ALbums

Rip It Up, Issue 244, 1 December 1997, Page 27

ALbums

BLACK GRAPE Stupid, Stupid, Stupid (Radioactive) How’s that for a perfect Black Grape album title? The UK lager lads, lead by the ex-Happy Mondays walking pharmacy Shaun Ryder, are renowned fortheir non-stop partying. and tabloid-filling behaviour, so why not play it up? Stupid... is the Grape’s third album and keeps pretty closely to the styles and sounds heard on It's Great When You’re Straight... Yeah! r The album begins with a classic Black Grape number, ‘Get Higher’, complete with fabricated dialogue samples of Ron and Nancy Reagan talking drugs (‘Despite our best efforts, shortages of marijuana have been reported’). It’s not hard to imagine Black Grape taking their own advice as they recorded this, and every song on the album. Although Ryder’s vocal sidekicks Kermit and Psycho chip in regularly with bitesized raps, it seems that Black Grape are definitely Ryder’s band on this album. Ryder, despite years of indulgence, is one of the cleverest songwriters in Britain, and it's nis voice heard most on this record. His ability to string together succinct doses of cute, oddball dialogue' is

almost unequalled (eg. “I know you’d swap a kidney for a stone.”). Sure it’s all pretty dumb but equally, it’s a hell of a lot of fun. The perfect album to get pissed to in the sun this summer. , DOMINIC WAGHORN DAVID BOWIE The Best Of 1969/74 (EMI) SUEDE Sci-Fi Lullabies (Nude) A coincidental and irresistible pairing — the spiritual godfather and his 90s godsons appear simultaneously with retrospective collections.

The Bowie Best Of, and note the dates, is a cynical and shoddy overview of his Space Oddity to Diamond Dogs phase, in other words it’s a 20 track glimpse of the young freak in his glam rags. Less than enlightening liner notes from one Kevin Cann and a track listing that doesn't bother to give release dates, or details, or albums of origin, reveals how cheaply this package has been compiled. And a dozen of these songs have already appeared on the much worthier Singles Collection. It is nice to see that two of Bowie’s less paraded classics, ‘The Man Who Sold the World' and

‘All the Young Dudes’, are included, but they’re not enough to legitimise this opportunistic release.

By comparison, Suede’s double album, Sci-Fi Lullabies, has impeccable credibility. It is an orderly and chronological compendium of their singles’ b-sides, with Anderson’s vivid lyrical flashes of modern life lovingly presented in a booklet containing shots of a derelict jet.

So, always crashing in the same jet, the Suede b-sides have always been evocative complements to the main act. Right from ‘The Drowners’ companion pieces, ‘My Insatiable One’ and ‘To the Birds’, to the poignant highs of ‘Stay Together’s’ ‘The Living Dead’ and ‘We Are the Pigs” ‘Killing of A Flash Boy’, Anderson’s and Butler’s extended plays constitute a brilliant album in their own right. The second disc is post-Butler, with guitarist Richard Oakes taking over as Anderson’s sparring partner. By inclination, our Brett is a cracked balladeer and so Oakes’ out-front and up-tempo guitar flourishes can’t bring out the best in his fragile psyche. Yet there’s enough promise in haunting stuff like ‘Another No One’ to suggest that the Anderson/Oakes partnership can continue the Suede tradition of great b-sides, that is so comprehensively captured on Sci-Fi Lullabies.

GEORGE KAY

SPLIT ENZ Spellbound (Mushroom) It’s 25 years since a couple of likeminded young blokes, Tim Finn and Phil Judd, got together to form a band in Auckland called (initially) Split Ends. In the dozen or so years that followed, Split Enz developed into New Zealand’s most successful and respected acts, perhaps peaking (at least commercially) with the early 80s breakthrough single ‘I Got You’. To celebrate the Enz’s Silver Anniversary, the band’s original label Mushroom, has released . this comprehensive two-disc, best of collection, to remind us all not only how : important Split Enz are to New Zealand’s musical history, but also just how bloody good they were as a band.

