No Traps For Rats

Rip It Up, Issue 16, 1 October 1978, Page 12

No Traps For Rats

The Boomtown Rats A Tonic For The Troops Ensign It would be something of an understatement to say that 1977 was a year full of promising debuts by new bands. But if past experience is anything to go by, for every band to make it with a strong second offering there will be at least two who blow it. The Boomtown Rats make it with A Tonic For The Troops but not without playing with fire. Though The Rats titled themselves “The Sex Pistols Of Ireland” when they emerged in 1976, the resemblance between the two bands was certainly not musical. Rather it was a reference to a common history of attempts by the rock music establishment to first ignore and later to stifle these noisy, energetic newcomers. Matters were not improved by The Rats’ spokesman, Bob Geldorf, having one of the fastest lips in town. When their debut album appeared last year it

obviously did not possess the raw menace of The Sex Pistols. Indeed the musical debt The Rats owed to the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and Dr Feelgood was all too apparent. So much so that, despite its melodic strength and powerful execution, it was far from satisfying in terms of originality. All this has changed with the new album. In places it is quite boldly original with apparent experimentation in both melodies and arrangements. This is a risky proposition for a band which cut its teeth on hard rock and conventional balladry, but it works well. To make the transition more palatable for the cautious, the set includes some familiar rock’n’roll swagger in “Blind Date” and The Rats’ patented power chord race on “She’s So Modern”. But there is a lighter pop feel to much of the new material. This is best displayed on “Don’t Believe What You Read" and “Can’t Stop”, where Johnny Fingers’ excellent keyboards are to the fore with all their tuneful bounce. Also new for the band are the appealing calypso overtones of “Living In An Island” and the choppy rhythms of “Like Clockwork”. The songs may be lighter but there’s no chance of the delivery becoming flabby. Always just below the surface is the unmistakeable ripple of true rock’n’roll brawn. Simon Crowe on drums and Peter Bricquette on bass know what hard tight rhythm is all about and they’re supported by the rugged power of Garry Roberts’ rhythm guitar. Garry also contributes the guitar solo on “She’s So Modern” which is a gem of tunefulness and really good fun besides. Gerry Cott who holds the lead guitar spot scorns the buzz saw approach. With his grasp of the guitar’s more melodic potential he serves as an excellent foil to Fingers’ keyboards. Vocalist Bob Geldoff’s pursuit of Mick Jagger’s crown takes him well over the top at times but you’ve got to admire the man’s enthusiasm. Modest Bob’s lyrics are usually worth a listen too. But he simply can’t resist imitations. This time out it’s Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy in a number called "Rat Trap”. This is the first true Boomtown Rats L.P. On the showing given here they remain a band to watch. Though the apparent potential is still greater than the actual achievement, this is not an album to be dismissed lightly. Dominic Free

Genya Ravan Urban Desire 20th Century Fox Records How can this seductive street animal, with her glycerine sweat and tattooed stars, qualify for the status of rock and roll veteran? But Genya Ravan (once Goldie Zelkowitz of Goldie and the Gingerbreads) has been around since before most of .us got long pants. Starting off in a New York group led by Richard Perry, now a not unknown producer, Genya went on to fame with the all-girl Gingerbreads, touring with such luminaries as the Animals and the Stones. Later she cropped up with a brassy soul band, Ten Wheel Drive, before dropping out of sight. Now she’s back with a superb self-produced (she’s produced the Dead Boys) album that could be one of the all-time sleepers. Vocally, her phrasing is based heavily on the best soul singers. She exudes power, but beyond the incendiary drive of a “Back in My Arms Again” she can conjure up the heartbreak of one of Phil Spector’s heroines. In fact, the opening “Jerry’s Pigeons (Are Above Us All)” has the thrust of Spector at his best. As the song fades, Genya starts crooning lines from "Da Doo Ron Ron” that “sound" like an afterthought, but they’re so perfect they can’t be. The song seems to sum up the album, a New York tenement view of rock and roll, just as the neglected Kenny Vance album Vance 32 was rock from behind the eyes of a doo-wopper. Vance’s album deserved better than relegation to the deletion bins, but perhaps it was a trifle on the esoteric side. Genya Ravan, on the other hand, is pure, straight ahead raunch. As a bonus, Lou Reed duets on a track. The blistering heat generated by Genya Ravan and her superlative backing band are a perfect complement to the icv Lou.

