Records: February 1998
Archived
The World/Inferno Friendship Society
The True Story of the Bridgewater Astral League
Gern
This is the play that put the Squatter Repertory Company of Asheville N.C. on the map. From what I gather, this is a play about a new age group of thugs who commit crimes transcendentally. Your basic new age West Side Story (which was your basic contemporary Romeo and Juliet) As one of the characters puts it, “The league; we hate cops, we love music and we can fly.” Okay somebody’s been smokin’ blow in old Asheville. Are you all caught up with the plot? The music part seems to be a bunch of screaming voices, horns and electric squibbles. The big hippie jam noodling number sends me back to the first time I saw Hair on PBS. If you think that sounds annoying, listen to the story unfold. A character, Joe Tennis perhaps, haphazardly flops out the lyrics with no regard to the beat. Blah blah blah. The highlight of the performance is when Jon Gilch speaks sounding just like John Travolta from Grease, “hey fellas look at my new asbestos suit” If any of this sounds interesting, the tour is coming through Salt Lake starring — who else? Donny Osmond. —Mad Reverend
Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project
Sire
While the hacks are pumping out the words on Kiss, we have the “lounge/electronica/cheese” disc of the month. Anyone into the entire Lounge-A-Palooza gig will want to add Shaken and Stirred to their collection. Aimee Mann singing “Nobody Does It Better” is a reason and that’s the second song. Pulp is coming up. With the exception of the Leftfield track and the Propellerheads track, David Arnold is fully in charge. He helped with production on those two and he both plays on and produces everything else.
“Space March” is all techno — an outdated term, I know — and it’s the Leftfield entry. “All Time High” is all lounge and it is the Pulp entry. I hate Pulp, I hate Jarvis Cocker even worse and I love the song. It’s so sexual. Cocker’s moaning is sooo erotic. Who has their pole up his butt? “Moonraker” is an absolute must for any martini session. Even better. A lot of you idiots spend far too much time with www.sleaze.com on your computer screen. Take your hand off your dick long enough to penetrate that CD drive with Shaken and Stirred. Okay, go back to what you were doing. Now you have a soundtrack. Doesn’t it feel better with music? LTJ Bukem has “The James Bond Theme” all messed up. Drum and bass with imitation vibraphone, imitation bongos and Duane Eddy-inspired guitar? It’s all making sense. Back in the day, Chrissie Hynde had “Brass In Pocket.” Today she’s turning “Live And Let Die” into a three minute rock opera complete with a digital orchestra and Arnold as the band. Martin Fey is appropriately named and he does “Thunderball.” Oooh, the sound of the ocean. I’m off to meditate. “From Russia With Love” features Natacha Atlas and 16 Horsepower should sue. Arnold stole their trademark sound. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” features Propellerheads. This particular tune is another demonstration of techno meets lounge. Ping pong stereophonic effects taken straight off a Curtis Mathis demonstration record are used as the opening. For joy, it’s so bad it is treasured. —Arturo Lieman
Jamie Blake
A&M Records
A Debbie Gibson for the ’90s. She rock climbs, she mountain bikes, she skis and she’s angry. This grrrl’s getting her voice and she has something to sing. I mean really, why do I even pretend? Can’t we all see through the empty lyrics and lame ass pop music? The ballads are so trite it reminds me of pre-teen programming. Wasn’t she the house singer at The Max? Sometimes it is too much. “I find it haunting me and all I really want to do is yell, yell, yell.” Be mindful to say each one with a different inflection and go on like that for another four minutes. Right, you get the idea. I thought “Dragstrip Girl” had a nice trampy ring to the title but as it turns out I couldn’t understand how the song related to a girl on the dragstrip. I guess this guy will just never get it. The last song was aptly titled; “The Worst Is Over,” and indeed it was when that song finished. —Mad Reverend
Pearl Jam
Yield
Epic
Don’t worry, this is SLUG. I’m not going to write pages and pages and analyze every single chord and word. This CD will be inspected to death over the next month by literally thousands of “critics.” Is the long-awaited Pearl Jam CD any good, or is it better to buy Creed and Days of the New? “Brain Of J” and “Faithful” are trademark, but “No Way” (words and music by Gossard) is quite brilliant with the world beat and tribal layered on thick. The single, well, the single is already familiar from the radio. I wonder how many caught the little “motherfucker” in the lyrics? “Wishlist” (words and music by Vedder) is a ballad and so far the CD is sounding excellent. Forget critical backlash because Pearl Jam is a famous band of rich rock stars.
