Records

Rip It Up, Issue 104, 1 March 1986, Page 22

Records

Scorpions ' World Wide Live RCA : So RCA have treated the metal crowd and finally released this double live scorcher from German rockers, the Scorpions. After some dozen years and LPs together they are now gaining the recognition they deserve and are becoming increasingly popular, especiaily in the States where this album was recorded. ; : Guitarists Rudolph Schenker and Mathias Jabs attack the senses intensely on tracks like ‘Blackout;, ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ and ‘Can’t Live Without You, while ‘Holiday’ and ‘Still Loving You’ feature the more delicate vocal delivery of Klaus Meine. A really tight rhythm section too make these guys among the best at performing good hard rock and producer Dieter Dierks has captured the sound superbly on these recordings. : Only complaint is that the finale could have been shortened and ‘China White' included instead. The Scorpions tour 11 months a year, but since NZ doesn't get included as part of the world, the only way you'l catch them live here is to buy this.album. - Geoff Dunn Roy Harper ‘ Stormcock (Harvest) ; A re-release by EMI of the 71 ‘opuses to coincide with Harper’s NZ jaunt this month; this album was highly acclaimed in its time. Four tracks written and sung by the man, accompanying himself on guitars and occasional piano,

with Jimmy Page (yes, the Jimmy Pagell) picking his way through ‘The Same Old Rock’ The shortest track, ‘One Man Rn'R Band, clocks in at 7 mins 24 secs. So that gives you an idea why he was called the ultimate stoned hippie freak poet. Mayby “Rambling Roy’'s” musical poetry made sense then, but nowadays it all sounds a bit too cosmic. SGE Clannad Macalla (RCA) Clannad are back with another beauty; 10 tracks, including the traditional air ‘Buachaill On Eirne’ (try saying that fast!). After the success last year of their first two albums, we're presented with another acapella number and a duet with Bono (uncredited) plus their selection of contemporary and traditional feels sung in both English and Gaelic. This one takes a bit longer to mature but it's worth the wait. Irish “folk” music at its best. SGE Anne Clark , Pressure Points (Virgin) Anne Clark is a sincere but bad poet who's been persistent enough to wangle an album out of Virgin. Lacking Cooper Clarke's brilliant wit, timing and general eye for detail, she can only regurgitate concerned cliches (try “turn a colder shade of grey” or “lone figure walks beside a restless shore”) over John Foxx’s electronic props. A lyric sheet is enclosed. Stewart Copeland GK The Rhythmatist (A&M) A “rhythmatist” is a specialist in rhythm, and certainly Copeland deserved that title. This second post-Police project has him exploring the African “rhythmic secrets” and playing all the instruments (guitars/keyboards/percussion). Vocals are handled by Zairiam Ray Lema who wrote two songs for the album. A must for percussionists

everywhere. :

SGE