Beginning with 1982’s ‘Dirty Creature’, the collection promises to be “The Ultimate Collection of Greatest Hits.” And that it is, with all old favourites included, spanning the band’s major recording period of 1975 (‘Maybe’, from Mental Motes) through to 1984 (‘I Walk Away’, from See Ya Round). Split Enz collectors won’t find many rarities inside, the only slightly unusual inclusion being ‘Semi-Detached’, a track that has only previously seen light as a bside. My only disappointment is the lack of indepth liner notes — I would have thought this was the perfect

opportunity for those involved to reflect on the history of Split Enz. Otherwise, a comprehensive and timely collection.

DOMINIC WAGHORN

JANE’S ADDICTION Kettle Whistle (Warners) This collection from the magnificent Jane’s Addiction — whose psychedelic take on epic rock was both inspiring and heavenly — is like a more thoughtfully compiled version of 1991’s Live and Rare. Some of the live material from 1990 will be familiar from earlier video releases (Farrell’s “moron with the Birkenstock” speech is here), but 1986 renditions of ‘Whores’ and ‘Slow Divers’ (a song left off the debut live album), and a Lollapalooza ‘Jane Says’, are exceptional additions to the studio versions. : The demos of the Nothing's Shocking songs show that even in their formative period, these tunes were destined for greatness — full of personality and dynamic, and with superb ensemble playing. The unreleased ‘My Cats Name is Maceo’ is cute, and a swingin’ vocal on, an attempt at ‘Been Caught Stealing’ is, er, interesting. The two new songs, recorded by the 'relapsed’ line-up (Flea on bass), don’t have the magic of early Jane’s (but they don’t sound like "

Porno For Pyros either). ‘Kettle Whistle’ is languid and evocatively mysterious, and ‘So What!’, incorporating loops into Farrell’s loopiness, succeeds in stretching their horizons. Jane’s Addiction was the realisation of collective genius, the sound of coming out the other side of a dream, knowing nothing will ever be the same again. You haven’t outgrown them.

TROY FERGUSON

ERIC MATTHEWS The Lateness Of The Hour (Sub Pop) If Eric Matthews’ debut album, It's Heavy In Here, was a statement of intent, then this sophomore effort is a further distillation of his skewed pop perspective. Generally, The Lateness Of The Hour rocks a little harder than its predecessor — the baroque quotient has been turned down, and the guitars have been turned up — but you’d hardly mistake it for Deep Purple. Matthews’ breathy vocal style carries a conspirational air, as it weaves its way through a landscape of finely crafted musical arrangements. It’s as if Matthews is trying to entice the listener on a journey into his own musical universe. Indeed, in the album’s most telling lyric (‘The Pleasant Kind’) he sings ‘Deep inside

you/Eric will haunt you/another music carpet ride’. With an abundance of minor key chord progressions, prolix lyrics and Bacharach-like orchestral flourishes, The Lateness Of The Hour could easily be sub-titled ‘smart-pop for adults’.

' Matthews leaves you in no doubt that there’s a prodigious talent at work, yet ultimately his music seems to appeal more to the head, than to the heart. MARTIN BELL SOUNDGARDEN A-Sides (Polydor) A singles collection is perhaps the least subjective way to compile the late, great Soundgarden, a band with too many highs for a ‘Best Of’ approach. Arranged chronologically, this album begins with the Sub Pop

released 'Nothing To Say’, and the bludgeoning psychedelic headspin of ‘Flower’, which merely hinted at how Soundgarden were to reinterprete rock formulas — like Louder Than Love’s (1989) singles ‘Hands All Over’, ’Loud Love’, and ‘Get On The Snake’ — three (Led) zeppelin explosions of nervetingling, harmonic ecstasy. These contrast nicely with the dark, nightmare atmosphere and ugly, homicidal rhythm of ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ — the least radio/TV-friendly single choice of Soundgarden’s career, unlike the plodding modern rock ho-hum of ‘Outshined’, or the speed damaged Sabbath of its successor, ‘Rusty Cage'. As grunge swept across the hard rock oeuvre, Soundgarden sidestepped to the left with the jagged ‘Spoonman’, the Revolver-

