Letters

Rip It Up, Issue 103, 1 February 1986, Page 4

L etters

Post to ‘RIU’ Letters, PO Box 5689, Auckland 1.

(Not) A Matter Of Gender Dear Paget St Collective: If you are so concerned with the lack of women writing or being interviewed why don't you either write or join a band? Considering the number of women in the “industry’, the proportion of quotes is probably pretty balanced. There should admittedly be more women in the business, but until such time as they come forward, such things have to be accepted. Why should an all-woman band be accorded a higher status than their male counterparts simply because they are women in a maledominated area? Music is genderless and should be judged on its quality, not what sex its members are. Now that you've taken the first step and written, why not do something positive to even the balance. | as a woman would look forward to hearing something ... ‘One of the Womb’ Christchurch Thanks ... One behalf of the 145 prisoners at the Auckland Medium Security Prison at Paremoremo, | would like to take this opportunity to thank Wentworth Brewster and Willy De Witt for taking the time and trouble to come up here and Dec 15 and bring a little colour into our lags. As we are only allowed six concerts a year, and while our cell radios remain firmly locked into Radio Hauraki, we get precious little in the way of entertainment. Too often it seems that when bands are feeling charitable, they’ll play Mt Eden because of its proximity, or Paremoremo Maximum for its ghoulish glamour, and we, stuck in the middle, miss out. | imagine this kind of captive audience would not be easy to play to, and the ambience must be low on the desirability scale, but these guys displayed true professionalism, and they did it for nothing. They made a lot of fans here this afternoon, despite the average inmate’s tastes lying somewhere between Randy Crawford and Herbs. We, the casualties of an imperfect society’s concepts of right, salute you. Kia ora, Spider :

James Brown Living In America (Scotti » Brothers) 12” James finally cracks the pop market with this patriotic funk homage to the “land of the free” Pure Brown magic, with pumping horns and guitars and up-front drums. And the Hardest Working Man In Show Business is on fine vocal form. Taken from Rocky IV, and it’s worth sitting through all the muck just to see the greatest living soul singer in the world. You just have to work this sucker to death. Haywood Getting Closer (CBS) 12”7 Already a club smash and destined to be huge on the pop charts as well. Produced by the Princess team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and sweetly sung by Ms Haywood. Best dance record released this year. Pet Shop Boys Westend Girls (Parlophone) 12” Hung around the upper reaches of the English chart for weeks, and likely to do the same here. Sure sounds nice, with the drum machines working on a muted hienergy beat and a catchy melody. But what are they talking about? My bet is on the alienated self in Western society — but | could be wrong. New Order Subculture (EMI) 12" Taken from Low Life and given amassive re-mix from John Robie. He produces a great wall of sound with some clever breaks, especially at the end of the dub, where all electro hell breaks loose. Best stuff since ‘Confusion The Smiths The Boy With the Thorn In His Side (Rough Trade) 12” “Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, we all so miserable now.” This man is pain personified — not that | don't like a little despair once in a while, but at least ‘Charming Man’ had that Motown bassline, this has nothing. | think Morrissey should tackle ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ — now that’s true angst. Starpoint

Object of My Desire (WEA) 12” | suppose youd call this one steamy or torrid or something, with lyrics like “Passion fire burns on and on/Body screams ‘please make love to me! ” Sultry stuff. Absolutely essential rhythm track and over the top soap opera lyrics. Dynamite.

D.C. Lee See The Day (CBS) ~ An attempt at the big ballad ala Dusty Springfield with all the rising strings and cascading chords. It comes off sounding like the theme song to a very bad 60s melodrama. Very little soul or style evident here. Hoodoo Gurus Like Wow — Wipeout (Bigtime) Track from Mars Needs Guitars, and it sounds better taken in isolation. Neat use of 60s sound and areal evil guitar break. The flip has a Guru classic with ‘Bring the Hoodoo Down, which hasn't been available before. Twisted Sister Leader of the Pack (Atlantic) Dumb beyond belief, a remake of the Shangri-Las’ teen death classic. But there's nothing better than a little schlock like this baby. A classic of its kind. Kerry Buchanan