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Consumable Online Issue 045
==== ISSUE 45 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [July 7, 1995]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
Sr. Contributors: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford,
Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi,
David Landgren, Tim Mohr, Joe Silva, John Walker
Other Contributors: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Kelley
Crowley, Tim Hulsizer, Sean Eric McGill,
P. Nina Ramos, Jamie Roberts, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair,
Jon Steltenpohl, Jorge Velez, Courtney Muir Wallner,
Scott Williams, Britain Woodman
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak,
Jason Williams
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form other than within this
document must be obtained from the editor.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
REVIEW: Nine Inch Nails _Further Down The Spiral_ - Sean Eric McGill
INTERVIEW: The Rake's Progress, _Altitude_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Primus _Tales from the Punchbowl_ - Martin Bate
REVIEW: Foetus, _Gash_ - Al Crawford
REVIEW: Bad Brains _God of Love_ - Martin Bate
REVIEW: Jason & The Scorchers, _A Blazing Grace_ - Scott Byron
REVIEW: Lori Lieberman, _A Thousand Dreams_ - Courtney Muir Wallner
OPINION: Cashing in on Cobain - Sean Eric McGill
CONCERT REVIEW: Dodgy, Cast - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: Noah Stone, _Love That Smile Off Your Face_ - Courtney Muir Wallner
NEWS: Breeders/Tammy and the Amps, Nick Cave, Daryll-Ann,
Macintosh New York Music Festival, the Prodigy
TOUR DATES: Barenaked Ladies / Billy Bragg, Die Warzau / Sister Machine Gun,
Foetus, Jayhawks, Freedy Johnston, Huey Lewis And The News
Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers - Tribute To Bob Marley, Poster Children
Prodigy
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Nine Inch Nails _Further Down The Spiral_ (Interscope/Nothing)
- Sean Eric McGill
Back in 1987, when Bon Jovi ruled the charts with _Slippery When
Wet_, I joked that they could change the order of the songs, release it
again, and go platinum. Fortunately, that never happened, but Trent
Reznor has done the next best thing. _Further Down the Spiral_ is an
album that consists of nothing more than remixes of songs from _The
Downward Spiral_. And while this is the type of album your average NIN
junkie will pick up without even questioning the logic behind it, unless
you fall into that aforementioned category, you should perhaps think it over.
The fact that Reznor chose to do this shouldn't really be a
surprise to anyone familiar with his career. After all, this is the guy
who released a CD single for "Head Like A Hole" with ten different tracks
and only four different songs (four remixes of "Head Like A Hole", three
remixes of "Down In It", two remixes of "Terrible Lie" and "You Know What
You Are"). Reznor revels in "recreating" his own music and letting others
do the same, and this album is an admirable attempt to offer up some of
these "recreations" to the public. And while most of the tracks hold their
own, some are simply annoying.
Reznor and Nine Inch Nails (listed as Chris Vrenna, Robin Finck,
Danny Lohner, Charlie Clouser and Reznor) are responsible for the worst
entry, "The Art of Self Destruction, Part One". This almost six minute
track starts off promising enough, then becomes a cacophony of sound,
which isn't a bad thing...unless it's practically incomprehensible.
Fortunately, Foetus (Jim Thirlwell) follows with "Self Destruction, Part Two"
which is different from the original ("Mr. Self Destruct"), but the
essence of the song remains intact. The other NIN entry, Section A of
"The Beauty of Being Numb" is simply OK, but doesn't make as much of an
impression as Section B, which was created by Aphex Twin. Reznor himself
remixes "Hurt", but the differences between the original and Reznor's
remix are minor at best. The song plays the same, right down to the
thirty seconds of feedback at the end.
But it is the guest players who make the biggest impression here,
among them Rick Rubin, who leads off the album with "Piggy (Nothing Can
Stop Me Now)", which features ex-Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro
and Kim Bullard. This track is one of the best on the album, and is
actually good enough to make you give the whole thing the benefit of the
doubt.
John Balance, Peter Christopherson and Drew McDowall of Coil
effectively recreate "The Downward Spiral", but take "Eraser" and make it
the second and third most annoying tracks on the album with "Eraser
(Denial; Realization)" and "Erased, Over, Out". Oddly enough, their third
(!) remix of "Eraser", titled "Eraser (Polite)" is actually quite good.
Aphex Twin also create "At the Heart Of It All", a seven-minute
track that is a rarity in the techno/ambient/industrial/whatever business: a
considerably long track that is fairly repetitious, but is still
interesting. Thirwell takes another shot at "Mr. Self Destruct" with
"Self Destruction, Final", doing essentially the same things he did
earlier on the album, but it's nonetheless interesting.
