finally, we have last month's contest to talk about. Our Halibuts CD and
T-shirt giveaway, to be precise. The winners are: Jorge Rosas of Aveiro,
Portugal; Dave Wood of Rockville, Maryland; Peter Pugliese of Quebec,
Canada; Pat Stevens of Oxford, Connecticut; and Boyd Williamson of Columbia,
Missouri. They each win a copy of the brand new Halibuts CD, Life On The
Bottom, and a Halibuts T-shirt. Congratulations to all.
Be sure to check out this month's contest, where you can win a pair of CDs
by Lance Kaufman. His 1991 release, HARMLESS: Protect Us From Evil, and
his new release (in the guise of his alter ego, Karla Pundit), KARLA PUNDIT:
Journey To The Ancient City. If you only get the ascii version of Cosmik
Debris, you're still eligible to win. Simple send e-mail to moonbaby@serv.net
with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Multiple entries
will be discarded. Those of you who are reading us on the World Wide Web
will find entry forms at the end of the Lance Kaufman interview and also
toward the end of the table of contents frame.
That's about it. This issue is packed. Hope you enjoy it.
DJ Johnson
Editor
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A N Y T H I N G B U T H A R M L E S S !
From Yard Trauma To Harmless To Karla Pundit, Lance Kaufman Does It All.
Interview by DJ Johnson
As MTV and top-40 radio continue to blast out unchallenging music for mass
consumption, a much smaller segment of the population waits anxiously for
anything that will make them think. If a certain piece of music can catch
their attention, it's welcomed with open arms. The music of Harmless grabs
and shakes its listeners, demanding not only their attention but immediate
participation and analysis. Lance Kaufman's musical vision is quite unique
in this world of cookie-cutter recording artists. An immensely talented
keyboard player with a jazz background, he walked away from that scene for
a time to play with San Francisco's legendary garage band, Yard Trauma,
with whom he released two excellent albums.
In 1991, he formed a band called Harmless around a semi-fictional storyline
he had dreamed up while doing time playing in jazz nightclubs. The music
contains several elements of jazz and even exotica. The sax (played by
Martin Fierro) acts like an errant bottle rocket all through the album,
fizzing and screeching in every which direction, creating a chaotic sonic
face-slap that got the attention of the listener and held it for Kaufman's
lyrics. His lyrics are most definitely not standard issue boy-meets-girl
pablum. Dark, unsettling and sometimes wildly disturbing, the lyrics also
demand attention, but more than that, they demand that you form an opinion.
Songs like "Richard Bible," a story of outrage at a system that would release
a repeat sex offender into an unsuspecting community where he would kill
children; like "Hiroshima Maidens," an emotionless verbatim reading of a
1955 article about the medical progress of young women who were tragically
disfigured in the atomic bomb blast; like "Harmless," the true centerpiece
of the album, which chronicles the progress of an oppressed house jazz band
as they rebel against the attitudes of their audience and run amok playing
exactly what they really want to play. By the end of the album, the
listener is wrung out, but much wiser. Kaufman's old Yard Trauma bandmate,
Lee Joseph, released Harmless on his Dionysus label in 1991. Unfortunately,
not many heard it. Of course, in 1991, not many were READY for it, either.
After a stint as keyboardist for the legendary Oscar Brown, Jr., Kaufman
returned this year as Karla Pundit--a dead on tribute to Korla Pandit, the
turban-wearing organist whose exotic style made him a star in the Hollywood
of the 50's and 60's. With exotica being all the rage, the timing couldn't
have been better, but the truth is that Lance Kaufman had been into exotica
since his youth. Now, with Karla Pundit sales doing very well, Kaufman
is considering giving Harmless another chance to catch on. A lot of horrible
musical garbage has come our way since 1991, over television, over radio,
over and over. Perhaps people are ready to listen to music that might
challenge them.
This originally figured to be a fairly quick interview, but the more he
talked, the more interesting it became to me. More questions followed,
and before we knew it, nearly nine hours of conversation had gone by. Here,
then, is a remarkably condensed version of one of the most interesting
conversations I've had in a long while.
- - -
Cosmik: What was your training? Was it classical or jazz, or...
Lance: Yeah, I am classically trained. I hope no one holds that against
me (Laughs). My parents decided when I was three and a half that I had
some musical talent just because I was pretending to conduct the orchestra
on some record or something. So they kind of forced me into studying
piano, and I studied for I guess about ten or eleven years, pretty much
hating it the whole time. That was my way of pleasing them. It was set
up so I kind of stuck with it. I was bribed. It gave me a real good
foundation in terms of playing what I wanted to do, but it was never [an
issue] of whether I'd like the music or not. I mean, occasionally something
would catch on just because there would be a piece that was interesting.
But it was just haphazard. More than likely, it was something that I was
just doing because I was supposed to do it. I've gone back, years later,
and was able to do music that I wanted to do and it was a whole different
thing, because I like a lot of classical music, but I'm pretty opinionated
and have pretty limited tastes. I like a lot of twentieth century stuff,
and then...real early stuff, but it seems like otherwise, there's a lot
of the standard stuff that I'm really bored by.
Cosmik: Like?
Lance: Oh, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms...Occasionally I'll hear something
by Brahms that I like, but I'm definitely like an all-around classical
person. I'm sort of disgusted with the state of performances, and what
gets performed and what doesn't get performed. But I could say that,
probably, about jazz or any other kind of music. At any rate, I studied
for that number of years, and I did pretty well, won some competitions
and stuff. And then finally, I got to a point where I just couldn't
stand it, and I really blew a competition badly. And at the end of that,
I told them that I didn't want to do it anymore.
Cosmik: Did you blow it intentionally?
Lance: Well...probably subconsciously. But I really just didn't want any
part of it anymore. It had been going on too long. And during that time,
I had been listening to rock and roll and collecting 45's, and that was
really the music, at that time, that I liked. Several years after I quit
studying classical piano, I got interested in jazz, and sort of learned
how to play jazz on my own. I was playing it before I understood what it
was, really. I didn't have any idea of chord structures or things like
that. That came later. So I have a background in both, and there's a
lot in both that I like. And then again, there's a lot that I don't like.
Cosmik: You mentioned that you like some modern composers. Who specifically?
Lance: Well...probably anyone who isn't connected with minimalism. My
own opinion of Phillip Glass is that he's the yuppie composer of the
late twentieth century. I like Schoenber, I like 12-tone composers.
There's a composer who I really like who probably has written quite a bit
but hasn't had things recorded very much. Her name is Miriam Gideon.
I think she's from New York. I like George Crumb, you know, a lot of
the atonal people. Actually...You go to the edge, in terms of sound,
and you get to a point where noise equals music, you realize you can't
go any further. So you have to go back and pick up on some of the stuff
that you missed on the first journey. So, there are some people that are
a little more conventional, like Benjamin Britten, that I've really
gotten to like, and I actually really like his operas. For me, an
ingredient that's important in any kind of music is that it's making some
kind of an emotional statement. I don't like judging any music either
technically or theoretically, or breaking it apart and analyzing it. I
think if something moves you, whether it's simplistic or if it happens
to be more complex, then that's great, but I don't think I could ever
listen to music for a technical exercise. I've never really liked
show-offs in any kind of music--pieces that were written in the classical
repertoire for violinists to show off, or something like that. I think
of people like Al DiMeola, who I've never understood his appeal to anyone,
because basically, it just seems like he's trying to play as many notes
as he can. In jazz, too, I feel like if you're going to play notes, they
should mean something, and not just be showing off. I'm not generally
impressed by that sort of thing. I'd rather hear something sparse or
simple and find that there's an emotionally compelling aspect to it.
Cosmik: Are there exceptions in jazz or avant garde? Players that maybe
are technically amazing, but are also playing something meaningful...
Lance: Oh yeah. Someone like Eric Dolphy, who was an incredible technician,
and I've heard that he was capable of doing anything on the instrument.
But he's using sound to say something. I mean, it isn't just bullshitting
around on the instrument. Or even going back further...for some reason,
I like Art Tatum, and he's, to me, an amazing technician, but for some
reason it doesn't seem that superficial. But somebody like Oscar Peterson,
who is very much out of that same mold, I don't like at all. I've never
liked Oscar Peterson. In terms of newer people, obviously there are people
doing some experimental stuff or cross-breeding different types of hybrid
musics, but I sort of feel like the current situation in jazz in general
is kind of pathetic. I hate to name people and criticize them, but someone
like Wynton Marsallis can be considered a legend or something, and basically
he's just an okay imitator of about five different trumpet players. There
are people around now that are doing a lot more original stuff that I'd
rather see getting attention. But it seems like... jazz used to have
an underground aspect to it. It was not the accepted music. There was
an edge to it. It implied rebellion in its own way. Now, in general,
it brings images of jazz festivals and people sitting around smiling at
each other and tasting wine and cheese in a completely unthreatening
atmosphere. "Let's go to a jazz festival! Happy happy!" And in fact,
that's actually how the group concept of Harmless got going. The music
has another story, but the whole idea of the Harmless thing is it's this
group that's trying to be as inoffensive as possible and they're playing
for these nice audiences, but they've just about had it, and essentially
they go berserk and tear off their nice clothes and express what they've
really been wanting to play all along. The song "Harmless" is envisioning
that group...that goes astray and finally asserts itself rather than
being willing to continue playing the bullshit to survive.
Cosmik: "If we played the music we wanted to, it would make you shit."
Lance: Yeah. Which, unfortunately, people don't want anything that they
have to digest or they have to think about. It seems that way in film,
or in the arts in general. Everybody wants the superficial crap that
you can just lay on a table in front of them and they can absorb it all.
Like with film... Show me a film that's ABOUT something instead of one
that just demonstrates the technological advances that, you know, "we're
able to show anything or recreate anything." How about a little humanity
in there somewhere, or a little statement about something.
Cosmik: I hear elements of both classical and jazz in the Harmless material.
Which artists influenced your keyboard playing?
Lance: Well that's a tough one, because a lot of the stuff I've listened
to over the years has not been keyboard players. I've listened to a lot
of standard jazz keyboard players, but in terms of something that I would
do now, or something that was relevant now, a lot of the groups that I've
enjoyed were keyboardless. Then you get into that whole other thing of
keyboards and rock and roll, and what that brings to mind for most
people--and rightly so--is overproduced, watered down, and smooth.
And I really don't like that, but there's a reason for that label,
because a lot of the stuff that's done with keyboards, unfortunately,
is that way. I didn't want to do something that way. In doing the
Harmless thing, I wanted to do something without guitar using a standard
jazz lineup, and using keyboards but to try to use them in ways that
might surprise people and show them that keyboards can have an edge, or
even acoustic piano, if used properly, can have an edge and can create
some of the intensity that you find in rock and roll that would NOT use
keyboards. Essentially, I was trying to use sounds that were
uncharacteristic. There's a single version of "They Dug Up Elvis," and
the flipside is a Martin Denny/Arthur Lyman take-off called "Peaceful
Amazon Village." The single of "They Dug Up Elvis" is different from
the album version. It's much more "wall of noise." I use something that
I call The Lance-a-Tron on it, which is kind of a joke. It's one of
the very original electric pianos that somebody just had in their house,
and they gave it to me. It's like a little baby upright piano that you
have to pull the keyboard out and stick it in, and it just comes out with
these two prongs. But it's basically a real piano with strings, and this
thing was all out of tune and fucked up, and I just left it that way
and ran it through a bunch of effects. I used it on "I Passed For White."
That was the Lance-A-Tron on there. It was called The Piano-Tron, but
I went out to a stationary store and got letters that matched up, scraped
the "Piano" off and put "Lance" on. Actually, that's languishing in a
storage shed in San Francisco right now. But anyway, I wanted the album
to be jazz influenced without necessarily being a jazz album. But I think
there is definitely, like you say, a jazz influence in there, and even a
classical influence. I would have to say people like Cecil Taylor, and
Muhal Richard Abrahms, or Paul Bley. Everybody's always talking about Karla
Bley, and for some reason she's someone I've never warmed up to. But her
ex-husband, Paul Bley, before he kind of got old and tired really did
some interesting things, piano-wise. And there was probably the influence
from listening to saxophones and horns a lot. I like, if I'm going to
use chords, I'll use them not as a chord structure, but as a texture.
I did that on "Hiroshima Maidens." It's two chords that keep repeating.
And I wanted the sax player to listen to that as a texture that was there,
and not like "well, that's a G-chord there, so I'm going to play in this
mode that fits a G Major chord," or something like that. I wanted him,
in fact, to clash against it--to use it as something to bounce off of and
NOT fit in with.
Cosmik: When did you play with Yard Trauma?
Lance: I was on their first two albums, which was like mid 80's. '83 or
'84. They went through quite a transition over a period of time. They
actually started out as strictly a noise group with someone playing radio
broadcasts and stuff. It was just two people, I think. Lee Joseph and
Joe Dodge always liked 60's stuff a lot. About the time I joined, they
switched gears and went into a neo-60's punk kind of thing. Actually,
there was a stage in between that where they were briefly kind of a
hardcore band, and I joined them at the tail end of that. I was just
playing Farfisa [organ] in the group, and people found it rather amusing
that I was playing like hardcore Farfisa. (Laughs) I remember that there
were some people that didn't particularly like that idea! And they may
have been right, in retrospect. Then it evolved into a fairly hard edged
60's sounding group, which I actually had a whole bunch of fun playing.
They were real powerful sounding, and the songs that those guys were
writing were real interesting. We were doing a few covers, but it was
mainly original stuff. They really evolved to where they wanted to get
away from the 60's thing. This was after I left.
Cosmik: Why did you leave the band?
Lance: I couldn't move on to LA with them. My wife was just finishing
up medical school and was just getting ready to start a residency in
Phoenix. But I really loved playing with them.
Cosmik: With your background, wasn't Yard Trauma kind of a stretch?
Lance: Well, I've always been a hard person to understand, from the
viewpoint of other musicians. Like when the whole punk and new wave
thing started, and I was playing jazz with people in San Francisco, and
I would bring this stuff to them to hear, and they thought it was trash
and couldn't understand how someone who had the capabilities I had, you
know, [in mock-awe voice] to play jaaaazz could actually listen to this
"crap." Which shows how closed-minded they were, because this so-called
crap was so much newer and fresher and... full of energy than anything
that they were doing. But I've always been hard to pin down, and I've
actually gotten to a point where I like that fact now. Somebody seeing
Karla Pundit is going to think I'm this lounged-out mellow guy, and then
play "They Dug Up Elvis" for 'em, and they'll say "Wait a minute, this
can't be the same person." I don't know, now I'll have to come up with
something else completely different from that stuff to keep people
guessing. I definitely don't want to be labelled as a jazz person. I
don't mind it being considered that I can play jazz, though I think I'm
probably just an adequate player. But again, if somebody has something
to say musically, it doesn't matter if they have all this technique, or
whatever. Some of the people I enjoyed most didn't even know how to play,
and once they learned how to play, I didn't like them anymore. Like
Jad Fair, from Half Japanese. They were, I think, just a bunch of kids
that got together with their friends and played instruments they didn't
know how to play and made some great music. Then the last couple things
I heard, it sounded like they learned to play. And actually, Pharoah
Sanders is another person who played instinctually rather than learning
the theory of playing, and in learning the theory of playing, he sounds
completely different and is not nearly as interesting.
Cosmik: How did you go about choosing the players for Harmless?
Lance: Well, they're people that I knew that were used to...well, Martin
Fierro, the saxophonist, is maybe a little more diverse in his background,
but in general they are jazz people that have interests in other areas,
and are used to following me in crazy directions, and who knew that they
weren't going to make any money, but whatever it is, it's going to be
something odd that won't be boring. Martin, actually, is kind of a bay
area legend. He was around in the late 60's, mainly in a band called The
Shades Of Joy, which I think is considered one of the first jazz influenced
rock and roll bands. They were on the soundtrack to El Topo. He was
on everybody's albums. He did some stuff with Sir Douglas Quintet,
Quicksilver...I think he was on some Grateful Dead albums. Seems like
just about any album that had a horn section coming out of the San
Francisco scene back in those days, he wound up being on it. I've known
him for a number of years. But I think this was the first chance he got
to really open up...
Cosmik: Yeah, there were no rules, were there?
Lance: No. Well, I mean, they are songs, so there is some kind of
structure to everything. And that was the intent. I didn't want to do
an album just of free improvisation, and I actually got criticized by
some of the free improvisers because I had lyrics and because they were
actually song-length pieces rather than stretching out. Which we could
have done, but that wasn't the concept. But back to your question, they
were guys who I had done some other stuff with...some jazz and rhythm
and blues stuff back in San Francisco.
Cosmik: Did Harmless play out much?
Lance: (Laughs) No. We played out one time, and it was the wrong place,
the wrong time, we weren't organized enough...there were some real problems.
And I think that may be part of the problem. There wasn't a band out
there...
Cosmik: Supporting it?
Lance: Yeah, doing any live performances. The timing was really bad.
The release date was a lot later than originally planned. And...I'm
not going to dwell on this, but I've got some real problems with keeping
a positive attitude. I've got, at times, some major depression problems
that can effect my functioning as a musician, or as anything else. I
think I got discouraged early on, before it was time to, and kind of shut
the thing down. But at this point, it's looking like we're going to try
it again.
Cosmik: I know musicians hate to be pigeonholed, but how would you
describe this music? If you had to put it in a section at a record
store, where would it be?
Lance: I would hope it's not "Alternative." I would rather see it in "Rock
and Roll" than in anything else, I think. I'm not sure I would say that it
should be in experimental, because it's not really experimental in the way
that people think of experimental. So I would probably just say the
"Interesting Rock and Roll" section as opposed to the "Corporate" section.
Cosmik: I get the impression that "They Dug Up Elvis" isn't necessarily about
AFTER he was dead. I wondered if it was more about his later career.
Anything to that?
Lance: No, it is after he's dead. I'm sort sickened by what we do to people
who we supposedly revere and love, and in the name of that love we trash
them for our own pleasures and enjoyment without any consideration that
they were human beings with feelings. There's this sort of mania that
takes over, and I'm just sickened by it. As you'll see by the cover
of the single, we did a photo shoot in Phoenix on a Sunday afternoon.
I got a bunch of friends together and told them to dress up like the
Elvis fans of their nightmares. We got a coffin and a skeleton, and an
Elvis jumpsuit like he wore in Vegas, and put it on him in the coffin.
And these people were all pouring over him and pawing at him. So it is
very much after he's dead. It's like a nightmare happening, and the
events that you would expect stupid people to require of him, in the
name of their love for him--what they force him to do.
Cosmik: You screamed that song at the absolute top of your lungs. I think
about the famous story of The Beatles saving "Twist And Shout" for the
end of the session because they knew it would shred Lennon's vocal chords,
and all I can think of is that you must have practically needed
hospitalization!
Lance: (Laughs) Well, no, believe it or not I got to where I could do that
and still talk and sing and speak normally. It isn't screamed. The way I
do it is sort of forcing it out, tension-wise. It's really not at that
great a volume--it's not open. It's like a closed screaming rather than
open as loud as I can possibly go. But I've got to come up with something
else to use that voice on. (Laughs) It's the only thing I've ever used
it on.
Cosmik: (Laughs) It's effective!
Lance: It's such a waste! I mean, it's a good voice.
Cosmik: Is there any particular reason you chose that song to open the album?
Lance: Oh, I don't know. Possibly because the single of it actually did
pretty well. I wanted to open the album with "Harmless," because that
would make sense as this group of people that are harmless and then the
music proceeds after that because they've started to assert themselves.
But I was afraid people would listen to that and hear that first, and it
wasn't necessarily one of the stronger pieces in terms of style, and I was
afraid that they'd hear that and dismiss it and not go on. So I just felt,
in a way, that there were some people out there that would buy the album
because they would recognize that "They Dug Up Elvis" was on there. I mean,
the single didn't do great, but considering nobody knew who I was, it did
okay...much better than the album did, at least initially... I mean, with
the new revived interest in Harmless, and the fact that it looks like
there is going to be a new band, I'm hoping there's going to be a new
album. I had a bunch of new material back then that didn't get recorded,
and I'm writing new stuff now, so I'm hoping we're going to do another
album and this time actually perform and do it properly. And give it a
chance.
Cosmik: "I Passed For White" is a strong anti-racist statement. Why did
you decide to write it from the perspective of an alien visitor?
Lance: Well, some people latch on to stuff I do and see it as humor,
and certainly there is humor in there, but I think what I basically
am doing is...I think that I'm a person with a moral mission or something.
(Laughs) I mean, I'm screaming out in outrage about all these various
things. I think you have to be careful in how you approach these things.
I think it's real easy to get preachy if you write about something serious
or that you feel strongly about. You can get preachy, or pretentious,
or self-indulgent. My feeling is that in order to write about something
like that, like racism or Hiroshima, you have to come at it from some
kind of an odd angle, like with "They Dug Up Elvis" or "I Passed For White,"
doing it somewhat humorously and definitely from an odd perspective. I
use humor and coming from these odd directions in order to be able to
tackle some of these subjects and not have it be ponderous. The "Hiroshima
Maidens" thing, you know, here I wanted to write something about Hiroshima,
and I find this great article by this guy who was writing for the Saturday
Review, and just reading it without any emphasis or trying to be cute
with it, I think that kind of thing can make a stronger statement in its
sarcasm or the absurdity of it than if you're ranting and raving about what
happened to those people. The thing about "I Passed For White" that was
so weird was that I woke up in the middle of the night and had the idea
for the song. I think the name is actually from some old B movie from
the 50's. I find things that I want to write about, and then it's like
trying to find a way to approach it that isn't going to be stupid. Or
maybe it IS going to be stupid, and that will make it work, whereas if
you just tried to be straight-forward and serious about it, it wouldn't
have the impact.
Cosmik: When you first found that 1955 Saturday Review article that became
"Hiroshima Maidens," did you immediate see it as a performance piece?
Lance: Yeah, absolutely.
Cosmik: It just struck you right then and there...
Lance: Yes. The way I found it was that I was researching at the library
looking for material, and I was getting nowhere because I was thinking
"how can I write about this from my perspective," trying to think of
what perspective wasn't going to sound like, again, preachy, or overbearing,
or maudlin. And then I kind of stumbled on this by accident. And it
worked out, I think, very well.
Cosmik: Tell us about "Blowjob Parts 1 & 2." The whole "sex is a lie"
concept. That's a pretty disturbing song.
Lance: There, you've got a whole area of thought that I'm preoccupied by.
I guess sex in real life as opposed to glamorized life, and particularly
in music. I mean, I don't want you to think that I've been a complete
miserable failure in my sexual relationships, but there have been some
good things and some real nauseating things. And I get sick of this
"everybody has a great time and everything's great," and I guess I'm
preoccupied with showing the failed side of sexual relationships, and
I'm intrigued by the reality of our sexual relationships with each other
as opposed to what we try to make each other believe or what we want to
believe. There are enough people writing about sex in a stereotypical
way. I'd like to get in a few pieces about the destructive or darker
side of it. The "Richard Bible" thing is another side of it. The same
thing...my preoccupation with the darker side of sex.
Cosmik: That was the next song I was going to ask you about, too.
Lance: He was a Flagstaff phenomenon.
Cosmik: Was that his real name?
Lance: That's his real name. When people read the it, they'll pronounce
it "Bibble" because they just can't believe that's his real name. I
was living here when that happened, so I experienced the whole community
thing that was going on with it. That, to me, if there's one piece that's
the strongest on the record, it was that one. There was no way that I
could have anything AFTER it on the record. That had to be the last piece
on there. I just listened to the CD for the first time in two years. I
listened to it in the car when I had to drive into Phoenix for the day,
and I was in tears when I was listening to that.
Cosmik: Yeah, that song wrings me out.
Lance: I think the piece succeeds really well that way. So yeah, I have
a preoccupation with sex, and I also have a HEALTHY preoccupation with
it that occasionally comes out in more positive ways, but I don't think,
in general, that my songs are very positive. (Laughs) I'm actually
writing one piece that the new Harmless is going to do that is more
optimistic. It's about as optimistic about life as I'm gonna get, I
think. It's not all smiles and happy happy, but... I think I tend to
zero in on darker things. I love the Marx Brothers, and I love comedy,
and I definitely have a sense of humor and love the absurd, but I think,
basically, I zero in on the dark things maybe because there's more
emotion there or more intensity. The films I like are pretty dark, and
the music I like is pretty dark and intense.
Cosmik: With "Richard Bible," I didn't feel any humor. I felt outrage at
the system.
Lance: Yeah, that may be an exception. You're right, because I don't think
my little sarcastic bits got in there. Maybe I felt I wanted a purity in
there that went right for absolutely what happened and chronicled it.
And absolutely didn't mess around with it.
Cosmik: The song was more an indictment of system than an indictment of
Richard Bible, wasn't it?
Lance: Oh, yeah, I mean it's something that has shown up relatively
frequently, and I'm not sure why it keeps happening.
Cosmik: The title track is probably very funny to the average listener...it's
like a sarcastic "fuck you" to the whole jazz club-background music thing.
But to musicians who've done that gig, it rings very true, things like
"careful we don't disturb a word you're saying." Have you had to play
in that kind of atmosphere, or was that an outside observation?
Lance: Well, I definitely have had to. The fact that I survived playing
music for a number of years...that was the only way I could. I probably
didn't have the luxury of getting into recording stuff. I suddenly needed
to be making money instantly, so I wound up in the club scene doing that.
I think there are many musicians that can relate to that. I'm not sure
how non-musicians would relate to it, but I think people that are more
serious about their music could relate to that even if they aren't
musicians, because they see what those people are like that go into those
places.
Cosmik: Did you have any hope that the people who treat bands like that in
clubs might hear the song and think?
Lance: No, you know, I think more and more, I sort of feel like I have no
hope that anything anybody is going to say is going to change anybody's
mind. I almost feel like what we do when we try to express something
that could teach, that somebody could learn something from, what we're
doing is reinforcing our own group and the solidarity there. Or releasing
these screams that we have to release--that we have to say this even if
nobody's hearing it.
Cosmik: Because the music is anything but passive, and the lyrics demand
that the listener forms an opinion, I wonder if "Harmless" is also a
swipe at the bands of the last fifteen or twenty years that don't try
to say or change anything...
Lance: I don't want to say that, because I think that people do that stuff
for a variety of reasons. Like me, I had to disguise myself. The person
that people were seeing or imagining me to be like was absolutely nothing
like what I was. And I know that I worked with other people who, for
whatever reason, needed to be doing this too, and hated it and wound up
hating themselves. I went through a self-hate thing and a guilt thing
over all the shit that I did. On the other hand, there are people who
enjoy doing that. To them, that's what music is. But I wouldn't want
to, in general, say that all these people are full of shit for doing this,
because you get put into a position where if you have to survive and make
a living, it's the best option at the time.
Cosmik: Throughout the whole record, the sax sounds like chaos. Sometimes
the music in the background, even though it's not simple stuff, it tends
to be more of a stable texture while the sax is going crazy...
Lance: Yeah, well see, that's what I was talking about. I'll use something
texturally, whether it's chords that might be fairly simple, or some other
kind of a structure. It's intriguing to me to put something on top of that
that would not normally be there or is in direct opposition to that. So
that's very much intended.
Cosmik: The upheaval in that music is fascinating and dangerous. Are you
attracted to chaos?
Lance: Oh yes, very much so. I don't think I could listen to album-length
constant noise that didn't have some kind of a structural point to guide
it, because that can get as dull as listening to the same chord changes
played the same way over and over again. But I like chaotic stuff a lot.
There are some jazz players I like--mostly reed players--that tend to be
pretty chaotic, like Roscoe Mitchell from The Art Ensemble. And then
there's a New York player by the name of Marty Erlich that's real talented.
And Oliver Lake, who has played with the World Saxophone Quartet, but has
done a bunch of stuff with other people. And Arthur Blythe, and then a
person who just died recently, Julius Hemphill, who was a great player.
They don't all sound alike, but they all have that human screech,
screaming, crying quality.
Cosmik: How would you describe the role of the sax in Harmless?
Lance: Well, it's obviously human voice-like, like screaming. Basically,
it's the solo instrument. I don't know why I particularly wanted that
sound, to tell you the truth, but I know I hear that kind of saxophone
playing as speech; as speaking, or screaming, or crying or whatever.
There may be some kind of connection there that I've never really thought
about that much, but I think the decision for that sound was based on
the fact that I liked the idea, musically. It actually looks like this
up and coming version of Harmless may be saxophoneless. I may just do
it as a trio. But it's still going to be the same thing. Instead of
the saxophone screaming, probably in some way whatever keyboard things
I'm doing will have the same kind of chaotic frantic thing going on, to
some degree. It may be more subtle. If there was a guitar player, that's
the sound I would want, you know. Kind of a constant barrage of sound
rather than waiting to play a solo or playing some written line. I do
like the idea of bombarding people with sound. I joke about being the
Phil Specter of the avant-garde or something. (Laughs) I like toying
with people's minds; taking them in a direction as far as I can and getting
them out on a limb before they realize that they've been tricked. Which
you'll see when you hear "Peaceful Amazon Village."
Cosmik: Why won't Martin be back? Was there a falling out between you and
Martin?
Lance: Well, he's in a band called Zero, which is much more mainstream,
but they've wound up doing very well. He just doesn't have time for
both projects.
Cosmik: Let's talk about exotica, which is a style you perform as Karla
Pundit, and you used elements of it in Harmless before it was a popular
style again. I know I discovered it because my dad liked it when I was
a kid, and I rebelled against it then rediscovered it later. How did
you discover that genre?
Lance: The same way you did. The one person who I really think of, and
this is getting off the track a bit, but Louis Prima, who when I first
heard him, I thought he was just ridiculous. I couldn't believe anybody
could be that stupid. Then at some point I realized what I'd missed.
I'm not really sure how I evolved into liking exotica, but it's been
quite a while. I'm an absolutely fanatical addictive record collector.
There is no hope for me ever having a place to put my stuff, getting it
cataloged and...my studio has turned into a storage place for records.
They're in the way of all my keyboards and everything. I listen to an
awful lot of music. It seems like...you've got to keep growing, somehow.
And so I went through the jazz stuff that I liked, and the rock and roll
stuff that I liked...and you keep looking for other stuff. In a way, I
like something of everything. There are a couple kinds of music that I'm
still struggling with, one of them being rap, but I'm even finding a few
things there that I like. And country western being another. I've only
recently started listening to earlier country western...I don't think I'll
ever like the modern country stuff.
Cosmik: How was it that your playing in Harmless had an exotic sound? Was
that something you absorbed from hearing it in your house when you were
growing up?
Lance: No. No, I think absorbing that was fairly recent. If there's a
talent I have that's a bit unique, it's not that I'm that great a player
in any particular area, but for some reason I can adapt to just about
anything and do an adequate job. And have it sound in context, not have
it sounding like it doesn't fit. Part of it is that I've always been a
group person or an overall sound person rather than a person who wants to
show off, solo-wise. I've always been real conscious of what part each
individual plays in the overall sound, and that's what you're trying to
achieve, whatever that happens to be for that particular group or project.