flavoured pop blast ‘Black. Hole Sun’, and the stoic complexity of ‘The Day I Tried to Live’ and ‘Fell On Black Days’, hitting their popular (if not creative) peak. The cranky-sounding ‘Pretty Noose’ starts the final lap, winding through the introspective ‘Burden in My Hand’, ‘Blow Up The Outside World’, and the mandolin-driven thrash, Ty Cobb'. . ‘ . A-Sides —lO years, 17 songs, and merely the iceberg’s tip of quality Soundgarden material. ; - TROY FERGUSON JIMI HENDRIX South Saturn Delta (MCA) Several months ago, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at Jimi , Hendrix’s : London..' home, marking the site as a historic building. The house was originally owned: by the composer Handel, so obviously the place must have had a good vibe for creating incredible music. A committee, of upper class twits tried unsuccessfully to stop Jimi’s plate being erected, as they.felt it degraded the importance of the plaque by awarding it to an black American guitar player. Sadly, the ignorant fuddy duddies are not educated enough to realise that Jimi Hendrix was one of the most innovative, brilliant musicians to ever walk the Earth. And even in death, Jimi can still upset the establishment and keep releasing fantastic records. '

South Saturn Delta is a fine assortment of tracks that have never officially been released on CD. The digital reproduction is exceptional and the choice of material is excellent, displaying the facets of Jimi's musicianship. The title track is an interesting instrumental, that features a jazz horn section and points toward the direction Hendrix wanted to take next. The scorching up-tempo blues number, ‘Here He Comes (Lover Man)', is Hendrix captured when he was totally on, and has some mind blowing guitar improvisation. The Band Of Gypsy’s ‘Power Of Soul’, which was posthumously tampered with by producer Alan Douglas, has been restored to its original glory, and there’s very early versions of ‘Angel’ and ‘Little Wing'. Other gems include the instrumental freakouts ‘Pali Gap’ and ‘Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice’.

In addition, The packaging is faultless, with extensive liner notes, and a very cool: cover shot.of Jimi astride an Easy Rider chopper. If you already posess the four albums Hendrix released in his lifetime, then South Saturn Delta is the next planet you should visit. < > GEOFF DUNN MIKE scon Still Burning (Chrysalis) After Scott's last solo album, Still

Burning comes as a major disappointment. Co-produced with sometime Neil Young producer Nick Bolas, Scott has returned to the overblown, pretentious soundscapes of Dream Harder. Sure there’s a few quiet moments (‘Rare’, ‘Precious’ and ‘Gone’ could’ve been lifted from Moon Dance), but the ever searching Scott too often goes for the spiritual jugular. Throughout we’re told of his dark side, that he wants love, and that always there is a chance a new man might arise. Myself — I like my catharsis done with a little dignity and here there’s only noise. What was that Yeats line — ‘the best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity’. . GREG FLEMING MORPHINE B-Sides And Otherwise - (Rykodisc) Morphine’s music evokes a noir world of mystery, neon, snap-brim fedoras, and overcoats with the collars turned up against the drizzly night. As such, their filmic pieces don’t necessarily need to fit within the context of an album, and can work just as well as stand alone

songs or on compilations like this one — easily' flowing' with the continuity of a collection of short mind-movies, without any unifying theme linking the parts together. Sourced from radio sessions, soundtrack contributions (naturally), and tribute albums, and featuring an assortment of guests filling out Morphine’s sparse black and white sound of the signature baritone and sopranos saxes, two-string bass and minimal traps. Everything here is delivered with urgency — no time for meandering — and even the. more overtly jazz-influenced tracks don’t stick around too long. B-Sides And Otherwise is a good collection that requires no prior familiarity with the band, but will certainly fill in the spaces for those already tuned into their pulp sensibilities. TROY FERGUSON LED ZEPPELIN The BBC Sessions (Atlantic) It’s been a long time since Led Zeppelin’s only official live album was released. There were loads of better performances throughout their history of over 500 concerts, but as The Song Remains The Same was the one on film, it became the only one to be documented. There are countless bootlegs in existance that honestly capture the power of Zeppelin in flight, but Robert Plant’s aversion to live recordings has meant the general public has been deprived of hearing any of these classic shows... until now!

