====================================================[November 30, 1994]= __ | __ _ _ ___ | || ___ | __ __ (__ | | | \/ | ____) |___ || |___) |__ (__) | | ___) |___| | | | |___| |___) || |____ The Electronic Fanzine for Cool Folks Like You Editor: Scott F. Williams Managing Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net Other Contributors: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford, Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Tim Mohr, P. Nina Ramos, Michelle Richmond, Joe Silva Address all comments, subscription requests, etc. to gajarsky@pilot.njin.net ======================================================================= All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form other than within this document must be sought from the managing editor. ============================================================================== .------------. | Contents |-. `------------' | `------------' --- INTERVIEW: Through The Chalkhills with XTC's Andy Partride by Joe Silva REVIEW: Joe Jackson, _Night Music_ by Dan Enright REVIEW: Violet Arcana, _In the Scene of the Mind_ by Scott Williams REVIEW: Lords of Acid, _Voodoo U_ by Joe Silva REVIEW: Single Gun Theory, _Flow, River of My Soul_ by Al Crawford REVIEW: Dodgy, _Homegrown_ by Tim Kennedy Bryan Ferry Retrospective by Dan Enright THE READERS WRITE BACK! TOUR DATES: Dillon Fence --- THROUGH THE CHALKHILLS: An Interview with XTC's Andy Partridge If you thumb through the ultra-fannish, low profile XTC biography ("Chalkhills and Children"), you can see pictures of a slim Andy Partridge banging on a guitar in CBGB's with a severe haircut and a snarl to match. It was not too long after the punk heyday, and XTC were one of those imported fringe bands, generally known only to college radio programmers and indie/"New wave" shoppers. The alternative playing field was more or less level then, and XTC had as much of a chance of becoming huge as The Police did (check out the period film "Urgh! A Musical War" to see Partridge and Sting sharing the stage with a score of other hopefuls...). But things went awry when Andy's anxiety attacks over performing caused most label and radio support to melt away under the band's feet. Ridiculously perfect albums like "English Settlement" were have been left to stand idle like one of Britain's stone circles - awe inspiring, but only frequented by the odd tourist, historian, or pagan devotee. Now, as XTC come close to rounding off their second decade as a unit, Partridge has strayed along with "ambient" icon Harold Budd into somewhat foreign territory. _Through The Hill_ (Gyroscope/Caroline) is their mutual soundscape for a envisioned archaeological adventure that sets out to give the listener an aural vista of the imaginary underground treasures they would unearth. About a year before their collaboration, both Partridge and Budd saw a television documentary about New York's Coney Island that coincidentally featured sonic backdrops by each of them. While not knowing who the other composer was at the time, they each made mental notes about how the pieces nicely complimented each others. Sometime later, during a vacation/promo trip to Japan, a rather "boozy" Partridge was approached by a mutual associate about a team-up. Months later Budd's label shipped over a few of his albums for Andy to investigate and although he was initially enthused about the project, he became slightly put off. "I thought 'This is perfect as it is. There's nothing I can contribute to this.'" Partridge says, baking apparently from the English summer heat that's beset his Swindon home. "It really was [perfect]. It just existed. His music has this framework kind of like Swiss cheese, all held together with holes. I was kind of fearful of treading in those holes and spoiling the whole delicate weave." But Andy wound up inviting Budd over to test the waters and after an afternoon's worth of "...giving each other goose bumps up and down the back of the neck all afternoon...," they decided the marriage would work. Over two weeks, they worked in tandem through long bouts of improvisation, switching instruments and tacking up swatches of music to the ideas for titles they'd come up with before they'd began. They'd sniff out different notions, chucking out what wasn't working and pursuing whatever line might seem to bring them to bring them the particular sort of "alchemy" they sought. "It's totally different from writing a song." he adds "Sometimes [we'd have] a springboard theme, a little motif like 'dum dum da dee dum' or it would be just a chord change. And if it didn't work we'd take a break and wipe that and go back or change over instrumentation and try something different. You