But perhaps what is more interesting about the album are the
songs that didn't make it. True, there were remixes of "March of the
Pigs" and "Closer" on their respective singles, but it would be
intersting to hear them here, as well. Also, songs like "Heresy",
"Ruiner", "Big Man With A Gun", and "I Do Not Want This" are notably
absent as well.
Like the "Head Like A Hole" single, Reznor has given his fans
eleven tracks with only five songs represented. And while _Further Down
The Spiral_ is well done overall, it's becoming less and less interesting
for Reznor to do this sort of thing - let's face it, self-indulgence is
only interesting for so long...then it becomes annoying. Perhaps Reznor
should just go slap nuts and actually release another album of all new
material in the next year...now THAT would be different, and probably a
helluvalot better than _Pretty Broken Spiraled Machine_.
---
INTERVIEW: The Rake's Progress, _Altitude_ (Almo Sounds/Geffen)
- Bob Gajarsky
Combining pop sensibilities with an indie punk attitude, The
Rake's Progress succeed in releasing irresistible tracks in under
4 minutes. With their roots based firmly in New York City,
the group took their name from a series of 18th century etchings
created by William Hogarth of a welathy young man squandering
his inheritance on wine and women and winding up penniless in an
insane asylum. Consumable recently had an opportunity to talk with
Bob Donlon, guitarist, and Tim Cloherty, lead singer, prior to the
release of their first full length album, _Altitude_.
C: You've recently been the subject of a bidding war among
record labels, after your six song E.P., _Cheese Food Prostitute_.
Why did you choose Almo Records?
RP: The people at Almo mattered. They were 100% behind us and
our music.
C: Did the heads of the label (Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss)
make a difference?
RP: Yes! When they started A&M records, it was a label for the
artists and their development. The history of the two of them - where
no one would sign Alpert, so he and Moss started their own label - was
definitely important to us.
We gravitate towards people who are like minded. One guy from one
of the biggest labels in the world took us out to dinner and he brought
a list, typed out by his secretary, of comments about our demo tape. He
whipped out this list, and while trying to butter us up, starts tearing us to
shreds - and telling us all the things that he'll change about us when we sign
to his label. It was like "Yeah, sure - we'll sign with you. Can we have
another expensive appetizer?"
C: KROQ, out of Los Angeles, put "I'll Talk My Way Out Of
This One" (from the E.P.) into heavy rotation. Did you expect that kind
of initial success?
RP: We didn't expect it from any of the songs. It did a lot more than
we expected it to - it got commercial radio play. One of the people at Almo
said that people at major labels were kicking themselves, asking
"Who the hell are the Rake's Progress, what is hifi records {the label which
released the _Cheese Food Prostitute_ E.P.}, and why is KROQ playing them
and not our bands?" It was a fluke - but through that, it's been spreading to
other radio stations around the country. We did the E.P. just to get ready
to do our album - like being in the farm leagues. We thought maybe we'd
get a little press, a little college airplay, so when the album comes out, we
wouldn't be a complete unknown entity.
C: What did that change for you?
RP: Chicks are after us now, limousines, whipped cream fights! (laugh)
Seriously, nothing's really changed. We're still broke, and we're getting
deeper and deeper into debt. We're working on new material now (the
interview was done several weeks before the album's release) while we
have a little downtime, because we'll be on the road for about 5
months, have short break and then go back on the road again. Don't forget,
for the first 2 records, we had 7 years to write it all."
C: What do you like about playing live?
RP: We want to have fun and enjoy ourselves on stage. Part of doing
that is getting a positive response from the audience. If they're enjoying
themselves, then we're enjoying ourselves. Sometimes it takes a few
songs to warm an audience up, if they've never seen us.
C: Will you be performing your cover of the Clash's "Magnificent
Seven" on tour?
RP: I'm sure we will - we usually play it. I don't think a lot of
people know it's originally performed by the Clash. My (Bob's) cousin
called me up one day and said "Hey, your song is on Z-100! (A New York
based top 40/modern rock station)" and they were playing the Clash's original.
I had to tell him we weren't the only ones to sing it...
We met Joe Strummer on tour in England, and we didn't know what
to say to him: "Ahh..we play a cover of one of your songs.."? He was
really cool, and is looking forward to coming to see us next time
we're in London. He did know what the Rake's Progress was a reference to,
as well, which impressed us.
C: What were your impressions of Europe?
RP: People in Britain will tell you exactly what they think, even if
it might hurt your feelings. One of the bands that opened for us
came backstage after our show and said "That was a really great set!
I got your E.P. and thought it stank, but I liked your live show."
Most people here will sugarcoat things. We're planning on going back
to Europe in early September for a six week tour.
When we record, we stay pretty true to how we play live. We might
beef up a guitar part here and there, but that's about it.
C: The songs from _Altitude_ give a different view of city life, such
as New York City - especially "Howard Is A Drag" and "Two Eggs Any Style".