In 1969, the newly formed Led Zep were invited to play at the BBC Studios, so a selection of songs could be broadcast prior to the release of their debut album. The energy contained in tracks like ‘Dazed And Confused’ and ‘Communication Breakdown’ is stunning, and even more vibrant than the studio versions. The first

session was so successful, the BBC had Zeppelin back four more times during the next year and this resulted in unique renditions of ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘What is and What Should Never Be’ and ‘Travelling Riverside Blues’. Also included are the rarities, ‘The Girl I Love...’ and ‘Something Else’. The tracks that round out disc one were performed in front of a studio audience at Playhouse Theatre, and are particularly impressive.

The second disc is almost an entire concert from 1971, and a spectacular display of Led Zeppelin’s live magic. ‘The Immigrant Song’ gets things off to a storming start, before dovetailing into ‘Heartbreaker’, complete with extended solo from Jimmy Page. The development of ‘Dazed And Confused’ over two years is fascinating to hear. This is truly historic stuff, as ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’ are aired months before the untitled fourth album would be released to polite applause. 'Going To California’ is also presented for the first time, in the wonderful acoustic set.

Page plans to put together a video compilation next year, prior to the next Page/Plant album, and Led Zeppelin will reform for one gig (with Jason Bonham on drums) at Atlantic Records 50th . anniversary next March. Now Jimmy, how about sorting out those tapes from the 1975 and 1977 shows? . GEOFF DUNN LISA LOEB Firecracker (Geffen) Lisa Loeb is famous for two reasons, although she wishes it was only one. With 'Stay (I Missed You)’, she became the first unsigned artist in USA chart history to secure the Number One single spot. But she's also famous. for wearing a rather

natty pair of glasses, and by all accounts the continued observation of this fact causes her no end of anguish. Which is a pity, as a little debate on the merits of her eye wear might help distract attention from an album so inoffensive and easy on the ear, that it ended up aggravating the hell out of me.

Don’t get me wrong — Firecracker Isn’t a bad album, but by any measure it’s not brilliant either. No, Firecracker is ‘solid’ — without ever hinting that anything really special lurks within its silvery confines. The first single ‘I Do’ bounces along briskly, while ‘Falling In Love’ and ‘Furious Rose’ feature wonderfully sumptuous orchestral arrangements. ‘Jake’, meanwhile comes closest to creating some sort of emotional response, but the rest just drift by in a generic singer/songwriter haze. Call me a damp squib, but Firecracker \ust doesn’t light my wick.

MARTIN BELL

TOBIN SPROUT Moonflower Plastic (Matador) SPORTSGUITAR Married, 3 Kids (Matador) Tobin Sprout’s first solo effort, 1996’s Carnival. Boy, was a stunner, embellishing his Guided By Voices reputation, and setting him apart in the songwriting stakes from just about everyone else on the planet. The return salvo of Moonflower Plastic, finds us set adrift on an occasionally saccharine 70s pop trip, it’s about the songs man! And boy there are about 14 doozeys here, from the infinitely infectious opener ‘Get Out Of My Throat’, the rock thunder power chords of ‘Paper Cut’, to the mellow piano tones of the title track. The recordings this time float from full studio sessions down to four and eight track, with the same licence taken over personnel. Well recorded, Mr Sprout can craft these things at will from whatever the situation. Not as. immediate as Carnival Boy but still very rewarding,

