singles

Rip It Up, Issue 200, 1 April 1994, Page 38

singles

A near vintage month for singles, headed by Primal Scream. Trying to make the definitive retro, single, Bobby Gillespie parades all of his Stones-T.Rex gladrags in the irresistible upfront solid gold easy action boogie of ‘Rocks’ (Creation). Guitars, horns and Gillespie’s incredible nerve in getting away with a line like “get your rocks off honey" combine into a funtime example of a master plagiarist at work . Also on the floor are hot-ass and club mixes of ‘Funky Jam’ with George Clinton and Denise Johnson on lead vocals taking the Screams through a muscular funk routine. Don’t think about it, feel it! , ' In the same exalted class are the SmashingPumkins whose Billy Corgan is rapidly realising his messiah potential in

the varied ways that he gets his pain across. Acoustic guitars, bells and even a swooping string section reinforce the agony of ‘Disarm’ (Hut) and as he sings “the killer in me is the killer in you” the screwed-up intensity of Corgan’s emotions aren’t to be doubted. Ouch. To a couple of soundtracks. Bono buries the hatchet and collaborates with arch U2 critic Sinead O’Connor on the closing theme song from In the Name of the Father, ‘You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart’ (Island). An appropriately chilling ballad meticulously sung by O’Connor, it’s not actually about the Guildford Four but a woman killing her lover in order to keep him. Just thought you’d like to know. Bjork’s ‘Play Dead’ (Island) from the film The Young Americans, has a similarly impressive melodramatic air as she yelps and coos above a big drum and orchestral arrangement. Good song.

Atthe front of the month’s mere mortals is iggy with another cut from American Caesar. In any other month this could’ve been the single to beat but this time the competition’s too tough for Iggy’s love

affirmation ‘Beside You’ (Virgin), a song of faith and self-discovery driven along by Steve Jones’ guitar. But deduct points for the otherthree songs being the same as on ‘Louie Louie’. What gives? The same question could be applied to Guns n’Roses ‘Estranged/The Garden’ (Geffen), both taken from the three year old Use Your Illusion. Clocking in at nine minutes ‘Estranged’ is a bloated showpiece of all the band’s self-conscious rockist bravado and contrived balladry. So we’re down amongst the short straws, yet the Charlatans still hint (that’s all they’ve everdone) that they’re notgonna slide into oblivion just yet. ‘Can’t Get Out of Bed’ (Beggar’s Banquet) is a great title but unfortunately too indicative of a song that hasn’t the tune or energy to kick into the day, leaving ‘Withdrawn’ to be the pick of the three with ‘Out’ being the instrumental filler. And finally a shirt,photo and a vase floating in a pond introduces the Thieves’ ‘Unworthy’ (Hut), a curiously arty cover for a male vocal duo who’ve got a lush, disarming pop/soul crossover possibility here.

Interested?

GEORGE KAY