How much is written from personal experience?
RP: It's 100% experience from living in New York City! Going to drag
queen shows, or hanging out at S&M bars (laughing). In "Two Eggs", there
was this old man who lived downstairs from me who would get these hookers
all the time. You would hear them screaming at him, "Give me my twenty
bucks!" and hitting him and shit. I (Tim) of course exaggerate here and
there, but that's part of being a writer.
C: How come there's only one song from the 6 song E.P. on
the first full length release?
RP: We had a lot of new material we wanted to put on the record and
there are some mellower songs. The E.P. was all upbeat songs, but the full
length is a lot more varied, and shows our mushy side. We redid
"I'll Talk My Way Out Of This One" because of the airplay, after the
album was in the can. You won't notice much of a difference in it.
C: What bands influenced you, other than the Clash?
RP: It would be cliche to mention the Velvet Underground, but they did.
A lot of influences from bands such as the Pixies to the Rolling Stones
and everything in between. Good pop songs like from those bands.
The one thing we can't stand is the self indulgent, 9 minute exploration.
We're not a jam band.
The crowd favorite "When I Kiss Her" has been chosen as the
first single from _Altitude_; fans who want to hear what the band sounds
like in their natural habitat, live, should check out for future B-sides from
The Rake's Progress, culled from an early 1995 show at New York's Irving Plaza.
But, in the meantime, check out _Altitude_ - rock and roll the way it
was meant to be.
---
REVIEW: Primus _Tales from the Punchbowl_ (Interscope/Atlantic)
- Martin Bate
That last Primus album, _Pork Soda_ is almost platinum and that
they enjoyed a perch at the top of the Lollapalooza tree is one of the most
pleasantly surprising success stories of the 90's so far. That so many
people would latch on to their skewed sense of humour, timing,
musicianship and song-writing just seemed pretty unlikely. What's even
more amazing is that despite their success, the usual slew of imitators
have failed to appear. To all intents and purposes, Primus are still one
of a kind.
Recorded after a break to indulge in each other's own thing to
stop themselves going insane (like, how would anyone be able to tell !?)
the quaintly named _Tales from the Punchbowl_ is Primus following up their
most successful album to date by, well, just carrying on as normal -
basically looking at the world through cartoon eyes so that everything
becomes alternately funny and eerie.
So there's the now familiar Primus brittle-funk of "Del Davis
Tree Farm" and "Year of the Parrot" - the latter of which takes a dig at
plagarism with lines like "I've seen the likes of Kate Bush/And Van
Morrison/Teaching the parrots to sing". Yep, I think we know who you're
talking about.
Not that Primus reference points are any less obvious - their
Residents, Tom Waits and Frank Zappa influences are plain for all to see -
but it's the way they blend them together, throwing in anything else that
comes to hand that makes them so unique.
So we've got our Primus funk, along with a moody one, "On the
Tweek Again", all stalking bass and deserted streets, and the usual dose
of irreverent humour with "Space Farm" (90 seconds of animal and ray-gun
noises over a Looney Tunes bass line) and the little sea-shanty
instrumental "Captain Shiner". What else we got ?
Well, there's the first single "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver", which
throws Country and Western into the calculus and is a story about a girl
called Wynona and her unusual pet (You were expecting something else ?) ;
there's "Southbound Pachyderm", an ominous, at times almost soulful,
brood; we've got "Hellbound 17 1/2 (Theme from)", a jaunty theme waiting
for a movie to happen; "De Anza Jig", the natural successor to _Pork
Soda_'s "The Air is Getting Slippery", a banjo-led oompah telling us of
the likes of "Julie Tolentino, the dancing Filipino" and "Ol' Flouncin'
Freddy"; the pure Residents of _Glass Sandwich_; the pummeling "Professor
Nutbutter's House of Treats" with the eerie refrain of "It's alright to
fear the worm" making you feel uneasy even if you're not sure why; and
"Mrs Blaileen" which is a similar tale to Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" except
where the latter was an overblown rock anthem, Primus' understated funk
lends the whole thing a much more unsettling air. All of course,
performed with the usual impeccable musicianship, where you don't have
to be a music afficionado to appreciate the spiralling, clattering rhythm
the three of them knock out effortlessly.
So, business as usual then!
This is Primus stream-lining their sound rather than adding a
great deal to it. Conscious of this, bassist/singer Les Claypool states
that "Seriously, we gotta get some horns and back-up singers in their
soon!". But until then, there's a new episode of Primus's world to get
lost in.