Tobin Sprout continues to flourish. From the same label but of Swiss origins, Sportsguitar take the best of Ameri-anglo pop and inject a little Swiss chocolate for a unique flavour. Married, 3 Kids is Sportsguitar’s second album the first being 1995’s Fade Cliche. Opening track ‘Very Weird’ serves the Swell Maps/Pastels comparisons well,' but elsewhere things lose the nervous twitch that makes the opening taster so captivating. The . lyrics occasionally border on banality, rather than their common naivety, but that’s merely nit picking for an album that for the most part delivers interesting pop charmers. Worth investigating. Mac Hodge MELVINS Singles I—l2 (Amphetamine Reptile) This double set collects the 12, limited edition seven inches released by the Melvins during 1996, and it’s a varied collection of demos, covers, collaborations, and oddities from the twisted genius that is the Melvins. The oldest recording here dates back to the original 1983 line up, and it’s a mean slice of Flag-styled hardcore, while the latest is, “a rare blend of two classics,” from Honky (ie. two songs played at once). Their influences are exposed in the great covers — Flipper’s ‘Way Of The World’, the Germs’ ‘Lexicon Devil’, and when they back Wayne Kramer on the MCS tune ‘Poison’ — while their eccentric sense of humour is evident on the songs designated/ 1 special mix for A&R guy...,” which are essentially random vocal and guitar tracks - from their Atlantic albums, planted on distorted drum tracks. Excellent. There’s two live segments with the Melvins verbally at-war with audiences, Houdini and Stag outtakes that rival anything that made the final cut, a Supergrass parody, and a jam with Sean Lennon’s IMA. '

It’s all good, and as for the Melvins’ choice of their “hands down favourite” song, well, it's a scream. Literally. TROY FERGUSON MISERY LOVES CO Not Like Them (Earache) With the extreme music audience demanding still harder sounds, it’s tough to find something to satisfy. Misery Loves Co, a duo out of Sweden, are one band that deliver. With crushing guitars, pummelling metronomic drums, and Patrick Wiren’s nihilistic, questioning lyrics, it’s a sound right at home on Earache’s ever more diverse roster.

Wiren’s partner in chaos is guitarist/bassist/programmer Orjan Ornkloo, who provides a backbone

especially strong on ‘Taste It’, ‘lt’s All Yours’, and ‘Them Nails’. Wiren’s vocals are similar to Fear Factory’s Burton C Bell, alternating harsh growls with more melodic moments. Having toured with Fear Factory and Slayer, Not Like Them sees Misery Loves Co claim their rightful place in the ‘new metal’ universe. .' 7':; : . GAVIN BERTRAM QUEEN Rocks (EMI) Fred is dead but long live the music of Queen. Rocks is a compilation of Queen songs of the head down, fist-in-the-air, and foot-on-the-monitor variety. Most of these tunes are Brian May compositions, so don’t expect to hear much of Freddie tinkling on the piano, softly singing melancholy blues to the love of his life. No, this is Queen' anthems that rocked the world and they segue into each other with varying degrees of success. It sounds a bit odd when production leaps from the technology of the late 80s back to the mid 70s, but when ‘Hammer To Fall' melts into ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ it works extremely well.

Collectors will have to own this, as it includes different mixes, new artwork, and the track ‘No One But You’, recently recorded by the surviving members as a final farewell song to Freddie. What the fans really want though is a collection of all the b-sides and rarities, or a box set of live recordings. Maybe next Christmas? GEOFF DUNN SILVER APPLES ’’’ Silver Apples (MCA) In 1967, two New Yorkers started playing around with oscillators and invented an instrument dubbed the Simeon, consisting of more than a dozen oscillators, six tuned to bass notes played by foot, while the rest

made rhythmic “beeps and boops” and lead “swoops.” Accompanied by a 13 piece drum kit, including double bass drums (augmented by a further collection of cymbals), the Simeon truly turned some 'heads’ when debuted in Central Park before the Mothers of Invention. Drone rock owes a wee debt to these guys methinks, coming on like a yorkan version of Can. Sadly, for the most part the sound and the songs don’t lift off in unison and for that reason the Silver Apples tracks presented here, from their self titled debut and follow up Contact, border on hippy mantras that seem a little dated without the tie-dyed, incense burning, flower munching, prevalent at the time of (stoned) inception. Still, if even a small percentage of today’s electronic worshipping ‘hippies’ could create something as inspiring as ‘Program’, maybe we’d all tune in, rather than dropping off. Mac Hodge