wunu uio a ICL Ken Williams

Red Hot Peppers Bright Red Oz It seems the Australian trip is becoming more and more a vital part of the New Zealand rock and roll world. It is a pity that the trip home hasn't quite assumed the same importance. Red Hot Peppers have been in Australia for the best part of two years now, and perhaps more than any local band since Dragon, they have profited by the shift. Their second album, their first Australian one, shows a very considerable improvement over Toujours Yours. While their sound is still based around Marion Arts’ voice and Robbie Laven’s ability to play anything musical, the tendency of the former to quaver and the latter to over-embellish have both been considerably reduced. The weakest part of the record is their rerecording of the song, "Preacher Woman" which was also on their debut album. The rest of the material shows a considerable advance, both in writing and arrangement in the last couple of years. In “Angel”, Arts and Laven have come up with a realiy remarkable song, and many of the others are not too far behind. It looks like Red Hot Peppers went to Australia for finishing school— not to be finished off like so many others. Francis Stark

David Johansen CBS The heavy brigade of American rock and roll has, during this decade, centred itself upon New York city. Perhaps the prima donna status the city enjoys within American cultural life is the. perfect foil for the similarly self-dramatising egos of its rock heroes. Whatever the reasons, the names associated with New York, Patti Smith, the New York Dolls. Lou Reed, and (who could forget) Kiss, are the modern purveyors of melodrama. The traditional New York pose is somewhere between theatre and self confession! a part cynical, part narcissistic expose of urban life, orchestrated with fuzzed guitar and ever-so-slightly psychotic vocals. New Yorkers have become very good at such drama, as is evidenced by this solo album by ex-New York Doll, David Johansen. Johansen has written a group of songs in the accepted mould and done it very well. His love songs are not quite love songs: You come on like its natural darling But you know its really only naturalette his dance songs are that little bit sadonic "Funky but Chic”. When you add the panache of a band who thrash out rock and roll with insistent aggression, you are left with uniquely stylised music. And if. like me you believe New York cynicism is in its own way as romanticised as Elvis doing "Love me Tender", it’s no reason to deny that it’s great fun Bruce Belsham

Peter Gabriel Charisma Hands up those who hate Genesis. I’ll bet most of you think of Genesis as that pretty insipid bunch of techoflashers who warble away over banks of synthesisers. But the fact is, they have quite a respectable past to sell out, and most of it was the work of Peter Gabriel. As he puts it, he walked out of the machine, just when the band began to make a fortune in the States. Instead, he preferred to keep his life at a level where he could look after himself, and to make the occasional record the way he wanted to. This is his second album (although it has the same name as his first) and it continues to develop the musical and lyrical style which he began on his last Genesis album, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. It is a much more rough-edged and urgent sound than the steadily-romanticising output of his former colleagues, but it also shows a much broaderbased melodic sense. While Genesis more and more seem to be rewriting the same tune, Gab-

riel can easily juxtapose the introspective "Mother of Violence” with the mutated Heavy Metal of "D.1.Y.” and the three-legged calypso of "A Wonderful Day In A One-Way World”. On the evidence of the last two Genesis albums and Gabriel’s two, while they are painting themselves into a lucrative corner of the market, he’s got his freedom, and two considerably better records. You can put your hands down now. Francis Stark