“Do The Evolution” combines choir voices with David Eugene Edwards and T-Model Ford. “Low Light” is orchestral and majestic, “In Hiding” is a showcase for beautiful guitar playing — in fact, the guitar work is a major reason to investigate Yield. Effects and production are used liberally while never reaching into over-indulgence. “Push Me, Pull Me” is an adventure in experimentation and the finale is more Beefheart/Zappa/Pearl Jam. The hidden track is a simple gypsy/jazz workout. Nice album from Pearl Jam. If it doesn’t sell, at least the band can be proud of progressing beyond their imitators. —Higher Octave
Funkdoobiest
The Troubleshooters
RCA
I don’t know about you, but I can never get enough of marijuana-related rap. We are introduced to Funkdoobiest via their own “Doobie Show.” A nice way to let everyone know just who they are. The next song was to the tune of The Squirrel Nut Zippers’ “Hell,” although there was a lot more bass. “The Anthem” is to the tune of “Just The Two Of Us.” It’s a good little piece of drama from the different words for penis (Lee Iococa) to the explanation of smuggling weed in the dashboard. My very favorite song was “Doobie Knows” to the tune of “Do You Know.” I also liked to hear the word “blunt” in a song more than five times, which really doesn’t happen often enough. I am the last person to ask about good rap, but this is good rap. Shit, it all rhymed. What else can I say about it besides the bong hit sounds were very authentic. —Mad Reverend
Nightcaps
Split
Rendezvous Recordings
My personal favorite this month. I know how much you slick hipsters like being on the cutting edge; well, the cutting edge right now is swing or big band music or whatever it is you want to call it. And if you want to impress everyone with your vast knowledge of music, go buy this CD today. The people at Rendezvous Recordings know what they are doing, especially when they are putting stuff like this out. You can cut a mean rug with this one, check out “You Lied” and Thrillsville.” You are going to dig this one, baby. —RDJ
Mono
Formica Blues
The Echo Label Ltd.
Be prepared for Mono to hit the martini crowd like an entire bottle of green olives. If Portishead can move beyond Dummy to the dark realm Beth Gibbons inhabited on 1997’s self-titled disc, then Mono vocalist Siobhan De Mare is to producer/arranger Martin Virgo as Jane Birkin was to Serge Gainsbourg. While a “Je T’Aime…Moi non Plus” isn’t immediately apparent and sell-out attempts at commercial success like “Slimcea Girl” and “High Life” interrupt the flow as they irritate, “The Outsider” is sensually erotic and as breathless as Bardot/Gainsbourg scoring, a B-grade spy film. “Playboys” has a looped break as funky as the smell of a female in 100° dry heat and De Mare gasps “I survive to spite you” over and over again. The remaining 17-plus minutes are music more seductive than the tried and true Kenny G or Pure Moods — as seen on TV. “Penguin Freud” features acoustic guitar and muted brass lifted straight from generic smooth jazz programming and set down in a lava lamp and black-light midst. “Hello Cleveland” is spy-mystery-crime-thriller laced with codeine and muscle relaxant. It ends the way it began: “Life In Mono” all done up as the “Summer of ’42.” —Lawrence Gannet
Alannah Myles
Arival
ARK21
I kid you not, that is how they spelled arrival. You may remember Alannah from way back in the ’80s. On this CD, 13 different songwriters, 11 songs…hmmm. She mentions influences, which are many, on the CD sleeve. To me, she sounds like an Alanis Morrisette wanna be, who happens to be one of her influences, even though Alanis is MUCH younger than Alannah. Who, by the way, isn’t angry enough or real enough. Don’t waste your time. —DJ Humpy Rat
Mary Schneider
Yodeling the Classics
Innerworks
The underground sensation, the novelty CD to end the world comes from Mary Schneider, “Australia’s Queen Of Yodeling.” Imagine a rerun of the ’50s Lone Ranger television series featuring Schneider yodeling the ”William Tell Overture.” She does it and it is divine. She yodels waltzes, she yodels lullabies, she yodels polkas, and she yodels marches. There is little doubt that Schneider yodeling “Skater’s Waltz” has already become a “dance” hit at the Gallivan Center‘s ice rink. Watch for some Olympic skaters to use it in their performance. The disc isn’t all yodeling. Schneider is backed by over 60 instruments — the Sydney International Orchestra — and a choir for one piece or another. As the title proclaims, the music is “classical.” It isn’t “classical” music for stuffed shirts and blue-haired women, it isn’t classical music for “intellectual” hacks processing words for “weekly” publications, Yodeling the Classics is classical music for people who hate classical music and who hate the CD bearing that title. Stop being so serious about the shit, buy a case of Miller beer and enjoy! Please drink as fast as possible, whiskey shots between sips of beer are recommended, because when Schneider reaches the march medley closing the session it is time to rise up, march and yodel along. Schneider is opera trained and the CD is a “world first.” ”The marriage of two art forms — yodeling and the classics.” —Hardees Schneider
Let’s Dance! The Best Of Ballroom
Swing, Lindy, Jitterbug and Jive
Rhino Records
Leave it to Rhino Records to cash in with two volumes of music for the ballroom dance resurgence. From a listening and dance view, this second volume is nearly worthless. Why use covers when the originals are easily obtainable and probably already licensed by Rhino? The most glaring examples are Buster Poindexter covering Jackie Brenston‘s “Rocket ‘88,” Melissa Manchester covering The Angels’ “My Boyfriend’s Back” and The Manhattan Transfer covering The Video‘s “Trickle, Trickle” (Find the original fuckers, there’s your jitterbug.) Aretha Franklin gets to do “Think,” Frankie Lymon has “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” and Carl Perkins‘ estate will receive some royalties for “Jive After Five” — why include covers?
