Conference marvin::uk_music

    Just bought the hotly awaited 'The Story Of THE CLASH', and what
    can I say other here we have one of the all time great bands, and
    some of the all time great songs of our time ! 
    
    Being a bit different from other greatest hits albums it start with
    their reggae/funky late songs and chronicles it's was backwards to the 
    early 100 miles an hour punk stuff. 

    Here are the best tracks from the side album , by the way their all
    great tracks , but the following is my favourite and perhaps the
    best known -
    
    Rock the Casbah , Should I stay or Should I go,
    I fought the Law , Janie Jones , Radio Clash , White Riot 
    (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais , London Calling , Guns of Brixton
    Safe European Home , Train in Vain ............
    
    Last words on the LP - ' Purchase and be saved !!!!! '
    
    
    Walker ' Angry young man of Pop '   
    
    Shaheer don't line it ....... Rock the Casbah 
    
    
    

    Would have to agree with .1, just bought the same record (cd version)
    "The Story of THE CLASH", brill record, the only one I'v been able to
    get on CD by THE CLASH. 
    
				Gru�
    					Mark    

    
    Still think "Sandanista" is better than most reckon.  "Story ..."
    looks good, but as I've got former, "London ..." and "Rock ...",
    I don't know if I'll purchase.  Great sounds.
    
    "The Ice Age Is Cominm, The Sun's Zoomin In ...."
    
    David.
    

    
    Morrissey - Viva Hate
    
    I was a bit hesitant when I went to buy this, especially after seeing
    the man himself splashed all over the music press half naked etc...
    Looked as though he'd finally yielded to being the 'pop star'.
    
    Anyway, all fears were wiped away from the first track right
    through...with the possible exception of 'Dial a Cliche' - bit naff.
    
    I particularly think Maudlin Street is one of the best of a good
    bunch.
    
    It has an, obviously, Smiths sound to it (nothing wrong with that)
    but it's not gonna sound like anything else with the man himself
    at the mike is it. It's also got Morrisseys particualr brand a lyricism
    throughout...check out even the title of the last track - 
    'Margaret on the Guillotine' - what does he mean??????
    
    If you were a Smiths person don't miss this one.
    
    Tommy.

    
    Reviews wern't too brilliant on this one.  Some reports have even
    suggested that Mozza knows this himself.
    
    David.
    

    
    Still very good for a first solo album.It's great to see
    that he his still in the business,already looking forward
    to his next offerings.
    
    		the Queen may be dead,
    		the D.J. hung and
    		Maggie on the Guillotene,
    		but Morrisey is MAD alive.
    
     - Dave K.

    
    Glad to see the review of 'Viva Hate' . Yes I feel it's a very good
    debut solo .I liked the guitar work also, more rock orientated than
    Johnny Marr's .
                      
    _stuart_.

    I bought the new Talking Heads album, Naked, at the weekend. I am
    beginning to love it already! There is a fair amount of African
    style rhythm and backing on the album, and parts of it even remind
    me of Duck Rock, by Malcolm McLaren. The first two tracks on side
    1 are ace, and no doubt the rest will be too as soon as I have
    had time to listen to them a little more.
    
    Ian.

    
    I've bought it to, and it's less overtly commercial and pop oriented
    than anything since "Remain In Light".  Quite a few influences from
    "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" too.  Brilliant all round.
    
    David.
    

    I've just bought the new Iron Maiden album and to sum it up in one
    word - Different!
    
    Title:- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
    
    	It's a "concept" album telling the story, as you may guess,
    of the seventh son of a seventh son, his birth, magical powers,
    the fight between good and evil, and ends with his premature death.
    
    	The sound is new, with real synths and a synthaxe layered over
    the traditional Iron Maiden beat not too far away.  Personally,
    I'm not too keen *at the moment* with the slower, moody stuff on
    the album, and the intro/extro is a bit naff.  However, all in all,
    this is probably the best lager in the world, or even, the best
    album that Iron Maiden have made since The Number of the Beast.
    
    	Keep the faith,
    			The Duck.

    
    Having not yet ventured out to buy the Maiden album yet (Kingdom
    Come is next on my "buy buy buy list") and having only listened
    to the single 'Can I Play with Madness' (If Suggs will let 'em)
    I noticed that its a lot less traditional of the old Maiden stuff,
    is the _entire_ album in that style?
    
    Kind Regards,
    -Tony

    Re:18.11
    
    	I think that the album should be taken as a whole, as it is
    a story.  Having heard the single before buying the album, I thought
    that, on first play, it didn't fit in with the rest of the tracks.
    Try to black out the single from memory when giving it your first
    couple of plays and I'm sure that you'll be hooked.
    	Yes, it is less traditional than previous Maiden and has real
    keyboards on it but do not be deterred.
    		Buy or Die!
    
    Keep the Faith,
    			Duck(I.M.W.T.)

    
    I may be a little late with this but if you like heavy music you've got
    to get Guns n Roses "appetite for destruction".They sound very
    much like aerosmith/ac-dc.However they still retain an identity
    of their own.I liked this album from the day I bought it and I still
    enjoy every track on the album.
    stand out tracks:sweet child of mine
    		     welcome to the jungle
    		     paradise city
    		     crazy
    
    some of the language of the album is a bit strong and at times unneeded
    but that is just a personal opinion.all in all its a very good album
    and certainly worth buying.
    if anyone has the album "live like a suicide " i would be interested
    to here your comments.
    
    steve.      

    
    There has been a lot of chat in this entry about HM bands, I thought
    I'd mention one you may not have heard of.
    
    Anyone out there know The Skyhooks ?
    
    They're an Australian band from Melbourne, they started around the
    same time as the Little River Band (also from near Melbourne) but
    were MUCH bigger in Oz. Difference is, LRB went to the States to
    make their name and fortune, while the Skyhooks just stayed at home
    (Ozzie apathy ?)
    
    As far as I can tell, they only ever made one album - "Best of
    Skyhooks" (that's if you discount their "reunion" album, which had
    all the same tracks on, and even had almost the same cover). You
    may need an Australian to explain some of the references (most tracks
    feature Melbourne suburbs), but if you get the chance it's well
    worth listening to. As an example, they did the original (?) version
    of "Women in Uniform" - the heaviest track on the album, but far
    better than Iron Maiden's version (or was it Motorhead ?)
    
    They did a reunion gig at Melbourne football ground in 84, and I
    was lucky enough to see them in a club (owned by a band-member)
    a few nights before. They were amazing - a bit of AC/DC, Iron Maiden
    and SAHB all rolled into one. If only they'd left Australia, they
    could have been GREAT.
    
    If anyone out there knows more about the story of the band (like,
    why did they split ? why have all Australian pop stars got girl's
    names ?), please let me know.
    
    - Steve B.
    
    

The man serving me at the counter said `I suppose they're O.K. if you like 
listening to the Velvet Underground at 78 rpm going backwards...'

He was, of course, referring to those miserable sods The Jesus and Mary Chain, 
more specifically, their new album `Barbed Wire Kisses'.  This is one of those 
compilations albums containing early singles, b-sides, studio out-takes, and a 
couple of live recordings.  What it really contains though, is just over an 
hours worth of grinding, screaming, hideously mistuned guitar feedback.  But 
don't get me wrong, some people actually LIKE this stuff, me included.  The
J & MC are best played when you have something tedious to do, say ironing, and 
you want everybody to know you're not enjoying what you're doing.

Quite a bit of the album is forgettable rumbling guitar stuff, but their are a 
few gems in there, namely "Surfin' U.S.A" which ends in a cacophony of white 
noise over the top of a woman preacher, "Upside Down" which was their first 
single if my memory serves me right and "Bo Diddley is Jesus".  Hmm, Indeed.

Some deteste compilations saying that the band in question are just ripping off 
their public for a few dollars more.  I think this one is quite good though, as 
it contains a lot of quite rare stuff.  Recommended for acid casualties and
J & MC freaks ONLY.

	Lee

 
    With every tour comes an album, and for F.Z. this is no exception.
 
    Zappa/Barking Pumpkin have released a double live lp called
    "Guitar"..and , not surprisingly, it contains guitar solo's from
    concerts during 1979-1984. 
    
    The music is great and the sound quality does the album justice.
    
    Harv

    
    re.16
    Is the new zappa album a re-issue of "shut up n play yer guitar"
    the triple live album that came out a few years ago.Is there any
    chance you could get a track listing ?
    
    thanks 
    steve.
    
    

    HI Steve
    
    i'm almost certain that its all "new" stuff (shows you the last
    time that i actually played "Shut Up...")
    I shall try and put in the full track listing tomorrow or Friday.
    
    
    WARNING:_************** for all you CD'ers************************
    
    In the program for his recent gigs, they advertised the CD version
    of this album as having 22 extra tracks ..thats right, you heard
    right TWENTY TWO extra tracks !!!!!!!!!!!! Makes me wanna......go
    out and save me shekels and buy me a CD el quicko !!!!!
    
    
    Harv

    The track listing for the new Zappa album is......
    
    
    Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
    Republicans
    Do Not Pass Go
    Thats Not Really Reggae
    When No One Was No One
    
    Once Again Without The Net
    Outside Now (Original Version)
    Jim & Tammy's Upper Room
    Were We Ever Really Safe in San Antonio
    That Ol' G Minor Thing Again
    
    Move It or Park It
    Sunside Redeemer
    But Who Was Fulcanelli ?
    For Duane
    GOA
    
    Winos Do Not March
    Systems of Edges
    Things That Look Like Meat
    Watermelon In Easter Hay
    
    Harv

    I have just seen the CD for the new Zappa album, and its got 12
    extra tracks, not 20....
    Not as bad, but still a bit much to take if you don't have a CD.
    
    
    Harv

"NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL QUITE GOOD"

This is the farewell compilation from the Housemartins after their 3 year stint 
together.  The version I have of this is on CD and clocks in at 24 tracks 
lasting 78 minutes.  Mostly, it contains all their singles and B-sides, but 
there are quite a few tracks from their previous album `The people who grinned 
themselves to death' as well.  

I remember the Housemartins being hailed as the indie band of the eighties a 
few years ago.  However, it wasn't long until the cynical music industry 
decided that they were `repetitive', `bland' and in some cases `downright crap'.
The cross section of their different songs and styles on this album will allow 
you to decide for yourself.  If you only want one Housemartins offering in your 
collection, make it this one.

	Loid.

First it was the Housemartins who were called the indie band of the eighties, 
and now it's the Sugarcubes. An Icelandic bunch who sing in English as well as 
their native language.  After about half a year of releasing stuff over here 
they've release an album "Life's too good".

This is a disappointing debut album although not because of the quality of the 
songs.  6 of the songs on this 10 song album are either singles or B-sides of 
singles.  The tunes themselves aren't very long either making the whole album 
last for about 33 minutes, and it's this that annoys me the most.  What's the 
difference between a single and an album (apart from the vast price increase) 
anyway?

The Sugarcubes are a good band. They have an interesting style of childlike 
lyrics and the female vocalist has a style to match Liz Fraser of the Cocteaus.
It's a shame this is such a tiny album.  Get it if you didn't get the singles, 
but if you did, you may not find enough snew stuff worthy of forking out a 
fiver for.

	Loid.

    
    		PRINCE - LOVESEXY 
    
    Prince's followup for the trashed 'Black Album', see's him continue
    with his fetish/religous type lyrics and light funky sound. Once
    you get past the record sleeve of Prince (a man with a womans legs),
    and onto the first track 'O No' difficult to handle at first as
    the cluttered sound takes a while to distinguish itself, but reveals
    a braver sound in todays music climate.
    
    The current single Alphabet Street is next followed by 'Glam Slam'....which
    delves into something different....sex...mixed with strained guitars.
    This ends with a cute orchestral arrangement before moving into
    the most outstanding track of the first side 'Anna Stesia' heavier
    than the rest and Prince at his funky best.
    
    Side two carries on with 'Dance On' and Price making 'Sign O the
    Times' type social statements...'Lovesexy' again moves into fetish
    mode probaly the heaviest funk track on the album, ending with Prince
    and Cat making love via verbal sex ! 'When 2 R in Love' from the
    Balck Album sessions and 'I Wish You Heaven' are slow and weak,
    but the final track Positivity pumps up the volume and funk to finsh
    off.
    
    Perhaps not showing his true genius on this album, well worth it
    for the regular Prince listener.....but most definately adults only.

    
    

    
         *** Neil Young And The Blue Notes - This Notes For You ***
    
    This is the best thing the Neil Young has done in the last 10 years
    or so - in fact, since "Rust Never Sleeps".
    
    It's brassy and bluesy - the 4 slow songs on the album are just
    superb.
    
    I'd love to this this line-up live.  The album grows on you, and
    it is certainly one of the albums of the year.
    
    This is, for sure, the new Neil - the dwan of Power Swing - *buy*
    it!!
    
    David.
    

    
    I bought Midnight Oil's "Diesel And Dust" after seeing them on Wired
    last week.  Fantastic album!  Superb acoustic rock.  Q described
    the lead singer (he of the gleaming pate) as "a literate Jimmy Pursey"
    a term that is endearingly accurate, the same sneering vocal prevails
    throughout the album's eleven tracks.  A more heartfelt and moving
    defence of the Aborigines plight would be hard to imagine.  Recommended.
    		                                              
    						Ian!
                                                    

    
    Bought:
    
    Graham Parkers latest "Mona Lisa's Sister" - a brilliant return
    to form and his best since "Squeezing Out Sparks"
    
    Julia Fordham's latest - pretty good - bit Alison Moyet and bit
    wall paperish but quite enjoyable.
    
    Iggy Pop's latest "Instinct" - a return to the "Raw Power" days
    with Steve Jones (ex Sex Pistols) on lead - good album, and completely
    different production wise to "Blah Blah Blah" - not as smooth, but
    very raunchy - like it.  Worth catching at this years Reading Festival.
    
    That's all for now - isn't anyone else buying albums?!?!?!
    
    David.
    

    
    	Recent purchases (Bit insular but why not!).
    
    	Maura O'Connell - Just in Time.
    	Not bad at all. The highlight is the version of Crazy Dreams
    	(By Paul Brady) in which her backing group is the New Grass
    	Revival. The album was recorded in Nashville and is 'countryish'
    	on some tracks. Features some nifty guitar work by Albert Lee.
    	Very easy listening. Recommended!
    
    	New Grass Revival (Album of same name).
    	On the strength of the musicianship on the Maura O'Connell track
    	I went to see these guys from Nashville (in Galway). What a
    	show! They have to be seen to be beleived. The album does not
    	quite capture the live show but if played at a loudish volume it
    	is is excellent. Listen for the 5-string Banjo playing of Bela
    	Fleck (who also produced the Maura O'C. album).

    	"Idol Songs" by Billy Idol - a collection of his better known
    material. Pretty good; I bought it on CD, which means I get three
    (or four) extra tracks, which tended to be different mixes of other
    tracks already on there. Good recording quality, and a very "energetic"
    sound.
    
    	"Tracey Chapman" by herself - as everyone else has said, she
    is very like Joan Armatrading; I think this album is pretty good
    (only played it a coupl of times so far). The CD is a DDD recording,
    and it is *very* clear - an excellent acoustic guitar sound.
    
    	Keith

    
    "Kick" by INXS - a superb album from the best thing from Aussie
    land since Woolabrawonga (XXXX). It has all their latest singles
    on it e.g. Big Sensation, Need you tonight and The Devil inside
    plus some really great fillers e.g. Mystify , Little Daggers and
    Calling all Nations. All in all a great album, purchase and be 
    saved !!.

    Walker "Angry young man of Pop , now on holiday in Rhodes !!"
    
    p.s. Hope you all working hard, ye hear !!!!

    just got.....
        
    Queensr�che - Operation Mindcrime
    
    haven't heard it yet.

	recently bought Dylans latest,

		The only thing I can say is forget what the press say, buy
	it and play it - its brilliant.
	 The music papers are quite right in that its nothing like what he
	did in the sixties... but so what ? he hasn't played like he did in
	in the sixties since 1969 so why do they expect him to.


					Graham

    
    RE: .32
           
    N.M.E. did give it a pretty good review actually.
    
    David.
           

    
    
    I have bought quite a few records recently...
    
    One of the best is "Aliens ate my Buick" by Thomas Dolby.
    
    This is a fair departure from his previous "The Flat Earth". The
    music is a lot more natural (i.e. fewer synthesizers), with the
    backing instruments played by the Lost Toy people, a selection of
    unknown session musicians. It's good because all the members play
    with great enthusiasm. After a few listens, the album is quite
    infectious.
    
    Has anyone else heard it ? or have opinions on it ?
    
    Cheers
    
    Mark.

    
    RE: .34
    
    I've heard it a few times, and it's quite a departure from "Wireless"
    and "Earth" - one of the tracks even sounds like a Prince song!!!
    
    Favourite is "Budapest By Blimp".
    
    David.
    

    
    RE. 34
    
         I too bought this album (CD).  At first I was kinda dissapointed
    in it, but after listening to it a couple of times, I am really
    starting to enjoy it.
    
    Bill Powers
    

                         IRISH   HEARTBEAT
                         *****************
                   Van Morrisson & The Chieftans


       This album was released a couple of months back and should 
       be of interest to fans of Morrisson, or The Chieftans...or 
       trad Irish music fans in general.

       The tracks, also, should be familiar; "Star of the County Down", 
       "Carrickfergus" and "She moved through the Fair" being some. 
       There are also two original V.M. compositions. A single 
       "I'll tell me Ma" has also been taken from it.

       Morrisson and Paddy Moloney remain faithful in their interpretations 
       of the songs...no mumbling or moaning here, and The Chieftans remain 
       at full throttle throughout.

       If you like trad Irish music you'll like this.

       - T.
    

    
    I've been plugging this album cos I think it's superb ......
    
    Robbie Robertson's solo album - Robbie Robertson......
    
    you've all heard the single 'Somewhere down the Crazy River'.....I
    was worried about the radio airplay spoiling what has to be one
    of the best tracks I've ever heard....
    
    The album is great, very moody, favourites include the one mentioned
    above, plus 'Showdown at Big Sky'.....guests include Peter Gabriel
    on 'Fallen Angel' and U2 on 'Sweet Fire of Love' and the last track
    which I can't remember the name of....
    
    if you like the single, the album will be just as big a treat !
    
    Wallsie 

This is the first real album from this country gal, the previous album, The 
Texas Campfire tapes, was only her and her guitar playing to a Sony Walkman in 
the middle of a Texan desert, not that it's a bad album, just very minimalist.

`Short Sharp Shocked' is a full studio effort though, with full accompaniment 
and proper recording equipment.  Her music is mainly country ballads, but don't 
let that put you off.  There's some bluesy numbers, plus some real boppy tracks
as well.  Some of the songs are typical country type lyrics (Pine green rolling 
hills, trains, blah blah blah), but anyone who sings about people who's 
professions are graffiti-ing NY walls and setting fire to fields of hay can't 
be all that bad.

Do not be put off by my country comparisions!  Hell boy, this aint no leettle 
country gurl we got ourselves here.  The cover shows her being brutally dragged 
away by the police during a San Francisco protest. (The picture had to be 
edited to hide the identity of the policeman with his hands around her 
throat.)  Buy this album.  In fact, buy two copies, and also buy The Texas 
Campfire Tapes as well.  10 out of 5.

	Lee.

.39�< Note 18.39 by DITHER::COTTON >
.39�                             -< MICHELLE SHOCKED >-
.39�
.39�
.39�This is the first real album from this country gal, the previous album, The 

	But who is it by?

    Yup

As we're on the subject here's a review of the other one;


                      The Texas Campfire Tapes

                          Michele Shocked  

                       (Cooking Vinyl Records)


...as Lee was saying...this album was recorded on a Sony walkman at 
Kerrville Folk festival in Texas in 1986 (literally beside a campfire).
So we get a charming chorus of crickets and fireflies throughout the
twelve songs...and Michele and her acoustic guitar.

The songs I like most on this album are in the straight storytelling
tradition, such as "The Ballad of Patch Eye and Meg" 

(\He told me a story about his wooden leg 
\as he sat there spinning yarns\
\Once he lost to a mamba snake down in the Amazon\
\Another time it was way out west...in a gunfight or so he said\
\Awh but that's alright boy, a man's got two legs, you know he...\
\...he coulda lost his head...\)


and "The Secret To a Long Life (Is Knowing When It's Time To Go)". 
The lyrics are usually snappy and amusing as in "(Don't You Mess Around With) 
My Little Sister"; (\...I know she blows your mind like an old transistor...\).
"The Secret Admirer" takes a few pot-shots at Cosmo-girl (\..her favourite
charity is the man who does her hair...\She's got a sweet little asset...\)
while "The Incomplete Image" is the best/only talking-blues I've heard
since Dylan's "Talking World War Three Blues"...1963 ?!...was it ??

Michele was THE highlight of this year's WOMAD festival. (It's the first
time I've seen 8 year-olds stomping for an encore as well!). Beg steal
borrow and listen. The more people this music reaches the better.

Tim
    

                        "A T O M I C     C A F E  -

             Radioactive R 'n R , Blues, Country and Gospel"

                        (Rounder Records)

I found this tape of 50's American folk tunes at WOMAD. It's available
on U.S. import I think.

All the songs concern the atom bomb so we get titles like;

"Old Man Atom"
"Win the war blues"
"Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb" (the best)
"Atom Bomb Baby"
"Atomic Cocktail"

All are *very* funny without being "preachy". The spooky bits are the 
quotes (voices) from (of) 50's U.S. politicians. Here's one:

"...I've always been a firm believer that we should use the atomic bomb...
...not only in Korea but north of the Aldu (?) river in Manchuria...I think 
that there are several targets....aaah...in Northern Korea...we could destroy 
them with the Atomic bomb...we could destroy them and CONTAMINATE them!!"

Big word that!...contaminate...


Tim
    

    
    Also available on video . I saw it on the box a few years ago !
    classic quotes i think !
    
    John

    
    All you Smiths-Loathers out there will be happy to know that this
    is the definitive last album from those Rusholme ruffians.
    
    `Rank'  is a live recording from their performance at the National
    Ballroom, Kilburn in October 1986.  It contains 14 tracks, mostly
    versions of songs from their two albums `Meat is Murder' and `The
    Queen is Dead'.  No new stuff on it, but a couple of the songs have
    different intro's on them (`Marie's the name of his latest flame'
    being one of them), the only song that you may not have heard is
    `The Draize Train', an instrumental which was a B-side to `Panic'.

    The sound quality is very good for a live album, and the Smiths
    are on full form, with Mozzer rolling his R's and giving the occasional
    "Eeeuurgh".  This was the most popular Smiths bootleg up until this
    point.
    
    A cash in on the demise of a brilliant band perhaps?  Well maybe,
    but I like it.  Ask me why and I'll spit in your eye.
    
    	Lee.
         
    

    Is this a bootleg or a legit release? I'm asking because you say
    someone's trying to cash in. 
    	(Steve who's out of touch with all this good music since he 
    left Britain.)
        
    

    Official.

Yup, after what seems like an eternity of waiting, The Cocteau Twins release a 
new album, `Blue Bell Knoll'.  Ten tracks with the such meaningless titles as 
`The Itchy Glowbo Blow' and `Ella Megalast Burls Forever'.

For those of you who've never heard of them, the Cocteaus are a very strange 
band indeed.  The main protagonist is a vocal gymnast called Liz Fraser.  She 
doesn't sing real lyrics, they sound more like ad-libbing.  Kind of guessing 
the words.  Their musical style has varied considerably, starting with the 
sparse punk sound of `Garlands', moving through various stages until the 
previous ethereal offering `Victorialand'.

Well, whats the style of this album?  Basically, undefinable.  It's really a 
problem to review as it's very different to anything I've heard before.  The 
nearest I can compare it to is ambient music with a beat, but I really hate 
using that term, as ambient translates to boring so much nowadays.  A couple of 
tracks are more accessible than the rest of the album, and I believe one of 
them, `Carolyn's Fingers' is being released as a single.

That's about all I can say really.  A thumbs up (I think).  Buy this album and
you'll realise how different it is. Don't make this your first Cocteaus album
though, It'll frighten you to death. Try the all-time classic `Treasure' first.

	Lee.

As much as I liked this album, it has two main faults.  The first is you just
start getting into the songs and then they're over.  They've managed to
condense fourteen songs down to approximately 37 minutes.  Secondly, they've
released this album at the wrong time of the year.  They are a summer group and
now winter is closing in.  But still, what difference does that make in this
country? 

The Chesterfields are similar to the Housemartins style, with the `serious
social comment' taken out.  However, any group that comes up with lyrics like;
"Instead of peace and revolution, we've got AIDS and Whitney Houston" can't be
all that bad.  Short, pointless, poppy little numbers.  Sod Billy Bragg, this
is what we all want really, Jangly guitars, a bit of brass, and lyrics about
your best friends sister and Male Bimbo's.  Play loud and dance like an idiot
for half an hour.  An NME reviewer once said that The Wedding Present were `the
world's least complex band', well he was wrong, it's definately The
Chesterfields. 

So, good stuff for a quick bop.  Possibly coming to Reading University soon for 
those who were swayed by my rather pathetic review.

	Lee.

    
    No-one seems to have mentioned the most significant landmark in
    music since Sargeant Pepper. Of course you all realise I'm taling
    about Sunshine On Leith, the latest offering from those Scottish
    Richard Gere twins, Craig and Charlie (i.e. The Proclaimers).
    
    On first hearing of this album I thought it was no where near as
    good as This Is The Story, but after a few more listens...........
    
    this album is superb, I just love it, every single track. I don't
    want to waste your time (and mine) by giving you graphical descriptions
    of how each song goes and what it means to world peace, just buy
    it.
    
    Cheers
    Tommy
    
    god, this is my first offering for quite a while now and I can't
    think of much to say. Must be that 12th pint in three hours, I thought
    I was alright but I know I'm all wrong.....

    
    	re .50
    
    	seconded
    
    	Doug.(I can understand why Stranraer lie so lowly)

I bought this album on the strength of the single, `Orinoco Flow', which is 
usually a bad move, but I think this album is (just about) an exception.