Dirk Hamilton Meet Me At The Crux Elektra In 1968 Dirk Hamilton ing up absurd in California and taking too much acid was cracking up when he first heard Van Morrison. As he now recalls: "Somehow Astral Weeks kept me from killing myself ... it hit me like magic." Understandable then that Morrison should be a major influence in Hamilton’s music. It is also blatantly obvious. At least half this album copies Morrison’s punchy, white R & B of the early 70’s. Even more overt is Hamilton’s vocal delivery which virtually plagiarizes his mentor’s style: its staccato' phrasing and semi-scat improvising. But while this similarity to Morrison inevitably

invokes comparison it is not necessarily to Hamilton's detriment. He has some fine songs here and, with band and horn section. performs them damn well. Furthermore he goes beyond mere imitation by using a variety of tempos and writing quite distinctive lyrics. Although his lyrics occasionally lapse into banal imagery, at best they paint interesting, if pessimistic, portraits. In "How Do You Fight Fire?" a mad bomber about to destroy a city imagines himself as a sly lizard purifying the world of flies Dirk Hamilton does possess considerable originality but the crux he must meet is to subsume his influences. The result, as this album indicates, could be a major talent. Peter Thomson

Solid Senders Virgin This album (a double one studio album, one live, retailing here at $8.98) highlights the quandary of Wilko Johnson. Since his departure from Dr Feelgood, Wilko has put together a powerhouse band that’s obviously great for a night on the tiles. Real kick out the jams stuff. But on record it leaves something to be desired. And on the studio album the Solid Senders are more wanting. Which is a shame, because in Britain the live record was a promotional freebie. The whole problem with the band is pinpointed in the opening track of the studio album, “Blazing Fountains.” Chuck Berryish car-horn guitar wails jump into a raging highway racetrack. Not unlike Bob Seger’s "Get Out of Denver”, the same sort of verbal overload. Seger could handle it. Maybe Lee Brilleaux could, too Wilko can’t. It’s a garble. There’s tasty piano from John Potter, who does a passable Jerry Lee Lewis impersonation, but it lacks definition. Johnson tries here and there for something distinct from his well-worn twelve-bar path, but the efforts often seem forced. The writing just isn’t there. A fully realised song like Smokey Robinson's "Shop Around” really stands out, even though the version here would never challenge The Miracles'. If nothing more, the live album is fun. Wilko striding through his piston riff that reached its height with the robotic "Roxette” and tossing off some high octane R&B ("Highway 61,” "Neighbour Neighbour” and "Rock Me, Baby"). But without the visual impact of Wilko’s psychotic stare, the music often sounds unfocused and chaotic. Sure, Wilko’s a great guitarist he virtually re-invented rhythm guitar but on this showing he’s no frontman.

Ken Williams

Kraftwerk Man Machine Capitol KRAFTWERK MAN MACHINE I WISH TO SAY THIS TO YOU IF YOU BUY THE ABOVE NAMED RECORD YOU MIGHT LIKE IT A LOT I .HAVE THE RECORD AND I LIKE IT I LIKE MOST OF ALL THE SONGS CALLED : THE MODEL : AND : NEON LIGHTS : THESE SONGS ARE ON SIDETWO OF THE RECORD THIS IS MODERN MUSIC OF A TYPE

Steve Hackett Please Don’t Touch

Charisma What we have here, basically, is a surrogate Genesis album. This is Hackett’s second solo album, and his first since he split from the band. Voyage of the Acolyte, his first, was a great guitarists’ album, but lacked direction in other areas, chiefly songwriting. Don't Touch is much stronger material-wise, and shows Hackett extending his musical 1 abilities as displayed on the extensive inner sleeve credits. For all that, the Genesis hangover is omni-

IS IT YOU RRRR ... * I S IT YOUR THING I DONT KNOW DO YOU . ..DO YOU WANNA... DO YOU WANNA DANCE LEANARD JACKSON WHITFIE'LD RECORDS MIXED THE RECORD THE AFRO GERMANIC CONNECTION SOME SAY DISCO IS THE REAL AVANT GARDE IT MAKES YYY ... * Y O U THINK IT MAKES ME HUM IN THE DARK PLUG IN A N D D D DB DBDBBB 888 B EE EE..EE .EE . . Terence Hogan.

present. None of these songs would have been out of place on a group album, and the whole project hints at the frustration Hackett must have felt at having his songs dumped in favour of Collins-Rutherford-Banks compositions. English eccentricity and heavy keyboard riffs abound. Richie Havens" is called in to sing on two tracks, “How Can I?” and “Icarus Ascending”, both lovely songs, Havens’ warm, expressive voice enhancing them even further. Elsewhere, Hackett shares vocal chores with Steve Walsh and Randy Crawford, and proves to have a passable set of pipes. There is nothing at all wrong with this record. Au contraire, Arnold, it is a fine effort, showing

Hackett to have plenty of ideas and a great deal to offer. But let us hope that he can shake off the yoke of his old band and have something more individual to offer next time round. Duncan Campbell

Carole Bayer Sager ... Too Elektra Ms Sayer has spent many years writing lyrics for popular tunesmiths. It was she, for example, who informed us that “Nobody Does It Better” than James Bond. This is her second album as interpreter of her own words and other people’s melodies.