---
REVIEW: Foetus, _Gash_ (Columbia)
- Al Crawford
It must be interesting to live inside Jim Thirlwell's head, as his
creative yet decidedly warped mind careers headlong through a
maelstrom of styles and ideas. _Gash_, his first full length release
on Columbia is perhaps not Thirlwell's best effort ever, but this
particular twisted grab-bag of material rarely drops below `pretty
good' and, as the Thirlwell brain bounces around inside his cranium,
he throws out some truly exceptional material.
_Gash_ is dark, synth industrial, grinding guitars, the distinctive
Thirlwell `industrial big band' sound, borrowed Indian melodies, and
grandiose orchestral sequences, both sequentially and concurrently. I
was particularly impressed by "Take It Outside Godboy", a 2-in-1
combination of haunting strings and driving aggressive rock, the
big-band "Slung", the grandeur and sick strings of "They Are Not So
True", the list goes on. Maybe it's about time Jim got the same level
of recognition as those he's remixed recently (NIN, F242, EMF,
Megadeth). _Gash_ certainly possesses just the right combination of
accessibility and the Foetus sound of old to bridge that gap.
---
REVIEW: Bad Brains _God of Love_ (Maverick/Warner Brothers)
- Martin Bate
It's impossible to talk about Bad Brains without mentioning their
hugely important history. Their '82 debut, the self titled Roir cassette
(later tarted up with the aid of The Cars' Ric Ocasek and put out as _Rock
for Light_) is the best DC hardcore album of all time. All the more
startling was that it was the product of four Rastafarians and featured a
couple of fluid reggae songs in amongst the precision punk. The legend was
born.
Their second album arrived in 1986 and blew people away yet again.
_I Against I_ pretty much single-handedly invented the whole collision-
rock thing, with funk, reggae, blues, hardcore and metal all mixed into one
whole several years before Living Colour et al brought their wares into
the mainstream. By all rights, Bad Brains should have gone on to conquer
the world.
But the band moved in fits and starts as charismatic but
unpredictable frontman HR periodically would decide he was fed up with
loud guitars and would leave the band, heading off to work in a more
traditional reggae vein with drummer, brother Earl Hudson, only to return
months later.
The third album in 1990, _Quickness_ was a little disappointing by
their own standards, re-affirming their strengths with little forward
movement. Then HR walked away for the umpteenth time - this time,
seemingly for good.
The band's surprise replacement was ex-Faith No More singer Chuck
Mosely. This partnership split amicably after a year or so of touring with
Chuck stating that they wanted "If not HR, then *an* HR".
And indeed, his successor Josef Israel I was on first appearances
an HR clone a little too close for comfort. But a decent, varied (if a
little too polished and redolent of the bands *they* influenced in places)
major-label debut _Rise_, coupled with heavy touring saw Josef stake his
claim, gradually stamping his own personality on the live shows and at
last providing the band with a sense of stability.
Most people were surprised then, and a little disappointed, to hear
that HR was back in the fold late last year. All the fears and suspicions
were upheld in mid-May when, on their first night of an arena tour
supporting the Beastie Boys, HR decided he didn't want to play and beat-up
Bad Brains manager and then brother Earl before disappearing, only to be
found next day when he tried to cross the Canadian border in posession of
a large supply of marijuana. The band announced they were not just parting
with HR but splitting.....
Only to then say 3 weeks later that they're putting the incident
behind them and re-joining the Beasties tour. _God of Love_ their fifth
studio album, and fourth with HR entered the Billboard charts at number
20 on release. Bad Brains day may finally be arriving if HR can keep his
head.
And so finally to the new album. The first thing that old fans
will notice is that there's way more reggae offered than before, the
album being split more or less 50/50 between reggae and rock. Whether
this is a concession to HR or not isn't clear, but it doesn't really
matter because in the tradition of Bad Brains reggae exploits, it's all
top stuff. In particular, "Long Time" moves on a wicked, dirty skank
and "Big Fun" is a languid summer vibe with both featuring horns.
In addition, "To the Heavens" is nicely off-kilter, its groove being offset
by ambient effects bouncing about the place, and the closing "How I Love
Thee" just floats *beautifully* for six minutes.
But then there's the rock stuff....
Admittedly the production is a huge problem. Ric Ocasek re-joins
for the first time since _Rock for Light_ and turns in an erratic
performance in the producer's chair. Where the reggae stuff has meaty bass,
clean drums and shimmering guitar, the rock stuff has only muddy
instruments thudding away in the mix. It gives the album a disjonted feel,
but Bad Brains themselves aren't without blame.
The songs themselves are far from strong. The title-track is too
much bluster and not enough song, "Thank Jah" gains little from a falsetto
vocal and "Tongue Tee Tie" is just plain unexciting. Where the lack of
structure in the reggae material is fine, allowing things to groove along
at their own pace, when the big riffs start it leaves the songs
floundering for three minutes going nowhere. The exceptions are the soul-
metal of "Justice Keepers" and the opening "Cool Mountaineer" where HR's
smooth croon glides over trademark Bad Brains sledge-hammer guitars which
shift between a groove and a thrash.