But just by listening to stuff, I seem to absorb the influences, and if
it ever comes up later that I want to do something with it, it's there.
Cosmik: What's your concept behind Karla Pundit? I thought it was going
to be a spoof, but after hearing it, I'd say it's more of a tribute
to Korla Pandit...
Lance: I was intrigued initially by Korla Pandit because he seems like
he's presented like it's going to be this amazing innovative music, and
then it turns out to be this kind of interesting but easy listening
organ music. So there's an element of humor there, but I don't think
that I laugh at him. I think I truly revere him, in a way. I have a
framed picture of him up on the wall. It isn't a joke. I do not want
to do a spoof, because I do respect him. I have all his albums, and I
listen to them, so he's not someone I'd want to make fun of. On the
other hand, I've had a concept for a while of doing a Yma Sumac thing
that would be low comedy. And for some reason, I don't feel the same
way about that. This was not... I mean, the cover was a joke, but I
feel like it's making fun of me, and who I am. My little bio on the
album is so ridiculous. I'm sort of playing the fool. There's nothing
on there that's meant to say HE'S a fool. I think his records, for what
they are, are quite enjoyable and there's a kind of magic there. When
Lee [Joseph from Hell Yeah! Records] first mentioned the project to me,
I wasn't sure what I was going to do because I didn't think doing it as
a joke would be appropriate. So I thought "what am I going to do?" I
didn't want to do the same standards that he does. So I felt there had
to be something to make it unique, which ultimately meant, to me, writing
original music. And then the question was, well, what can I write in this
style that will be fun and interesting and have some listening quality
so it isn't just a cover that's crazy that people are going to buy and
put on their shelf and say they have it. I was hoping that some people
would LISTEN to it, too. So it's definitely not just meant to be a joke
at his expense.
Cosmik: The music, the liner notes that tell the story of the songs,
everything on Ancient City suggests you studied Korla Pandit in great
detail.
Lance: No, not in great detail, but I'm used to getting those albums that
would take you into a fantasy land... like a lot of the Yma Sumac albums
talking about her being taken away from her tribe, and that opposed to
the rumor that she's actually Amy Camus and all this stuff. They
definitely loved to ham it up back in those days. I think people were
being exposed either to music or quasi-music from places that they had
never heard music from, and they were having fun getting caught up in
these fantasies of all these things and places and people. There's
something really neat about that. But some of those liner notes on those
records were completely unbelievable, and that's what I wanted to capture
with this, as well--to create this village. When I was writing the
pieces, I saw--and still see--the events, the village, the processions
and stuff. It's crazy and completely off the wall, but I was trying to
create a fantasy, and pretending like I'm trying to make someone believe
it. Then from the little bio, it just completely deteriorates, and
hopefully nobody will believe that.
Cosmik: I have to confess that when I saw the four album covers in the
liner notes, I wondered if you had really put those out and I had just
managed to miss it completely.
Lance: Well, that's another thing they would always do on albums, like
"these are other records by such and such that you would enjoy." So I
wanted to do that, but I thought that rather than coming up with things
that were completely outrageous, I would come up with titles that sounded
intriguing so if people start ordering them, they would actually become
albums. (Laughs) I mean, they don't exist at this point, but I would
love to do them. Easter Island Suite, or whatever... Karla Pundit Visits
Java... If enough people order them, they WILL exist. (Laughs) At this
point, they're a joke.
Cosmik: They sure as hell LOOK authentic enough.
Lance: I didn't think they were going to come up with actual photos.
Cosmik: They did that on their own?
Lance: Yeah! I came up with the names of them, and I thought they were
just going to list the names, but to my surprise... (Laughs) And the
photo session was really goofy, because I had the turban on, and I had
the ornament on it, but it was hanging down WAY too low. It was between
my eyes.
Cosmik: Yeah, it's on the bridge of your nose.
Lance: And about two thirds of the way through the photo shoot, they said
"are you sure that's where you want that?" And I said "I don't know?!"
(Laughs) I looked in the mirror and it looked ridiculous, so we raised
it, but a bunch of the pictures came out really goofy looking because of
that, and they used some of that for those covers and it looks really
funny.
Cosmik: Have you seen Korla Pandit on video?
Lance: Yes. The first time I saw him was after Lee had asked me about
doing it, and I think at that time I was unsure, but after I saw the
video, for some reason, I decided yes I could do it. You've seen it,
haven't you?
Cosmik: I have one video of Korla, but I'm not sure if it's the same one
you saw. It's a bunch of clips from his 1949 TV show. The tape is in
a yellow cover...
Lance: Yeah, see, I haven't seen the packaging. I've been trying to find
those things everywhere. They seem consistently to just be him playing...
he had the piano on his right and the organ in front, and then they'd
intersperse views of him playing with these pseudo-exotic dancers on
these real cheap sets with columns and stuff. Considering when that was
and who was watching it, there was something almost subversive about it.
It was like "Hey, this is pretty weird!" I really enjoyed the shows,
and that essentially decided the matter for me--that I would do it.
Cosmik: Do you think Korla Pandit is aware of Karla Pundit?
Lance: I doubt that he is, and that's a bad area. I think, for a number
of reasons, he's not apt to be very happy if he becomes aware of it. I
think he probably has always taken himself real serious, and I think he
may not appreciate the whole thing.
Cosmik: Would that be hard for you?
Lance: I don't know. I don't know what he's like as a person. I think if
he proved to be an unbearable egotistical asshole, it would be easier
than if he's a nice person whose feelings are genuinely hurt.
Cosmik: It's almost cliche to ask "Did you write the music or the lyrics
first?" But in this case, I wonder...did you write the stories behind
the music first, or did the music suggest the stories?
Lance: I think, on most of the things, it was the stories leading to the
music. I wanted it to be a suite, and I decided early on that it would
all revolve around this fictional ancient city, so I started listing
things that might be interesting about a city so there would be a nice
variety of things.
Cosmik: Are the stories actually based on any fact from any culture? Like
the hall of snakes, for instance?
Lance: No, well, the closest thing I can think of, with that, is that I've
read about some of the African cultures where they do similar things with
hot coals or irons. There is some basis for things like that in some
cultures. But no, in general, I just started fantasizing about this
village and what might have gone on there, and that's about it.
Cosmik: With "Hall Of Snakes," the visualization is so bizarre and eerie
that I think some dark part of my psyche wanted it to be true.
Lance: Yeah, that's the whole thing. Sometimes it's just fun to get into
these frames of mind. I wonder whether people really believed those
things they read on album covers back in the 50's, or whether they just
wanted to believe it because it sounded so wild and unlike their ordinary
lives.
Cosmik: Do you think you probably WILL do more Karla Pundit projects?
Lance: Well, I hope so. Whatever I do, at this point, depends on whether
anybody's interested in it. I would love to do another Karla Pundit
thing, because I had a great time writing the music. It was really fun.
It was really fun to record it. I hope that I don't have to become this
guy for the rest of my life, but I would certainly enjoy doing some
other stuff and maybe expanding it or stretching it a little bit,
musically, too. And I'd like to do that Yma Sumac thing, but that would
be a major project because it would have to be orchestrated, and I
wouldn't be able to hire an orchestra. But I DO have a commitment from
a high school band teacher in San Francisco who teaches jazz band, and
he said that I can use his horn section for a mambo. But basically, if
I was going to use samples, they would have to sound real enough so that
they don't sound stupid. And then the trick is to find an Yma--somebody
who can sing with the ability of an opera singer, even though she was so
corny. It would have to be someone who could laugh at themselves and
be goofy enough to put in time doing it, so I don't know if it's going to
happen or not. I've got, pretty much, the concept for pieces on that,
taking her and putting her into situations like doing a mambo, and an
argument in the recording studio while the piece deteriorates and the
musicians decide they've had enough and start playing other stuff that
has nothing to do with backing her up. (Laughs) So I don't know what I'm
going to be doing, though it looks like we're going to do the Karla thing
live, and probably Harmless.
Cosmik: Are you into Exotica, in general?
Lance: Yeah. It's fascinating on various levels. I legitimately enjoy
the music. It isn't just a background for doing something else--to put
on to create my bachelor pad and seduce somebody, or something. There's
such a fun tongue-in-cheek humor aspect to it that I enjoy.
Cosmik: Who are your favorites from the Exotica era?
Lance: There are two divisions that I see: one is things that were produced
fairly well, where there was some planning and an intent not necessarily
to be Earth shattering, in terms of the music produced, but with a good
idea of production values. The other area is sort of like the cheap low
budget "let's get on the bandwagon because this exotica music is doing
so well." In the first group...a lot of the Les Baxter stuff I really
like. He was an excellent composer. My favorites were The Sacred Idol,
which may have inspired Journey To The Ancient City, and I like Jewels
Of The Seas very much. And The Passions, which I guess you could call
exotica, but that's almost his attempt at serious music. But I hate to
say The Sacred Idol isn't serious, because I think it stands up very
well, but it's not "classical music," by the way we divide music. But
to me, it's serious. There's also an album by Richard Hayman called
Voodoo, that I think was very well done. It definitely takes you somewhere,
to a fantasy or another world. I think the best exotica always does that
in some way. And then just about anything Elizabeth Waldo did, like The
Rights Of The Pagan and The Realm Of The Incas, and Maracatu. And
then in the second group, the ones that are just thrown together without
any care for quality, the one that I like is the Robert Drasnin one.
I talked to him a little bit about that. He got the phone call because
his label wanted him to do an exotica album to cash in on it a little bit.
It was thrown together real quickly, but I think his writing saved it,
because it's so interesting. Even though the production level was not
that great and not much forethought was put into it, I think it turned
out real well. I really liked the voice...I think her name was Sally
Teri. I really liked the pieces she was on, and I wish she'd been on a
couple more.
Cosmik: Are there any others that you like, or styles?
Lance: I like a lot of the pseudo-African things that have come out,
pretending to be African jungle music...African tribal music, and
acting like it's the real tribes when actually it's studio musicians.
You can usually tell those, because they aren't specific about the
location, the country... And the names sound a bit illogical for
something that would be actual ritual music from Africa. It seems
like whenever I see something that fits into that category, I grab it.
This isn't really exotica, but I really like bongo records. I like
Jack Castanzo a lot. I guess that would be more lounge or Latin. He
was a studio percussionist in LA back in the 50's, and he supposedly
taught James Dean and Marlon Brando to play bongos. He's done all these
Latin bongo records that are fun. I like Tito Puente, Perez Prado...all
of those.
Cosmik: Assuming the exotica thing is a retro-trend that will pass...and
that's what always happens...what do you think the next one will be?
Do you have any pet forms you'd like to see make a comeback?
Lance: Well, I would like to see more of the original jazz people get
credit for what they did. It seems like a lot of the be-bop stuff, a
lot of the west coast jazz stuff, has had a resurgence and has gotten
popular, but there was some semi-obscure avant-garde music from the
late 50's to the early 70's that I'd like to see...
Cosmik: Like who, specifically?
Lance: Early Archie Shepp stuff... Just about anything on the ESP label.
Albert Ayler. There's a saxophone player named Charles Tyler who was
into that same kind of thing. Oh...Ornette Coleman. To some degree,
he's gotten some credit and gotten more popular. I don't know, though...
Sometimes it's fun to be tuned into something that you can feel like
there are only a few people who are sharing it with you. First of all,
you can find it in the bins, instead of having to go to the collectable
stores.
Cosmik: And pay fifty bucks a shot!
Lance: Yeah. I'm actually doing really well back here, now, and I may
start trying to SELL some stuff, because I'm finding a lot of things in
thrift shops and second hand stores. Not necessarily things that I'd
want to keep in my collection, but things that are worth money.
Cosmik: How big is the collection now?
Lance: Well, I would say about ten thousand, but that's just how many I
have cataloged. I probably have again that much that's either down in
Phoenix or up here waiting to be sifted through. I mean, it's a joke.
I've got stuff I'll probably never be able to listen to, but I keep
acquiring it.
Cosmik: So check my math, here... You've got twenty thousand albums and
fifty-six cats?
Lance: Yeah.
Cosmik: Where do you sleep?
Lance: Uh, with the cats. When Barbara's working down in Phoenix, there's
times when I have sixteen or seventeen of them sleeping on the bed with
me at the same time. It's fun! Sometimes you get this massive purring...
or a sea of ears--I'll wake up in the morning and I'll just see all these
ears everywhere. They lay all over me, they lay underneath me, they lay
on my head...I wake up completely crunched. And I like it... It's just
so neat. But it's good to get away, sometimes. I was out of town all
last week, and I missed them, but I slept good. (Laughs.)
Cosmik: How do you feel about all the compilations coming out now, like the
Les Baxter Capitol stuff, and the Ultra Lounge slash exotica slash
whatever...How do you think it's being handled by the industry?
Lance: Well, I've got a problem with "best of's." Particularly in jazz,
when they take someone like Wayne Shorter--somebody who did an infinite
number of great album on Blue Note--and they'll throw together a CD that's
"The Best Of Wayne Shorter" instead of reissuing each album in
its
entirety. And I think we're seeing that with like Les Baxter's stuff.
It's like the Reader's Digest Condensed version of Les Baxter instead of
his complete albums. No, I'm just not a fan of "best of's."
Cosmik: What other kinds of music do you get into now?
Lance: There's just such a broad range of stuff that I enjoy. If you
were going to ask me about bands that are part of the independent scene,
there's a band called Codeine that's probably my favorite band of that
kind now. There's a band called Lungfish that I like, mainly because of
the lyrics. This guy is, to me, a real poet. But the stuff is really
aggressive. It's an interesting combination. They're pieces that are
not about stupid inconsequential things. He actually has a strange view
of things that keeps coming out in the pieces, and it's real enjoyable.
I sort of feel like...I don't know if it's the yuppie mentality, but that's
what I call it...it has infiltrated all kinds of music, and now what used
to be the underground independent stuff is the yuppie independent stuff.
It's all this self-indulgent relationship related complaining griping
about "what you didn't do for me" and "what I didn't do for you." Nobody's
writing things that are about anything of any importance. Writing about
relationships is important, too, but when it gets to a point where it's
just whining. Enough!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
INVASION OF THE BOSS MARTIANS! - An Interview With Evan Foster
Interviewed by DJ Johnson
"Dude," he says, "THAT...is totally boss." Sounds like a character in
Fast Times At Ridgemont High, doesn't it? Well, it ain't. It's Evan
Foster, guitarist extraordinare and leader of Seattle's coolest band,
The Boss Martians. When I first saw The Martians live, in a Seattle
night spot called The Crocodile Cafe, I was knocked out by the full sound
of the band, by Evan's perfect guitar work, and by his unusual banter
between songs. "Hey, man, we'd like to play you a little song we call
The Martian Stomp. Dig it! It's a groove." I assumed it was put on.
After finally meeting Evan this week, I am convinced that it's no act.
Evan is the real article! Everything about the man is authentic, from
his approach to the music he loves right down to the way he talks about
it. While most surf bands are sticking to the instrumental side of the
street, The Boss Martians play a mixture of vocal and instro tracks that
run the spectrum from surf to hot rod to good old fashioned garage rock
and roll. As I learned during this interview, Evan does a lot more for
his band and his scene than just writing great songs. And that's a very
good thing for those of us who live in his city, because Seattle really
needs all the help it can get when it comes to generating surf culture.
Thanks to Evan and his bandmates, Nick Contento (organ), Scott Betts (bass)
and Dan Israel (drums), Seattle surf fans have something to brag about.
So without further delay, I'd like to turn you on to a groovy cat who I
think you'll totally dig, man. Meet Evan Foster of The Boss Martians.
* * * * *
Cosmik: Where are you from, Evan?
Evan: I was born in Chicago in 1971 - then moved out to Hollywood with
my parents in 1972 and grew up there in SoCal until 1985 when we moved,
once again, to the Pacific Northwest. Bellevue, Washington, to be exact.
Cosmik: So you were in LA most of the time you were growing up.
Evan: Yeah, we moved out there because my dad was still in the recording
industry at the time. He was recording and playing locally, and also
began working for a record distribution company and retail chain called
Licorice Pizza Records.
Cosmik: Oh, are you kidding? I remember Licorice Pizza Records!
Evan: Yeah! He was in the buying department, and eventually became Vice
President in charge of buying and merchandising. That takes us up to
1979-80, and that's when he decided to get involved in software. That's
when he made the jump from making records and working for Licorice Pizza
into software.
Cosmik: You know, when you're onstage and you're talking to the audience,
you've got this great 60's vernacular going, like "yeah, it's groovy,
it's hip." But talking to you in person and away from performance, your
vernacular sounds more like...Valley. So where did you learn the 60's
schtick?
Evan: I dunno, man, I guess from watching way too many American International
pictures, man...if you can dig. (Laughs) You know, so much stuff in
California was ingrained in me, growing up. I was never a Valley Dude,
by any means, but living in Hollywood and then moving out to a city named
Glendale out by Burbank. We moved out there in '81 and lived there until
we moved to the Northwest. You know, honestly, the whole valley thing
was ongoing at that time, but I never really identified with any one
particular scene. My mom and dad always let me know there was a lot of
east coast and mid-west in my family background, there, so they kind of
kept an eye on everything there. They didn't want me to become some
California burnout child at the age of nine or ten.
Cosmik: Did you find that Glendale was pretty insulating?
Evan: No, because we traveled a fair amount, so I thought that Glendale
was a groovy city with its own ups and downs, just like every other
city in the US that we went to just cruising around with my parents.
That's something I picked up on at a young age, and I'm glad I did...
that there really is no "grass is greener." You'll find that every
city's got something you can dig about it, and many things you DON'T
dig about it. Like Seattle's a real cool place to live, man, but for
me, one of the downers is the weather. I'm not a real Seattleite
weather type person. But there's a counter to that, which is that the
software industry's really boss up here, so I'm willing to give on the
weather to be where the industry's really rockin'. I try to find something
positive about each city.
Cosmik: Seattle's so culturally rich, but for a surf band, it's not
necessarily the place to be...
Evan: No, it's not.
Cosmik: Do you find that depressing?
Evan: Oh... no, not really, because I'm in constant lock-in with guys like
Bartlett down in San Fran. Our connections out of the Seattle area are
pretty damned strong, so we never lack for any kind of a connection or
information or scene.
Cosmik: So your dad was a player? What was he into? And what kind of
music were you exposed to when you were growing up?
Evan: To be honest I was listening to all types of music at home. I heard
a lot of rock and roll, folk, bluegrass, country, and rhythm and blues
records on the turntable. My parents were in several folk trios in the mid
60's that recorded for NY's Kapp Records label ("New Village Singers", "The
Three of Us" and a couple of others I can't remember) and toured the US and
Canada with other rock and folk acts of the time like Gordon Lightfoot
and the Dave Clark Five on one of their east coast US tours. So because
they were always listening to a broad range of music when I was a kid, I
guess I was too.
Cosmik: How did you discover surf music?
Evan: I basically got hip to the real surf and hot rod sound towards the
end of high school and into early college. Aside from having the
obligatory Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Surfaris, and Chantays records and
singles I started looking a little harder and asking record shop owners
about more surf and hot rod bands, so naturally I started picking up on
Dick Dale, Pyramids, Trashmen, and Astronauts records. I met Dan, our
drummer, in 1991 and he had a lot of records by the Phantom Surfers, the
Untamed Youth, and a bunch of other Norton Records releases that he'd
gotten hip to while living in NYC. So upon hearing these platters I was
like, STOKED! So at that time I started seriously looking for more surf
and hot rod records and got really hip to bands like the Lively Ones,
the Sentinels, the Challengers Band, all the Del-Fi permutation bands,
Dave Meyer and the Surftones, the Shockwaves, and a mess of other combos.
Cosmik: Let's see...if you were born in 1971, then you were only nine years old
when the first surf revival rolled in.
Evan: Oh yeah, when Blair and Dalley and all those guys were doing clubs and
doing shows at The Troubador, yeah, I was still a kid. That was actually
at a time when my dad was playing those places, too. My dad was into
folk rock stuff, and he was playing all those LA clubs like The Blah Blah
and The Blue Lagoon and The Troubador. And The Whiskey, too. But I was
way too young to know what was going on in the local rock and roll scene.
When I was nine, I was hell bent on Devo, and trying to get as many Devo
records as I could.
Cosmik: How old were you when you started playing guitar?
Evan: Oh, well, let's see here... It would have probably been my freshman
year of high school, so I was probably about 14 years old. Actually,
I started taking lessons when I was 15, and that was when I started
playing seriously, so I guess you could say I didn't start playing until
I was 15. I took lessons at a place in Bellevue called The Academy of
Music. It's not too far from the Bellevue American Music [a local gear
shop. Ed]. So I took lessons for a couple years and then just took off
on my own.
Cosmik: Was California much of an influence on your playing early on?
Evan: Well, being the child of musical parents, I was around so much music all
the time that there was never just one kind of completely dominating sound
that I was hearing a lot. But even as a kid, I've always been a complete
die hard Brian Wilson fan. I've always been a monster Beach Boys and
Brian Wilson fan. The Beach Boys records that I dig, personally, are like
Pet Sounds and on, like Smiley Smile, in its bizarre hacked up version of
what Smile would have been. Everything up to Sunflower. I really dig
Beach Boys records, period.
Cosmik: What is it that attracts you to that music? Was it Brian's production?
Evan: Huger than life production, and just the huge rich vocals. I finally
figured out that the thing that had gotten me fired up on earlier Beach
Boys records was the fact he was using everybody from Billy Strange to
Ray Pohlman to Hal Blaine--The Wrecking Crew on guitar, bass, and drums.
Leon Russell on piano... and all these great wind players and horn players.
I was always so impressed with the instrumentation. And Carl DID play
a significant amount of guitar, but the thing that I thought was the
coolest about The Beach Boys was also that Brian liked to get the tracks
in one to three takes. He wanted maximum energy to the takes. Real
spontaneous tracks. That's what I thought was coolest about Brian.
Cosmik: Your style of playing, especially live, is very full and rich. Did
Brian Wilson's production influence that?
Evan: Well, the way that Carl's guitar went to tape was definitely an
influence, because before I was able to get really rooted into The
Trashmen, Astronauts and Pyramids records, I guess you could say the
first surf guitar I heard was Carl Wilson's guitar. And of course Dick
Dale. Of course I love early Dick Dale records, but it's just not
exactly the sound that I'm into for the most part. I love his aggressive
forceful attack, but it's just not my sound. The Beach Boys records
that I was listening to did have a big influence on the sound and the
tone that I went to. I've always been a big fan of the Jaguar. I play
Stratocaster, too, you know, I mean I love the Strat tone. The Pyramids
were like the ultimate example of one the coolest bands with the ultimate
Strat tones. But I guess Brian Wilson's early records where Carl Wilson
was playing were definitely an influence. By the time I got to The
Trashmen and The Pyramids and The Astronauts, that kind of defined the
sound that I was going for.
Cosmik: How much were you listening to hot rod music?
Evan: I don't know, probably about as much as I was listening to surf music
in general. I was listening to anything I could get my hands on, y'know?
One thing that I thought was cool about hot rod tunes was that lyrics were
completely focused and dead on and accurate.
Cosmik: Of course it's harder to say "this band" or "that band" when you're
talking about hot rod music, because so many of them were studio creations,
but what were your favorites?
Evan: Of course, it falls back to The Beach Boys, but y'know, some of the
tunes that The Trashmen were doing that were written by Larry LaPole
were totally boss. I was totally into The Trashmen tunes like "Sleeper"
and "My Woodie," although "My Woodie" isn't really a hot rod tune. And then
The Astronauts, too. The Competition Coupe is completely a rock and roll
record all the way through, and I was always into that. Mainly the song
"Competition Coupe," which we've actually recorded for a compilation
record that was put out by Jeff Martin of The Surf Trio on his Blood Red
Discs label. It's out on ten inch vinyl and CD. It's pretty boss.
Cosmik: Was it hard finding other players who wanted to play your kind of
music, at first?
Evan: Not at all! Well that's not entirely true. Here's the story - Scott
Betts, our bass player, and I were looking to start a new combo and
hooked up with Dan in December 1991. We worked out as a trio while
getting material ready to record and started the search for a rhythm
guitar player or an organ player. We went through a bunch of organ players
until we located Nick in '93 so he's been with us since then. I actually
met Nick in college at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma,
Washington, when he joined my fraternity.
Cosmik: How do you like recording for Dionysus?
Evan: Lee [Joseph] is a real boss guy. He's been great to us. Have you
ever met Lee?
Cosmik: No, I've just talked to him on the phone and through e-mail a lot,
and I interviewed him once.
Evan: Lee's a real good dude.
Cosmik: Yeah, everyone who records for him seems to be real faithful to him
and the label, which you don't always see in this business.
Evan: Oh yeah! Lee was the first guy that contacted us because he found
our very first single that was put out '92. He found that at a record
store in San Francisco, so he dropped me some mail while I was still in
college, and he was like "yeah, man, I just wanna put out a record."
Cosmik: Dionysus is in California, you're in Seattle... Have you guys played
in California yet?
Evan: Yeah, a fair amount. More Bay Area than anything, but we've done two
tours as far south as LA, and we've also toured out to Vegas. We've done
San Fran a bunch of times, Sacramento, hit LA twice, and been out to
Vegas once. And each time we've gone out, we've had a really positive
reception.
Cosmik: Who were you playing with down there?
Evan: We were playing with The Bomboras down in LA, and in San Francisco we
were playing with the Phantom Surfers, The Trashwomen, and then in
Sacramento we were playing with The Tiki Men.
Cosmik: The Trashwomen!
Evan: Rocked, dude. I'll tell ya, man, for three people, they put out a
great record.
Cosmik: Well, are the Phantom Surfers from San Francisco? I thought they
were from LA...
Evan: Absolutely. Phantom Surfers are like San Francisco one hundred
percent. Well, actually, Mel Bergman moved from San Francisco down to
LA. Mel also did The Gonuts with Derek Dickerson from Untamed Youth.
Johnny Bartlett, Mazz and Mike Lucas all live in San Francisco. But
Johnny Bartlett left the Phantom Surfers not too long ago to run
Hillsdale Records full time and work on his new band, The Saturn V.
Russell Quan came in to play drums.
Cosmik: Is Johnny on the new album?
Evan: Yeah, Johnny's on the new Lookout album. He's all over it, absolutely.
Cosmik: I just got that but I haven't had a chance to hear it yet.
Evan: The one with the Mad Magazine artwork? That's boss, man.
Cosmik: So hey, how did you all react to finding out you were going to be
included in the Cowabunga Surf Box set.
Evan: We were totally stoked. Everybody was just really really pleased and
feeling very good about that.
Cosmik: Your track on that set is great.
Evan: Thanks, man. Yeah, that track, "XKE" was our first Hillsdale single.
That's Johnny Bartlett's label. That came out sometime in '93.
Cosmik: Are there other labels you'd like to work with?
Evan: Well, right now it's just Dionysus and Hillsdale. But the bottom line
is that we did sign with Dionysus for two more LP/CDs, and then when the
contract's done, we're free to do LP's with other labels. But in our
contract, we have a clause that says we can do singles with anybody.
So, dude, let it be known that we are into doing a single with anybody
and everybody that's willing to do a Martians record.
Cosmik: I'll be sure to put that in there.
Evan: Let everybody know that if they want to do a Martians single, we're
all over it.
Cosmik: You just DID let everybody know, just by saying so. The magic of
interviews, y'know.
Evan: (Laughs) Yeah, the magic of interviews!
Cosmik: Tell me what other kinds of music you're getting into these days?
Evan: Well, I just listen to every kind of rock and roll--I mean, I love
rock and roll music, period. But I listen to a lot of stuff like...
well, The Standells are one of my favorite bands of all time. I think
the guy that used to write tunes for them, Ed Cobb, wrote some killer
rock and roll. I also dig folk stuff like The Kingston Trio.
Cosmik: So you like 60's garage?
Evan: Totally.
Cosmik: Some of the more obscure stuff?
Evan: Well, yeah, but there's also stuff that people might think is totally
played out, like The Kingsmen. I love The Kingsmen. Totally awesome
rock and roll band. That was a totally cool scene. Thing is, a lot of
those bands were playing a lot of rhythm and blues, and I love rhythm and
blues music.
Cosmik: Do you know what it was about the music that got to you?
Evan: Yeah... I guess it was the guitar tone and the feel of the drums. Just
really aggressive grooving drums. And I was completely into the guitar
tone.
Cosmik: When you were putting The Boss Martians together, what was your
blueprint? You know, everybody thinks "my band is gonna sound just...
like...this..."
Evan: Oh yeah, well everybody's got an idea of what they want their band to
be like. I was really stoked on The Trashmen and The Astronauts and The
Pyramids, so initially, when we were getting The Martians together, we
were gonna do a rhythm guitar deal. Bass, drums, lead guitar and rhythm
guitar. We were gonna do half and half vocals and instro. But we never
ended up getting a rhythm guitar player that worked out. In order to be
in the band, the guy has to be able to play and keep up. That's one of
the cool things about Los Straitjackets. Those guys are real players and
they give it a real working over.
Cosmik: They're incredible.
Evan: Yeah, totally incredible. So it just worked out to get an organist
in the band. All the Martians are huge Untamed Youth fans, too, so I
always dug the sound of organ in surf music, man, I really thought it
was boss. Johnny and the Hurricanes did some really killer organ lead
instrumental rock and roll, too. We just figured we could get an organ
and start pluggin' people in and see what worked out, and the organ just
kinda stuck. So the 4-piece surf & drag combo was just kind of the model.
As it wound up not being rhythm guitar, at least we had an organ going.
On our current LP, the one that just came out on Hillsdale, we've actually
got a sax lead on one of the tunes. I hired a sax player from a local
ska band called Easy Big Fella. His name's Jason Nelson.
Cosmik: Easy Big Fella's a cool band. Do you like that kind of music?
Evan: Ska music's totally cool. It's like I'm not listening to a lot of
ska records, but there are incredible ska bands out there, like The
Toasters, who really give it a working over. The coolest thing about
those guys is they play just incredibly tight, and their records SOUND
good.
Cosmik: It's cool that you were exposed to so much music. Were your parents
supportive of you wanting to be a musician?
Evan: Oh yeah, totally. I mean, they were always into me playing. I guess
there wasn't much talk about it. I just picked it up and started playing.
I started out with trumpet, and then just sorta gravitated towards guitar.
It was like "hey, can I take some lessons?" "Sure, no problem." So
they were real supportive. I was real lucky. My dad was real cool with
it, so he bought me my first guitar and amp, which was a Japanese Fender
Stratocaster, and... let's see, what was the amp... It was a Fender Stage
Lead, an '81 or '82 Fender Stage Lead amp, single-12, like a 35 or 40 watt
solid state combo. I was ready to start playing with bands. I wanted to
start working with people because you can really only get a feel for it so
much if you're just sitting and practicing off your notes from guitar
lessons and stuff, so you've got to feel what it's like to work with other
instruments.
