dance FLOOR

Rip It Up, Issue 137, 1 December 1988, Page 46

dance FLOOR

Name a good Christmas record. I can . think of three or four but by and large they're a plague to be avoided. The ultimate cash-in. But every yeat somebody does one. Last year's : Christmas Rap album was pretty good, and in 'BB Jam and Lewis have persuaded ALEXANDER O'NEAL to come to the party. My Gift To You is pretty standard Alexander fare, but I just melt to that voice and suspect that this one will remain pretty listenable throughout the year. The question is, though, how many times can he keep , recycling the 'Fake' riff? How about a new tune, Alex? But the album you should demand for the stocking is LUTHER VANDROSS' - ; : Any Love. How in God's name does he keep on producing stuff this good? A new Vandross album doesn't grab you and shake you like some discs, but sorta slinks in slowly. Maybe that's why 1 1 regard this guy as the voice of the 80s, and this record as one of the albums of - the year. And that's in a year that's produced more good music and moved like no other in this decade. Not only have we had killer soul and House tracks galore, but a real hip-hop feast, like albums from STETSASONIC, EPMD, ERIC B & RAKIM plus the Colors soundtrack. If you dug YA3's 'Mad Mad World' on that album, then check out their album Coolin in Cali, which you can add to the above list. The title track is especially hot. These guys might be New York born, but they're definitely Californians at heart, as is BIG LADY K, whose debut 45 'Don't Get Me Started' is making waves. This 15 year-old rapper has used all sorts of 70s cutups like JOE TEX and AL GREEN to create a wicked groove. Other twelves of note around at the moment include INNER QTY's 'Big Fun', Detroit techno House that's hit big in Europe; D-MOB's irritatingly catchy chant We Call ItAcieed'—this one will drive you crazy; RICK JAMES' great remix of the title track from his recent Wonderful album; the hot first single ' 'Pullover' from the new LEVERT album, which should be out here early in the new year; and the first post-FRANKIE single from PAUL RUTHERFORD. This one's a strange one. Produced by White and Fry from ABC, it's sort of Acid ’ •House, sort of Euro-Electro, and sort of disco-ish. Whatever, it sounds nothing like FGTH thank God and overseas reviewers either love it or hate it. Me, I think it's great, and it's getting local release in 'B9. But the Single I really like at the mo' is the newie from SIMON HARRIS. The follow-up to 'Bass' is a double A-side 'Here Comes That Sound' / 'Only A Demo'. The first is

probably the most sample laden track I've ever heard. It's all here, every dance hook you've ever loved or hated, while the other is sort of an Acid rap featuring MC Duke. Get this. And now it's Christmas again. Funky treats out locally now — the ones you should ask SANTA for—include EPMD's Strictly Business album, TODD TERRY's UK hit 'Weekend', both out as British imports, ICE-T's wicked Power album, WOMACK & WOMACK's Conscience featuring 'Teardrops', and JESSE JOHNSON's 'Every Shade Of Love', which I class as one of 88's finest. Happy Yule. SIMON GRIGG