the SHAKE Summation

Rip It Up, Issue 77, 1 December 1983, Page 26

the SHAKE Summation

Russell Brown

Big Sideways Let It Out (Unsung) ■ A fun, if lightweight, bit of pop that hits a groove and bowls along in it with the odd tasty injection of trumpet from Mike Russell. Summery stuff, even if the lyrics grate a bit. 'No Rush Dorothy' is lively Calypso nonsense and Bright, Clean, New and Brave' is a poor attempt at a rap sort of thing. Bottletops The World is Jivin' (Onset-Offset) Yeah, I know it’s been out for ages but we hacks tend to. get complacent and wait for things to get dropped at our doorsteps. I'd expected a fairly amiable jumble but this is genuinely quirky. With unique singing; it's sometimes funny, sometimes passionate and occasionally unnerving, all in a small sort of way. An ideal antidote to commercial radio. And 13 tracks! Diatribe Too Lazy (Warrior) Diatribe can be pretty flat on stage but this record shows them

off to much better effect. The skaish Too Lazy', however, sounds a bit contrived and isn't really a good opener. 'Shakedown' is better but it's the EP's two sparser songs that really work. On 'Dangerous Game' Peter Kirkbride provides a nice vocal and simple but effective guitar over some, smart rhythms, while 'Gift of Cruelty' (from the Patu soundtrack) delivers its message with a fine balance of drama and grace. Coconut Rough As Good As It Gets (Mushroom) Eh? Three minutes and 31 seconds that wander past in spectacularly ungripping fashion. To be fair, half the problem is Dave Marrett's seemingly staple bland, seamless production. It wouldn't be nearly so annoying if Coconut Rough didn't keep up this "Polynesian Pop" pretence (see sleeve). This is about as Polynesian as the last Air Supply single. Marie and the Atom Yellow Read Aloud (Flying Nun) This isn't yer average kiwi rock single. A personal, bold,, beautifully executed five-track EP that is part of a larger theatrical performance. Gill Civil and Virginia Were play various instruments and share vocals. They're helped out by various friends, including a string section. I can't claim a complete understanding of this record but my favourite track is ISOL', for its singing. It would be a pity if this didn't reach beyond the usual crowd that bothers to buy local "alternative" records because its scope is wider than that. Ballon D'essai Ballon D'essai Grow Up (Flying Nun) Ballon D'essai have always had an odd sort of appeal that often

puts them only a hair's breadth away from being crap when in fact they can be great. Unfortunately' it has proved hard to translate that appeal to vinyl. The best of the seven tracks here is Armchair Tourists', demented, mocking and about not going places. But others I recognise from live performance, like 'Why?' don't quite come across. But the only actual bad song is 'Simon Says' and the superb cover and big comic inside are almost Worth the purchase price on their own. 'Grow Up, the title says - I think the music that gave us the Mutant Hop is still maturing. Keep an ear on it. Monte Video Sheba She Sha Shoo (White Label) - Well it's damn clever and it's well produced (with a filthy great bass synth sound) and it will probable be a hit. I'd have no objection to this sort of thing if it didn't keep real music out of things like the Music Awards (I mean, Best Male Vocalist?) Actually, the best joke is that the title's spelled wrong on the cover art check it! Auckland Walk I Wasn't Thinking (WEA) The band , that has won the hearts of the nation's teenies, not to mention the odd video recorder. The bell-like keyboard motif is a nice touch but the plodding beat, irritatingly mannered vocals and banal lyrics add up to an unpleasant experience. The flip, 'Never Gave Up' is lighter but the vocals spoil it again. Bronx One Foot Over the Line (Vertigo) ' Brighter than 'Streetfighters' but all set to a stupefying rhythm. It's not exactly original either. Tama Band Running' and Hidin' (Maui) A fairly pleasant, cruisy affair

with nice guitar, both rhythm and lead. The B-Side is a bit . more bluesy and.l. like it more. Radio Active Angela (Crystal) Radio Active sound like (well, probably are) one of those New Wave Rock Groups who started popping up two or three years ago. Almost enlivened (but. not quite) by a lead break that reaches for the heights scaled by the one in Another Girl Another Planet' it sounds like a less pompous Flight X-7 over a Narcs bassline. Quite clever on its own terms, 1 suppose. Shane Total Man (WEA) A bold shot at up-to-dateness. But 5 min 21 sec of electronic trickery can't disguise a basically old-fashioned song. Split Enz Strait Old Line (Mushroom) An elegantly executed swingish little thing that's hummable without 1 being exciting. The flip, 'Parasite' is a bit stranger. It's another Tim Finn confessional that steps away from the wholesome vocal approach that the Finn brothers have been providing since True Colours. Still, it's'Strait Old Line' that'll sell it. • Taste of Bounty Party Time (Maui) Taste of Bounty represent the curious mix of soul and heavy metal which seems unique to this country. Side One is the lighter side; featuring 'Party Time', which is about just what it says and the rather cliched 'Love 'em and Leave 'em Man'. The flip is the heavy side, with 'White Sandshoes' and the angry instrumental Patu’. Within the group's own terms, a qualified success.