would sit down and say 'What is this about? I'm sitting down and designing a picture in my head that's hopefully not a million miles away from the picture in Harold's head.' If I play the picture in my head and he plays the picture in his, we should get this sort of stereoscopic image working somehow." What seemed to worry Andy most wasn't that he might be stepping out of his element however, rather that he'd be tagged a bandwagon jumper, trying to get in on ambient's hazy, ethereal coattails. "Not that that would hurt me, because we did have a branch of experimental, purely musical things early in the XTC career. It was a branch shaped like the Dub records I did or the "Homo Safari" experiments or odd bits and pieces that were usually studio down time or cheap studio time. There was no pressure for it to be a song. But that kind of branch seemed to wither and die off in me as I got more and more seduced by song writing. For me, this was just a return to that sort of feel." _Through The Hill_ ambles between being lush and spare and both at the same time. Taken in bits, the music might seem somewhat faceless, but that would only be because the underlying current of the album has been severed. The bonds between the pieces, though stretched gossamer thin, are always in evidence. In the end, the tones match up. What's most comforting about _Through The Hill_ on a collaborative level, is that we don't see Partridge playing at being a faux-Eno or Budd as a quasi-quirky pop star. The two aren't caught here bowing respectively to each other realms, but rather choosing instead to distill the tendencies of one another, building an aura that reflects both sensibilities. Certain moments, like the first of the four interludes ("Hand 19, 20, 21, and 22") which is the album's opener, might buzz a bit more Andy than Harold, but on the whole neither personality idles at the surface of the music for very long. Even when Harold winds up in the seemingly dominant role by adding his voice to "Well for the Sweat of the Moon" and "Bronze Coins Showing Genitals," the spoken words are another moment of mutuality because the poetry is so obviously Andy's ("Frozen at the moment of nervous becoming/Smooth as toffee/The jackass dourly dances forever across their table end"). "'Well...' was an extract from a love letter and 'Bronze Coins...' was sort of pieces out of a longer poem reshuffled and edited somewhat. I just sometimes write and I don't know where I'm going. Most of it is painfully shitty, but sometimes I go back to it and think 'My God I would have never blundered into that neighborhood unless I would have wandered with a pen and got lost.' I wrote them for Harold because he's got just such an excellent speaking voice. I really like the timbre of his voice. I mean he's missed vocation, he should be selling aftershave and stuff with a voice like that." Sometimes these moments of lyricism ricochet back into XTC couplets ("Summer's Cauldron," "Desert Island") and listening through the some of the notions, musical and otherwise, that crop up on _Through The Hill_, the devout might begin to wonder what resonance the experience might have on the trio's upcoming effort. Partridge has already made claims that it will be largely an "orchestral" work sans a drummer this time. Guitarist Dave Gregory has been doing string arrangements now that he's parted company from Aimee Mann's touring band while bassist Colin Moulding is said to be tending to his lawn. So, what pours forth from the band might indeed lean somewhat towards the pastoral. And lastly, for those who haven't laid eyes on the band since they walked off the Letterman stage during the "Oranges and Lemons" radio/TV tour, the wait will probably continue. A possible pay-per-view, done up in an intimate surrounding, is apparently squashed as Geffen wanted to turn the event into a stadium sized Mick n' Keef comeback. Geffen's lack of sensitivity about the project are probably indicative once again of how and why XTC might not see a resurgence in a brash, MTV-driven world that will give any permutation of Neil Young (with or without the Pearl Jam) some elbow room and airtime. "They were just trying to steer it into this very unsympathetic area", Partridge says mulling over the label's bent motives "We're a delicate little orchid y'know. You can't just stick us in gravel, turn the halogen lamp on and expect us to sprout." - Joe Silva --- REVIEW: Joe Jackson, _Night Music_ (Virgin) After _Laughter and Lust_ slid by the general population's conciousness, Joe Jackson reportedly underwent an extended period of unhappiness and depression. Out of that darkness, however, came his most ambitious and beautiful album yet: _Night