Cosmik: Most of us, when we were growing up, playing guitars and listening
to rock and roll had to fight with our parents the whole way. Must have
been kind of nice to skip all that.
Evan: I never had a problem with practicing and stuff. I've always done
most of my practicing unplugged, anyway. And I knew that I had a really
good thing going with my parents, so the last thing I wanted to do was
piss them off by jamming the amp way too loud, man. So I just practiced
quietly, and they didn't care WHAT I was playing, just as long as I was
busy playing it and trying to do it well. I just turned 25, and I left
for college in '89, but all through high school when I was playing guitar,
I was never like playing the stereo screamingly loud and trying to jam
with it. I went about it in a more controlled way, because I wanted to
keep the support going.
Cosmik: And what were you playing?
Evan: Definitely punk rock. Maybe like more of a tendency toward punk rock
and ROLL. I was a huge X fan because of Billy Zoom, and I loved Devo a
lot. I was into a lot of true LA punk rock bands like Circle Jerks,
and Youth Brigade...Black Flag, of course. Then throughout that whole
time I was really digging Chuck Berry records, too, and the really earthy
Muddy Waters records. My old man turned me on to people like Charlie
Christian, and I was blown away at the speed of that guy's fingers. Then
when I was really hip to incredibly fast jazz playing, he turned me on to
Django Rheinhardt and then kind of like made the connection into the more
whitebread bluegrass music, like Merle Travis and those guys. I recently
got hip to Joe Maphis and Jimmy Bryant through guys like Johnny Bartlett
and Derek Dickerson. Those guys are incredible. Jimmy Bryant was just
an incredible player. So I got hip to those guys through getting into
surf music, actually.
Cosmik: Sounds like Johnny Bartlett's been damned good for your development
as a musician.
Evan: Johnny Bartlett is a guy who, in a very hip and cool way, intro'd me
to three quarters of the stuff that I'm really cool to, like the real
stuff in the scene. Johnny Bartlett's really got me hip.
Cosmik: You have a feeling for so many types of music, and so many directions
have been taken with surf music... This is almost like my own personal
stock question that I ask all the surf players I interview, because I'm
personally very curious what they'll say, so I'll just go ahead and ask
you now. Is there some new direction you'd like to see someone take surf
music, or that you'd like to take with The Boss Martians?
Evan: You know what? This is gonna sound completely weird, but in answer to
that question: yes. There is a total tone and a total sound that I
absolutely love and would bring into it, and I'm kind of bringing in on
13 Evil Tales. See, DJ, 13 Evil Tales, the LP that I'm working on right
now, well I just got this wild hair and I said I really want to do a
record that's totally Martians, but brings in all these different
influences that we're into. So I pulled out the Vox Tone Blender, man.
Like, the fuzz box? We busted out a few rave ups, man, and we've got
some heavy Paul Revere and the Raiders kind of stuff going on. There are
a lot of different sounds going on in this new Boss Martians LP. And,
dude, there ARE some purist surf instrumentals as well, there's no doubt
about that. But the tone that I'm totally into and would like to see
more of is one that would make the guys on Cowabunga [surf music e-mail
list. Ed.] say "dude, pack it up and go home," ...DRY! Dry, baby.
Cosmik: Really!? Dry?
Evan: Totally! Listen up, man. The tone that I'd be totally into would be
just Jazzmaster and Jaguar tone, like 12 or 13 gauge flatwound strings,
through a Showman--dry!
Cosmik: Whoa. So you're talking about a true Fender body-tone, then?
Evan: We're talking about a pristine Fender tone, man. For example, my main
rig is an L-series 1964 Fender Jaguar, Olympic white. That's my guitar.
I use .12 gauge flatwound strings. And I'll be honest, occasionally I'll
bump down to an .11 gauge when I want to be able to bend a little more, but
I always use a wound G, no less than a .22 gauge. I also have an Olympic
white Strat that I use quite frequently like when we're doing overdubs and
stuff where I need to overdub a rhythm track. I run that into an October
1964 black face Fender Reverb, and then I run that into a 1965 Fender
Showman amp... I mean a stock Showman amp. A single Showman head that
dumps a full 85 watts, 8 ohms, into a single Showman cabinet with a single
15 JBL D130-F speaker. And that's my rig, right there. But see, dude,
the thing is that I love pristine tone so much. One of the coolest things
about The Fireballs, other than just like the studio tape echo, was the
fact that these cats cut their tracks dry, man. These dudes sat down with
their guitars and these guys just...played...tunes! And the thing is, it's
all right there, all up in your face. And there's nothing more embracing
than the crystal clear low end punch of like a Fender Jag or a Jazz just
being played through the Showman rig, man, just with those low E's--with
the low strings just punching out of the D130's. It's the ultimate tone,
man.
Cosmik: Do you think that the seed for that might have been planted by your
practicing so much unplugged? You mentioned that you practiced dry all
the time. Do you think your respect for that tone came from that?
Evan: Absolutely, man. And also listening to guys like Merle Travis. That
dude HIMSELF was just like an incredible amplifier. He was playing those
Gibson Supers, man, and he was playing bass, rhythm and lead at the same
time. It wasn't just that he played so well, it was the fact that he had
awesome tone to begin with. It took him a guitar, a cord, and an amplifier
for tone. Even his 40's recordings! He was playing acoustic guitar. But
yeah, absolutely, when I was practicing my guitar, first getting into it,
I was never using fuzz or whatever. I was just plugging straight into a
Fender amp. And the little Fender combo that I had DID have reverb, yeah,
and I always dug a clean reverbed guitar, but when I was practicing, I
was just hip to hearing exactly what I was playing, you know? I wanted to
KNOW what I was playing. I didn't want to wimp out and cover anything
up. I wanted to make sure that where I sucked I was getting my stuff
together--and where I was good, I wanted to strengthen it.
Cosmik: Let's talk about 1996 for a few minutes. What has this year been
like for The Boss Martians?
Evan: '96 has been real good. When we started out, we were still in
college and it was easier to slack off and do more band stuff, but I've
been working in software for the last three years since I got out of
school. Everybody in the band has a real busy work schedule full time,
so any spare time that we can pull away for band stuff, you can believe
we're doing it. So for as much as everybody's got to work, '96 has been
very good for us. I've been gaining a lot of momentum locally putting
together shows. I do shows called "Evan Foster Presents..." Some of the
bands I've booked have been...like The Bomboras, and us... I did a major
Dionysus two-day weekend thing...
Cosmik: You put that together?!
Evan: Dionysus Demolition Derby was my baby!
Cosmik: I had no idea! So is this something you have aspirations for? Being
a promoter?
Evan: Um, not really, believe it or not. It's just out of necessity to get
more garage shows going in the Seattle area, man. It was the brainchild
of Lee Joseph and me. We got tired of just talking about it, so I
said "dude, we're gonna do this thing, man. We need something like this
in Seattle." So I started contacting bands, and I talked to Girl Trouble,
who was into doing it. That's what kicked off the whole "Evan Foster
Presents" thing. I've booked Girl Trouble, Bomboras, The Mono Men, The
Makers, and lots of local bands like The Statics, and The Primate Five,
and The Splashdowns... A lot of local garage-slash-surf-slash-punk acts.
So this has been a good year for me in getting momentum built up, and
fortunately a lot of the club owners have been really cool to me,
especially Dan Cowan at The Tractor Tavern in the Ballard area of
Seattle, and The Backstage as well. And The Colorbox has turned out to
be real cool. As far as booking The Martians, locally in '96, it's been
one of our better years, for sure. And now all I'm into doing is
bringing more bands into town and doing more shows and hopefully building
up some visibility. And a reputation for putting together solid shows.
From The Martians standpoint, we've gotten more releases out in '96 than
we ever have before, period. Our last LP release before Jetaway Sounds
was in 1994, which was our self-titled Dionysus LP/CD. We hadn't had an
LP since then. Just a couple weeks ago, we had Jetaway Sounds come out,
and we've got 13 Evil Takes coming out in January. So I'm trying to pump
out as much material as possible.
Cosmik: What have you learned about promotion that you didn't expect?
Evan: I've learned that there is more leg work involved than anybody could
possibly imagine, if you want the show to go over well. That includes
knowing artists that can put together decent looking flyers. I've been
fortunate to come across two great local artists that really crank out
some great flyers, and they've got their own art company called Art
Anywhere. These guys are real heavily influenced by The Pizz, and Big
Daddy Roth... a lot of the real hot rod art guys. They do great flyers
for me. So I do everything from flyers to radio promotion to local print
media promotion. If you really want a show to go over well, and you want
to create the visibility, you gotta be dedicated to making sure the word
gets out that the show's going on.
Cosmik: Sounds like you're very passionate about it. Do you get a real buzz
from making a show go well?
Evan: I do, yeah. I get a real big kick out of it. I guess you could say
my favorite thing in life is making records and... playing guitar and
recording is my favorite deal. If you have a band and you also work full
time, it's real hard to do a full time band thing. So a lot is in your
hands to promote your own band and to promote your scene. I just decided
to stop sitting back, and to kick it out and see what happens.
Cosmik: What was your best show? As a promoter, I mean...
Evan: As a promoter, it would have been the Demolition Derby, definitely.
I booked The Surf Trio to come up from Portland and play the Saturday
night show and open for The Bomboras, The Boss Martians, and Girl
Trouble. But they couldn't make it up because I-5 was flooded out, so a
great local trio called The Splashdowns plugged in at the last moment.
They came and opened up the show and we ended up going on second that
night, because The Bomboras were from LA, and they flew all the way up
here, and I wanted to give them a real good exposure spot. So we let
them play third, and then Girl Trouble went on. It was the most well
attended show I'd ever booked. There was a line out the door, and it
was really boss. The Tractor Tavern was just completely packed. It
was great.
Cosmik: Where do you see this going?
Evan: You know... as a matter of fact, DJ, I think I'm just going to leave
it open on that, man. Let it be known that I'm going to put out as many
Martians records as possible until people are going "dude, gimme a break
with all these Martians records!" We will play with any good rock and
roll band. I'm not gonna be closing doors and saying "hey, if you're
not of this genre, then forget about it," you know what I mean? I like
putting together good solid bills. I'm really jazzed about that. I mean,
hey, knock wood and hope the stars are in alignment and all that stuff.
I just hope the shows keep getting bigger and better, and I definitely
want to push that forward and make it happen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN HALLOWEEN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS
Interviewed by Cosmo Debrinski
He's been called everything from Satan to The Prince Of Darkness. What you
don't know about him, though, could fill a book. We caught up with His Evil
Majesty during the busy Halloween season. He was gracious enough to give us
this, his first interview since the Manson trial in 1970.
----------------- * * * -----------------
Cosmik: First of all, I'm a little surprised that you have...well...this
is an office building.
Satan: Oh! Yes, I get that all the time. I don't know why everyone is so
surprised by this, though, I mean how do they think I do what I do if I'm
not organized about it?
Cosmik: How much organization is needed to...
Satan: An enormous amount of organization.
Cosmik: Well...how much org...
Satan: Meticulous all-consuming organization.
Cosmik: More than, say...NBC?
Satan: Please.
Cosmik: More than IBM?
Satan: Who's to say we're NOT IBM?
Cosmik: Point well taken. What is it you do, specifically?
Satan: Well, of course, the world being what it is, or has become, I don't
have time to do everything I used to do. And I have a bad back, now, too.
So I delegate most of the pestilence and misery work. I like to keep my
hands dirty, though, so I stick with my personal favorite. Acquisitions.
Cosmik: Acq...
Satan: Soul purchasing.
Cosmik: Oh. Uh, what's involved? People want something so badly that they
say "I'd sell my soul for this" and you appear?
Satan: Oh! Noooo. You've seen too many Twilight Zone's. It's not like that
at all. Mortals rarely even realize they've made the sale. They almost
never know they've been in my presence.
Cosmik: But how do they consent to sell...
Satan: Well, it's really very simple. They fuck up. They do something very
bad that they know they shouldn't. So you see, it's an implied thing.
Cosmik: So doesn't that mean just about anybody...
Satan: Yes, and I'll be seeing you again in about 29 months, young man.
Cosmik: WHAT?!? NO!!!
Satan: Kidding.
Cosmik: Jesus!!!
Satan: Language...
Cosmik: (After considerable recovery time:) And when they die, they're
cast into a terrible pit of fire and...
Satan: (Laughing) Oh! My boy, please! Hell is not like that at all. No,
I'm the Prince of Darkness, but I'm not ALL bad! We don't have terrible
pits of fire, tiny spiked rooms or even refrigerators filled with empty
milk bottles. I love that commercial, by the way. Very funny stuff.
No, we have a much quieter eternity here. It's basically a lot of very
long lines.
Cosmik: ....lines...
Satan: Like bank lines, only you never reach the front. Really quite
survivable.
Cosmik: Any small children in the lines?
Satan: Yes, well...after all, it IS hell, isn't it?
Cosmik: Let's talk about your servants on Earth. Tipper Gore and many others
think it's the heavy metal bands, like Slayer or Megadeth...
Satan: Haven't heard the new Slayer. Megadeth...please. Mustaine gives 20
percent of their income to a certain hocus-pocus religious organization
whose name I won't mention.
Cosmik: Dave Mustaine? Are you sure?
Satan: I think...Well, maybe that was Ozzy. Heh. You gotta love Ozzy, don't
you?
Cosmik: Is Ozzy one of...
Satan: Do you think we'd be that obvious? No, boy, none of the above. The
metal bands are simply a diversion. They just like wearing makeup.
Cosmik: Well, who DOES do your work in the music business?
Satan: Ever hear of Kenny G? Yep! How about Michael Bolton! You see?
It's always the ones you least expect.
Cosmik: What about Dick Clark?
Satan: You have to ask?
Cosmik: How about Kiss?
Satan: BZZZT! Wrong again! Go ahead, guess who my best selling agents were
in the 70's.
Cosmik: The Village People?
Satan: No...but you're way warmer than I expected.
Cosmik: I dunno, who?
Satan: THE OSMOND BROTHERS! Hahahahahaha! WHO KNEW? None of ya!
Cosmik: Wow! That's really impressive. I never suspected them. How about
rap music?
Satan: Rap music?
Cosmik: Yeah, some of those performers MUST work for you, right?
Satan: I'm sorry, just one moment please. (Satan speaks quickly and
angrily into an intercom, telling his secretary to get all available
information on rap music.) I have no comment on...rap music...at this
time. Check back with me on that one, okay?
Cosmik: Techno Rave?
Satan: No.
Cosmik: Acid Jazz?
Satan: No...
Cosmik: Hip Hop?
Satan: What hop?
Cosmik: Well, I'm really surprised that you're not up on all of these genres
of music. I mean, isn't it in your best interest to be present where the
kids gather?
Satan: OH!! Yes! That's why we have Nintendo! We kill a dozen birds with
one stone.
Cosmik: Very shrewd!
Satan: Yes, well, ya gotta be. There are so many conflicting sources fighting
for the same souls...
Cosmik: You mean the churches?
Satan: (Laughs hysterically for several minutes.) The CHURCHES!? (Laughs
hysterically for several more minutes. Tape runs out. Interviewer turns
tape over and wisely waits for Satan to calm down before hitting "Record.")
Son, most of the CHURCHES are just little shops in our franchise chain!
C'mon, you didn't know that?
Cosmik: Uh, well, I...
Satan: Boy, you're easy! No, I didn't mean the churches. I meant political
correctness.
Cosmik: Pol...you mean the practice of it?
Satan: Yes, the whole cultural brainwashing. It gnaws away at the key element
of our attack. Hatred.
Cosmik: So you're saying that if political correctness causes less people to
grow up hating, Hell will be out of business?
Satan: Don't be so dramatic! We still got Nintendo.
Cosmik: How about the movie industry?
Satan: One name...Jack Nicholson. You saw Witches Of Eastwick?
Cosmik: Yeah, of course.
Satan: Well NOBODY is THAT good an actor.
Cosmik: Well, that one, I suspected all along.
Satan: Yeah? How about Meryl Streep!
Cosmik: Knew it.
Satan: Oh...okay, how about Sandy Duncan!
Cosmik: ...okay. You got me on that one.
Satan: Here's one you didn't know. Annette Funicello.
Cosmik: Oh, I think we ALL knew about that one.
Satan: You young punks think you're so smart. Listen, time is money. I
have work to do. Let's wrap this up.
Cosmik: Okay, let's just do a little word association thing here and then
we'll wrap...
Satan: Oh goodie. Yeah, that sounds fun.
Cosmik: Fermament.
Satan: Wine.
Cosmik: Brimstone.
Satan: What is that, coffee?
Cosmik: Newt Gingrich.
Satan: Amateur!
Cosmik: Ted Turner.
Satan: MOOK!
Cosmik: Really!? Why?
Satan: Because he wants to colorize all the great old black and white movies!
Cosmik: And that upsets you?
Satan: Hey, just because I'm the devil doesn't mean I got no soul! Ted
Turner, now, HE don't have a soul! HEY TEDDY! KEEP YOUR FUCKIN' HANDS
OFF THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY!
Cosmik: Bob Dole.
Satan: We're just good friends...
Cosmik: Christian Coalition.
Satan: Stay the course, boys. Stay the course. You're doin' juuust fine.
Cosmik: God.
Satan: He never calls anymore.
Cosmik: MTV.
Satan: The motherlode! So many lost souls, so little time.
Cosmik: Now how about looking at a few ink blots and telling me what you
see in them. We'll start with...
Satan: No.
Cosmik: It'll be easy. We'll start with...
Satan: I don't do ink blots.
Cosmik: What do you see in this blot?
Satan: I see your charred and naked body rotating slowly on a spit over
a lava flow, cooking and crackling as my minions dance around you,
applying barbecue sauce liberally to your...
Cosmik: Well, that about does it, I think. Any parting words for our
readers?
Satan: Yes, I hereby decree that from this day forward, my name shall be
this. (Points to a symbol on a piece of paper.)
Cosmik: Yeah? What does it mean?
Satan: "The Entity Formerly Known As The Prince Of Darkness."
Cosmik: But what should we call you?
Satan: "The Entity Formerly Known As The Prince Of Darkness." Pay attention,
will ya?
Cosmik: But isn't that just like the symbol Prince uses?
Satan: No, no, that's "The Artist Formerly Known As Popular."
Cosmik: True... Well, The Entity Formerly Known As The Prince Of Darkness,
thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.
Satan: No problem, kid. By the way, most of your relatives send their love.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK: The Fat Lady Tunes Up
by Shaun Dale
"...right now, I'm calling four more years..."
Political Playbook, March 1996
...and I still am.
Yep, after seven months of ups and downs, primaries and conventions,
charges and counter-charges, polls and predictions, not much has really
changed in the quadrennial Presidential sweepstakes.
Sure, there are still big questions left -
Will Bobdole pull within 10% by election day?
Can Bobdole get over 100 electoral votes?
Does Bobdole have a first and last name?
Is Ross Perot's home town really in Area 51?
Who *is* Harry Browne, anyway?
Big questions.
But this one is, for all practical--if not political--purposes, done.
The woman in the horned helmet and breastplate is warbling softly in
the corner and she'll be singing full throttle in a month unless, as
one wag put it, Clinton gets caught partying with Michael Jackson and
his little friends.
Everything's fallen in place for the man in the White House. The
Federal Reserve Bank took a pass on its last chance to raise
interest rates before the election. Netanyahu and Arafat came to the
White House to shake hands and make nice for the TV cameras. The
Fraternal Order of Police endorsed their first Democrat in decades.
Susie McDougal kept her mouth shut.
Everything's gone wrong for the "ordinary citizen" from Kansas. He's
taken as many shots from prominent leaders in his own party as from the
other side. In his effort to run away from his long (and in many ways
distinguished) service in Congress, he's robbed himself of his ability
to take credit for his accomplishments and has been caught up in
reversing himself on longstanding and well documented positions on issues.
He's using up valuable resources trying to hold on in places like
Arizona and Texas, which Republican candidates usually assume as safe.
Though the tracking polls everyone sees on TV or in the papers show
some ebb and flow--Clinton's lead ranges from 10 to 25% from week to
week and poll to poll--the electoral college predictions are generally
consistent, with Clinton steadily holding a 2 to 1 lead. Everything
seems to move the popular vote. Nothing seems to move the electoral
vote.
So what's left for election watchers to watch? Lots.
*YOU SAY YOU WANT A (COUNTER) REVOLUTION*
As the inevitability of the Presidential outcome sinks in, attention has
turned to the Congress and the prospects of giving Clinton a Democratic
House and/or Senate to work with.
The great Republican revolution of 1994 turns out to have been something
less than advertised. (Seen anyone waving a copy of the Contract on
America lately?) With narrow majorities swept in by about a 1%
national margin in a low turnout, off-year election, the prevailing
wisdom seems to be that the Dems have a better than reasonable shot to
regain the House of Representatives and a slimmer but still possible
chance to take back the Senate as well.
From my base in Washington State, it looks like the prevailing wisdom is
on target. This was a big one for the GOP in '94 - six Republican
freshman were elected to seats held by Democrats in the previous
Congress. Of the six, four were under 55% of the vote in our recent
primary, with two actually drawing fewer votes than their Democratic
challengers. This is shaky ground for incumbents, who usually look for
60+ as an indication of safety in November. It's reasonable to expect
at least three of those seats to go D again. If that trend holds up
nationally, you can look for Speaker Gephardt to gavel the next Congress
to order.
The Senate is a tougher nut to crack, especially with the retirement of
some popular southern Democrats like Sam Nunn (GA) and Howard Heflin
(AL), who would ordinarily have been seen safe for re-election.
Recent years have seen southern seats in both houses of Congress shift
inexorably to the Republicans. But this year, anything can happen. How
many people would have picked Clinton as a sure thing for re-election two
years ago?
It's dicey enough now that Bobdole himself saw fit to take a day off
from the Presidential campaign to drop in on his old Congressional
colleagues and deliver the reassuring message that his failure probably
wouldn't hurt them as badly as they were reading in the papers.
*THE STATE OF THE STATES*
There are also Governors and state legislators being elected all across
the country. These races are more important in policy terms than they've
been in many years. One area the Gingrich/Dole Congress had some success
in was the devolution of programs back to the state governments. The
highly touted (or defamed, depending on your perspective) "welfare
reform" bill, for instance, doesn't really eliminate welfare, though it
does dent the federal welfare bureaucracy.
What we will have are 50 beefed up or trimmed down state welfare
bureaucracies, delivering or not delivering vital services at the whim of
Governors and legislatures--very possibly accompanied by an exodus of the
poor to states with more compassionate governments. Which, of course, is
why welfare programs were moved to the federal level in the first place.
If there's another Republican Congress, we'll be looking to state
government for environmental protection, workplace safety, and a host of
other things as well. Things, frankly, that they often didn't take care
of when they last had the chance. If you're a US voter (yes, I know there's
an international audience out there), then take a closer look at the
bottom of your ballot than you usually might. Every state rep will count
next year.
So there's lots to watch, and a lot of good reasons for you to get out
and vote, but as someone (I think it was me!) said in this space seven
months ago...
"...right now, I'm calling four more years..."
*SCOREBOARD*
I suppose I'd be cheating if I didn't make some hard predictions after
shooting my mouth off for all these months, so here's my best guess for
November 5th:
President: Clinton - 51% and an electoral landslide
Bobdole - 45% and a well earned retirement
Perot, Browne, Hagelin, et al - 6%
US House: Democratic - 220 to 215
US Senate: Republican - 51 to 49
Check in next month to see if I'm crowing or just eating crow...
(Speaking of crow, an apology to my faithful readers (assuming you're out
there) but in last month's installment I misled you. It seems that Susan
Molinari's husband isn't an ex-congresscritter after all. Mr. Perkster
is the still serving (and running for re-election) Rep. Bill Paxon.
Either one is representing a district he or she doesn't actually live in
(which is allowable under the Constitution) or they apparently don't
share a domicile outside D.C.--which didn't prevent the conception of
their infant daughter. Congrats to the happy couple and consolation for
the strain of a working mom struggling to raise a young 'un on a scant
$270,000.00 a year...)
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MONTY ALEXANDER: Yard Movement (Island Jamaica Jazz)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Island Records has selected Jamaica born pianist Monty Alexander to help
kick off their new Island Jamaica Jazz label, and a better choice couldn't
have been made.
While Alexander has lived in the US since the early sixties, his early
experiences as a Jamaican session player and solo artist are very much a
part of his music today. While he has played with an amazing list of
jazz masters, on this disc he pays tribute to some of the Jamaican
artists he started out with.
The disc opens with a three song set from Alexander's 1995 appearance at
the Montreux Jazz Festival, beginning with a version of "Exodus" that
marries the movie theme with Bob Marley's "Movement of Jah People."
This sets the tone for the rest of the disc, including five tracks
recorded in a Geneva studio after the festival performance.
The Jamaican influence is apparent in the rhythms provided by Carlton
Messan on bass and percussionists Rolando Wilson and Robert Thomas, Jr.
Alexander, who usually fronts a piano trio ensemble, is also joined here
by Dwight Dawes on keyboards and guitarists Robert Angus and Ernest
Ranglin. Ranglin's lead work is as impeccable as Alexander's piano
stylings.
In addition to "Exodus," I especially enjoyed "Momento," an Alexander
compositon that gives a nod to the Jamaican mento music of his early
days. It features Ranglin trading leads with Alexander over a
rocksteady rhythm that is, well, it's downright cheerful - it sounds like
a recorded picnic.
Also noteworthy is the closing track, "Sneaky Steppers," a bluesy tune
that reveals the stylistic influence of the great Oscar Peterson, with
Ranglin soaring like a Jamaican Django.
Great improvisational jazz, island riddims and instrumental virtuosity
infuse every cut on the disc. Alexander has been a favorite in clubs,
festivals and studios for over thirty years. Listen to this one and
you'll know why.
Track list:
Exodus * Regulator * Crying * Moonlight City * Love Notes * Momento *
Strawberry Hill * Sneaky Steppers
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND: Brothers and Sisters
(Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Anadisq 200 LP)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
Duane and Gregg Allman were cutting their chops playing in various bands
during the British blues invasion of the 60's. The advantage they had
above their brothers overseas was the fact that they were born and raised
in the southern United States, soaking in directly the very influences
which the brit boys were trying to emulate. The culmination of their
journey resulted in the Allman Brothers, where Duane and Gregg teamed up
with exceptionally talented and like-minded musicians and started producing
a pure, powerful offshoot of rock music tinged with blues, gospel, and
soul.
Sadly, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971. Duane was
such an integral part of the Allman Brothers sound, that Gregg knew he
could not simply replace him. Instead, he realigned the band and lead it
off on a tangent which would soon become known as "Southern Rock." Brothers
and Sisters was the first studio album after Duane's death, and it not only
marks a stylistic turning point in the band's career, but also showcases
the bands professionalism, versatility, and dedication. Brothers and
Sisters is an emotional, technically brilliant work which features the hit
"Ramblin' Man," which is arguably the band's most recognized work.
In reality, "Ramblin' Man" is probably the weakest tune on the disk, and is
not an accurate reflection of its content. The beautiful, thick, pounding
blues of "Jelly Jelly" and the forceful, foot-stompin', rhythmic boogie of
"Southbound" are more accurate representations of what the Allman Brothers
were all about. Not to mention the searing aural textures of Jessica.
Mobile Fidelity's presentation of this masterpiece allows the intensity and
technical mastery of this recording to really come through. Compared to
the original vinyl release, the Anadisq 200 LP raises the resolution and
sonic clarity of Brothers and Sisters to such a degree that it really is
like hearing the music for the very first time, even if you're intimately
familiar with this recording. Some recordings benefit only nominally from
Mobile Fidelity's care. Most of them, though, rise to a higher plane.
But a few, like Brothers and Sisters, are greeted at the gates of heaven.
This is a sonic experience you will not want to miss.
THE ALL WOMAN BROTHERS BAND: At 164 bpm (Melodiya)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
On this 4-song, 10-inch 45, Canada's All Woman Brothers Band seems to have
advanced light years in their songwriting skills. When last we checked in
with them, they had released a very good single called "Payback." The
writing on that song wasn't the strong point of the record. The slamming
rhythm section and the vocal blend of Tanya Gordon and Alisa Garcia were
the highlights. "Pure Pressure" puts all the elements together into a
track that's musically powerful without being lyrically boring.
Side two is the big one. "Looking Down" knocks you on your ass with its
powerful vocal hook and a snare sound that evokes images of a hyperactive
kid beating a coffee can to death with a ball-peen hammer. Drummer Wolfboy
Szabo sounds like one of those Bonzo-types that plays so hard he has to be
miked from the McDonalds across the street from the studio. Now, imagine
that kind of percussive violence hooking up with a highly-overdriven bass
(ridden like a bucking bronco by Clay Culbert) and two crunchy electric
guitars, plus deceptively sweet harmony vocals from the ladies, and you've
got a general idea of why you want this one.
(For info on how to buy this cool platter, write to 2523 17th Ave SW,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3E 0A2, phone or fax them at 403-246-8916, or
send e-mail to heggw@cuug.ab.ca)
DAVID ARVEDON: In Search of the Most Unforgettable Tree We Ever Met
(1967-1974) (Arf!Arf!)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
This double disc release chronicles the recordings of David Arvedon and
a variety of backup units during the early years of a career which began
with the pioneering punk band The Psychopaths and continues today in
Boston area karaoke bars.
Most of the cuts here are the product of vanity sessions - after the
Psychopaths scored with "Till the Stroke of Dawn" and broke up, Arvedon
hired a series of session players to back him on self produced
recordings--an album, a single and a remarkable 8-track only release
titled "The Most Remarkable Tree We Ever Met." All the tracks from
these releases are here, along with the Psychopaths two sides and some
alternate arrangements of several songs.
This isn't always easy music to listen to. Arvedon has some real skill--a
pop sensibility that rivals Jonathan Richman (whose Modern Lovers Arvedon
once auditioned for), a twisted sense of humor and the knack for crafting
a good lyrical hook. He also has a habit of "singing" in an upper register
that he simply doesn't possess. There are keys in which he can actually
sell a lyric, but he apparently doesn't prefer to use them much.
But there are songs worth hearing here--and songs which, given the right
treatment by the right performer, could be hits. Enterprising musicians
who could look past the vocal quirks and sometimes sketchy production
could find material well worth adding to their repertoires. Some of it's
even fine the way it is. Arvedon *can* control his vocal excesses when he
wants to, and some of the players he hired are quite capable.