JONATHAN FIRE EATER Wolf Songs For Lambs (MCA) Hailing from New York City, Jonathan Fire Eater play music which wouldn’t be out of place in some sort of primordial rock ‘n’ roll swamp. Singer Stewart Lupton sings in a stream of consciousness, one-take sneer which - forgoes technical niceties in favour of a grab for the emotional jugular. Lupton invokes the spirit of Iggy Pop and the young Mick Jagger, as he spills his guts over jagged guitars and rhythms, which seem to be constantly on the verge of tripping over and tumbling into irretrievable chaos. The aural soundscape is completed by great slabs of Hammond and Farfisa organ, which don’t so much wash over the music, as rain on it for 40 days and 40 nights. There’s a visceral, primitive

excitement to the Jonathan Fire Eater approach that keeps the listener on the edge of their seat. Yet in spite of the sometimes abrasive and anxious., nature of their music, Jonathan Fire Eater also possess an ugly duckling grace. They’re like the gawky kid from school, who no one seemed to hang out with, but whose wry smile suggested that they understood a powerful secret — something very special that you had yet . to comprehend. Yeah, Jonathan Fire Eater know they’re cool — it’s just the rest of us who haven’t caught on yet. MARTIN BELL JONATHAN FIRE EATER Wolf Songs For Lambs (MCA) \ Hailing from New York City, Jonathan Fire Eater play music which wouldn’t be out of place in some sort of primordial rock ‘n’ roll swamp.. Singer Stewart Lupton sings in a stream of consciousness, one-take sneer which forgoes technical niceties in favour of a grab for the emotional jugular. Lupton invokes the spirit of Iggy Pop and the young Mick Jagger, as he spills his guts over jagged guitars and rhythms, which seem to be constantly on the verge of tripping over and tumbling into irretrievable chaos. The aural, soundscape is completed by great slabs of Hammond and Farfisa organ, which don’t so much wash over the music, as rain on it for 40 days and 40 nights. There’s a visceral, primitive excitement to the Jonathan Fire Eater approach that keeps the listener on the edge of their seat. Yet in spite of the sometimes abrasive and anxious nature of their music, Jonathan Fire Eater also possess an ugly duckling grace. They’re like the gawky kid ■ from school, who no one seemed to hang out with, but whose wry smile . suggested that they understood a • powerful secret — something very special that you had yet to comprehend. Yeah, Jonathan Fire’ Eater, know they’re cool — it’s just the rest of us who haven’t caught on yet. MARTIN BELL THE RESIDENTS Our Tired, Our Poor, Our ; Huddled Masses (Rykodisc) The Residents celebrate 25 years of Dadaism, deconstructionism, and damn-near-anythingism, with a double album retrospective, ranging ; from their 1970 s analysis of the rock industry as fascism, The Third Reich ‘n’ Roll, up to the 1996 soundtrack aspects of their Bad Day On The Midway CD-ROM. Though far from complete, this at least presents a glimpse into the weird, wide spectrum of the Residents — whose

