RECORD REVIEWS IIISIB
I Various: Volume 5The Cocteau Twins? ‘Frosty The Snowman”? What wags they are. and what a coup for this latest issue of the CD magazine. But look beyond the novelty hook, and stagger at the free-ranging excellence that abounds. The first halftakes it easy. with a troika ofThe Orb. The Grid and the Mondays going all dubby and ambient. Scotland's Fuel return from the abyss with ‘Wildfire‘ - ‘transcendent ethereality and dead good‘ said a source close to the one-man band. Macbeth are a splinter of This Mortal Coil. and their Mary Margaret O’Hara cover is as brilliant as it should be. Later on, things get lumpier - The Jesus Lizard, L7, The Wedding Present— but it tails off with the divine pop cellos ofThe Auteurs’ ‘Bailed Out’ and -— wow! — a half-decent Morrissey track, ‘Tomorrow’. (Craig McLean)
I Shonen Kniie: Let’s Knife (August/Creation) The Shop Assistants get tore into Woolies’ pick ‘n‘ mix counter and pig out on sweets. Sorry, make that candy. That‘s Shonen Knife, except not nearly that good. Oh, how cute is the concept: pidgin English, oriental intrigue. peachy-keen jellybean pop, pubescent giggly girly innocence as purveyed by knocking- on-a-bit wannabees. YAWN YAWN YAWN. Ifit wasn‘t for their contrived bizarreness and patronage by assorted greasy rockers, Shonen Knife would have the cultural resonance of the Tortoise brand pot-cleaner they think it‘s dead funny to sing about. Don‘t be suckered. Shonen Knife are shrill and nauseous, pathetic and grim. Here there is zero humour, zilch talent, and don’t give me any crap about it being so naff it‘s good. Let’s Knife is just so naffit’s. . . oh, bugger off. (Craig McLean)
I Various: Colours (Union City) Only a year in existence, and already Virgin‘s specialist dance label has shown an astute awareness of current trends in all areas of Clubland. Ironically, such foresight actually serves to detract from the attraction of this excellent compilation — if you haven’t already got TC1991’s ‘Berry’, TCl992‘s ‘Funky Guitar’ and Mombassa‘s awesome ‘Cry Freedom‘, three of the outstanding tracks of this year, you’ll have no interest in this album anyway. As for the rest, high standards for Metropolis (aka Future
Sound Of London), MK and Urban Jungle prevail, while Sure Is Pure and 4 Love were groovy Garage at the time, but that time was actually six months prior. Still, here’s to another fine year, and hurry up with TC1993. (Calvin Bush)
I Damon And Naomi: More Sad Hit: (Shimmy Disc) Downers, unrequited love, childhood Super-8 movies, Catcher In The Rye, the paintings of Frida Kahlo, madcaps laughing — if all were to be given their own lugubrious, semi-acoustical hymnal soundtrack, More Sad Hits would be it. Crafted, and how apposite that word is, by the much-missed Galaxie 500‘s rhythm section, it makes Luna2 seem square, rigid, transfixed. At times, it‘s like a well-addled Syd Barrett meandering through the Galactic oncs‘ back catalogue. When it‘s really precious (‘Little Red Record Co’, ‘Astraflammante’), it’s a stratospheric Butterfly Child borne aloft a summery breeze, all flittery fluttery smouldering effusion so resonant it‘s almost
; unfathomable. Nary a hit
1 in sight, of course, but on
i fire nevertheless. (Calvin Bush)
I Daisy Chainsaw: Eleventeen (Deva/One Little Indian) Somebody told me the other day that he liked Daisy Chainsaw, but not their album. Naturally, I adopted a superior air and smugly put him down for being a shallow, single-orientated listener, before breezing off in search of more discerning company. Only later, when listening to Eleventeen, did I realise how shrewd this gentleman actually was. When DC go for raw power, as on ‘I Feel Insane‘ or ‘Love Your Money‘, they burrrn. Yet some other tracks are noisy, off-rhythmic discords, quite uncomfortable to concentrate on. A fine album, but not ‘easy listening‘, that‘s for sure. (Gavin Inglis)