Since the CD is supposedly useful for swing dancing, why isn’t there much swing? Well the liner notes informed me that in the modern dance classroom, modern music is used. That’s true, I heard one instructor using Jimmy Reed‘s “Baby, What You Want Me To Do” for a class, but I can’t imagine doing the “lindy” to Melissa Manchester or Buster Poindexter. I can imagine doing the “lindy” to Jackie Brenston. I can imagine jitterbugging to Carl Perkins and Royal Crown Revue, whose version of “The Walkin’ Blues” is included and it is the sole entry from the modern “swing” era. I guess it’s all fine for class and high school, but when a real jump and jive band starts with the boogie, this collection will sound tame indeed. The few highlights in the dance arena are Earl Grant‘s version of “Ol’ Man River,” Royal Crown Revue, Carl Perkins, and for pure listening satisfaction “Who” by James Cotton featuring the late Junior Wells and Buddy Guy with Junior Wells again doing “Messin’ With The Kid.” It is best to skip over Let’s Dance when searching for dance or listening music. I’m surprised they didn’t include something from Barry Manilow‘s big band album. There are hundreds of better choices. —Willie Kizart
Sixteen Deluxe
Emits Showers of Sparks
Warner Bros.
This band comes to us from Austin — that’s right, an Austin band. First full length on Warner Bros, very good. Supposedly they put on an incredible psychedelic light show. Raw rock and roll, stripped down to the basics of good songs, good lyrics, feedback and a wall of sound. Check out this disc and check out the songs: “Giver” and my personal favorite, “Large Animal Clinic.” —RDJ
Joey Altruda Presents
Kingston Cocktail
Will Records
He’s the cover boy of Lounge Magazine, he’s the founding force behind Jump With Joey and the title suggests a Jamaican influenced disc. Ernest Ranglin‘s presence on guitar leads to further speculation on the Kingston part of the title, but that is nearly where it all stops. Plas Johnson of all people is on the tenor sax. Joey Altruda himself plays upright bass, Red Young is on the Hammond B-3, Willie McNeil is the drummer and Luca Brandoti completes the band as percussionist.
Altruda has messed about some with Latin tempos in the past and “Call Me At Cleo’s” is nearly all Latin. Ranglin tosses a bit of the gypsy into the mix with his inspired guitar and the relentless Hammond groove is made for a ballroom, or a lounge with a nice dance floor. The swing really kicks in when the beam strikes “Positively.” Altruda is stroking the bass, McNeil’s all over the cymbals and Plas Johnson is a “name” for good reason. Some might remember his sax from the Pink Panther film.