Sager’s vocal delivery has been kindly described as conveying an air of vulnerability, (an interpretation calculatedly implied by the sympathetic sleeve photos). A harsher assessment would call it weak and cracked. Judy Garland she ain’t. Nonetheless, although unable to sustain the notes, if the tempo and backing is supportive, her voice can become rather engaging with familiarity. Which means, of course, that she’s only as

good as the tune and arrangement. She has worked here with such divergent composers as Melissa Manchester, Alice Cooper and Marvin Hamlisch. Consequently the material encompasses a variety of styles. The first track has the lush 50’s Ballad sound once identified with Julie London, while track two, after a shaky start, struts with confident funk. What’s more both of them work. Not all however, Side One is fairly good, if predominantly in the 3am-listening mould. Side Two starts well enough but gradually drifts into vapidity. As pop singers go, others certainly do it better but, given the right setting, Carole Bayer Sager can give a fair account of herself.

Peter Thomson

Wha-koo Berkshire ABC Ken Caillat co-produced Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and this album, Berkshire, with similar adroitness. But Wha-koo isn’t Fleetwood Mac, nor even Steely Dan. Lead vocalist David Palmer did sing with Steely Dan though and, with guitarist Danny Douma, he writes most of Wha-koo’s songs. Palmer writes smooth pop ballads like “Mother of Pearl” that would have sounded at home on Can't Buy A Thrill or Countdown to Ecstasy. Under his direction this band would be best known for quality 45 rpm pop. On their second album, however, Wha-koo still alternates between pop and rock with no clear sense of direction and though "(You’re such a) Fabulous Dancer” may yet be a medium-sized hit it is the album’s only strong single. Eclecticism is easily confused with versatility and competence seen as excellence but Berkshire tries too hard for perfection to be anything more than ordinary. Jeremy Templer

Maddy Prior Woman in the Wings Chrysalis I am sure I was not the only person to be curious as to what the little lady from Steeleye Span would do on her solo album. And having lan Anderson for producer could only but sharpen that curiosity. Surprisingly, Maddy Prior doesn’t use any traditional numbers on the record, they are all self-penned numbers written during Steeleye Span’s numerous years on the road. Because of the intrinsic differences from song to song, as well as in their treatment, it is hard to summarise the album, but here are some of the songs that made a fairly sharp first impression. On the lighter side, Maddy does an Andrews sisters pastiche in “I Told You So” recalling some of Maria Muldaur’s recent work. "Woman in the Wings” is an analysis of the problems of performers and their night-by-night lives. This is the longest track and features a typically elaborate David Palmer arrangement. In fact some of Palmer’s arrangements make songs such as ‘‘Deep Water” sound like art-songs, which gives the album an incredible range of styles, but might also hinder its popular appeal. A lovely album, although Festival have reduced the packaging and omitted all the players’ credits. William Dart

Johnny McLaughlin Electric Guitarist CBS John McLaughlin has dropped the Mahavlshnu tag. The title of this album derives from a business card McLaughlin used to proffer when he was a kid guitarist on the way up. Remember that name, right? One might argue that McLaughlin’s devotion to the mystic Sri Chinmoy led him down paths that were to the detriment of his music. The severing of the public association with his guru has put the guitarist firmly back In the musical vanguard, breathing new life into a form that he (and his associates) virtually Invented, the socalled jazz-rock fusion. Fusion had become a cul-de-sac for so many musicians attempting to milk its commerciallty. Here, McLaughlin, with a stellar cast, drives so hard toward the end of the tunnel that the light blinds. For the seven tracks, he has assembled five different groups of the most noteworthy jazzrock players, most of whom have been prominent In McLaughlin’s past. Included are Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke, Jerry Goodman, David Sanborn, Jack Bruce, Tony Williams and Devadlp Carlos Santana. The music ranges from the propulsive opening "New York on My Mind’’, which duplicates the sound of the original Mahavishnu Orchestra, to the closing solo guitar piece, "My Foolish Heart,'.’ which broods gently after the hectic guitar-drum dialogue between'McLaughlin and Cobham on the preceding "Phenomenon: Compulsion." . After some meandering albums and a spell away from the electric axe with the acoustic intricacies of Shakti, John McLaughlin Is back with what may be his best album yet. Ken Williams