Shades of Dead Can Dance, David Sylvian, Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush come 
through on this album, and that can't be a bad combination.  It's mainly 
orchestrial in sound, a couple of tracks being just instrumentals.  This Enya 
woman sings in a celestial, choir like voice, usually about sailing away to 
foreign shores.  A very calm album, verging on morose in some songs, but 
there are always uplifting tracks afterwards. (Orinoco Flow being one of these, 
in my opinion the best track on the album.)

Not bad at all, but a bit subdued in sound.  I prefer Orchestral music when 
it's being belted out.  One to keep an ear open for.

	Lee.

    	PAUL KELLY and the MESSENGERS   -   UNDER THE SUN
        
    	Great stuff, I listened to a couple of tracks in the shop,
    	gimme gimme. Particularly good tracks are 'Same old Walk',
    	'Bicentennial', 'Crosstown' and the title track.
    
    	Never heard of them before, anyone out there know if they
    	have any other recordings??, they're from Oz. Don't know
    	what you'd classify them as, sort of Pogues meets Bryan
    	Adams.
    
    	Doug (Spurtle)

    RE:.22
    
    I am interested in the Housemartins compilation album.  Trying to
    find it over here in the states has so far proved fruitless.  What
    are the songs?  How long has it been out? Should I get it if I have
    the other two albums?  I'm not familiar with the UK singles, so
    I'm not  sure what I'm missing.  Thanks...
    
    Wayne
    

    Wow, was I pleasantly surprised?  A few years ago, if someone had
    mentioned his name to me, I would have run in the opposite direction
    sniggering quietly.  But this collection of his best songs is just
    brilliant.  The man is an honest to god genius.  Such songs as "Just
    the way you are", "Love's theme", "Sho' you right", and "Let the
    music play" are just the right mixture without being too boringly
    smoochy.
    
    Go for it, Barry.
    

    
    	Blasting away in the headphones at the mo', very
    	similar style to the first album, the difference is
    	(IMO) the songs are consistantly better.
    
    	Standouts for me are the title track, 'Ordinary Angel'
    	'Looking for Linda' 'Sweet Invisibility' 'Family of Eyes'
    	and best of all (see personal name).
    
    	All in all an excellent second album, won't disappoint
	existing fans, and should make some more.
    
    	Doug (Spurtle)    	

    When I first heard this album, I thought what an odd title it had.
    I mean, an oasis is something in a desert and I couldn't see the
    relevance of the title to soul music, in spite of there being a track
    of this title on the album.
    
    On reflection, though, soul music is a bit like a desert, with
    shifting sand (styles); all too often you come across the carcasses
    of things once recognisable as music but picked bare by vultures
    (rap, house, scratch), and there's even mirages, like the music
    of Whitney Houston which acquires less substance the closer you
    get to it.
    
    But every now and again there's an oasis where it's a real pleasure
    to linger, like the music of Luther Vandross, or Anita Baker, or
    - in this case - Roberta Flack. This album is a gem, all the better
    for being her first album in a long time.
    
    Not only Ms. Flack's peerless voice is a factor. She has some of
    the best session musicians the industry has to offer - Paulinhas
    Da Costa on percussion, Greg Phillangines on keyboards, and Marcus
    Miller on bass, keyboards, and synths - repeating the success he
    had on Miles Davis' "Tutu". There are more others than I can list
    here. Production is shared between Ms. Flack, Quincy Jones and Marcus
    Miller, and mastering (of my vinyl copy, anyway) is by Doug Sax
    at the Mastering Lab.
    
    Yes, maybe "Oasis" is an appropriate title, after all.
    
    Dave

    
    This album is very like their last album `Brotherhood' in respect that
    it contained two types of songs throughout, but all the new songs have
    been improved in both directions.
    
    People who heard Brotherhood will recall that side A was mainly guitar
    music, songs like `Weirdo' and `Paradise', very raw.  The B-side which
    contained the likes of `Bizzare Love Triangle' were mainly synthesized
    disco tracks.  They have worked liked this since the early days of
    `Power, Corruption and Lies' but it has never been more prolific than
    on this album.
    
    First you have the new disco-house type tracks (`Mr. Disco', `Vanishing
    Point', the single `Fine Time').  The other tracks mainly feature
    acoustic guitars plus that old bass which they haven't re-tuned since
    `Low-Life'.  Both sides are extremely good examples of their genres of
    music, however, you have to be very tolerant of both styles to listen
    through the whole album.  The purists will be very disappointed.
    
    New Order's obvious talent shines through, taking two styles of music
    and improving on them each time.  A fine album indeed.
    
    	Lee.
    

    Just bought the new Elvis album(Costello that is...) called 'spIke'
    it's sound is very diverse...buy it. It took him two years to make
    it...and something like 34 musicians!.
    
    - Dave K.

    Yeah, that E.C. lp (IMO, this E.C. is the superior version) has got the 
    Dirty Dozen Brass Band on some tracks - they're well worth checking
    out in their own right, too.
    
    Bob

    Rushed out to the shops on Monday to buy this - haven't stopped
    playing it yet.  Excellent album and has received great reviews
    as well I think from the radio.
    
    Favourite tracks are their current single, " It's only Love" (fell
    in love with it as soon as I heard it), "You've got it" and "Enough".
    
    I am left wondering though if Mick Hucknall has a fixation about
    making love.  The majority of his songs are about this activity.  True, I
    accept it is a major and fascinating topic in some people's lives
    but to include it in almost all of an album, is a bit OTT.
    
    Apart from that, an excellent album and well worthing buying.  
    I would think their concerts in March, in this respect, would be
    excellent too.  Pity I can't go......
    

    I bought "Sandanista", and found it a little boring.  The
    songs were good, and I liked the album as a whole, although 
    I wouldn't go out and buy any Reggae songs.
    
    I think the Canadian import of 'The Clash' is tops in my book though.

    
    
    	Sandanista is the only CLASH record i haven't got.
       I didn't buy it 'cos, having listened to a friends
       copy, i found alot of the album very self indulgent
       and inconsistent, some good tracks but alot of very
       weak stuff.
    
    
    		Grub....

This must be about the eighth album from this man, and he's obviously run out 
of album titles as he's named this one after himself.  Maybe he's finally
after some recognition as The Durutti Column are essentially a one-man show.
The only other main musicians on his latest offering are drummer extraodinarie
Bruce Mitchell (Who also played on Vinni's last album) and Andy Somebody-or-
other who plays one of those keyboard sampling thingies.  The samplings aren't
any of these current cut-up furies, just select cuts of Japanese opera singers
and (of all people) Tracy Chapman amongst others.

`Vinni Reilly' is a (virtually) instrumental album, centering on Vinni's superb
guitar playing.  Not many people come anywhere near his level of creativity for
combining such difficult tunes together.  It's a very peaceful album, as is
nearly all his work.  It sometimes slopes very near to the dreaded `Ambient'
category of music, but the tunes vary so much within themselves they are always
saved before slipping into repetitious rubbish.  The sampling effects are new
to the Durutti Column and are a bit intrusive at times with their out of
context phrases, but that aside this is one of their finest albums.

	Lee.

Now here's a good album.  Mojo Nixon is from Lousiania (I think) and
sings/plays some excellent country/rock tunes.  He's also incredibly funny and
sings songs with names like `Debbie Gibson is pregnant with my two-headed love
child' and `Shes Vibrator Dependant'.  But this doesn't mean he resorts to
stupid or sexist humor.  Here's a man obviously fed up with the way his
countries' going down the crapper and sings honestly about what he feels in an
extremely funny way.  Kind of Bob Dylan with a sense of humor.  The tunes are
standard countryish riffs, but are slick and very catchy.  Buy this album and
visit MojoWorld, where Elvis is still alive and there's something for everyone.

	Lee.
    

    
This is a review of three fairly recent Albums by different Indie Bands.

McCarthy	The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth	(Midnight Music)
The Pastels	Sittin' Pretty				(Chapter 22)
The Stone Roses	The Stone Roses				(Silvertone Records)

These three bands could very easily be mistaken for each other with their
emphasis on heavy guitar jangling as the main noise in their music.  The
slightly (or heavily) distorted electric giutar sound is as intrinsic to indie
music as an intense synthesized drumbeat is to pop music.  Once the obligatory
sounds are separated from the rest of their music, the real merits or flaws
start to show.

First the McCarthy album.  This is a band who have remained relatively
un-noticed even in independent music circles.  Their sound is vaguely remiscent
of Smiths stuff, keeping some acoustic sounds within all their songs which
gives their music a slightly folky feel to it.  Lyrically they are a very
politcal band often using heavy cynisism in a rather un-subtle way to get their
views across.  The lyrics are often more like manifestos rather than poetry so
a lot of the time they are very spread out amongst the music to fit them into
some form of bars and choruses.  It's an interesting style and works quite
well, they've also gone to the trouble of printing the lyrics of their songs on
the sleeve in French and German jut so there's no confusion as to what they're
going on about.  Tunes like "Boy Meets Girl So What" and "Hands Off or Die" are
very jolly little standard indie songs.  Still a very youthful band but stand
to show great promise.

The Pastels on the other hand have been in the business for about 4 years now
still hold the dubious honour of being probably the most musical incompetent
band in the business. Their new album "Sittin' pretty" shows that they have a
least practised a bit more since their "Up for a Bit..." album two years
previous.  The guitar work shows a bit more creativity but the lead singer
Steven Pastel has still yet to master the art of singing.  the only real
attraction of a band like the Pastels is they really don't have any more skills
than the rest of us.  Anyone of us could replace a member of Pastels at a
moments notice.  All they've done is craft some love tunes which aren't really 
that bad for the rest of us to join in with.  There's no way that The Pastels
will ever get above the rest of us.  A real band you can relate to.  Their new
album is more rock orientated than their usual slow stumble through a tune and
I'd probably recommend "Up for a Bit..." rather than this one.

Finally, the Stone Roses.  These are the newest of these three bands and
already more popular than the other two.  The Roses are being hailed by the
music press as the next big thing which is a line we've all heard before. 
Whatever happened to the House of Love I ask myself, or the Sugarcubes?  The
reason for their success is their music is heavily influenced by various
sixties stuff such as the Beatles and the Velvet Underground.  One very short
tune on the album, "Elizabeth my Dear", even uses the exact same guitar work 
as a Simon & Garfunkel song.  However, they do seem to be more competent
musicians than the other bands, their lyrics tending towards obscure love
songs.  But the sixties are a tried and tested formula.  There doesn't appear
to be much originality past that, but a good bit of nouveau nostalgia though.

Lee.

    
    Got the new THE THE album MIND BOMB - and it's a fitting name too...
    
    Matt Johnson is supported by people like Johnny Marr and, on one
    song, Sinead O'Connor, which already made me expect an interesting
    record (no, not drug). 
    
    And it is. It says on the cover to play it "very loud, very late,
    very alone and with the lights turned down very low", and it works,
    better even on headphones.
    
    The whole album should be listened to in one piece, as the first
    few songs are slightly (?) depressive, so it helps to listen through
    to the end, as the mood gradually changes over to a more positive
    note.
    
    It's difficult to tell which tracks are the "best", a question of
    taste anyway, but I particularly like the strength in "Armageddon
    Days are here (again)", and "Gravitate to me", the latter written
    by Johnny Marr, oh, and "The Beaten Generation" is good for a small
    success on the radio perhaps, it cheered me up somehow, with the
    ray of hope coming through. And the very last track, "Beyond Love"
    is a good closing note.
    
    Anyway, it's a very inspiring album, definitely worth its cost!
    
    Check yourselves and tell me what you think about it.
    
    	- Hannelore -

    I agree completely.
    
    An excellent album. It's similar in many ways to their previous
    album "Infected" what with the voices before the songs pick up etc....
    
    
    Simon

    I also liked it a lot more than the comments in the The The note led me
    to think I would. A good album, and stands comparison with the previous
    two.
    
    
    Rod

    
    
    Just read someones POXY review of the Jesus And Mary Chain'd "Barbed
    Wire Kisses", if whoever it was (I don't recall or care to recall) had
    actually LISTENED to the record they would find;
    
    	1 There are accoustic tracks on it, it's not all screaming guitar
          noises
    
    	2 Bo Diddly Is Jesus ISN'T on the album
    
    	3 They sound NOTHING like The Velvets (78 rpm and/or backwards) and
          in fact aren't even influenced by The Velvets
    
    	4 There are NO live tracks on the album
    
    	5 And of the sixteen tracks there are only TWO which were singles
          and only one of the two (Sidewalking) is easily available as
          Upside Down was deleted many moons ago.
    
    And just to say, if you don't like The Jesus And Mary Chain please
    remember that there are a lot of us who do and don't go slagging off
    other bands in a "public" conference, a simple "I don't really like it"
    would have done the job perfectly.
    
    Stuart B...
    
    	(Ayr, Scotland)
    
    

    
    Just thought add that I only put that last REPLY in 'cause I felt that
    what was said before of "Barbeb Wire Kisses" seemed a totally false and
    unjustified _review_ of the record, and even if you only like the band
    a little bit sixteen tracks for tree pounds and nintynine pence ain't a
    bad deal.
    

    Stuart Bell,

    	It was me, Lee Cotton, who put the review of `Barbed Wire Kisses'
    in this notesfile.  I'd like to clean up on a few things that I said in
    the review, but before I do, I'd like to say that I did actually like
    the album.  I'm a big fan of the Jesus and Mary Chain.

    I bought this album on CD, which meant that I got four extra tracks
    than the Vinyl version.  these tracks included a live cover version
    of the CAN song `Mushroom', `Bo Diddley is Jesus' and a couple of
    others, (I think one was an alternative version of `On the Wall')

    The quote about `78rpm backwards' was what the guy behind the counter
    of the record shop said when I bought it.  I thought this was mildy
    humorous and hardly offensive to anyone with a sense of humor so I
    put it in the review.

    In my opinion they do sound like the Velvet Underground, but that's
    hardly an insult.  The Velvets were a very influencial band and
    elements of their music crop up in loads of artists.

    Sorry if my review offended you.  Remember, a review is only one
    persons interpretation of something and it's bound not to please
    everyone...

	Lee Cotton.

    
    As I've some new albums might as well do a little review.
    
    LOVE & ROCKETS have an album out simply titled Love & Rockets. The
    ad for it says that it wasn't released ,it escaped! I'm inclined
    to agree. A thumper of an ablum this with Daniel Ash (ex Bauhaus)
    stalking through some excellent "Goth-rock"-cum-pop.
      The single , So Alive is included along with the moody "No Big
    Deal"(Fab) . They get psychedelic with "The Teardrop Collector,odd!
    All in all worth a listen.
    
    Taking of psychedelic don't expect the Tears for Fears  album to
    be as St. Pepper" as the single . It ain't! American MOR rock
    is what I'd call it and that doesn't mean it isn't good. It's not
    the TfF that I remember. Taking into account the 4 years to produce
    these 8 tracks (only, even on CD) , I'm a tad disappointed but this
    is after one spin. Maybe it will grow on me more.
    
    ELTON JOHN's new disc , Sleeping with the past, proves that he and
    his old friend ,Bernie Taupin , are as bright as ever.
    I can't help thinking that it is a little retrospective re;the
    bad press with the 'Scum'. The title track & 'Stones throw from
    hurtin' shine out. If you like EJ then you WILL like this.
    BTW; we finally get to see Bernie Taupin -he's on the cover!!
                                                                 
    THE EURYTHMICS match 'Savage" with 'We Too Are One', for me anyway.
    Annie still comes up with some great lyrics. Some tracks remind
    me of their early stuff (Sweet Dreams) . Look out for 'You hurt
    me (& I hate you) , I love her when she sings this sort of song.
    You know , the lover scorned type thing! 
      The whole thing has power parts , 'bluesy' bits, fast and slow
    with the high standard I've (dangerously!) come to expect from these
    two.  = another goody!
    
    That's enough for now I think, haven't got time for the 'Stones'
    or Tina Turner. 

    De La Soul are a US rap act, not a form of music I'm greatly into.
    However I bought this album on the strength of the two singles I'd
    heard, "Me, myself and I" and "Say no go", both of which I liked a lot.
    
    I was hoping for some more stuff as good as those, but I was
    disappointed, nothing else on the album comes up to that standard. In
    fact the whole thing is quite self-indulgent. There's a great deal of
    studio chatter and other extraneous material between tracks, and I
    could do without that.
    
    Also, the lp is VERY long, about half-an-hour per side, which has had a
    very bad effect on the recording quality. The sound is really muffled,
    like the band were playing in a cupboard, and to squeeze the grooves in
    the whole thing is recorded at the lowest level I've ever heard. To get
    any sort of volume at all I have to turn the volume control up to a
    position where the music on any other lp would deafen me. This also
    makes the surface noise very bad.
    
    
    As a complete contrast, I bought the 12" of Tears for Fears' "Sowing
    the Seeds of Love" at the same time. Both sides are great (there's a
    new mix of "Shout" on the B-side) and the recording quality is
    tremendous in comparison with the De La Soul lp, utterly vibrant. I'd
    have been a lot better off if I'd just bought the two De La Soul tracks
    I like as 12"s.
    
    
    Rod

        Rod got in a nanosecond or so before me...

	Tracy Chapman's new album "Crossroads" came out last week.
	Bought it yesterday. I've listened to it a few times and I like it.
        Her first album I found very brooding, almost depressive. This one 
        continues in the contemplative vein (wrist ? blood??) but it does,
	for me, show a very individual voice.

	My favourite track is still the title track (also first on the
	album), "Crossroads". It's quite bitter and vindictive and reminds
	me of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero". She is being *very*
	accusatory towards her public. A brief quote may be appropriate:

	"All you folks think I got my price
	 At which I'll sell all that is mine
	 You think money rules when all else fails
	 Go sell your soul and keep your shell..."

         The track has a great brooding feel and rhythmic tom-toms and is
	 well worth a listen. It's interesting that she never stoops to
	 Lennon's level: "Keep you doped on Religion and Sex and TV...but
	 you're all ****ing peasents as far as I see..." (sounds like
	 Pseuds Corner this...sorry...really....)

         Just a thought.

	 One or two other tracks have got the good ole contemplative "hook"
	 in them. Have a listen.

	 Even the super-trendy NME give it an 8 out of 10.

	 Do you wanna buy this album (CD or cassette) ??

	 Buy it or give the money to a local "cause".

	 The choice is yours.

	 - Tim
    

    Bought the new Tears for Fears CD.  Like 18.73, I thought after
    the first play it wasn't as strong as their other two.  However,
    after listening to it for a couple of times, it does grow on you.
     It IS different to their previous ones, but it is still good. 
    Recommended.
    

    I also got the De la Soul lp a while back, and I like it a lot.
    Admittedly, there are one or two tracks (de la Orgy, for instance)
    that I could live without, but there is an overall feeling on this
    lp that they were having a lot of fun recording it.
    
    I think the reason the sound is not as crisp as it could be is only
    partly because the record is so long - they also seem to have sampled
    a *lot* of very old records; you can even hear some of the scratching
    and popping from them.
    
    I wonder if I had got this on cassette (no CD player) whether the
    sound would have been any better.
    
    Bob

    One Way Home, by the Hooters....
    
    First released in 1987, contains the towering single, 'Satellite',
    which is what attracted me to it. While this is not an earth-shattering
    lp, it is very good. They mix a rocky, guitar-based sound with more
    folky sounding instruments like mandolin and accordion, with the
    added bonus of some very nice Hammond organ sounds. Styles range
    from the more or less stright ahead rock'n'roll of songs like 'Hard
    Rockin' Summer', through a reggae feel on 'One Way Home', to a more
    electric folk sound on 'Karla with a K'.
    
    Unlike the De la Soul lp, the sound is very crisp and clear, and
    *loud*. Good driving music to shout along with.
    
    Bob

    
    
    RE: The Seeds of Love 
    
    It is not bad at all, and it grows on you. But why so few tracks (8) ?
    
    
    Also recommended:
    
    FRANK by Squeeze
    
    This is back to vintage stuff ! At least it has 12 tracks as well !
    
    
    Temple of Low Men by Crowded House
    
    Bought 'cos i liked a single from it...the tracks do not all shine at
    first, but they very quickly grow on you. And that is a quote from
    some discerning friends as well (Hello GRUB !) (only 10 tracks)
    
    I loved the first four tracks on the album...two softies and two a
    trifle more raucous. ("real" stereo effects on track 2 Kill Eye)
    
    Have fun !
    
    John

    Just spotted .78
    
    One Way Home is a *MUST* for anyones collection...brilliant and i mean
    it !

    .77
    
    I have the CD of De La Soul and the quality is on the poor side
    because of the sampling of other records.
    
    It appears that whoever owned the records didn't look after them!
    
    However the quality of the music is very good. A contender for album
    of the year.
    
    Mike

    
    	's more like it!
    
    	A couple I acquired recently -
    
    	'Taking on the World' by 'Gun', great stuff, I can't stop
    	playing this one, good rock with no frills, great lyrics.
    
    	'Workbook' by Bob Morse, ex of Husker Du, more mellow than
    	the group stuff, but still very sharp.
    
    	Doug.

    At last, after about 5 years of waiting a new one by Rickie Lee
    Jones.
    
    Flying Cowboys shows just how good a writer and vocalist (I didn't
    say singer) that RLJ is.
    
    it has been well worth the wait and the album has a mixture of a
    few musical tastes from her 'a la Joni Mitchell' stories to Reggae
    tunes.
    
    I haven't had it off the stereo until ... Well see next reply !
    
    P.S. what's the odds on a new J.J.Cale if RLJ has a new one out.
    
    Iain

    I picked it up on Saturday.
    i have all her other albums and dare I say. It is almost commercial
    in some tracks. (My wife actually likes this one...Oh well I will
    have to resort to Tom Waits agin to annoy her.)
    
    It starts with an almost Opera Aria type track and the the old 'You
    can have him I don't want him'.
    
    Her vocal style is still to the fore and out of the 12 tracks there
    isn't a bummer. (sorry about the strong language !)
    
    Brian Eno and Jimmy Sommerville appear as guests on a couple of
    tracks and all in all the new one is up there with her other albums.
    
    Iain

    
       Bought Julia Fordham `Porcelain' today - keep an eye on this
    note:-)

    Vicky, the eyes have it!!  I'm eagerly awaiting your review, as
    I'm going to see her in Glasgow next month.
    
    Saw her on Juke Box Jury t'other night - she looks nothing like
    her promo photos/album cover.  Must be the new hairstyle  8^)

    Jesus and Mary Chain    Automatic
    
    Sounds like they were on Automatic when they wrote it.  It carries
    on in a Sidewalking type vein, some songs sounding like they have
    the same drums/bassline,  and one song on side 2 is Happy when it
    rains with different words.  All very clean and antiseptic, and
    the same pace throughout.  It s not a bad album, but nowhere near
    the class of hte last two.  there are no songs like 9 million rainy
    days, nothing sombre and moody.  
    Some stuff sounds very like Billy Idol doing White Wedding.
    
    I'm really upset with this album.  Played loud in the car whilst
    tanking long it probably sounds great, and may well be FM radio
    fodder, but I'm still upset.
    
    Mikef

>        <<< Note 18.77 by WELMTS::GREENB "Mars Bars and Bass Guitars" >>>
>                             -< De la Soul again >-
>    
>    I think the reason the sound is not as crisp as it could be is only
>    partly because the record is so long - they also seem to have sampled
>    a *lot* of very old records; you can even hear some of the scratching
>    and popping from them.
    
    Here's me dissenting again, but where are the samples? I can't hear any
    snatches of other tunes, call me ignorant (you will), but there you
    are. 
    
    I can't see why the sound quality is so bad, because there's no reason
    why someone couldn't actually have *played* any of the noises on the LP
    - it's all pretty standard drum and bass lines. Besides, the vocals
    aren't sampled yet they don't sound any clearer than the rest of the
    mix. 
    
    I do actually like parts of this LP. I'm just irritated at the awful
    sound quality for which I can't see any justification.
    
    
    Rod
    

    I'm not sure exactly what all the samples are, and I can't remember
    track names too well, but there is a song on Side 1 that has a sampled
    loop from the beginning of 'Stand By Me', the second song on side
    one has a sampled James Brown 'Unh!!', and some of the brass riffs
    sound as if they have been lifted, too.
    
    One track (the 'French Lesson' number) is also sampled from a Turtles
    or Flo and Eddie song to the extent that Kaylan and Volman were
    in the process, a while back, of suing De la Soul over it's inclusion.
    
    Also, there is something on the new single (also on the album) that
    sounds like a sample. It's a line of whistling that sounds very
    like a chopped up section of the whistling on that old classic,
    'Dock of the Bay'.
                      
    Talking of sampling, and court cases, did anything ever come of
    Abba's case against the KLF (Kopyright Liberation Front), a.k.a.
    The JAMMS (Justified Ancients of Mu Mu) a.k.a. the Timelords?
    
    Bob

    Re. De La Soul samples - I can't remember the title of their new
    single, but it clearly samples Steely Dan's PEG, from the AJA album.
    For all that, I quite like this track, and have been *thinking*
    about the album as a possible future purchase.  However, after the
    resounding bad press given to its sound quality in here, I may just
    opt for the new Julia Fordham album instead.  8^)

    
             OK - Here it is:
    
       As ususal, the majority of Julia's tracks on this ara about broken
    love affairs. Not much boppy stuff on this album, unlike the lasst
    one. It's all a bit melancholy actually, but soothing in a strange
    sort of way. Definitely snuggle up with someone smoochy type music,
    and as usual, her vioce surpasses any female one I have heard before
    or since her. Basically, a brilliant buy, but not to have as cheerful
    background music. Listen a few times, and it really grows on you.
    Worth it's weight in gold - 5.99 at OUR PRICE.
    

