ARTS
Page 8
Friday, August 12, 1988
The Michigan Daily
Summer releases guaranteed to sizzle
BY BRIAN JAR VINEN Too bad the even better flip side,
Syd Barrett's "Vegetable Man" is
AUGUSTishere at last! What's so omitted.
good about another month of the While on the subject of every-
hots? I already payed my rent for this one's favorite acid casualty I am
month a year and a half ago, that's pleased to report that the too cool
what. Time to hit the record stores! British psych-music label, Bam
But what to buy? Perusing these Caruso, is now distributed domesti-
musings (ouch) should get you cally by Fundamental. One of their
started, first American releases is Paul
The summer's most anticipated Roland's Danse Macabre (Bam
disc has to be Jimmy Page's first Caruso / Fundamental). Roland
solo album, Outrider (Geffen). Ru- seems to be in an involuntary com-
mors started about this album last petition with Robyn Hitchcock to
summer. The album does feature Ja- see who can have his music con-
son Bonham on drums, but the main nected to Syd the most times. The
concern is the guest vocals from lyrics deserves no such comparisons,
Robert Plant (John Paul is nowhere as it is far too literal for such name
to be found). Unfortunately their ex- dropping. The music is ok, succeed-
cellent collaboration "The Only ing the best when the acoustic gui-
One," is, well, the only track featur- tars show up.
igRbrwowins hands down as Creation, another British indie
ing Robert, who wishnsdw sknown for psychish releases such as
best of the three vocalists Page uses. the "Upside Down" single, now has
Outrider contains few surprises us- an American distribution deal with
less you thought heroin had knocked Relativity. The first fruits of this
out Page for good. He still loves the aiv in the form of The House of
blues, devoting an entire side to Love's self-titled debut LP. This
Song-coarse lyrics in "Prison record teases the listener on the
Ble"-oasI've got a weasel in opener, "Christine," which makes
B ' gonawein my list the synapses tingle with thoughts of
pocket / And I'm gonna ..' (listen another Express. But by the end of
to it yourself for the rest). the album The House of Love seem
The most inappropriate title of more like a less sophisticated ver-
the summer is Cinderella's Long sion of the Church than Love and
Cold Winter (Mercury). "Gypsy Rockets. The band have almost got
Road," the first single, is another the brain-melting guitar sound right
great, meaningless '80s rock jam to earn them an opening spot for
that makes good radio fare, just like those two bands - if only they
the better-with-time "Shake Me" toetobns-i nyte
fothei dtebu ight 'Shokes'Too would junk some of the extraneous
from their debut Night Songs. Tomusical goings on. Maybe next
bad the Bon Jovi factor (Girls buym. agog y
heavy metal too: c.f. "Angel") dic- time.
ates Single #2 will be the profound Meanwhile on this side of the big
"Don't Know What You Got (Til water the Lyres are still combing
It's Gone)." This is the kind of garages for their organ-driven sound.
record that all those future rock crit- Actually, front man Jeff Conolly is
ics (that are now busy picking out still at it, as the "band" once again
what color Reeboks to wear for the has a new line-up. A Promise Is A
first day of Middle School today) Promise (Ace of Hearts) serves up
will be raving about in 15 years. A more tasty but oh-so-obscure covers
big quibble: Did they have to print and a few originals. Liking this
the lyrics on the sleeve? record depends on your tolerance for
So much for music heard on the the pure cheese sound of Conolly's
radio. The record I have been waiting instrument, the lead organ. Promise
for is The Jesus And Mary Chain's ends each side with a live track,
Barbed Wire Kisses (Warner Broth- while the CD and cassette versions
ers), a compilation of rare tracks. have bunches more. This is pretty
The compiling is far from complete; surprising from Conolly, a fanatical
at least ten more tracks exist on record collector. Maybe they just
vinyl from this prolific band (Ten forgot one of the discs, as the record
bucks says the next one will be comes in a gatefold cover featuring a
imaginatively titled And Her Love). complete personnel chart for the
This LP offers fans a chance to Lyres and Conolly's previous band
watch the Chain's music mutate DMZ on the inside.
from the pop noise of Psychocandy Anti-keyboard rock fans should be
to the moody pop symphonies of well pleased with an excellent batch
Darklands. A rough chronological of new releases from the fastest-ac-
track listing for the album version quiring label in the country, Funda-
runs mental. The Colorblind James
13,2,6,4,8,14,1,10,7,12,5,15,16,3,1 Experience's self titled debut
1,9. An excellent record for the Bo (Earring / Fundamental) features
Diddley and Beach Boys covers gobs of Mojo Nixon styled simple
alone, not to mention the incredible story/rhymes. There is probably a
"Upside Down," their first single. name for this psuedo-rockabilly
Despite their somber expressions, the new releases from (clockwise) House of
Love, Cinderella, The Paladins, and Jimmy Page will keep you smiling for the
rest of the summer.
genre and 20 compilation albums to
go with it, but you will never see.
"compiled" bands live, so get this
one and pester the Blind Pig for a
Colorblind James show. God only
knows why the atypical, compara-
tively bad lead-off track and the only
one sporting horn arrangements,
"Why Did the Boy Throw the Clock
Out the Window," is an airplay track
on "progressive" music stations.
The quality of their music alone
should get Charlie Pickett & the
MC3's (Magic City [Miami] 3) al-
bum The Wilderness (Safety
Net/Fundamental) to the top of every
chart, but you won't have to take
my word for it once you find out
who the famous Southern-Rock-of-
the-80s guitar player who produced
this is (His initials are PB. Igno-
rance is bliss. Just dig the music.
End of digressions.). The album fea-
tures two Son House covers, killer
chicken-bone slide guitar, and awe-
some third-helpings-please originals.
Edinburgh, Scotland's
Swamptrash are a different sort of
clan altogether. It Makes No Never
Mind (Fast Forward / Fundamental)
showcases a bunch of English guys
in love with banjos, mandolins, and
harmonies. The Pogues do it better,
but this excellently titled LP should
help you down a case or two any-
ways.
Fundamental is not the only label
to supply fans of distinct American
music with new fixes. Alligator has
kept blues fires burning for a long
time now. Little Charlie and the
Nightcats, one of Alligator's many
competitors for Hardest Working
Band in Show Business, beat the
sophomore jinx on Disturbing the
Peace , a downright smooth batch of
tunes featuring multiple blues
stylings. Now if someone would
only remind the hordes of trendies
that crowd Rick's and the River
Rock Cafe when an Alligator act
comes to town that these bands are
Recording Artists with records in the
stores (CDs too!) even if MTV and
most radio stations think they don't
exist.
Alligator has also just released
another highly anticipated sopho-
more album, this one from the Pal-
adins. Years Since Yesterday earns
the usual genre busting-mixing de-
scriptions with an adjective defying
batch of original blues tales and
party rock get downs. The Daily's
own Fat Al highly recommends it in
his liner notes on the back, and if
that doesn't convince you, you must
have paid attention in class last year.