Consumable Online June 4, 1994 REVIEW: Angelfish - _Angelfish_ REVIEW: Basia - _The Sweetest Illusion_ REVIEW: _Richard Blade's Flashback Favorites, Volume 4_ REVIEW: Driver, _Driver_ News, New Releases and Information All reviews written by Bob Gajarsky (gajarsky@pilot.njin.net) Angelfish - _Angelfish_ (Radioactive) This eponymously titled album is for people who want natural music. No keyboards here - it's straight ahead modern rock with Fin Wilson on bass, Martin Metcalfe on guitar and Derek Kelly on drums. Together, the music strikes of early R.E.M. and lead singer Shirley Manson has a voice which sounds like a blend of Pat Benatar and Siouxie Sioux (of Siouxie and the Banshees). The best cuts on here are "You Can Love Her" and "Heartbreak to Hate". Although it doesn't have a strong candidate for radio airplay, the entire album (produced by Talking Heads alumni Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz) has an excellent blend of psychedelic/feedback guitars. Especially recommended for fans of Siouxie and the Banshees. ----- Basia - _The Sweetest Illusion_ (Epic) After a break of nearly four years, the Polish woman known as Basia has returned for her third solo album, _The Sweetest Illusion_. Why so long for a third album? Basia herself takes the blame for this one. "I'm very slow, I must say. Danny's a workaholic - if he'd had his own way, the album would have been finished much earlier." The Danny referred to here is Basia's long-time musical partner and keyboardist Danny White. Together, the pair have combined for an album which has more "live" sounds - actual drums, bass and similar instruments. This marks a slight departure from her previous two releases. The first single from Basia's new album is "Yearning". This track is an airy track, assisted by Basia's wonderful voice. It isn't as instantly captivating as "Time and Tide", but Basia's fans will find it hard to get this song out of their head. Another premiere track on this release is "Drunk On Love". Already a top 5 hit in Japan, it returns Basia to the dancable pop/jazz style which graced her first two releases. Another standout is the title track, "Sweetest Illusion". It's my favorite song, one which I feel eclipses anything she has released to date. The bounciness of the music runs parallel to the lyrics; "A glass of soda tastes more like Dom Perignon / Every dead end street's an ocean boulevard / Love is the sweetest illusion." Other influences on the album range from the 60's soul feel of "My Cruel Ways" to "She Deserves It / Rachel's Wedding", where the song medleys into a full fledged polka! The only truly weak track on the album is the very slow "Perfect Mother". It drones on for what seems like an endless amount of time. Basia merges modern, lush jazz with a charming voice for an irresistible combination. Fans of either of her previous works will find no tricks, just treats, in _The Sweetest Illusion_. ----- _Richard Blade's Flashback Favorites, Vol. 4_ -(Oglio Records) With so many 1980's collections being issued, it's often challenging to find one that combines well-known tracks with rarities and obscurities. However, Oglio Records has continued their track record of outstanding 1980's New Wave compilations with _Richard Blade's Flashback Favorites, Vol. 4_. The standout track on this compilation is Tears For Fears "The Way You Are". Originally released as "an experiment, kind of a drum progression; it was never meant to be a single", the track reached #24 on the U.K. charts. It has not appeared on any Tears For Fears album and the 12" version of the song is the album's leadoff track. All good compilations should have several obscure tracks, and Flashback Favorite's Volume 4 doesn't disappoint. Plus One's "Nevermore" is a cult record which had a limited, but devoted, audience; it's very Erasure-ish in musical content and vocals. Suburban Lawns, a seminal new wave band from Southern California, appear with "Janitor", a kind of Waitresses meet Romeo Void type of song. Extended mixes of some better known songs help pack this version of Flashback Favorites. The O.N. mix of When In Rome's "The Promise" sounds as fresh today as it did 5 years ago and, according to Blade, has "received so many requests that it's one of KROQ's (Los Angeles based modern-rock station) regular flashbacks