    Two new albums from two New York arthouse creepers, one middle-aged,
    the other pushing it. The younger one sometimes fronts T. Heads.

    Both are excellent but in different ways. Byrne's is another ethnic
    effort, mostly South American flavoured dance music...maybe Brazilian
    influenced...I'm not sure. Plus he weighs in with 14(!) songs, most of
    which are very danceable if you like this kind of music. Title is
    "Rei Momo".


    John Cale (ex Velvet Underground - like....20 yrs back) has led a quiet
    life compared to ex-buddy Lou Reed. He was last seen on "The South Bank
    Show" a few months back where he was interviewing Sonic Youth who were
    busy "detuning our guitars to the sound of the streets"...I think even
    that one baffled ole John.

    The new album "Words for the Dying" continues on his half-morose themes
    (anyone who's heard 1982's "Music For A New Society" will know what I
    mean). What the listener gets this time is Dylan Thomas' (fellow
    Welshman) poetry set to music. Four poems in all and a few other bits
    penned by Cale. A Russian Symphonic orchestra are used on all tracks
    (so it won't appeal to Marillion heads) and the package is produced by
    up-and-coming whizz-kid Brian Eno.

    For those evenings at home. On second thoughts don't go near this album
    if you like wildly commercial music. Rod Macfadyen hates it.

    - Tim 
    
    

>             <<< Note 18.92 by JUMBLY::OCONNOR "This is the 'c'" >>>
>                    -< David Byrne and John Cale - new LPs >-
>
>    For those evenings at home. On second thoughts don't go near this album
>    if you like wildly commercial music. Rod Macfadyen hates it.
 
    I never said that because it's not true. I merely hinted that it's not
    exactly party music, which even you can't deny. Mind you, you played
    it so maybe you will deny it! 
    
    I'm sure it's an extremely worthwhile and valid album, and I really
    mean that most sincerely, folks.
       
    
    Rod

    if it's anything like Music for a New Society, it definitely won't
    go down at parties! I'm definitely interested in this one, MFANS
    being one of my favourite Cale lps.
    
    Bob

    Re...Bob,
             do you have the early albums ? Coz I can't find them anywhere.
	     For example "Paris 1919" which (I think) had the single "Fear
	     is a Man's Best Friend".

    He's also done a recent "requiem" type thing with Lou Reed. I think it
    was performed in a New York church (of all places). It was some type of
    memorial service for Andy Warhol.

    - Tim 

    I do have those lps, Tim, although 'Fear is a Man's Best Friend'
    is to be found, spookily enough, on the 'Fear' lp, which is one
    of three he brought out on island in the mid-70's (the other two
    are 'Helen of Troy' and 'Slow Dazzle). Earlier lps include his first
    solo offering, 'Vintage Violence', 'Paris 1919', ' The Academy in
    Peril', and a collaboration with Terry Reilly, 'Church of Anthrax'.
    
    Vintage Violence is a fairly tuneful lp, with a rather thin, trebly
    sound (charming, nonetheless) and accessible material.
    
    Paris 1919 is basically an extension of the first one, with a much
    lusher production, although not over-produced.
    
    Church of Anthrax is fairly noisy and loose - I believe its basically
    an album of jamming.
    
    Academy in Peril is one of his more avant-garde offerings ( orchestras,
    etc); in fact he was studying this kind of music before the formation
    of the Velvet Underground.
    
    Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy (all on Island) are a mixture
    of very abrasive, closer-to-straight-rock songs and lusher sounding
    ballads, as well as one or two covers (Jonathan Richman's 'Pablo
    Picasso, for one), and feature the likes of Eno, Chris Spedding
    and Phil Manzanera.
    
    Bob

    
    
    New album from Neil Young - Freedom.  This is a brilliant album!!
    I'm not much of a Young freako, but this is the only album I've
    been listening to the last 3 days.  Some brilliant tunes, mainly
    slower/acoustic feel, with the occasional roaring fuzz guitar. 
    This has to be one of the best albums of the year, and an essential
    purchase.
    
    Mikef

    River Detectives - "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning"
    
    Good stuff. Some of the melodies are reminiscent of acts such as
    Springsteen, the Proclaimers, and the Monkees ... (!) But there are no
    duff songs on the album. If you like "Chains" and the title track, then
    the rest of the album will be sheer nectar.... Two good voices, some
    meaningful lyrics, and a strong acoustic feel make this album one of my
    better buys. May not be innovative, but all songs are good to listen
    to, and the album flows from one track to the next really well....
    
    That's all - buy it, you'll like it....
    
    R|tch^d

Album & concert review.
----------------------

Hi folks,

	well, I reckon that it's time that I gave a plug to my favourite band
of the moment, especially as -being an Irish band- they need all the exposure
that the can get over there in the UK.  I'll combine album & concert review.
The name of the band is Something Happens!  I'm not much up on music trivia,
but I'll try to tell ya a little bit about them.  Perhaps Dave, Richard or
someofthe KLO guys (John?) would like to add to/correct this.

	The band are from Dublin & would probably qualify as medium to hard
rock.  I believe it was last year that the took Radio (RTE) 2's award for best
up'n'coming young band & were featured on the 7-Up series shown on RTE 
television earlier this year.  I don't know whether this has made it or will
make it to British TV, I wouldn't be surprised if C4 ran it sometime.

	The album is called "been there, seen that, done that" & is full if
lottsa really great tracks, ranging from fairly hard rock to gentle little 
ditties, but mostly rock.  The list of tracks is as follows:

	Side 1					Side 2

	Beach					Burn Clear
	Incoming				Give It Away
	Take This With You			Tall Girls Club
	Forget Georgia				Shoulder High
	The Way I Feel				Here Comes The Only One Again
	Both Men Crying				Be My Love

	I don't know what to say except rush out and buy this album, in fact buy
two!  If you like good solid rock you'll thank me, get them to play a track in
the shop if you doubt me :-)  They're one of the few decent Irish bands around
at the moment that I don't think sound Irish & so I expect that they'll appeal
to all. 

	Concerts.  Well, I've only seen them twice.  The first time was at the
Trinity Ball earlier on this year.  I thoroughly enjoyed them, but put it down to
the fact that I was at the biggest & best party this country sees.  (They were
followed by The Voice of the Beehive, Let it Bee's another great album - I'm no
snob).  They played twice in Galway this year, but I was out of town for the
first. 

	The second gig was in CJ's & was one of the best that I've ever been to.
Unfortunately, as it's several weeks ago I can't remember the order that the
songs were played in.  I *think* that they started off with Burn Clear.  All
songs from the album were played, amongst others incl Parachute (was this a
single - I did recognise it).  Sound was great (after the first few minutes) &
huge amounts of energy.  Lights were simpler than I've seen at most concerts,
but worked *really* well with the music.  Reasonably loud, but not
ear-splitting.  It took all of 2 songs to get me up to the front to dance & I
spent much of the remainder of the gig there.  BTW, just in case this doesn't
happen over there, the dancing was a kinda non-violent slam dance, ie collisions
acceptable, energy a must. 

	Interaction with audience was pretty good.  Had us singing along, etc.
I always get the impression that they're smiling all of the time.  They appear
appear very good natured folk.  A couple of encores.  One of them was intro'd
with (don't quote me as _I'm_ definitely misquoting):  "Well, there are some 
singer/songwriters that stand out & will be remembered for a long time, long 
after we're forgotten about.  We'd like to do a song by a very talented 
lady now.  This is Summertime Boys by Sinetta".  Slam! Into the song!  The 
strange bit is that it sounded *great*.  Then again, like everyone else reading
this, I'm a BIG Sinetta fan ;-)

	Anyway, great band live & a great album for good solid rock.  It's quite
possible that this is going to be the next band to make it out of Ireland.  IMO,
they're more talented than Aslan, Cry Before Dawn & The 4 of Us (all of whom I 
like & will be writing about).  Give them a listen & I think that you might be
pleasantly surprised.

    The Primitives - Pure
    
    Tracy Tracy - the pouting princess - and co bring us another excellent
    offering of sparkling indie pop and sudden shock inducing rock.
    
    Outside is like a prologue, a few lines repeated over and over that
    lulls you into a relaxed state. This state is intensified by the
    hippy Summer Rain. Then the Primitives decide that it's time to
    shake you out of your 'put your feet up and listen to this' state
    of mind and shove 'Sick Of It' down your throat, the effect?
    Yeah right on Tracy! Get up and do something about it, great stuff.
    The still 'Lovely' pop is most evident - Secrets, Dizzy Heights
    and Way Behind Me with Tracys jolly voice bringing back memories
    that jab like needles under your eyelids. There's a couple with
    Paul singing which is a nice change...the sound somehow darker and
    more forbodeing.
    
    One or two dodgey tracks don't matter and although the similarity
    to 'Pop Said' from the Darling Buds is evident in some numbers,
    The Primitives are like Fairy liquid and the Buds are the best of
    the rest...at the moment anyway. Oh and Tracy's not as fat as Andrea!
    
    85%
    
    Bruce

    I liked your review Bruce. Unfortunately (?) I haven't listened to
    Indie pop for a long time, so bands like The Stone Roses still remain
    only a name to me. The music I listen to now is mostly African,
    Indian etc...but following your review I might give The Primitives a
    listen soon.

    Keep up the good work!

    - Tim

    Definatly unfortunately...there's something 'Pure' about every aspect
    of indie music. Don't bother with the Stone Roses though. Try, James,
    The Wedding Present and The Primitives.
    
    B

I have now come to the conclusion that Bruce has a serious hearing problem, 
don't be put off by his rantings that the Stone Roses are not gonna be around
next year, just wait until the 25th anniversary tour and say "I told you so!".

Buy the Roses album before anything else (except "George Best" by the Wedding
Present).

    Yes I've been listening to the Weddoes for a couple of years now, also
    saw them at Reading Fest and really enjoy their music. Here's a question
    incidentally: Did their "Ukranian" album convert any of you indie fans
    to try listening to other types of `World' music ??

    I've noticed a few notes in here where people stated that they've no
    time for African music etc... It's a shame really because for me these
    `musics' are much more `sincere' (and danceable etc) than a lot of the
    stuff churned out by (dare I say it ???) middle-class UK and US kids.
    (And there's the odd Paul Weller-type who claims they're hearts are
    with "the people" and "on the street" etc) 

    Lee (who sometimes notes here) gave me a loan of The Stone Roses
    yesterday actually but I haven't listened to it yet. He tells me it's
    got 60's tinges (parts sounding like The Beatles) and that our Bruce
    has a serious case of bad taste in knocking the Roses and promoting
    bands like The Darling Buds.

    Hope I haven't lost you along the way...

    - Tim

    Conspirasy! It's not just me! Mike help! The fact is the Stone Roses
    have completly split the indie scene. Half of the indie fans (mainly
    the younger ones who just missed the Smiths) are mad about them
    while the older ones just sort of yawn and say Oh yeah, been there,
    done that, bought the T-Shirt etc.
    
    We need originality and sparkle in the indie scene. Just when it looked
    like that was happening with bands like Inspiral Carpets, Happy
    Mondays and the revival of James (had to get 'em in somewhere!) we get 
    the unoriginal average stuff from the Stone Roses. Nostalgic journo's 
    get all orgasmic and wet their pants cos they always wanted a 60's 
    revival. But the record buying public who are very choosey these days 
    will also yawn and think - as I have done - 'Oh well there's nothing
    new there is there? The indie scene can't be much cop.'
    
    Let's have more stuff like The Lightning Seeds and The Wedding Present
    attacking the charts with their style and charisma. Not unoriginality
    and crappy lyrics.
    
    And well I'm not a devout fan of either The Primitives or The Darling
    Buds. I just sort of like 'em. And I'm going to the Darling Buds
    concert tonight partly for a bit of nostalga...memories from the
    last time I saw them.
    
    If you want my advice on what to check out just read the concert
    review note and I think you'll get a few ideas. Don't think that
    the Stone Roses are 'Indie'.
                                 
    Bruce
    
    (If a girl started banging some drums at me I'd have her locked
    up - unless she looked like Tracy Tracy or Andrea Darling Bud....or
    Magda!)

    On the Ukrainian album....It was just sort of a bit of a laugh really.
    I usually play records me mother doesn't like but she wanted to
    dance to that!
    
    I went to the concert and it was really wierd...I was at the front
    and I looked behind me and it was crazy, all these rough youths
    were going wild to music that they would have laughed if it hadn't
    been for the Weddo's name behind it. I sort of liked it, but not
    enough to want to start buying more.
    
    Sorry.
    
    B

    errr yeah.  The Stone Roses lp would have made a killer ep.  I dunno,
    some of their stuff just sounds too derivative for me.  Nicely done
    tho'...maybe if they sharpen up for the next album.  I sounds good
    in the car, which is maybe the worst thing you can say about a piece
    of music.
      I think what really puts me off tho' is the lead singers face,
     I just wanna thump him!!  Don't ask why, but he just looks like
    a complete jerk!!
    
    Mikef
    
    PS  Has anyone heard of a group called 'Friends'?  Heard some stuff
    yesterday and it was excellent, a little indie-pop by numbers maybe,
    be worth dancing around my dirty anorak for!
    

    
    Back in 1987, just after the spilt of the Smiths a popular indie
    group released it's debut album and the music press went wild. They
    loved it. They had never before come across lyrics that were so...down
    to Earth and guitars that for the first time 'clanged' with emmotion.
    George Best was the album and the group was, of course, The Wedding
    Present. The timing of the albums release was probably a major factor
    in 'The Weddoes' climb to fortune. The press were despirate to find
    a group that would fill the gap left by The Smiths. George Best
    didn't fill the gap, it created one.
    
    It was something new and strange. The mix of emmotional angst ridden
    love songs and tough uncommpromising guitars had never been so
    perfectly put together. George Best would take some beating.
    
    2 years later and The Weddos are ready to attempt to better the
    best album of 1987. Bizzaro is that attempt and boy is it something
    special!
    
    There was a single, which was sort of a warm up for the album, named
    Kennedy. It didn't show Gedge at his lyrical best but the guitars
    were out of this world...light speed! Still the single had set me
    worried...I don't wanna hear about American Presidents who were
    long dead before I was born. I needn't have worried, lyrically Kennedy
    is Bizzaros odd song out.
    
    Brassneck hit me first and proved my fears unfounded. Immediatly
    it's obvious that this is part two of any of the songs on George
    Best. Non of the lyrics are cliched...no one can write as honestly
    as Gedge....
    
    'I think I know what it means, It means I've got to grow up, It
    means you want to throw up!'
    
    and no other band is willing to play the guitar so fast it *hurts*.
    Brassneck sets the pace and also lets you know that instead of being
    clumsy and sometimes untuneful with their guitars, the Weddoes have
    become stylish and at times pretty, but then Crushed spoils the
    dream. Crushed is the Weddoes when they began. Throwaway, jerkily
    delivered lyrics and a relentless noise of guitars, a gift to fans
    of the older style.
    
    No (as in 'Why didn't you just say no?'), calms everything down
    again as Gedge returns to his preoccupation with telephones;
    
    'Why can't you pick up the telephone? I know that you're at home.'
    
    And his problems with unfaithful women...
    
    'And if it didn't mean a thing and you've told him to go,
     And if you're as sorry as you say, why didn't you just say no?'
    
    But the guitars again don't portray anger, instead they calmly say
    'Why have you done this to me again?' in a tearfull sort of tune.
    And then they do it again, shove us head first into Thanks which
    is predictable Wedding Present, only for the guitars to surprisingly
    ebb at the end, complimented by Gedge's disappointed, forlorn;
    
    'I still can't get mad with you no matter how I try.'
    
    By the end of side one and What Have I said now? things are begining
    to take shape. Nothing much has changed, still the same old formula;
    2 fast bits at the start and a slower bit at the end followed by
    a mind blowing guitar solo. Just that the guitars sound better and
    everything has been pushed that little bit further. Side two confirms
    this (if we forget about the dodgey Granadaland) with at one end
    of the scale the heart wrenching Bewitched and at the other Take
    Me and it's rip roaring guitar solo.
    
    Bewitched is pure excellence. I never expected something as *nice*
    as this from The Weddoes. Gedges whispered agonised voice singing
    terriffingly lonesome lyrics followed by sudden bursts of emmotional
    guitars as if their fingers are showing their ever changing moods.
    
    'There's a thousand things I wish I'd said and done, But the moments
    gone.'
    
    and WHALLOP go the guitars...subduing themselves a minuite later
    to fade to nothing and then explode. I jumped as if stung when I
    first heard this...It is definatly one their best right down to
    the angelic singing in the final fade.
    
    Take me (I'm yours) sits next to Bewitched with a playing time of
    8 miniutes. 7 of these miniutes are filled by a massive unending
    guitar solo which either has you jumping about or making a cuppa.
    If you opt for the latter then you'll miss the bit of Status Quo
    in the middle...the Weddoes *slow down* for that of course.
    
    Be Honest finishes the album off in a relaxed, laid back mood as
    Gedge gets all sloppy, just to round things off;
    
    'Was it really too hard to tell me to my face,
     That you don't long for my embrace,
     The way you used to do?
    
     And if we're really, really going to be honest, We might as well
     be brief.'
    
    The album is overun by Gedges brilliant northern accent, which adds
    so much to the songs that they just wouldn't be the same if anyone
    else attempted to emmulate them. Who else would get away with using
    words like 'Mam' instead of 'Mum' or 'Mother'.
    
    There is a down side. Although the songs are different, the theme
    is beginning to become obvious...how many more songs can Gedge write
    about his girlfriend going off with another bloke? Grappers bass
    line needs more experimentation too. But these are minor niggles
    because Bizzaro doesn't compromise anything. If it went in for a
    tackle with George Best the ball would go loose as the ref blew
    for a foul...there's nothing between them except the tidyness of
    the guitars on Bizzaro - that suits me fine.
    
    93%
               

    "The King and Eye" is the title of the new Residents album. They are, as
    you may know four (?) annonymous Californians who've been with us for
    more than 15 years. The ones with large eye-balls covering their heads
    whenever they perform. Their manager recently joked that none of them
    could ever leave to form a solo career.

    This album re-works 17 old Elvis Presley songs, in fact they mince and
    grind them so much that what comes out the other end is pretty
    unrecognisable. They're still hummable toons but once they've been
    through this set of musicologists' hands they are changed forever. From
    `Love Me Tender' to `Return to Sender' they all get the strange 
    Residents' sound stamped on them. Elvis purists should stay well away
    from it.

    Along with this are five tracks called `The Baby King', in which we
    hear a man talking with children about `the baby who wanted to be
    King'. The question is then asked `King of what ??' and the final
    answer he comes up with for the kiddies is that he was `King of Need'.
    This may not add much to the album's value but the story bits do put it
    in some kind of perspective.  One child observes at the end `That was
    saaaad...'. That's one way of putting it.

    I like this album, maybe you will...but who am I to say ?

    - Tim

    At the time of Elvis' death, various rock musicians were asked what
    the King meant to them. John Cale's reply was something like "I
    thought Elvis died the day I recorded Heartbreak Hotel".
    
    If you've heard this little monster, you may get some idea what
    he meant.
    
    Bob

    I've heard it Bob.

    ...feel so lo-o-o-o-nely I could (wait for it)....DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEE
    ETC
    
    You havta hear the Residents' version though.

    - Tim

    You're right, Tim, I do hafta hear that Residents version. Your
    review has pointed me at it - I'll check it out soon. BTW, was it
    you who was interested in that Residents vid?
    
    Bob

    Yup I'd _love_ to see it.

    This w/e I bought "Third Reich and Roll", "A tale of two cities" and
    "The Commercial Album" (40 tracks!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

    - Tim

    PS I'll let you see Tom Waits' "Big Time" in exchange! (If that's ok
    with Lee, who owns it).

They Might be Giants are a duo from Boston.  They've previously released two
albums, and this one is a collection of singles, B-sides, and remixes which
have up to now been difficult to get over here.  Their sound is virtually any
form of music you've ever heard, ranging from the waltz-like "When it rains, it
snows" to the heavy rock of "Hotel Detective" to the pure pop brilliance of the
title track "Don't let's start".  The lyrics to their songs are basically
meaningless gibberish, tying together cliches and playing on words which flow
well with their irritatingly catchy tunes.

This album is very good considering it's a collection of single stuff. It sounds
very much like a worthwhile album which is not usually the case with these
compilations. Also recommended are their previous album, "Lincoln" and their
self-titled debut.

Lee

    re: .115
    
        I'd like to have a listing of the tracks.
    
    Tony
    

    
    Errm, from memory the track listing is;
    
    Don't let's Start
    Hey Mr. DJ, I thought you said we had a deal
    The Lady is a Tramp
    Birds Fly
    The World's Address (Remix)
    It's not my Birthday
    I'll Sink Manhattan
    Mr. Klaw
    
    The Biggest one
    For Science
    -- untitled telephone call by someone about the group --
    (She was a) Hotel Detective (Remix)
    The Famous Polka
    When it rains, it snows
    We're the Replacements
    
    	There may be a couple of others, but that's the majority.
    
    	Lee

    I bought quite a lot of albums while in Boston. About 40 (!) actually
    and all cassettes. Most of them were very cheap also.

    The one's I now recall are:

    8 of Eno's 70's and 80's albums. Mood, or as they term it `Ambient'
    music. "Music for Airports" is an example. It's very reflective techno
    stuff - almost `modern classical' but that term is still way off mark. 
    Well worth a listen. All were about $3.

    Loudon Wainright's new album "Therapy" is an excellent return to form.
    If you haven't heard him before then I s'pose a loose description of the
    music is that it's folksy (some rock tracks too). The lyrics, like his
    old stuff, are by turns witty and perceptive.

    Album of the Year (for me anyway) was Mary Margaret O Hara's debut
    "Miss America". Again not too easy to describe. Some rock tracks, some
    folk/country stuff. All excellent. Her singing is very assured and
    "expressive" in the way Patti Smith's used to be. Buy.

    Also got "The Indigo Girls" second album. Apparently they're bigger in
    the U.S. than here. They're two women, lotsa acoustic guitars and
    "harmonising" vocals. Reminded me (only in places) of The Roches.

    "The Best of Eddie Cochran" - no need to introduce him. Two great
    tracks; "Summertime Blues" and "Something Else. It's worth it for
    those alone. Another cheapie.

    An old Pogues 4-tracker "Poguetry in Motion". A bit disappointing and
    expensive for just 4 tracks. They include "Body of an American", London
    Girl and Planxty Noel (?) Hill. 

    Also got a Steve Earle album (The name escapes me). The Pogues guest on
    one track  "Johnny  Come Lately". I like the album - more rock than
    country I  felt.

    Still with country;  I did a rare thing, I bought a fully-fledged
    country album, "The Best of Johnny Cash". (Another cheapie). Bought it
    for one track; "Jackson", sung with his wife (?) June Carter. Knocks
    welts off Daniel O Donnell so it does.

    I may include more as I remember/listen to them.

    - Tim
  

.119�                                                                  Knocks
.119�    welts off Daniel O Donnell so it does.

    NEVER....

< Note 18.119 by JUMBLY::OCONNOR "Fifty ways to leave a Notesfile" >
                              -< Bits 'n pieces >-


>    8 of Eno's 70's and 80's albums. Mood, or as they term it `Ambient'
>    music. "Music for Airports" is an example. It's very reflective techno
>    stuff - almost `modern classical' but that term is still way off mark. 
>    Well worth a listen. All were about $3.

 I bought "Music for Airports" years ago and it has acquired surface noise,
which sort of spoils the desired effect. Does anybody know if it is available
on C.D?

Stuart

    Stuart,
           I'll have a look out for it for you. I like the Eno albums.

    The first few "Before and after Science" and "Taking Tiger Mountain
    (by Strategy) are kinda different. He actually sings `melodic' songs
    and of course there was the great "Baby's on Fire" which is on a live
    album called (I think) "June 1st 1975". It's a `Live in Paris' album
    with John Cale and Kevin Ayers (?)

    - Tim 

    By the way I really liked (a lot!) your `Predictions for 1990' in EF90.
    
    

This album has been out for about a couple of months now, but I've only just 
found a copy of it in the shops.  The sinister rise of the Our Price chain
means that high street shoppers have more and more of a job to find a
non-commercial album, but that's another winge...

King of the Slums have a standard indie-sounding rattle of guitars and drums,
but with the addition of an electric violin.  This causes two problems;

1. It's their gimmick, so it is used on virtually every song with no real
   difference in it's use.

2. It sounds bloody awful.  To me a violin is a precision instrument, and
   although the odd mis-chord gives the songs a good edge, it eventually just
   grates on you.

The songs all smell of the same discontent that was central in the lyrics of
The Smiths, a trait of whining about those who bully, the state of the nation
and not getting laid enough.  There's also more of a tendency to act more
northern than necessary, though not in a realistic way.  Their way is more in
the style of 50's kitchen sink movies, more of a parody than a social comment.
Lyrics such as "Like a lamb to the slaughter / I took a plumbers daughter..."
can't be taken very seriously.  Perhaps they're having a joke on the music
media frenzy of northern cities, but they sound so *serious*...

`Dandelions' has it's moments, but the group ought to try some new things now
and then.  Disappointing.

Lee.

Mano Negra- According to NME the best of the indies out of France 
along with Les Negresses Verdes. I like them too, though am unfamiliar 
with the rest of the French Indie scene (Lib� scene?) so can't comment 
on whether they are the best of it or not.

Their album, 'Puta's fever' jumps out of the speakers and grabs you 
by the throat. Not for the fainthearted. I'd compare them to a cross
between the Clash and Rubber Rodeo. Lots of brass, with a few
accordians here or there, a bunch of guitars in front and Kirsty
MacColl on backup vocals (!).  Songs are primarily in English, with a
few in French, a few in Spanish, and one in Arabic. Beats vary
from ChaCha to Ska to Thrash to strange mixtures of the 3 and more.
They are competent musicians and can manage the tempo changes well.
18 cuts on the album varying from 50 seconds to just over three
minutes. Even if you don't like half a dozen, there's still a dozen
left to like! 

