8 - Tuesday, March 24, 1998 - The Michigan Daily SEMISONIC'S 'FINE' ISN'T WORTH THE COST New CD finds Cohn wa ing in mediocrity When only half of an album is worth listening to, should music fans pay the whole $15 for a CD? Those who say no should probably stay away from Semisonic's "Feeling Strangely Fine." But listeners who are willing to risk $7.50 can look forward to six great songs. Semisonic's second album, "Feeling Strangely Fine," features the single "Closing Time," an outstanding song that has captivated radio listeners across the country. "Closing Time" is by far the best song on the album. Its thought- ful lyrics and arrangement make it worthy of radio airplay. Although the other five songs that bring quality to this album are not quite as good, they are still catchy, honest and a little confusing. That confusion, par- ticularly in Semisonic's lyrics, is the key to the album's best songs. Perplexing in its message and moody in its guitars and vocals, the song "Made to Last," is a prime example of musical beauty on "Feeling Strangely Fine" Lyricist/vocalist Dan Wilson's words at first seem like mere babble. But before the piano and the slide guitar kick in, he neatly ties everything together with lyrical elegance. This song, like the other five, is so emotionally driven that it is leaves listeners contemplat- ing every word, synchronized with the cracks in Wilson's voice. In these six songs, Semisonic shines in all aspects Semisonic of music. But the other six songs pale in comparison. Feeling Strangely Fine Lacking any complexity in musicianship and lyrics, MCA Semisonic dumbs down its ability, hoping fans will lower Reviewed by their expectations. Songs such as "California" and Daily Arts Writer "Secret Smile" seem contrived, showing only the poten- Jewel Gopwani tial that Semisonic has already surpassed in "Closing Time" and "Made to Last." Although these songs are not downright terrible, they are what listeners would expect from any mediocre pop band, not from Semisonic. At most, the tracks, "Completely Pleased" and "Secret Smile"-- which are about having good luck with women - are borderline easy listening songs. Not only are half of the songs mediocre, the order in which the songs are in, leaves much to be desired. "Closing Time" is the opening track. Half of the people who purchase the album probably won't get past this hit. For those who We're definitely not "Walking in Memphis" anymore. "Burning the Daze," Marc Cohn's recent release is not full of the same emotion that was present on his earlier projects. This is not to say the production of this album is bad, it just does not have any surefire hits or soulful ballads that brought everyone to enjoy Marc Cohn's music in the first place. Cohn did some experimenting with different instruments on this album, which definitely adds depth to each song. He used the citern, mandolin, and added horns to the repertoire. The first song, "Already Home," def- initely has the same feel and tone that is reminiscent of his prior two albums, but with a jazzy twist to it. The lyrics are decent, yet have no real emotion or driving force. "Girl of Mysterious Sorrow" has a folky ambi- ence - somewhat like "True Companion," one of the better songs on manage to hear it out, most of the quality songs are at the beginning, with two near the end. The album closes on a disappointing note. Semisonic is still a young band. Even though there are not very many hits on this album, it is a step in the 'right direction. By following its natural instincts in songwriting, composing and playing, Semisonic's next effort should be something out of the ordinary - an album that is worth its price. Marc Cohn Burning the Daze Reprise Reviewed for the Daily by Ryan Malkin Cohn's debut album. Of all the songs on this album, "Girl of Mysterious Sorrow," has the best chance at getting any radio air-play. Several of the songs on this album sound as if Preserve Us." Along with the folky-rock songs on "Burning the Daze,' a nice smooth piano tune, "Healing Hands," shows great harmony between the piano and Cohn's voice. It is quite reminiscent of Cohn's ear- tier work. "Turn On Your Radio," has an, eloquent arrangement and utilizes p6r- tions of John Lennon's "I've Gt -a Feeling:" "Burning the Daze," is a relaxing= album perfect to study to, but has-no great originality. It doesn't seem' ike Cohn pushed his musical talents to'their limits. He may not have wanted to loschi\ audience, but not striving to put ou something terribly innovative may not, be the best way to keep the audience he had upon the release of his last album. All of the songs are producedand: written well, yet do not evoke any reap emotion from the listener. And while "Burning the Daze" is listenable, Maer- Cohn's first album remains, by farAis best work to date. a Propellerheads lift off on debut With their debut LP "Decksanddrumsandrock- androll," the British big .beat duo Alex Gifford and Will White (a.k.a. The Propellerheads) have created a solid combination of hip-hop, funk and dance music. Granted, this type of act seems to come a dime a dozen these days (with somehow every group having had a hit on "BBC's Radio One"), but the Propellerheads show they are better than the great majority of similar groups. The disc begins with "Take California," which fea- tures a heavy drum loop, some unique percussion effects, and an ominous bass line. Then a keyboard is dripped in, revealing the dense dance vibe that perme- ates the track and much of the album. Now and then a vocal sample enters the mix, most notably a man com- manding "take California." The basic approach to this track resurfaces in other songs throughout the album, such as "Velvet Pants" and "Bang On." The effect is similar to that of Fatboy Slim's "Better Propellerheads Living Through Chemistry." While Slim's music could easily Oecksan and- be featured on a beer commer- cial, the grittier jazz feel at work Dreamworks in the Prop's music makes it Reviewed for more fitting for a smoky club. the Daily by Before starting the Michael Kegler Propellerheads, Gifford worked as a studio musician for Van Morrison and others, and this traditional influence reflects on Gifford's work. In short, for a mostly elec- tronic album, it seems quite acoustic at times: The tdrums sound rawer, the bass sounds fuzzier, and the keyboards sound less processed. "Decksanddrumsandrockandroll" features two clas- sic rap groups, De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers, doing their thing over Gifford and White's grooves. De La collaborates on "360° (Oh Yeah?)," a track whose lazy drums and lethargic bass make the perfect sound- track for a summer afternoon. The lyrical mastery and tight production serve to remind the listener that cre- ative hip-hop still lives, and is in fact flourishing. On "'You Want it Back;' the Jungle Brothers do their best impression of rap, circa 1990. While cheesy at points, this cut has what so much of the current R&B inspired rap lacks: speed. The result is a very catchy track, which will be swirling through the listener's head for days after the first listening. The Propellerheads obsession with spy movie soundtracks of the '60s and '70s is the most prevalent theme throughout the LP. "History Repeating," fea- tures the seductive voice of James Bond songstress Shirley Bassey. Bassey, who performed the original theme to "Goldfinger," seems perfectly at home with the piano-laden backbeat of the song. While Bassey's singing is a novelty, the song does not rely on this gim- mick to sound great. Other soundtrack-influenced pieces like "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "Spybreak" represent the crucial flaw with this album - the conflict of old with new. At times, both of these tracks devolve into a break- beat over some loop from a '70s spy flick. One saw the same mistake in David Holme's take on the Bond theme song, "Radio 7." The horns and strings of the original sources often seem disparate from the drums being layered over them. Although this can produce a cool effect at times, in the end the tracks suffer. Let the listener remember, though, that this a debut album. In order to hone such techniques, the Props should follow the example of the DJ collective United Future Organization, a group that has had greater success inte- grating spy soundtracks into its music. A tragic quality of almost all club-based music is that once removed from the club atmosphere, the tunes lose a lot of their magic. This is true with many instru- they are meant to be sung by someone else. For instance, "Providence" sounds very much like a Counting Crows tune. Along with that seemingly eerie tune, Cohn unknowingly does a nice Tom Petty impression on such songs as "Lost You in the Canyon," and "Saints Spicy All Saints don't perform any miracles. mental tracks on Decksanddrumsandrockandroll. Let it be known, the Props are no DJ Shadow and have a long way to go before their instrumental hip-hop can truly draw the listener in. If one is looking for an engaging listen, he or she should probably go else- where. But throw this album in on a long car ride or at a party, and it begins to score some serious points. If one wishes to experience this album in its natural habi- tat, there is going to be a record release party for it at the Blind Pig tomorrow night. This event should find the Propellerheads' music in a more suitable environ- ment. For "Decksanddrumsandrockandroll" being a debut CD, it shows amazing potential and includes a good number of singles that have been proven hits in the English club scene. But there is a huge difference between putting out a great single and putting out a great album. Before the Propellerheads can make some real