Records

Rip It Up, Issue 137, 1 December 1988, Page 42

Records

STRAITJACKET FITS Hail (Flying Nun) 12" Thrown into the deep end of the publicity sea the Fits have bobbed to the surface with this, the title track from their new album, a determinedly thrashy piece. The Hail album offers atypical moments of meloncholy and delicacy ('This Taste Delight') and let's hope they won't be ignored. 'Hail' the song is rapid and bitter and over all too soon; flip is their cover of the Prince of Wales'favourite performer Leonard Cohen's 'So Long Marianne,' a whirling paean that shines when removed from its Leonard-the-Moaner context. The sleeve artwork's also pretty swellsville. Looks like I've used up all my adjectives on this one. SNAPPER SnapperEP (Flying Nun) Snapper click into the increasingly referred-to Suicide groove, but rather than 'Diamonds, Fur Coats, Champagne' we get 'Death and

Weirdness In The Surfing Zone.' Latter track is by far the best on the EP, the others storm past without acknowledging you. Whereas the - Straitjacket Fits have had their sound expanded by the studio, Snapper are maybe confined by it—live, surely, Christine Voice's keyboards would swell up more, and Alan Haig's drums would be just plain bigger'n'betterall round? HEADLESS CHICKENS Expectin'To Fly (Flying Nun) 12" An extended remix from the Stunt Clown album, 'Expectin' To Fly' lays down its complaints over a great funk groove, the vocal duet reminding one 6f someone tres-70s (Alice Cooper?). Winning the Rheineck granted the Chooks the golden opportunity to saddle up and ride info the World That. Makes Mainstream — were they pleased or horrified to find themselves in not unfamiliar territory? The flip features three old tracks recorded in the dank dark recesses of the BFM studios. Produced without the production skills of the George Lucas Star Wars team, the drums, etc, all have

a sound — 'Expectin'To Fly', despite its polish, must be turned up to flatmate-enraging volume levels before things begin to happen. Groovy. Now when do we get the House mix, guys? . BAILTER SPACE Grader Spader (Flying Nun) 12" A new 1x45 from the much-lauded Bailter Space, on the turntable it went, and, and... Maybe try the flip side... and, and, yes, there it was! Dig that bona fide beat (real drums, no less) on 'Escalator Song', and the sliding tuneful whimsy that harked back to the Clean. But 'Grader Spader's' unvarying industrial texture grabs me not and worse, 'N.B.S' apparently features the band tuning up, banging stuff. A let down. CHAD TAYLOR CASUALTY Challenge (Do This) Just in time for the Christmas market, Casualty have released a 45rpm mini album. It has a "hard side'' and a "fast side" and that just about sums up the

style. The lyrics are fairly articulate pieces ofanarcho-positivism. Thankfully there are no wretched speed-metal guitarsolos, only enough melodic riffs and heavy chords to create a mildly Husker Du-ish effect. The drumming gives songs like 'Challenge' and 'Kingpin' the energy they need to be effective. There's nothing revolutionary about Casualty's Challenge, but it's just as good as all the similar and over-priced stuff from overseas. MATTHEW HYLAND