music is more accessible than you may think. The quirky ‘Constantinople’, from Duck Stab (1977), sounds like a dreamed version of Devo, and the 10 one minute songs from The Commercial Album are as complete and satisfying as the jingles they were conceptually modelled on. One of the Residents finest moments is Eskimo, a (fictional) musical foray into interpretive anthropology, here distilled into a ‘concentrate’ (which gives a segmentary overview of the entire album) — a treatment also given their multi-media Freak Show, and , the extreme, Beefheart-ian Fingerprince. Very listenable, but quite bizarre — is anything more peculiar than four eyeballs in tuxedos covering ‘lt’s A Man’s World’? TROY FERGUSON ENTOMBED . Entombed (Earache) Earache released this album of bsides, covers, and oddities after Entombed moved on from the label last year. As with anything from this band, it’s nothing short of awesome — raw 90s rock ‘n’ roll in all its primal glory. The Swedish quintet have never been easily classifiable, always moving forward, and Entombed documents their progress. From covers of Kiss’s ‘God Of Thunder’, and Stiff Little Fingers’ ‘State of Emergency’, and old tracks like ‘Stranger Aeons’ and ‘Crawl’, through the Wolverine Blues period, it’s all ultra-brutal in delivery. The guitar pair of Monster Cedurland and , Alex Hellidjs one of the hardest around, and LG Petrovs vocals are aweinspiring. As Dan Tobin’s liner notes state, “Entombed have left an indeliable fist embedded in the minds of fans everywhere.” , •- ■ Gavin Bertram ALPHA Come From Heaven (Melankolic) Alpha are a Bristol-based group who, as their name nicely hints, are the first, act to be released on Massive Attack’s new label Melankolic. .Lean tell you’re already thinking ‘trip hop, slow beats blah, blah,’ and yep, you’d be right. Alpha’s sound is based heavily around the smoky, blissed out styles of trip hop, but there’s much more to it than that. They may use contemporary beats and samples but Alpha’s style of songwriting is much

more traditional, calling heavily on influences from the past. This merging of eras and styles shows up beautifully on ‘Hazeldub’, a song which has its roots in 90s dub, but is more structured than most dub tracks. On other tracks, Alpha get

even more retrospective (‘Slim’, ‘Back’, ‘Firefly’), and in so doing show how much they love the work of classic songwriters such as Lee Hazelwood and Scott Walker. A further contradiction of the Alpha sound is that although the songs all appear on the surface to be simple, there is quite obviously a whole lot going on in the background. Come From Heaven is an album which grows with every listen and consequently, could well be one of the slow burning classics of the year. DOMINIC WAGHORN VARIOUS ARTISTS What’s Up Matador (Matador) Home to our own Bailter Space (until they recently decided to trip off into indie wilderness again), not to mention the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Liz Phair, Guided By Voices,, Pavement, and innumerous weirdo outfits, Matador is one of the truly enduring American indies. This compilation is the companion piece to an instructional film made by Clay Traver (from Chavez)" as an introduction to the label’s charms, and as such, does a grand job. The first disc dishes out the ‘hits’, including Bailter Space’s ‘Splat’, and disc two dishes the collector scum a 20 track feeding frenzy. It’s good as' a sampler of delights I was previously oblivious to, and it’s recommended for the curious as well as the converted. .' Mac Hodge

HOLLY COLE Dark Dear Heart (Capitol) I can read the headlines now. ‘Canadian jazz chanteuse goes pop in fifth album shock!’ Well, not quite, but Dark Dear Heart is a long way from Cole’s jazzy beginnings. She wouldn’t be the first artist to indulge in a little genre hopping, but Dark Dear Heart is a clear signal of Cole’s, pop ambitions. Here, the warmth of her smoky, mellifluous voice remains intact, but with Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell) at the production helm, it has been sculpted into a multilayered, modern, pop setting. ; Cole has already made her mark as an interpreter of other people’s songs. Her 1995 album Temptation consisted entirely of Tom Waits’ tracks, rendered with such an endearing touch that even my Mum loved ’em. On Dark Dear Heart, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Mary Margaret O’Hara, and Sheryl Crow, all receive the Cole treatment, and again, the results are uniformly excellent. A couple of sparkling originals and an evocative reading of the lullaby ‘All The Pretty Little Horses’, round out a compelling collection. Sure, the honeyed voice, immaculate musicianship and generally non-threatening demeanour of Dark Dear Heart make it perfect background fodder for a dinner party, but if you choose to listen closer, Dark Dear Heart offers a whole lot more than just easy listening.

