Albums

Rip It Up, Issue 157, 1 August 1990, Page 29

Albums

SHADOWLAND The Beauty of Escaping (Geffen) They're on Geffen so they must be hip, and they are; but not in the hairy metal monster style you'd expectfrom the famous Gn'R label. Instead, Shadowland are like LA’s answer to Lloyd Cole. Gentle songs spiked with passionate vocals— love lorn emotions highlighted by sparse, spangly guitar, subtle vocal harmonies and elusive touches of sitar—the sound of somebody rallying himself over the sadness and nostalgia of love. The songs are sprinkled with images like velvettwilight(The Deepest Indigo Blue’), angels (‘Hypnotised’), oceans filled with sadness (‘My Escape’) and — ajab of street cred to stop things getting too droopy — amphetimine scenes (‘Heroin Eyes’). Although, being coolin the clean living, 90s mode singer Darren has added the liner notes: “the nice thing about addicts is they inspire a lot of nice literature and songs that hopefully inspire less addicts.” He includes another written message at the end of a song called ‘Garden of Eden’: “please do your bestto leave the place better than when you arrived.” Whew! Who said American’s weren't earnest? Still, this is the sensitive, Levi 501 s-and-polo-necks side of LA rock. Wilding Ways, eat your heartout. DONNA YUZWALK VARIOUS ARTISTS XPRESSWAY PILE-UP Eain (Xpressway LP/CD) Directfrom the Dunedin label that likesto say it loves you, a little hunk of shiny silver and plastic manufactured in Awustria. Inits original form, the XPRESSWAY PILE-UPwas a cassette release that shook a few walls inthe South Island, but hardly the world. A classic compilation courtesy of XPRESSWAY masterminds Bruce Russell and Peter Jefferies, it cunningly mixed archival gems from bands like the Double Happys and Nocturnal Projections with the newest and bravest of the XPRESSWAY stable of acts— Dead C, Plagel Grind and Flying Nun friends like the Terminals, Snapper and Cake Kitchen. ‘ Meanwile, some overseas punters were getting to hear of XPRESSWAY's doings. The Dead C, with their, Sun-Stabbed7" EP, were being touted

as eccentric geniuses by American critics and Alastair Galbraith was winning hearts with this Hurry On Down cassette. It was Alastair who, wandering aimlessly around Scotland inthe accepted EXPRESSWAY fashion, met up with a guy called Kevin Buckle who had a record label called Avalanche and begged Alastair fo let him release a record of the Pile-Up cassette and CD too, and maybe even aSnapper record (they're in » Wellington making that next week). So the XPRESSWAY crew said “yes” to Buckle, “butlet's make it a new one”, | which is the thing we have here, ' imported from Scotland courtesy of XPRESSWAY. This one is a stunner. The ten tracks onthe LP bear only passing resemblance to the original cassette. Lovingly remastered versions of classic and long-deleted F Fun material is here inthe form of the Victor Dimisich Band's ‘Native Waiter’ and Shayne Carter and Peter Jefferies’ ‘Randolph’s Going Home'. New previously unreleased songs from Snapper (‘Emmanual’), solo Peter Jefferies {{On An Unknown Beach’ from a forthcoming X/WAY release), the 3Ds (‘Meluzina Man’) and Plagel Grind's Yes, Jazz Cactus’. Plus more Plagal Grind, the Dead C, Cake Kitchen and Wreck Small Speakers On Expensive Stereos from the original cassette. : The CD has a further seven tracks, all fromthe cassette, including live Double Happys and Nocturnal Projections and Terminals and Snapper studio efforts. It's essential, but in extremely limited supply in this country.