Music_. Three years after releasing _Laughter and Lust_ Joe has recorded an album that expands his horizons while meeting the high standards as a songwriter/composer that his fans have come to expect. This mix of "classical" composing and "pop" songwriting ties together his career from _Night and Day_ to his future, including a "symphony" for Virgin Classics. Recorded almost entirely with keyboards and computers, the only additional musicians - and instruments - are symphonic (viola, oboe, clarinet, etc.) and vocalists. The album opens with a beautiful instrumental, called a nocturne, that establishes the atmosphere and structure that's to follow. Then two songs with lyrics, "Flying" - where Joe philosophically notes "The older I get/the more stupid I feel" which then becomes "The older I get/the more lucid I feel" and "Ever After" - a lullaby disguised as a lament for lost love. It's reggae beat and melody almost assure that it will be the single from this album. It's the least representative song on the album and is weakened by taking it out of context, but is needed as a single for airplay. The second (of four) nocturne creates a break before "The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy", an interpretation of the Faust legend as only Joe could do it. The third nocturne separates that tale from "Lullaby" again disguised (though more openly) as a lament, "I watch my pen as though / My fingers could shatter / Like icicles / And before my eyes / Lie glittering and useless / On a field / Of snow." Jackson then follows with the trepidation of "Only the Future" with the line "Something's coming / Something big / Something I can't stand/ Dark as the ocean / Secret and cruel / Something I can't command." This is followed by the last nocturne before the finale, "Sea of Secrets." Here it seems all the troubles and conflicts, the worries and doubts that are voiced earlier are resolved: "It's sinking in / No need for fear of drowning / Drift away / These monsters here / Are only faces I don't wear by day / Now and then / I can wake up, and in the mirror / Demons turn to friends..." Is it about dreams? Is it about self reflection? These are by no means the only interpretations of this album. _Night Music_ is dense and oblique enough to give every listener and every listen a different perspective. The restating of themes, some from previous albums, gives the album a subtle continuity that encourages repeat listenings. These words don't begin to do it justice. _Night Music_ is one of the most amazing albums I've ever heard, one I believe will stand the test of time. It also marks the blossoming of one of the most creative musicians working today and carries the promise of greater things to come. - Dan Enright --- REVIEW: Violet Arcana, _In The Scene Of The Mind_ (EinProdukt) **1/2 (out of 4) The rich sound of Violet Arcana's debut album _In The Scene of the Mind_, combines ambient's textural arrangements - organic and synthesized elements relate on a sonic playground - but the delivery finds more in common with groups like Erasure or electronic visionaries, Kraftwerk. Regardless, the techno sensibility remains undeniable. Where trance induces a dream state mainly through the juxtaposition of its rhythm patterns, and is wordless fodder for the foundry of imagination, Violet Arcana breaks with convention, looping lyric samples with the music to inspire the listener. Still, while this techno-head is accustomed to a more psycho-active involvement, David Duddleston and Jeremy Wells prove to be effective, if not superior, tour guides. On the very positive side, many will find _In the Scene of the Mind_ far more accessible than common techno; the cd echews mantric syncopation for melodic diversity. Some will attempt to categorize it, but the music does not warrant such treatment. If forced, you can call Violet Arcana's work electronic mood music, or perhaps eclectic cerebral pop for the nineties. For information on purchasing this disc, EinProdukt can be contacted via the Internet at 73473.622@compuserve.com or at: P.O. Box 19142 Portland OR 97280 - Scott Williams --- REVIEW: Lords of Acid, _Voodoo U_ (American) The Lords made a stir in hardcore techno circles a few years ago mixing up a good amount of sex and naked subversion with a violent rhythm that was never short of BPMs. What's been tossed in for _Voodoo-U_ is some tense and speedy guitar work along with a clutch of flourescent she-devils doing various triple X numbers on one another to nab your interest. But overall, the project fails miserably. Only "Drink My Honey" is rendered with a tolerable groove and with vocals that are only mildy obnoxious. While the seduction the Lords of Acid play with may be