Janis lan In Concert Interfusion This album is virtually a song-by-song recording of the concert which the singer gave in Auckland last year. So If you enjoyed the concert, this review Is quite superfluous. There Is the obligatory "Jesse" and "At Seventeen", as well as a selection of songs from her four other Interfusion albums. I complained of the concert that lan didn't have enough variety In her songs, and a touch of humour here and there would not be amiss. The one light touch of the concert, "New York in the Springtime" unfortunately gets off to a bad start with a cool audience response and an underrecorded opening. lan Is a smooth craftsperson, albeit a trifle cynical. And considering the horrendous reception that the beautiful Present Company album got, who can blame her for not making waves these days. I’m not really knocking the album, as it Is rather a pleasant reminder of the concert, but if anybody had the other four Interfusion albums, they might be worried about the paucity of new songs on this live set. William Dart

Joe Cocker A Luxury You Can Afford Asylum It’s a slimmer Joe Cocker that graces the cover of his latest album, his first for Asylum, to the twelve - pints - a - day - man who toured here with the American Standard Band last year. Cocker’s congeniality and easy going attitude have put him at the mercy of many sharp rock businessmen. (Leon Russell springs to mind) with the result that he has continually slipped from the formidable R & B presence of his first album. ■ His new album seems to be an attempt to put much of his past chaos well and truly behind him. As he comments himself on Phil Driscoll's very moving "Wasted Years" "Phil Driscoll wrote this especially for me. Some might say It sums up my life I" Driscoll Is a young writer from

Jacksonville whose two songs on the album, the aforementioned "Wasted Years" and the beautiful “Boogie Baby", aided by Cocker’s Interpretation easily steal the thunder from versions of “Watching the River Flow" and a rather heavyfisted "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Allen Toussaint, who produced the album at Muscle Shoals with the usual collection of flawless musicians, has one of his own songs, “Fun Time" Included, an excellent piece of funk written especially for Cocker. "A Whiter Shade of Pale” was tailor-made for Cocker's Sheffield soul treatment and guitarist Larry Byrom leads

the melody line with plenty of feeling. -'; V ; : ; Luxury is a well organized and professionally executed album which proves that Cocker is still one of the finest blues singers around, but In 1978 people don’t seem to care anymore. George Kay Leon Russell Americana Paradise My friend Phil and I always disagreed about Leon Russell. Phil claimed Russell had a horrible voice and made annoyingly eccentric al-

bums but occasionally wrote beautiful songs which, mercifully, someone else recorded I defended Russell's singing as distinctive and always found the albums Impressively original. I' regard Carney (72) as Russell's masterpiece, with Will O' the Wisp (75) close behind. Phil hates both but likes George Benson singing their ballads. , Since 76 Phil’s been happier about Russell's new music than I have. Russell got married and with his wife made two albums full of smooth love songs. Phil liked the vocals and production; I feared marital bliss was driving Russell to the middle of the road, Now on Americana Mrs Russell Is absent, apparently having left hubby alone with the dog. And if there’s some ensuing maudlin lovesickness it's well balanced by numbers which show a resurgence of Leon’s old spirit. However he must share the credit for this. The jaunty brass work is courtesy of Chicago and nearly all the songs are co-written by that Inveterate oddball-cum-hustler Kim Fowley. The songs remain conventional but are strong with it. The sound is still polished but there’s fire too. Phil and I are both pleased with Americana.

Peter Thomson