David Arvedon abandoned his musical pursuits in the late seventies to
pursue marriage and business interests. The marriage failed, and the
business followed suit, and Arvedon's back in music, making appearances
in the Boston area. Sometimes he plays with the latest version of the
Psychopaths, sometimes he sits in with local bands, sometimes he
hits karaoke night with his own tape to perform original songs. One of
his songs was picked up by Dr. Demento and got enough response on the
air to merit a slot on one of the Doc's compilation albums. Arvedon
figures this might lead to his big break. Until or unless that happens,
though, there's music in this package, and some of it bears digging out.
David Arvedon's not for everybody, but hey, you're not everybody -
you're somebody. You might even be somebody who'd find something to
like here... I did.
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 13 in B Flat Major, Op. 130; Grosse Fuge,
Op. 133. Brandis Quartet (Thomas Brandis, Peter Brem, Violins; Wilfried
Strehle, Viola; Wolfgang Boettcher, Cello). NIMBUS NI 5465 [DDD] 61:12
Reviewed By Robert Cummings
As many classical music devotees know, Beethoven originally composed his
Thirteenth Quartet with a finale we now know as a separate work, the Grosse
Fuge. He replaced it at the urging of his publisher and others because they
felt it a mismatch for the work's other five movements. To their apparently
delicate ears the mighty fugue's profoundly epic character seemed an
overwhelming culmination to an otherwise chipper, elegant work. Though he
acceded to their wishes in composing the substitute rondo finale, Beethoven
had probably never accepted their judgment and would almost certainly have
preferred the fugue over the rondo in performances of his work.
In this Nimbus recording, you get both finales. One can therefore program
either version of the quartet or include both finales for a marathon seven
movement hearing. But this disc's major selling point isn't quantity-it's
quality, specifically the quality of the performance. The Brandis Quartet
has been garnering favorable notices in their Beethoven Quartet series thus
far, and it's not difficult to see why. The group plays with unfailingly
accurate intonation, technical finesse to toss off difficulties with seeming
ease, and a keen sense of musical architecture. They also impart a feeling
of oneness to their musicianship that suggests interpretation isn't arrived
at through consensus or by domination of one (usually the first violinist),
but rather occurs naturally. While this "intuitive" method of performance
is almost certainly not the case here, one can nevertheless hear their
collective artistry this way, quite easily discerning the individual
players' comfort with the interpretive choices, however they were determined.
Listen to their joyous account of the first movement, how they convey an
exhilaration that makes you question the music was written by a man
possessed of colossal inner miseries, a man who had grown completely deaf
by the time of the work's composition. Try the group's mesmerizing Cavatina,
too; hear their deft control of dynamics that serves to heighten the
passionate outpourings and romantic utterances. Notice here, and throughout
the performance for that matter, that they never allow detail to blur or the
musical trajectory to sag, despite moderate to slightly expansive tempos.
They can be rugged, too, even downright fierce, when the score demands it:
hear the passage just after the opening of the Grosse Fuge (track 6; 0:55),
where the violinist's fervid attack signals the epic thrust of the movement
and his cohorts respond with driving spirit and the last ounce of commitment.
Surely this is one of the greatest accounts of one of the greatest quartets
ever written.
I well remember a concert performance I attended by the now-dissolved
Fitzwilliam Quartet of this work, minus the rondo. It, too, was spectacularly
played. This Nimbus issue, though a product of the studio, has much of that
air of spontaneity, of electricity that you associate with a live concert.
It sears the work into the mind, becomes a standard against which to judge
other recordings. And while one can obtain excellent performances of these
works by the Quartetto Italiano (Philips), Tokyo Quartet (RCA), and Vermeer
Quartet (Teldec), this Nimbus disc, which features excellent sound and
informative notes, is one that will satisfy almost any tastes. Highly
recommended.
BUNNY BRUNEL: Ivanhoe (MRP Records MRP027)
Touch(MRP Records MRP028)
Momentum (MRP Records MRP034)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
Bunny Brunel has established himself well over the years. Having received
his
tenure as bass player alongside such musicians as Chick Corea, Larry
Coryell, Al DiMeola, Joe Farrell, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Wayne
Shorter, and Tony Williams, it only makes sense Brunel would explore and
record his own music. A trio of these solo releases (originally released
in 1989) have recently been re-released through MRP Records, and serve to
establish Brunel as a formidable jazz/fusion bass player. His talents are
not limited to performance. He has the ear to compose interesting and
intelligent music, as these three releases prove.
The personnel on "Ivanhoe" resembles a who's-who in the world of jazz/fusion.
Such musicians as Corea, Hancock, Williams, Farrell, Stanley Clarke, Bill
Watrous, and Al Vizzutti are featured, along with a number of others.
Brunel's compositional talents reveal themselves in many original pieces,
ranging from smooth and romantic, to grooving and rhythmical. Brunel's
compositions allow each musician to stretch their musical capabilities. The
presence of such a strong supporting cast augments Brunel's playing,
producing a sound that is both solid and melodically pleasing. His
intonation on the fretless bass is flawless, and very reminiscent of the
late Jaco Pastorius. "Touch" picks up where "Ivanhoe" completes. An equally
adept rhythm section features Daniel Goyone on piano, Corea on
synthesizers, with Nicole Brunel on vocals, Paul Nicola on sax and flutes,
Bernard Torrelli on guitar, and Andre Ceccarelli on drums and percussion.
The compositions are somewhat softer throughout, and display some beautiful
chordal progressions that compliment Brunel's fretless playing. Strings
have been lightly added to some of the pieces, conducted by Brunel and
Goyone. "Touch" implies sensitivity, and Brunel's sensitive approach to
each composition is wonderfully communicated.
"Momentum" finds Brunel with a completely different, and slightly smaller
rhythm section. Brunel is supported by Kei Akagi on keyboard, Patrick Moraz
on synthesizer, Frank Gambale on guitar, and John Wackerman on drums. Unlike
"Touch," "Momentum" features a variety of musical styles ranging from lush
and melodic to a blend of rock and contemporary jazz sounds. Brunel's ear
for chordal changes provides a harmonic foundation that serves as a breeding
ground for melodic content, no matter the musical style. The musicianship
is superb, with excellent guitar playing by Gambale.
Brunel's interest in the bass began with the early contemporary American
jazz musicians of the 1970s. A native of France, Brunel was intrigued by
the music produced by the early pioneers of jazz/fusion. In the late 1970s,
Brunel found himself playing alongside Corea, and performing with the
musicians he so admired. Active as a performer and solo artist, Brunel has
also applied his compositional talents for Hollywood. His music is found on
the title track to Clint Eastwood's award winning film "Unforgiven"
("Claudia's Theme"). Currently, he composes the music for the hit TV series
"Highlander." Brunel has also completed three instructional books for Mel
Bay Publishing, each of which explore a variety of position and harmony
techniques for the bass.
With so much talent in so many areas, Brunel will, no doubt, continue to
explore his musical horizons. MRP Record's re-release of these three CDs
adds to the marketplace yet another musical voice that has been so
instrumental over the years in helping define the jazz/fusion sounds we
have today.
COCOA TEA: Israel's King (VIP)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Cocoa Tea (aka Calvin Scott) is one of reggae's most underrated treasures.
Respected in Jamaica as a veteran artist and a serious rootsman, he hasn't
been as successful as some in extending that reputation in Babylon.
This is the disc that could change that if it gets heard. This may, in
fact, be the most satisfying reggae release I've heard this year.
With a beat established by no less a light than Sly Dunbar, the always
capable horn work of Dean Fraser and a vocal assist from Luciano, Cocoa
Tea has come up with a collection of songs that complement his lilting but
soulful voice. These songs are both deeply conscious and highly accessible.
There are too many treats to detail here--the title cut is one of the
finest tributes to Jah on disc, "Rough Inna Town" has a fine contribution
from the young Rasta phenom Luciano, Fraser's contribution to "Hurry Up &
Come" is memorable, etc.--but "Don't Want To Live Without Your Love"
deserves stateside airplay. It's a classic mid-tempo soul ballad that is,
frankly, a better song than half of what you'll hear on the air and a
better performance than most of the rest.
Then there's "Bruck Loose," an insightful social comment without rancor
or condemnation, "Rastaman," a call for pan-African unity, "One Bright
Day," a hymn of joyful anticipation...great songs, one after another.
If you know Cocoa Tea's work, you're probably already on your way to grab
this one. If you don't, you should be.
Track List: Israel's King * Rough Inna Town * There's No Hope * Rastaman *
Repatriation * Hurry Up & Come * Don't Want To Live Without Your Love *
Bruck Loose * One Bright Day * Morning Ah Come * Namibia
JOHN COLTRANE WITH THE RED GARLAND TRIO: Traneing In
(DCC Compact Classics 24k gold CD)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
In the late summer of 1957 three of the members of the recently
disbanded Miles Davis Quintet came together with drummer Arthur
Taylor for a session with producer Bob Weinstock. Pianist Red Garland,
bassman Paul Chambers and Taylor had already released a series of albums
as the Red Garland Trio. For this date they were joined by John
Coltrane on tenor.
Trane, who had played with some of the finest on the scene, including
Dizzy Gillespie and, of course, Miles, was entering a new period. He
had found his voice with Miles' group and was playing confidently, ready
to assume the leadership role which would make him a jazz legend.
The origins of that legend might be traced to this disc. As Ralph
Berton wrote in the notes for the 1969 posthumous re-release of the
album, "If you don't know this album, you don't know Coltrane."
Opening with the title track, we're put on notice that this is going to
be a wild ride. The quartet takes almost thirteen minutes to stretch
out on the blues and display their chops, revealing the virtuosity of
every member.
Moving to the ballad "Slow Dance," the focus is put on Trane, who lends
a touch of the mystic mood that would make his reputation in the 60's.
"Bass Blues" is another Coltrane blues which features, as the title
implies, masterful work by Paul Chambers, who contributes one of his
noteworthy bowed solos.
"You Leave Me Breathless" is the highlight for me. Trane is in a
groove, hitting the high notes dead on, and there's room for more solo
work by Garland and Chambers. The album closes with Irving Berlin's
"Soft Lights and Sweet Music," which is delivered at high tempo.
While "Breathless" and the title cut are exceptional to my ear, every
track is essential as four masters weave a tapestry of sound and mood.
DCC has done their usual exceptional job of providing original art,
complete notes from both the 1957 release and the 1969 re-issue, and
has put the music on their 24k gold disc format.
If you don't know this disc, you don't know Trane. I didn't. Now I do.
You should.
DIGITAL K: King Tubby's In The House (ROIR)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Digital K (aka Keith Ruddock) learned his craft at the knee of his
uncle, the late, great King Tubby. King Tubby may be in the house
spiritually, but it's K at the mixing table and he's in command.
The label claims elements of "sampling, reggae, hip hop, soul, jungle,
house, roots, acid jazz and blue funk" here. It's true, and it's
the only problem with this disc.
Digital K is obviously talented and he's apparently driven to extend dub
music beyond any mental borders that others will put around it. His
adventurous and experimental approach takes him down paths that can
surprise and delight. Occasionally, it takes him to places that,
frankly, just don't work as well as others.
There are fifteen cuts here, and fifteen directions. Digital K is
searching for a "new generation of dub," and he's a likely candidate to
find it, but as with every new generation, there are some growing pains
to be had along the way.
The high points here, though, are high enough to make the overall effort
worthwhile, and even when he doesn't quite hit the mark, the attempts
are interesting. It's almost two discs - one full of strong avant garde
dub for the appreciative listener and one of cutting edge lessons for
those who will follow him in studios.
Tracks that should please most dub fans include "Generation Dub," "Man
Dub," "Freedom Dub," "Piano Dub" and "Tubby's Dub (remix)." Anyone
interested in producing their own dub, though, or interested in the
future and possibilities of dub should listen carefully from start to
finish.
ELEVATOR TO HELL: Parts 1-3 (Sub Pop)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Eric's Trip is no more. That they were able to hold it together as long
as they did is nothing short of miraculous, considering the personal nature
of their music--and the fact that the disintegrating relationship that fueled
the lyrics was taking place within the band between Julie Doiron and Rick
White. Elevator To Hell is White's new "group," though it's mainly just him
and his home studio. I use the word "just" only as a quantifier. The music
here is even more surreal and beautiful than anything Eric's Trip ever did.
White's songs seem very simple--and even, at times, child-like. Even when
he sings "I have a drug problem," it comes through with such wide-eyed
innocence that it throws the listener off balance. This is one of the
things that sets Elevator To Hell apart from the "alternative" crowd.
Another very important part of the charm is the fact that each song was
recorded the day it was written, guaranteeing spontaneity.
As a songwriter, White is capable of making music that seems psychedelic
and disjointed but actually works on a pop level. Some people just have
incredible pop instincts, and White is certainly one of them. His choice
of instrumentation indicates either genius or a very small collection of
instruments. One of the most beautiful and yet disturbing tracks is "Rather
Be," a deceptively uptempo tune built on two acoustic guitars, some ghostly
background vocals, kick drum, and what sounds like a bag of change being
used to simulate hand-claps. Very effective, whatever it was.
White's wife, Tara, plays bass on several songs, and she also sings
backing vocals with a voice so haunting and angelic it can break your heart.
Her voice is a perfect fit with this surreal and highly personal material.
The only other credited performer is Eric's Trip drummer Chris Thompson
(using the name Christopher Moonsocket), who played on two tracks, so this
really is a Rick White solo project. There are 27 tracks spread over 63
minutes, not one second of which is the slightest bit boring or unessential.
Even if you missed out on Eric's Trip, this should convince you that White
is one of the most interesting artists of the 90s.
THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR - The Bobby Fuller Four (Del-Fi)
Released in 1994 (but VERY worthy of mention!)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Bobby Fuller is best known for his classic recording of Sonny Curtis' "I
Fought The Law," but there's a lot more to tell, and in fact, his (short)
life story would make a hell of a movie. Bobby was an excellent performer,
and a fine mimic who always seemed to have a knack for sliding into the
groove of whatever was hot. When surf was the rage, the BF4 played some
pretty convincing surf. When vocal surf got popular, they pulled off some
great Beach Boys clones. Their two big hits, "I Fought The Law" and "Love's
Made A Fool Of You" have confused more than a few shoppers into looking in
the Buddy Holly section. Hell, they even had Wolfman Jack make a lot of
noise on one their 45's, which wasn't exactly a new concept at the time.
The thing that set them apart from the crowd was simply that they did it
all extremely well. And somewhere along the way, they absorbed it all into
a sound of their own.
Though they only did two nationally released albums, The Bobby Fuller Four
made quite an impact. Then, in 1966, Bobby Fuller was found dead in his car.
It was officially ruled a suicide, but the circumstances were more than a
little suspicious. And that was that.
This CD, released in 1994, contains every track from both albums--KRLA: King
Of The Wheels and I Fought The Law--plus a few rare tracks from 45's. The
songs aren't presented in their original order, but Del-Fi's been nice
enough to provide a listing of that order in the liner notes for those of us
who want to program our CD players and hear it like it was. I strongly
recommend doing this, and adding the extra tracks at the end. This is an
interesting document of a band and an era, and it should be experienced as
it was then.
Besides the big hits, there are plenty of standout tracks, such as "King Of
The Wheels," "Another Sad And Lonely Night," and "The Phantom Dragster,"
which is a nice variation on the Bo Diddly beat. Then there are tracks like
"Saturday Night." Eddie Cochrane was already dead, so he couldn't demand
Fuller give him his song back. (Though credited to Fuller, it was a dead
ringer for Cochrane's "Come On Everybody.") Still...it rocked.
No, this isn't a new re-release. But I was afraid you might have missed it.
Del-Fi (BF4's original label) is preparing to release a box set of recordings
the band made in their hometown of El Paso, Texas, prior to setting out for
LA and fame and fortune. I've never heard those recordings, but I suspect
it's going to be one of the more important "archeological releases" of the
year, so it seemed a good time to blow the dust off of this gem and tell
you about it. Keep your ears peeled for music from that box.
GIGANTOR: Atomic! (Lost & Found)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
This latest full-length disc finds Gigantor still mining the same silly
punk territory as their mentors The Dickies and doing a fantastic job of
it, too. Right from the first song, the soon-to-be-a-classic "Lunar Bop"
through such other gems as "My Dad Looks Like Lemmy", "Iron Man No. 28",
"What's The Buzz", "Hard Luck Boy" and "Next 2 Nothing" just about every
song is a potential hit (in God's perfect world, anyway). Every time I
write about these guys I mention how they were inspired by The Dickies but
the truth of the matter is that Stuart & Co. haven't put out anything this
exciting in years. Write away and buy this now or be sorry later.
(Bonteweg 1, 30900 Wedemark, GERMANY)
THE GREEN HORNETS: 4-song EP (Alopecia)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
The Hornets play real garage in the vein of such classic bands as
The Chocolate Watch Band, The Standells and The Haunted. Every song on
here, 2 of which are sung by The Queen Hornet, romps and stomps and shakes
and shimmies like crazy, making this the ultimate party liven-upper or
maybe just the perfect record to get you going the morning after. Either
way, if you dig real garage music, you'll want to score one of these.
HARMLESS: Protect Us From Evil (Hell Yeah!)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Lance Kaufman is one of the most interesting musicians I've ever listened
to. He was already known and respected in the San Francisco music scene
when he left his jazz band to join Yard Trauma, one of the great 80's
garage groups. In 1990, he imagined a jazz band that would grow tired of
providing background music in clubs and go totally berserk, forcing their
shocked audience to listen to the music they really wanted to play. Protect
Us From Evil is the soundtrack to Kaufman's vision.
His former Yard Trauma bandmate, Lee Joseph, released Harmless on his Hell
Yeah! label in 1990, but it went nowhere, probably because the public was
nowhere near ready to hear some of the elements of the material. Now Hell
Yeah! has decided to give it another shot, thinking that perhaps people have
become a little more anxious for adventure in this year of Hootie & the
Bullfish.
The music is diverse beyond the tolerance of the average top-40 listener--to
say the least--and won't please stuffy jazz types very much either. Clear
your mind of all preconceived notions before listening. The album begins
with a hysterical vision of over-the-top fan worship. "They Dug Up Elvis"
juxtaposes a slamming Peter Gunn bass & drums undercurrent, subversive
acoustic piano, nightmarish sax meltdown (played at the top of the register),
and Kaufman's thoroughly screamed lead vocal, which would have scared the
shit out of Sam Kinnison. There is so much going on in this song--and on
the entire album--that you can listen to it literally dozens of times before
you've caught it all.
From the violent to the merely frightening. "Afraid Of The Dark" is a much
tighter musical structure based on Kaufman's exotic synth work (done years
before Exotica came back into fashion). The song itself is quite dark, an
agoraphobic's checklist of uneasy do's and don't's made doubly eerie by a
sliding fretless bass line. "Big Gut, No Butt" follows, and it's easily the
most traditional musical structure on the album, save for the distorted and
biting electric piano that comes across like a drunken elephant's trumpeting.
By this, the third song, one pattern does emerge: there is chaos everywhere.
Every piece of music has something that hacks violently at your subconscious
and demands your attention. Usually, it's the sax, played by veteran Bay
Area musician Martin Fierro. Sometimes it's Kaufman's piano, skillfully
played to sound like an exploding aneurysm inside your brain. These sounds
refuse to let you get comfortable with the musical textures in the background.
They force you to listen, and that's why you hear the most important part...
the lyrics. Kaufman has plenty to say.
"I Passed For White" begins with a single sound, distorted and frightening,
similar to the high note of an air raid siren that seems to hold forever,
building tension. It is written as the observations of an alien among us,
shocked by the human need to hate. "Hiroshima Maidens" balances surreal
and slow free form musical sounds with Kaufman's hypnotically detached
reading of a 1955 magazine article, which detailed the slow physical
rehabilitation of a group of young girls who had been badly disfigured in
the Hiroshima bomb blast. The title track is a sarcastic "fuck you" directed
at the pompous jazz club patrons who expect the band to play quieter than
their conversations. Most disturbing of all is "Richard Bible." The true
story of a serial killer in Flagstaff, Arizona (where Kaufman now resides),
it is an indictment of an impotent legal system that would turn a sick sexual
predator loose on society. "Richard, they should know you better."
Hopefully, Harmless will find an audience this time around. Hopefully, there
are people who are sick of their steady diet of music they can roller skate
to. I hope so, because I'd like to hear Harmless II. Which, by the way,
you'll never find in the easy listening section. There is nothing at all
easy about Harmless. (Dionysus/Hell Yeah! Records can be reached at PO Box
1975, Burbank, CA 91507, or by phone at 818-848-2698.)
ISRAEL VIBRATION: Free To Move (RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is a group that has never abandoned the roots for a solitary second.
On Free To Move, Israel Vibration proves yet again that the 70s approach
is still powerful and valid. Covering such subject matter as survival in
the real Jamaica ("In The Ghetto" and "Livity In The Hood"), Rastafarian
spirituality ("Solomon Bloodline" and "Savior In Your Life") and,
ultimately, the against-all-odds victory of the human spirit ("Feelin' Irie"),
Free To Move becomes a strong candidate for conscious record of the year.
The music is performed with so much warmth and sincerity that one cannot
help but take it personally. Even those who can't grasp the Rasta ideals
can appreciate the grand gesture, and those who can't even get a clue can
at least close their eyes and ride the grooves.
ERIC JOHNSON: Venus Isle (Capitol)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Eric Johnson has just released his follow-up to Ah Via Musicom entitled
Venus Isle. After six years and almost as many title changes, Venus Isle
contains eleven new songs in a wide variety of musical styles. People have
said that Johnson was suffering from 'Boston syndrome' (only releasing a
new album every six or eight years). However, the big difference between
this and a Boston album is that Johnson's new album is great. Johnson tries
several new things on the CD and most of them pay off beautifully. Two of
the songs--"S.R.V." and "Camel's Night Out"--have been part of his concert
repertoire for years.
Things get off to an excellent start with the majestic title track.
Johnson's multi-textured guitar work on the song is stunning. "All About
You" is another of the many highlights on the disc. The fluid guitar licks
on the song's chorus are truly memorable. This song also marks the first
time that Johnson has included a percussion section on any of his CDs.
"S.R.V." is a tribute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. The song's solo by
the former leader of the Fabulous Thunderbirds--and SRV's brother--Jimmie
Vaughan adds a nice touch.
On the CD's only weak track, "Lonely in the Night," Johnson makes use of
a string arrangement with less than spectacular results. Johnson shows off
his jazzy side on "Manhattan." His warm, tasteful playing on the cut evokes
the sounds of jazz great, Wes Montgomery. "Camel's Night Out" revisits the
Jeff Beck-like power trio sound heard in some of Johnson's earlier works.
In another first for Johnson, the tender "Song For Lynette" marks the first
time a piano-based song has appeared on one of his CDs.
Guitar Player magazine named Johnson "Best Overall Guitarist" for the last
four years in a row, and deservedly so. While his playing can seem a bit
self-indulgent at times--almost as if to say "look what I can do"--the fact
remains that he has produced a brilliant new album you don't want to miss.
Venus Isle is one of the finest albums of the year.
THE KINKS: Kinks (You Really Got Me)/Kinda Kinks
(Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs - 24k Gold Ultradisc II CD)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Way back before "Lola," and way way WAY before "Come Dancing," The Kinks were
a mean R&B outfit, authentic as The Animals or The Stones. They could also
play pop music and give it a bluesy edge, as evidenced by classics like
"You Really Got Me" and "Tired Of Waiting For You." The two albums on this
single disc were the first two successful Kinks records: Kinks (released
in 1964 and titled You Really Got Me by the stupid meddling American label
goons) and Kinda Kinks (released in 1965), and each was loaded with great
R&B performances.
While nothing beats the satisfaction of owning a pristine original vinyl
pressing of such an album, Mobile Fidelity offers many compensations. Sound
quality, as on almost any MoFi product, far surpasses the original. Hiss
is reduced to a whisper, separation is greatly enhanced, highs shimmer and
lows kick. The liner notes have been recreated and a few new pictures have
been added. Most importantly, three songs that the aforementioned stupid
American record label goons stripped off for the US release of Kinks have
been restored. (The labels apparently never butchered Kinda Kinks.) One
of those songs, "Revenge," is a harmonica-driven instrumental masterpiece
that truly showcases Ray Davies' prowess on that instrument. It's nice to
see that song back where it belongs.
The entire package is loaded with positives. The quality is a huge plus.
The historical accuracy is an even larger plus. Best of all, you get 26
tracks, only two of which have been played to death by classic radio. It's
time to rediscover another great band. For many, this will be the first
real exploration of what The Kinks were up to before they ran into
Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Lola.
THE KLOROX GIRLS: Rapunzel's Unrest/Color My Imagination (Grinning Idiot)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Featuring current members of Oswald Five-O, Kpants and Dead Girlfriends,
this part-time combo playes some pleasant, rough-edged punk tinged pop.
I've never heard Dead Girlfriends but anyone who likes either of the other
bands will probably really like this as well, as I can hear lots of elements
of those groups here. Makes me hope that they've got a whole disc's worth
of songs in 'em. (PO Box 10634, Eugene OR 97440)
LLWYBR LLAETHOG: Mewn Dyb (In Dub) (ROIR)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Nope, that's not a typo. The name of the group is Llwybr Llaethog. It's
pronounced any way you please, as far as I know, but the real pleasure is
in the listening.
This is another of ROIR's CD re-releases of their previous cassette-only
catalog of international dub, this time from Wales. The cassette dates
from 1991, but the music remains cutting edge. The message is up to date,
too. After all, a track titled "War in Baghdad isn't My Bag Daddio" is
just as timely in 1996 as it was then, I'm afraid.
The members of this four piece unit are credited with various combinations
of drums, tin whistle, synthesizer, bass, guitar, keyboards, banjo and
trumpet, but the sound really belongs to mixmaster John Griffiths and his
scratching, sampling and mixing skills. Political raps (some in Welsh, but
I'm told those are political, too), heavy dance beats and instrumental
snatches create as much mood as music.
It's not a bright mood, but this is vital club music. Griffiths, along
with bandmates Pete Willward, Ben Bentham and Kevs Ford, serve up that
rarest of creatures, danceable topical tunes. This is a very collectible
piece because of its geographic origins and place in the development of
dub as an international musical movement. It can't be written off as a
novelty from dub history, though. It's music to move to, and music that
will move you.
Track List: Ai Bod Dub (To Be Dub) * Mynd Adre' Dub (Going Home Dub) *
Marion McKeone * Rhyfel (War in Baghdad Isn't My Bag Daddio) * Baile
Atha Cliath (Dublin) * Cariad (Lover) * Methu Dal Y Pwysa (Can Stand the
Pressure) * Mae'n Bywyd Braf (It's a Great Life)
CURTIS MAYFIELD: People Get Ready (3-CD Box Set) (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Curtis Mayfield is one of the most important figures in the history of
popular music for more than one reason. For many whites, his music was
an eye-opening introduction to funk music and black awareness. To black
Americans, his importance is immeasurable because he was one of the first
blacks with pop chart success to write songs of black self-empowerment--at
a time when the civil rights movement needed that voice. Throughout the
60's and 70's, Mayfield was a positive voice of reason and a source of
pride for a race of people who were constantly being told--by the government,
racist factions, and school systems--that they had nothing to be proud of.
People Get Ready is a 3-CD retrospective of his magical career.
Disc one begins, logically, with The Impressions--Mayfield's vocal group
during the 60's--and their 1961 Top 20 hit, "Gypsy Woman," which put them
on the map. Over the next eight years, The Impressions visited the charts
on many occasions, scoring as high as #4 with "It's All Right." 1964's
"Keep On Pushing" marked Mayfield's emergence as a political voice--and the
beginning of The Impressions' woes with white radio stations, many of which
stopped playing this "subversive" music. Those acts of ignorance couldn't
prevent the song from reaching #10 on the pop charts, nor could they stop
"People Get Ready" from becoming an instrument of awareness for sensitive
whites who were just starting to realize what was going on in the world.
With "We're A Winner," Mayfield began to shift his message from one of
instruction to one of affirmation, reaching out to those with self-doubts
and filling them with a new pride and sense of worth.
In 1970, Mayfield released his debut solo effort, simply titled Curtis, and
it went all the way to #19 on the pop charts--in marked contrast to his
final LP with The Impressions, which languished at #104. Three tracks from
this vital album are present in this collection: "The Makings Of You,"
"Move On Up," and the ground-breaking single "(Don't Worry) If There's A
Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go." Mayfield's next LP was Curtis Live--a
shocking move that turned out well, peaking at #21 on the LP charts
and producing five brand new tunes, including "Mighty Mighty (Spade &
Whitey)," "Check Out Your Mind," and another ground-breaker, "Stone Junkie."
That song dealt with drug abuse as a color-blind universal problem. These
solo tracks had a great deal of soul, and a hint of what was to come.
Disc two finds Curtis as he is combining all ingredients into a new sound,
much more powerful and downright funky than anything he had previously done.
"Beautiful Brother Of Mine" flows on the current of a heavily distorted bass
and Curtis' chopping rhythm guitar. The vibe grows darker with the four
tracks from the landmark Superfly album, which was Mayfield's only #1. The
title track and "Freddy's Dead" are familiar to anyone who owned a radio
in 1972, but "Pusherman" deserved as much airplay as either of those and
received none. The dark groove, powered by excellent conga work, is
exquisite. I'd tell you who played the congas, but for some reason, the
Superfly album is one of the few sources that doesn't include a complete set
of credits in the liner notes. They say the info wasn't available. I say
"did anyone think to ask Curtis?"
"Can't Say Nothin'," from the Superfly follow-up LP Back To The World, marked
the beginning of Mayfield's slide down the pop charts. Pop-America, in
typical fashion, had gorged on Superfly and then moved on. Too damned bad,
too, because some of his most interesting music was to come: "Kung Fu,"
"Billy Jack," and "If I Were Only A Child Again" are unknown classics of
funky soul that need to be heard.
Around this time (1975), another element came into Mayfield's music:
mellowness. "Sweet Exorcist," "To Be Invisible," and "So In Love" typify
the love-song genre that he was moving into. As that kind of music bores
me to tears, I can't comment on most of disc 3. There are some tracks that
can catch the ear of those longing for his funkier sounds, such as "Party
Night" (which is funky yet only a 1-2-3-4 drum beat removed from disco),
"You Are You Are" (which gets closer to disco) and "Do It All Night (which
nails right it on the head). The good news is that Curtis' brand of disco
is far more listenable than most.
The most recent track is from 1990. That year, while touring to support his
Take It To The Streets album, a lighting rig fell on him, paralyzing him
from the neck down. Happily, Curtis' situation has improved steadily, and
he is now signed to Warner Brothers Records.
The packaging of this box set is very nice. The 56-page booklet contains
a lot of interesting information--especially the semi-comprehensive list
of supporting musicians--and many great photographs. I'd like to make a
plea to those of you who, like myself, originally dug Curtis for the funky
grooves but hadn't lived enough to understand what he was singing about:
rediscover this man! Listen to the things he was saying, because it all
holds true today. This 51-track box is a good place to start.