intentionally silly porn-in-cheek, it's plays like bad techno theatre and should be binned wholesale unless it can be handed to some slick DJ who can do some decent salvage work for a remix land. - Joe Silva --- REVIEW: Single Gun Theory, _Flow, River of My Soul_ (Nettwerk/IRS) _Flow, River Of My Soul_ is the third album-length outing by Australian trio Single Gun Theory. Since I'd enjoyed the group's two previous albums _Exorcise This Wasteland_ and _Like Stars In My Hand_, it was with some anticipation that I slipped this new album into my CD player. The feelings engendered by the album are a mixture of pleasure and disappointment. Mainly the former, however, _Flow_ is a very good album, up to the high standard of _Like Stars In My Hand_. However it is a little *too* close to the sound of that album. Since _Like Stars_ is a long-time personal favorite, that's not entirely a bad thing, but one is sometimes left with the feeling here that SGT are resting on their laurels. No matter how successful a formula is, no matter how enjoyable the results of applying that formula are, its repeated use will produce a result that is somehow...formulaic. That said, the SGT formula is a unique one. Jacqui Hunt's vocals are wonderful, possessed of an almost unearthly quality (that's unearthly in the ethereal and angelic sense, rather than in the head-spinning Diamanda Galas "possessed by assorted demons" sense). They fuse nicely with the music and samples of Pete Rivett-Carnac and Kath Power. The music is excellent - largely synthesised, lush and melodic and often possessed of a distinctive dance beat, yet shot through with Indian instrumentation and with an alien, almost haunting quality. It somehow manages to be both highly rhythmic and danceable yet relaxed and almost horizontally laid-back at the same time. The samples used are also worthy of a mention. They are an unconventional mixture of metaphysics, middle- and far-eastern street musicians recorded by the group themselves, historical vocal snippets (as varied as Pope John XXIII and Robert Oppenheimer) and the Twilight Zone. It is difficult to pick out individual tracks to mention. Most adhere closely to the style set out in _Like Stars In My Hand_ and anyone familiar with that album will find few surprises here. However, one or two tracks do diverge from that formula a little. "Decimated" relies heavily on Indian instrumentation, air-raid sirens and the previously mentioned Robert Oppenheimer sample, with no hint of a dance beat. "My Estranged Wife" is also atypical, and reminds me rather more of their older, _Exorcise This Wasteland_ material in its lack of a dance element, although it's slower paced and rather less "crunchy" than the material from that album. "Metaphysical" is also interesting, opening with an intro that's straight off of the previous album before launching into something that's uncharacteristically energetic and demonstrates a strong techno influence. In conclusion, _Flow, River Of My Soul_ may not be a huge step forward from their previous album but is still well worth a listen. Anyone who enjoyed _Like Stars In My Hand_ is unlikely to be disappointed by this one, and I'd also recommend it to anyone looking for an esoteric combination of female vocals (intoning lyrics that, if occasionally tending towards meaningless pseudo-spiritual psycho-babble, are still light-years ahead of most of the tired cliches that pass for lyrics in contemporary dance music) and subtle, well-crafted dance-oriented pop. Highly recommended - I guess that some formulae are well worth sticking to. - Al Crawford --- REVIEW: Dodgy, _Homegrown_ (A&M, U.K.) (Mgr. Ed. Note - This is the second part of a review of the U.K. band Dodgy. The first part was contained in the 11/22 issue of Consumable) Dodgy's _Homegrown_ has a more accomplished feel than the debut and the playing is almost arrogant. The guitar is hard but clean edged and the harmonies are very fine. The vocal style is very Lennon, very hard edged and with that high pitch. A variety of instrumental tricks are employed and the result is an almost bewilderingly varied yet overwhelmingly melodic pop album. "Staying Out For The Summer" has a mid-period Byrds tune to it and is a nice upbeat opener, but as usual the band throw in a super rock guitar solo wig out at the end. The ability to inject infectious pop melodies into a rock format (or is that vice-versa?) is demonstrated from the outset. This was their last, again unsuccessful, single. "Melodies Haunt You" is another single, reviewed in the previous Consumable issue. This is a fine late sixties Kinks type of tune and deserved to go up the chart, rather than die the death it did in the UK. "So Let Me Go