Records

Rip It Up, Issue 135, 1 October 1988, Page 28

Records

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS — They Might Be Giants (Rough Trade) I don't know what to say. This record has a nasty effect on my judgement. At first I despised it, then I thought it was ; funny and now I love it more than . cheap red wine. , John Flansburgh and John Linnell are two from New York with some genuinely new ways of promoting their music, satire, comedy, philosophy, call it what you will. By dialling New York 0101 -718-387-6962 (don't blame me if you can't get through, it's an old number) for the first "Record-a-call" answerphone that lets you hear the latestTMßG song, updated every two days. There is no typical TMBG song but there are a few general rules that apply to the 1 9 songs on this album. The first would have to be an unbelievable dose of cuteness, almost like a truckload of white kittens and hand-knitted babies' booties. Add to this a similar amount of charm and Pee Wee Herman-style innocence, as . well as a side salad of humour, topped off with a title like 'Youth Culture Killed My Dog', and that about sums it up. Standout tracks are 'Don't Let's Start', 'Hide Away Folk Family' and 'Alienations for the Rich'. Apparently these two possible Giants are one of the most entertaining live acts on the New York club circuit, playing to backing tapes and an old piano ; ,' accordion... any would-be promoters out there? GREGJOHNSON JESSE JOHNSON Every Shade Of Love (A&M) Jesse's last album ruled my turntable for ages, the intense Shockadelia seemed to scare most people away that boy is just too damn funky. This one is a little milder, easier to take for those of you with weak hearts. He even does a little Benson guitar on Tm Just Wanting You' and positively croons the vocals. The title track is another ballad, but uptempo and very interesting, with nice rhythmsand melody lines. But before you think Jesse has gone

limp on you, he gets hard on 'Love Struck' and 'So Misunderstood'. This is the Jesse who likes to get dirty and hit the groove with the bass baseball bat —whack!! Like I'm a real fan of the Johnson school of funk—loud and proud but with enough care to polish the edges and sing a few luv songs to cool the savage beast in us all. Like Shockadelia, an album to enjoy on a physical level, in that it makes you move and makes you feel good. KERRYBUCHANAN SOUL BROTHERS Jive Explosion VARIOUS ARTISTS Rai Rebels, Zimbabwe Frontline (Earthworks) Zimbabwe Frontline is a compilation of modern Zimbabwean music in the style developed by Thomas Mapfumo during the "war of liberation" in the early 70s. Up until then, local artists were covering South African and, especially, overseas music, which was usually sung in English. Mapfumo started singing in Shona, the dominant local language. He and his band also developed a guitar-playing style which copied the sound of the mbira (thumb piano) and incorporated this into their sound, which was important in re-establishing pride in local music and culture.

In my opinion, there are parallels with the styles of Motown and 60s skiffle; credited influences are mbira music, South African mbaquanga and Zaire's rumba. ! !/ Standout tracks are Susan . Mapfumo's 'Stare (Story Of An . Independent Woman)' and Patrie Mkwamba and the Four Brothers' 'Don't Be Fooled (By False Promises)'. The music is soulful with a funky pop feel that your body can't help but get involved in — melody, rhythm and fun! The Arabic 'rai', meaning 'opinion', is the name given to the popular music from around the Mediterranean port of Oran in Western Algeria. Rai Rebels is a compilation of fast and seedy music, with its primary concerns being sex, drugs (alcohol) and cars (in this case, Mazdas!). The liner notes state that this is very much the music for the young punks of the area rebelling against the conservative Islamic state. The cover photo is of what looks like a cabaret act in shiny suits and tuxedos, so I wonder what the conservative musicians wear? Musical influences are principally Islamic with a wailing, chanting vocal style, dramatic and beautiful (though sometimes sounding a little like Demis Roussos with a hangover), seedy yet soothing and definitely different. If hard to draw comparisons, though, or come to a conclusion as to what this . music is actually about. The only hint of Western influence is the local music industry which is designed around a high turnover.

Recordings are essentially jam sessions, with no skilled session musicians available; they are cheaply produced in back rooms of cassette shops, 'often ’ with different versions of the same song by the same singer competing for the consumer dollar. ~ Jive Explosion by the Soul Brothers' can't help but touch the heart because it is sung from the heart. 'We love this " music because it's helped us through some very hard days, it always makes us feel fresh and alive." Soulful pop in the mbube (accapella) style vocals (a little like Ladysmith Black Mambazo) with 'explosive' dance music backing. Qwerky sax and deep 'deep' bass, and a warm, clean vocal sound steeped in honey. The Soul Brothers have had to work hard to get where they are today. Travelling 600 miles from their home, Natal, in 1980 to arrive in Johannesburg, homeless, penniless and black. From there it's pretty much a story of a dream coming true. Recorded between 1980 - this is pop music at its best; emotional, yet playful and even a little silly. I will surely celebrate the day I hear the Soul Brothers played on commercial radio. LAURENCE LANDWER-JOHAN SIEGEL-SCHWALL BAND Reunion Concert (Alligator) The Blues Band that Corky Siegel and Jim Schwall led from the mid 60s to its disbandment in 1974 never really

tapped into the inarticulate depths of. the low down blues. Although their ' home was Chicago and they had a black rhythm section, the thin voices, amplified-acoustic guitar and . ? . . light-toned harmonic sound of' college-educated Schwall and Siegel meant the group could never achieve the earthy intensity of a classic Chicago Blues Band (invariably driven by screaming, amplified harp and / solid-body electric guitar). This reunion album, recorded live in 987, shows that little has changed. Those irritating mock-black voices come no closer to the real thing than , they ever did, and the adolescent love themes of most of the original blues songs on the LP sound incongruous being sung by men with grey in their beards. However, if you ignore the singing it's apparent that these are well-seasoned competent musicians playing a music they know well, and despite the gap of 13 years since their last gig they swing together nicely. The best numbers are the medium-to-up tempo songs that suit the (somewhat corny) humour of their lyrics such as 'I Think It Was The Wine' while the dynamics are beautifully controlled on Jimmy Reed's classic 'Hush Hush.' Such redeeming features mean this LP is not a total waste of vinyl, but it's still hard to take this effort seriously as any more than a self-indulgent nostalgia trip by a band that has long since had its day. BRENDAN POWER

RANDY TRAVIS Old Bxlo (Warners) With his debut Storms Of Life, Randy Travis seemed the most promising and sincere of the new traditionalist troica. But both Travis and Yoakam have been eclipsed by the originality of Steve Earle. Travis, who at first sounded like Brendan Dugan with some taste, has turned into the Vai Doonican of country. Smooth, syrupy, pleasant, inoffensive; a great voice wasted on mediocre material. Still, they're lapping it up over in the States, where Randy's the biggest thing since Kenny Rogers. No songwriter, Travis contributes two that are indistinguishable from the Nashville hackwork he croons throughout the album. Travis recieves 40 songs a day in the mail from aspirant writers. I suspect it's his geriatric manager/companion/motherfigure who does the picking. CB THE HIPPOS Hippocracy (WEA) This Aussie R&B band have been attracting a bit of airplay in the student FM stations. And fair enough coz the Hippos cover most black styles with the sort of verve that makes 'Dance Doesn't Stop'sho'nuff funky, bassist John Powers' blues ballad 'I Don't Know' nice'n'tasty and the hollerin' opener Tell It To The Jury' a show-stopper. They do the business.

GK