Lyrics are mostly fairly shallow (the "Let's Party" variety) or at
least the English ones are. I have no idea what the Arabic song is
about and unclear on the French/Spanish lyrics as well, but they don't
appear to be working any major social conscience or 'deep' issues. 

This band has tremendous energy and I'd love to see them live. 

Definitely the best album of the decade :^) 

At least until the Sundays album 'Reading, Writing and Arithmetic'
comes out next week. 

Cheers,
	George

    RE: last.
    
    OOPS. I was a bit confused in having Kirsty MacColl as the backup
    to Mano Negra. I also had purchased David Byrne's new album 'Rei
    Momo' at the same time and the two albums have been alternating
    on my turntable. She is the backup for Byrne. I inadvertantly mixed
    up the two in my review. Mea Culpa.
    
    The line-up for Mano Negra (approximately translated) is:
    Oscar Tramor- vocals, guitar, keyboards
    Tonio del Borno- trumpet, vocal
    Santiago "el aguila" Casariego- drums, vocals
    Roger Cageot- lead guitar, vocal
    Jo- bass, vocal, guitar
    Garbancito- percussion, vocal
    Helmut Krumar- keyboards, vocal
    Kropol 1st- trombone
    Le lezard- sax
    Jako- accordian
    with:
    Mme Oscar- vocals
    Napo "chihuahua"- vocals
    Alain - contrabass
    Zofia- vocals

    

< Note 18.122 by JUMBLY::OCONNOR "Nanci Griffith for Pope!" >
                              -< Holborn tube ? >-

>    Stuart,
>           I'll have a look out for it for you. I like the Eno albums.

Thanks. I must admit I'm not a big Eno fan. The only other album I have with
which he is involved is by The Portsmouth Sinfonia. Could those guys play -
or what!

Stuart    
    

    
    Extricate - The Fall
    
    Err...how many albums have these peeps got out?  I lost count.  This
    one, however, must rank as one of the best, if not THE best.  A more
    simple approach to the sounds, kind of looser but a bit more organised
    than normal (does that make sense?).  You can even dance to some
    tracks!  
      Loosing Brix seems to have producd some softer edges, notably on the
    wonderfull 'Bill Is Dead' (MES in near singing shock!).  This track has
    got to be the next single...a mournfull slow sound that will probably
    get covered and copied by a thousand bands.  
      Black Monk theme part 1 is wailing violins (MES dropping hints?) and
    Mark getting angry again.  Gosh, theres even humour in the sleeve
    notes!
      Lots of rolling bass lines and stabbing keyboards, this is the sound
    of a band at thier peak, just listen to this record and GROOOOVVEEEEE.
      I can't praise this record highly enough, anyone with even a vague
    interest in the Fall should get this.
    
      If you only but one album this week, make sure its this one.
    
    Mikef
    
    PS  wild party in my car at lunchtime listening to the tape!

I picked up Telephone Thing when it came out Mikef, and thought it was great.
I've never been a big Fall fan, the singles are usually good but the albums 
never live up to (my) expectations, lurved things like "Austrailians in Europe",
"Hit the North", and a lot of other singles whose names I have long forgotten.

Seems the "Telephone Thing" was produced by Coldcut (a nominee for best producer
in the Brit Awards last night), and I also heard/saw "Bill is Dead" on Snub 
about 2 weeks ago now! Very un-Fallish track - like you said MES nearly sings.

Anyway the music press are hailing this album so I guess I'll just say baaaaa!
and buy the bloody thing like the big sheep I am!

Stuart.

    yeah, I kind of agree that they have a long list of classic singles (
    Hey Luciani!) that are much better than most lp stuff.
    
    Mikef

Sonic Boom is the frontman for the band Spacemen 3, and out of the kindness of 
his heart he's taken time off from the band to write and record a solo album
for us.  This seems to be a real trend at the moment, the "We're not splitting 
up" solo projects, but that's another story...

`Spectrum', the LP version, comes with a lovely circular twirly cover, which 
when rotated forms strange psychedelic patters.  Whether this is an enhancement 
to the music or a freebie trying to cover up for the lack of substance actually 
on the record isn't stated.  But after listening to it a few times I think it's 
probably for the latter.

Mr. Boom is a self confessed acid-munching drug fiend, and this reflects in his 
music.  A key piece of all his tunes (on this album and with Spacemen 3) is 
they all feature some kind of drone to them.  The rest of the tunes are usually 
made out of simple repetitive chords.  The idea is that they have a kind of 
mantra affect on you, relaxing you with their unsurprising monotony.  It would 
probably work if you were on the same drugs as Sonic was, but unless you are 
it just irritates you as your brain erodes.

The lyrics are reminiscent of Lou Reed on a stubborn day.  "Rock 'n' Roll is
killing my life" drones Sonic.  Hmmm, could it be that Sonic Boom is killing 
Rock 'n' Roll?  The album's only high points are "Lonely Avenue", with it's 
gothic-corn bass line, and "If I should die" which is well over ten minutes of 
laughable sub-Jean Michel Jarre synth twaddle.  Avoid.

Lee

    The old Orange Juicer has come up with a corker here. Adjectives
    like 'well-crafted', and 'tasteful' spring to mind here, although
    that doesn't mean in any way that this is a limp record. If you
    like guitar-based, intelligent pop in the same sort of area as Lloyd
    Cole, this will do the job.
    
    It ranges from almost-country (Pushing It To The Back Of My Mind)
    through more aggressive songs (the recent single, 50 Shades 0f Blue,
    and Darling They Want It All) to a more reflective style (Coffee
    Table Song).
    
    Playing throughout, especially from Dennis Bovell on bass, is very
    good, and the range of guitar sounds (without resorting to screaming
    lead licks too much) is great. Roddy Frame puts in a guest appearance
    here and there.
    
    One minor grumble - the lp is too long to fit on one side of a C90!!
    
    I'll give it ****1/2
    
    Bob

    RE: .131  Hey, that album's nearly a year old.  But it's still a great
    album.  (Not as good as Orange Juice's last album, though.)
    
    OJ fan in LA 

    re .132
    
    Well, it's to be expected, you know. Living in the cultural wasteland
    that is Welwyn Garden City, Hope and Despair has just hit the 'New
    Release' section in our local record shop...
    
    Bob

    >> Living in the cultural wasteland that is Welwyn Garden City...

    Is this an idea for a film Bob ?

    Strangely enough, Derek Jarman's next film will be called "I married
    a Monster From the Cultural Wasteland That Is Welwyn Garden City",
    and features a young, brash soundtrack by the Tremeloes, Freddie
    and the Dreamers, Boney M, Smokie and the Love Affair. Album review
    follows.
    
    Bob

    OK, here's another one that's just hit Welwyn Garden City. What
    follows is a full review of Maureen Tucker's 'Life in Exile After
    Abdication' lp, released last year, and purchased by me yesterday.
    Maureen, as you probably know, used to play drums for the Velvet
    Underground. 
    
    The review
    ----------
    
    
    
    Noisy. Very, very noisy.
                
    
    
    Seriously, though, this lp does have a certain shambling charm.
    The drums thump, the guitars clang and whine, the singing is minimalist
    (man) and the song structures are, well, simplistic, but at least
    it sounds like they are getting into it. Tracks include a version
    of the old VU classic 'Pale Blue Eyes', which features Lou Reed
    on two-note lead guitar, and all of Sonic Youth pitch in to make
    the eight-minute epic 'Chase' an excursion into strangled guitar
    noise mania. Other tracks worthy of note are the more gentle, hypnotic
    'Andy', a kind of Warhol Requiem, and a fairly steaming version
    of 'Bo Diddley'.
    
    Star rating ***1/2 (or, if you are a fan of mid-70's Claifornia
    rock, about 1/4*. It's that kind of lp)
    
    Bob

    >>  ...strangled guitar noise mania.

    Do these words come as a package Bob ? 

    No, you can perm any two or three from the four, plus additional
    words like 'feedback', 'distortion', and 'grunge' can be added to
    the formula.
    
    Bob

McCarthy - Banking, Violence and the Inner Life today.

The third McCarthy album, and they're still ranting on about the evils of
Thatcher, Capitalism and greed in general.  However, at least the music is
progressing slightly from their clanging old guitars.  Bongo's and organs creep
into a few songs, making these the better moments of the album, and giving them
a folkier sound.

Lyrically, it's disappointing as nothing has changed since their last two
albums.  (Small review of previous album `The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth'
can be found earlier on in this topic somewhere.)  They're still heavily
sarcastic, and quite cruel at times.  It would be nice to hear them going on
about something else, or at least approaching the subject from a different 
angle.  Still, nice stuff from one of the more intelligent indie bands.

Lou Reed/John Cale - Songs for Drella.

This is the album version of a live performance that the two ex-Velvets gave 
last year about Andy Warhol, their old buddy and mentor from back in the heady 
days at the end of the sixties.  It claims to be `entirely fictitious' though 
most of it seems to be true enough.  Some of it is even readings from his own
diaries, though these may even be the fictitious bits they were referring to.

Both guys have a go at singing on the songs, Reed play guitar and Cale plays
various keyboards and the electric viola.  The music is very sparse throughout
with hardly any mixing or aural trickery, but the style of the songs varies
greatly, going from piano classical to guitar grunge to torch song pomposity.
Some good moments (for me at least) are the bits where Cale reads extracts from
Andy's diaries (weird stuff from the head of a weird man) and Reeds confessions
of how much he actually liked Andy on `Hello, it's me'.

It's quite an oddity really.  Overall it sounds more like a John Cale album than
a Lou Reed album.  Some of it humorous, some of it sad, basically, an 
interesting venture.

	Lee.

P.S.  A small review of the inspiral Carpets new Album is in note 536.28

This is a disappointing fourth album. `Strip Mine' was a well polished album
without being too over-produced, and the live `One Man Clapping' showed off
well what the band could do onstage, but they seem to be having problems now.
`Gold Mother' is weak both musically and lyrically.  The once great speedy
guitar playing has turned into simple twiddlings and rather obvious chords.
The lyrics, when they're not *still* wingeing on about how lonely and alientated
they feel, have turned into real cringeworthy clunkers.

A couple of tracks are quite nice but overall, a bummer.  I know there's a few
James fans who read this conference, so this is only my opinion of the album,
but I think you may be disappointed.

Lee

    Well, Lee, I have to disagree - I like it, although it deosn't come
    anywhere near One Man Clapping. They seem to be going for a more
    'rocky' feel and structure, and have produced something with a much
    bigger, although not necessarily more powerful, sound and production.
    
    I've always had slight reservations about Tim 'Miserable' Booth's
    lyrics, and they *do* seem to be going over old ground again on
    this one, although it's odd how the music can sometimes be so joyful
    with that kind of lyrics.
    
    Only time will tell if it is going to feature regularly in my
    listening, but I suspect I will still be listening to OMC or Stripmine
    more in the future.
    
    Bob

    Have to agree moe with Bob.  I thnk a lot of the tunes are going for a
    mood rather than out and out rocking tho'.  This is the first James lp
    I can listen to all the way through, and is well worth getting.  The
    lyrics on Gold Mother track are a bit dodgy tho!!  Not a brilliant lp,
    but certainly one of the more worthy of recent times.
    
    Mikef
    
    

This conference is quiet recently!  Anybody seen any gigs or bought any records?
No?  Well I have.  The Breeders (for those of you who haven't read the fawning
articles in the popular music press) are composed of Kim Deal (from the Pixies),
Tanya Donnelly (from the Throwing Muses) and Josephine Wiggs (from the Perfect
Disaster).  Three good bands who've come together and have made an excellent
album.  Kim Deal wrote the songs and sings lead on most of them, so the overall
sound is more Pixies' than the other bands, but the contributions of the others
show through in the quiter aspects of the album.  It has a sparse sound, almost
like out-takes.  Sinister lyrics and that distinctive American tinge to the 
guitars.  Recommended.

Lee

    Another reason why they sound like the Pixies is that Steve Albini
    (who produced the first Pixies album _Surfer Rosa_ (sp?)) produced it.
    
    He has a real rough touch.
    
    -Scott

About four or five years ago, It's Immaterial released their debut album "Life's
Hard and then you Die", and then disappeared from the music scene completely.
"Life's hard..." is a pop classic, creative and intelligent whilst still 
managing to be boppy at the same time.  Everybody should own a copy.

"Song" aims in the same direction but doesn't quite make the mark.  The Tunes 
are a lot quieter, and more soulful, with only about one up-tempo number.  It's 
crooning lyrics remind me of Simply Red in places, and whether that's a good 
thing or not, I leave up to you.  They're still ranting on in their `strange
tales' style, with songs about finding a brother you never knew you had, 
relationships with (much) younger women, and how horrible Brighton is.

I'm not sure whether to recommend this album, as it's not really my cup of tea,
but then again is not a *bad* album.  Harmless, but not exciting.

Lee

Hi,

I'm not sure that are really known outside France, but in this case, it is a 
good thing to review their latest masterpiece.

Niagara is a french duet formed in 85 in Rennes (in Britanny, Marquis de
Sade, Etienne Daha alos come from this city). Their first LP is not excellent,
but contains some 30-40-50 nostalgia songs whom 3 were big hits in France :
Tchiky boum, L'amour a la plage, Je dois m'en aller.

Their second album last year "Quel enfer" was absolutely terrific. An incredibly
good production, full of 60's/Stax/Hammond/pre-hard-rock references. To describe
their sound, the obvious reference reference would be the Eurythmics of "Would
I lie to you", "Missionary man" but in *xxxx better (and I am not chauvinistic !)

But this album is nothing compared to their brand new one "Religion". Fuzz /
"clean" distorsion guitars + Hammond + horn section + harp + Muriel 's voice =
I still can't stop listening to it since one month. So rough, so powerful, 
impossible to describe : buy and listen.

Any comments about them ?

Didier

    I'm not a Niagara specialist as I only know their singles (at least
    the ones that got airplay). I used to love 'Tchiki Boum' which was
    like fresh air amidst the dross of our Top 50. What I appreciated
    most was the complex organ texture in the background that made it
    richer than the usual beatbox + bass + synth format of the dancefloor
    orientated productions.
    
    Now their style is a bit heavier it seems (saw their latest video on
    M6 a couple of times) but still more clever than the average.
    It doesn't appeal much to me now (the way Eurythmics you mentioned 
    also leaves me cold) but it's more a matter of style of music than
    a matter of quality.
    
    Anyway I'll remember them as being the first group to issue a fuzzy 
    video and thus taking a enormous commercial risk; I took that as a 
    mockery towards all the cash-orientated groups (and they are numerous,
    especially overseas).
    
    Christophe.

One of the reviewers commented that Song was similar to The Blue Nile style of 
music - would you say thats reasonable comment.

Nigel

As to the previous question of whether It's Immaterial sound like the Blue 
Niles, I couldn't tell you as I've never heard them.  Oh well...

Anyway, those of you suffering from post World Cup blues, or are just plain 
sick at the appaling quality of this years football anthems, you'll be
pleased to know that a CD has just been released of the best ever football
band;

SERIOUS DRINKING!!

A bunch of Post Punk refugees who knew what the important things in life
were; football, birds and drinking.  Influences (and those they have
influenced) include the ska-stomping of early Madness, the twisted folk
humor of Half-man half-biscuit and the three-chord kids with guitars, the
Undertones.  Whether you want the demented terrace chants of Spirit of '66
and Love on the terraces, or the gut-wrenching teen-angst of I'm on Drugs,
World Service and  Baby I'm dying a death, or the drunkards lament that is
Really good bloke and Hangover, then this compilation is for you.  Some of
it live, some of it more dead than live, it's a real tribute to the
carefree teenage days.

BOBBY MOORE WAS INNOCENT!!!

Lee

    Lee, is this a reissue of the mighty 'The Revolution Starts At Closing
    Time' lp from a few years ago? All the songs you mention are on that
    one....
    
    They may be drinkers, Robin, but they are human beings.
    
    Bob

Nope, this is a `best of...' compilation.  There is a couple of tracks, `A nice
piece of trout' and `A day at the races' which were previously unavailable.  The
rest of the stuff is from the other two or three albums.

Lee

This isn't a new album, it's finally been released on CD due to the sudden 
popularity of the B-52's.  Island records must have wet their pants when 
Love-Shack got to number one.  The B-52's had been pretty much on the shelf as 
a band with minor appeal until then.  So the big sell begins;  Re-release the 
last album `Cosmic Thing'  Lots of photo sessions, Make a groovy video for the 
song, get the next three singles ready, etc...  Oh, and don't forget to 
re-release the old stuff too.

That's where Mesopotamia comes in.  Originally no more than a mini-album, and 
thankfully they've kept the CD price lower at �7.99, it was a real good little
record.  More in the vein of their `Whammy!' period, the songs were real dance 
numbers, yet keeping their kooky side from the likes of the first two albums.  
It was last album they did where all the tracks were winners.  Later albums 
only had certain high spots, and other nasty aspects, such as social conscience, 
started to creep in.  It was also the last album which featured the 
contribution of Ricky Wilson, who later died of AIDS.

Unfortunately, Island have bodged it up by cursing this album with the scourge 
of the 80's-90's; the remix.  Three of the six tracks have been spoilt by 
changing the vocals, and cutting out half the special effects, and replacing 
them with more of the mundane stuff.  They've even cut off the guest appearance 
of David Byrne playing his one-chord guitar solo at the end of `Cake'.  This 
modified version of the album sounds flatter in general.  Buy (or stick to) 
your vinyl or cassette versions of this album.  The CD is a bummer.

Lee

    On a 6-track disk, why can't they include the originals and the
    remixes??????
    
    -Scott

After the Rawhide-like intro of `Cecilia Ann', Black Francis starts *that*
scream again.  Anybody who's listened to a Pixies album knows the one, the 
one that sounds like a child who's screaming his face red.  Thankfully, that's
the last we really hear of it for the rest of the album. The songs on 
`Bossanova' are much more structured and controlled than ever before.

There seems to be some kind of science fiction theme running through the album
as well, songs about spaceships and planets, and guitar tunings that sound like 
early B-52's albums.  They seem to have virtually got rid of the thrashier
songs that they used to do and concentrate on the rock elements instead, but it
still works well with the volume right up.  Pixies come up with another winner.

Lee

    This album is certainly one of, if not THE best, Shadows collection.
    
    It's based around their period with EMI, from 1960 to 1980, before they
    moved to another label.
    
    It's got all their instrumental hits, plus the mid-to-late 60s vocal
    stuff, b-sides and their 70's comeback hits (not really a patch on their
    early stuff, in my opinion).
    
    The sleeve notes are very good, and provide an excellent history of the
    band line-ups and the hits that went with them.
    
    For the straight price of 9.99 you get a double LP with 40 songs -
    pretty good value.
    
    But, the major plus with this compilation is that everything is in
    S-T-E-R-E-O - that's right, even their early stuff.  The sound is just
    so much fuller on some of their songs.
    
    If you only fit double glazing once, etc. etc. then this is the album
    to get.
    
    David.
    

Whatever happened to Danielle Dax?  I don't mean the fact that she's produced
virtually nothing for the last three plus years, I mean why did she discard her
gothic beginnings and sell her soul to three chord rock?  Why did she give up
the likes of the early ep's (`Popeyes',`Jesus Egg that Wept') to go on to the
produce the plain boring `Cat house' and `White Knuckle Ride'?  She used to be
so, OOH BABY SHE WAS SO WEIRD!!!

Next stop the second album `Blast the Human Flower'.  Mainly a collection of
obvious unimaginative rock tunes which chunder along in a predictable fashion. 
Only `The Living and their Stillborn' and `16 Candles' retain any resonance of
her previous greatness.  There's also the obligatory stab at the dance scene
(which flopped as a single) in a cover of the Beatles `Tomorrow never knows'.

It's a shame to see a talent go to waste.  Even if all that gothic malarkey is 
terribly unfashionable at the moment, there's no point in swinging to the other 
extreme of safe, tried-and-tested formulas.

Yuk.

Lee.

    So you don't think I should buy it then?  I was tempted, I like Jesus
    Egg.  Never mind.
    
    Mikef

`Hairy Mousaka', `Three Pottery Owls (with innuendo)' and `Fly Feast' are just
a few of the titles on the Stretchheads debut album, yet they do nothing to 
prepare you for the chaos that is the tunes themselves.  Screeching guitars 
rattle along with ridiculous timing, then stop, then start agin.  The vocalist
squawks out lyrics in a manner that makes you think his face must be blood red
with anger and pain.  Totally misplaced samples appear intermittently to give
you a break, or is it just part of their master plan?

Stretchheads seem to be here just to upset us.  There's no reason to their songs,
and yet when they do manage to hold a tune together for a few bars (as in the
case of `Incontinent of Sex'), a sinister talent appears to create menacing,
evil thrash music, but too many of the songs are stop, start, stop, start., 
Not exactly good wrecking music.  The samples are a nice idea, but too random 
and too sparse.  It's all *too* frustrating.

Given more time, The Stretchheads may grow into something evil and ugly.  Can we
afford not to let it happen?

Lee

Boston's finest return to the fray with a new bassist, a new album and a
slightly quieter sound.  The old guitars are still there with their difficult
rhythmns, but the singer Kristen Hersh seems to have finally given up those
screaming vocals that popularised the first album.  No, it's all singing now,
melodic even.

It's a nice enough album, and it'll please their fans (such as myself), but it's
no real progression from their last album.  Apart from a slightly less noisy
sound to their songs, nothing really has changed.  The Real Ramones perhaps?
Four albums into their career, it would have been nice to hear something
different.  Still could be worse, could be indie-dance...

A few songs stand out; the last single `Counting Backwards', the next single
`Not too soon' and the full length version of the oldie `Say goodbye'. The rest
is nice enough, but not enough.  Must do better.

Lee

Yes, he is handsome, he is pretty and he left his bag in Newport Pagnall.
It's Morrissey!  Loathed by thousands and loved by even more, he's croons his
way through a second albums worth of pop tunes.

According to the press reports, he seems to have very little input to the 
musical input of his work, meaning that a lot of it was left to a bunch of
session musicians, and the producers, Messrs. Langer and Winstanley.  This seems
to be true, as the albums sound is very soft, very smooth.  Everything is in
it's place, there's no spontaneity.  These aren't necessarily bad features, the
well crafted tunes make the album very listenable.  But...

the Album is pathetically short, just over 33 minutes for ten tracks.  A few of
the tracks barely make the two minute mark, some stop in mid-flow rather than
coming to a conclusion, and are lot are padded with old Mozzers Ooohs and Aaahs
and that funny groaning sound he tends to make.  There's simply not enough
written material to continue the tunes.  The lyrics seem to be only ideas for
a song, and are fleshed out to a minimum, making them pretty incomprehensible
as well.

`Kill Uncle' will do for the moment, but seeing as his contribution to the tunes
is apparently minimal, what has Morrissey got to offer the music world when his
written material dwindles away?

Lee

    re: -1
    
    I was thinking the same thing.  I was going to ask who that Mark
    guy is, the one who's credited with writing the music.  Does anyone
    have any background on him?  And what happened to Stephen Street?
    
    The CD has one more song on it than the tape/lp (Tony the Pony.)
    My CD player says it's 37 min. long.  After more than two years of 
    not releasing an album, this is all he can come up with?  He needs
    to find someone good to team up with to write better songs.
    
    I do like this album though; it is very piano-based, which is a
    nice change for Morrissey.  I have only listened to it once, so
    I can't give a full review.
    
    -Vicki

    I like it as well but you are right its too short.  The guy that wrote
    the music used to be in Fairground Attraction ( remember Its got to
    beeeeee Perfect...), Mozzer fell out with Stephen Street ages ago like
    he seems to with most of his song writing partners.  The only way I can
    see a full return to form is if Johnny Marr gets back with him but I
    can't see that ever happening.
    
    Tim
    ---

Apparently "TONY  THE  PONY" is on the first 5,000 copies of the US CD only.
Thus  making  the  difference between the US & UK releases. "TTP" is also on
the UK 12".

Ed

    
   > Apparently "TONY  THE  PONY" is on the first 5,000 copies of the
   > US CD only. Thus  making  the  difference between the US & UK releases.
   > "TTP" is also on the UK 12".
    
    You mean I'm one of the lucky 5000 US Citizens to possess this CD
    w/ the extra track??? OH BOY!
    
    I think it's stupid to have only 5000 copies have the extra track...
    bad marketing ploy on the part of Sire `cause they would've sold
    anyway.  Why didn't they just add the track on to both the tape
    and CD?  Or did they want the least amount of music as possible...it
    costs more, you get less!
    
    They should take a lesson from Julian Cope (who just released the
    longest non-classical CD.)
    
    -Vicki
          

    This is a worrying trend I seem to be hearing about from the US i.e.
    music being only released on CD and cassette when will it spread here.
    
    Long live vinyl
    
    Tim
    ---

I don't  think it was a marketting ploy, I think it was a mistake. The words
for Tony aren't on the insert.

Ed

    re: -1
    
    record companies never make mistakes ;*}

    re .158 and The Stretcheads

    I heard this. How could I describe it ? It's like a 40 minute primal
    scream. Or like a child dragging his nails along the sides of cars. Or
    a crowded swimming pool with guitars. Music to grate to. I heard the
    first 20 minutes - I believe that it doesn't change much except for a
    few dance remixes at the end. I'll sit through the rest though before
    recording over the tape.

    And the song titles! Well dears...they're unrepeatable in a family
    conference like this (where no-one does home-tapes and all lawyers are
    latter-day saints). If anybody wants to know the full title of "The
    Housewife Song" send me a mail.

    Send me a mail anyhow. 

    - Tim

58 songs, either live versions, previously unreleased, alternative versions
or aborted starts make up this phemonenal set.  Seeing as old Bob has been
recording music for longer than I've been alive, I don't really feel I can talk
about his music very knowledgeably.  But I can say that this is real good 
listening, covering thirty years of his career and will please anybody with
even a passing interest in Bob Dylan.  anybody else heard it?