As the little shiny platter spins away and the beams explore the pits further, it is clear that as soon as this little jewel is complete I’m headed for Memories Of Barber Mack (Ranglin’s brand new CD) next. His playing is inspired and dazzling. The entire band is cooking over a bonfire. Call Kingston Cocktail the equal of Oranj Symphonette — and these are mostly originals, not interpretations of Mancini. Finally, the “jammin”‘ kicks in with “Rolando.” It’s a light jam, mon; it’s anchored by the bass and Hammond, Johnson carries the number, Ranglin and Young step out front before Johnson returns to the melody. Inspired! The hep-cats down with the acid jazz use of a Hammond need to have a listen, the jazz cats down with Metheny need to have a listen, the smooth jazz airheads who think Kenny G is the end need to have a listen, and anyone believing lounge jazz is only for the “trendy” needs to have a listen. It’s a smoker and cigars aren’t involved. I believe the brand is Pall Mall. — R.I.P. “Jazzbo” Collins
Sneaker Pimps
Virgin Records
Remix
Sneaker Pimps will be releasing a CD of remixes. If you like the Pimps, this is going to be better than sex for you. (of course, that’s not saying much, now is it?) Their hits, with different twists, different versions, different loops, backbeats, scratches etc. I could have thought up better names for the specific mixes, (Spin Spin Sugar-Armand Van Helden Dub) But who the hell cares. You get the picture, now go get the disc! —DJ Humpy Rat
Fuel
Sunburn
550 Music
“Shimmer” was the most requested in Harrisburg, PA when Fuel released the song and their self-recorded EP, Porcelain. Five radio stations picked the song up! Ponder that news for several minutes. Five radio stations were giving a song by a local band consistent airplay and the band is of the hard variety. Sure, The Obvious did it once, but who has since around here? As already stated, Fuel plays hard rock and it isn’t heavy metal and it isn’t really “modern” either. The band is a four-piece with all songs written by Carl Bell, one of two guitarists and the second vocalist. The lead vocalist and second guitarist is Brett Scallions. He can do the customary scream so familiar from countless “modern” rock bands and he can also actually sing. The words, and I don’t have a lyric sheet since the CD is an advance that won’t appear until March, flow with the music and the imagery is fairly vivid. Take the words and put them together with a band using the, as previously mentioned, tried and true hard rock format. If it sounds as common as the last attempt to find any listening enjoyment from local radio it isn’t. The disc is well played, well produced and it rocks. Fuel is at least a foot above the flood waters major labels have planned to drown consumers in this year. Admittedly, this music doesn’t hold much attraction for me anymore, but if I were searching for some hard rock to add to my collection I’d have Fuel on the want list. Now we wait for March and see what happens. Expect to see the band in a dub sometime this spring. —Blurred
Fastball
All The Pain Money Can Buy
Hollywood
Fastball is from Austin and they play like the Midwest. Is Fastball the band and All The Pain Money Can Buy the disc to end Hollywood Records’ long dry spell? The word on the street is early airplay and the hooks beginning “The Way” don’t let up through the next 13 songs. I was reading Spin Magazine — at the library, duh — and this guy is spouting off about the state of Modern Rock radio. He actually complained about Days of the New and The Verve Pipe! I felt a little sorry for him because he’d finally discovered life in Salt Lake City. Anyway he was from Minneapolis, the home of the Replacements, a band Fastball has drawn comparisons to in the past. It’s either the Replacements or John Cougar Mellencamp pop craft in an actual rock band that hasn’t moved out of the Texas bar Alejandro Escovedo orchestrated.
In a major move directed at commercial acceptance, Fastball enlisted the aid of a horn section for “G.O.D. (Good Old Days)” — keyboard, horns, choruses; where are the strings? They distilled Rhino’s entire History of The British Invasion down into one song and it’s about dissatisfaction with everyday life! Talk about perking up service sector ears! If All The Pain Money Can Buy has a problem, it is the lack of trend consciousness. Sure the horns are a nod, but that’s been done by Aerosmith and before that Rocket From The Crypt. There isn’t a hint of post punk/alternative/ska/electronica/Brit-pop/pop-punk/indie-rock/emo-core/rap-hip-hop- metal present. Straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll is what Fastball plays. Maybe there is hope for boys with guitars after all? —Jade
Course Of Empire
Telepathic Last Words
TVT
Metal. Bone-crunching, ponderous, doom filled, lumbering out of the speakers like a Brahma bull on PCP metal begins the new Course Of Empire album. It isn’t all that slow and it isn’t all that heavy. Over the course of 13 presentations, the band never ceases with their relentless attack on minds numbed by chlorine in the water. Including “Blue Moon” at the end only extends the open invitation to go howl at it. If a band wants to play metal, then why can’t most of them do it? Course Of Empire is playing metal and sure there are the industrial aspects to the disc, “If you light yourself on fire the world will pay to watch you burn.” Then they use a snake charmer’s horn for “Houdini’s Blind.” It’s always acceptable in 1998 to include a composition titled “Coming Of the Century” and a ballad such as “Ride On The Static” with fucked-up guitars is good for breaking up the tedium. Except there isn’t any tedium and maybe Course Of Empire is trying to make Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or is it Goodbye Yellow Brick Road? Mix things up before the world ends and the crunch begins again. “This is the end of the mystery,” an obvious dedication to Geezer Butler and Ozzy is in order and if Geezer can’t wake up the pagan hordes maybe Course Of Empire can. Fuck howling at the moon, turn into wolf man and go bay. Marilyn Manson isn’t about to cover Rodgers and Hart. The hidden track is for Valentine’s. “I was loving you today but you weren’t there / I was loving you today when you were away / I think I loved you all over your bed when you were away.” —LaVey Anderson
Zen Guerrilla
Positronic Raygun
Alternative Tentacles
Here you go, punks. You bunch of girl friends. When will an actual girl apply as a writer for SLUG again? I’m sick of male domination and I want Laura Swensen back. That woman could write! I’m still catching shit from the Evil Slug Boss for convincing him to put Zen Guerrilla on the cover. He wants rock, like Metallica. Well there cowboy, check into the Zen Guerrilla ward. You know those discs that have “play loud” written on the cover? Zen Guerrilla doesn’t need to write it because after “Saucership To Ragtime,” the first song, it will be played loud. If there is a band set to dethrone The Lazy Cowgirls from their spot as greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world, it is Zen Guerrilla. Zen Guerrilla plays blues so nasty that Pussy Galore had to reissue some product. They play garage so dirty that Teengenerate is thinking of reforming. They play gospel so inspired that Sam Cooke is trying to scratch his way out of his coffin. The second time I listened to the CD I put earplugs in and I was in my house. Listen to Positronic Raygun back to back with 16 Horsepower‘s Low Estate and you’ll be praying for a comet to come and relieve the pain.
