Records
Devendra Banhart
mwmnmfi
'I only meant to cause yoo trouble / I only meant to do you harm.‘ Steg G gets praise for his
production (Powercut) 00. as does rapper Freestyle for the aforementioned pay-off to the acoustic version of ‘Trouble-Maker'. But the rest of the rhymes. although frequently incisive. coold ape the US less. In contrast. UK rapper Tommy Evans keeps it deliberately vague on Mark B's head~waggingly funky tune “Move Now' (Genuine) COO — it is for dancing to after all. MC Solaar. on the other hand. can rap about whatever he wants because it sounds cool and French. On 'La Vie Est Belle' (eastwest)
COO . he chooses to poeticise about the Middle East over luscious orchestral Philly soul and melodic backing vocals. Very classy. which isn't necessarily the word you'd chose for Ghostface. He becomes more than a guest turn as he kicks off Eamon’s “Love Them' (BMG) .00. rather than providing dull middle-eight diversion as is usual with rappers guesting on R88. Jentina manages — thanks exclusively to the songsmithery of the ubiquitous Cathy Dennis — to sound simultaneously classy and trashy on 'French Kisses‘ (Virgin) COCO . So stands the world of black music for white people. In the world that cares nothing for — cough — urban music. the Single of the Fortnight goes to Sons And Daughters. Even if you have the excellent mini-album and have already heard “Johnny Cash' (Domino) 00.00, (a tune that sounds more like a manifesto every day) this is worth buying for the sinister cateiwaul of the B—side 'Hunt'. There seems to be something of a rockabilly twang in the air this week. The 5678s play the music your dad listened to as a lad but they do so in catsuits. which means their verSion of Ike Turner’s ‘l'm Blue' (Sweet Nothing) .0. warrants full reappraisal. The Barbs are the Flying Lizards crossed wrth the 852s and as a result ‘Massive Crush' (Mother Tongue) 000 is rollickineg good rockabilly daftness. Lots of stop-starts. fuzz guitars and kooky sexiness lyric-wise. How come Scousers make all music sound scouse? Dunno. but The Zutons offer convincing proof that the Stax sound actually originated on Merseyside on 'Don't Ever Think (Too Much)‘ (Deltasonic) COO . Devendra Banhart is a daft hippy but the sheer apposite cookiness of ‘Little Yellow Spider' (Young God) to... beats A Girl Called Eddy’s beautiful Dusty-esque 'Under the Warm Sun‘ (Anti, Inc) 00.. for Folk Song of the Fortnight. Rock Song of the Fortnight goes to ‘Can't Stand To Stand Beside You' by Brakes (Tugboat) .00. for its sub-Sub Pop riffery and its sinister intent. And that's about it. We're off to see what mischief we can get up to during the 22 minute live version of 'The Man Don't Give a Fuck' by the Super Furry Animals (Sony) .00. with only the free video of Tippi‘s Tranvision Vamp-ish single ‘Boy' (Measured) O. for company.
(Tim Abrahams)
108 THE LIST 33 Seth“ Oct SOC-1
{Jr/M. iii .LS THE CLASH London Calling CBS omo BRIAN WILSON PRESENTS . . .
SMiLE (Nonesuch) om.
There you are waiting for one lost legendary album when along come two. Bus stop serendipity-a-go-go? Maybe. SMiLE comes closest to the real deal, being the same material - if not the actual recordings - from the Beach Boys’ mythical missing 1967 LP. The Clash’s 1979 double opus (perverser voted Best Album of the 805 by Rolling Stone) never was mislaid - although the rehearsal recordings, aka The Vanilla Tapes, vanished a quarter century ago before turning up
down the back of Mick Jones’ sofa. Let’s go Californian before heading Ladbroke Grove way, then. After 37 years of expectation one might fear SMiLE being an anticlimax. Worry not. It is beautiful, warm, whimsical, surprising, truly an exquisite work at every level. Sure, it would have trounced Sgt Pepper at the time but why the need to compare with a 50-50
Beatles LP?
Still the only band that matter
Built around three awesome Wilson compositions already recorded and cherished - “Heroes And Villains’, ‘Surf’s Up’ and ‘Good Vibrations’ - SMiLE is a pop opera (though fortunately not in a crappy Pete Townsend manner) in three movements. Rather than stitching together the remnants of half- tracks and outtakes much bootlegged over the years, however, it was (re)recorded earlier this year with Wilson’s adopted backing band, the Wondermints. Don’t get hung up about authenticity or a lack of 605 magic dust though - every note and nuance here is perfection.
London Calling was, is and always will be a record to inspire love and superlatives. In eclectic mood ‘the only band that matter’ threw off the shackles of punk and went for it, borrowing the considerable talents of Ian Dury’s keyboardist and Graham Parker’s horn section.
The subjects of Joe Strummer’s pen were suburban alienation, corporate venality, Sid Vicious‘ death, Spanish terrorism, nuclear disaster at 3 Mile Island, Montgomery Clift and a Spike Milligan catchphrase — ‘What are we gonna do now?’ It could have been a shambles, yet Mick Jones somehow pulled it together with a little help and a lot of lunacy from chair chucking producer Guy Stephens of the Who and Mott the Hoople fame. Amazing what you can find in lost property.
(Rodger Evans)
fledged collaboration marks another triumph for the Blind Boys. it is probably also Harper's most satisfying album to date. (Ninian Dunnettl
SOUL ROCK THE CZARS Goodbye
(Bella Union) 000.
This is Denver band the Czars' third worldwrde release and it's by far their most ambitious. Goodbye sees the band. based around singer John Grant's SOLiltul croon. embarking on a concept album of sons. a Sultry swmg through heartbreak and break-up With all the bitterness and nastiness that entails. Echoes of everything from Tindersticks to Eels to Grandaddy can be heard in the eclectic Czars SOund from the
quasi-classical opener ‘Goodbye Intro' to the sOuI of ‘Little Pink House' and the post- grunge romp of closer ‘Pain'. While the occasional track doesn't quite live up to the
band‘s musical ambition.
mostly this is sterling and impressive stuff. (Doug Johnstonei
SOUL REVISITED VARIOUS
The Marvel of Marvin: The Trouble Man's Collaborations, Covers & Cookies
(Harmless) .0.
After the release of two Vi/onder of Stem; covers albums. compilation kings Harmless have turned their attention to Motown label-mate and fellow SOuI legend. Man/in Gaye.
An eclectic verSion exCur8ion that encompasses smooth and rugged s0ul. Jazz. and reggae stylings. it would be hard to claim any of the selected reincarnaIIOhs are actually better than their original. but each IS Of asswed duality and
brings an exciting new perspective to established classics. There's even a Marx/iii duet or two included for those who couldn't hear to be without that yearning holler for over an hour
‘1 Hero plump up with a "Trouble Man' blend on disc two, livlark i1dinuiidsoi‘n
SF’ACi ROCK
SIX BY SEVEN
4
(Saturday Night Sunda‘y Morningi .0.
Nottingham's finest angst rockers have been dropped by their label and lost another band member (the, 're down to three new. but it ain't stopped ‘em. Sadly thOugh. this self- released album feels like something of a backwards step for a
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