FREDDIE McGREGOR: Jamaican Classics Vol. 3 (VP Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Since the beginning of his career as a 7 year old phenom with the
legendary Clarendonians, through his tenure with the Soul Syndicate and
a noteworthy solo career, Freddie McGregor's contribution to reggae
music is well established and justifiably respected.
This disc, the third in a series of collections of Jamaican standards
from the sixties and seventies, could be considered McGregor's payback
to the musical tradition that has given him so much...and payback, in
this case, is a joy.
While Freddie McGregor is capable of producing some of the most
conscious reggae around - and there are a stack of releases that will
prove the point - that's not what you'll find here. These are the songs
that McGregor (and Marley, and Tosh, and...well, you get the point) grew
up on. Songs by writers like John Holt, Larry Marshall and Alton Ellis,
recorded by groups like the Paragons, the Gaylords, and the Heptones.
Those names don't mean much, or anything, to you? Well, if you're
interested in Jamaican music, they should. They're the originators, and
the original masters. Like too many of their names, too much of their
music has faded from view, and McGregor not only pays them tribute, but
provides us a great service by reviving these songs.
These are love songs, for the most part, not paeans to Jah or rants
against Babylon, but they're delivered soulfully and it's clear that
McGregor takes his role in perpetuating these classics seriously.
This is music that deserves preservation, not as museum pieces, but in
an accessible format for contemporary listeners. Jamaican Classics
Vol. 3 fills the bill admirably.
Track List:
I've Got To Go Back Home * Danger In Your Eyes * Watch This Sound *
You Don't Need Me * How Can I Forget * Everything Crash * Nanny Goat *
My Jamaican Girl * Can I Change My Mind * Sweet Talking * Hooligan *
Dance Crasher * Moving Away * You've Caught Me
MERIDIAN ARTS ENSEMBLE: Five (Channel Classics CCS 9496)
Reviewed by Paul Remington
Few ensembles have accomplished what the Meridian Arts Ensemble have in the
last six years. Having won first place in the 1990 Concert Artists Guild
New York Competition, the ensemble released their first CD (Meridian Arts
Ensemble CCS 2191) featuring works by Hindemith, Lutoslowski, and other
20th Century composers. Since then, their support has grown, and they have
found themselves performing in some of the best-known concert halls around
the globe. The ensemble is committed to devoting their musical unit to the
works of modern composers. The statement in their latest CD, "New music is
alive and well," expresses their positive outlook on the pulse of modern
music. "Five" does not deviate from the ensemble's main focus--to present
the listener with a prodigious performance of 20th Century compositions.
The ensemble has gained not only the respect of their audience, but also
some important and up-coming composers. They have collaborated with, and
premiered works by, Milton Babbit, Stephen Barber, Elliot Carter, Ira Taxin,
and Frank Zappa, to name a few. Their adventurous programming has also
yielded some fascinating adaptations of works by Jimi Hendrix and Captain
Beefhart, winning them first prize in 1994 from the ASCAP/Chamber Music
of America for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music. Hendrix and
Beefhart are not a likely choice of composers for most ensembles. Their
repertoire also includes custom arrangements and compositions by members
of the ensemble. Suffice it to say, any musical ensemble operating today
that exhibits the talent and musical farsightedness of the Meridian Arts
Ensemble can only be classified as a musical treasure.
"Five" represents the fifth CD in the ensemble's catalog, and is clearly an
appropriate title. It is performed by five musicians - Jon Nelson (trumpet),
Wayne J. du Maine (trumpet), Daniel Grabois (horn), Benjamin Herrington
(trombone), and Raymond Stewart (bass). The works of five American composers
are featured - Ira Taxin, Stephen Barber, Jan Radzynski, David Sampson, and
Peter Robles. Stephen Barber's "Gone is The River" was commissioned by the
Meridian Arts Ensemble, and appears in recording for the first time since
its 1990 premier in New York City. Other works include "Fanfare" by Ira
Taxin, "Take Five" by Jan Radzynski, "Morning Music" by David Sampson, and
"Finale Rounds" by Peter Robles.
The compositions on "Five" range from brief and dissonant (Ira Taxin's
"Fanfare"), to sublime, rich with harmonic and rhythmic development (David
Sampson's "Morning Music"). Attention to subtle detail enhances the
performance. Difficult passages are well interpreted and performed, with
each musician paying close attention to time and dynamics. The end result
is a sensitive and balanced performance, with superb interaction between
musicians.
New music is alive and well because of ensembles like the Meridian Arts
Ensemble. With youth on their side, their abilities are sharp and they have
time to continue developing both their sound and repertoire. The commissioning
of new works furthers growth in these areas, and gives the music world new
material to learn, perform, and enjoy. For me, this is the ultimate experience
as a musician--to perform in a world-class ensemble while defining the
history of 20th Century musical composition. "Five" is yet another addition
to the ensemble's growing catalog--a catalog that proves new music is alive
and well.
MOMUS: Don't Stop The Night (1989) (Creation)
Reviewed by Keith Gillard
Don't Stop the Night is perhaps the peak of Momus' eloquent exploration of
the taboo. Although 1991's Hippopotamomus went further, it did so in a way
that was overtly humorous. Don't Stop the Night, on the other hand, is far
more subversive and disturbing. Although humor is definitely an element at
play in many of these songs, rarely does Momus make the joke just a joke.
On the first listen, you're never sure whether to laugh or be offended and
repulsed.
And the subject matter here can certainly be offensive or repulsive. Let's
see... this album contains songs about necrophilia, raising one's sister
to be a prostitute, masturbation, doctors taking sexual advantage of their
patients, and that perhaps most taboo of taboos, pedophilia. The scary
(and impressive) thing is that Momus manages to suspend the listener's
disgust just enough to let them see the situation from the other side. In
the same fashion that Stanley Kubrick carefully crafted A Clockwork Orange,
Momus puts you on the side of the moral "bad guy," without completely
dispelling your repulsion. This is a difficult thing to do - how does one
transform a vile and detestable act into the erotic? Serge Gainsbourg knew
how. Momus knows how. Does anyone else?
"Trust Me, I'm a Doctor" starts off the album, firmly setting the disco
tone. "Trust me if I seem to touch you / During the course of the cure in
a sexual way / You see I long since lost all interest / In feelings of
pleasure and pain / I don't ever expect to feel those feelings again / But
you still may..." The R2D2 appearance is a nice touch, and the track is
very enjoyable, even if the guitars are overblown.
"Lord of the Dance" is a disco anthem, featuring the return of Jesus
Christ in the body of a beautiful disco diva. As if this wasn't enough
to heat up certain listeners, Momus then states that this sexy dancer is
also Siddharta Gautama, equating the Christian savior with the first
Buddha. It's intelligently written, provocative, and funny.
One of my personal favorites is "How Do You Find My Sister?" (which has
been making a club comeback of late). In this
old-school-rap-meets-barbershop-halfway-at-Kraftwerk's-place epic ballad,
our hero (a servant) raises his sister from birth to be a prostitute. When
she is ready, he systematically introduces her to all the men of power,
whether businessmen or politicians, until he has the ability to blackmail
his way to anything he wants. The end of the song is a wonderful reversal
of fortune: "They knighted the servant yesterday, today you call me 'Sir'
/ You men who laid my sister I say to you now what you once said to her:
/ (You're surprised to hear me talk this way but stranger things occur) /
'Kneel before me, kiss it, call me 'Sir!'" Very rich.
Perhaps the greatest piece on the album, though, is "The Hairstyle of the
Devil." Pet Shop Boys picked this song as single of the year in 1989, and
it certainly is very Pet Shop. However, I don't believe that even the Pet
Shop Boys could have pulled off the subject matter with quite the same
graciousness, neutrality, or elegance. Momus' biggest hit in England did
score major airplay and even a music video, but sadly was not enough to
light the charts on fire around the world. (I would be remiss if I did not
state that a wonderful acoustic version of "The Hairstyle of the Devil" can
be found on 1995's Slender Sherbet.)
The title track is a disco revisitation of "Ballad of the Barrel-Organist,"
the first single released under the name Momus. A nice interpretation, but
compared with the rest of the tight songwriting on the album, it seems to
wander aimlessly, with many different sub-sections. The guitar work is very
nice, though.
"Amongst Woman Only" is, I believe, the greatest song about female
masturbation ever written by a man (the greatest song about male masturbation
is still Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up"). With lyrics a little too explicit
to quote from (even in the freedom of Cosmik), you will just have to get a
copy to hear how erotic this track is. Or you could go download the lyrics
from Momus' website.
Perhaps the most disturbing song ever written by Momus is "The Guitar
Lesson." This is a song about pedophilia, where a guitar teacher seduces
his pretty twelve-year old student. In my opinion, this is a superbly
well-written song. I don't make any defense of the subject matter (nor,
for that matter, does Momus); in fact, I find little that is more disgusting
than the act which may occur at the climax of "The Guitar Lesson" (Momus
never does clearly state that the improper act is consummated). However,
Momus manages to bring beauty out of the situation, which is extremely
disturbing.
In a similar vein, "The Cabriolet" deals with necrophilia. Again, Momus
takes the terrible act of a man making love to the corpse of his estranged
girlfriend or wife beside the shattered remains of his crashed car - and
makes it erotic. Scary stuff, kids...
With the final track, "Shaftesbury Avenue," Momus hints at the great
production that would grace Voyager three years later. Actually, this
track would seem more at home on Voyager than on Don't Stop the Night, but
it still makes a glorious finale here.
Don't Stop the Night is the sound of a great songwriter starting to come
into his own as a producer. The songs are daring, challenging, and
provocative - definitely not for AOL! But for those of you who really
admire good songwriting, this album is one of the finest examples of clever
work with difficult material that you could ever encounter. I strongly
recommend it.
Songwriting: 9/10
Production: 7/10
Performance: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
MUTE BEAT: In Dub (ROIR)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Reachout International Records demonstrates the truly international reach
of the music we most often associate with Jamaica on this CD release of
Mute Beat's 1986 cassette only recording, "In Dub."
This Tokyo based, horn driven band will soon have you believing that
Trenchtown is found on an island off the coast of Asia, populated by
descendants of Miles Davis.
Led by trumpeter Kazufumi "Echo" Kodama, Mute Beat features a creative
two piece horn section (Kodama is joined by trombonist Akihito Masui)
playing against tight, sparse rhythm arrangements. Bassman Takayoshi
Matsunaga and drummer Gota Yashiki give dubmaster Isumi Miyazaki plenty
of space to work his understated mixing board magic. Mitsuwa Sakamoto
joins in on keyboards on a few tracks, including an inventive and
effective dub arrangement of Dave Brubeck's "Take 5," titled "Dub No. 5."
This is the most effective marriage of jazz and dub I've found, though
there is a growing interest in extending the music in that direction
(see a review of Digital K's efforts elsewhere in this month's Cosmik
Debris). The heart of that success in in Kodama's talent on the horn
and skill as a composer/arranger.
This is one that won't rest comfortably in the collection of any jazz or
dub fan - it'll get taken out and put to work. Clean, creative and very
listenable, it's worth looking out for.
Track List: Metro * Fiolina * Dee Jay Style * Beat Away * Landscape *
Downtown * Mixed Up * Dub No. 5 (Take 5) * Schoolyard Dub * Still Echo *
Break A Road
PASTEL COLLISION: Here Comes The Summer EP (Spirit of 86)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
The label name is a takeoff on the whole C-86 thing, a mid-80s pop
music trend that was all the rage in England but went totally unnoticed
over here. Basically, it's characterized by a very clean and wholesome,
bright and shiny jangly guitar and vocal sound that's easy going and
pleasant to listen to. The A-side of this is not the Undertones song but
is a fine slice of upbeat pop nonetheless. The 2 songs on the flip are a
bit slower and sparser but also quite nice. Though it's 10 years later,
with records like this, the spirit of 86 is still alive and very well.
(Room 31, The Exchange Bldg., Swansea, SA1 1SQ, West Glamorgan, UK)
PET SHOP BOYS: Bilingual (Parlophone/EMI)
Reviewed by Keith Gillard
At last! A new Pet Shop Boys album! It's been three years since Very and
Relentless were simultaneously released. In that time, we've seen the
release of two compilations of Pet Shop Boys material: Disco 2 (which was
the most disappointing piece of recycled, repackaged, megamixed crap I
spent my sorry money on, and one which PSB had hardly anything to do with)
and Alternative (a complete collection of b-sides, and a great package).
Those two releases bought Neil and Chris enough time to put together
something very special for 1996.
The package has finally arrived, and it was worth the wait. Bilingual is
every bit as good as Very was, and has more elements of daring and
experimentation which were missing from that last album (but were, of
course, present in Relentless). Plus - it's the first Pet Shop Boys album
to include the lyrics, so even casual listeners can absorb some of the very
literate writing. For me, and many fans, though, there are mixed feelings
about this. I always enjoyed the neutrality and anonymity of Pet Shop Boys
packaging, and its conscientious lack of lyrics.
"Discoteca" starts us off with the sounds of rich layered percussion
(courtesy of She-Boom), with the Pet Shop Boys' characteristic major
seventh strings, trumpet and fairlight-esque sounds. Of course, over
all this is layered a wonderfully rich melody and bittersweet theme.
The bridge is the high point of the song, rising above and beyond any
expectations.
The tracks segues directly into "Single," with a very similar groove. This
is a technique the Pet Shop Boys haven't used since Introspective, and it
is used to even greater effect here. Oddly enough, "Single" is musically
reminiscent of "I want a dog." The groove rich Latin percussive groove
used for these opening songs is a wonderful progression of the Pet Shop
Boys sound.
"Metamorphosis" is great semi-happy New York house disco. The vocoder
effect at the beginning is a very effective intro, and Neil's dispassionate
spoken delivery reminds one of "Left To My Own Devices." It's nice to
hear Chris' voice in the chorus as well. Subject-wise, the Pet Shop Boys
have generally been understated when dealing with the matter of
homosexuality in the past; this song breaks from that tradition sharply:
"What I wanted to be was a family man, but nature had some alternate plans.
So I did without the lot, put emotion on hold and hoped my instincts would
do what they were told."
"Electricity" has a slow, old-school hip hop beat, complete with scratches.
The lyrics seem to be a tongue-in-cheek self-mockery, in much the same vein
as "Yesterday when I was mad." However, given Neil's attitudes and past
writings (such as "The Power of Negativity"), one must wonder if this song
is about the Pet Shop Boys, or is in fact an attack of irony against someone
else--or the industry in general.
The current single, "Se a Vida e (That's the way life is)," is a happy
uplifting pop song filled with hope and warmth. I think the Pet Shop Boys
have only done this sort of song once before ("Was it worth it?"), but this
time they got it right. This song grows on you incredibly. The Latin
percussion, guitars and brass section are very sweet. The bridge inputs
the note of bittersweet which saves the piece from being a sacharrine-fest,
and balances the piece very well. Great pop!
The cream of the crop is "It Always Comes As A Surprise." Wow. What an
amazing song. A mysterious intro leads us into a gorgeous Latin showtune
guitar ballad. The guitar is so tightly played (by Hugh Burns) that I
mistook it for sequenced; even knowing that it's a real guitar, the part
still seems too perfect to be true. Very impressive. But it's the melody
and chord progression which really make this song soar. And the Getz /
Gilberto sample (from one of my all-time favorite jazz albums) doesn't hurt
either! Unfortunately, songs like this are never singles. However, this
is very likely the best song to be released in 1996, and makes my top-ten
best-written songs list.
What will probably be a single is "A Red Letter Day." This sounds like a
direct cross between "Go West" and its great b-side "Shameless" (actually,
there, the b-side was even better than the single). The title and the
Russian men's choir implies the same political subtext that "Go West" did,
and applies it to a love song. Very interesting, with a powerful bridge.
The percussion loop in the intro and outro is very rich.
"Up against it" reminds me of "Young offender," and I still have not been
able to decide whether or not I like either. It has some wonderful
elements, and the melody in the verse is great, but the music and lyrics
seem almost at odds (except in the pre-chorus and bridge). The music is
just a little too happy for Neil's bitter sentiment. Perhaps this was
intentional, however; take the line "Drinking this swill to sweeten the
pill."..
"The Survivors" is another consummate pop song which suffers slightly from
just-slightly-too-obvious production work, particularly in the rhythm track.
The same complaint could be made of "Before," but even stronger. Chorused
lead vocals have never been a favorite of mine, and these just don't sound
right, no matter how many times I listen to them. The percussion tracks
are great, however.
"To Step Aside" has some of Neil's best lyrics. The story seems to be one
of a dictator who is questioning the value of his rule and his future.
"Will I always need you? Would you want me to? Can you love me for good
the way you thought you could? Or will spring bring rain and summer burn?
Will tears at last precede the turn from summer warmth to sudden cold as
certainly as growing old?"
Bilingual ends with "Saturday Night Forever." This piece has too much
showtune in it to be a true disco anthem, and has too much house to be a
true showtune. It's a great mix of both elements, but is unlikely to be
a single. Unfortunately, the production on this track is also just
slightly overblown.
The greatest criticisms I can raise against Bilingual are the barely-blatant
production towards the end, and a lack of unity. Both complaints come back
to production. The best-produced pieces on this album are the ones produced
by the Pet Shop Boys themselves. Had the album all been produced to that
standard, I would give it 10/10 for production. Chris Porter and Danny
Tenaglia both seem to have different production sensibilities, and this can
often be a strength for an album. However, here, their work on their pieces
(particularly the last few), when compared to the wonderfully rich subtlety
of the Pet Shop Boys-produced tracks, has the slightest tendencies towards
the sophomoric and the obvious. But only slightly. Their production still
rates highly; it just can't compare with the flawless work at the beginning
of the album. Still, a fantastic album, and a great addition to anyone's
collection.
Songwriting: 9/10
Production: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
BILL, AL, BOBDOLE, RUSH etc. (or reasonable facsimiles thereof):
Politics As Usual (DCC)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Hillary tells the tale of the beautiful princess and the philandering
prince, Bobdole gets high, Rush hosts the Montana Freemen Glee Club...
Yep, it's Politics As Usual, this year's premium piece of political
satire.
Featuring voices by impressionists John Roarke, Paul Joseph, Brian
Whitman, Philece Sampler and Frank Welker and written by a team whose
credits include work for Leno, Letterman and Politically Incorrect, this
one comes just in time to brighten a dismal political landscape.
This is a no holds barred, no side spared look at the contemporary
scene. Every ox is gored, including Gore's.
The voices aren't all dead on target, to my ear anyway, but there are
some belly laughs here, and a lot of those things that make you go
"hmmm...." You probably won't want to gather the kiddies around the
speakers for every cut (though hearing Clarence Thomas ask the Prez
"Where's the bitches at? Where you keeping the bitches?" is fairly pale
compared to some of the rap they hear on the airwaves), and you're bound
to be offended at one point or another no matter what side you're on.
That's ok, though, because you'll be delighted by the skewering of the
other side on the next cut, or maybe the next sentence.
And I won't even tell you what they do to George Stephanopolous, except
to say that the laugh I got out of it is worth the price of the disc all
by itself.
Well, either that or Bobdole's explanation of how tobacco saves lives...
Anyway, get it - before they shred it.
(DCC Compact Classics: 9301 Jordan Ave, Suite 105, Chatsworth, CA 91311.
1-800-301-MUSIC)
KARLA PUNDIT: Journey To The Ancient City (Dionysus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
In an era when tribute albums nearly outnumber the regular releases in the
rack, when you're thinking it's just a matter of time before Trent Reznor
records a Bing Crosby classic, this is really and honestly a whole nuther
animal. Karla Pundit is actually Lance Kaufman, the wildly talented
keyboardist of Yard Trauma and leader of Harmless back in 1990. (A review
of that album appears in this issue of Cosmik Debris.) With Harmless,
Kaufman screamed, moaned, intoned and expectorated along with some of the
most inventive and radically varied music anyone had ever heard. As Karla
Pundit, he takes an entirely different, extremely faithful road.
Korla Pandit was a star of cinema and early television who played a great
big Gulbransen organ while wearing a jeweled turban. His music was heavy,
exotic and moody, evoking images of desert caravans and bustling street
markets. He frequently changed tempo in mid-stream to great effect. As
his alter-ego, Karla Pundit, Kaufman performs seven original compositions
inspired by Pandit's style. It's an astounding success, showing not only
his considerable skills as a keyboardist, but also his intimate understanding
of Pandit's muse.
The liner notes are as much a tribute to Pandit as is the music. Descriptions
of the inspirations for each track add a great deal to the listening
experience. According to the notes, the entire album is about an ancient
city deep in the jungle between India and Burma, abandoned since the 10th
century A.D. The songs tell a story of life in that city from the eyes of
an outsider, who hacks and fights his way through the dangerous jungle to
reach it. Sure, it's instrumental music, but one quick reading of these
liner notes is all the fuel your imagination needs. The music fits the
stories perfectly. The explorer witnesses such wonders as the "Dance Of
The Virgins," where young women use their new-found charms to attract a
mate, and the bizarre justice of "The Hall Of Snakes," where those suspected
of crimes are made to walk down a long hall filled with venomous snakes,
the innocent believing they will not be bitten, the guilty doomed to die.
Not being a student of this subject, I don't know if this history is true
or imagined, but it doesn't matter. The city and its inhabitants are as
real as you and I--for half an hour, anyway.
Exotica is still in vogue, and this CD/EP is as exotic as it gets, so I
wouldn't be surprised to see another Karla Pundit release in the near future.
I'll be picking it up as soon as it's available, but I will know what to
expect next time. When this arrived, I thought it was a parody. Instead,
it turned out to be a true tribute and a grand gesture of respect.
(Dionysus/Hell Yeah! Records: PO Box 1975, Burbank, CA 91507, 818-848-2698.)
EMIL RICHARD'S YAZZ BAND: Yazz Per Favore (Del-Fi)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This "Yazz" is jazz of the exotic variety, beautifully presented by a talented
band that includes Francisco Aquabella (conga & bongos), Paul Moer (piano),
Al McKibbon (bass), Marcellino Valdez (tympani, gourd, conga & jawbone of
an ass...yeah, that's what it says), Cuco Martinez (timbales) and Richard's
himself, who is (was?) a great vibe and marimba player. The music is of a
decidedly Latin flavor, with percussion instruments being played by 5/6ths
of the band. Like most good exotica, it can transport you to tropical
places if you let it. I'm not sure when this was recorded, or even when
Del-Fi re-released it. This is because the liner notes were apparently
written by LILIPUTIONS!!! For Chrissakes, a magnifying glass didn't even
help! This is text the size of the letters at the very bottom-right on an
eye chart, three or four rows below where most vision tests end. Too bad,
because I wanted to know a lot more than I do about the Yazz Band. Oh well,
to hell with the liners. The important notes are played on the disc itself,
and those are clear as a bell. Yazz Per Favore is something that all
collectors of exotica need.
SONNY ROLLINS WITH THE SONNY ROLLINS QUARTET: The Sound Of Sonny
(DCC Compact Classics 24k Gold CD)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
As 1957's Downbeat Critic's Poll "New Star," Sonny Rollins would have
been a welcome addition to many jazz combos, but he was already an
accomplished leader of his own unit when they entered the studio in July
of 1957 to record "The Sound of Sonny." An amazing sound it was, too.
The quartet consisted of Rollins on tenor, Sonny Clark on piano, Roy
Haynes on drums, with Percy Heath and Paul Chambers sharing duty on the
bass. Rollins wasn't to be outdone by these fine sidemen, though. As
the title implies, this is the Sonny Rollins show all the way.
Of the nine tracks released on the original album, two stand out as
examples of Rollins' brilliance as a player. It's hard to imagine what
a hard bop master like Rollins would do with a chestnut like Sammy
Kahn's "Toot, Toot, Tootsie" until you hear it, but it's wonderful.
Playing it straight at a quick tempo, Rollins pushes the tune, stretches
it and transforms it. By the time he turns it over to Clark for a brief
solo turn, it's hard to remember where he started. Then he takes it
back and winds his way back to the melody, leaving you wondering how he
got there from wherever it was he had been, and how he could possibly
have gotten there and back in just over four minutes. It's just great,
that's all.
On "It Could Happen To You," Rollins takes a real solo turn. Playing
unaccompanied, he displays both his virtuosity on the keys and the
amazing quality of his tone. You can almost sense the other players in
the studio listening to this and thinking "Don't touch it."
Another track worthy of note is a bonus, recorded at the "Sound of
Sonny" sessions but previously found only on a Riverside anthology.
"Funky Hotel Blues" is a medium tempo masterpiece that deserves to sit
beside the other cuts from the album. While audiophiles continue to
debate the merits of analog versus digital, I'm just grateful for a
format that makes room for the restoration of complete sessions in a
single package.
I don't mean to dismiss the contributions of the four players who join
Rollins on this disc - each performs admirably and it would be less
satisfying without any of them, but "The Sound of Sonny" is Sonny
Rollins' showcase and an vital document of the development of one of the
great performers of jazz.
As always, DCC has created a package worthy of the music, which is
presented on their 24k gold disc format.
Track list:
The Last Time I Saw Paris * Just In Time * Toot, Toot, Tootsie * What Is
There To Say * Dearly Beloved * Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye * Cutie * It
Could Happen To You * Mangos * (bonus track) Funky Hotel Blues.
(DCC Compact Classics: 9301 Jordan Ave, Suite 105, Chatsworth, CA 91311.
1-800-301-MUSIC)
SONNY ROLLINS QUARTET: Tenor Madness (1957)
(DCC 180+ Virgin Vinyl LP)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Sonny Rollins was never a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, but as Miles
used him on many occasions in the studio, he no doubt got to know Paul
Chambers (bass), John Coltrane (sax), Red Garland (piano) and "Philly" Joe
Jones (drums) pretty well. This LP was recorded when the Quintet were
taking a break. They happened to be in New York City at the same time that
Rollins was heading into the studio. That little bit of fate led to this
wonderful recording, originally released on the legendary Prestige label.
(Prestige LP 7047 - Hi Fi, for you audiophile types with books.)
The interplay between all of these jazz giants is something one feels lucky
to hear. All five tracks are marked by great performances, but the one that
takes the prize is the title track--because it is a wonderful tune, because
everybody solos, and because it has historical significance. It is the only
recording of Rollins and Coltrane playing together. It was suggested to
Rollins as a showdown between great saxmen, but what developed instead was
a perfect blending of two different styles and approaches. Even when they
began trading licks, it was less a battle and more a unified attack. It's
tragic that they didn't record together again. At least they gave us this.
This is another Prestige re-release from DCC Compact Classics, and if you've
been following their progress in Cosmik Debris' review section, you already
know that they've got their act together. Their vacuum-tube cutting
system--a fairly recent addition
to their operation--and the care with which
they treat the original recordings makes for some stunning sound reproduction.
Very little hiss. A whole bunch of signal! This one stacks up very well to
the best I've ever heard (Pee Wee Russell's "Portrait Of Pee Wee"), though
I doubt anything will ever top the clarity of that one. Of course, I'm the
guy who said nothing would ever beat the speed of a 386. (DCC Compact
Classics: 9301 Jordan Ave, Suite 105, Chatsworth, CA 91311. 1-800-301-MUSIC)
SACRED SYSTEM: Chapter One - The Book Of Entrance (ROIR)
(Produced by Bill Laswell)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
What a trip! This is trance dub, which is far removed from reggae's brand
of dub. Of course, that's the point. It has become its own genre. Deep
stirring bass lines that cycle and connect like an electronic circuit move
your vehicle slowly through scenes of blissful tranquillity and occasional
digital chaos. The bass suddenly vanishes, leaving you with a feeling not
unlike hang gliding, soaring quietly on the wind with just the sounds of
the birds and the waves below, only to be picked up by the bass once again
like a strong updraft moments later. Pardon the imagery--it's impossible to
speak of this music in ordinary terms. Trance dub is surreal by definition.
Sacred System takes surrealism to another level. Have sex to this music
and you're a better lover. Go with the flow.
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 3 in C, Op. 52; The Swan of Tuonela,
Op. 22, No. 3; Karelia Suite, Op. 11; Valse triste, Op. 44, No. 1;
Finlandia, Op. 26. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted
by Lorin Maazel. SONY SK61963 [DDD] 70:05
Reviewed By Robert Cummings
This is the capstone to Lorin Maazel's Sibelius Symphony cycle for Sony. In
the 1960s his complete set for Decca/London with the Vienna Philharmonic,
one of the first in stereo, was received with general acclaim. This new
series, if I can judge it without having heard the second issue which
contained Symphonies 1 and 7, features many of the traits we've come to
associate with Maazel: transparency of orchestral textures, a tendency
toward wayward tempos and gestures, and an ability to unite spontaneity
and calculation, quirkiness and sobriety.
Throughout this cycle Maazel's interpretations work well, not least because
he coaxes excellent playing from his orchestra, an ensemble the high-brows
should cease relegating to the second-tier rankings. His readings of Nos.
4 and 5 are quite compelling: the former is dark and tragic, slower than
his intense earlier effort; the latter, appropriately epic and lyrical. In
No. 2 his slow first movement tempo threatens to sag in places, but in the
end succeeds, thanks in large part to extra weight given to rhythmic accents
and to exposing crucial inner detail. His spirited reading of No. 6, a
well-played rather centrist approach, is one of the best of the recent
crop.
No. 3, however, may be the jewel of the group. Maazel's brisk first movement
tempo gives the music an invigorating jauntiness, while, for example, the
more relaxed Sir Colin Davis (RCA, and earlier, Philips) serves up a kind
of chipper bounce. Both approaches work, but the recent Davis effort is
marginally preferable here because of a slightly greater expressive
flexibility. In the second movement, though, Maazel's livelier pacing is
utterly convincing, leaving both Davis recordings and Ashkenazy (London) in
the interpretive dust. Henceforth I may find significantly slower readings
of the middle panel hard to take, even a test to my patience. I favor Maazel
in the finale, too, where surprisingly he slows the tempo in the latter
half, but to magnificent effect. Has the ending of this otherwise rather
subdued work ever sounded more majestic, more resolute? The sound reproduction
is superb, the best I've ever heard in this symphony; the notes, written
by the distinguished Finnish composer Kalevi Aho, are a model of insight.
In sum, this is a Sibelius Third to cherish.
But there's more. Maazel turns in a ponderous, fully convincing reading of
The Swan of Tuonela, and serves up a joyous Karelia Suite, whose infectious
themes, especially in the finale, come across as a sheer delight. There
follows a brisk but richly atmospheric Valse triste, and, to close, a
brilliant, monumental Finlandia. Again, the sonics offered by Sony's 20-bit
technology are excellent. The splendid reading of the Third alone makes this
disc worthwhile, but the fillers elevate it to candidate for best orchestral
CD of the year. Make no mistake, this one's a winner.