Lee

    I have. I may even have a go at reviewing it yet. It takes a while to
    hear all 58 songs . An early high point is a spoken 7 minute poem to
    Woody Guthrie (from 1963). At 25 quid for the 3 CD set it would be
    good value at twice the price. (Maybe).

    - Tim

    So, - Tim, what's on it? Is it some of the 'Little White Wonder'
    bootlegs?
    
    Bob

    You want me to list 58 songs ??

    Well...titles I remember are "Who Killed Davey Moore ?" (about the
    death of a boxer), "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" (sounds like a
    re-working of "Talkin' World War III Blues"), "He Was A Friend of
    Mine", a fairly pent-up version of "Idiot Wind" and a piano-only
    accompaniement to "Like A Rolling Stone". Buy the CD, cassette or tape,
    purchase "Don't Look Back" on video. And sit back and relax.

    Has anybody heard "The Basement Tapes" ? Is the album worth poichasing ?

    - Tim

    Tim, I can unreservedly recommend the Basement Tapes. It's a double
    album, and fairly raw, although it has been cleaned up a lot in
    comparison with the original bootleg versions which were available at
    one time.
    
    Most of it was recorded using only two or three mics, so the sound is a
    little like a demo at times, but there are some damn fine toons on
    there. Not all of them are Dylan, though; of the 24 tracks, about 8 are
    peformed by the Band.
    
    Songs you mentioned (Davey Moore, and John Birch f'rinstance) were, I
    think outtakes from sessions from his first two or three lps.
    
    Bob

    Billy Bragg - Don't try this at Home.
    
    The first 'proper' album from Bill since Workers Playtime (I think we
    can ignore'Internationale'), and is a startling return to form. Starts
    of with 'Accident waiting to happen', a thundering little ditty, and
    just gets better.  The musical style has evolved, no longer just Bill
    and his guitar, but many different textures are employed, 'Cindy of a
    thousand lives' invokes early Mary Chain large echoing noises, and
    'Body of Water' is a brilliant group rock-out.
    
    'Tank Park Salute' is a haunting tribute to Braggs late father, and has
    a piano tune that you can't get out of your head.
    
    There are 16 songs on the album, and the only one I don't like is 'You
    woke up my neighbourhood' (the recent single).  This isn't as good as a
    song co-written with Peter Buck ought to be.But as for the rest...
    
    Lyrically, this has to be some of his best stuff, touching on subjects
    such as child abuse, and having some of the best lyrical puns I've seen
    in a long time ('dedicated swallower of facism').
    
    If you only buy one album this week, make sure its this one.
    
    Mikef 

    "BILLY BRAGG BRINGS MIKEF BACK TO LIFE"

    no vickster - today's sun headline was the same ole tripe. they just
    don't improve these papers. poor ole julie burchill wrote the limpest
    prose i ever seen in sunday's daily mail (attacking runaway vic
    williams). Well I suppose she saves the best bits for bed.

    - blond_ambition_tim

`The Grunge Years' - Various Artists (Sub-pop)

This is not grunge.  The likes of Nirvana, Tad and The Fluid can rock, but it
just ain't ugly enough to be classed as true grunge.  Some of the songs even
use acoustic guitars for crying out loud.  Only the girls (Babes in Toyland,
L7, Dickless) put any spunk into the record at all (ho ho).  Leonard Cohen was
grungier than this.

Which brings me rather pathetically on to...

`I'm your Fan' - Various Artists (East/West)

The likes of Ian McCullough, Lloyd Cole, R.E.M., Pixies, John Cale, Fatima
Mansions etc. all pay homage of Canada's King of the whingers, `Laughing'
Leonard Cohen.  And suprisingly enough, it doesn't work.  Fools like Ian Mac
and those smug goons, James, try and put some cheer into the songs but only end
up making them sound like surreal beery singalongs.  As usual with these
tributes, hardly anybody puts in any effort to create something good.  Nick
Cave gives `Tower of Song' an interesting bash, but he's only joking, you can
here him crack up laughing at the end of the song.

Neither are recommended.  What would have been interesting would be to let
those evil grunge bands loose on Leonards songs, and then let Lenny loose on
some grunge standards.  Well, maybe not.

Lee

Should they have been allowed to reform?  After fulfilling the indie dream of
making a debut album for under a hundred quid and then splitting the band, could
things ever be as good the second time around?  Well, no, but then the new
album's not all bad either.  

They can play a lot better now, and somebody's even bother to produce this
album properly!  It's a lot quiter, less of that rowdy shouting and swearing 
that made the first album so much fun. It's still got all the extremely poor 
jokes about football players and tack from your childhood, although there's no 
lines as good as `you can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead, 
mate'.  Some of the songs are even quite sad, well, in a trivial way...

The previous single, `Our Tune' is there, but the current single, a very
pedestrian re-working of `No Regrets', is not.  All in all, we all knew it 
wouldn't work.  A nice stab at making a comeback, but, just like Viz Comic, 
they're not as funny as they were two years ago. However, they're still playing
around live, and anybody who fancies a bit of a thrash can still go out and
enjoy the Trumpton Riots.

Lee

This is an 8-track mini album, so don't go and buy this from Our Price where
they're selling it at full album price, but do go and buy it from somewhere else
as it's very good.  It mainly concentrates on the softer side of the bands
output, with great croony numbers like `Behind the Moon' and a version of Scott
Walker's `Long About Now'.  But the albums worth buying purely for their total
deconstruction of `Shiny Happy People', with brutal spitting lyrics against an
industrial dance beat of samples, and barely a metion of the original sing
except to rant at its banality.  Very much in the vein of `Blues for Ceaucescu'
and very, very good.

Lee

What do you mean I buy albums just for their name?  The album features song
titles such as `British Telecom Sucks' and `I want to masturbate at Castle
Donnington.', the songs are loud and grungy, the lyrics feature lines such as
`I want to touch and squeeze your blackheads.  The whole thing sound like a
Stump 45 played at 33, which surely can't be a bad thing.  As ugly music goes,
it could be uglier, but not bad for a debut.

Lee

    I heard BT Sucks - and liked it a great deal.  Might pick up the album
    some time.
    
    Mikef

    I heard BT makes obscene profits! :^)
    
    Mark

    re .181
    
    � Stump 45 played at 33, which surely can't be a bad thing.  As ugly..
    
    Mmmm indeed. I might have to look out for this one.
    
    Balders

    How much is that fish?
    
    Does that fish have chips?
    
    Mikef

Good old Cramps, never a group to jump on a bandwagon, never a group to progress
at all come to think of it.  `Look Mom, no Head' is pretty much the same as
any other Cramps album, buzzsaw spookabilly guitars, crude song titles from 
beyond the grave (`Two headed Sex Change', `Bend Over, I'll drive'), and good
old Lux Interior grunting and drooling all over the place.

So everythings the same.  That said, it doesn't really compare to albums like
`A Date with Elvis' and the live `Smell of Female', but it's good enough for
any Cramps fan.  According to the credits, Nick Knox, that great Roy Orbison
lookalike drummer, has been replaced by a suitably jokey named Slim Chance, so 
something has changed after all!

Lee

Stonker debut from one of the best bands around.  Vocals sound like they're sung
into a toilet bowl, brilliant bass lines, and everything else sounding like a
mambo car-crash.  Essential.

    
    	Is their self-titled record their second release?  Am I confused
    	again?
    
    	- Jim

    
    	I was confusing the state side (New York, I think) Matador band
    	Drunk Tank with Gallon Drunk.
    
    	- Jim

    Get out and buy the new Mega City Four l.p. 'Sebastopol Rd.'. What a 
    poptabulous album it is (mate), and if you liked it, then get hold of 
    the 'Words That Say ' e.p. for more guitar-pop type fun!
    
    Ian.

    
    I have the unfortunate priviledge of rehearsing in the next studio to
    Mega City Four.
    
    Not impressed but I guess I could make a fortunbe out of 'live'
    bootlegs 8^)

    Well Tony, I saw them live on Sunder neet, and I was suitably impressed
    enough to still buy the l.p. As you're a bit of a metallist they
    probably aren't your cup of tea, what with all of those vocal
    harmony type things floating about, eh?   
    
    F-reg.

    
    
    Me a metallist ? Well, I listen to rock music - if that makes me a 
    metallist then yeah I am. Does that mean every Brian Adams fan is a
    metalhead to ? Where do you draw the line pigeon holing people (which is
    nothing but pure ignorance anyway on your part). I listened to more 
    different style of music than you could probably imagine, and if you like 
    I can give you a free music lesson on the theory behind harmonising 
    scales, applicable to vocal performances.
    
    Anyway, I stick by my comment. Having seen them several times in a
    rehearsal situation, I think I would say they are total bollocks,
    
    -Tony (Who thinks he is probably the more musicial varied in this
    particular discussion).

    Calm down, calm down.
    
    >> Anyway, I stick by my comment. Having seen them several times in a
    >> rehearsal situation, I think I would say they are total bollocks,
    
    Yes, well its your opinion, and a very articulate one too. Like you
    I stick by my opinion as one who has actually seen them in a "live
    situation" and very good they were too.
     
    >> -Tony (Who thinks he is probably the more musicial varied in this
    >> particular discussion).
    
    (yawn) Think what you like mate. 
    
    Ian. 

    
    I'm sorry Ian, but your note really got my back up. It was patronising
    and pathetically inaccurate (the one and only time I'll ever quote Neil
    Kinnock). I would have expected more of a real discussion but after 
    reading .192 I assumed that you wanted a bitch bitch, so thats what 
    I responded with.
    
    Have a nice day,
    -Tony

    
    Come on guys, let's try and cool this down. Please do not respond to
    this note continuing this discussion - if you want to carry on with
    this, do it via mail.
    
    Trevor (Moderator)

    Well, now that all the fur has settled on that fine discussion,
    just wanted to give my opinion - I think they are crap too.
    
    Just joking......... just wanted to say I bought the new Tears
    for Fears CD - their Greatest Hits yesterday (not their 
    Greatest hits they made yesterday, but I bought it yesterday
    if you see what I mean).  Excellent stuff.  All the old 
    favourites are on there from their early stuff to their
    last album - Mad World, Rule the World, Women in Chains, 
    their current single (when was that a Greatest hit?) Head
    over Hills and others.  (It's too early in the morning 
    for my brain to go into remember mode).
    
    Only thing I was disappointed with was the number of tracks.
    I think there are only about 12 on there - (some may say
    its a miracle that found that many!), but I would have 
    expected a few more seeing as how Tears for Fears normally
    put a lot of effort in their productions and give value
    for money.  I guess though they only wanted to include the
    outright hits rather than the ones which were good but 
    not big hits, if you see what I mean.
    
    Or maybe its because I have liked all their songs and so 
    every record could of been added in my opinion.
    
    Its one of those albums that you need to have on full blast
    and sing along to.  Brilliant  
    
     

I've seen MegaCity Four in a nightclub in Portsmouth and also at Reading 
Festival if I remember rightly through the beery haze....

IMHO I thought they were a load of old bilge-pump, not worthy of their moderate
success.

								- JIM CAD*

    Did you read .196, or do you want it to "go off" again?
    
    Past-caring of Surrey

I thought that was specific to those guys, I just thought I'd add my opinion to
the general string, and boy were they crap! I remember seeing the whole night-
club packed out and was really interested to hear them, but unfortunately I did
not like them much...

Anyways, I guess if we all liked the same we'd all buy Kylie?! So if you like
them carry on!

								- JIM CAD*

    Dont you worry, I will carry on. We all had a great night and will 
    probably go again to the Reading Uni gig. 20th March or thereabouts I
    believe.
    
    Eck.

Jad Fair is the king of Nerd Pop.  I first listened to his `Greater 
Expectations' album, with it's forty-odd tracks of un-tuned guitars and
improvisations, with Jad rambling away about grains of salt with diseased
nervous systems.  So I was quite disappointed to find that he's pretty much
cleaned up his act with this album.  A lot of the tracks are fairly straight
rockist stuff (J. Mascis & Don Fleming play guitar on most of them) and there's
only a few tracks (such as `Road Runner' and `I like Candy') that contain
anything like the original toy-instrument racket he used to make.  The lyrics
are still as daft as ever, whining on about chickens running wild in the 
rhubarb, and his un-dying love for various girls.  I guess I'm being hard on
him really, this album is fine and presentable, but I was really hoping for
something like his previous stuff.

Lee

I bought a few records at the weekend, on one of my occasional visits to
Britain when, as usual, I become consumer scum and spend all my money (that
doesn't take long). 

Spiritualized "Lazer Guided Melodies"
	The main man in Spiritualized is Jason, half of what used to be
	Spacemen 3. If you're familiar with their stuff, you'll have a rough
	idea of what to expect. This album is 60 minutes of calming melody,
	low vocals and great basslines. The songs are repetitive in structure,
	but never boring. The last track, 200 bars, is positively weird as
	a girl counts out the 200 bars that the track lasts. The music is
	beautifully recorded and very soothing. Recommended.

Teenage Fanclub "Bandwagonesque"
	Been out for a while, I know, but I just got round to buying it.
	Briefly, matey guitar rock with 70s influences and catchy hooks. I
	was a bit disappointed with the sound of it since I prefer things
	that are more, well, strange. However, play it once and you'll find
	yourself humming the tunes. 

Soundgarden "Jesus Christ Pose"
	The piece of vinyl I bought advertised itself as a "limited edition
	etched disc". For four quid I thought I'd take a chance on that. Turns
	out that the music is one side only, and the other side is indeed
	etched (selectively roughened) with the cover design. OK, I wanted
	strange so I got strange. The band are from Seattle, Nirvana and all
	that, and I'd describe them as quality heavy-metal if you can believe
	in that idea. The title track is plain exciting, dead dead good, and
	the others aren't bad either if you like a hard sound. Pleased with 
	this one.

Ronny Jordan "The Antidote"
	On a totally different tack, Ronny Jordan is an up-and-coming jazz
	guitarist from London. You can tell this is a jazz lp because the back
	cover has a long sleeve note about the man and his influences. He's an
	excellent guitarist in the George Benson vein but the music is saved
	from middle-of-the-road blandness by touches of rap and hip-hop. Plus
	he's got some dead good tunes. Recommended.


Rod

    re-1 - Yup, The spiritualized lp is a goodie, for nineties noise
    hippies.
    
    Mikef

Pavement are one of the new media-favorites, in fact, any yank band with load
guitars and a `screw you' attitude seem to be doing very well in the wake of
Nirvana-mania.  Quite what the fuss is about I don't know.  None of them seem
to coming up with anything really original, and Pavement are no exception.

Some of the songs are in the current grunge mould, which are enjoyable enough
but hardly groundbreaking, some are quieter numbers, equally non-exciting,
and some sound alarmingly like The Fall.  In fact, the scrawly-tippex album
cover is very Fall-ish too.  Here is a band with nothing new to play, and
nothing at all to say.  Kind of taking the `Whats the point' attitude too far...

Lee

    
    I've heard some tracks off the LP on the radio, and I was largely
    unimpressed. If they're the Next Big Thing, then roll on the Next Next
    Big Thing.

Drone Rock. Influenced by the likes of Spacemen 3 and MBV.  Muffled female
vocals and 1 chord songs.  Hardly as intense as anything Sonic Boom + friends
created, but not bad all the same. `The Seeming and the Meaning', `Stomach
Worm' and `Mellotron (sadly, not featuring a Mellotron)' are the high points.

Lee

     The Only Ones - The Immortal Story 

     Anyone who thinks the Only Ones peaked with "Another Girl, Another
     Planet" are badly misinformed. This BUDGET PRICED compilation is
     a must, I couldn't have picked the tracks any better myself, a mixture
     of album cuts, rare singles and previously unavailable mixes.

     All the best songs are here, and (the CD anyway) is PACKED. 
     (thank heavens for my RRD40)

     Cheap too... have to give this one 10/10.

     Lovers Of Today
     Peter and the pets
     The whole of the law
     Another Girl another Planet
     Special View
     The Beast
     Its the truth 
     No peace for the wicked
     The Immortal story
     From here to eternity
     In betweens
     No solution
     Curtains for you
     Someone who cares
     Miles from Nowhere
     Instrumental 
     Your chosen life
     Baby's got a gun
     Why don't you kill yourself
     Oh Lucinda
     Big Sleep


     Dave

    The song mentioned - Baby's Got A Gun - is that the same song as done
    by the Red Guitars?...  (and was it a cover version, or is THIS a cover
    version...)
    
    Thanks,
    
    Debs.
    

I haven't heard the Red Guitars version, but I'm sure the Only Ones
did it first, since they stopped recording in 1980.

    
> Pavement are one of the new media-favorites, in fact, any yank band with load
> guitars and a `screw you' attitude seem to be doing very well in the wake of
> Nirvana-mania.  Quite what the fuss is about I don't know.  None of them seem
> to coming up with anything really original, and Pavement are no exception.
    
    If you were thinking of buying "Slanted & Enchanted", try buying
    "Well?" by Swell instead. I think this has now been released in the UK
    (not sure of the label). They are definitely on the yank/"screw
    you"/Nirvana/guitars/grunge axis, but I think they do it a whole lot
    better than Pavement.
    
    
    Trevor

"The Future Sound of London" is a big handle to give yourself but I admire
a band that believe in themselves. "Accelerator" is the lp, and the best known
track on it is "Papua New Guinea".

We're talking ambient house/techno here, and very well done. They're a bit
like the orb without the idiosyncratic samples. PNG is indeed a good track,
but the whole lp is very even and not let down by any single track. 

It's very danceable and a little bit strange. It sounds great.


Rod

I acquired another nice piece of vinyl recently, the special edition of
the new orb album "uf orb". It's a double, packaged inside a sealed outer
sleeve of black vinyl of the kind you used to find on the roof of naff
Ford cars. Inside are two "art prints", which hardly live up to the name,
a listener comment card (I am not making this up) and, most importantly,
the music vinyl.

The idea behind uf orb concerns the Wright-Patterson US airforce base
where, according to UFOlogists, the US government hides evidence of alien
visits to Earth. Now you know as much as I do.

What does it sound like? For the unitiated, if the Cocteau Twins were into
Techno, they might make a record like this. It's generally slow, the music
comes and goes and waves, there are many strange samples, including voice
samples. There's a strong reggae influence. All in all it comes across as 
the soundtrack to a good sf film.

There's no track quite as immediate as "little fluffy clouds", but that
sounded slightly out of place even on the "underworld" album. What there is
are lots of top tunes and gorgeous sounds. 


Rod

    Re-1  I think UF Orb is a marvellous album, Tower Of Dub is brilliant! 
    I'm very into The Orb at the moment, as you can gather.  They have just
    released a live video, which also comes with a 70 minute CD of remixes
    and live versions.   
    
    Chill out.  or something.  possibly.
    
    Mikef

    re UF Orb.
    
    Good stuff, but still not totally sold. Sound purchase. May work
    backwards to other stuff, but give it a week or two first.
    
    Chilling maybe
    Balders

I am impressed by The Orb's reference to "The Ultraworld" - obviously taken
from an episode of Blake's 7 which included such a planet. In fact, the
title of the track "... a huge pulsating brain ... centre of the Ultraworld" 
etc... is taken from the description of a sound effect from Blake's 7 on the 
BBC LP/CD of Sci-Fi sound effects! They must have been big fans. :-)

								- JIM CAD*

Another fab album from Throwing Muses.  They're now stripped down to Kristen 
Hersh & David Narcizo, but Leslie Langston re-appears to do the bass bits, and 
Ol' Bob Mouldy appears for a duet on one of the songs.

There's a ltd. edition version (of the CD at least) which comes with a free
47 minute CD of one of Kristen Hersh's solo-acoustic performances from last
year, which re-defines a lot of their old songs and gives you a whole new
perspestive on what Throwing Muses are all about.

Lee

    Just about everything that the Fire Engines recorded in their brief but
    fabulous career here, from the frankly incomprehensible "Get Up and Use
    Me" to the polished charm of "Big Gold Dream". Thrown in is everything off
    Lubricate Your Living Room, the brilliant version of Fascist Grove
    Thang (from a John Peel session) and the delightful Candyskin.
    
    Spangly guitar mayhem pop at its finest.
    
    Piers

    re-1:
    
    sounds like a cd I'm gonna have to get!  
    
    New Tom Waits lp - Bone Machine.  Another wonderful album from our tom
    - very percussive, and a step away from Franks Wild Years.  Buy it.
    
    Mikef
       

    Oh yes, the shambling guitar pop of the early eighties - I'll
    definitely have to investigate the Fire Engines compilation. Can
    compilations of the 'greatest hits' of Josef K and Orange Juice be far
    behind?
    
    Also, trawling the depths (heights) of the early 80's, I can recommend
    the 'Knee Deep in Hits' compilation from Rip Rig & Panic, a must for
    all fans of strange percussives and enormous horn sections.
    
    Bob
    
    

    re-1  Josef K and Orange Juice comps came out recently.
    
    Later
    
    M

    I saw the first (Postcard) OJ compilation on CD while I was back in
    the yuk at the weekend. Unfortunately PJ Harvey got my dosh instead.
    Didn't see the Josef K comp otherwise it would now be mine.
    
    Manic Pop Thrills eh?
    
    Piers

    re .221
    
    Really? Where have I been lately? What with Tom Waits' new one,
    possibly the new one by Television (out Monday) and those 3, my bank
    balance could take a bit of a hammering...
    
    Bob

    re-1...join the club!  CDs are still cheapest via BeeBees mail order I
    find (10.49).
    
    Mikef

Boo!  I was hoping to give this a real slagging and show these upstarts up for
what they really are, but it's not bad!

`Eleventeen' grunges along as is fashionable nowadays, and that girl whines
and squawks her way through some rather obviously titled songs, such as `I feel
Insane' and `Everything is Weird' (you don't say).  Still, there are some
moments of inspired dischordancy, which means that the mainstream (hopefully)
won't embrace them too quickly.

The singles `Pink Flower' and `Love your Money' (for which Adam Ant really
should have sued) are also included.

Sure they're still faking it, but it's quite entertaining.  For those in the
Reading area, they're playing at the TUC in October.

Lee

Definately not as cheery as `Out of Time', if fact, you could almost call it
miserable.  Kinda like `Reconstruction...' with a big orchestra backing.  It 
still has good melodies and chord plucking, but it doesn't grab you as much as
their previous albums have.  I think the problem is that most of the songs 
aren't good enough.  Not sure at all.  Anybody else bought it yet?

Lee

re .-1

There's a nig feature on the new REM LP in this weeks Melody maker, where they
go through each song one by one. Makes for quite interesting reading.

I thought the LP wasn't out till Monday?

It was released Wednesdday 30th, according to the chart show last week.

    
    
     Listened to this album this afternoon and first impressions are
     that it is very good. A more serious out look compared to Out of
     of Time,which seemed to jog along quite jolly, but all in all
     still a great album.
    
    
    
    Peter

Possibly the last release from The Sugarcubes.  An album of remixes ranging
from the rather appaling to the pretty excellent.  Get the Ltd. Edit. CD
version which has an extra CD in the boxes with another 11 remixes.

Lee

I'd recommend Extreme's new album "Three Sides to Every Story" to anybody
who wants to here music that hasn't been corrupted/moulded to fit into
a particular genre. Their music is for people who want to here music,
period. Extreme do not force their audience to assume a band identity 
(the T-shirt, the baseball cap etc) which is a refreshingly genuine approach.
Therefore, without a specific image, Extreme leave themselves susceptible to 
attack and are an easy target so some of you might have formed your own
opinions of the band already.

No doubt this sounds like some pretentious bull transcribed from a music-mag
(and I'm not expecting this note to have an easy passage in this topic) but
I don't really mind. I'll give a more detailed album review in due course.

mike.

    Pity it's such a naff name for an album.

    
    If you'd heard the album and understood the 'concept' (I hate that
    word) behind it you wouldn't think it was a bad title; just a bad
    over-indulgent album.
    
    -Tony

Fab value on a new Earache records sampler `Naive'.  7 bands (Fudge Tunnel,
Scorn, OLD, Pitch Shifter, Painkiller, Clutch, Sleep), 14 songs, the whole
thing clocking in at just under an hour for only �3.50 on CD!  Top quality
sludge and grunge music.

Lee

    Just bought the new Jon Secada LP - its in the charts but I 
    can't remember the name of it.  He came from Miami Sound Machine
    (don't let that put you off) and the LP is produced by Emilio
    Estifan who I think is Gloria's hubby or brother or whatever.
    Anyway, the record has an incestuous feel about it.
    
    The record has 2 of his hits on "Just another Day" and his current
    one (which I can't remember either, sorry) and on first hearing,
    the others are listenable but don't make an impression.  Listening
    to it again and they are magic.  Highly recommendable.
    
    Only minus point is the fact that there are a couple of records 
    on there which are the same songs but are sung in spanish.
    
    Highly recommendable.
    
    julia

Here's what Satan, er, Santa bought me this year:

Monks of Doom - The Insect God (CZ records).  Despite featuring two endoscope-
wielding nurses on the cover, there's nothing so shocking inside.  Very prog-
rock Zappa style guitar stuff.  They even go as far as to cover the man's `Who
are the brain police?' note for note.  not very inspiring

Denim - Back in Demin (Boys Own Recording).  Very odd this one.  A perfect
parody of all that was 70's Glam music, but actually celebrating it.  Very witty
songs and embarrasingly likeable tunes.  Featuring Lawrance of Felt fame, and
the drummer from the glitter band (it says here).

Lemonheads - It's a Shame about Ray (Atlantic).  Quite what the fuss over these
fools is I don't know.  Sure, it's nice, inoffensive and occasionally catchy,
but it's all a bit too C86 for me.