In fact HR's singing throughout is what keeps the whole thing
afloat even when the riffs and sound are lacking. His soulful wailing
and crooning is distinctive to say the least, often setting up heart
tugging dischordances within the music. In addition, his lyrics and
delivery have a spiritual energy and passion - as with _Quickness_ almost
everything here has a link to God/Jah - that's refreshing.
Ultimately, though far from bad, this is a bit disappointing. But
the live shows will split heads as always with their core of classic
material. There's enough good stuff here to justify Bad Brain's existence
in 1995 but their highly influential past is still proving a little hard
to live up to.
---
REVIEW: Jason & The Scorchers, _A Blazing Grace_ (Mammoth)
- Scott Byron
It's likely that most of the people reading this have never heard
of Jason & The Scorchers, and that's a cryin' shame. Among a small circle
of devotees, this band's power is the stuff of legend. An unholy union of
reckless punk energy and twangin' country soul, they burned brightly
through endless numbers of overwhelming live shows and a handful of albums
in the late '80s. Admittedly a hard band to capture on record, they
nevertheless came close to breaking through, but without a hit and dragged
down by the excesses of the rock life, they crashed and burned at the end
of the decade.
This reunion came about for the best of all possible reasons -- it
was motivated by a desire to just _play_, without thought given to making
a record or a career of it. Those who saw the band on that first reunion
tour in 1993-4 (myself included) could feel the joy and energy in the
renewal of these old ties. Jason Ringenberg is a frenetic singer,
shouting as much as singing; Warner Hodges is one of the most amazing lead
guitar players anywhere, fully deserving "guitar hero" status; and the
rhythm section of Perry Baggs' drums and Jeff Johnson's bass is as solid
as they come. Once the tour fell together as gloriously (and painlessly)
as it did, the recording of an album followed just as naturally.
_A Blazing Grace_ is a straightforward document of the band's
sound, ripping through such torrid rockers as "Why Baby Why," "Cry By
Night Operator," "Hell's Gates" and a revved up cover of "Take Me Home,
Country Roads." Self-produced (and nicely done at that), these ten tracks
lack the pretensions that bogged down some of the band's earlier albums --
they just smoke. And while there are a few tender tracks thrown in as
well, it's the rockers that ignite _A Blazing Grace_. Forever may they
burn.
---
REVIEW: Lori Lieberman, _A Thousand Dreams_ (Pope Music)
- Courtney Muir Wallner
_A Thousand Dreams_, Lori Lieberman's latest album, was recorded live
at the John Raitt Theatre of Pepperdine University. With a system called
Dynamic Fidelity, designed by the founder of PopeMusic, Gene Pope,
Lieberman and her band were captured doing what they do best - performing
live. This album is a collection of all that Lori Lieberman has to offer
as a musician and artist.
Lori Lieberman has a long history producing fine music. In 1971,
Lieberman came out with her self-titled debut album, and sang alongside
such artists as Linda Rondstadt, Melissa Manchester, Wendy Waldman, and
Karla Bonoff. The grammy-winning hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song"
sung br Roberta Flack, was written by Lieberman, and was originally
included on her debut album. Lieberman explains, "I saw Don Mclean play
the Troubadour in L.A. one night and I was so moved by his lyrics and
melodies that I went home and wrote a poem about it." From there,
Lieberman completed a five-record deal with Capitol Records, including a
greatest hits album, and then went on to record "Letting Go" under
Millenium. _A Thousand Dreams_ is Lieberman's newest creation.
The album begins with an exquisite remake of Paul Simon's "Song For
the Asking". Here the quiet beauty of Lieberman's voice is showcased and
is a wonderful introduction to the album. "Switzerland" is a personal
tribute to the fond memories Lieberman has of her home away from home.
From the tender age of nine until she turned eighteen and settled in L.A.
permanently to begin her musical career, Lieberman spent every six months
out of the year in Switzerland. "I'd fly back...and literally change my
clothes in the bathroom of LAX," she recalls, "I had to go from looking
like Heidi to a typical 60's teenager in a matter of minutes - and change
my personality to suit as well."
Songs such as "One Thing", "He's a Leaver", and "Women Like Me"
profile the various ways love can wound and be treacherously dangerous to all
involved. The ballad "Loves Takes Time" is so beautifully crafted
your heart will stir as you shiver with goose-bumps.
By far the most remarkable feature of the recording is Lieberman's
superb voice. Soft and delicate, then strong and passionate, Lieberman's
voice rises above the pure tones of acoustic guitar and gentle melodies
of the piano, creating a harmony that will cause your heart to be still
one minute and fill with emotion the next.