SOUNDTRACK: Blow-Up (Soundtrack) (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
First, let me say that I was probably one of the last hundred or so people
in the world who hadn't seen the 1966 film Blow-Up. When this soundtrack
arrived at the Cosmik office a few weeks ago, everybody was saying "Oh, what
an amazing film!" Seeing my blank expression, they all said the same thing.
"You've got to be kidding...You never saw Blow-Up!?" It got to be kind of
sickening after a while.
All I knew was that I loved the soundtrack. So last night, my wife and I
did Chinese food and a movie. After a tediously slow start, the film became
very interesting for a while, and then it ended. Without resolution of even
one element of the plot. The star was still an asshole, a murder may or
may not have happened, and nobody was behind bars. In fact, when "The End"
first hit the screen, I had to rub my eyes and look again. This is a
classic? Good Lord. It was great for only one reason; you get to see The
Yardbirds scorching out "Stroll On" at painful volume. You even get to
watch Jeff Beck destroy his guitar. And see Jimmy Page with a hairstyle he
obviously nicked from Mary Tyler Moore's "Dick Van Dyke Show" years.
As it is so obvious that I have no breeding, I'll move on past the film
itself and talk about the soundtrack, which is an absolutely fantastic
collection of cool jazz, mod rock, and folksy pop. Most of the music was
written and performed by Herbie Hancock, who recorded the tunes with an
all-star jazz band that included the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Jim Hall,
Phil Woods and Jimmy Smith, along with Hancock's fellow Miles Davis Quintet
members Tony Williams and Ron Carter. With a group like that, no note
was going to miss. The grooves on these tunes are amazing, thanks to that
stellar lineup.
The non-Herbie tunes are well worth mentioning, too. While the cover of
The Lovin' Spoonful's "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind," credited to
"unnamed studio musicians," seems out of place in its very uncoolness, there
was a reason for its inclusion. I'd say "you have to see the film," but I
don't want to be responsible for that. Just accept that it's there and move
on the the aforementioned Yardbirds track. Powerful to extremes. The
excellent liner notes tell an interesting story of a band called Tomorrow
that was originally slated to be in the film. The Yardbirds were brought in
at the last second instead. Tomorrow had recorded a pair of tunes for the
soundtrack, and of course they weren't included when it came out in 1967.
Rhino, bringers of all that is cool, has included them here as bonus tracks
that close the CD. Besides their automatic value as lost relics of film lore,
they will also be of interest to some because Tomorrow's guitarist was Steve
Howe, who was in a fairly successful little band called Yes a few years later.
Apparently, this film was huge with the Mods, so they will probably want the
soundtrack. It's the only place to get these particular Herbie Hancock
tracks, so jazz buffs will want this soundtrack. The Tomorrow tracks have
been included, so trivia buffs will want it, and of course, Yardbirds fans
will want it. Talk about your shrewd marketing! A disc that nearly everybody
will want. And I'm betting nobody will be disappointed. As for the
movie...I want my two hours back.
STORYVILLE: A Piece of Your Soul (Code Blue/Atlantic)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
"Storyville, huh?," I thought. "New Orleans, maybe?"
Nope, Texas, but it sounds like lead vocalist Malford Milligan has spent
a little time listening to the Nevilles--when he wasn't busy soaking up
Otis Redding and Sam Cooke.
Storyville has been the hot band on the Austin scene for a while, and if
there's any justice in the music biz at all, they're due for a major
national breakout.
Built on a foundation of rythym supplied by none other than Chris Layton
(drums) and Tommy Shannon (bass) of the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan's
Double Trouble band, along with David Grissom (Joe Ely, John Mellencamp)
and Dave Holt (Ely, Mavericks, Carlene Carter) on guitars, this is a
band with the instrumental chops you'd expect from players with such
distinguished pedigrees. More than simply four accomplished musicians,
though, this is a unit--these guys play together like they *want* to
play together.
Milligan adds a vocal dimension that puts Storyville in the ranks of the
top R&B acts in the country with their first major label release.
The disc opens with "Bitter Rain," a track reminiscent of the Allman's,
which is fitting, given that Grissom's resume includes a stint as a tour
replacement for Dickie Betts. "Good Day for the Blues" follows, and
it's a great choice for Storyville's first single--"It's a good day,"
Milligan sings, "for Bobby Blue Bland, for 'The Thrill is Gone' and Magic
Sam." And a good day, I might add, for anyone hearing this fine track.
"Blind Side" takes a tougher stance; a blues rocker delivered in a
staccato soul shout. "Don't Make Me Cry" is a straight blues ballad, and
Milligan delivers it with convincing passion.
The tempo picks up again for "What Passes for Love" and "Solid Ground"
before the title track kicks in. "A Piece of Your Soul" is a definitive
example of the Texas blues of the Vaughan brothers or the Winters.
"Cynical" is another ballad, a form the band is particularly adept with.
"Luck Runs Out" hits a funk groove, and reflects more than a passing
acquaintance with the Stax/Volt soul tradition. "Can't Go There Anymore"
continues in that vein, one well worth tapping.
The album wraps with "Share That Smile," a bitter sweet, gospel flavored
tune with a chorus that begs for an audience to sing along. Milligan
invites us to "Share that smile, smooth the edges off a world that's
running wild." This disc leaves me smiling every time I hear it, and
while the music has an edge, it's played with a sense of style and
conviction that can smooth out a rough day.
With the right push and a little luck, Storyville could be the next big
thing. They should be, with great players, some great songs and one of
the finest new voices in a good long while. The CD's in the stores and
the band is on tour. Look for them, and invest a few dollars, a little
time and a piece of your soul...
THROWING MUSES: Limbo (Rykodisc CD)
Reviewed by Cai Campbell
It's hard to believe it's been twelve years since the first Throwing Muses
record was released. Back in 1984, their sound was like nothing else.
Kristen Hersh's raw yet flowery voice and quirky songwriting mastery set
the band apart during a time when pop music was struggling to find a new
identity. Throwing Muses hold the distinction of being the first U.S. band
signed to the eclectic 4AD record label and led a quiet pop revolution, of
sorts, spawning successful splinter groups (Breeders and Belly) and a slew
of imitators (too many to list here.)
It's 1996 and Throwing Muses are no longer a distinctive voice, but are
caught in the middle of their own invention. On Limbo, Kristen Hersh's
voice and songwriting have obviously matured, but the question is, to what
end? The voice is definite, but those delightfully jagged edges aren't
quite as sharp as they used to be. Limbo is an apt title, for it seems as
if the band is attempting to punch their way out of the proverbial paper
bag. The problem is, complacency seems to have softened their blows.
This is not to say that the disc is not good, because it is a fine
collection of music fit for an anguished night of soul-searching. The
performances are solid and the songwriting is more than adequate,
unfortunately, the disc is not remarkable in any way, and try as they
might, Throwing Muses cannot get past their own formula. It's really
sad, too, because when you take this disc and judge it on it's own merit,
divorcing it from the band's history and the current state of pop music,
it is damn fine piece of work. But then, trying to remain objective in
that sense is, more often than not, an exercise in futility.
The band is hip to current trends in technology, at least, and for those
who can't get enough of Kristen and her buds, their website can be found
at http://www.throwingmusic.com. Also, the Limbo CD sports a hidden
"bonus" QuickTime video of "Ruthie's Knocking."
TINY TIM with BRAVE COMBO: Girl (Rounder)
TINY TIM: I Love Me (Ponk/Seeland)
TINY TIM: Live In Chicago (Bug House/Pravda)
Reviewed By John Sekerka
"Girl" almost didn't see the light of day ... cuz of a girl. Seems Tiny had
an unanswered crush which halted the recording process. Several years and a
mended heart later, Tiny finished it off and we couldn't be happier. The
comeback continues as our, er... man Tiny shakes his curly locks, twangs
his ukulele and falsettos and baritones his way through such classics as
"Bye Bye Blackbird," "New York, New York," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Hey
Jude." For backing this icon, Brave Combo are certainly that, and they
provide the necessary stretches needed to pull these numbers off. Tiny
tiptoes not so daintily, and his interpretations may be termed butchery
were it not for the gusto factor.
As covers go, there may not be one to rival Tiny's version of "Another Brick
in the Wall (part 2)." That and some more recent material is collected on
the aptly titled "I Love Me." Besides the usual connoisseur choice of
excellent material (Irving Berlin, Cole Porter) Tiny shows his pen is mighty,
too, with what will surely be the craze of '96: "She Left Me With the Herpes."
I kid you not. If you crave the sensation that can only be quenched by a
concert, then "Live in Chicago" is yer best bet. Tiny rambles through curt
versions of classics (Jerry Lee Lewis, AC/DC), leading his instant backing
band (the game New Duncan Imperials) with "this one is in the key of C,
maestro!" It also contains a great phone message at the end in which Tiny,
all business, asks for his payment, before signing off with his famous
toodeloo. Tiny IS show biz, and it's never too late to fall under his magic
spell.
UPHILLDOWN: 5-song EP (Soundhole)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
Uphilldown write some really terrific songs that sound as if they could've
come off an unreleased All album, which right away should be enough to pique
your interest. In addition to 4 originals they do a pretty cool version of
The Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It" and it should be noted that that is the
worst song on the record. Let's hope that this is just the beginning for
these guys. (PO Box 36513, Richmond VA 23235)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Better Read Than Dead (Epitaph)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The 22 tracks on this CD cover a wide range of music, some great, some
obnoxious. The benefactor here is AK Press, which puts out anarchist
literature. There is far more information about AK Press in the liner
notes than there is about any of these bands, and they tell me there's
even an AK Press catalogue on here somewhere (enhanced CD, y'know?), but
my machine doesn't seem to want to find it.
There are some great highlites here. Chumbawumba's "Safety Pin Through
My Heart" makes me laugh every time I hear it. Snuff's cover of "I Can
See Clearly Now" is almost as hot as the one done by The Sea Monkeys for
the Picklemania NYC compilation earlier this year. A great example of
the diversity on this comp? How about Propaghandi and The Levellers!
Two bands I happen to love. It's nice to see somebody had the cajones
to mix them up on a disc.
The oddest track? My vote goes to Bjorn Baby Bjorn's basically faithful
cover of Abba's "Waterloo." Yep, I know. Other artists on the disc
include J. Church, Pitchshifter, Napalm Death, Zoinks, NOFX, Spazz, and
Wayne Kramer. Summary? Lots of music, lots of range, political cause,
books for sale, crappy font that makes identifying the bands an adventure,
and maybe a catalogue on CD Rom, provided your computer doesn't suck.
(Epitaph: 2798 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Billboard Presents Family Scarytime Classics (Kid Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
While I'm not sure all these tracks are the original versions, I do know
that this is a cool little Halloween CD. "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes,"
"The Dark Shadows Theme," "The Blob," and "Theme From The Munsters" are
just what the mad doctor ordered for Halloween party-tape making. The
highlight of the disc is saved for next-to-last: "This Is Halloween" is a
timeless gem from the Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Kay
Starr's "The Headless Horseman" and Peggy Lee's "Bewitched" offer a little
nostalgic fun for the grown-ups, while "Casper The Friendly Ghost" will
excite the little ones. The only terrible miss, in my opinion, is "The
Addams Family Main Theme," which is the right song but the wrong recording.
It's instrumental, and it's elevator-bound. Is this the theme from the
old Saturday morning cartoon version of the show? Never saw it, can't
answer that question. Overall, however, that's a pretty minor bitch.
If you're looking for a CD you can share with the kids during the Halloween
season, this is a good bet.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: heathenmegamix (VP Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Take a couple dozen conscious and capable reggae singers, blend with
three talented producers and the mixing skills of DJ Mighty Mike and
you get a heathenmegamix.
Really, you should get it.
They are voices new and old, including Cocoa Tea, Shabba Ranks, Yami
Bolo and Prez. Brown. That just scratches the surface though, and
Mighty Mike (who goes by Michael Jones when wearing his producer's hat)
mixes and matches with a free and able hand.
The performances by some of my favorite artists are welcome, but there's
also an introduction to many fine new names--new to me, at least, and
it's hard to imagine any but the most knowledgeable reggae fanatics not
finding someone new and worthwhile here.
This is more than just a compilation - Mighty Mike's mix and commentary
give it the feel of a set in a Kingston Club. While every cut reflects
Jah consciousness, it's also set at a consistently danceable tempo.
Slip it in at a party and evangelize your friends.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Monster Rock And Roll Show (DCC Compact Classics)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
My original plan was to get ahold of all of this year's Halloween CDs and
write a feature piece about them. Ha! There WEREN'T any! Well, a few,
but not enough to base a feature on. So I decided to review each of the
ones I found separately. This one isn't even new. DCC released this in
1990. So why am I reviewing it? Because this is the coolest Halloween
party disc you can buy! This isn't even source for your party tape, because
it IS a party tape in the form of a CD. Songs are segued with recordings
of old radio ads for horror and sci-fi flicks. The songs are a mix of the
obvious (yet indispensable) and the obscure.
The obvious tracks are "The Monster Mash," "The Purple People Eater,"
"Lil' Red Riding Hood" and...maaaaybe "The Witch Queen Of New Orleans,"
though that one's only kinda sorta obvious. Then there are the less
obvious gems, like "Morgus The Magnificent" by Morgus and the Ghouls,
"Feast Of The Mau Mau" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, "Midnight Stroll" by
The Revels, "Bo Meets The Monster" by Bo Diddley, and "Green Slime"
by Green Slime. The movie commercial clips include Black Sunday, 4-D
Man, The Haunted Strangler, The Mummy, Horror Of Dracula, and The
Astro-Zombies. These songs and ad clips are chosen and programmed
perfectly. For example, the segue from the I Was A Teenage Werewolf
clip into Five Man Electrical Band's "Werewolf" is absolutely poetic.
I don't ever want to hear that song again unless that clip precedes
it. This is just one example. It happens all through the disc.
Okay, so you already have "The Monster Mash" on about five CDs around the
house, right? Right. But you still need this one, because it (and everything
else on the CD) was mastered by DCC's Steve Hoffman, a guy who definitely knows
how to do magic. The sound is incredible! Hoffman is used to working in the
24k gold disc and 180+ vinyl formats, but on this disc, he manages to make
ordinary plastic sound amazing. One other note: the segues have just a
hair of silence, making it possible for you to commit heresy by splitting
these tracks up onto various compilation tapes. That's all good news, but
the best news is that this CD is still available, and it's 51 minutes of
instant Halloween.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Reggae Gold 1996 (VP)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Another interesting collection of dancehall, reality and lover rock/reggae
from VP, featuring Beenie Man ("Old Dog"), Bounty Killer ("Fed Up" and
"Benz And The Beama"), General Degree ("When I Hold You Tonight") and
others. The most powerful track is probably "Bad Boy," by the great Buju
Banton, who possesses a voice so deep and gravelly that it can yank your
attention away from just about anything. Lady Saw graces three tracks,
including the hilarious "No Long Talking," in which she makes her preference
regarding penis size a matter of public record. She also turns in the
strangest track, "Give Me A Reason," a record that could fool Nashville
enthusiasts in a taste test. What a country/folk tune is doing on this
collection is anybody's guess. Then again, mixing the dancehall and lover
genres seems strange enough. The shock of the segue from Beres Hammond's
"Love From A Distance" to Bounty Killer's "Fed Up" could be fatal. Ah, but
what a way to go.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Rock Don't Run (Spinout)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Eddie Angel is one of the masked wonders from Los Straitjackets, and his
pedigree as a rockabilly and garage guitarist is quite authentic. Rock
Don't Run is a hot collection of instrumental rock and roll that Angel has
released on his own Spinout label. As he explains on the back cover, these
are some of the great bands that opened for Los Straitjackets last year all
across America. This CD was brought to my attention last month as I was
interviewing Pete Curry and Rick Johnson of The Halibuts, when they correctly
referred to it as a great party album. With tracks by The Kaisers, Thee
Phantom 5ive, Laika and the Cosmonauts, The Volcanos, Dragula, The Surf
Kings, The Panasonics, The Fathoms, The Astro Naughts, The Halibuts, Los
Straitjackets, and a solo track by Angel himself, how could this be anything
BUT a party album?
Aside from its obvious uses as a party pick-me-up, Rock Don't Run serves
as an excellent introduction to the world of instro. There are so many
different styles here, from the exotic carnival sound of Laika and the
Cosmonauts--Finland's greatest national treasure--to the sultry surf-noir
of Boston's Fathoms. I'm curious to learn more about The Panasonics, from
Osaka, Japan. It seems they, too, count Eddie Angel as a member. Doesn't
the man ever take a day off? The answer is no, he doesn't, and in fact he
is planning Rock Don't Run II as we speak, so you'd better buy, enjoy, adore
and absorb this one now or you'll be behind the rest of the class when II
arrives. (SPINOUT RECORDS - 4402 Soper Ave. Nashville, TN 37204)
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Roots Daughters (RAS)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
There may be a musical genre tougher for women than reggae - maybe the
Vienna Boys Choir. Many listeners can rattle off long lists of their
favorite reggae performers, but when asked about women in reggae, they
point to Rita Marley and Judy Mowatt and...well, Rita Marley and Judy
Mowatt.
But there are other women making vital music, and there have been for
some time. This collection displays the talents of nine of the groups
and artists that were working with Lee Perry's Ariwa Sounds Studio in
the late 1980's.
The opening cut, "Guide and Protect," by Aisha, calls down a blessing
from Jah in mellow harmonies. It could be taken as a blessing on this
entire project, since these were all artists deserving of additional
notice that they must have sometimes felt would require divine
intervention.
The tempo picks up with Live Wya's "Catch the Boat," featuring a fine
lead vocal by Pauline Catlin. This moves into Sister Audrey's "English
Girl," which includes some noteworthy percussion work by Jah Shaka.
The inclusion of a cut titled "Free South Africa" dates the collection,
but the performance by Sandra Cross and Wild Bunch is one of the
highlights of the disc. Cross' lead voice is clear and sweet over the
almost percussive backup voices.
"Fire," by Fabienne, is one of the most politically conscious cuts here,
but not one of the strongest presentations. Her voice, though, has some
unique character and characteristics, and my eyes (and ears) will be
open to find more of her work.
On "Until You Come Back," Just Dale is backed by Mad Professor's band
Robotiks and they take the song into a dub groove. This is followed by
Kofi's "A Place in the Sun" and "Mr. Roots Man" by Rasheda. These are
fine tracks, featuring strong voices and solid rhythms.
The disc closes with a self-titled cut by D.J. Mama, and it's a keeper.
Mama throws out some rapid fire toasting that stands with the best
of the Kingston DJs. Her prideful attitude shows clearly that daughters
have deep roots too.
This won't make anyone's recording of the year list, I suppose, but there
are strong performances here by artists who are too often overlooked.
The music isn't brand new, and it's not all great, but it definitely
deserves a spot in any reggae collection.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Street Jams - Back 2 The Old Skool (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is a brand new series from Rhino that compiles some of the greatest
70s funk sides onto 3 CDs, which are sold separately. People who followed
the R&B charts (which were always stocked with MUCH better music than the
pop charts) will be headed for a trip down memory lane. People who thought
"The Hustle" was funky will be headed for a breakdown. While bands like
Tower Of Power and War found the pop charts on occasion--usually with less
funky stuff like "So Very Hard To Go" or "Why Can't We Be Friends," there
was a great scene happening over in R&B land, with bands like Brick, Fatback,
Zapp, The System, Slave, and Brass Construction. The groove is the thing,
see, and nearly every track in this series has a nasty groove. Among the
deepest are Brick's "Dazz," Mtume's "Green Light," Mass Production's
"Firecracker," and Fatback's "Gotta Get My Hands On Some (Money)." Fatback
has five tracks spread over these three CDs, all of which pack a funky
punch. Much of this music was released as disco was sucking the creativity
out of R&B, and eventually the better music won out. Elements of disco can
be heard in some tracks, but never without a funk signature to steer it back
onto the road.
The packaging needs it's own paragraph in this review. The cover, which
will appear blurry in the picture here, is actually a multi-frame shot of
a car bouncing on its air shocks. When the cover is inside the special
slot-faced jewel box (sounds like an insult!), you can make the car jump
by tilting the jewel box forward and back. If I knew what they call that
effect, I would tell you. Sorry. Just call it cool. The liner notes,
written by KCRW (Santa Monica) disc jockey Warren Kolodny, touch on each
performer and each track and give a nice compact overview of the history
of old school funk. There are separate liner notes for each disc.
The old school gave way to the new school, as all old schools eventually do,
and little by little, the music became more and more diluted until it turned
into the bland R&B that VH1 plays today. Hopefully, this series will
continue, or at least spawn others like it, and this superior music will
make enough of a comeback to catch the attention of the modern players.
Who knows? Maybe the new dogs can be taught old tricks.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Supernatural Fairy Tales: The Progressive Rock Era (Rhino)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Progressive rock, as we know it today, originated in Europe in the late
'60's. The music combined elements of rock and psychedelia with assorted
classical and jazz influences. Throughout most of the 70's, prog-rock had
a huge following. Groups like Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Genesis (all
of which are included here) ruled the FM airwaves. Since the beginning,
however, critics were notorious for dissing progressive artists. Pure-bred
rockers blew it off as pompous and pretentious. Classical aficionados found
it too simple and undemanding. Still, the crowds flocked to the concerts
and the bands sold millions of records.
In celebration of the first wave of prog-rock (1967-76), Rhino has just
released a 5CD box set entitled Supernatural Fairy Tales: The Progressive
Rock Era. Three years in the making, this 53-track collection includes more
than five hours of music from multi-platinum groups, as well as lesser known
artists, with nary an "I love you" in the lyrics. Keeping with prog-rock
tradition, renowned artist Roger Dean created the artwork. Supernatural
Fairy Tales also includes a comprehensive 60-page booklet brimming with
photos, and informative liner notes from compiler Archie Patterson, Keith
Emerson and several others.
Disc one starts off with the single version of The Nice's "America." The
song was originally banned in the US due to the song's so-called
'anti-American' tone. As you would expect, there aren't many 'hits' in this
collection. The Moody Blues' classic "Legend of a Mind" qualifies as one
though, and it fits in perfectly. Also included on disc one is a precursor
to what later became known as 'space music', Klaus Schulze's "Searching."
One of the best things about this box is the variety of artists involved.
Chances are, there is something here that you'll remember hearing from
years ago, but forgot about for whatever reason. Maybe it was just the 70's.
For me, one such track appears on disc two - Atomic Rooster's "Death Walks
Behind You." Another band I had been aware of for years, but never heard,
was Van Der Graff Generator. After hearing "Killer" (from the band's second
album), it made me wish I had discovered them sooner. Disc two also contains
one of the few prog tracks to make it into the pop charts, the classic
"Hocus Pocus" by Focus. Who can forget the song's yodeling choruses and
stellar guitar licks? Nothing like that had been done before, or since.
Disc three starts with the first of two tracks from Yes, "Perpetual Change,"
from the band's third album. Though this was still the 'pre-Wakeman' era,
the album's six songs are among their best. One thing to note about
Supernatural Fairy Tales is that the songs are all uncut: there are no
short versions here. Electric Light Orchestra's eight-minute version of
"Roll Over Beethoven" is included, as is the (once rare) complete version
of "Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression" from ELP's masterwork, Brain Salad
Surgery. Until CDs came along, the track was split across two sides of the
album, except for a rare compilation album that had the complete version.
There aren't many tracks on Supernatural Fairy Tales that make you stop and
ask yourself "why is this song on here?." However, one such track appears
on disc four--Roxy Music's "Virginia Plain." Apart from Brian Eno's presence
on the track, there is no reason for this song to be on here at all.
"Ladytron" (also from the band's debut album) is a valid choice, but
"Virginia Plain" simply doesn't belong. The same applies to "Warrior" from
the third Wishbone Ash album. Its chorus sounds like Monty Python's
"Lumberjack Song."
Disc four isn't all bad, though. One group that I'm glad to see included
is Nektar. The band's Remember the Future was one of 1973's biggest prog
albums, represented here by the track "Questions and Answers." I was
surprised at just how well this cut stood up outside the context of the
album. Italy's self-proclaimed answer to ELP, Le Orme contributes "Ritorno
Al Nulla" from their second album. The band sounds more like an orchestral
version of Camel than ELP. Disc four ends with an instrumental by the
French band, Clearlight, cleverly entitled "Without Words."
With cuts by lesser known artists like Samla Mammas Manna, Banco, and
Seventh Wave, disc five has the most obscure tracks. It also features
material from prog stalwarts such as Gentle Giant and the jazz-rock sounds
of Gong. The last 'hit' on Supernatural Fairy Tales is Golden Earring's
classic rock staple, "Radar Love." Given the other great songs on the album
(like "Vanilla Queen"), this one doesn't belong. It's great to see the band
represented here, but they should have picked a better song. The box set
wraps up with a cut from the lone American band included here; Frank
Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. While Zappa was undeniably progressive
in his own right, this song ("Inca Roads") seems an unfitting conclusion to
the box.
Whether it's nostalgia, or just a new audience discovering the music, the
fact remains that progressive rock is still a viable form of music and this
compilation draws upon the period where prog-rock was at its creative and
influential peak. As with any collection of this size, there are sure to be
those who will disagree with the selections included here. Yet when you look
at the box as a whole, it gives you an excellent cross-section of the bands
responsible for creating and influencing this musical genre.
Here's a side note for collectors: the initial pressings of Supernatural
Fairy Tales have an error on disc four. Yes' "Siberian Khatru" (as listed
on the jewel box, the booklet, and the outer box as well) is actually "And
You and I." Rhino has corrected this for future runs and replaced "And You
and I" with the correct track, "Siberian Khatru." Anyone wishing to exchange
their copy of disc four for a corrected one should send the disc--not the
whole box set--to Rhino Customer Service, Prog. Rock Box Set, 10635 Santa
Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. You'll receive the corrected disc in
the mail.
*** VIDEO REVIEW *** SOUVENIRS de MONTREUX
LES McCANN & EDDIE HARRIS: Swiss Movement (Rhino Home Video)
RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK: The One Man Twins (Rhino Home Video)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
Rhino has released video companions to the first two CD releases in its
Souvenirs de Montreux series (reviewed last month in Cosmik Debris) and
they're both valuable contributions to the legacy of jazz.
The McCann/Harris video includes four of the six cuts on the CD, including
the classic performance of "Compared To What" (missing are "You Got It In
Your Soulness" and "The Generation Gap"). It includes a bonus track, "Listen
Here," not found on the disc.
This is a historically valuable recording, and the extra track is welcome,
but it's not exactly cutting edge in its production values. Recorded in
black and white, the overall feel is of a piece preserved by an afficianado
more than something produced for commercial release. The sound recording
is of good quality, though, and the tape is worth having with or without
the disc.
"The One Man Twins" is the companion to Kirk's "I, Eye, Aye" and is a
marvelous complement to the disc. Some of the CD cuts are altered or
sacrificed on the video--"Satin Doll" is trimmed from the improvisational
ending on the disc, and "Pedal Up" is absent from view--but they are
replaced by a spectacular combination of "Misty" and "I Want to Talk About
You" and an excerpt of the encore "Never Can Say Goodbye."
Film of Kirk in performance is rare, and this is reputed to be among the
best available. The performance was recorded in color and seemingly with
an eye to eventual release. The musical performances show Kirk at the top
of his form, and seeing Rahsaan Roland Kirk in action is an amazing
experience.
Kirk's talents as a multi-instrumentalist are legendary, but his practice
of playing multiple instruments simultaneously is somtimes misunderstood
as gimmickry by those unfamiliar with him. Watching him in action--using
his hands, feet, mouth and even his nose to produce his unique sound should
convince anyone that there is no gimmick involved. There's just a man so
full of music that he would, and did, use any possible vehicle to get it out.
I love listening to "I, Eye, Aye," but if I had to pick, I'd get "The One
Man Twins." Recorded in 1972, long before the notion of "music video"
gained any popular attention, it's everything a music video should be--a
quality recording of genius in action.
I don't know if Rhino will be limiting its Montreux releases to packages
with both sound and video recordings available, but I hope they continue
to release the video counterparts whenever possible. A trip to the
store to snag either or both of these (and if its either, make it the
Kirk) will help encourage them to do so.
I encourage you to encourage them.
VOICES OF ASCENSION: From Chant To Renaissance.
Dennis Keene, Conductor. (DELOS DE 3174 [DDD] 63:50)
Reviewed By Robert Cummings
Chant, in case you've been asleep lately, is quite popular these days. One
recent recording, simply entitled Chant on Angel, a compilation from four
previous recordings, became a mega chart buster and started a trend that
must have prompted certain record execs to scratch their balding heads in
surprise (or, if they were women, to fuss with their split ends in
astonishment). Now, of course, practically every label's getting into the
act with recordings of chant and its close neighbor, religious choral music
from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. This is the third entry in this
competitive field by the talented forces of Dennis Keene and Voices of
Ascension on Delos.
Some people, of course, buy this kind of music because it is soothing,
meditative, something they even doze off to. If that's your bag, I won't
gainsay your listening habits, but be aware there's substantive music on
this disc, not mantra-laden stuff packaged to fit some PR man's idea of
new-age music in Renaissance robes. For example, you get two pristinely
beautiful hymns (or Sequences) by the mystic nun (Saint) Hildegard of
Bingen (1098-1179). And, again, if you been asleep lately (perhaps snoozing
to the peaceful sounds of chanting Monks), Hildegard, also a poet, writer,
scientist, diplomat and visionary whom nobles and popes consulted, has
developed a rather large and devoted following in the past decade-and-a-half.
Some of her admirers call her a feminist, but grudgingly concede her feminism
was hardly in step with that of today-who among the Steinems and Smeals
worship fervently in a male-dominated religion, much less write hymns
extolling the Blessed Virgin? But the disc, as you can glean from the fat
headnote, contains considerably more than just music by Hildegard. There
are four motets by Palestrina, perhaps the leading composer of late
Renaissance church music. There are also significant works by Dufay, Issac
and Josquin. And, of course, you get a healthy quota of chant here-Gregorian
Chant.
The singers, under the knowing guidance of Dennis Keene, deliver performances
of authenticity and commitment. Especially notable is the singing of Kathy
Thiel in the Hildegard pieces. The notes, written by Keene, are excellent,
as are the sonics. Each of the 24 selections is given a separate track. In
sum, whether you soothe yourself into slumber with, or listen seriously to,
this genre of music, this release will reward you richly.