headway in the album realm, they are going to have to focus on making their music less appropriate for a sound system and more appropriate for a set of headphones. Researchers in England are baffled by a new phenomenon sweeping through the country: the upsurge in the popularity of the name Melanie - especially among airy pop stars. If it was not already confusing with the Spice Girls' Mel B. and Mel C., a new spice-wannabe band, All Saints, appears with their own Melanie. But with the release of their new album "All Saints," these new girls on the block show that the "Mel" thing is getting old, and, regardless of what their fashion consultants say, cleavage can only sell the records - it can't make them good. The band goes too far in trying to separate itself from its obvious spice- origins. A sappy, overly hip cover of the not-too-old Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Under the Bridge" leaves the listener with one question - All Saints why can't that bridge finally All Saints fall down? London The girls for- Reviewed by get that they live Daily Arts Writer in the '90s and Aaron Rich not the cheesy '80s in the dance tune "If You Cappadonna converts non-believers They take a silly but fun song, leave it' out of the fridge for too long andspoil it. (Umm, I want some butter with rny toast!) One last seductive effort fails miser-, ably in "Take the Key." This slow-song over-emphasizes the beat and bass-line and leaves the would-be lovers out in the cold, banging on the motel roort door. " ., The fact is - whether they admit to it or not - there would be no Samts without some Spice. The group takes a tired idem_ tries to run with it. They end up mere- ly feet from the start-line, gasping. fresh air. Don't worry, Victoria, Geri, Ejnj, Mel B. and Mel C. - your-tf thrones are not being threatened,' For all of you who are still non-believers (all three of you), it's time to accept what everyone else knows: The Wu Tang Clan is the single most dominant force in music today. It's a fact of life. There isn't any other group of musicians that can put out seven critically acclaimed, gold and platinum albums within five years (not to mention the countless albums that claimed to be Wu-affiliated), as well as starting record labels and their own line of clothing. You know this. I know this. The millions of junkies who will buy anything with a "W" on it know this. The latest addition to the Wu-dynasty is Cappadonna. The brash rapper isn't part of the core group, but his numerous guest appearances on Wu projects legitimates him as official Wu property. He exploits that to the fullest on his debut album "The Pillage," starting with a logo featuring the killer bee mascot on top of the Wu's trademark W. There is no mistaking that this is a Wu-tang album. The music is handled mostly by Wu-Tang producers Tru Master, Goldfingaz, and the RZA himself, laced with simple baselines, hard snares, and mutilated iovie and Motown samples. Fast-paced, aggressive songs like "Check for a Nigga" will fit right in with your collection of favorite Wu songs. As evidenced by the ambitious "Milk This Cow" and the Heartbroken "Young Hearts;" Cappa's lyrics and messages are sur- prisingly clear, although from time to time he still falls into the typical Wu-Tang jargon that makes sense to nobody but core members (and sometimes you won- der if even they know what they're talking about). As on all Wu-tang projects, Cappa shines best when paired up with his Wu-Tang comrades. Raekwon and Method Man represent well on the brooding "Dart Throwing;" Ghostface drops a few gems on **** the demented "Oh-Donna;" and Cappadonna the sparse "Supa Ninjaz" fea- The Pillage tures Meth and Wu-Tang's best The Pllage kept secret, U-God. Razor sharp But Cappa introduces two Reviewed by new Wu-affiliates who more Daily Arts writer than hold their own with their JuQuan Williams elders. Rhyme Recca makes a solid presence on the nod-induc- ing "Everything is Everything," and Wu-singer Tekitha gives the Wu a much-needed female rap pres- ence on "Pump Ya Fist." Want to Party." All Saints smear around a cover of the disco classic "Lady Marmalade." Breaking Records Star System Every song on "The Pillage" has the cutting-edge quality people have come to expect from the Wu-Tang clan and Cappa proves himself a capable lyricist aside from the group as well as with it. Cappadonna's debut is a great jumping-on point for those uninitiated into Wu-Tang Fandom. If you aren't a Wu-fan yet, stop fighting the wave, and join the rest of us on the band- wagon. r - Classic * - Excellent *** - Good ** - Fair *-Poor No stars - Don't Bother If you missed a wel of Breaking Record or the review of a nez album, check out t1b Daily's archives onlir at http-//www.pub umich.edu/dail Divine Intervention helps e ' Join Council Travel & Contiki part Free food and drinks Games and nrizes