RECORD REVIEWS MIISIG
V ALBUMS
I Pet Shop Boys: Discography (Parlophone) Can it be — 76 minutes of chart domination? A double album featuring seventeen Top Twenty hits. combined sales shorting the galactronic circuitry of corporate computers? Is this a swisth passionate. affectionately clinical proto-Euro-hi-NRG beat? A catalogue and roll-call of the past seven years' perennial Top Of The Pops stalwarts? A naggingly simple global dance domination masterplan'.’ A sardonic. sarcastic. ever-knowing stifled yawn at the palaver ofthe biz?
Is Discography beyond reproach. the Pet Shop Boys bespoke genii? It‘s spot the rhetorical question time. (Craig McLean)
I Bun-0M0: Together Forever (Profile) ‘Tis the season of Greatest Hits packages. and no mistake. Luckily. this is a pretty strong. albeit inconsistent. effort. and could be slipped with a fair degree of confidence into a rap fan‘s stocking. Sometimes it seems as though Run-DMC have had their hits by default. They‘re not glorifying a life of violence. putting forward controversial political views or being gratuitously foul-mouthed — making them a wholesome option for radio programmers. But Together Forever shows that the real reason for their prominence is that they are clever and reliable hit-generators. Most of the tracks here are gold-plated. despite a few duffers- and. strangely enough. ‘Christmas In Hollis‘ isn't one ofthe latter. (Alastair Mabbott) I Ice Cube: Death Certificate (4th & Broadway) The return of Compton‘s and AmeriKKKa‘s most wanted. This album is full ofwarnings: 1) That Ice Cube is ‘the wrong nigga to fuck with‘; 2) That we shouldn‘t kill each other; 3) Don‘t go into casualty if you’re black; 4) Don‘t do ‘dumb shit' (ie sex and drugs) while young; 5) When you do have sex make sure you wear a ‘jimmy hat‘; 6) Don't join the US Army; 7) Don‘t vote Republican. Unfortunately. it‘s been toned down for British ears (to avoid an NWA situation), but still contains everything you‘d want from an Ice Cube album- great rhymes, smokin’ tunes, watertight production. Essential science. (Philip Ogilvie) I Brodsiry Quartet: Brodsky Unlimited (Teldec) String Quartet is the latest format to undergo
re-packaging for the trendy young things ofthe 90s. but behind the Brodsky‘s studied informality and racy publicity shots (complete
: with Harley Davidson). f there liesanentirely 3 serious musicalintent.
They believe in the intrinsic excitement of the repertoire. and this
' enjoyable collection of encore pieces is a taster
for stronger meat. like
‘ their recentcomplete cycle of the Sh0stakovitch ;
Quartets. Aaron
' Copland‘s Hoe Down is
one ofthe eleven selections. and Sony have issued a third volume in the Copland Collection. Orchestral Works .
V SINGLES
I Pleasure Thieves: My Favourite Dntp (Thieves) Mellow sort ofthang from new LA indie five-piece. vaguely reminiscent of Stranglers/Furs. A little uninspired once the effect ofthe green vinyl has worn off. Luckily. there are a few saving graces in the form of some snuggly string/brass passages and a fierce B-side. Destined for the cheapo box nevertheless. one fears.
(CI)
3 I Ether Real: Zap
(1948»1971). which is also
recommended. (Kenny
Mathieson)
I Bill Frisell Band: Where In The World? (Elektra Nonesuch) Bill Frisell has a unique guitar sound. no mean feat in that currently crowded but somewhat
homogenous field. His
spidery lines and spacey sound encourage textural exploration rather than a dynamically virtuoso attack. and that tendency is exploited to the full here. notably by cellist Hank Roberts. who shares a broadly similar musical concept. The band can kick along when required. driven by Joey Baron‘s busy drumming. as on the latter part of
‘Child At Heart‘ (all tunes I
are by Frisell). but forthe most part they are concerned with an eclectic. drifting sound world which is closer to new music than jazz. It represents no real departure from Frisell‘s earlier releases. but no real falling off in quality either. (Kenny Mathieson)
I Prokoliev/Bostropovitch: Warand Peace (Erato) Those familiar with Tolstoy‘s novel and its social and historical
complexities may well find ‘
Prokofiev‘s diluted (albeit to four hours) version a little lightweight; on the other hand. the loss ofthe writer‘s heavy theorising leaves a story of passion and spectacle.
Prokofiev's stage works have sometimes been criticised for drawing a divide between the singers
and the superb orchestral music. but this is certainly not the case with this
I recording. released on the
centenary of his birth.
I Mstislav Rostropovich -
j whose promise to bring
this work the international
acclaim in deserves was
I made at the composer's
deathbed — and the
Orchestre National de
5 France capture the
incredible breadth ofthe opera. from colourful balls. through lyrical arias. to powerful battle scenes. (Alan Morrison)
(Truelove) So which came first. the video or the record. four-and-a-half minutes of Lego animation? It‘s a pity the record isn‘t so inspired. the guitar-based club sound is far from convincing. One gets the feeling Depeche Mode have been doing this for years. (PO) I Tekno 2: Psycho/Tumtable Symphony: Instructions Of Life (D-Zone) A delectable double from D-Zone. The bigger of the two should be the anthemic ‘Psycho‘. Straight out of Essex. it‘sa hands in the air. heavy hardcore sound filled with twiddly high-pitched keyboard bits— set to be massive. Turntable Symphony is Jazzy Jason of Epitome Of Hype and Blapps Posse fame. ‘lnstructions Of Life‘ is a superb garage rave track. The better track. however. is the flip side. ‘Can‘t Stop‘ (a la Clubhouse). Slammin‘ underground that'll be rocking the better dancefloors over the next few weeks. (PO) I Columbus Road: My Love For You (Keeper) The squidgiest of soft rock. bringing to mind old Granada light entertainment programmes. chicken in a basket. over-25$ singles nights. a plethora oftack. I could conceivably get quite attached to it. ina perverse sort of way. Unlikely. though. (AM) I The Stairs: Weed Bus
(Go! Discs) The La‘s meet
the Rolling Stones to smoke dope up the back of the bus. Ramshackle and zippy where much else is slick and torpid. More Scouse retro but done most excellently. (CMeL) I Fabulous: Destined To Be Free (Heavenly) The latest snarlpunks to scream of sex and ‘ramming it right up ya‘. We should be intimidated. provoked to gob even. maybe attempt a so-so pogo. These we do. and receive only limited fulfilment. A three-minute cattle prod to the brain and the genitals. administered by a band possessing perhaps the one organ and not the other. (CMeL)
DAVY
SPILLANE
'pipedreams'
OUT NOW ON CD, LP 8: TC
75m RECORDS (3026) Distributed by. Pinnacle Records - Pic (0689) 873 144
THE DAVY SPILLANE BAND
WILL BE PERFORMING
LIVE
AT
THE VIRGIN MEGASTORE, PRINCES STREET, EDINBURGH ON NOVEMBER 26th BETWEEN
1.00pm AND 2.00pm.
The List 22 November— 5 December 199133