Track list -
Hildegard of Bingen: O virga ac diadema; Ave generosa, Kathy
Thiel, Soprano; Palestrina: Sitivit anima mea; Surge illuminare;
Hodie Christus Natus Est; Ascendo ad Patrem; Byrd: Justorum
animae; Rejoice, rejoice; Sing Joyfully; Miserere mei, Deus; Issac:
Sanctus (from Missa Prolationem); Josquin Deprez: Ave Christe;
Dufay: Alma Redemptoris Mater, Alexandra Montano, Neil
Farrell, Jeffrey Johnson, Thom Baker, Singers; Tallis: In ieiunio et
fletu; Farrant: Lord, for thy tender mercy's sake; Lotti: Crucifixus;
Ingegneri: Tenebrae factae sunt; Weelkes: Hosanna to the Son of
David; Alleluia, I heard a voice, Peter Stewart, Baritone;
Anonymous: Rejoice in the Lord alway; Gregorian Chant: Kyrie
eleison, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei (from Missa `cum jubilo'); Ave
Verum Corpus, Susanne Peck, Soprano.
THE VOLCANOS: Surf Quake! (Estrus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
An even dozen fantastic surf tracks from this 4-piece trad outfit. All the
songs are originals, and just about all of them would have been right at
home on a 1962 release. "Bikini Sunset" is such a stormin' powderkeg, I
won't be surprised to hear most of next year's bands covering it. Attitude
is a big factor here. Even the fast tunes sound moody. I like that. There
is very little info on the back cover notes--hell, there aren't even any
last names listed--so I'll just say that Rick and Chris are great guitarists.
This is authentic. This is surf. (Estrus Records: PO Box 2125, Bellingham,
WA, USA 98227)
WEEZER: Pinkerton (Geffen)
Reviewed by Keith Gillard
After 1994's breakthrough debut album, Weezer seemed to be over before it
had even begun. Two of the members (led by bassist Matt Sharp) formed
Moog-celebration band The Rentals, and did very well with it. It seemed
that great Weezer pop songs like "Buddy Holly" would belong only to 1994.
Upon hearing that Weezer were doing a new album, I wondered what the new
lineup would be, and whether or not they could pull it off without Matt
Sharp. Surprise! It's the same line-up. The Rentals was just a side
project, and it seems that the other half of Weezer was mature enough to
let it happen without letting it get in the way.
Like their debut, the most difficult thing for Weezer with Pinkerton is
going to be deciding which of these songs will be singles. They could all
be! Every track on this album is infectious and danceable, with memorable
lyrics (even when they don't particularly make any sense!) and great melodic
hooks. It hits hard and it hits sweet.
The song chosen to represent Pinkerton as the first single is "El Scorcho,"
a slow and heavy bored-generation anthem. Allusions are made to works as
disparate as M. Butterfly and Green Day within the course of a single verse,
which is very entertaining. The simple repeating guitar riff is very
effective, although the vocals are desperately out-of-tune in the choruses.
The Rentals influence can be heard on Pinkerton right from the very first
track, "Tired of Sex," with its tweezy, detuned analog synthesizer melody.
Of course, it's not pristine electronic tone--it's as fuzzed out and
distorted as the guitars are, and is a very nice change from the usual
power pop guitar-only diet.
The third track, "No Other One," is a 12/8 heavy ballad, and very catchy,
even if the lyrics are hard to distinguish from the sea of harmonious noise
that surrounds them. However, I suspect that the actual lyrics are
secondary to the sounds of the words, and that the vocal line is just
another instrument in the ensemble.
The lyrics to "Pink Triangle" are bound to raise a few eyebrows, and
perhaps keep it out of radio play. The song focuses on a man whose heart
is broken when his girlfriend turns out to be a lesbian. I particularly
like the line "We were good as married in my mind, but married in my mind's
no good."
The last track, "Butterfly," is very beautiful, with a heartfelt performance
of vocals and acoustic guitar only. Again, the lyrics seem intended to
provoke here. I have to wonder, given the M. Butterfly references in "El
Scorcho" and the Oriental woman depicted on the back cover, if this track
is another reference to the same woman.
The only major problem with Pinkerton stems from performance, but really
has more to do with production. The production on Weezer's first album was
wonderful and rich, courtesy of Ric Ocasik (of Cars fame). Here, Weezer
produced themselves, and the emphasis is on live performance energy--it is
captured extremely well. However, the vocals are frequently out-of-tune,
particularly in the multi-vocalist choruses. This sounds more like an
outstanding live album than a studio album. I like what they have captured,
but the performances could have benefited from some tightening up. This
could have been accomplished by better production.
Despite any flaws I perceive in the production or performance, this is a
very solid pop album. Good sounds, nice mix, and excellent songwriting
from Rivers Cuomo. If you liked the first Weezer album, or The Return of
the Rentals, you'll like Pinkerton. Does this mean the break-up of The
Rentals?
Songwriting: 8/10
Production: 6/10
Performance: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
WHITE ZOMBIE: ...Presents Supersexy Swingin' Sounds (Geffen)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Well, this is certainly one of the strangest releases of the Halloween
season. After a long long wait, White Zombie fans have something to
sink their collective teeth into--something that will taste quite familiar.
Why? Because it's White Zombie's LAST album. What we have here is a stack
of tracks from the album Astro Creep: 2000 - Songs Of Love, Destruction
and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head. God, I love that title.
So why should you buy an album twice? Because this one is, essentially, a
hotter-n-hell technorgy of remixes done by a host of criminally insane
producers. No, I'm not talking about "oh, hey, that little guitar line
wasn't distorted on the original!" I'm talking about industrial techno
bombardment and complete changes of venue. Twists and turns and nightmarish
imagery--essentially all the power that comes with any White Zombie record
with the addition of some sonic angel dust and the creative input of Freddy
Krueger. Darkness abounds.
Charlie Clouser, who played keyboards on the original version of the album,
hits in the lead-off spot with remixes of both "Electric Head Pt. 2" and
"More Human Than Human," adding thick layers of surreal electonics to the
latter without screwing with the powerful slide guitar track one bit. THANK
you, Chuck! The Damage Twins (Oliver Adams and Praga Khan of The Lords Of
Acid) went totally nuckin' futs with "Electric Head Pt. 1," pulling out all
the stops in creating a total noisescape. It's probably the closest thing
to late 80s techno on the album. John Fryer's remix of "I, Zombie" is very
Eastern Europe, and who knows where the inspiration for P.M. Dawn's remix
of "Blood, Milk and Sky" came from, but the interesting thing is that the
common thread--White Zombie's unstoppable rhythms--bonds it all together as
a cohesive work. It's all so unusual that the final track, a cover of KC
and the Sunshine Band's "I'm Your Boogie Man," seems right at home. That
track can also be found on the soundtrack to The Crow II: City Of Angels.
Now here's something kinky: the cover is a parody of the lounge music era,
which is currently being revisited as the latest retro-trend. A mid-60's
Playboy-type photo of a nude woman in a hammock graces the cover. The
similar picture under the CD tray is a mind (and pants) wrecker! Totally
tasteful, leaving most everything to your imagination, and why the hell am
I talking about this in a music review? Sorry. The point is that poor
unsuspecting morons could buy this, expecting Arthur Lymanesque exotic
moods and getting, instead, electronically juiced vampire music. Shhhh.
Don't tell any morons. It'll be fun!
FRANK ZAPPA: Lather (Rykodisc)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
There's exciting news for Zappa fans this month: Lather, the 'long lost
Zappa album,' has just been released by Rykodisc. For those who may not
know the whole story behind the album, let me fill you in. Zappa originally
conceived Lather as a 4-record box set. FZ's record company at the time
(Discreet - a now defunct subsidiary of Warner Brothers), didn't want to
release it. Zappa then tried to release it with another record company
(Polygram) as a 'special project.' Polygram briefly agreed to release the
box set, then reneged on the deal due to legal complications with Discreet.
Discreet told Zappa that he owed them four more records under his present
contract. In an attempt to fulfill his contractual obligation, Zappa
reformatted Lather and delivered the remaining four albums all at once.
They wouldn't pay him, nor would they release him from his contract. Never
one to be pushed around by the record labels, Zappa took Lather to a local
radio station in December of 1977 and asked them to play the entire thing.
Frank assumed the role of "temporary bogus disc jockey" for this special
broadcast. After asking listeners to get their tape decks set up, he
delivered Lather to the radio audience for free.
Soon after the radio broadcast, Lather saw its first release as a bootleg
4LP box set. There was also a double-LP bootleg called Leatherette. It
featured songs from Lather, plus tracks alleged to be from the same sessions
(including the still-unreleased studio version of "Dead Girls of London"
with Van Morrison on vocals). Commercially, the material ended up being
spread out over a number of albums. The final four Zappa releases on
Discreet all had tracks from Lather, as did the excellent Shut Up and Play
Your Guitar series. Sheik Yerbouti and Tinseltown Rebellion both featured
cuts as well.
Some of you may be wondering why this whole thing is such a big deal in the
first place. The answer is simple. It's the music. Recorded between 1973
and 1977, Lather contains some of Zappa's most diverse and best loved
material. All the tracks from the original box set are here (now on three
CDs), plus four bonus tracks. The only problem with the CD version,
surprisingly, is the sound quality. The vinyl bootleg actually has better
sound. Not that Lather sounds bad on CD, it just doesn't sound as good as
you'd expect--especially considering Ryko's recent overhaul of the entire
Zappa catalog. Some of the tracks appear in edited form (the unedited
versions can be found on the individual releases), and several versions of
the songs are exclusive to Lather itself.
So what's on these CDs, anyway? The material ranges from orchestral
excursions (like "Pedro's Dowry" and "Duke of Orchestral Prunes"), to
instrumental workouts ("The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution" and "The Purple
Lagoon"), to the so-called 'comedy songs' like "Broken Hearts are for
Assholes" and "Titties and Beer." Overall, disc one is the best of the
three. With classic Zappa tunes like "Tryin' to Grow a Chin," "RDNZL," and
"The Legend of the Illinois Enema Bandit" (featuring a scorching solo by FZ)
all on the same disc, you just can't go wrong.
Disc two isn't quite as good as the first, but there are still a lot of
great tunes on it. It starts with the unedited version of "Honey, Don't You
Want a Man Like Me?" (complete with the "fuck you very much" response from
FZ to the heckler in the audience), then goes into concert favorites "The
Black Page #1" and "Big Leg Emma." Up next is the controversial "Punky's
Whips," a song written about Punky Meadows--guitarist for the 70's glam
band, Angel. Due to lyrics regarding Meadows, Jeff Beck and Aerosmith's
Steven Tyler, FZ ended up being sued over this track (and "Titties and
Beer") when it appeared on the Zappa in New York album. Zappa removed the
song, and edited "Titties and Beer" following the legal frenzy.
The most interesting cuts on Lather appear on the last disc. In addition to
the 'cleaned up' version of "Titties and Beer" and "The Adventures of
Greggery Peccary" (Lather's original side-long finale), there are four
bonus tracks--sandwiched between excerpts of the actual radio broadcast
where Zappa debuted Lather. The first bonus track is a 1993 remix of
"Regyptian Strut." The sound quality is much better than on the original
version. The next cut, "Leather Goods," features an excellent Zappa guitar
solo and sound bites used in various places on Lather. "Revenge of the
Knick Knack People" is an assortment of outtakes from the Baby Snakes
soundtrack. The last bonus track is the original instrumental version of
"Time is Money."
Lather includes a 32-page booklet with notes on all the songs, plus
insight into the legal complications FZ had to deal with when he tried
to release it. This is prime Zappa material, all edited and arranged by FZ
himself. Though the sound quality may not be perfect, Lather is essential
for all Zappa fans.
WARREN ZEVON: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
There aren't many performers who can conjure up as wide a variety of images
as can Warren Zevon. Known to his fans as The Excitable Boy, Zevon has had
an extraordinary career. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead is a 2-CD retrospective
from Rhino (of course!) that contains 44 songs recorded between 1976 and
1994. The key to Zevon's greatness as a songwriter has always been the
characters who populate his songs, and the cynical wit with which they view
their circumstances. In "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," for instance, the narrator
bemoans his desperation over being pursued and exhausted by a variety of
kinky ladies.
"She really worked me over good
She was a credit to her gender
She put me through some changes, Lord
Sorta like a Waring blender."
Is he as happy as I would be? No! He's desperate.
"I'd lay my head on the railroad tracks
And wait for the Double-E
But the railroad don't run no more
Poor poor pitiful me!"
The population of Zevon's world is as strange as anything you'll find in a
Tim Burton film: "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner," who stalks his
murderer all across Africa seeking revenge; the tragic junkie in "Carmalita,"
who sits in the dark playing solitaire with his "pearl-handled deck;" the
gorilla from the LA Zoo that steals his glasses and the keys to his BMW
and makes his escape, assuming the storyteller's identity and relationships.
The sorry revelation of that song, "Gorilla You're A Desperado," is the fact
that the gorilla can't fuck the guys life up any worse than it already was.
Then, of course, there's the best known Zevon classic, "Werewolves Of London,"
which needs no description. His hair was...perfect!
Not all of Zevon's lyrics are funny. "Desperados Under The Eaves,"
"Accidentally, Like A Martyr," "Reconsider Me," and "Hasten Down The Wind"
reveal Zevon's other side--the side that seeks redemption, or at least a
little understanding. The track order on this collection offers the
listener a wild ride on the emotional rollercoaster, sadness following
laughter following fascination. This is appropriate. This is how any
Warren Zevon album effects most people.
The first disc covers Zevon's years on Asylum Records (1976-1986). With
disc two, we delve into the Virgin/Giant years (1987 to present). During
this period, Zevon experienced a lot of personal changes that would kill
most ordinary men, including the painful experience of drying out after years
of alcohol and drug abuse. That experience is chronicled in "Detox Mansion"
with more than a little humor thrown in...because how else can one survive
such an experience? Three songs from the Transverse City album are included
as well. This was easily Zevon's strangest album--a conceptual collection
of songs about survival in a post-apocalyptic world. "Run Straight Down" tells
of the environmental dangers, "The Long Arm Of The Law" is about the danger
from authority, and "Splendid Isolation" is his ultimate solution to the
puzzle, in which he makes his own private world in the desert. "Boom Boom
Mancini," from the Sentimental Hygiene album, seems an unusual subject for
Zevon until you consider Mancini's story. A nice kid with dynamite fists
who, against all odds, won the world lightweight title that had eluded his
father, only to see that euphoria turn to deep depression when he later
killed a challenger in the ring. Here was the real life counterpart to the
classic Zevon character, surviving the rollercoaster ride as best he can.
In the outstanding liner notes, Zevon himself describes each track, offering
interesting bits of information about what was going on in his life at the
time the tune was written and how certain parts of it came to be. And
throughout the notes, the same elements are present as in his music: wit,
wisdom, honesty and a knack for survival. Survival, in fact, seems to be a
central theme in Zevon's post '86 work. It's certainly a subject he knows.
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COSMIK QUICKIES: Really really short reviews for those in a big hurry.
DOYLE BRAMHALL II: Doyle Bramhall II (Geffen)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Bramhall was one fourth of Arc Angels, a band he formed with Charlie
Sexton and half of Stevie's Ray Vaughan's band, Double Trouble. I had high
expectations for this CD, since the Arc Angels disc was so good.
Unfortunately, those expectations were dashed as soon as I hit the play
button. This is the lamest CD I've heard in a long time. It starts off bad
and goes downhill from there. Bramhall's backup band on the CD are Wendy
and Lisa (both ex-members of Prince's band), but even they can't save this
turkey. Avoid this CD at all costs.
DIZZIE GILLESPIE: Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac (Impulse)
Reviewed By John Sekerka
Time is 1966 and Dizzy is the man. Caught in his jovial prime, Gillespie
is heard foolin' around with his band as they rev up for the title track:
chanting, singing and laughing before he and sax great James Moody pick up
their horns to blow the town down. Dizzy's unique brand of humour gives a
sweet touch to this recording, which also happens to include a killer vocal
version of "Kush," and the Brazilian gem "Mas Que Nada." Presented in
gorgeous fold out cardboard packaging, this is one to savour.
MICHAEL HALL: Day (Deja Disc)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Been a long time since I last jumped around to "Mud, Lies & Shame," an
infectious obscurity of an album by the long gone Wild Seeds. So it was
with giddy anticipation that I slapped this disc on. Y'see Michael Hall
is the thread here, and those in the know still keep their copy of Mud
handy for those special times. More on the reserved side, Hall's solo
work shows a mature writer honing his craft, choosing to vent emotion
through the power of the word, not the big beat. Not that all of the rock
has gone out of Hall, he's just found a new form of expression. If you
wanted to get back on the springy bed, you better set back down for there
will be another day to jump around. In the meantime take a good listen to
one of the better records of the year.
HONEYRIDER: 3-song EP (Candy Floss)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss
I'm generally not all that fond of that whole noisy pop thing that so
many people seem to be into and, at first listen, this 3-songer kinda
fell into that category. But, after a couple more spins, what I heard
were some realy catchy hooks and pretty melodies not too far beneath the
surface. In fact, the more I play this the more I like all 3 songs
especially "Drugstore Shoot-Out" on the A-side.
(130 Sutter St., 5th Floor, San Francisco CA 94104)
PEARL JAM: No Code (Epic)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Pearl Jam's newest release should be titled No Good. The band's fourth
album never quite amounts to anything. They try out a few new ideas here
and there, but they never fully explore them. The first single, "Who You
Are" drones on and on over three or four notes. It almost makes you yearn
for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to come in for a change of vocal inflection.
Well, almost. Eddie 'can't find a melody' Vedder grunts his way though
"Lukin." Luckily, the song's not much more than a minute long."Present
Tense" is the best song on the CD. Aside from that, it sucks. Interesting
packaging on the vinyl, but the CD version is too small to appreciate.
PINK FLOYD: Relics (Capitol)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall
Available for the first time on CD in the US, Relics is a collection of
early 'hits'. Completely repackaged and digitally remastered, it looks and
sounds better than ever. What's that? You say you're still looking for that
CD to scare the trick-or-treaters on Halloween? Well, look no further. Just
program your CD player to repeat "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" over and
over. You can't beat it. It works as a great tune to crank up & piss off
the neighbors, too.
PREZIDENT BROWN: Original Blue Print (VP)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
The Prez is an interesting performer who can mix styles of reggae such as
dancehall and classic, often using elements of both in the same song. His
delivery reminds me a little of the great Sparrow, a testimony to his skills
as a storyteller. The only thing that detracts from that--and it's as much
my own "dense white guy" thing as anything else--is the fact that I can't
always understand what he's singing. A lyric sheet would be very nice,
thank you. Maybe you'll understand more of it than I do. So in summary:
it's wonderful! I love it! I dance around. I don't always know what he's
saying but I'm enthralled with his stories. I don't know why. Then again,
some people watch operas performed entirely in Italian.
THE SORT OF QUARTET: Kiss Me Twice I'm Schitzo (SST)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Kickin' jazz seems to be a new obsession with legendary punk label SST.
Add The Sort of Quartet to Hotel X and Bazooka to the growing hepcat roster
making wild and wooly head waves in the stodgy, stuffy jazz world. These
fellas are the epitome of blunt, as they race forward with primal drum
beats out front. In fact this is yer classic guitar, bass and drums
rock'n'roll line-up, 'cept they play with strange time signatures, change
pace throughout and slip in some sax when yer not lookin'. It is the
inspired skin pounding by Rob Peterson that fuels this little rocket,
and makes my toes go pitter patter. Yowsa!
VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Best Of Tragedy (DCC Compact Classics)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
It's kinda hard to believe there was actually a genre called Tragedy. It
was just rock and roll, of course, slowed down and outfitted
with death lyrics
so maudlin that Howlin' Wolf records sounded downright cheery in comparison.
The heyday for this style of music was probably 1960 through 1963, though
in some form or another it still continues to this day. "Last Kiss," by
J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers is a prime example of this music. Don't
remember it? Here's a word-clip. "Oh where oh where can my baby be? The
Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven so I've got to be good
so I can see my baby when I leave this world." Know it now? Well, if you
don't, you might not know "Teen Angel," "Tell Laura I Love Her," "Patches,"
"Leader Of The Pack," "Mr. Lonely," or "Dead Man's Curve," either, but
they're all here in case you get curious. This even makes a great little
Halloween CD. By the 5th or 6th song, the thought of driving your car will
scare the shit out of you.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: A Stab At The Residents (Vaccination)
Reviewed by John Sekerka
Of all the outfits to cover, this has to rank as the most adventurous.
Indeed, how do ya cover the craziest mystery band on the planet? A group
that's veiled in secrecy, hides behind head-sized eyeballs, and dabbles
in music deconstruction. Quite easily, as it turns out. Thirty quirky
tunes by a roster which includes heavyweights Cracker and Primus, and
an interesting collection of obscure bands. Laid out lavishly in a slick
fold-out slip case, enhanced by superb artwork from Chuck Squier, and
presented with charming liner notes from Penn Jillette, it's one of the
spiffiest packages in recent memory, and one to covet. Not that this'll
really win over any new listeners (the versions here are just as fucked-up
as the originals), but fans will devour it. My pick for choice cut is Stan
Ridgeway's phone message excuse for not participating.
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BETWEEN ZERO AND ONE
By Steven Leith
THE GOOD OLD DAYS ARE NOW
These are our glory days on the Net. The intellectual freedom possessed
by the techno-elite is unparalleled in history. No borders can contain
the flow of ideas. No nation can prevent the rush toward total world
freedom; or can it?
Many technologists make extravagant claims that the Net is merely the
beginning of a revolution that will usher in a brave new world of freedom.
They seem to think that the voice of reason will not only prevail on the
Net, but that the voice will be loud enough to prevail in the streets and
board rooms of the world.
Hello? The techno-elites are so busy looking toward the rosy new dawn
that they never spare a backward glance at history. Yes, history holds
the clues to our future.
Each evolution in human communication has unleashed a freedom of
expression that flourishes for a time then vanishes. The printing press
is an overworked example of how something that could mass produce
information became merely a means to mass produce lies; so, lets look at
the spoken word.
Now there was a technology! You could make sounds at someone and they
would understand what you meant. I doubt the first speakers were
concerned about what they said. Everyone was so damn happy just to be
able to talk that nothing was prevented from being voiced.
Guess what? That didn't remain the way of the world. Words became the
vehicle for dangerous thoughts like, "Gee, I don't think God is real," or
"I could do as good a job as the King." When ideas are dangerous to
powerful groups within a society those words can and will be banned. The
Czars outlawed public and private discussion about their fitness to rule
as did the Bolsheviks after them.
Of course stopping the free flow of ideas may not keep the rulers safe
forever, but it can be surprisingly effective in the short run. Yes I do
have a vision of the future. It is not for the faint hearted so don't
read on if you are easily frightened.
Net culture will be usurped by Madison Avenue as fast as it can be created
by the techno-elite. The best way to stop a new idea is to reduce it to
a fashion statement, like long hair in the sixties or body piercing in the
niNeties. The Net is already under attack and the saddest part is that
the long neglected techno-elite think that this public attention is just
what they need.
You can bet that the anonymity of the Net will be replaced by a
surprisingly effective system of control. Yes, any system meant to
control the Net will be flawed, but censorship does not have to be
complete to be effective. Squeezing through the cracks of the approved
Net will be far too hard for the average citizen.
Small InterNet Service Providers will slowly disappear, replaced by
Multi-National Telcoms who will be quite happy to consign to oblivion any
rogue Network Server the government defines as outlaw. You see, part of
the way the Net works is that the Network you are on may choose to
prevent you from accessing another Network's web pages or email. Can you
get all the UseNet Newsgroups on your server?
Outlaw servers will exist, but there will be no reason to raid them or
burn them down. All you will have to do is prevent the masses from even
finding that they exist. In that way the Net will ossify. Then some
years down the road the next wave of communications technology will be
heralded as the revolution that will bring information freedom to the
world. So use the open Net now. You may have less time than you think to
enjoy it.
011010010110100101110011011000100110010101101100011010010110010101110110011
Between Zero & One
http://www.speakeasy.org/~leith/
leith@speakeasy.org
011010010110100101110011011000100110010101101100011010010110010101110110011
PHIL'S GARAGE
By Phil Dirt
THE LADY IN THE REVERB
"It's hard being a legend. Everyone expects me to be more than I am. If I
write songs that are too different, I am not being not being true to my
roots. That reminds me, did I dye my hair this week? I digress. If my new
songs are too much like the old ones, I'm just rehashing the past. What's a
poor Prince of Prowess to do? I'm just a Guitar Hero, not a machine. Why
can't they just love me?"
The Kaiser of Kool often talks to himself while writing songs. This is very
helpful. After all, he can get honest feedback, without embarrasing
criticism from the nitpicking nabobs of negativity.
The Baron of Bravado is feeling insecure about what all those others expect
from him. It's so unfair to be expected to BE the legend. What's worse,
the God of Reverb made up half of the legend himself, so he has no one to
complain to. He is a lonely man, searching for guidance, for a voice to tell
him how to proceed...how to return to the top.
Sitting alone in his living room, the aging demi-god of the surf guitar is
trying to write a new song. He is playing the Whammy Master special edition
guitar issued in his honor by the Bumper Guitar company. He's honored,
though it really bothers him that it took them 30 years to get around to
it. After all, if it wasn't for the immense influence of the Pied Piper of
Pomona, everyone would still be playing Moe's Right guitars.
The Duke of Suave is working on yet another variation of his favorite hit
from the golden age of the guitar "Watusi George" when a voice cries out
from the kitchen "Why don't you write a NEW song?!" A curt "Yes dear" is
all that is uttered aloud, but under the breath is whispered "rotten
witch...they're all the same...think it's so easy to be a legend...eat your
rabbit pellets and leave me alone." At some level, he wishes he were 10
years old again, living back on the East coast in his parents house. It
doesn't take long before he remembers the critical ear his mother applied
to his early attempts at the ukulele, and the time his dad made him sing
Hank Williams "Your Cheatin' Heart", which he hadn't quite learned, to draw
attention to his little sister's failing lemon aide stand. He remembers
the neighbor kids laughing at him when his Sears acoustic fell apart in his
hands. Life just hasn't been fair to the Regal Chord Master.
Several times during the past hour, there has been this slight howling
sound emanating from his amp. It sounds a bit like reverb tank howl, but
not quite. So far, the Champion of the Double-Pick has ignored it.
A half an hour passes, and the same melody keeps coming...nothing new. As
the tune is started for the sixty fourth time, the Great Glissando hears
what he thinks is a faint voice through the howling saying something he
can't quite make out. He shrugs it off, and rocks quietly to himself to
rendition sixty five.
Again, he hears something, and this time it sounds like a female voice
saying something about a song. Wondering if it's the mother of his
happiness, he asks "Did you say something, dear?" The reply from the
kitchen is a less than complimentary "Can't write and can't hear either."
More under-the-breath mumbling about "women of the female persuasion" and
how little action there is since getting hitched. He launches into number
sixty six, but only two notes into it, there's that howling voice again.
It sounds like she's saying something important, but he can't quite make
it out. He figures he must be tired, so he puts away the guitar for the
night.
It's Thursday night, and rehearsal with the band. The Grand Visor of
Staccato has introduced a new song he has tentatively called "Zunami
Zephyr." About half way through the song, he hears that voice coming
from his amp again. He stops playing. He asks his bass player if he
heard something. The reply is "What? I wasn't listening."
Once more, just before the end of the night's work, that voice seems to
speak from the amp. This time, the drummer asks "What's that?". The Legend
issues a sigh of relief. He's not going crazy. He says "I've been hearing
that girl's voice in the reverb howl for a few days now. I thought it was
just me. I was getting worried!" The drummer say's "What are you talking
about? I was asking about that dreadful melody. I'm sick of doing "Watusi
George". Mr. legend says "Never mind" and thinks to himself how shallow
these schmucks are. Don't they know who their playing with?
The next night, they are playing at the Bourbon for the darlings of the
industry. It's a gala Halloween costume party, and a very important gig
for the big cheese. The last album didn't do well. The picture of the
seventies van with the Indian scene painted on the side had turned off his
traditional fans, and the label had dropped him. The search for a new label
is on, and there are lots of industry lizards expected to be in attendance.
Before the show, they stop at the Herbivorous Diner for a bite. A healthy
blend of grasses on whole wheat, glazed with juniper extract. The King's
energy is revived. The bill comes. It's $6.66. Is this a bad omen, or just
the luck of the draw. The waitress is not sure, she just works there. The
Glossary of Guitar Hooks is rattled. He glances through the Kitchen door,
and thinks he sees an aged female in the dark corner near the back
laughing at him. He turns away, but when he looks back, she is gone. He
wonders if she's the one in the reverb, or if she was there at all? He
dare not ask.
At the venue, Dr. Hip is getting pretty nervous. What if "she" says
something while he's on stage? He doesn't even know what she's saying yet.
What will he say to his minions? Will they even hear her? Bullets of sweat
are running down from his receding hairline. To top all of that off, his
Navajo costume is too tight around his expanding equator, and the beads
keep falling into the strings of his guitar. At least the opening band is
no threat. The contract requires a lame non-surf act to open. The King of
the E-string must not be overthrown.
Sound check is uneventful, voice wise anyway. Maybe all will be swell?
Soon, there comes the house introduction by a locally worshipped denizen of
cool Ras Tah. He speaks softly and clearly into the microphone, his robes
flowing and his eyes glazed from the sacred potion. "Goblins and Goblinettes.
The convergence of the flows of demiswirls is at hand. Prepare for the
mystical voyage. Give a warm welcome to your guide and protector, the
Progenitor of...what's he do?...oh, yeah, surf guitar...Mount Olympus!
Well, that pisses off the Monarch of Riffs. Who is this seance reject anyway?
The show must go on. The Legend struts to the microphone. He says "Thanks
Rusty. Are you ready to rock with the God of Reverb?!" The crowd goes nuts,
shouting back "OK!"
The first note is plucked. It's huge. Then the second, and the drummer
dribbles out a stream of snare taps. The third note rings out, and this
time the bassist thumps in as well. The Grand Visor bows. Everyone loves
him. He is whole. The world is a better place. He shouts out "You all look
grand in your costumes. Do you like mine?" More cheers and admiration.
Life is good.
He launches into his set, and it moves right along for about forty five
minutes. Then there's a slight howling from the reverb. "Uh-oh" mutters the
legend. Thinking quickly, he approaches the microphone, and says "I brought
the reverb with the ghost in it for Halloween. Do you like it?" Hoots and
hollers and cheers all around. Wheh! The Maestro of Musical Melange coaxes
"If you listen real careful, you might hear the Lady In The Reverb. She
only comes out for special occasions, like tonight." Still more applause.
The King can do no wrong.
A few more times, the reverb howls. The lady in the reverb can be heard,
but her words can not be distinguished. Each time she speaks, the Reigning
Prince of Guitar Rumble steps to the mic and asks "Did you hear her?" and
the bumpkins incognito respond with a cohesive and resounding "Yes!"
Further into the set, the voice begins to get louder. The Legend starts to
worry, because he still doesn't know what she will say. Still, he keeps a
confident face on for the costumed merry makers. After all, they all love
him. They are just sure he's putting it all on. So far, so good.