MARTIN BELL

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND Trouble 15... (Revolution) Stylistically, While Kenny Wayne Shepherd is more comparable to Stevie Ray Vaughn, he holds great . respect for originals like Albert King, Muddy Waters, etc. and you can hear it in his playing. Having listened to blues for most of his life, and performed live since he was 13, Shepherd now releases his second album at the tender age of 20. With Trouble 15..., Shepherd has topped his debut Ledbetter Heights, due in part to the production job of ex-Talking Head Jerry Harrison, who did a similar modern sound job for Live’s Throwing Copper. The combination of ‘big. rock’ with Shepherd’s natural abilities on the Stratocaster, make this an enjoyable listen without delving too far into cliche territory. Wisely Shepherd has enlisted a compentent singer to help out, and not tried to tackle all the vocals himself. The material is mainly original, excluding. Bob Dylan’s ‘Everything Is Broken’, and the obligatory Hendrix cover, ‘I Don’t Live Today’. . It’s quite easy , to imagine Shepherd jamming with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai on the new G 3 tour, and there’s surely a bright future ahead for KWS. GEOFF DUNN

C album was their most rock orientated album to date, and decided I best investigate for myself. Packaged as usual in stark black and white, my thoughts first turned to the title and whether the rock concept had contributed to a Fleetwood Hac pisstake. Gladly no relation. Aside from the bookending ‘Plane’ and ‘Tusk’, it’s possible to discern a remote amount of ‘rock’. ‘Head’ does its best to take yours clean off, and ‘Tuba’ is almost the Dead C at their most structured, but at just a minute and a half that passes quickly. The Dead C, still a thousand millennia from even approaching the word ‘conventional’, the converted will be happy the rest can continue to pretend they don’t exist. Does such a thing as a Siltbreeze sound exist? Well soak in just a couple of tracks from Tard & Further'd and you’d probably nod to the 10-fi recording quality evident on most of the tracks. Certainly there’s a DIY ethic in evidence, and this compilation follows the early path of some of today’s more reputable or worthy indie acts, including preBlues Explosion, Jon Spencer in Gibson Bros., and Sebadoh and Guided By Voices, all of whom, once or twice, include a needle-in-the-red-blast. However the most striking thing about the label apparent on this album, is the abundance of local acts

eking out, if not an earning, an existence. Featured are the Terminals, the Dead C, Alastair Galbraith, and Queen Meanie Puss. My fave here, however, is the early Builders stylings of Mike Rep and the Quotas, proving that the spirit of indie rock is . what ties the ‘underground’ (and Siltbreeze) together. •' •’ ‘ Mac Hodge PULLEY 60 Cycle Hum (Epitaph) Pulley is the part-time project of Scott Radinsky, the LA Dodgers baseball pro and former vocalist for Ten Foot Pole and Scared . Straight, teamed up here with members of Face To Face, and other Simi Valley, Ca. veterans. A part-time affair it may be, but like the last; Pulley album, Esteem' Driven Engine, the fast paced 60 Cycle Hum powers along, crackling with ■ energy, . and displaying as much straight ahead dedication as any full-time West Coasters. There’s more aggression displayed here than on the previous outing — but clues are given in ‘Outside Opinion’ and ’What’, as to the sources of Radinsky’s anger. No, of course things doesn’t change much from song to song, and the album is over as quickly as it begins, but that shouldn’t matter to fans of

90s punk — as a pal recently said, “most of the time I only want to hear fast music anyway.” TROY FERGUSON SIX FEET UNDER Warpath (Metal Blade) Chris Barnes was one of death metal’s more amusing vocalists during his time with the impressive Cannibal Corpse, mainly due to his Z-grade gore/splatter fixations. With Six Feet Under his lyrics are not quite as disgusting as in the past, but will remained scrutinised by the likes of the PMRC. Produced at Scott Burns’ legendary Morrisound Studio in Tampa, Florida, /by Metal Blade proprietor Brian Slagel, Warpath sees Barnes and cohorts in fine crunching form. Guitarist Allen West unleashes some of the fattest riffs you’ll hear this side of hell, while the rhythm section excel in their intensity. Barnes is in fine growling voice, and still with that slasher obsession, as heard on 'Revenge of the Zombie’ and ‘As I Die’. Six Feet Under are evidence that the Florida death scene still has some life in it. Now, I wonder if Barnes has anything to do with all those serial killings down there?

GAVIN BERTRAM