The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 26, 1994 - 9
RECORDS
Continued from page 5
recall the "Ozma"-era Melvins in fine
style.
A highlight of the album is "Goose
Freight Train", which has a kind of
loungey, Dennis Hopper-Western sorta
feel. It, as much as anything, shows that
the Melvins are still moving onwards.
Treat 'em with respect.
- Ted Watts
Coollo -
it takes a thief
Tommy Boy Records
Broughtinto the business by W.C.'s
Maad Circle (formerly of Low Pro-
file), Coolio has a lot to live up to
musically.
A former cocaine addict and
firefighter, Coolio has been through
ome crazy environments. He brings it
to you musically with tracks which
come from all different angles - a
serious tone mixed with silly rhymes
'mixed with interludes mixed with fat
West Coast funk.
The strong funk feel is crisp and
bumpin' as opposed to flat and played-
out. A lot of the samples are something
you've heard before but they are hooked
*p in a way that makes them exciting
again.
Most notably the album has power-
ful themes. Almost every track has
something to say, positive or negative.
Some of the themes have been done
before but it's a nice flavor. For in-
stance, "Fantastic Voyage" is an "I'll
TakeYouThere" groovealathe Winans
and Big Daddy Kane. "Ghetto Car-
oon" is filled with references to fig-
res from popular cartoons, somewhat
in the vain of LL Cool J's "My Rhyme
Ain't Done." But both of these tracks
are hittin' no question.
All in all, the music is straight and
it's good to hear somebody with a
focus rockin' the mic every once in a
while.
- Dustin Howes
Various Artists
Raiders of the Lost Art
Street Life Records
"Some people ask why an old school
rap album. The answer is simple. New
school rap is nothing but old school
rap," says Kein Evans, executive pro-
ducer of this CD, and how right he is.
Unfortunately, many people today
are so much into new school rap - rap
which is currently dragging in the muck
and mire of same old, same old -
because too many rappers, old and
new, have grown too comfortable with
their art and aren't attempting to ex-
periment. They have forgotten about
groups like Whodini, Kurtis Blow and
the Furious Five, who in the late 70's
and early '80's defined what rap was to
be.
"I wanted to play a role in present-
ing at least one example of how it all
began," explains Evans. "On this al-
bum, you will be exposed to some of
the greatest and most artistic musicians
who helped to ignite this musical
genre."
"Raiders of the Lost Art" will amaze
you with its variety coupled - ironi-
cally - with a mystical cohesiveness
that defined rap in the early years. The
Furious Five perform two songs for the
CD, "Sun Don't Shine in the Hood,"
whose beat, lyrics and message aren't
easily forgotten, and "Mic Slayer,"
which sounds like a "Super Fly" theme
song. Whodini does it again with "Do
It Again," and Kurtis Blow brings us
"G-Party" which employs one charac-
teristic lyric of early rap which you'll
remember, and re-enjoy, instantly (I
won't spoil your surprise and tell you
what it is).
Sadly, the title cut, performed by
Kool Moe Dee and Treacherous Three,
is as sad as rap could probably get. The
refrain is pitifully insufficient, and its
purpose in this collection is debatable
But, we musn't allow one bad song
to spoil our taste for the LP's other nine
cuts. Everyone should be required to
listen to this CD to remember where
rap has been and where it has the poten-
tial of going. "Raiders of the Lost Art"
will make you question the stagnant air
surrounding the current rap world for
the most part, and it could very well be
an impedous for a dramatic reorganiza-
tion of rap for the better.
- Eugene Bowen
Various Artists
Big Hard Disk
Smash Records
This album raises many questions,
the most pressing being from whence
does the name spring? The only thing
"Hard" about this album is the fact that
it is hard to stomach. This is a cash cow
that lays big goose eggs.
Just in the same way that Spam is
reconstituted pork products, this al-
bum is reconstituted musical products.
Big name acts like Yello, Material and
the Orb display remixes that leave one
stunned - but only because of their
lacklusterness. None of these songs are
worthy of their artists and anyone con-
nected with this album is overdue for
an integrity check.
The only humorous (as opposed to
pathetic) moment on this album is the
juxtaposition of William S. Burroughs
spoken word with a bland techno track.
Spewing forth suchplatitudes as "Never
get in the middle ofa boy and girl fight"
he shows that his words still ring true
regardless of how tarnished the pack-
age.
Do not buy this album because I
suspect it will be "Hard" to sell this one
to any used record store after you real-
ize the mistake you made.
- Ben Ewy
Blues Traveler
four
A&M Records
Incorporating a variety of musical
genres into "four," Blues Traveler has
released a CD of the highest merit. Fast
rock ("The Good, the Bad, and the
Ugly"), slow rock ("Just Wait") and
funk ("Stand") are infused into "four,"
and the results- are a surprisingly spec-
tacular musical feat.
Especially notable are "Run-
Around," the opening track which has
what are perhaps the best lyrics and
background sounds of any other song
on "four," the musical prelude in "Look
Around" and the soothing combina-
tion of guitar and vocals in "Just Wait."
Blues Traveler has done an amaz-
ing job with "four." Their grasp of true
musical diversity is awe-inspiring, and
the final product is spectacular.
- Eugene Bowen
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'ontinued from page 8
Nikita"), Eric is consistently frighten-
ing in spite of the over-the-top circum-
stances the film propels him into. The
other crooks achieve varying levels of
believability, with top honors going to
Gary Kemp ("The Krays") as Oliver,
the lone Brit. A long-haired and bejew-
eled Eric Stoltz spends a good part of
the film looking confused and Julie
*elpy probably is confused, as this is
one of her first English-language roles.
Perhaps the script sounded better in
French.
Whateverthecasemay be, itdoesn't
sound too good in English. Granted,
there are some clever couplets. Dia-
logueis Avary's stronger suit. Were he
to focus on this and abandon his lesser
role as director, he might actually be on
$>something. But tediously redundant
close-ups, meant to stress action but
only serving to stress the lack of it,
overdone establishing shots of the gen-
eral "seediness" of their lives and the
stupendously exaggerated modes of
violence expose Avary as an amateur
who has watched far too many action
films.
He's a fan. A fan of films and a fan
of Tarantino. Yet, don't be fooled by
Oiis connection. The State theater may
think that they've got "Quentin
Tarantino's 'Killing Zoe'," but all they
have is a cheap imitation, one that is big
on names but utterly devoid of mean-
ing.
KILLING ZOE is playing at the tate
Theater.
A L W A Y
THAN 1
S
COST
S
LESS
-800-COLLECT.
Hello?
Lower
Because
Wa'nt the lowest
price
for a collect call?
than
that
o t h e r number? Then dial this
one.
THE CODE always costs less than 1
-800-COLLECT.
Your 'iueVoice'
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