Marcus Durant wails as effectively as David Eugene Edwards and Durant adds effects. Do you want boogie? I’ve never called it a “Tomato Cup” before and maybe Durant has been there during a moon phase I’ve yet to explore, but he’s got the boogie. Alligator just reissued a tribute to Hound Dog Taylor. Next to Howlin’ Wolf, he was about the grittiest blues singer I’ve encountered. Zen Guerrilla tops them both and enters Fat Possum front porch territory with ”Fingers” and then by the band pretends they’re the Flaming Groovies. Durant has a harmonica stuffed in some pocket or other. He produces it and blows up all hell and fury through his magic homemade effects box for “Empty Heart.” Rich Millman (guitar), Carl Home (bass) and Andy Duvall (drums) make all the noise for Durant. He’s supposed to play guitar on the album and he does play it, sort of. Bang the fuck out of a guitar and that’s playing. When Zen Guerrilla first formed, they were a pure noise band. They close the CD with that noise. Okay. My world has been rocked. The disc comes out on March 2. Salt City will have it. Raspberry will have it. Gray Whale will have it. “Eat Where You Sleep” is a blues song. Intelligent minds encourage the same type of psychology when spending the disposable income. —RatBoy
Ernest Ranglin
Memories of Barber Mack
Island Jamaica Jazz
Check out the review on Joey Altruda’s Kingston Cocktail. Ernest Ranglin is the guitarist and this is his new solo outing. The disc theme and the dedication is to Barber Mack. “He was a tonsorial artist by day and amento sax player by night. The liner notes state that Barber Mack was a drunk and drinking never interfered with his ability to play the sax, but he was also a barber and hair-cutting under the influence wasn’t as easy. The label says Jamaica Jazz and “Fade Away” has the lilt of reggae. If modern reggae is familiar then the reggae of the album will seem to lack fat, but then again most reggae guitarists don’t combine Charlie Christian with Jim Hall and Django. Ranglin gives a subtle quote of the “William Tell Overture” in “For Juni” (Ranglin’s wife) and Williams quickly follows on piano. If Steve Williams up at KUER isn’t programming something off of Memories Of Barber Mack, each time he takes the air, call the man up. I’m blown away. There’s so much fluff in the jazz bins today that an enjoyable new disc is a rare find. Skip right by the “smooth” crowd deserving of “new age” status and discover the most progressive quintet in jazz led by an immense talent of the guitar. “Lovebird,” “Mountain Breeze,” “Dancehall Fever,” each piece is better than the one before. “Stop That Train” feels like dub and dub is so fashionable today that single men created it in bedrooms using computers. This band does it live and acoustic. The riddim is in place and spirituality doesn’t need words. I nearly believed in God after that one song. Just slip the CD in and press repeat for the next week. I’m left stunned. —Dreadlocked Jimmy
The Vexations
music of george
da bomb
Unreleased material from a man who should be getting paid to play his guitar. On this faux experimental mix, he reminds me that it is not always good to follow the rules. Very cool melodies and spiffy guitar parts. It makes me think of why I played guitar in the first place. Thanks for inspiring me again. Is there a better compliment? —Maxx
Read more music reviews from the archives:
Written in Blood: January 1998
Vinyl: January 1998
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