I The River Detectives: Elvis Has Left The Building (Vital) Good, wholesome acoustic-y guitar here from those kings of strum The River Detectives. Nice vocal harmonies on the choruses, relaxed beats underneath. These seem just the kind of peOpIe you’d like to see taking your daughter out for the evening. It’s all just a bit undemanding, though. Song after song drifts by, but nothing grabs the attention. No matter what the subject, the guitar ripples on. Elvis . . . is a very inoffensive album — it unfortunately
provokes a terrible, terrible, ‘been done before‘ feeling. (Gavin Inglis)
I Maihavoc: Premeditated MurderiDevotion) James Cavalluzzo is Malhavoc‘s key-man, and the kind of guy who writes his own press releases. It’s a shame, given his obvious intelligence and the noble sentiments he tries to convey, that this album is so appalling. It’s bad industrial music, although not the worst kind. The grinding guitars quickly become monotonous and the over-distorted vocals begin to slice at the nerves. Yet James is soin tune with reality, who knows? (Gavin Inglis)
I Junk Monkeys: Bliss
' (Metal Blade) Plenty of
energy, a tuneful guitar crunch and a gigging history which includes huge quantities of tiny bars in the US — that seems to be what the JMs are all about. There‘s a good deal of head-nodding and foot-tapping to be done to this album. For the first half, it looks like their songs might be a bit samey, but they spring surprises in a fast kind of agony with ‘Teacup Song‘ and ‘Day Away‘. The JMs apparently intend to ‘make it‘ mostly on the strength of their touring. Maybe we should take note next time their little Ford van cruises our way. (Gavin Inglis)
I John Lee Hooker: Boom Boom (Pointbiank) Still hears his three-year-gone baby call his name . . . hell, this dude is the blues. A lifetime of bad news has been poured into this album, and Hooker knows how to tell it. It‘s difficult to believe so much variety is possible — from the mean ‘I’m Bad Like Jesse James‘ to the wistful ‘I-Iittin’ The Bottle Again‘, he plumbs rare, dark depths of blue on his own with minimal collaboration. Just one old bloke with a guitar, yet at his best even the silences breathe soul. (Gavin Inglis)
I Capercaillie: Get Out (Survival/DMD) Capercaillie have been standing at the back there for a while, playing accessible folk music and selling records slowly but consistently. Get Out is their equivalent of G N 'R Lies, a collection of live recordings and remixes. It’s late-night music from the lively ‘Pige Ruadh’ and ‘Silver Spear Reels’ to the peace of ‘Outlaws’ and ‘Fear a'Bhata‘. It’s surprising how well fiddle can fit over a dance beat. This kind of thing is an essential buy for fans, but it’s also a good option for the merely curious, presenting as it does an overview of Capercaillie’s previous releases. (Gavin
Inglis)
with special guest
in concert at the
Tel: 031 2281155
Cromwell Management presents
CHRIS BARBER'S JAZZ & BLUES BAND
LONNIE DONEGAN
Usher Hall, Edinburgh Thursday 17th December at 8pm Tickets £9.50: 810:211: £12:
a. ailable from Usher Hall Box Office
MCP by arrangement with ICM. Fair Warning Present
’1’ ASA/11 N AKCI‘IER
GLASGOW
PAVILION THEATRE SUNDAY 28th FEBRUARY
Tickets: £9.00 Available from 8/0 Tel: 041 332 1846 (Credit Cards accepted) and all usual agents (subject to booking fee).
NEW WM our ALBUM c x?“ t»: 4 a", 5 NOW
barrowlands
RENEGADE COMMUNICATIONS PRESENT
with
special guests
and
the joyriders
sat. 5th dec glasgow
NAKED SUN 13TH DEC. l TRUTH BARROWLANDS l l
TICKETS FROM JUST THE TICKET, VIRGN ,RiPPlNG AND ALL USUAL T.0.C.TA OUTLETS
The List4- 17 December 199229