Boredoms - Pop Tatari (WEA Jap. Import only).  This has to be the best album
I've ever heard, and I've tried to get many people to agree with me on this, but
they run away after about 10 seconds worth.  Occasionally funny, occasionally
funky, always manic, this album makes all other noise records obsolete.

Lee

    I think Denim also number an ex-Glitter band bassist amongst their
    ranks. They played "Middle of the Road" and "Seventies" on Joolz
    Holland's "Later" programme a few months back and theyz waz good.
    
    barry.  

    I've heard those two songs from Denim too - I've been tempted to buy
    the lp on the strength of them. How does the rest of the album stand
    up?
    
    Bob
    

    All the Faust stuff seems to have been re-released on CD (seems strange
    to me to put this kind of production on a CD), noise/avant-garde
    lovers.
    
    Well worth a listen, even if you don't buy them if you like your head
    being jarred by arhythmic (sometimes), underproduced strangeness.
    
    Hear the moody beauty of 'It's a bit of a pain' marred only by the
    ridiculously loud alarm clock (or so it would seem) in the chorus. Hear
    circular riffs, well, rotate while being bludgeoned to death. Hear
    *gasp* monophonic synthesisers etc etc.
    
    Mind you, I bet the CD reissue of 'The Faust Tapes' costs a lot more
    than its original price of 49p.
    
    So, do Branson a favour, buy some of this stuff to remind him what
    Virgin was set up for in the first place.
    
    Henry Cow re-issues, anyone....?
    
    Bob

    Then again, we can hold Virgin/Branson responsible for the continuing
    recording career of bloddy Gong, can't we?

Spent some money over the holidays on records, so here's a brief review of
a couple of them.


Sugar 'Copper Blue'

Being the slave to fashion that I am how could I not acquire NME's album
of the year, besides which it's had favourable mentions in here. Put the
needle on the record and realised I'd heard some of the tracks before,
fortunately I had liked them. What this is is straight-out geetar rock music, 
without crap solos or coarse sentiments, with subtle tunes and loud guitars. 
If I have any criticism it is that the record is a bit one-paced, but the 
flip side of this is that it's consistently good, no duff tracks, a record 
you can really play and enjoy the whole way through. Buy it, if you haven't 
already.


Pearl Jam 'Ten'

A Seattle band but without the right-on approval given to Sugar, I feel.
Eddie Vedder of PJ is reported to have drunk someone else's stomach bile
on 'The Word', which I'd call a stupid thing to do although certainly an
innovative way to exchange bodily fluids. Whereas 'Copper Blue' has an
attitude that to me sounds influenced by early Eighties new wave (and there
are worse influences to have), 'Ten' definitely takes cues from an earlier
era with guitar solos occasionally reminiscent of Hendrix. What's worse, I
heard a track from this album on Tommy Vance the other night! But don't let
that worry you, anyone who harbours a sneaking fondness for that authentic
rock sound, as I do, will love this album. There's a lot of pace and variation
in the songs, Vedder has a great voice even if the lyrics are occasionally
dodgy ("he seemed a harmless little f*ck") and it's well recorded so it
sounds brilliant on my new hifi.


Rod

Despite this conference's animosity towards NME, I'll risk ridicule and say that
Ruby Trax is one of the best albums I've heard for a long time. The highlights
are :

Johnny Marr and Bill(?) Duffy - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Teenage Fanclub - Mr. Tambourine Man

ElektriK Musik - Baby Come Back.

and

World Party - World Without Love.

Highly recommended.

Mark

    I'll second Rod's opinion of 'Copper Blue'. Loud guitars with tunes, my
    kind of stuff....
    
    Also good is Television's latest (their first since reforming after a
    14 year lay-off) - very guitary, more 'studied' than some of these
    noisy young 'erberts, and Tom Verlaine's singing has become reminiscent
    of Lloyd Cole. 
    
    Thank you, Santa.
    
    Bob

  <<< Note 18.242 by AYOV16::RENNISON "Bee bah bow   B-B-B-Bah  Bowww !!!" >>>

>World Party - World Without Love.




  I keep playing that as well - ( the next thing you know I'll be buying
  Blood on the Tracks), I really like the "groove" ( man ) on this and it
  is perfect when one feels in a mellow mood. I also agree that The Good,
  The Bad and The Average , whoops , Ugly is fun, but to my eternal shame 
  as a perfect antidote to the World Party induced mellowness, I play a
  burst of Sinead's "Secret Love".

  I skip the Jesus and Mary Chain's offering as it makes me think the 
  system is on the blink.

  Stuart

    Talking of World Party, has their been anything, album wise, since
    "Goodbye Jumbo"?
    
    barry.

    I got the ORB's UFORB which is much better than the first album.
    There's quite a bit of dub in it which makes it all the better but I'll
    still need to edit out the couple of boring repetetive bits and put it
    onto tape for long car journeys.Blue Room LP version isn't as good as
    the  single though.
    
    Also bought three or four dance/rave compilation tapes.

Re: .239  Henry Cow re-issues.  Funny you should say that Bob, as there's a
Virgin Years Compliation recently issued.  3 CD's, 26 tracks.

Lee

New Fast Automatic Daffodils 'Body Exit Mind'
---------------------------------------------

Here's a band whom fashion has left behind as Madchester fades into memory.
Trouble is, they're still making good records. 

They visited Geneva in December so I went and saw them. Without it being the
best gig ever, it was simply enjoyable, a good night out. I was pleased to
see in the Xmas NME that the NFADs rated their tour of Suisse Romande as one
of the highlights of their year. So I bought the lp with a fair degree of
confidence.

It opens with the track they start their set with, 'Bong', uptempo and happy.
In fact it's bongo drums that show their Indie dance roots, but now they
have a strong guitar emphasis, as heard in the good, riffy 'Stockholm', a
recent single. Their singer declaims rather than sings, a bit Mark E Smithish
and nothing wrong with that. He's got a confidential and thoughtful delivery.
As the record progresses, it becomes more melancholy; but many groups seem
to get moody towards the end of a record. The lyrics are cynical and wordly,
along the lines of 'It's not what you know, it's who you know'. The production
is clean, with a slight dub feeling, lots of bass and treble.

Without this being the best record ever, I like this one a lot. 


Rod

The last NFADs album 'Pigeonhole' is also very good. One of the best in my 
collection anyway.

Mark

Barry Adamson "Soul Murder"
---------------------------

I'm still catching up here. This one's been out ages, and I think was in
the running for the Mercury Music Award eventually picked up by 
"Screamadelica".

BA used to be part of Magazine, if you remember that terrific combo, but
this goes out under his own name. And whatever I expected this album to sound
like, it doesn't. I guess you could call soulful in feeling but don't expect
banks of horns or anything.

The first catchy track, 'Split', sounds very Bonzo Doggish; it's instantly
atractive. But via some short and sweet string sections we come to something
which you may only ever listen to once by choice: the strongest argument for
a CD 'skip' button I've ever come across. 'A gentle man of colour' is the
spoken account of the lynching and burning of a black man wrongly accused of
rape. Retaining the gloomy tone, 'Checkpoint Charlie' induces a keen
sense of central european alienation before things lighten up with 'The
Imaginary Bond Theme', an absolutely stonking rendition of your favourite
film soundtrack. 

The album is quite fragmented, some long tracks, many shorter linking sections.
It contains a lot of lush, sweet tunes set against a decidedly bleak tone. I
recommend it highly. But it didn't contain one track I looked for, his recent 
version of 'These boots are made for walking'. Anyone got that?


Rod

I have 'These boots are made for walking' on a tape and would gladly remove
it and give it to you if I could!

Ed

My favourite record purchase this Christmas is, well, you'd have to classify
it as non-serious: The Sugarcubes "It's It". Not new tunes, simply dance
remixes by various producers of existing Sugarcubes songs.

The NME was lukewarm in its review of this release, saying that by removing
the rock underpinnings from the songs, they'd lost their guts. I don't know,
sometimes the NME is too theoretical in its approach. Because this is a great
record, it just sounds so good! Bjork's voice is terrific, I love the dance
rhythms, and it's beautifully recorded. I even like the other guy doing the
shouty bits.

One interesting thing is that the NME mentioned that initial CD copies of
this came with a second CD that included more radical remixes than are on
the main record. Wouldn't mind hearing *that* if it was at all possible. I
bought a double vinyl version.


Rod

>The NME was lukewarm in its review of this release, saying that by removing
>the rock underpinnings from the songs, they'd lost their guts. I don't know,
>sometimes the NME is too theoretical in its approach. Because this is a great
>record, it just sounds so good! Bjork's voice is terrific, I love the dance
    
    Rod, you obviously haven't heard the dance remix of The Cult's 'She
    sells Sanctuary'.  The onlt redeeming feature of the mix is that it
    doesn't have any "Oh yeah"'s in it.
    
    Paul

You're right, I haven't. Did you like the original anyway? (I did, bought
the 12" of it.) Have you heard any of the remixed Sugarcubes record?


Rod

> Have you heard any of the remixed Sugarcubes record?
 
    Nope, but I'm willing to listen if somebody does an off site security
    backup for me.
    
    Paul              

    Ah! Just the words that I was looking to use in the Faith No More
    Note. 
    
    barry.  

    On the strength of our Rod's review I bought It's It on Saturday. The
    Woolworths store I was frequenting (the _only_ record store in Andover;
    I kid you not) had three copies, one of which had a freebie CD secreted
    down the back. In terms of ���s per minute it must be the best value
    full price CD around -- 75 minutes on the main one and another 60 on
    the freebie.
    
    Anyway the free one is truly excellent, and features the JAMC version of
    Birthday (very JAMC, right down to the guitar feedback and uh-huh
    vocalising), a Holst type remix of Planet (with cut ins from the Planets
    Suite), and a whole heap of others. As my friend Neil says the remixes
    do make you want to go back to the originals, but they're very good in
    themselves too. If, of course, you liked the Sugarcubes in the first
    place.
    
    Also available in Woolworths was the most excellent Associates Singles
    compilation (another 75 minutes worth) with everything from White Car
    in Germany and Tell Me Easter's on a Friday through to a couple of
    songs I'd never even heard from the 88/89 timeframe. And it was on sale
    at �7.
    
    And for �2 I also snapped up the 10,000 maniacs CD which seemed to
    include two mini-albums from 1984/85 though these weren't credited
    anywhere. A pure pop gem.
    
    Piers

Wedding Present - Hit Parade Vol II CD

	Release one single a month for the year, on 7" only, with cover 
versions on the B sides.  The last great pop experiment?  Probably.  The
Wedds had to compromise, and release each one as a limited edition, which 
perversly added to the excitement.  1993 won't be the same without that
nagging worry on the first monday of the month that they would be sold out
by the time you managed to reach your local Our Profits.

	This CD collects the second 6, plus B sides, and also has a limited
edition second CD with all 12 singles culled from BBC sessions.

	Collecting them all on CD in a strange way adds to these songs.  
True, you don't get that thrill as the stylus hits the vinyl for the first
time, and the CD is nowhere near as sexy as the single.  The songs themselves
range from pure pop (Flying Saucer) to angst-ridden noise (No Christmas), and
reward dedicated listening.  Many of them are not immediate, but once you 
get drawn into Gedges world of noise and broken lives, you won't want  to stop
listening.  Some of these songs stand up as amongst the best the band have
recorded (FLying Saucer, No Christmas, Loveslave).

	The cover versions are reasonable (tho' probably not as good as the
first 6).  There is an interesting version of the theme from Shaft, but the
 standout is 'Chant of the ever-circling skeletal family'.  This is a Bowie
song, tho' I've never heard of it, and is played here as an all out
sonic assault.  I'd like to hear the original sometime to compare it.

	Its nice to know that whatever developments are appearing from 
sterile laboratories in Japan, there is still room for people who care a
little about what we listen to.

	Also available - Dick Yorks Wardrobe.  This is the video to all 12
singles, with a chart countdown by Alan Freeman (not 'arf!).  The videos
themselves were all made by amateur filmakers, and are an interesting
bunch.  The band painted green and dressed in their underpants and
boots for Loveslave, Gedge in a pillow fight with two girls in Three, and 
waltzing OAPs for Come Play with Me.	

Mikef
	

    > This CD collects the second 6, plus B sides, and also has a limited
    > edition second CD with all 12 singles culled from BBC sessions.
    
    What does this mean?  All 12 A-sides from '92?
    
    And when were they recorded for the BBC?
    
    -confused_by_2nd_disc

    Throughout the year, the weddoes went into the BBC to record the
    singles (A sides) for sessions for various Radio shows.  Tracks 5, 6,7 for
    instance were recorded for the Peel show.  I think the first 3 were
    recorded for a Manchester radio show.  This CD collects these various
    sessions into one place.  Some are a bit different to the official
    release (No Christmas is lyricless for instance).
    
    Mikef

    
    My copy of this arrived in the post this morning, and I haven't had a
    chance to listen to it yet. Volume 1 was one of my favourite albums of
    last year.
    
>     What does this mean?  All 12 A-sides from '92?

    Yes.
    
>     And when were they recorded for the BBC?

    Some of them are from Peel sessions. The CD actually has all the
    details written on the front.
    
    Trevor

    It's been a while since anything's been heard from the Buttholes, and
    by the sound of this album, they're reaching the end of their own sick
    joke.  A few of the tracks have that good old Butthole's f**ked-up
    sound, with lots of feedback, weird voice effects and general gutteral
    black humour.  But a lot of the tracks either end up as monstrous
    guitar solos, or alternate versions of Ministry's `Jesus built my
    hot-rod' (The track they did together last year).  It was obvious by
    the last album `Piouhgd', that they were changing their style into a
    more mainstream one, and moving away from the early experimental stuff,
    but there's still a few tracks here to remind us of the good old days,
    namely `The Annoying Song', with it's helium vocals, and the
    vomit-and-feedback frenzy that is `Clean it up'.
    
    Entertaining, just.
    
    Lee

    *Still* the best band around for all of you who didn't know.  G. Drunk
    have proved themselves to be twice as good by managing to keep their
    music generally under control for this album, *and* have also learnt
    how to play Sergio Leone soundtracks alongside their Mission Impossible
    theme tunes.  Lots of slower moodier songs, with vocals you can
    actually understand.  Tunes so moody you can barely stand it.  Plenty
    of squalling noise just when required.  A brilliant album.
    
    Lee

    
"The STEREOLAB stereophonic disc represents the highest points yet reached in 
the recording of music on disc with so complete a fidelity to the original 
performance that all the consciousness of an intermediary vanishes between it 
and the listener, who is enveloped in the glorious sound of living music.  
Especially designed microphones, tape recorders and amplifiers are employed, on 
a basis of acoustically precise calculations, in this multi-channel recording, 
to produce dual master tapes each of which represent a different angle of 
listening.  Each embodies a frequency response covering an entire range of 
human hearing and in combination they produce a rounded, full and balanced 
three dimensional sound.  The disc is  cut with the 45 / 45 system, making it 
possible to hear from a disc for the first time all of the subtle details of 
the original performance in proper perspective, with each instrument reaching 
the listener from its proper location on the stage or in the ensemble.  This 
disc may be played with any stereophonic cartridge.

In order to reproduce this disc with optimum fidelity the prime requisites are,
in addition to a suitable stereophonic cartridge, a pair of preamplifiers and
amplifiers of wide range and low distortion, and two speakers, preferably
matched, but at least of similar characteristics.  The left and right channels
should be balanced so that each produces an equal volume of sound.  This cannot
be done by giving both the same setting as even matched speakers may vary their
efficiency. the simplest way is to play a monaural containing speech or a
vocal selection through the stereophonic system. (Any stereophonic cartridge
will reproduce a monaural disc without damage.) The right-left controls should
then be adjusted until the voice appears to be coming from the exact center
position between the two loudspeakers. If the volume of sound coming from left
and right is equal to the ear, and yet the sound seems to be equally spread
between the two speakers instead of coming out dead center, the phasing of the
speakers may be out of adjustment.  This can be corrected by reversing the
leads of only one of the speakers.  This phasing adjustment will often serve to
eliminate the so-called "hole in the center" effect occasionally 
encountered on stereo recordings when this is attributable to incorrect 
phasing.It should be borne into mind that both the level and phasing 
adjustments are purely imperical in nature.

Loudspeakers should be placed if possible about 8 to 10 feet apart (from center 
of left speaker cone to center or right hand speaker cone), and should 
preferably face straight out into the room, rather than being angled in towards 
center.  the listener can be assured that this recording, when the playback is 
initially adjusted properly, will simulate to an extraordinary degree the 
illusion of music being performed in one of the world's great concert halls."

    Is it any good, though, Lee?

We are the music-makers...

The Aphex Twin is a talented brat called Richard James who's putting out
records with impressive productivity right now. Polygon's 'Surfing the Sine
Waves' is him in another guise. Before I heard 'Selected Ambient Works' I
was a little worried about the word "ambient", fearing that the music would
turn out to be knitted-sandal new age nonsense, but in fact it's all right,
it's a *different* sort of aural wallpaper and it has a dance credibility.
It's very electronic; there are no vocals apart from an occasional sample;
there are dance rhythms but the beat is never so loud as to be irritating;
it sounds very melodic and fresh to the ears. This is great music for
relaxing to, and the beats are just strong enough to sneakily get your foot
tapping. This one has spent a lot of time on my turntable. Recommended.
                    

Rod

    
    Rod,
    
    Sorry about this, but it's the second time I've come across it today.
    
    WTF is aural wallpaper and can you get arrested for doing it?

I think I'm responsible for both of them.

What I mean is music that can meander along in the background without
actually managing to penetrate your consciousness. Thus the Sex Pistols
could rarely achieve this but (who can I slag off here?) Mike Oldfield
always does. Better?


Rod

    The Petrols fifth album comes after a lengthy gap since the rather 
    special "Chemicrazy". 3 years to be precise, during which time they
    have been thrown off Virgin and had to employ a new bass player. 
    "Fireproof" is the first release on their own Koogat label and with no
    formal producer in attendance, it lacks the clean cut production of its
    predecessor. The above problems however, have not affected what is 
    another excellent album.
    
    Current single "Detonate my Dreams" kicks off the procedings in a
    furious fashion, followed by the crashing riff of the aptly titled
    "Catch a fire", whilst "Last of True Believers" is probably what the Monkees
    would have sounded like if they had been around in '77 rather '67.
    
    Tracks such as "Shangri-La", "Speed of Light" and "7th Wave" are more
    like the precise pop music of "Chemicrazy" but have a more 'live' feel
    to them. Steve Mack's almost shrill vocals really stand out here, almost
    a complete opposite of the early sobre singing on the first couple of 
    singles. Having said that I think the band in those days were trying to
    rid off themselves of the ghost that was the 'Undertones' - the O'Neill
    brothers having been in both bands.
    
    The band are currently mid-way through a UK tour and if you cannot
    catch them live then I would strongly recommend this album.
     

    Bubonique - 20 Golden Showers

	Formed out of friends and members of the Fatima Mansions, Bubonique
	take a lot of samples, drum machines, noise, sex, stupid ideas,
	swearing, electronic grunge, cover verisons, humor and chuck the
	whole lot down in no particular order onto this album.  Highlights
	include their Vegas version of `Release the Bats', the
	techno-nightmare of `Theme from "Chicken Arse"', and `D.L.T. 666 No
	Idea (Insincere)', in which prize prat Dave Lee Travis mouths off
	about the state of the music industry, only to be cut short by a
	nuclear explosion that is guaranteed to destroy your stereo.  Can't
	say I recommend it too much, as it requires much tolerance to
	listen to, and the belief that pointlessness *can* be an art form.
	Still, quite unbelieveable, nerve-wise.

    Trumans Water - Spasm Smash XXXOXOX Ox and Ass

	More alternatively-tuned guitars from over the pond.  Less tuneful
	than, say, Pavement, and more like Polvo in their song
	arrangements. (See?  It's easy, this game.)  Quite loud, quite
	shouty, and that's about it.  Music to shake your head to, although
	by the end of the album, it's more like music to shake someone
	else's head to.

    Earth - Earth 2

	Earth create the slowest sludgiest drone you'll ever hear.  3
	tracks on this CD, though they all merge into one long 77 minute
	aural downer.  It'll either drive you nuts waiting for something to
	happen, or you'll get so totally immersed in the sound of nothing
	that you'll probably go into a coma.


    Lee

Radiohead 'Pablo Honey'

I first noticed this group when I heard the single 'Creep', an awesome
blast of self-hate, the lp being a must-buy on the strength of this song
alone. Thom Yorke of Radiohead must be a crazy mixed-up kid if lyrics like
this are anything to go by:

i wanna have control
i wanna perfect body
i want a perfect soul
i want you to notice
when i'm not around
but i'm a creep
i'm a weirdo 

But hey, can't we all identify with that? (No. Ed) Radiohead have a
terrific guitar-based sound and a clutch of good tunes and lyrics that make
this record a little treasure. The icing on the cake is that the vinyl lp
is available for 5.49 and the CD for not much more. 


New Order 'Republic'

A wait of four years since 'Technique' naturally means that this New Order
Release (as they themselves call it) comes under close scrutiny. NO are one
of a tiny number of groups whose records I buy as a matter of course, and I
was eager to lay my hands on this. Some changes since last time, notably tv
advertising of the single, between ads for Bon Jovi and dance compilations,
and cheesy ironic-I-suppose graphics a million miles away from the
deliberate restraint of the past. The sound is very much a continuation of
NO's recent electronic dance style, nothing new for them, but sounding
uncomfortably like the Pet Shop Boys in places. (Maybe that should be the
other way round really, but which band has had the higher profile in the
past four years?). The trouble is that although this is a very solid album,
there are no real stand-out tracks for me to love and remember this record
by. 'Republic' shows that NO can still make good records but, just
possibly, it marks their slip into formula and comfort and away from
passion and relevance.


Stereolab 'The Groop Played Space Age Batchelor Pad Music'

As far as I can make out, Stereolab are a small but happy band of
London-based musos intent on making their own peculiar brand of sound
without too much pressure to be commercial, which is good because that sure
is an awful title for a record. Sean O'Hagan, ex of Microdisney is the only
name I recognise. Their sound is strummed guitars, farfisa organ, air
freshener lid (that's what it says here!) with female vocals, not exactly
kick-ass rock and roll but pleasant nonetheless. You could call them
experimental, if experimental means being occasionally irritating and not
having to sing *quite* in tune. This is a nice enough record and I urge you
to, er, take the chance to listen to someone else's copy if you've got a
few minutes to spare. 


Sugar 'Beaster'

A mini-album from Sugar! What A Good Idea, saves us punters from having to
wait years while the band goes off and has babies or coke habits instead of
keeping out toes tapping.  Not only that but the record is cheaply-priced
too (and not that short at 31 minutes - compare for example the
fully-priced Lemonheads 'Shame...' record which lasts all of 33 minutes).
And not only *that*, but last year's 'Copper Blue' was such a good record
that one expects a lot from this release. It kicks off terrifically with
the semi-instrumental 'Come Around', loud but subtle, but for me this is
the high-point. The sound is hard and there's a lot of guitar abuse but
there isn't quite the simplicity of 'Copper Blue's string of good songs.
And I don't like the green plastic they use for the cd box. What the hell,
buy this one anyway, it's  worth it.


The Goats 'Tricks of the Shade'

What can I say but... this is a hip-hop concept album. Who'd have believed
it? The Goats have combined a liberal awareness with a strong satirical
sense to chart the journey of Chickenlittle and his kid brother Hangerhead
(born we assume after his mother failed in her attempt to perform an
abortion with a coathanger, unable as she was to get a hospital abortion
because of the efforts of the pro-lifers) through Uncle Scam's Federally
Funded Well Fair and Freak Show, by means of a series of skits reflecting
American neuroses about race, inequality and guns interspersed among the
music tracks. The music is excellent (if you already like hip-hop) and
avoids the usual rap misogyny, but there aren't too many obvious singles to
make new converts. A terrific record this, but not easy listening.


Rod

    Like "Do The Dogs Dig" by the Goats  - dothedugdigduggadugga
    
    					Stuart

    `Boces' is not an easy album to describe.  It's usually a combination
    of languid vocals, lazy tunes, the occasional flute and bouts of
    terrifying noise.  The tunes sometimes seem to lapse into freeform jazz
    before collapsing into feedback, or maybe just stopping short of
    something great.  Not as good as their debut album unfortunately, but
    enough to tie you over until they make it into the studio again.
    
    Lee

    Bjork 'Debut'

    Anyone who loves the Sugarcubes (or should that be loved, I don't
    know) must be interested in a record made by the owner of *that*
    breathy voice. Anyone who's never even heard of the Sugarcubes
    should still be interested, because this is a great record.

    Reviews had suggested something very varied so I was a little
    suspicious of what might be on this disc, not being convinced I
    need to alter my rock diet. It kicks off with 'Human Behaviour',
    somehow a better title than the track deserves, but by track 3 it
    really comes alive. 'Venus as a boy' has a top tune, a lovely slow
    but bouncy rhythm, and great Indian-influenced string effects
    swirling around. The fun continues in 'There's more to life than
    this', a disco track apparently sung during a party in which Bjork
    sneaks out for a visit (so I've read) to the bog while continuing
    to sing. Following that there's a total change of mood for a love
    song sung to harp accompaniment and - I swear I am not making this
    up - background traffic noises.

    There are few records that merit track by track description, but
    this really is one, however I'm not going to continue because all
    you really need to know is that you must buy it.


    Slowdive 'Souvlaki'

    Yes yes, I know the enormo debt they owe to the Cocteaus, but how
    much music do the Cocteaus put out these days (upcoming record
    aside)? Anyway, I was glad to see a new disc. The Thames Valley
    groups seem to have faded from view this year, almost as if the
    shoe-gazer tag had crushed their fragile egos. 

    'Souvlaki' picks up where 'Just for a day' left off. They have
    resisted the temptation to go techno or grunge. If you liked the
    first lp, you'll like this one, and the converse is true. In fact
    I think this is a better record than 'Just for a day', it's very
    melodic throughout, and has more authority somehow, as much as
    this delicate music can be said to have authority at all. So, not
    a record for a teenage metal-head but if you have a taste for
    sweet melancholy, try it.