Itis not often that our music gets and international outlet like this and it is even less often that New Zealand music of the kind which XPRESSWAY releases gets noticed even here. This is outsiders’ music butit's notashamed to be so. And if you have the courage to join XPRESSWAY in saying that rock music, as practised by 99 per cent of people, is an artform constrained to a ridiculous degree by conventions — all the way from song structure and harmonic concerns fo the technology utilised in its creation —then listen to this music. : Each song on the XPRESSWAY PILE-UPis about people whose need for self-expression demands that they reach beyond convention and consideration. lts personal statements need not have meaning, butthe PILE-UPthrobs, hums and stutters with undercurrents of humanity. Hunt it out before you give up on the easy choices life has to offer; in the raw and muck-ridden depths of the four-track recording process, here is proofthat XPRESSWAY lovesusall. - PAULMCKESSAR ALBERTKING Blues At Sunrise (Stax) Although not related, both BB and Albert King were born in Indianola, Mississippi and, as Charles Shaar Murray explains in his essential Crosstown Traffic, both guitarists were willing and able to adapt their blues to the changing tastes of the sixties. And maybe that's where the similarities end. BB delivered a sweeter and more lyrical guitar style whereas Albert stung

like a mean old bee and when he

signed to Stax in the mid-sixties his guitar got reinforced by the Stax horns’ trademark. Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festivalin 1973 this album showcases King's aces — his quickfire guitar

technique, the very welcome lace of the Stax horns and the chronically underrated power of the bluesman's vocal. Ray Charles"’l Believe To My Soul’ allows him the time for some real quality downbeat blues— the reverse of which makes itself known in the funky ‘For The Love of AWoman' and ‘Little Brother’. The staple King fare of the long slow blues arrives in the shape of the custom made ‘Blues At Sunrise’ and

‘Roadhouse Blues’ and those cadillacs never disappoint.

OK so there’s no ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’ or ‘Strange Brew’ for Claptonophiles, but Live AtMontreuxis avery resonant document of a bluesman insome form of potenicy and it should sit nicely with his double Masterworks as available evidence of * this man’s undoubted contribution to the crossroads. GEORGEKAY ADRIAN BELEW Young Lions (Atlantic) What can I say? The man’s a talented, innovative, eccentric genius only rivalled in the field of guitar mania (in all sense of both words) by friend and colleague Robert Fripp. Ithas been less than a yearsince his wonderful Mr Music Head album was released here and now with a little help from David - Bowie (who seems to be recovering nicely after his sad little excursion into the Tin Machinery), he has topped.it with an almost faultless album. Forthose of you who knew Belew from his King Crimson days, his name should be ample recommendation and there is a remake of ‘Heartbeat' from the 1982 album Beatthrown in for good measure. ‘Looking For a UFO’ is the sort of song you wish would follow you home like a lost puppy and ‘l Am What | Am'isjustunnerving. The Travelling Wilbury’s ‘Not Alone Anymore’can only benefit by being processedin the Belew machine, although it remains the album’s low point. Ifthe Sound and Visiontour gets here I'm going to be right up front so | can see Bowie's face when Adrian Belew steals the show from him. ANDREW DUBBER .

MOTORHEAD . Welcome to the Bear Trap (Castle) Realism, authenticity, truthfulness, these are words that tumble from the lips of reactionary critics when talking about the meanings of Flying Nun records, Sugarcubes, Pixies and the dangers of black people sampling sounds instead of playing blues music. Anyway, Motorhead for me is the truth stripped away to the bone. It has authenticity and integrity. No pretensions, it just is. The time was 1977, the blood surged to the new spiritand right there were Motorhead with thatfirst single, metal flyingin the face of punk. Thirteen years later metal is the new spirit and Motorhead remains.

The title refers to aremark Lemmy made about once you join the band you gettrapped, no way out. This is a twenty track look back at the joys of noise, a live version of ‘Motorhead’ and ‘lron Horse’ and the anthems of ‘Ace of

Spades’, ‘lron Fist’ and ‘Overkill’. Lesser known gems like ‘Snaggletooth’, ‘(I Don't Need) Religion’ and ‘Love Me Like A Reptile’ are good to have

anotherlook at. It's asolid collection of rocking tracks with Lemmy's voice rasping like a file against a cell door. Nextto Joey Ramone, one of the best white soul singers. Tracks compiled by Alan Burridge, head of the Motorheadbangers fan - club, and he does afine job. Except for the exclusionof ‘Killed By Death’, ‘Bomber’ and the speeding duet with Girlschool on ‘Please Don't Touch’. But who's complaining. We're talking about Motorhead, we're talking the real thing and don’tyou forget it bub.

KERRY BUCHANAN