and is heard almost once a week on my radio show "The Flashback Lunch". Yello's "Oh Yeah", which has gained notoriety for appearing in two movies and a Twix commerical, is also included in its 12" mix. New Wave fans probably have a few of the tracks which appear on the disc; "Turning Japanese" , which used to be unavailable, has recently appeared on other collections and the Thompson Twins and Ultravox tracks aren't hard to find. However, with the mix of hard-to-get tracks, extended mixes and well-known songs, Flashback Favorites Volume 4 is another must-get disc from Oglio Records for fans of 1980's music. With an increased distribution network, _Richard Blade's Flashback Favorites Volume 4_ should be available at your local record store. If not, it can be ordered from 1-800-COOL-CDS or, at Oglio's New Wave Fan Club, at PO Box 404-RB4, Redondo Beach, CA 90277. Tracks: Tears For Fears - The Way You Are (12" Mix); Ultravox - Reap The Wild Wind; When in Rome - The Promise (O.N. Mix); Plus One - Nevermore (Extended); Naked Eyes - When The Lights Go Out; Spandau Ballet - Chant #1 (Extended); Yello - Oh Yeah (12" Mix); Thompson Twins - Lies (Extended); Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen; The Jam - Beat Surrender; The Vapors - Turning Japanese; Suburban Lawns - Janitor ----- Driver - _Driver_ (Trauma Records) The Australian rock band Driver has released its eponymously titled debut album, _Driver_, in the United States. The first single and leadoff track, "Sometimes", opens with an uncredited sample from James Brown's "Funky Drummer" and segues into an addictive song which segues between the psychedelic Beatles style era and a laid back, whistling bridge. Lead singer Steve Driver's voice at times resembles that of INXS' Michael Hutchence. More often than not, however, it sounds like the current voice of Sammy Hagar, with a little less vocal range. The rest of the band has a straight-ahead rock and roll sound which rocks from beginning to end. Driver and guitarist Jim Reece, who co-wrote half of the songs on Driver's debut, have previously scored two hit singles in their native Australia in the late 1980's as Bang The Drum. In addition to these two, Driver (the group) consists of ex-Divinyls drummer J.J. Harris and former Firm bassist Tony Franklin. Can't get enough rock and roll? _Driver_ is nothing earth-shattering, but for listeners who like 70's and 80's rock in a 1990's style, Driver is right on the mark. ----- News and notes: God Machine - Bass player Jimmy Fernandez of the band God Machine recently passed away on Monday, May 23, in a London hospital. The cause of death was determined to be a cancerous brain tumor. Fellow band members Robin Proper-Shepard and Ronald Austin issued the following comments:"To try and sum up one persons life, especially someone so beautiful, in a few lines seems impossible to us...Jimmy absolutely loved life and had such a positive attitude that made everyone around him so happy to be a part of this life. If there is anything we think he would have wanted us to do in his memory, it would be to slow down and just enjoy the beauty around us, to stare into the clouds and recognize all the familiar faces, to sing along with the birds as you walk in the rain with no umbrella and most importantly, just happy to be alive." The funeral will take place in Jimmy's hometown of San Diego, California. The band had just completed their second album, which will still be released later this year. High Times - The June issue contains the following articles: - Information on D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and why some people are abandoning the anti-drug programs; - Profiles on the New York jam band scene. Who will be the next Spin Doctors or Blues Traveler? Also, discussing how the e-mail network help some of these new up and coming bands; - And, of course, information on marijuana. US3 - Top 10 hit "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia), will appear on the soon-to-be-released Disney soundtrack, "Renaissance Man". Vinyl Devotion - This San Francisco band has released their first full-length E.P. on Mitochondria Records. More information on this compact disc will be forthcoming. Interesting new releases for the week of June 14th - Arrested Development, Luka Bloom, Blur, D:Ream and Lush.