    Incidentally, the man at Green River records in Reading  - great
    shop - sold me a signed copy, explaining that he lives with the
    band.


    Sven Vath  'Accident in Paradise'

    Green River records was also where I found this record after I'd
    picked up on an NME review which included phrases like 'ambient
    techno', 'orb-style' and '9/10', not that I'm admitting that
    Trevor Warwick typecast me correctly.

    This is the 'Vorsprung durch technik' principle applied to ambient
    techno, and I have to admit it has worked excellently well. There
    are some great, well, noises in here, didgeridoos, things that go
    clink in the background, put together in lengthy tracks that give
    space for an idea to be developed. There's an inspired pairing of
    a real thudding techno track (the title track) immediately
    followed by the rhythm-free, awesome 'drifting like whales in the
    darkness', in which hair-prickling synths take you into black
    ocean depths there to hear whale cries echoing through the
    vastness. Or something like that!

    Naturally the whole record can't hit that kind of peak, and
    occasionally it's prone to a sort of pretentious european
    theatricality, but the good tracks make it all worthwhile.


    Smashing Pumpkins  'Siamese Dream'

    The first mention I saw of the SPs was in this very file, where
    Bob Green said that they made a 'damn fine noise'. Eventually I
    heard 'Gish' and was knocked out by it, played it to death, so
    'Siamese Dream' was a must-buy.

    This isn't either a record for teenage metal-heads, but *adult*
    metal-heads will love it. Billy Corgan has developed a great
    smoothly fuzzy guitar sound, and he's not afraid to use it, plus 
    he's got a good indie-metal voice. I like the drum sound too. They
    vary the dynamics, with lovely quiet sections which crashing
    guitars then smash to pieces, and write a lot of riffy tunes. I'm
    sure they're singing about crucial subjects too, although it's
    rather hard to tell. The only reservation I have is that this
    record doesn't do anything 'Gish' didn't. Then again I've just
    praised Slowdive for virtually the same thing. There's no justice
    in this world. 


    Rod

    re. Bjork "Debut" it is an EXCELLENT release. "Venus as a boy" is
    great, probably my favourite. Other highlights are "Big Time
    Sensuality", "Violently Happy", I even like the "Anchor" song.
    
    	fred deady

    Good stuff, this - strong guitars, with a melodic feel but not afraid
    to get a bit noisy here and there. Contains the hit, 'Creep', and the
    massively classic older 45 release, 'Anyone can play guitar' with its,
    er, coiling melody.
    
    This will be a contender fir a place in my top 5 albums of the year.
    
    Bob

    >    This will be a contender fir a place in my top 5 albums of the year.
    
    1992, right?
    
    Piers

    That's right. I'm talking about albums I have actually got round to
    buying in 1993; similarly, Eno's 1978 lp 'Music for Airports' is likely
    to be in there too....
    
    Up_to_dately yours
    
    Bob

Saturday was considerably brightened by the arrival of these records
in the post.


'Trance Europe Express'
-----------------------

This is from the makers of the CD magazine volume. Your �12 buys you a hell
of a lot: two CDs containing 150 minutes of music, and a CD-sized booklet
with articles on all the groups in the compilation. Which is a round-up of
what's happening on the trance/ambient/house front: electronic dance music.

This is a genre I've become increasingly interested in in the past couple
of years, ever since hearing 'little fluffy clouds'. This compilation 
features tracks with a harder groove than that on the whole, though there
are exceptions. The Aphex Twin's 'Analogue Bubblebath III' has no beat, and
is simply a swelling burst of dark and moody synth noise, excellent late
night music. Also to my pleasure there's another Sven V�th track, just as
good as any on his 'Accident in Paradise' record.

Don't go looking for hummable tunes on this collection, just enjoy the
great rhythms and sounds. Dance music seems to be forging ahead at the
moment and if you are sympathetic to the electronic sound, you'd be doing
yourself a big favour by buying this collection and discovering just how
much is happening. 

Orbital
-------

Orbital are one of the groups featured on the above collection. The record
I bought is their second, recognisable by a brown cover.

What I like about trancey music is the space it offers for an idea to be
developed; no need to keep tracks to three minutes any more. Sure that can
be a licence for boredom in the wrong hands, but Orbital manage just fine.
An opening burst of fun with a tape loop leads into an hour of choppy
rhythms and top sounds with many passages of pure enjoyment. Recommended.


Rod  

    Thanks for the TRance Europe review - I've been thinking of getting
    thismyself, seems like good value for two CDs at the price of one. 
    Also thinking of getting 'Feed Your HEad', a Planet Dog ambient compilation
    album.  I heard a track by Eat Static on the radio atthe weekend, and
    it sounded good to me.  Anyone know much about this Dog stuff?
    
    Mikef

All I know is that it keeps getting mentioned.

You're not going to get anywhere with dance music by relying on mass
approval before buying. The scene seems so splintered and fast-moving
that you'll never get a grip on it. All you can do is take a chance and
buy something you think you might like.


Rod

� You're not going to get anywhere with dance music by relying on mass
� approval before buying. The scene seems so splintered and fast-moving
� that you'll never get a grip on it. All you can do is take a chance and
� buy something you think you might like.

Used to be the only solution was to have some mates who are DJ's and
who usually fall over themselves to show off what great mixers they are
by providing you with free tapes. Recently though, some end-to-end mixed
CD's with loads of current stuff knocking around have come out, mixed by
the top boys. I dont know if anyone has mentioned them in here, but the 
"Journey By DJs" series are worth investing in, as is the "Ministry Of 
Sound Sessions" CD. All these CD's are pretty generally available.

	Ian. 

    Not interested in mass approval, but an opinion helps in these
    financially tight times.
    
    All together now
    
    
    I wannaaaa beeeeeeee.....an anomaleeeeeee
    
    Mikef

The reviews today are presented as a comparison chart to make your choice
easier in these times of financial pressure and expensive music formats.


				Liz Phair	PJ Harvey	Cocteau Twins
				'Exile in 	'4-track	'4-Colander
				Guyville'	Demos'		Caf�'
                                ---------       ---------       -------------

Uses the number '4' in title	no		yes		yes
Uses the basic guitar sound	yes		yes		no
Swoopy echo-ey multilayered	no		read the title,   yes
  studio effects				dummy
Has gone techno			no		no		what?
Is a little bit grungy		a little	a little more	what?
Female vocalist			definitely	possibly	yes
Uses the word "f*ck"		yes		yes		no
Likes motorbikes		probably	f*cking hates	doubt it
						them
You'd like to go for 		
  a drink with her              definitely	erm...		at wine bar
Even though she blames		
  men for everything            definitely	definitely	probably
Is seen wearing bra on 		yes		yes		that'll be 
  sleeve art                                                    the day
Has a permanent cob on		no		yes		no
Lyrics can be understood, and	yes		yes		sound nice
-are worth listening to		yes		yes		sound nice
-are about happy relationships	no		no		sound nice
-about unhappy relationships	yes		yes		sound nice
Is easy on the ear		mostly		rarely		always
Is swooningly beautiful		no		no		absolutely
But could rudely be called 	
  'coffee-table' music          no		no		'fraid so
You'd call it challenging?	sexually	sonically	lyrically
Kicks ass			sometimes	often		never
Sometimes screams in an 	
  embarrassing way              no		yes		no
Sorry, you did need Steve 	
  Albini on 'Rid of me'         NA		'fraid so	who?
Is available at a low price	no		yes		no
Though should have been 	
  free with 'Rid of me'         NA		yes		what?
Has a good cover		no		yes		yes
Has masses of good tunes	some 		some		masses
Sounds good even when	       	
  the tunes are so-so           yes		erm...		yes 
Listening music			yes		yes		yes
Also works as background music	yes		no		yes
Beavis and Butthead would say	he he he	that's cool	that sucks
You'll be glad you bought it	yes		erm...		yes


Rod

okay, except for:

>				Liz Phair	PJ Harvey	Cocteau Twins
>				'Exile in 	'4-track	'4-Colander
>				Guyville'	Demos'		Caf�'
>                               ---------       ---------       -------------
>
>Female vocalist			
>Uses the word "f*ck"						constantly

try listening to their interviews!

Chris.

    I enjoyed that a lot, Rod, but is:
    
> '4-Colander Caf�'
    
    ...holier than thou?
    
    Piers
    
    

Last Friday evening after the Digital Christmas party I went along to the
Usine in Geneva to see Yo La Tengo whom I'd seen there before about 18
months ago. You could loosely call them grungy, mainly down to their live
love of rock-out guitar solos, but really their core business is melodic
and wistful indie guitar rock. I didn't enjoy them so much this time, they
allow their songs to sprawl too much live, but I picked up their latest
offering, 'Painful', at the gig for a mere SF15 on vinyl, which is less
than �7.

It's truly an excellent record. The discipline of the recording studio
brings out the best in their songs. It has a subdued and melancholic feel,
some lovely simple arrangements, nothing fancy or over-produced. Buy it for
yourself for Christmas.


Rod 

I meant to get something useful done tonight but I got sidetracked by
tiredness and wine. Oh well.
              

Seefeel 'Quique'

Save my blushes in the record shop and tell me how that's pronounced: 
Keek. Honest. 

Why did you buy it?: I heard an interview with them on the local radio
station and liked the clips of music I heard and their enthusiasm. 

I hope you're not falling into the trap of only liking obscure bands: 
Piss off.

Give me one word that sums this album up: Monotonous.  

Meant critically?: Depends on your attitude. I've always loved music you
could call monotonous, if that means something where a good hook and a good
sound gets repeated and developed. Killing Joke, The Cocteau Twins, New
Order, they all did it. Trancey stuff takes it to extremes. 

Oh I see. It's techno, is it?: Weeell, yes and no. It's heavily influenced
by that, but I'd hesitate to say you could actually dance to it. The beat
isn't quite strong enough. 

So what you're telling me is that a bunch of saddoes have managed to
surgically remove all the fun from techno, a genre that up till now I'd
thought was totally bomb-proof?: Steady on, that's going too far! Yes, I
read a live review that said they were crap because you couldn't dance to
them. But there's this new classification they talk about, electronic
listening music, a name I don't like because it sounds like dance music for
nerds who haven't the guts to dance and want to intellectualise it anyway,
but it does make the point that there is a place for rythmic music that
isn't clich�d nor singles chart moronic. 

Huh, I bet you liked Tangerine Dream: No I didn't. Anyway the only record I
ever bought of theirs was in a sale. 

How do Seefeel sound when you're tired and vaguely drunk?: Good question.
Bloody brilliant with a hope-this-never-stops groove. 

Will I like it?: Hard to say. If you can get a listen, do.  

What would Beavis and Butthead say?: Who cares, they're only cartoon
characters. He he, he he he.


Rod 

Astralasia 'Twilight Whirl'
Shouldn't there be a u in there somewhere... whooshing noises... tabla
drums... probably what they mean by tribal... I suppose this is ambient...
still some urgency in it though.

The Drum Club 'Furry Meadows'
Bird noises... couldn't have been recorded here in France, or men with big
guns would have shot all the little sparrows and blackbirds dead and called
it hunting. 

Eat Static 'Kothluwalawa'
Britons spend an average of �76 a year on sweets... didgeridoo... I bet
that's tribal too.

Banco de Gaia 'Qurna'
More bird noises... tribal drums... I could go swimming in that bassline...
luxury.

Pressure of Speech 'Surveillance'
Wow, Emmanuelle Beart is so beautiful... a kind of benign voyeurism is in
action... the viewer is free, the viewer is free... these vocal samples are
really alienating... great.

Optic Eye 'Blue Dreamers'
This collection must be using up the world's supply of whooshing noises...
a bit Orb-ish at the very end... never did anything else as good as little
fluffy clouds.

The Knights of the Occasional Table 'Rain'
Where do they get these names from... Another gorgeous bassline... Wonder
how many songs about rain there are, let's see, wasn't there a Cult one,
J&M Chain were fond of it, Eurythmics too I think... nice dubby feel here,
hope it goes on for a while.

Tuu 'One Thousand Years'
Nothing mental so far... this note has been digitally remastered for
optimum reading between the hours of 3 and 8am... slowest of a slow bunch.

System 7 'Habibi'
Steve Hillage must be getting on a bit... what was that band he was in...
still the same guitar sound... this new hippyism must be a godsend for
him... nice though.

Nodens Ictus 'PlurIngrium'
Where DO they get these names from... would make classy film music this.

The Ullulators '...And Hardly Any Ears!'
Some sort of jazz-funk influence at work here... hmm... these people are
getting too damn sophisticated... what can I eat now, I'm not hungry but I
want something... is she wearing anything under that dress?


Rod

Bummer. No chanting Gregorian monks this time. I liked them, I did; I saw
Enigma, I thought chanting monks. On the other hand, we still have a young
woman's voice from time to time and that's sexier than any number of monks. 

So what do we have here. Some heavyweight track titles for one: The Eyes Of
Truth, Return To Innocence. Lyrics that don't mess round, telling us,
"That's why we are here", although the actual reason for why we are here
escapes me right now. Perhaps it's to buy Enigma records. It sounds a bit
trancey, a bit ambient, but I kept hearing things that sounded like Pink
Floyd, The Beatles, Hendrix, surprisingly old sources, with a smattering of
Orb-style samples and drum sounds to bring it up-to-date. Plus we have
medieval pictures on the sleeve notes and an order form for official
merchandise, such as a medieval black leather bomber jacket, DM298. What is
all this?

I can't help feeling that fundamentally it's a heap of toss. This record
exploits the sort of adolescent mysticism normally restricted, quite
rightly, to Dungeons and Dragons. It's put together by numbers in a cynical
fashion to make money from an audience too young or ignorant to know all
the other bands that it's ripping off. 

Ah, so what. It sounds nice. It couldn't offend anyone. It's a pleasant
backing track for more interesting pursuits. I didn't mean to be so rude
about it. 


Rod

OD'ed on ambient this year, so this time in Reading the buying policy was
slanted to guitar music. It's pop's core business, let's face it.

So many records, so little money! CD singles is where it's at for sampling
the music, so on a whim I started with the CRASH TEST DUMMIES 'Mmm Mmm Mmm
Mmm'. Fay said she liked it, it's the surprise hit of the year. Must say
I'd hoped for a rough jewel of slacker grunge but in fact it turns out to
be a slow, almost ballady thing growled in a deep voice. Although I can see
why it's a hit, I'm disappointed with it. Worth having but I wouldn't have
bought it if I'd heard it first. Could the US do better with the '4-song
CD' from SEBADOH, yes it could. Don't be fooled with the title, the cd
player shows ten tracks on this crammed into a short 22 minutes, but all
for the standard ep price of four quid. It's great. Here's the raw guitar
sound I was looking for complete with tape hiss and the occasional weird
sample. If you've a weakness for sloppy but attractive American guitar
bands, get this. At the record fair in Reading two weeks ago I didn't
resist SHED 7's 'Casino Girl' single, pleasingly marked Promo Copy - Not
For Resale. I heard them on the radio talking about how they're influenced
by the Charlatans, Stone Roses etc, and it shows, but they have their own
sound and a good way of taking a song higher just when you thought you'd
heard all there was to hear. I like this one a lot. Best buy at the record
fair was 'Barny' by MOLLY HALF-HEAD, three solid songs for �1 and the title
track is a snarly little gem. JACOB'S MOUSE played at Reading while I was
there, in the new venue at the hospital, but I couldn't be bothered going.
Could've been a mistake. Their 'Fandango Widewheel' (these people are
struggling to find words to describe their music, I can tell) features a
Peter Hook-style bass attack, some weird samples (for once of british
rather than american voices) and thrashy guitar and it all brought a happy
smile to my face. Finally some euro-indie-pop from DARRYL-ANN with 'I could
never love you' which on first listen I could get to love.

In a different vein, BARK PSYCHOSIS interested me purely on the strength of
their name. I saw it mentioned a few times in NME, it stuck in my mind.
Then the same paper gave their album 'Hex' an 8 review, saying it was dark
and moody. My kind of music! So I got it on vinyl cos it seems like a vinyl
kind of record (others seem natural for cd). Winced at the �9.29 price but
it's worth it for such a lovely pressing which sounds just fabulous.
Speaking of vinyl, I saw a must-get item in Green River; mats for record
turntables, s'pose they're for DJs. Nearly dropped �10 on the one which
says "hard as f*ck" round the edge, but poverty restrained me (good taste
sure didn't). But back to the music. Love it on first listen, is this good,
I think so. It's smoky dark bar jazzy without sounding like jazz, it's the
Cocteau Twins on depressants with Robert Wyatt singing, it's ambient but
with real songs and moods, it's sparse cymbals and pianos with rumbling
bass lines, it has quiet bits until something nasty rises to the surface
like a pike coming up to swallow a duckling. Guns and Roses fans won't like
it. It's (and I really hate to say this) sort of adult music - but for
adults who haven't given in to the imperative to buy music from dinosaur
bands on CD. It's late night listening. Highly recommended. 


Rod

Hole 'Live through this'

A horribly prophetic title considering what later happened to Courtney's
husband and then also the bassist in Hole. Something of a media storm
surrounds her these days, much of the coverage unflattering, and it's
hard to cut through that to actually hear the music of her band honestly.
I read one good review of this record, then heard a couple of tracks that
I liked, so I thought it could be worth getting.

And so it is. This a damn good record, totally grungy, but with a female 
voice it's lighter than the macho wailings of the likes of Pearl Jam and
that's no bad thing. Like Nirvana, the mood is angst-ridden, punky and
rebellious, but also like Nirvana, good riffs and melodies are hiding under
the guitar noise. Several excellent tracks, such as 'Miss World', and no
stinkers - it's a solid record, very listenable, and could help you soothe
those post-Nirvana blues.


Biosphere 'Patashnik'

What does 'Patashnik' *mean*, anyway? Who knows. But if you thought that
Biosphere sounds green and ambient, you'd be dead right. My local indie
radio station has this year devoted the midnight-1am slot to ambient
sounds, which is great except that they never say what they're playing.
So I was gratified to find, on listening to this record, that Biosphere
have been regulars - I recognised several of the tracks.

What does it sound like? It reminds me of the soundtrack to an atmospheric
SF thriller - something that might be playing during the more dreamlike
sequences out of Bladerunner or Alien. We're talking about heartbeat-rate
rhythms, hypnotic progressions, and the obligatory weird voice samples.
This is not upbeat party music, it's for chilling out to late on an
introspective night, mood music par excellence. Bit of an ambient classic,
I'd say.


Rod

    Local indie radio station? If only....
    
    Bob

Orbital 'Snivilisation'

Orbital's third lp and they've come a long way from being confused with the
other Orb group (unless I was the only one who did that). Select magazine
voted them the best Glastonbury act this year which, if it proves anything,
shows their current high profile. NME obliged with a 9/10 review for the
new disc which certainly whetted my appetite. Me, I'd have settled for a
track as good as 'Halcyon'.

The cover art immediately tells us something interesting is happening, with
its grey scenes of surreal interiors. The surreality continues into the
music. Orbital have gone to town on the voice samples, well weird when
lifted out of context. The rhythms are as choppy and as idiosyncratic as
ever, but always listenable. And listening is where we're at for this,
there's not so much that you'd really want to dance to, but there's an
awful lot you want to sit there and listen to. It's very coherent, much
more than simply a collection of tracks, and throughout there's a sort of
sad modern-life-is-rubbish tone to it. Well, I'm not disagreeing with that.

Did I find another 'Halcyon'? Not quite, nothing can quite match the glassy
smoothness of that, but check out 'Attached', the last track; beautiful
pure techno for a soaring end to a record with too much on its mind.


Rod

    
    Oasis - Definitely Maybe
    
    This rather good album could quite easily have been LP of the Year
    (it still maybe, I suppose) if the production hadn't rather 'muffled'
    the sound in places and the rather plodding single 'Shakermaker' not
    been included. Still though, this band have created quite a stir this
    year for one reason or another and their making the music to match.
    The plagarisms throughout the record are obvious (hello Beatles, Sex
    Pistol and T Rex) but the band are definitely creating a sound of
    their.
    
    'Rock'n'Roll star' kicks off the album at a frantic pace with good
    old fashioned guitar frenzy. Singles 'Shakermaker' & 'Live Forever'
    follow close behind but the undoubted highlight of the first side
    is the track 'Columbia'. This is something of an epic which builds
    as the song goes on with guitar riffs laced on top of each other
    to create a crescendo of sound. Swiflty followed by 'Sad Song' (only
    available on vinyl) which is an acoustic number whereby Liam Gallagher
    does his best Lennon/McCartney vocal impression.
    
    The second side contains the Pistols influenced 'Bring it on down',
    the Bolan rip off 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' (actually the version of
    this on the free NME tape was better) and the excellent single
    'Supersonic'. Highlight of this side and indeed the whole album 
    however is 'Slide Away' which is rather special and would no doubt
    have those boys from Suede wetting their undies.
    
    This is a fine album and is worth purchasing - oh yeah the jaunty
    'Digsy's Diner' nicks the riff from a That Petrol Emotion song
    but I cant think which one it is.  
    
    
    

    re-1
    
    I agree, its all spiffing stuff.  They did a few of the new numbers
    live earlier this year, and I have a couple of them on the last live
    tape (from Windsor at the end of last year).  They are all in the same
    sort of mode.
    
    I'm seeing them in Wolverhampton in October, maybe London also.
    
    Mikef

    
    For some strange reason M-People's album won the Mercury prize, album of
    the year announced last night...I guess none of the singles can be on
    it, her voice is so annoying.....Strange choice, especially when the likes
    of Blur, Pulp and Paul Weller were also incontention and all three of
    these albums are great....
    
    Neil..

    Someone else out there likes the Weddoes!
    
    I've been prepared for these newer Wedds numbers, having heard them
    live/on tapes etc, but this album is a wonderful thing that should be
    taken home and loved dearly.  My fave is 'Spangle', a very odd thing
    with a backing track heard through distortion and crackles, rather like
    an old wind up record player, with Gedge following a very sad and
    lonesome tune. Its possibly one of the Wedds best tracks.  The album
    even ends with an instrumental.
    
    Looking forward to seeing them in October.
    
    Mikef

    not sure on support yet - I should hear from the band info servic esoon
    I hope.
    
    I'm off to WOlverhampton, and possibly London.  Maybe I should go to
    Bristol?  I live in Hungerford at the mo, and Bristol only looks a
    little way down the M4...
    
    Spangled
    
    Mikef

    but he doesn't really care a lot about it!
    
    but the Wedds lp today.
    
    I also picked up the new James/Eno lp, and the Oasis album.  I've only
    listened to Oasis - sounds ok, lots of fuzzy guitars and pleasent
    tunes.  very good in car listening I think.  
    
    m

    re James - in the NME and Vox it got good revs.  Its not very Jamesy,
    not like Laid at all, but I quite like the little I've heard, but then
    I like wierd Eno style stuff.
    
    m

    I know - I have it.  and the remix...
    
    ssppppgngngnnglllllllle booop
    
    m

    I've been dead for years...
    
    Mikef

Hmm, you two aren't the only people in here.

Anyway, as a interesting diversion, I picked up Capercaillie by (yup,
you guessed) Capercaillie. It's not a debut album, but instead is a
revisit of tracks off their last two albums (Delerium and Secret People).
Quite a major revisit in fact. Gone are most of the swirling new age 
ambient vibes, replaced by quite a hard edge funk feel.

Certainly not your typically new-age celtic swilshy fluff.

Balders

Why I like Lush:
-  'Sweetness and Light' single in 1990, which showed me there was good 
   new music at a time when I was only looking backwards, musically.
-  Their girlie singing.
-  That Miki's red hair.
-  The beautiful packaging of their records, with lovely sleeve art and 
   design. Especially for the new record.
-  That they live up to their name by featuring regularly in drink-related 
   ligging incidents.
-  Their records.

Why I like the new Lush album 'Split':
-  'Desire Lines', track 6, clocks in a lengthy 7:37. It's slow, obscure 
   and moving, and it's the best single track they've ever done (fact).
-  The other long track on this album, 'Never Never', 8.04, is another of 
   the best tracks they've ever done. Thank God Lush can recognise when 
   they've got a good tune on their hands and make the most of it. It bugs 
   me when bands think they're being musical or authentic or creative by 
   cramming twenty two-minute tracks onto a record. I just look at that 
   and know that I'll wish that half the tracks had been thrown out and 
   that the other half were twice as long. But I digress.
-  Both these tracks are over in a flash anyway.
-  I hesitate to use this word, but they have achieved a maturity I haven't 
   heard from them before. They've got the confidence to vary the pace, 
   they've got their sound nailed down, they have bittersweet lyrics: they 
   sound like they've experienced life.
-  They've cheekily included a reworking of 'Starlust' from two years ago.
-  It's the best album they've made, and it's out now.


Rod

    
    	RE-1 
    		Glad to hear they're back - didn't like spooky much at all
    	- will buy this - any news of a tour to go along with the new
    album.
           			stuart

> any news of a tour to go along with the new album.

As a matter of fact, yes. I learned from the radio last night that they're
playing the Fri-Son tomorrow night. If you're wondering where that is, it's
in Switzerland about an hour's drive from me! I'm there already...


Rod

    ...an hour's drive at 200km/h eh, Rod? That car of yours been in for a
    service then?
    
    Anyway, I digress. Just wanted to say how excellent I think the new
    Frank Black album (new to me, anyway), Teenager of the Year, is. And in
    spite of agreeing (sort of) with Rod's dislike of 20 track albums (22
    on this one), this one stands the play and play it again and again test
    easily. As good as the Pixies at their finest.
    