Far" starts with odd quiet drum beats and atmospheric twangs. The tune is a more nervy affair. The chorus changes from minor to major, and you know this is Dodgy at their most Beatles-like. A fine circular piano riff might have appeared on _Revolver_ and the harmonies and guitars likewise point to the purple period of the aforementioned, of 1965 or 1966. The guitar solo towards the end of the song is particularly devastating. "Crossroads" is quite possibly named after the awful soap that polluted our (UK) early evening TV viewing in the 70s. It has a rather harassed air about it certainly. Actually the lyric deals with the admittedly moldy blues legend about the devil waiting to buy your soul off you at the crossroads. The song is not guitar driven; however, they use a mellow keyboard structure. "One Day" borrows from Steely Dan with Haitian Divorce-style guitar, then bursts into an acoustic-led stoned section with lead vocal high-pitched declaiming like John Lennon once did and again excellent lead guitar trailing in and out. It is strange, but catchy. Track six, "We Are Together", has a Faces air about it. It is a slower number with a warm guitar duelling with a hammond. Primal Scream attempted this kind of song several times on _Give Out But Don't Give Up_, but this is a far superior effort by dint of the variation within the framework of the song. "Whole Lot Easier" has a choppy riff and the drumming, which seems to have a Keith Moon style about it, gives the song a Who-esque feel. This is a classic uptempo poppy tune. The feel is of earlier Beatles uptempo pop. The next track, "Making The Most Of", has an almost McCartneyesque optimism about it. It drives along with a lovely lead riff. The guitar solo here as elsewhere is excellent. Horns are again used here to good effect. The soaring guitar soloing and hammond wailing continues in "Waiting For The Day". None of the instrumental virtuosity manages to clobber the inch-perfect tunes, crafted just like the old days, god bless 'em. This is a Waterloo Sunset era Kinks-style tune. Concluding is a superb combination of guitar and swirly hammond. "What Have I Done Wrong?" is uncannily like John Lennon on the Plastic Ono Band first album of 1970. The vocal is accompanied only by a sparse acoustic guitar, miserable though at the same time electrifying. "Grassman" ends the album, beginning with piano and voice in somewhat doomy vein. An acoustic guitar picks along, the singer asking, "...Darling you are my heroine... (heroin?)". Then the song bursts into full-on rock depression overdrive somewhat a la 70s Pink Floyd (?!) with electronic tweets in the background and (but of course) soulful soaring female backing vocal. What, no saxaphone? A million miles from the chirpy majority of the album's songs and yet a fitting and grand conclusion to this fine CD. As a coda, a ghostly pizzicato burst appears. Very strange. The album is as ambitious as a pop record can be, possibly harking back to an early and more innocent era when all groups were 'pop' and musical divisions were lowered whilst the great talents of our era knocked off one classic after another, unhindered by formulas of how 'rock' should sound; "See Emily Play", "Jumping Jack Flash", "Waterloo Sunset", "Strawberry Fields Forever". And yet the CD also looks to the end of that first flowering, personified by the tortured self-realizations of Ono Band era Lennon. Or not. Probably. - Tim Kennedy --- Bryan Ferry Retrospective (Mng. Ed. note: Bryan Ferry is on tour supporting his new Virgin release, _Mamouna_. For those who are unfamiliar with his career, we've given a little background on his career and his latest effort.) If you are unfamiliar with Bryan Ferry's career, the first place to look is his "greatest hits" release _Street Life_. This 1986 compilation has twenty tracks from his Roxy Music and solo catalogue, ranging from the first self-titled Roxy release through his 1985 solo _Boys & Girls_. It captures the twists and genre-busting approaches to popular music that have always been Bryan's stock in trade. But, back to the early Roxy Music works. Going back to these early albums remind me why I have followed Bryan's career for the last twenty (plus) years. The strangely twisted art/glam rock that marked his first Roxy release slowly absorbed and mutated the dance/disco of the late '70s, transforming it into the lush and sublime _Avalon_. Simultaneously, he was interpreting his musical influences on solo albums that mixed his own material with songs by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and JJ Cales (among others). Some of these covers are (in my opinion) the definitive versions of the songs. For instance, Take Me To the River (Al