---
OPINION: Cashing in on Cobain
- Sean Eric McGill
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for my own eyes.
Jerry Harrison, father of Courtney Love, sitting on an "expert" panel of
celebrity gossip columnists on _Geraldo_. I had seen him before, of
course, when the tabloid press was after him like Rush Limbaugh on a
steak following Kurt Cobain's suicide. He seemed polite enough, eager to
answer any questions they had about the effect all this was having on his
daughter. Now, a year later, he joins the ranks of those who have taken
the memory of Kurt Cobain and used it as a vehicle for their own purposes.
Let me say, though, that this isn't a column about people who
defiled the memory of Kurt Cobain and how terrible they are for doing
that to such a musical genius. Cobain did enough to defile his memory
during his own lifetime, and I for one never saw him as a "musical
genius". But nothing else elevates somelike from "rock star" to "idol"
like death, and unfortunately, Cobain's isn't the only case where others
profitted after the performer was gone.
Before the death of Elvis, all we knew of Priscilla Presley was
that she was Elvis' sweetheart-turned-bride. After his death, she became
an actress - always trying to distance herself from her former husband,
but only as far as keeping the last name would allow. The same goes for
Lisa Marie, who could have married a dozen cabana boys and been ignored,
but marries Michael Jackson and gets on prime-time television and the
cover of every tabloid in the supermarket.
You could also argue that the current members of Lynyrd Skynard
are simply cashing in on the nostalgia of their audience for the
pre-crash days when they perpetually tour. I think it's interesting to
note, though, that Yoko Ono's career fell apart after the death of John
Lennon - probably because he was not only her cash cow, but the only
person who really thought she was talented to begin with.
Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison live on through t-shirts, posters,
and countless re-masterings of their albums (or my personal favorite, the
"lost tapes" trick). But they weren't cashed in on by those who loved
them for the most part, and the cashing in is what I find inexcusable.
I have no problem with someone wearing a Kurt Cobain t-shirt in
memory of his music and his life. That's capitalism in action. There's a
demand for a product, suppliers provide that product and make a couple of
million dollars. But when I can't turn on the television without seeing
Courtney Love or hearing the latest gossip about her, then I have a problem.
Before she married Cobain, Hole was just another grrrll band,
more apt to be confused with L7 and Babes In Toyland then to play on
Saturday Night Live. Even during their marriage, she was only seen in his
company for the most part, and if interviewers asked her ten questions,
five of them were about Cobain. Now, she's omnipresent, appearing at
every party possible, looking like Mr. Blackwell's acid-induced nightmare.
To her credit, she's doing nothing different now then she was
eighteen months ago. She's still offensive, has occasional bouts with
drugs, and is generally living her life the same way she always has. The
only difference is now somebody cares. If she looks tired on stage, or
goes to the hospital, then it was the grief, the pills or something that
got her down, and you can read all about in Rolling Stone, see it on
_Hard Copy_ or get her own personal "views" on the Internet.
I know the fault for some of this lay at my doorstep and those in
this profession. She's the hottest story in the rock world at the moment,
and the media can't resist that. After all, this is Kurt Cobain's wife
we're talking about!
And that's what Courtney Love is: Kurt Cobain's wife. Regardless
of how many awards _Live Through This_ recieves and regardless of how
much the music media dotes over her, few of them cared until April, 1994.
Love, her father, and Hole owe much of their newfound fame to Cobain, and
it's time they acknowledge it. Of course, Drew Barrymore is
dating the bassist in Hole. If she kills herself, then they'll be the
biggest band in the world...and _Geraldo_ will have another guest.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Dodgy, Cast (Cheshire, England June 8)
- Tim Kennedy
These days, it seems there are two different types of crowd at a gig
- you get the frenzied partying drinkers and dancers, or you get the somber
goatee beard crowd who sit cross legged on the floor between bands - boring
bastards. The sort of people who would scowl through a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
They stand like puddings during the most energetic shows and look as if
they're at a school assembly. The Liam Gallagher school, evidently.
Warrington Parr Hall was host to a mixture of the two groups, come
to see the newly charted Dodgy, supported by a bunch of young hopefuls
Northern Uproar (whom I arrived too late to see) and Cast.
Cast have just signed to Polydor, home of the Who, Jimi Hendrix and
the Jam. They are fine inheritors of the mantle. I couldn't tell you any
of the titles from the set except that one sounded like an extremely raunchy
version of The La's "Way Out". John Power, formerly of the La's, is Cast's
guitarist and singer - it was a pleasant surprise. Each song betrayed an
unmistakable hallmark of quality. Hard rocking scousers, they produced a
string of melodies that were irresistible. I shall look forward to the
upcoming album.
