Tapes

Rip It Up, Issue 145, 1 August 1989, Page 32

Tapes

Various Artists Yo!Part2 (WEA/Tape Only) The liner notes read “it's a funky job but someone’s gotta do it — and thankfully the dudes from Club Roma, Mark Phillips and Peter Urlich have cared enough to compile another cassette of import dance tracks from the WEA catalogue. Best mixes here are Rick James ‘Sexual Luv Affair’, Levert ‘Pull Over’, Shinehead ‘Gimme No Crack’ and Marley Marl ‘The Symphony’. (Note the Marley Marl sample is from Ofis Redding's ‘Hard to Handle".) All these mixes are remarkably superior o the artist's album versions. Nowadays buying a funk/ dance album can be like buying the demos. Initially | was a bit perturbed by the bizarre inclusion of tracks by veteran soulman Clarence Carter and English wimps Depeche Mode but now they seem to fit the groove on Side 2 of Yo!Part 2. And as the cover notes say “thank you to Suzanne forlooking so fly.” MURRAY CAMMICK

BOOK OF MARTYRS Catharsis (Bomb) The Book of Martyrs are part of o growing new wave of alternative New Zealand music thatincludes the Headless Chickens, Drone, SPUD and the Cuban War Poets— bands that aren’tfrom Dunedin, don't have jangly guitars (sorry Chris Knox) and yet are completely original, have a distinctly New Zealand sound, and produce the best music this side of Stunn Records. Catharsis, the Book of Martyrs' first release, utilises their unique lineup of bass, cello, drums and vocals to excellent effect. Innovative, enthralling and brilliant are three words that spring to mind when dealing with this cassette, and without exception all the songs presented here are excellent: so much so thatitis impossible to highlight any as being better than the others. | must have listened to this tape 20 times, and this is only the second day I've had it; at a mere $lO (including P&P, from 188 Basily Rd, Rotorua), | recommend it as a must-buy for all music addicts. Come on Flying Nun (or somebody), smell the coffee and sign and few more of these bands so that we can hear them on CD and vinyl instead of these ricketty old casseftes ... THE TREES Japanese Pictures (Dental) The Trees are certainly as good as anything that's beenin the Top Tenin the last six months, but given the past history of other NZ non-alternative “radio-type”

bands, it would probably be a miracle for them to get airplay even once. Charismatic front man Martin Forrest (no punintended | hope) seems to have his song-smithery down to afine artand has knack for the catchy hook — hooks (particularly on ‘Firelight and ‘Loneliest Man’) that have me humming his songs after only one hearing. Still, there is room here for more innovation than he lets himself get away with, particularly inthe lyrics. - Japanese Pictures s available by sending sll to the Trees, 68 Henderson St, Whakatane. HANGING TREE Rope Burn (Hanging Tree) Hanging Tree are a band from Hawkes Bay who modestly describe themselves as “aboutto become the biggest cultband in NZ‘ and “better than the Headless Chickens.” ‘ Ithink not. Although they do break out of the pub-band mold insofar as they don't play astream of Led Zep covers, the sill have along way to go. Their music seems to be firmly anchored in the early fo late 70s mainstream, and is of the ilk generally found on the West Auckland pub circuit (ie they just soundlike they’re playing Led Zep). Perhaps their exposure to other bands © outside Hawkes Bay would enlarge their musical horizons and subdue their musical ego. (Rope Burnis $lO from 25 Hinton Rd, Taradale, Napier.)

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