Records

qualities brought to the core by Gilberto's stunning vocals.

This album isn't going to change your life but melodies like ‘Close Your Eyes' and ‘Alguem’ might make it all the sweeter. (Anna Millar)

SOUL/FUNK VARIOUS ARTISTS

As we Travel (Harmless) 0000

as we Inga

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With every step Harmless Records come closer to creating the perfect compilation. if there is such a thing. This is another phenomenal collection following in the shoes of the brilliant Make Music collection.

This one is full of ‘folk funk flavours and ambient soul' (their words) and takes its name from a truly remarkable tune included here from Bugsy (Maugh formerly of the Butterfield Blues Band). Shuggie Otis. Sinto. the lsley Brothers (with an awesome version of CSN's ‘Love The One You're With'). Terry Callier and many others fill out the rest. A delight, you will want to take this one with you on your sun-kissed jollies. (Paul Dale)

ROCK/POP TOPLOADER Magic Hotel (Sony) 0.

In an ideal world. there'd be no shame in liking Toploader. Songs like “Time of my Life' and ‘Cloud 9' prove that they know their way round a big chorus, for example. and an almost electro- fied cover of 'She’s Some Kind of Wonderful' is a welcome diversion from the crowd-pleasing norm.

Only one problem.

though. Despite taking a stab at the

contemporaneous with some Britpop-esque

LOUD guitars. Toploader are Positive proof - as if it were

; needed that it will . never again be 1987. ; As ever, uninspired.

string-heavy production and Joe Washbourne’s hoary. 'authentic' vocals conspire to get right on our collective tits.

In the end. you wind

up reminiscing over the

days that Bon Jovi and

Bryan Adams did MOR

pOp-rock properly. And that '3 really saying something.

(David Pollock)

DANCE/ELECTRONICA SASHA

Airdrawndagger

(BMG) coco

disc. with Parker on bass. Rob Brown on

It's been a long wait but the 32-year-old British DJ once hailed as the divinity by many has finally completed his debut album and fans will be pleased that it’s not a flop by any stretch. An epic affair, it unfolds slowly. dilating and contracting just like one of Mr Coe's progressive house sets. There are long. lingering swathes of orchestration, peppered by delicate. moody refrains and tight. often broken, beats. it plumbs depths and traverses peaks. straying towards self- indulgence on occasion but still hanging together - a proper album rather than a few killer cuts padded out by vapid fillers. Sasha should be proud. (Andrew Richardson)

JAZZ WILLIAM PARKER QUARTET

Raining on the Moon (Thirsty Ear Blue Series) 0...

The William Parker Ouartet's performance at Le Weekend festival in Stirling in April was a major highlight of the year so far. The same instrumental line-up is featured on this new

42 THE LIST 15—22 Aug 2002

alto saxophone and flute. Louis Barnes on trumpet. and the remarkable Hamid Drake on drums. The new addition is vocalist Leena Conquest. who

works with the socio-

political lyrics in an expressive fashion.The musicians support her in their usual gloriously inventive manner, floated on Parker's propulsive bass vamps and Drake's intense but flexible drumming. (Kenny Mathieson)

ROCK

THE LIARS

They Threw us all in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top (Blast First) I...

LIA.

They win hands down in the 'we know more cool records than any of this week's championed skinny tie wearers’ stakes. The Pop Group, Gang of Four. Magazine. ESG. Alternative TV. the ear!y output of Mute Records. Moments of genius generally untapped by the indie rock populace. Until the Liars. Big throbbing, thunnnnking. funking basslines. mewing guitars. wailing English(!) accented sloganeering and a certain freaky. second-hand polyester shirt kind of New York posing that is so repulsive/attractive. This is the musical equivalent of mistakenly drinking cold coffee when you thought it would be warm

A more artsy. contradictory. indulgent (the record closes with the one riff for 24 minutes). intriguing. imaginative and frankly irritating band you will not find today. (Mark Robertson)

DOCUMENTARY

WHEN STEPTOE MET SON

Channel 4, Tue 20 Aug,

9pm 00”

There's been a lot of

documentary investigations doing the rounds into the weird and wonderful lives of Britain's comedy icons (Howerd. Dodd and Hill recently with Sellers soon). It all makes for fascinating if deeply disillusioning viewing.

Wilfred Brambell and Harry H Corbett were the most famous rag and bone men in the world. An establisned character actor. off screen Brambell was a lonely closet- homosexual with a raging gin addiction while Corbett. a serious actor interested in experimental theatre (and dubbed the ‘British Marlon Brando'). was promiscuous and pretentious.

The show made their fonunes but their relationship crumbled into vehement hate for one another. mainly due to Brambele sozzled awkwardness in rehearsals After the show had ended they t0ured Australia with a vaudeville version but it was an unmitigated disaster. The story of that tour is retold here in all its gory detail.

(Paul Dale)

DRAMA

THE STRETFORD WIVES

BBC1, Wed 21 Aug, 9pm 00.

Actress Fay Ripley of Cold Feet fame yet again proves the law of diminishing returns. It seems that those involved in one hugely popular series Will almost always follow it

with something fairly mediocre.

Ripley plays Donna. a 35-year-old scally single mum who likes causing trouble in her local supermarket. is having an affair with a young policeman and struggles to pay her bills. As this is modern day Manchester. everyone is hard faced but caring. When her violent bouncer husband gets out of prison and her

. sister Elaine (Claire Rushbrook) comes to

live with her things begin to go awry.

Daniel Brocklehurst's script seems unable to let a cliche pass it by. so we have the gossipy suburban sister Lynda (Lindsay Coulson). the bitter mother (Rita Tushingham). junkies and factory floor flirtations. It's painful yet quite watchable and thankfully devoid of loft dwelling yuppies.

(Paul Dale)

DOCUMENTARY GRANDPARENTS BBCZ, Thu 22 Aug, 9.50pm 000

While your parents“ mothers and fathers aren‘t the first people you think of as casualties of broken relationships. this gritty documentary attempts to highlight the extent to which grandparents Suffer when toroiny separated from their offspring's offspring.

We follow Margaret and Ron Farquar. who haven't seen their two grandchildren for nearly 18 months following the break-up of their son Gary's marriage. as they anxi0usly await news from their former daughter-in-law. Their plight is contrasted with that of Audrey. a single mother of three. who is planning to help raise

her daughter Carol’s imminent new arrival. Occasionally moving and frequently harrowing. this is a close-up insight into a hitherto marginal issue. One small quibble: the programme might more poignantly have been entitled Grandmothers or. simply Mothers as. funnily enough. most of the families featured include a father who is either conspicuous by his absence or a useless layabout. (Allan Radcliffe)

DRAMA A MIND TO KILL Channel 5, Fri 16 Aug,

Living in the sticks (well. Edinburgh city centre) far beyond the transmission range of Channel 5. the only

opportunity I get to

expenencetheleast loved terrestrial channel is through preview tapes. So imagine my surprise when this two- hour detective drama turns out to be much better than anything the BBC has offered up in its dreary 'Crime Double' seasons.

Set in muddy South Wales. the story opens with the murder of a 15- year-old girl. an event that lifts the lid on a thriving under-age sex racket. Leading the investigation is DCI Noel Bain, who. like all maverick detectives. appears totally out of place in his division.

Philip Madoc plays Bain. apparently having recently arrived from Planet Luvvie. all fruity voiced and scenery chewing next to his co- stars' understated performances. But. this silly casting aside. A Mind to Kill remains darkly compelling and wonderfully tvwsty.

(Allan Radcliffe)