Down Dury Lane

Press, 12 July 1979, Page 14

Down Dury Lane

lAN DURY AND THE BLOCKHEADS “Do It Yourself (Stiff SEEZ 14): Those who expected lan Dury to follow up his previous album with more over-sized characters of the ilk of “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” or “If I Was With A Woman,” are in for a disappointment. Dury has dropped his peronsa for something closer to home, which I find refreshing after putting up with endless repetitions of him on television — the moronic vocals were hard to take, even if the rest of the band were amazing. Most of the songs are still based on relationships or attempts at them, but without i he sexual overtones of the last album, “New Boots and Panties.” The album opens with “Inbetweenies,” about seeking a relationship (“A body likes to be near the bone. . . I die when I’m alone”) and settling for friendship (“At least you have nut me on the team”) against an ambulance siren in the background, and some good jazz piano. “Sink My Boats” is an intercrting number, based on the Woody Allen routine of “My wife was so immature she used to

come into the bathroom without knocking and sink my boats.” There is an internal monologue and the repetitive stupidity of “will you still love me when I’m over the hill” of a relationship that is on its last legs. The arrangement is excellent, especially the keyboard breaks by Mickey Gallagher. Like the “Inbetweenies,” “Don’t Ask Me” is about the early stages in a romance, apparently hopeless, as the prospective suitor says “Here I stand with a doughnut for a brain.” “Mischief” is about a fictitious character called Barry who “breaks the window of his broken home,” while closing out the album is “Lullaby For Francis/Frances,” which dips into a nice reggae beat behind a soft Dury voice. In fact, it is the only clean mix song on the album. “Do It Yourself” is a great continuation for Dury from “New Boots and Panties,” and shows him still at his creative peak. THE ONLY ONES “Even Serpents Shine” (CBS SBP 237303): This album is really poison for those prepared for the taste, as it goes on from

where the debut album left off. Indeed, the addition of Rabbit on keyboards, with Adam Maitland already on keyboards and saxes, only adds refinement to an album that is as unique in its own way as was the Talking Heads album “More Songs About Buildings And Food.” Lead vocalist, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist Peter Perrett gives the album its beef, his vocals ringing from the grating to the hypnotic and the songwriting equally as far out, dealing with relationships that are doomed no matter which way one turns. Two tracks really stand out — “Out There Tn The Night,” which really comes alive with the help of the background vocals of Koulla Kakoulli, and the first track on side two, “Curtains For You,” with its great bass intro and Kakoulli’s vocals again. Startling also is the economical rhythm section of Alan Mair on bass and Mike Kellie on drums, while John Perry’s dead guitar grows out of the songs even if occasionally it is a little overdone. The above-mentioned tracks are equal if not better than “Another Girl, Another Planet,” from the debut album, so for those of you who took “Rip It Up’s” advice and held back your $8.99, now is the chance to invest.

CHEAP TRICK “Cheap Trick (Epic ELPS 3826): One thing I like about Gordon Campbell’s rock column in the “Listener.” It gets results. Seems he was a bit cheesed off that CBS had not released Cheap Trick’s debut album, while releasing the rest including “Live At Budokan,” which really was not all that exciting. However, as if by magic out comes the debut

album, and you can really get excited about this one, even if John Lennon is rolling in his grave. Nothing like a little plagiarism in “Taxman, Mr Thief,” to really liven up the show. In fact it is an excellent track and I’m sure the Fab Four would have thought the same. Cheap Trick come on really strong and zany, taking an old theme and turning it into a stunner,

such as “Elo Kiddies” and “Daddy Should Have Stayed At High School.” In better form than on the “Budokan” album, the whole group give it mean, especially Rick Nielsen and his Stratocaster, while Tom Petersson’s bass guitar almost doubles for a second lead. More than on “Budokan” I can see why Cheap Trick are not as cheap as once thought.