records

Rip It Up, Issue 9, 1 March 1978, Page 15

records

Rough Mix Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane Polydor As those of you who bought the first Pete Townshend solo album, Who Came First, will have a fair idea, this is not a Who album in any sense, and Ronnie Lane fans (probably an equally small number) shouldn’t expect a Slim Chance record. Like Who Came First, this is to some extent a record for Meher Baba who is Lane and Townshend’s spiritual master. With all those disclaimers out of the way, let it be said that this is a very good record. It seldom gets up and grabs the listener by the throat, but there are moments of remarkable power in Rough Mix. For someone who is so skilful at creating the grand climax with a three-piece rock and roll band, Townshend obviously relishes the chance to use different formats to get his effect. There are three Townshend songs with extensive use of Rabbit Bundrick on organ and piano, and the album's centrepiece, "Street in the City" is backed by a string quartet and a full orchestra. More than any of Townshend’s recent songs about the demise of My Generation, "Street in the City", with its extraordinary backing and image of a window cleaner who refuses to become a suicide for the sake of the narrator’s jaded romanticism, has the keenness and energy that made the Who’s name. Lane's contributions on the songwriting side are, not surprisingly, less notable, but his presence ensures that the slight studio sterility of Who Came First, which was per-

formed almost totally by Townshend himself, is replaced by the instantaneous feel suggested by the title. Just as a comparison between Townshend’s demo tapes and the Who shows what a violent working environment can bring out in the music, Rough Mix shows what can be done in a friendly one.

Francis Stark

New Boots and Panties lan Dury Stiff It's not bleedin’ fair. I mean, we all know what to expect from this fellow who looks like a plumber for the New Wave, records for Stiff Records, and has punk credentials as long as your bondage pants. The trouble is, lan Dury doesn’t seem to realise what is supposed to register well on the punkometer. What we have here is an exercise in Cockney Funk. It takes quite a while to shrug off the disorientating effect of this monstrous hybrid of Albert Steptoe and The Commodores, lurking and leering about the place. I think it’s probably worth it. I still can’t quite see it as the instant classic that some others can, but it can be great fun while it lasts. As you might guess from the title, lan Dury has a taste for the tasteless, which he exploits to good effect on such tracks as "Wake Up And Make Love To Me" and "If I Was With A Woman". As well as this sort of stuff, we should also note the presence of a definite contender for the classics stakes, “Sweet Gene Vincent", which would stand out if only because it is genuine rock and roll, but also has the advantage of being great rock and roll. Buy and file under ’weird’

Francis Stark