He gets all the way through his planned set, except for the last song. The
lady's words are still illusive. The God of the E-string announces "Thanks
for coming. This is my last number...a new song...Zunami Zephyr!" The crowd
cheers. The King get set to slam out the first familiar note. The reverb
begins to howl. The lady in the reverb speaks! "The Emperor has no songs!
Nice boys wouldn't be out so late. You get home right now!" It rings out
loud and clear as a bell throughout the house. The place falls silent. The
Mayor of Twang cries "Mom?!"
NOTE: All characters in this story are fictional. If you recognize yourself
somewhere in here, your ego is too big.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE AUDIO FILE
by Cai Campbell
A Tool For Your Ears
Last month I took you on a trip down memory lane, explaining my own
infatuation with quadraphonic sound. I also promised that this month
I would delve more into the technical aspects of quad and surround sound.
In performing my research, I have realized that I have opened up the
proverbial can of worms! I had no idea that the history of quad and
surround sound was so detailed and convoluted. Needless to say, by the
time deadline rolled around, I was nowhere near able to do this topic
the justice it deserves. So, dear reader, "Do Audiophiles Dream of
Quadraphonic Sheep - Part II" will have to wait. But don't worry, when
it is complete, it is bound to provide an entertaining and (hopefully)
enlightening look into the sordid world of multi-channel sound systems
of the past, present, and future.
In the meantime I would like to share with you a tool I have acquired.
In past articles, I've discussed tools for improving the sound of your
stereo system without shelling out a whole lotta dough. But with all the
tweaking and adjusting, how do you know if your system is REALLY
delivering? What is needed is a tool for your ears. Sure, you can
listen to a recording which you are intimately familiar with and get a
fair idea whether or not a particular system or stereo component is
performing on par with your expectations, but more often than not this
exercise is flawed by its inherent subjectivity. The tool I am talking
about is an Audio Test Disc.
Test discs (or disks, as the case may be) have been around since the dawn
of hi-fi, but Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab now has available a professional
quality test disc produced by two of the top audio engineers in their
fields: Alan Parson and Stephen Court. As Alan Parsons points out, they
created Sound Check with ."..the intention of getting away from the
laboratory test bench type of product and instead, aimed to introduce a
universal tool which anyone with a serious interest in sound, whether
amateur or professional, would find beneficial and easy to use."
Sound Check is chock full of test tones, pink noise, max level tones, and
other assorted technical patterns aimed at the professional. While studio
technicians and serious audio enthusiasts will no doubt find great use for
these, the moderately interested audiophile may not. But Sound Check does
not stop with these dry and sometimes arcane tone patterns. It also
includes discreet vocal and instrumental tracks, sound effects, and music
tracks, all aimed at helping the listener pinpoint weaknesses in their
sound system or in evaluating the performance of equipment.
It's difficult for me to speak about the benefits this disc can offer in a
manner which would be beneficial to any but the moderate audio enthusiast,
of which I am one. So I will speak from my personal experience with the
disc and apologize in advance for not illustrating the full potential of
this great test disc, because its applications are far reaching indeed.
The first thing I tried when I played the disc was the octave bands. There
are 31 bands ranging from 20Hz to 20kHz. My goal was twofold: to insure
that my speakers could reproduce the extremes of the spectrum and to verify
that my hearing was capable of identifying those extremes. Also, I was
curious if the sound reproduction of the amplifier and speakers would be
consistent throughout the spectrum. What I found was that I could not hear
the 20Hz and 25Hz bands. At first I thought that my ears simply could not
resolve those low of frequencies. But I could clearly resolve the 31.5Hz
band which is not too far a cry from 25Hz, so I started going over the
specs of my equipment. Both my CD player and amplifier are rated for that
frequency range but I discovered that my speakers are rated for 35Hz to
24kHz. Already I had found room for improvement in my system!
I also discovered that the upper-mid frequencies (between 2kHz and 3.15kHz)
sounded slightly distorted. This was more readily apparent with the sweep
tones, which is a separate set of bands on Sound Check which quickly sweep
between varying frequency ranges.
The most useful bands on the CD, for me, turned out to be the discreet
instrumental tracks. Here I was able to listen to various instruments
(such as a piano, electric guitar, saxophone, and different types of drums)
and analyze my system's ability to reproduce the widely varying sounds.
The sound effects tracks were also useful, especially the sub machine gun
and chieftain tank. With all the varying sounds with their wide-ranging
signatures, my system (and ears) were really getting a workout! The music
tracks brought it all home by presenting four full length tunes representing
very different styles of music.
This test disc stands out from others not just because of the unique
all-encompassing approach, but also because it is a true audiophile disc,
mastered from the original master recordings and presented on a 24 karat
gold compact disc utilizing Mobile Fidelity's Gain technology. It is
without a doubt the ultimate test disc, no matter at what level you choose
to employ it. Its ultimate versatility is its greatest asset.
In the final analysis I am relieved that my ears are functioning on par
with my expectations but am somewhat dismayed by the less than perfect
performance of my sound system. Yet the disc performed its job as
advertised and now I must set to the task of tweaking, adjusting, and
testing, in my continuing effort to find sonic nirvana.
-------
Special Note:
This is the last issue of Cosmik Debris which my Audio File column and
record reviews shall appear in. I am in the process of establishing my
own presence on the World Wide Web and will direct my energies there.
The Audio File and record reviews will be an integral part of that effort,
so keep reading Cosmik Debris for an official announcement concerning this.
Thank you,
Cai Campbell
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
dead STUFF I NOTICED
By DJ Johnson
This month, I'm afraid I'm a bit down in the dumps. A bit distressed. Just
a tad freaked out. With the recent news that one of my favorite bands, The
Woodies, has decided to call it quits, I have been brought face to face with
a demon I've been denying for ages. For you see, my dear friends, that I
am the kiss of death for bands I interview or take a particular interest in.
Superstition is supposedly the curse of a limited mind, and I'd prefer to
think of myself as something loftier than Lenny in Of Mice And Men, but
there comes a time when you have to tally up the scorecard and see what your
batting average is. And my batting average, ladies and gentlemen, is high.
The facts are in. I'm bad voodoo.
My first interview for Cosmik Debris was The Mel-Tones, an instro-surf band
from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, that I happened to be very fond of. Mel
Waldorf split for Montreal shortly after that interview, leaving Jeff
Halladay and Chris Sanzo behind. I was crushed, but totally unaware that
I had blood on my hands.
The next band that I took a strong personal interest in was The Basement
Brats, from Halden, Norway. Something like a cross between The Devil Dogs
and The Ramones, with killer hooks and wall of sound guitars, these guys
were my favorite band from the moment I heard them. And then...well, they
didn't break up, but they booted Ole Olsen out of the band--a fatal mistake,
since Ole's vocals were a big part of the identity of the band. I still
didn't make the connection, however. I just mourned. They weren't the same.
In December of 1995, I interviewed Sue Horwitz, a talented guitarist,
singer and songwriter who was the leader of the New York City punk band
known as The Wives. Again, I became totally psychotic in my need to listen
to their album over and over. Again, the band split up shortly after the
interview. I became suspicious.
Over a year ago, I heard The Woodies, San Fran's killer instro band fronted
by one Rick Escobar. Rick and I became e-mail buddies. I reviewed their
latest demo tape. They'd been together since John Lennon started copping
Lonnie Donnigan riffs. (Okay, that's stretching it, but suffice to say
they had been a popular fixture of the instro scene for some time.) Last
week, word got around that Rick had grown frustrated and pulled the plug
on The Woodies.
You'll note that I have had no contact with The Rolling Stones.
So there it was. The Mel-Tones. The Wives. The Basement Brats. The
Woodies. It became clear; an interview by me was a quick ticket to
splitsville. I fear for The Halibuts. And poor John Blair just got
The Nightriders back together again, fer chrissakes. Honestly, I don't
know how The Beatles managed to mess things up so badly without me.
And then it occurred to me that this wasn't necessarily all bad news. Sure,
I wish all of those bands were still going strong, but look at it this way:
I seem to have a power that could be used for the good of all mankind. What
if I were to interview, say...The Grateful Dead? Perhaps I could just ask
a few questions of Bootie and the Wholefish. I would even be more than
willing to come up with a notebook full of questions for the Stone Temple
Pilots! And how strong IS this power? For instance...if I interview Sammy
Hagar, will HE break up? And if it can do such destruction, can you tell
me how to go about reaching Madonna's management?
Never mind all those. Just take me to Nashville. There is much work to do.
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: The Sharp Pointed STAKE Award!
I recently flipped on the Trinity Broadcast Network to get my daily dose
of horror, and there I saw Benny Hinn, a bizarre huckster who has what
appears to be trillions of idiots convinced that all he has to do is either
touch them or blow on them and all their ills will be cured. He was doing
a show in some dome, and the dolts were lining up to get on stage. He'd
run up to people and scream "TOUCH!" while throwing both hands toward them.
The touchee would fly backward in the air, legs kicking wildly, arms flailing
in a move most likely learned from years of mindlessly watching Big Time
Wrestling, ultimately crashing to the ground in tears. Old people in the
crowd cried and said "Praise the Lord" over and over again. Tens of thousands
of them. They go home and discover their arthritis has returned as strong
as ever, never suspecting they had simply been on an adrenaline buzz. To
these people, and the people who support that network of thieves, I present
a blanket award. There are too many of them for individual statuettes.
People, please listen up: You don't have to be stupid. With just a little
bit of education and gumption, you could be...well, you could be a politician!
Like Phil Gramm. Phil wanted to be your president, remember that? I remember
that. I never really had the impression he was serious, though, almost as
if running was something he was expected to do, but even HE could see it was
an absurd notion. Unfortunately, Senator Gramm does have some power in our
nation's capital. Phil did his part to push the Anti Gay Marriage Act, making
the absolutely ludicrous remark, and I do quote, "The traditional family has
stood for 5,000 years. Are we so wise today that we are ready to reject
5,000 years of recorded history? I don't think so." Which part, Phil?
Which part of our history? The part where we don't recognize gay marriages?
Or the part where we persecute homosexuals and stone them to death for not
conforming? What exactly is it about our forefathers that seems so brilliant
and wise that we now refuse to question any of their atrocities? A sharp
pointed stake in your heart, Senator Gramm! Or exposure to sunlight.
Whatever it takes to rid the land of a vampire like you.
Thanks to Brian Guy for tipping me off to Gramm's moronic remark. Brian's
letter can be seen in Cosmik Correspondence. He's obviously one registered
voter who is sick of the bullshit. Jump on that bandwagon, folks. It's
high time we kicked some stuffy ass.
That's about it for this month. Remember, YOU can nominate a deserving
moron for a Sharp Pointed Stick Award simply by sending a message to
moonbaby@serv.net. See you next month.
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TAPE HISS
By John Sekerka
PART I: K I L L D O Z E R
Long before there was grunge rock, there was Killdozer: a horrific
combination of loud guitars, headache-inducing drumming and demonic
guttural vocals, which scared the living bejesus out of mid-America. It
wasn't punk, it wasn't metal, it wasn't industrial; it was KILLDOZER!
Most will remember their chilling versions of "One Tin Soldier", "Take
the Money and Run", and "Unbelievable" with awe - as Killdozer re-invented
those sappy pop tunes into a writhing, heaving mass of thundering RAWK.
Well into their second decade of debauchery, vocalist and Killdozer
spokesman Michael Gerard disappeared, bringing cries of, "say it ain't
so Michael - is Killdozer no more?" A man cannot live on reputation alone,
and Michael longs for the fast lane lifestyle of a rock star - something
that has so far inexplicably eluded his grasp. Not content to go out with
a whimper, Killdozer is staging their "Fuck You We Quit" tour. Before all
this came down I had a chance to talk with Michael, who was debonair,
charming and quite pleasant, though I did detect a degree of frustration
in his deep baritone as he chatted from his kitchen phone while dinner
sizzled in the background.
JOHN: I thought you resided in Madison?
MICHAEL: At one time. I moved away about six years ago. I lived there for
ten years and it suddenly struck me: the town's full of hippies, and I
left.
JOHN: What did the locals in Madison think of Killdozer when you were
locals?
MICHAEL: We're still the local favourites. They've kind of overlooked the
fact that I live a three hour drive away. It's still my musical home.
JOHN: So the hippies love Killdozer?
MICHAEL: Naw, the hippies don't love Killdozer. They don't go out to see
us. They go to bed early so they can get up early to cultivate their
sprouts to sell at the co-op. It's in Wisconsin, so there's a large
population of drunks, and they enjoy us.
JOHN: So kegger is part of the daily vernacular.
MICHAEL: Absolutely, it's part of the daily activity.
JOHN: I've read about Smut 'n' Eggs at Bennet's Supper Club. Can you fill
me in?
MICHAEL: You can get scrambled eggs and home fried potatoes for two dollars.
Another fifty cents gets you the bacon. Happy hour is six to eight in
the morning: one dollar Bloody Marys. They show pornographic movies on
the weekends, oh... up until eleven in the morning. It all comes to a
grinding halt when one of the regulars was made to bring his kid in by
the wife. "Oh no Ralph's got the kid", and the videos have to be switched
to the sports channel. The eggs are pretty good though.
JOHN: Why did you move to the big city?
MICHAEL: I thought in a big city they'd have Smut 'n' Eggs every day - not
just on the weekends.
JOHN: And do they?
MICHAEL: I haven't found 'em. There's places for breakfast and there's
places for smut, but not for both.
JOHN: What is it exactly that you do in the band?
MICHAEL: When we're touring I do all the driving. On stage I do all the
singing, I also play the bass guitar and a little bit of dancing -
that's what makes it a show. You need visuals.
JOHN: Have you always had that deep, rumbling, demonic voice - even back
in the glee club, or church choir as a youngin?
MICHAEL: Church choir? I was never in the church choir. I would just mumble
the hymns like any twelve year old boy when I went to church with my
parents. In my first rock band I sang with a really high voice which I
can't duplicate any more. It's not because of puberty, I just ruined it.
I have a range of about a half octave.
JOHN: Isn't Killdozer a bad Burt Reynolds seventies movie?
MICHAEL: Close, Clint Walker was in it. Burt Reynolds was in The Cannonball
Run. That's probably what you're thinking of. I'm always thinking of
that. Clint Walker was in a Caterpillar tractor - a bulldozer, and six
other actors who've never been heard of again other than maybe in a
Domino Pizza commercial. On an isolated island on an ocean, or maybe
one of the Great Lakes, the supply ship the Edmund Fitzgerald only came
once a week. So when the bulldozer came to life the crew of seven who
were building a resort, were at its mercy.
JOHN: Did you grow up watching a lot of movies? What was your addiction?
MICHAEL: Television. I grew up watching a lot of television. Except in the
eighties when I didn't own one. Then I found out that you can get one
cheap at the Salvation Army. My latest addiction is Mystery Science
Theatre 3000. I can watch a tv show which consists of people watching a
bad movie. They make wisecracks, and we make wisecracks, so there's
twice as many gags. Other than that ... lemme see ... "Edie, what's my
favourite tv show?" .... Oh, my favourite tv show is Larry Sanders. I've
also been told that my other favourite tv show is Hawaii 5-O. See I just
like all tv, so I have to ask my significant other, Edie, here in the
background.
JOHN: Edie, as in Edie Gourmet?
MICHAEL: Yes! That's exactly who she's named after. She considers that to
be a rather cruel and sadistic act on her parents' part.
JOHN: What is the goal of Killdozer?
MICHAEL: I want to be a star. My dream is to be a star. I'm going to be a
star. That's my goal and dream. The other guys can come along with me if
they want, though I don't need them.
JOHN: It's nice to hear such honesty, cuz I think that 99.9% of people in
show biz wanna be stars, but they don't like to admit they are chasing
fame.
MICHAEL: It's crazy, you get these jokers like Kurt Cobain who couldn't
take being famous. What the hell's he doing in a band? He shoulda been
a janitor if he couldn't take fame.
JOHN: Does Killdozer attract groupies?
MICHAEL: Yes!
JOHN: What kind?
MICHAEL: Ladies!
JOHN: The preferred sex for Killdozer, I would imagine.
MICHAEL: Highly intelligent ladies!
JOHN: Let's talk etiquette. before Edie, in your dating days, were you a
kiss or handshake guy on the first date?
MICHAEL: I'd leave that up to the lady. I could always tell by the look in
her eyes. I'd never force myself. Also it's important for the man to
walk on the inside when strolling on the sidewalk because muggers could
be waiting in the alleyways. Unless, of course, it's raining--then the
man should be on the outside just in case a taxi splashes the couple.
JOHN: Thanks for the words of wisdom. Any parting thoughts? are you
flogging any product?
MICHAEL: We have a split single with Alice Donut called KillDonut, with art
by poster man Frank Kozik.
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PART II: T H E U P P E R C R U S T
Powdered wigs, pantaloons, fluffy shirts and guitars. The Upper Crust are
an anachronism of the wildest order: playing souped-up heavy rock and roll
while looking like they just walked off the set of Valmonte. Hailing from
the Boston area, but sporting flaming British accents, these snobs are
swooping the country by storm in support of their one and only recording,
ringing ear drums and talking down to the plebeians along the way. I
managed to corner one of the gents between a wig powdering session to try
and get down to this mystery band of renown. Marquis Mark (one of his many
pseudonyms) engaged in curt conversation, careful not to let too much out
of the bag, before shooing me off on my merry way.
THE UPPER CRUST SPEAK TO THE PLEBEIANS
JOHN: Is it Upper Crust, or The Upper Crust?
MARQUIS: It is The Upper Crust. One desires the article.
JOHN: How should I address thee?
MARQUIS: Your Grace.
JOHN: You have a charming accent, your Grace. What is your place of origin?
MARQUIS: This causes a bit of confusion with the populous. You see, we are in
fact natives of Boston, but we have these raging accents. No one seems
to know why.
JOHN: Touring is a gruelling ordeal. Why do you put yourself out?
MARQUIS: We feel a need to please the people.
JOHN: What is your mode of transportation?
MARQUIS: We use the electrical motorcoach with a driver. It has hot tubs,
small women... all the amenities.
JOHN: Can you paint a visual picture of The Upper Crust for readers?
MARQUIS: Certainly. We are four, we are five, depending on the evening. We
are very, very trim gentlemen with lovely, lovely wigs, powdered faces
in the style of a gentleman, beauty spots, lovely frilled shirts,
pantaloons, buckled shoes, and we deliver rrrock and rrroll like no
one's business.
JOHN: This is something that's been lacking here: good ol' rock'n'roll.
MARQUIS: I think you've hit the keystone of the Crust music philosophy: today
we are growing tired of the negative, cynical, self-obsessed rrrock, and
I think people want a return to the old style, shocking, sexually
ambiguous rrrock and rrroll of the fifties. We provide that in a more
updated fashion.
JOHN: Exactly how ambiguous is the sexuality of the band?
MARQUIS: I leave that to you.
JOHN: Take us back to the formation of The Upper Crust if you will.
MARQUIS: Approximately three years ago we were visited in our various estates
on the shores of Lake Geneva, as we were playing badminton - a gentleman's
sport. From the waters appeared an arm bearing an electric guitar and a
terrible voice which bid us to "let them eat rock". From that we knew
our calling was in fact to deliver in the classic style: to the people.
JOHN: How do you answer charges that you borrow your sound from AC/DC?
MARQUIS: We think they are fine men. The one problem that they bear is that
they are Australian, but of course, one cannot be perfect. I feel it is
more a spiritual kinship, rather than an outright robbery. That is what
our legal council has advised us to say.
JOHN: There are definite similarities between "Let Them Eat Rock" and "Let
There Be Rock". Is that purely coincidental?
MARQUIS: Purely coincidental, my good man. How dare you suggest otherwise?
JOHN: Your wigs must be an important facet of your lives. Do you have
special wig boxes for travel?
MARQUIS: Yes there are special wig boxes, but when one is in public, one must
wear the wig. It would be, in fact, vulgar otherwise.
JOHN: Do you carry servants to administrate the wigs and coiffe them?
MARQUIS: Absolutely. Our servants attend to our every need.
JOHN: Some critics might call your attitudes outdated, and maybe politically
incorrect.
MARQUIS: Really? [long pause] I think it could be only more correct. The people
have to realize what true dignity is.
JOHN: Have people adopted your style of dress?
MARQUIS: No, thankfully. That would make it difficult to retain the distinction
between various strata of our society
JOHN: Your pictures on the CD are quite striking.
MARQUIS: We're vogueing. The photo indeed, was initially used in Vogue. Word
got out. They phoned. They felt we were expressing a certain fashion
statement that needed to be covered.
JOHN: How have you avoided the Spinal Tap syndrome of revolving dummers?
MARQUIS: Spinal Tap are somewhat vulgar aren't they? We are cultured men, so
we don't create such vibrations which might result in spontaneous
combustion or some such phenomena.
..tape hiss
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A Halloween gathering of things, items & stuff!
The Valley Of Unrest
Once it smiled a silent dell
Where the people did not dwell;
They had gone unto the wars,
Trusting to the mild-eyed stars,
Nightly, from their azure towers,
To keep watch above the flowers,
In the midst of which all day
The red sunlight lazily lay.
Now Each visiter shall confess
The sad valley's restlessness.
Nothing there is motionless-
Nothing save the airs that brood
Over the magic solitude.
Ah, by no wind are stirred those trees
That palpitate like the chill seas
Around the misty Hebrides!
Ah, by no wind those clouds are driven
That rustle through the unquiet Heaven
Uneasily, from morn till even,
Over the violets there that lie
In myriad types of the human eye-
Over the lilies there that wave
And weep above a nameless grave!
They wave:-from out their fragrant tops
Eternal dews come down in drops.
They weep:-from off their delicate stems
Perennial tears descend in gems.
-Edgar Allen Poe-
"Every old woman with a wrinkled face, a furr'd brow, a hairy lip, a gobber
tooth, a squint eye, a squeaking voice, or a scolding tongue . . . a dog or
cat by her side, is not only suspected but pronounced for a witch."
-- John Gaule (Vicar of Great Stoughton, Huntingdonshire, England
in the 1600's)
HEART OF DARKNESS
Something unusual is happening in my apartment
My bathroom has taken on an extraordinary dimension
No longer is it just a filthy Alabama slime pit
Gone are the days when it was merely
A wildlife sanctuary/rainforest
Somehow through a great deal of prayerful angst
It has become a battleground of mythic proportions
A lavatorial extension of my shadow
A journey into the Dark Cambodian Night of my Soul
Guilt prevents me from bleaching the porcelain
Free of algae and other sentient beings
Fear keeps me running from
The mildewed towels and long forgotten underwear
That creep across the floor
Yet I possess a need for wholeness
A need to confront the demons
In the decade-old cans of Drain-O
A need to do battle
With the dragons howling
From the depths of the toilet
Screwing up my courage
I take a face from the ancient gallery
And walk on down the hall
Brandishing a bayonet and flame-thrower
Trashing every wrathful diety in my path
Until I reach the shower curtain
Once a lovely indigo
Now puke green
And cut it away
And then I see him
The Wild Beast hidden inside
Rush Limbaugh
Naked and tattooed
Spitting out the remains
Of cockroaches and centipedes
Staring at me as he slowly draws his face
Into a lizard-like grin
I slowly back away
Careful not to make him frightened
Until I reach the door
And bid a hasty retreat
Grappling for the phone
To call in a napalm strike
I hear him mutter
A demented mantra:
"The way things ought to be...
The way things ought to be..."
Copyright (c) 1996 Paul McDonald
email: Paul@louisville.lib.ky.us
"There's something dreadfully decisive about a beheading."
-- Anne Smedley (1894-1950), U.S. author
DISGUSTING RECIPE OF THE MONTH
HALLOWEEN FEAST
Fried Frog Legs in Emphry Batter Dinner
1 batch toad liver-deviled eggs
1 batch Fried Frog Legs in Emphry Batter
1 batch laughing gas pie
Spread out table cloth. Lay a deviled egg on each plate, two for formal
dinners. For more formal dinners, only add one frog leg for each plate;
casual dinners get two. Laughing gas pie is saved until 5 minutes after
the next hour; more formal dinners require 10.
Laughing Gas Pie
Ingredients
4 tablespoons Laughing Gas
12 witches' sweetener packs
2 cups laughing gas pudding maker
12 teaspoons purple coloring
1 cackling crust
Directions
Empty laughing gas into large bowl. Stir
in pudding maker and purple coloring. Drizzle in sweetener. Fry. Spoon in big
globs into cackling crust. Ready to serve. Do not cool for victims.
Fried Frog Legs in Emphry Batter
Ingredients
4 tablespoons Emphry Batter
12 frog legs
2 cups liquid artificial scrambled frog brain flavoring
12 teaspoons liquid sleeping pills
Directions
Empty Emphry Batter into large bowl. Stir in liquid sleeping pills and
frog brain flavoring. Drizzle onto frog legs. Fry frog legs, being careful
to barely burn the joints. Ready to serve. Do not cool for victims.
Toad Liver-Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
1 Box Toad Liver (1 lb)
2 1/2 cups deer antler mush
4 cups scrambled roach brains
12 eggs- raw
Directions
Empty toad liver into large bowl. Stir in deer antler mush and roach brains.
Crack egg in half, being careful to save all the yolk and handling the shell
with care. Stir in yolk. When mixed thoroughly, empty into egg shells. Ready
to serve.
"There sighs, lamentations and loud wailings resounded through the
starless air, so that at first it made me weep; strange tongues, horrible
language, words of pain, tones of anger, voices loud and hoarse, and with
these the sound of hands, made a tumult which is whirling through that air
forever dark, and sand eddies in a whirlwind."
- Dante Alighieri (from The Divine Comedy, "The Inferno")
One day six wise, blind elephants were discussing what humans were like.
Failing to agree, they decided to determine what humans were like by direct
experience.
The first wise, blind elephant felt the human, and declared, "Humans are
flat."
The other wise, blind elephants, after similarly feeling the human, agreed.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
- Bible: New Testament. 1 Peter 5:8
"We may not pay Satan reverence, for that would be indiscreet, but we can
at least respect his talents. A person who has for untold centuries
maintained the imposing position of spiritual head of four-fifths of the
human race, and political head of the whole of it, must be granted the
possession of executive abilities of the loftiest order."
-- Mark Twain
MEDIEVAL ROADS
Hitchhiking With Roger Waters
etching words of tangents into wood panels
as thoughts creep into formidable places
all you can remember in the morning
is whether you got a good night's sleep or not.
maybe there's a way to penetrate forces
or possibly there's no reason for the walls
but with every characteristic of morality
there comes something without a dream to follow.
hues of every single color float in my eyes
as the mirror only reflects what I feel
but sometime there will come a change to forgive
as nothing ever returns that didn't destroy first.
hatred is embedded in the souls of flawless minds
while peace flows from the lips of animosity
but you can fight the barrier with a bladeless sword
or you can cross the river with knights on your side.
what will define the way of culture and proverbs
when there are no heroes to pull the rope that rings the bell
so here everyone sits in the shape of a solemn omen
yet no one hears death tumble through the valleys.
we invite ourselves into the castle on the hill
where hope and dignity is protected by calm winds
we eat our fill as the village turns quiet and cool
then we lay our heads on gorgeous pillows forever.
-- Sir Christopher Stolle
cstolle@indiana.edu
http://copper.ucs.indiana.edu/~cstolle
"I think of horror films as art, as films of confrontation. Films that make
you confront aspects of your own life that are difficult to face. Just
because you're making a horror film doesn't mean you can't make an artful
film."
-- David Cronenberg (Canadian filmmaker)
THEY DUG UP ELVIS
They Dug Up Elvis
And made him sing again
They dug up Elvis
And made him play for them
They dug up Elvis
They took him from the grave
A rock and roll zombie
Their entertaining slave
They dressed him in his outfits
And made him play guitar
He had to play fifty encores
He was their favorite star
They made him play Las Vegas
He had to sing and dance
They made him shake his pelvis
And watched him split his pants
He had to keep on singing
All their favorite songs
And every song they remembered
They had to sing along
They made him sing "Feelings"
And then they yelled and screamed
To all these million people
It was like a dream
They made him pose for pictures
And then they tore his shirt
And after they were finished
They threw him in the dirt
And after it was over
They all remembered when
They dug up Elvis
And made him sing again
- Written by Lance Kaufman
From the album Protect Us From Evil, by Harmless
(See Lance Kaufman interview in this issue)
"There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it."
-- Alfred Hitchcock
THE SLEEPER
by Edgar Allan Poe
At midnight, in the month of June,
I stand beneath the mystic moon.
An opiate vapor, dewy, dim,
Exhales from out her golden rim,
And, softly dripping, drop by drop,
Upon the quiet mountain top,
Steals drowsily and musically
Into the universal valley.
The rosemary nods upon the grave;
The lily lolls upon the wave;
Wrapping the fog about its breast,
The ruin molders into rest;
Looking like Lethe, see! the lake
A conscious slumber seems to take,
And would not, for the world, awake.
All Beauty sleeps!- and lo! where lies
Irene, with her Destinies!
O, lady bright! can it be right-
This window open to the night?
The wanton airs, from the tree-top,
Laughingly through the lattice drop-
The bodiless airs, a wizard rout,
Flit through thy chamber in and out,
And wave the curtain canopy
So fitfully- so fearfully-
Above the closed and fringed lid
'Neath which thy slumb'ring soul lies hid,
That, o'er the floor and down the wall,
Like ghosts the shadows rise and fall!
Oh, lady dear, hast thou no fear?
Why and what art thou dreaming here?
Sure thou art come O'er far-off seas,
A wonder to these garden trees!
Strange is thy pallor! strange thy dress,
Strange, above all, thy length of tress,
And this all solemn silentness!
The lady sleeps! Oh, may her sleep,
Which is enduring, so be deep!
Heaven have her in its sacred keep!
This chamber changed for one more holy,
This bed for one more melancholy,
I pray to God that she may lie
For ever with unopened eye,
While the pale sheeted ghosts go by!
My love, she sleeps! Oh, may her sleep
As it is lasting, so be deep!
Soft may the worms about her creep!
Far in the forest, dim and old,
For her may some tall vault unfold-
Some vault that oft has flung its black
And winged panels fluttering back,
Triumphant, o'er the crested palls,
Of her grand family funerals-
Some sepulchre, remote, alone,
Against whose portal she hath thrown,
In childhood, many an idle stone-
Some tomb from out whose sounding door
She ne'er shall force an echo more,
Thrilling to think, poor child of sin!
It was the dead who groaned within.
Each night Father fills me with dread
When he sits on the foot of my bed;
I'd not mind that he speaks
In gibbers and squeaks,
But for seventeen years he's been dead.
-- Edward Gorey
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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@speakeasy.org
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.the-borderline.com, and there are hundreds
of his cartoons to check out there. (Cartoons run in WWW version
only, of course.)
One final note. Please, whatever you do, don't peel the labels
off your mattresses. It's the law. We want you safe and sound
to read us another day. Good bless you and Godnight.