Green), In The Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett), and Jealous Guy (John Lennon) all receive treatments that make them Bryan Ferry songs as well as establish those interpretaions as new standards. A few of his own songs, especially from the Roxy Music albums, have become international hits as well. Songs like "Love Is the Drug", "More Than This", "The Thrill of it All", and "Dance Away" are among the best known songs, yet these are only the singles that received airplay. His albums are filled with treasures that make them worth repeat listening. Throughout his career, he has created the image of a detached, jet-setting, man of the world; wealthy and worldly, chasing pleasure and decadence. That image is the focus of _Mamouna_. This album also marks a reunion, of sorts, of the original Roxy Music with contributions by Brian Eno (who hadn't worked with Ferry since the second Roxy Music album) as well as alumni Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay. _Mamouna_ picks-up where _Avalon_ left off (and is being promoted as "a continuation of the journey from _Avalon_"), extending that album's dense rhythmic lushness to a more densely textured level. Ferry comments on the project: "In my records, the demos become the finished tracks. I work on them more and more, developing each song on the same tape until it becomes finished. It's like the same canvas is overlaid and overlaid until it gets to the point where it's right." That layering is clearly evident on this album, but under that musical landscape lurks the lyrical tale of a man trapped by his life - the wealth and decadence have grown tarnished and the passions, hollow. It captures the self examination of a life that has grown meaningless and shallow, but is so tightly woven that escape or change seems impossible and overwhelming. This album really requires headphones to appreciate because the production by Robin Trower and Bryan is so subtle and yet, at the same time, so perfect. It's rare that I notice an album's production because it is outstanding instead of annoying. The live performances (Bryan's first in six years) promise to be even more impressive. With shows in relatively small and intimate concert halls and only a trio to back him, it will be interesting to see how he interprets this new material. His band is the core of _Mamouna_ - Steve Ferrone on drums (played with Eric Clapton), Dave Williams on guitar (played with Madonna and Michael Jackson), and Guy Fletcher on bass (played with Dire Straits) - so this should capture the soul of the album. As Bryan gets older, more introspective in his writing and more demanding in his production the time between albums and tours is sure to increase. If you're a fan of Bryan and Roxy Music this will probably be the last opportunity to see him in such intimate surroundings for several years. I'd take advantage of it. - Dan Enright --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! On the Natural Born Killers soundtrack review...Oliver Stone chose the dialogue segments that he wanted Trent Reznor to work with...so don't fault Reznor for not using some of the movie's best clips. - D.D. It's not fair to fencepost Dillon...I don't think that your review (of Dillon Fence) was very accurate, and by no means fair. Just because Dillon Fence uses harmonies in their songs doesn't mean that they are blatantly ripping off other bands. There was harmony before Skynyrd and (yes) even before the Beatles. I'm not a big fan or anything but to trash 'em like you did, well, someone had to stick up for 'em. - J.C. (And, on that note, we present...) --- TOUR DATES: Dillon Fence Nov 30, Columbia (SC), Rockafellas Dec 1, Spartanburg (SC), Magnolia Street Dec 2, Atlanta, Cotton Club Dec 5, Minneapolis, 7th Street Entry Dec 7, Madison (WI), Club Dewash Dec 8, St. Louis, Cicero's Dec 9, Chicago, Cabaret Metro Dec 10, Toledo, Frankie's Dec 11, Cincinnati, Sudsy Malone's Dec 12, Cleveland, Grogg Shop Dec 14, Albany (NY), Bogeys Dec 15, Burlington (VT), Metronome Dec 16, New York City, Wetlands Dec 17, Washington, 9:30 Club Dec 18, Baltimore, Bohagers Dec 20, Charleston (SC), Music Farm Dec 22, Macon (GA), Frank Reed Music Hall Dec 23, Winston-Salem (NC), Ziggy's Dec 29, Greenville (SC), Gaillard Auditorium Dec 31, Chapel Hill (NC), Cat's Cradle (New Year's Eve Party) Throneberry will be opening for Dillon Fence on December 8-10, the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies will be playing with them from December 15-22 and the December 29th show will also feature Hootie and the Blowfish. --- Back issues of Consumable Online are available via anonymous FTP from quartz.rutgers.edu in the directory /pub/journals/Consumable ===