    Piers

    re-1
    
    No, I write to the address on  the albums, an info service run by a
    wonderful girl named Sally.  She sends on latest bits n bobs of info,
    merchandise lists, and the Wedds have always done their own live tapes
    to beat the bootleggers.  The latest is a recording of a gig in Windsor
    at the end of last year, and cost three pounds fifty.  Write - and dont
    forget the SAEs.
    
    Mikef
    
    

Mike, I may have posted an old number for them deep in bowels of the WP
note in RADIO_RADIO.

/Ed

Re .326/.327 and a million other notes:

Good grief, is this notes for the mentally challenged or something?
First, you only wrote those reviews a few days ago, second, you have
already reposted pointers to them, third, they can still be read (don't
you realise that?), and fourth, no one's interested anyway because the 
Wedding Present only write tuneless crap with an indie jangle that was 
already out-of-date five years ago (I don't fully mean that last remark but 
I soon will if you don't give us all a rest about the sodding Weddoes).


Rod

> Just in case you hadn't noticed (it wouldn't surprise me if you hadn't)
Call me a crazy fool if you like, but I read all new notes in here.

> a number of notes have been posted asking where there were references 
> to the new Wedding Present LP. 
Have you ever heard of 'irony'? I suggest you find out about it soonest.

> prats like you, who are intolerant of other peoples' tastes and/or enthusiasm.
Forget the personal insults, ::georgem, it's very uncool. I have no wish
to dampen your enthusiasm for the Weddoes or anyone else, but you shouldn't
fall into the trap of thinking that just because other people don't paper
this conference with notes about their band of the moment, they don't care
about music. Whereas you're saying the same thing over and over again and,
seriously, you are rapidly making me determined to avoid ever listening to
or buying any Weddoes music. 

Since (according to another conference) my favourite listening is allegedly
James Last, how would you like it if I dragged James Last into every topic?
You wouldn't, let me tell you.


peacefully,
Rod

    Matt,
    	Please stop being so annoying. I'm just an innocent by-stander in
    this conference and I haven't been reading it today anyway, but it has
    come to my attention that you are being a bit of a gimboid. I do believe
    that as a relatively new writer you should stop winding up the regulars
    as they are beginning to get slightly peeved.
    
    MATEY
    
    Nick$Matt_sort_of_knows_who_I_am!!!

    Matt, if you want reasonable and constructive discussions, on music
    too, may I suggest you try LOBLO::EF94?

    Helpfully,
    Jane.

    Re .335

    Winning? This isn't a game or some kind of competition. It's just a 
    polite request to keep this conference tidy.  Certainly in the album
    reviews topic.  By all means keep us updated on what the Weddoes, or
    any group are doing, but unless it's an album review put it in the
    relevant topic.  If I dont' like the Weddoes, I, or anyone else, can
    next unseen that topic. I don't particularly wish to next unseen the
    album review topic, or wade through all the notes that belong somewhere
    else.

    Jane.

re .335

It's not about winners and losers. Notes isn't a competitive sport. 
When someone (in this case Rod) makes a polite request to follow the
guidlines of the conference, it isn't in a effort to "score points". 
Some people like the Weddoes, some don't. Personally, I can take them
or leave them, but it gets to be a pain when I keep reading the same
notes in rehashed format in different topics, especially in the Album 
Reviews.

With regard to un-cool, I suspect that Rod was trying to keep things
calm. Personally, the insults you directed struck me as being (in no
particular order) childish, rude and ignorant. But there again, I'm
not necessarily as restrained as Rod.

You can leave if you like, but that's strikes me as being a case of
biting your nose to spite your face.

Balders

Re last 10 or so

Coo... I love a good slanging match.  That really made my day (second only
to this morning's comment that if we put up a GIF of the VMS XQP maintenance
team on WWW, it might encourage folks to check that their nightly backups
are working).

Thanks guys.

Guy

p.s hey! What about an argument about poor spelling/grammar etc.  That would
really put the icing on the cake!

    That should be "bate", no?
    
    Piers

    >>Matt, if you want reasonable and constructive discussions, on music
    >>too, may I suggest you try LOBLO::EF94?

    >>Helpfully,
    >>Jane.
    
    Jane, that was wicked! I'm just rather relieved to see that I wasn't
    going mad, he really meant all those notes about the...err, what are
    they called? Weddoes, that's it.
    
    Phil Gill.

  I am not sure what you are all on about, but I thought I just pop
  in to say " Hi, hugs and has anybody heard the new Weddoes album?".


  K Thermos

Does anyone know if the Weddoes have a new album out?  What's it like?

Chris.

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

    So, Rod, what about your long overdue review of James Last's most
    recent lp?
    
    BTW, is it true he used to, or maybe still does, donate money to a
    certain 'right-wing' party in Germany?
    
    Bob

Mmm, since this conference appears to have become an irony-free zone,
let me emphasise the fact that I am NOT a James Last fan and that I
was in fact making a JOKE (remember them?) when I referred to him. So,
Bob, I can not review James Last's most recent album nor can I confirm
that the fascist swine donates money to right-wing organs.


Rod

    Rod,
    
    My father has a fine collection of James Last albums and videos.
    Maybe you may wish to borrow them next time you're in England.
    
    Helpfully,
    Jane.

In the mid-80s when I lived in Manchester there was a late-night song
and dance show called 'Star Parade', obviously bought in from Germany,
and I think it was the James Last orchestra who provided the music in
that. That was addictive viewing! In that it was one of the most
consistently dire and bad taste shows I have ever seen. They had a 
dance troupe of girls and they designed the most awful and impractical
(but sometimes very sexy) costumes for them, including one memorable 
routine where they all wore big clip-on earrings that began to fall off 
as the routine progressed so that by the end the stage was absolutely 
littered with them. Of course the dancers smiled throughout. James Last 
was always there in the background waving his conductors baton and grinning 
at the camera and the audience was all Bavarian blue-rinse pensioners 
looking baffled and glum. Great stuff.


Rod

    Actually, I quite like some of James Last's stuff. I think I will dig
    out my dad's albums and maybe even review them in here!

    Jane.

    I can recognise irony equally as well as I can recognise garbage. Don't
    bother with the JL reviews, Jane, thank you. Anyway, I was always more
    af a fan of Ray McVay and his Band of the Day.
    
    Back on track, slightly - GLR seem to have beaten 1FM in the 'get hold
    of the new REM lp and play it to the masses' race. I heard about three
    or four tracks on Peter Curran's show yeaterday afternoon
    (incidentally, PC is someone else who seems to understand irony). From
    what I could make out, they seem to have returned to a much louder,
    more abrasive electric sound, almost under-produced, with none of this
    'Everybody Hurts'-style wussy cak. Good.
    
    Bob

    Hey Rod, I know you don't like James Last but you could tell them about
    your large collection of Roger Whittaker albums, bootlegs and videos,
    etc.
    
    
    
    Russell

    Pretty Blue Gun are the band, Big Blue World is the album.
    
    This album has been well-received in the press (except NME and Melody
    Maker who seem unaware of its existence), garnering an 11 out of 12
    review in Hot Press, and favourable notices elsewhere.
    
    This is an lp of clangy, energetic guitar pop, led by the fine voice of
    Trudie Brogan. There are also one or two slightly more moody songs, but
    overall the sound (thanks to producer Pat Collier) is bright and uppy. 
    Falling somewhere between indie and more mainstream sounds, this is a 
    band to watch out for. 
    
    Also, having undergone slight personnel changes since the recording of
    the album (namely, a change of bass player), Pretty Blue Gun are
    becoming a much more punchy proposition live. 
    
    Bob
    
    
    
    p.s. I am that bass player.....

Not only that, Russ, but my Roger Whittaker collection is matched
in size only by by my Val Doonican collection.


Rod

I could have sworn that I spotted a James Last record lurking in the
midst of my record collection, hiding somewhere between King Crimson and
Led Zeppelin.  Can't for the life of me figure out how it got there.
I was too shocked to look again to see if it was still there.

But if you think that's bad, I recently inherited a friend's record collection
which contained such classics as a Letitia Dean single, that bloody awful
Angry Anderson song from Neighbours, as well as a load of dodgy late 70s
disco stuff.  Horrible.  She'll never live it down.

Chris.

Errr....this isn't an easy one to review, because I haven't yet seen a press 
review that has captured the spirit of the CD sufficiently.  Throw away your 
misconceptions, and listen to this album.  It's no point listening on a 
"Listening post" in your nearest record store, because you can't lie down and 
close your eyes.  This is the ultimate in "spliff-records".  It is a positive 
delight to the ears, and is undoubtedly unique.  Forget Oasis and Blur.  There 
are a million bands like them (maybe not as good, but they're still there), but 
try and spot a decent Suede impersonator, and you'll be sadly disappointed.  
This is not because they're crap, but because you can't immitate something 
which comes so naturally.  Yes, much of it leans rather heavily (moreso than 
the last Elpee) on the shoulder of early Bowie and even the small faces, but to 
blend these influences with a modern touch and a splash of innovation is a 
truly enormous task.  Suede have done it, and they've done it good.  

The opener - "Introducing the band" - is not the poor "Sgt. Pepper" rip-off 
that everyone expected.  It is an entirely new side of Suede, mixing some 
bizzare vocal effects with a haunting backdrop.  Needless to say, the majority 
of songs on this album are in the vein of "Sleeping Pills" and "Next Life", 
from their debut album.  If you haven't heard these songs, then just try and 
imagine the musical equivalent of lying in a hot bubble bath, eyes closed,  on 
a freezing December night.  It is both relaxing and poignant (sp?), without 
becoming too cliched.  Some of the songs are overblown, perhaps e.g.Still Life - 
the closing track - which includes what has been touted as a 40 piece orchestra, 
but I'd say it's more like 80.  

Emotion runs through this record, and you cannot fail to be touched by it.  My 
house-mates' musical tastes may range from Frank Sinatra to Crowded house to 
KISS FM to Led Zeppelin, but they all thought this CD was superb.  Brett 
Anderson's voice has acquired a more mature tone to it, with less squeaking, 
and more rich baritone warblings.  The velvety production adds to his now 
distinctive vocal delivery, pushing it into a more accessable marketplace, 
without turning it into a Def Leppard-esque Nightmare.

A truly beautiful CD which clouded my judgement of the other purchases I made 
yesterday (Mike Peters and The Cult), by simply blasting them out of the water 
with the power of sheer pomposity, nerve and emotion.  If I had to choose one 
word in the English language that could sum this opus up....it would have to be 
- MAGNIFICENT. 

Well, I listened to this before Suede, and then once again after.  First time 
through, I thought it was unbelievably good - far exceeding my greatest hopes 
and expectations.  Whilst listening to Suede, I thought, Oh dear....this is a 
class above poor old Mike.  After listening to Suede, I realised that the two 
attempts are not on the same pitch.  They aren't even the same sport.  Whilst 
Suede is an atmospheric ambient wash of sound, Mike Peters' cd is a more varied 
and, perhaps, more musically proficient attempt at creating the definitive 
album.  Weighing in at a hefty 75 minutes on CD (getting on for 90 on LP), there   
is a remarkable variation of pace, style and atmosphere.  But, curiously, after 
listening to the album, one is left with an impression of completeness, not 
disjointedness.  

There are far more references to the days of the Alarm than the two pre-album 
singles (neither of which appear on the album) would have suggested.  The old 
Dave Sharp guitar sound is back, but it is less overpowering than it used to be 
at times.  This album even includes such delights as ("a New Chapter") Mike 
singing from what sounds like the bottom of Wales' only remaining coal mine, 
with just his nearly silent guitar for accompianment.  99% of the songs have 
cracking choruses, and I can see myself sticking this on the old car stereo, 
opening the windows, and flooring the accelerator, singing along - 
embarrassingly - to every song.  There are unfortunately a few borrowed 
choruses, but they are built into such magnificent songs that you tend not to 
mind.  Also, Mike still appears to be pining for America, singing a few 
embarrassing lyrics on "Levis and Bibles", such as "Yellow rose of texas on the 
radio band", but further into the song, you realise that this is deliberate, in 
order to give the feeling of the American cliches you see on David Hasslehoff's 
music videos, and the vision of the long straight road through the prairie that 
you can so easily picture when thinking of Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote.  

This is an unusually enjoyable and musically proficient album, where Mike has 
clearly decided to discard the cliched approach of "Back into the System", and 
lean a little more on the side of the great Alarm days.  There is no "68 guns", 
and there is no "spirit of '76".  But, there is "Blaze of glory", and there is 
"Sold me down the river".  Know what I mean?  No?  Then borrow your 
unfashionable mate's Alarm albums, listen, and then decide.  For 9 quid (on CD), 
this is the greatest value 75 minutes you will ever hear.

Listening to "Breathe" gives a wonderful feeling of elation, knowing that this 
album proves that song-writing is not dead, and that for 9 quid you've not just 
been ripped off by another fat, wealthy record shop boss.

If I had to give a percentage for this, it'd be a well earned 90%

    
    ....and the Cult review to follow? Anyone else think that Brett
    Anderson sounds like the lead singer of Supertramp?
    
    Andy

If anyone wants a Cult review, I'll do one.

S'crap

Only kidding (what a jester)

I'll do a review tomorrow, when I might have a bit more time.  Cheerio.

    I heard something off the Suede lp that isn't the current single. it
    sounded not unlike Bowie around his Diamon Dogs period. Nothing wrong
    with that, mind - I just think it was a *little* derivative, perhaps.
    
    I also caught Suede playing some live songs on Emma Freud's show
    yesterday, and they sounded pretty good. Richard Oakes *is* Bernard
    Butler.
    
    Bob

    re 363/364
    
    Matt
    
    Glad to ya sensayuma remains intact as flit between conferences.
    
    You were right tho' about the Cult lp. It is crap ;-)
    
    Stuart

Ta, Stuart. Coming from you, that means......er.....nothing really.

Anyway, I can't be bothered to do a full review of this album, so I'll just 
write about it until I get fed up...

It's not like any other of their albums.
The guitar sound is more like Electric than Sonic Temple.
You wouldn't guess Bob Rock had produced it.
They think they're Brad (Stone Gossard's band), half the time.
The sound is extremely sparce on most tracks.
It's all written about Kurt Cobain.
It isn't Nirvana.
It's more disjointed 
than
previous
albums.
The choruses come pretty late in the songs which have 'em.
It'll take another two or three listens to appreciate (which it might not get 
for some time, considering the other class releases this week)
It's probably really good, but I haven't quite got the energy to like it at the 
moment.

I'll try and to a proper review once I'm a bit more qualified to talk about 
individual tracks.  But at present, the best track is "Coming down", so you may 
as well buy the single, and save 10 quid.

> They think they're Brad (Stone Gossard's band)

I've heard some Brad, who this Stone Gossard?  Any relation to Liza Goddard?

Thx

Guy

Guitarist with Pearl Jam

<phew>

glad that spot of argi-bargey a few notes back blew over without me having
to roll my sleeves up and wade in.

If you want to fight over who likes what band the best, and who's got crap
taste, then please do it in the playground, behind the bike sheds (and don't
forget to let us all know beforehand).

BTW: Rod's Split review was spot on. What a great album! Enjoyed the Suede
review too, and now have it on my mental to-buy list. Thanks all

Mod.

OK, I'll bite.  I have to admit that having

a) heard the one that goes "woooooaaarrrgggghhhh" etc

and

b) heard the sound of my jaw hitting the floor when I read who else
had worked on Jones the Voice's record

I was quite tempted.  So, is the rest of it any good?  I read the track
listing; is "Situation" the Yazoo one?

Cheers,

Guy

    A few weeks ago, BBC2 had an evening of ITV shows, one of which was a
    compilation of Tom Jones progs.  I started to watch for the trash
    factor, but I really enjoyed it!
      
    Maybe I'm jealous because he has more hair on his chest then I do on my
    head.  Come to think of it, I have more hair on my chest than I do on my
    head.  Hmmm
    
    Mikef

Well, I've listened to it a bit, particularly in the car (seeing as how I now 
have my CD doofer installed <boast>), and it's remarkable.  The problem, 
initially, is trying to forget that this is the bloke who did "Delilah", "Boy 
from nowhere", "It's not unusual" etc. etc.  The sound of this album is so 
unbelievably up-to-date, that it confuses at first.  The first track is the new 
single ("WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!"), which I despised 
the first time I heard it, but now love.  It's followed by a track which would 
not be out of place on Pretty hate machine (Nine Inch Nails).  Track 3 is a 
slow AOR jobby, but carried off beautifully (particularly as Tori Amos duets a 
bit of it).  The dancey type things kick in for a bit, until track 9 (lift me 
up) arrives.  This one's the only track to be produced by Jeff 
"make_every_single_project_I_work_on_sound_like_ELO" Lynne, and is the only 
track to have cliched lyrics ("don't wanna be one of the broken hearted, so 
lift me up....").  However, it's the most catchy song on the elpee, and I've 
grown to like it immensely.

A suprising and varied album, which was always guaranteed to be of good quality, 
considering the producers involved (Flood, Youth, Horne, Lynne (!)), the voice 
involved, and the collaborators (Tori).  It may take a coupla listens, but it'll 
worm it's way into your heart pretty soon.

"wwwwwwwwWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"

Looks like PJ have been overdosing on Neil Young records recently.  This is a 
particularly strange offering, proving to be something of a departure from 
their previous two outings.  There are bits of "Ten" and "Vs" (or "Untitled", 
depending on when you bought it), but there's more of "Zuma" and "Sleeps with 
Angels".  Two tracks stand out, for me, and they are both mellowish tuneful 
ditties that bring out the best in Eddie Vedder's velevety smooth voice.  
"Nothingman" is a particularly nice doobury, written by Stone Gossard (future 
heir to the Gossard underwear empire) alone.  

There are more uptempo songs here as well, in particular the first single 
release, "Spin the black circle".  This track is what "Go" was to Vs.  There's 
a peculiar effort with Vedder accompanying himself on the accordian which at 
first sounds crap, but after further listens starts to bring some rewards to 
the keen ear.  "Bugs" is plain weird - Eddie talking about how he's got bugs in 
is head, bed, brain etc.  

Pearl Jam's "Cortez the killer" appears towards the end of the album, where the 
band plainly fiddle with their amps etc. until they sound like Crazy Horse.  

All in all (after a couple of listens), it's a suprisingly accomplished album, 
with a wide range of music styles.  It excels more in the "Jeremy" and 
"Indifference"-type songs rather than the "Go" or "Whygo"-type jobbies.
In short, it's worth buying, if only for the lovely booklet that comes with it.  
Ever seen a CD brochure with a glossary and index?  Odd.

    Some recent purchases to help things go with a swing while I'm in
    Galway:

    New Order "Nineteen63" cd single. Helpful of them to release as a
    single the only track on their "Best Of" I don't already have, and
    no I'm not buying it all again. 1963 is quality pop and reminds me how
    good NO actually are. Four mixes but the first is best.

    Bjork "the best mixes from the album-debut for all the people who don't
    buy white labels". Speaking of mixes, here are six on a low-price (five
    quid) release. God knows that every single track off "Debut" must have
    appeared in ten different guises. Has she released a single yet that
    isn't a "Debut" variant? Apart from that film tie-in, that is. These
    tracks are all wildly different from the originals and they've been
    addictive listening for me over the past few days, but they're all
    consciously 'strange' in a techno way, none of them represents an
    improvement on the perfect originals. They're just different.

    Smashing Pumpkins "Pisces Iscariot". This is a collection of b-sides
    and previously unreleased tracks but is full-price nevertheless. But
    that's ok since it's miles better than most bands a-side releases.
    Doesn't have the smoothness and coherence of "Siamese Dream", just a
    collection of SP songs. Not essential but worth getting if you like
    them.


    Rod

Radiohead's album is going to be a big "grower", I think.  The first 5 songs 
hit me instantly, but the rest took couple of listens.  It's almost completely 
different to Pablo Honey, and has got a wider range of influences - a fair few 
psychadelic Beatles-esque bits in there.

More after a few more listens, perhaps.

BTW, there's an http:// address on the sleeve notes, which is surely a sign of 
the times.

Whoa!  Jimi Hendrix lives!

At 8.99, you can't go wrong.  This album's getting good reviews from all 
quarters - I haven't seen a review of less than 4/5 yet.  er...it's very 
Hendrixish, but mellower.  ummm....I can't describe it....

If someone buys/borrows/steals it, tape it off them, or listen to it.  It's the 
only way.  It's not my normal kettle of fish, but the musicians are obviously 
so accomplished, and the groove so strong, that you can't fail to get into it.


what a useless note.  Never mind.

It's crap, probably.

    If you want to listen to it, I'm sure Andrea will tape you a copy.

Julie likes it, so - it's crap!

Chris.

    Here's my review of Therapy?s new album...
    
    aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh
    
    no! no! no!
    
    Please Therapy? do a Bros, split up and go away!

It's Okay.

Well there're a few decent songs, but I'm left wondering why I didn't just buy 
the CD single of "This is a call", and save myself 7 or 8 quid.  The songs 
aren't as melodic as some reviews will have you believe, and the production is 
absolute tosh, IMO.  At the moment, 3 songs stand out...."This is a call", 
err...track 3, and "Oh, George" (Ha!).  Apart from that, it's pretty standard 
stuff.  Fairly "grungey", and obviously Nirvana-influenced.

Bugger.  Knew I should've bought Mirrorball.  Still, I'm sure I'll grow to like 
it a bit more.

Just listened to some of it again, and managed to put my finger on who they 
sound like (at times).  I'd say that quite a lot of it sounds like a cross 
between the Gilby Clarke album, and Weezer.  Not bad, though.

The 2nd best album of the year, IMO.  The album is full of glorious melodies 
and harmonies, mixed with the rougher sound of "Let me come over", and the 
eponymous debut, rather than the the cleaner sound of "Big red letter day".  
It's even better than I had hoped/expected, and will remain in my changer for a 
good few weeks yet.

Buy it, cos it's good.

This is just unbelievable.  Think "Gong meets the Velvet underground", and 
you'll be half way to figuring what gorky's sound like.  Some of the songs are 
in Welsh, but it adds to the songs, surprisingly.  There's poetry, 
instrumentals, odes to violin teachers (Miss Trudy), mushroomed-up lyrical 
messes ("Eating salt is easy when it's from a spoon"..."Whose book is looking 
over my shoulder?").

Mellow as hell, but includes one "drinking song", called "Iechyd da" (trans. 
"Good health", or "Cheers").

    Matt,
    
    not sure what happened with note .390 (slagging?) or if you've
    seen this in the NME, but you might be interested to know that
    Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, along with the Weddoes, are on the line up
    on September 2nd for the Cover Bridge Inn music festival.
    This is apparently held in the beer garden of a pub in the Yorkshire
    Dales. Sounds brill to me. I'll put in the ticket price and phone no.
    if anybody's interested.
    
    Leonie. (Trying to work out how I can afford to go to this, when I have
    already booked a holiday without having any money!)
    

Cheers, Leonie.  Note .390 was Mr.Panes up to his usual antics.

    "Ignorance is bliss" - Toby and the whole truth
    
    This is certainly not what the hoards of Little Angels fans were
    expecting/wanting.  Toby Jepson was the lead singer (and songwriter)
    for the Little Angels.  When the band decided to go their seperate
    ways, after 10 years together, 3 of the 5 personnel formed b.l.o.w.,
    who are gaining critical, if not public success.  1 member went on to
    production and tour management, which left only Toby Jepson without a
    new career.  
    
    From this offering, it's obvious to see what he has spent his time
    doing.  Gone are the chirpy, happy pop songs, and in come rather more
    dark rootsy songs.  There are probably 2 or 3  singalong stadium-type
    rockers, but these are diluted somewhat by the basic arrangement of the
    band (drums, guitar, bass, voice - no keyboards/trumpets or other
    Little Angels trademarks).
    
    Jepson has said that he doesn't want fame again, and that he just wants
    to carry on making music that he can enjoy.  This rings true by the
    label he has chosen to sign with - Cottage Industry - which the members
    of b.l.o.w. formed in order to cut down on some of the industry
    bulls**t they had to endure when with the Little Angels at Polydor.  
    The songs on the album are far more contemplative and searching than any 
    song he has written before.  The whole album is less instant in its 
    appeal, and all the songs carry some message about the writer's life at 
    the time.
    
    As a big fan of the Little Angels, I was looking forward to Jepson
    continuing to fly the flag.  Oddly, he has taken a more natural
    direction to the extent that it is seriously difficult to relate any of
    the new material to the Little Angels.  This is no bad thing, as the
    Little Angels "concept" was wearing thin, hence their split.  Times
    have changed, and the move away from the Bon Jovi-style anthems should
    provide Jepson with some kind of longevity, popularity and/or credibility.
    
    Overall, it's a refreshingly natural album, blessed with the superbly
    strong voice of Jepson, and simple yet effective backing from the band,
    which occasionally includes Kevin Nixon, a.k.a.Andy Paul, a long time
    collaborator of the Little Angels.  Credits on the album include
    "BADAM", a thinly disguised nod towards Toby's friend and mentor, Bryan
    Adams.  The album has no trace of any Bryan Adams style, but perhaps
    the rawer edge of Adams' earlier efforts is in evidence.
    
    A tour is planned for October, taking in similar venues to those which
    b.l.o.w. packed out on their first tour.  I'll be at the Fleece, in
    Bristol, to see if he's still got that live talent.  I'm sure he has,
    on the evidence of this album 
                                                            

    Thank you for that informative and well augmented review of this album.
    
    It sounds like a refreshing change from the Rock out with your Cock out
    offerings from the Little Angels.
    
    
    Nigel (who only likd two L.A. songs - Their version of So Tired, and
    the one that went Naaa na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na. In
    the Chorus)
    
    
    

    Nigel,
    
    >Naaa na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na.
    
    I think you'll find that Bananarama had a hit with that one.
    
    Stuart

    Not as good or, indeed, as long as 'Teenager of the Year'. Highlights
    are the title track, 'Kicked in the Taco', the rumbling 'Punk Rock
    City' and 'The Last Dance of Shazeeb Andleeb'.
    
    Andy