Anyone who has been reading Consumable over the past year or so will
have followed my love affair with Dodgy, although they might wonder how I
can keep praising them so highly when they seem to be dodging the charts
with each release. Wonder no more for the pop messiahs have finally got
themselves a (U.K.) top twenty hit. The band that have been so widely
admired amongst their peers but ignored by the public have begun to cash
in at long last.
Naturally enough they wear the mantle of fame with ease. Nigel, the
long curly coiffed vocalist, recalled the young Daltrey in his gold lame
shirt with wide, hanging cuffs. Andy the guitarist grinned impishly behind
his sci-fi wraparounds. Matt the drummer immediately kicked off with his
repertoire of Moon-esque looning on stage-right. The epic lights and music
entry still seems a bit odd though for a band that are by their own
definition extremely silly. As ever though, the daft humour is accompanied
by astonishing virtuosity. When I caught them last year at the tiny
Wheatsheaf in Stoke (in what I guess were the bad old days for them), the
clever bits from tracks on both albums were reproduced without breaking a
sweat. These days the precise playing has given way to raunch and swagger
that goes with the bigger crowds and wilder atmosphere.
A spot of good-humoured crowd baiting ensued, including an attempt
to arouse the simmering Manchester vs Liverpool feud (Warrington being the
geographical midpoint between the two cities and inhabited by people of
both). Then, the other two picked on the guitarist for being a Londoner
(Nigel and Matthew are from the Midlands). They were 'buzzing' as the saying
goes.
"Stand By Yourself", from the first album led off the proceedings-
which comprised virtually all the second album this time. Despite my making
some requests to Andy prior to the gig (in between his doling out kisses to
the excited young ladies bustling round the Dodgy Tee shirt stall) concerning
the Dodgy songs displaying an array of interesting guitar pedal effects,
there was little room for electric guitar finesse tonight - this was good
time rock'n'roll. At one point they spontaneously burst into Queen's "Don't
Stop Me Now", merging into "Waiting For The Day" - the boys were out for fun.
The band were joined midway by a small brass section who added their zest to
the general festivities.
There was a considerable reggae element too, with some new material
of this sort, as well as (for this writer very poignant, having been at the
Ruts' first gig after singer Malcolm Owen died in 1980) The Ruts "Love in
Vein" making a short appearance before merging into the blues-referencing
"Crossroads". This material was more 70s dub-influenced than pop reggae.
After about three quarters of an hour the band settled down for an
acoustic spot - the Plastic Ono Band-esque "What Have I Done Wrong?", the
Stonesy "This Is Ours" featured as well as a couple of fine new numbers which
were in the CSNY mold.
"Grand Old Oak Tree" restarted the rock'n'roll show and another brace
of favourites from both CDs followed, concluding with the single currently
doing business "Staying Out For The Summer" which looks like it may become
the anthem for this years Glastonbury festival, where of course Dodgy are
set to play. It was at this stage of the show that Nigel put on a black bra
that had been thoughtfully donated by one of the ladies in the crowd, and it
did look rather fetching beneath the gold lame top.
Encores were trotted out - and the high point of the entire show,
"Get Off Your High Horse" with it's amphetamine drive, and almost
Zeppelinesque guitar hooks. "Grassman" was accompanied by a pair of female
singers, recalling _Dark Side Of The Moon_ from Floyd in it's gross prog rock
ambition. The song is a bit of an anomaly (amongst their admittedly very
varied repertoire) but no less compelling for that. And with that the band
were off, leaving a hot, sticky and thoroughly entertained audience to stroll
off into the night, happy little ones all.
---
REVIEW: Noah Stone, _Love That Smile Off Your Face_ (World Domination)
- Courtney Muir Wallner
Noah Stone really let loose when he wrote his debut album, _Love That
Smile off Your Face_. An alternate mixture of heavy, brooding lyrics
and furious guitar, _Love That Smile Off Your Face_ seems to stem from a
personal power struggle with the world. You can feel Stone's
metamorphosis, his coming of age, as you listen closely to the obscure,
wiry music. This album springs from a reality we all must face, when we
begin to see the world for what it really is and not for what we thought
it was or should have been. There is a raw openness with which he writes,
expressing such obsessive-compulsive behavior found deep within and
rarely acknowledged, like the need to possess or own a loved one in "Once
Mine". Obsession that rages out of control and the manipulative ways
this power is obtained is detailed in "Burn Down the Compound", a song
about David Koresh and his need to dominate his following in Waco, Texas.
Stone's voice sounds eerily like the Violent Femmes' lead singer,
Gordon Gano, only to be contrasted by music that is as agressive as it is
loud. There is an energy that flows through Stone that can not be
duplicated and which cannot be harnessed. The underlying current of this
energy feels critical and demanding at times, remarkably like the cynic who
sees the world in all its stark reality and predicts the coming failures,
only to feel hateful that his pessimistic predictions are true.
