Off The Record

Rip It Up, Issue 65, 1 December 1982, Page 24

Off The Record

Duncan Campbell

The Complete Synthesizer A Comprehensive Guide by David Crombie (Omnibus Press) Put together by the keyboards expert whose columns have appeared in Melody Maker and Sound International, this guide helps you either to get the most from your present axe, or what to look for in buying one. It includes an in-depth history of the machine, clearly written explanation of basic acoustics (and electrics), performance technique with some more familiar sounds and how to create them. Also present are lists and pics of presently available models, a glossary, the theories behind accessories (effects boxes and sequencers) and even photos of your fave techno-rockers (hairy-chested Vangelis and a short-cropped Rick A comprehensive guide indeed and you don’t need a Ph.D to read it. AR

Icehouse Logan Campbell Centre, Dec 6. The sophistication of Primitive Man has obviously given Iva Davies some problems with live sound, to the extent that he's had to take on quite a large touring band to try and reproduce the new material effectively. His attention to detail has been perhaps too meticulous. The show had plenty of precision, but a dearth of punch. The first Flowers tour was a smaller band, but made up in sheer guts for what it lacked in size. This one is undeniably more skillful, but seems to have been rehearsed to death. It only occasionally showed any spirit and Davies' songs deserved better. Part of the fault was with the venue, of course. Some bands can do well at the Logan Campbell, with intelligent mixing. A little local knowledge would have helped here, because there are Auckland soundmen who can get a quite satisfactory sound out of it. Guy Pratt is an innovative and dynamic bass player, looking at his fingers. But he might as well have been playing a piece of four by two, for all you could hear of him. His presence was only really felt when he switched to bass synth for 'Glam'. At the same time, John Lloyd's drums were overpowering and Bob Kretschner's guitar harmonies went largely unrecognised. The show did have its moments, though, in a bracket that started with 'All The Way', solid on the guitar side, continued with 'Love : In Motion', slinky and subtle, soared into Trojan.Blue', a vocal tour de force, and swept

along with 'Great Southern Land', crowd-pleaser. Old favourites 'Walls' and 'Not My Kind' maintained the pace, and 'Glam' made a nice bridge to 'We Can Get Together'. 'Gimme Some Lovin' was a bad choice for an encore, proving only that Davies is not Steve Winwood. 'Goodnight Mr Matthews' was unperformed, a double dissatisfaction. After the electricity generated by the Motels the week before, this really was a letdown. The individual textures may have been exquisite, but the complete tapestry came out bland. A clear case of trying too hard.