Noah Stone has the courage to express the sentiments of many in a way
few would. This personal metamorphosis that has Stone by the grip has years
and years to go before it is nearly done, although this type of artistic
introversion is rarely finished. The cycle of personal revelation just
keeps going and going, which is why Noah Stone looks to have the
potential to be around a long time to come.
---
NEWS
The Breeders' Kim Deal has recently been performing
live in small clubs with three other (non-Breeders) under the
pseudonym "Tammy and the Amps".
Nick Cave is in the studio working on his next album, which will
include guest appearances from PJ Harvey, Shane MacGowan, Kylie
Minogue and Henry Rollins. It is slated for a 1996 release.
Fans of Daryll-Ann will be happy to know that _Seaborne
West_ will be released on Vernon Yard later this year, in the United
States. And, for those interested in the band's newsletter, send a
mail message to (P.O. Box 10175, 1001 ED Amsterdam) or via the
net at skylge@netland.nl.
The Macintosh Music Festival will take place in and about New
York City the week of July 17. In the spirit of the now-defunct New Music
Seminar, more than 100 bands will be performing at various area clubs
and concert halls. However, the festival takes technology to the next level:
users can not only find out who will play where, on the World Wide Web,
but can use the Web at designated locations around New York City that
week to check the goings on at other clubs.
Currently, the only way to access the site is on the Web at
http://www.inch.com/~festival/Home.html because, at press time,
the "official" site (http://www.quicktime.apple.com/nymusic) was having
some difficulties. They are expected to be fixed before the start of the festival.
Liam Howlett of the Prodigy will be appearing live in
the SPINonline AOL Lounge/Coliseum on Monday, July 10 at 8:00 pm ET
In addition, there are soundsamples in the same forum from Liam.
Remix them into your own song - if the Prodigy decides yours is
the best, they'll record it as a future B-side and you'll win stuff.
---
TOUR DATES
Barenaked Ladies / Billy Bragg
July 7 Chatauqua, NY Chatauqua Amphitheatre
July 8 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post
July 9 Camden, NJ Blockbuster-Sony Center
July 10 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
July 11 Boston, MA Harborlights Pavilion
July 13 Providence, RI Strand Theatre
July 14 New Haven, CT Taste Of New Haven
July 15 Mt. Rolland, QC Bourbon Street
Die Warzau / Sister Machine Gun
July 13 Grand Rapids, MI Reptile House
July 14 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's
July 15 Kalamazoo, MI Club Soda
July 16 Toronto, ON Opera House
July 17 Providence, RI Lupo's
July 18 New York, NY Limelight
Foetus
July 7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
July 9 Richmond, VA Flood Zone
July 10 Atlanta, GA The Point
July 12 New Orleans, LA Howling Wolf
July 13 Houston, TX Abyss
July 14 Austin, TX The Back Room
July 15 Dallas, TX Galaxy Club
July 17 Tempe, AZ Boston's
Jayhawks (Wilco joins them as of July 15)
July 7-9 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
July 12 St. Louis, MO Mississippi Nights
July 14 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
July 15 Crown Point, IN Sunshine Music Festival
July 16 Cincinnati, OH Zoo
Freedy Johnston
July 15 New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
July 16 Philadelphia, PA Penns Landing
Huey Lewis And The News
July 8 Maple, ON Kingswood Music Theater
July 10 Hershey Park, PA Hershey Lodge
Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers - Tribute To Bob Marley
July 11 Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheater
July 12 Portland, OR Rosegarden Amphitheater
July 13 Vancouver, BC Thunderbird Stadium
July 14 Seattle, WA Pier 62/63
July 15 Calgary, AB Rocky Mountain Ranch
July 17 Regina, CAN Craven Festival Site
July 18 Winnipeg, CAN Assiniboia Downs
Poster Children
July 8 Denver, CO Fiddler's Green
July 10 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amphitheatre
July 11 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre
July 12 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek Amphitheatre
Prodigy
July 10 New York City, NY Irving Plaza
July 11 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live
July 13 Tampa, FL. The Parthenon
July 14 San Francisco, CA Trocadero Transfer
July 15 Los Angeles, CA American Legion Hall
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
You know, I find myself getting more useful info
(for buying music) from _Consumable_ than I do from,
say Rolling Stone. - Chris K., Minneapolis
---
To get back issues of Consumable, check out:
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ftp.etext.org in the directory /pub/Zines/Consumable
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Engleski Jezik/Music/Consumable or
Hrvastki Jezik/Glazbena Rubrika/Consumable
(URL) gopher://diana.zems.etf.hr:70/11/eng/Music/Consumable
http://www.westnet.com/consumable/Consumable.html
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Address any written correspondence to Bob Gajarsky, Consumable Online,
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