====================================================[January 11, 1995]= __ | __ _ _ ___ | || ___ | __ __ (__ | | | \/ | ____) |___ || |___) |__ (__) | | ___) |___| | | | |___| |___) || |____ 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, John Walker Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak, Jason Williams 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 |-. `------------' | `------------' Welcome Back! REVIEW: Soundtrack _Love & a .45_ (Immortal/Epic) by David Landgren RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW: Blondie Compilations by Tim Mohr REVIEW: Method Man, _Tical_ (Def Jam) by Martin Bate CONCERT REVIEW: American Music Club, Live in Toronto by John Walker REVIEW: Blaggers I.T.A., _Bad Karma_ (Parlophone) by Martin Bate NEWS: New Ways to Read Consumable NEWS: Nettwerk Records Update World Wide Web Site NEWS: Rake's Progress Recording New Album REVIEW: Yello, _Zebra_ by Reto Koradi REVIEW: Urban Species, _Listen_ (Payday/London) By Martin Bate --- Welcome to 1995! We closed out 1994 by being the first U.S. publication - of *any* format - to preview the brand new Stone Roses album (due out on Geffen in the U.S. on January 17), _Second Coming_. And, there's more ways to view Consumable - on the World Wide Web, or on the Delphi computer system. But you'll have to read on for more with that. In conjunction with these changes and rapid growth, we're still committed to putting out the same quality reviews that you've grown accustomed to during the last 18 months. As always, we'll continue to give you the reviews, interviews and tour dates you need to satisfy your musical taste buds. Enjoy! --- REVIEW: Various Artists _Love & a .45_ (Immortal Records/Epic) I don't know whether it shows my age or my naivety, but at one time, 45 could also mean a 7" vinyl record. That would make for a pretty bizarre film. However, the meaning is more conventional: a Colt '45 hand-gun. Oh well. All the same, now that I have listened to the soundtrack, I think I'll go and see the film. With out any more ado, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce (in order of appearance) The Flaming Lips, Meat Puppets, Mazzy Star, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Kim Deal & Bob Pollard, The Reverend Horton Heat, April's Motel Room, FSK with David Lowery from Cracker, Butthole Surfers, Johnny Cash, Courtney & Western and Roger Miller. The overall tone of the album is country. Looking at the photos on the inner sleeve I guess the film is some kind of Quentin Tarantino-esque road movie. Now, my knowledge of country music doesn't extend much past Johnny Cash, or, thanks to a TV documentary, Hank Williams. So you'll have to forgive my near-total ignorance in the matter. On to stuff I do know about. The album opens up with an irreverent number, "Turn It On", sung off-key by The Flaming Lips. Ever since the days of "Wish You Were Here", I've always been a sucker for a song that simulates a short-wave radio broadcast. The second track is "Animal", by Meat Puppets. Now, here is a group that, if my archives are correct, have released 8 albums over the course of 12 years. In an all-too-frequent scenario, they are still no closer to mainstream acknowledgement. I suppose I am 0.000001% to blame for their predicament, because I don't own any of their material. That said, on the strength of this one song, I'd be interested in buying an album, for more of the same. Sort of laid-back Pixies. Next comes "Ghost Highway" by Mazzy Star, a jauntier piece than the material on _So Tonight That I Might See_; it provides an interesting look at another face of the band. This is followed by "Come On", from The Jesus & Mary Chain. They just sound like themselves, but I guess that is why we like them so much. I wonder what effect this album had in getting Hope Donovan singing a track on The 'Chain's last album (_Stoned & Dethroned_). After that, things start to get a little kooky. First up, Kim Deal (ex Pixie, current Breeder) and Bob Pollard (got me on that one) do a remake of "Love Hurts". This current version is quite a soulful rendering and I think it is an improvement on the original. Then there is stuff I know less about, people like The Reverend Horton Heat (rockabilly), April's Motel Room (somewhere between The 'Chain and R.E.M.) and FSK (yippee yee-har!). The tone heads further out into country territory, but quite acceptable to my urban ears. To obfuscate the issue, The Butt-hole Surfers roll into the corral and the old-timers push up their Stetsons and scratch the foreheads at these strange intruders. If you haven't heard of them, think of a rockier version of The Residents. Although you may not have heard of them either. Just when you thought he was dead, it turns out he is alive and well, and this year's (re)discovery Johnny Cash trots out his "Ring of Fire". A lot more upbeat than, say, _Wall of Voodoo_'s cover. If you have forgotten, or never heard of Johnny Cash, pick up _Live at San Quentin_. The only song I really can't get into, and I thank CD technology to let me skip it from time to time, is "Am I In Love", by _Courtney & Western_. This is the whiney aspect of country music that I hate. In my ignorance, I am perhaps slagging off the greatest act in Nashville, but hey, in choosing between listening to this and, say, My Bloody Valentine, there's no contest. But Country-lovers will no doubt groove to it. The album ends with "King Of The Road", by Roger Miller. I think my dad used to hum this from time to time. A cool song, and I'm hooked. Foot- tappingly addictive. R.E.M.'s drunken cover of it appeared a few years back as an outtake from their _Dead Letter Office_ compilation. So, who knows what's in store in the film - but the soundtrack has a fine musical pedigree. If anything, a quirky compilation of good stuff. I give it 7/10. - David Landgren --- Retrospective Review: Blondie, _Platinum Collection_ and _Blonde and Beyond_ (Chrysalis/EMI) There is a tendency to forget how early, how progressive and how important Blondie have been in the formation of what is now considered alternative music. Someone at Chrysalis Records apparently is trying to remedy this, as two compilations have been released in the past year (release varied between US and Europe). The scope of the compilations varies, but the conclusion drawn from listening to either or both collections is inescapable: Blondie was, and still remains, a great band. Blondie also heralded a significant change in the fortunes of alternative music: they reached number 1 four times, made six albums over five years, and completely changed expectations - both in the record indusrty and, perhaps, with musicians - of what alternative music could produce. For most of rock history, underground or unusual music rarely made much impact on the charts, and rarely provided extended careers. Of course, innumerable one- hit wonders managed to breach the charts (Troggs, Seeds), and a few bands gained notoriety and influence without chart success (MC5, Stooges, VU). The Doors and Black Sabbath make strong candidates as successful alternative bands, but these bands failed to change industry thinking: the Doors' sales figures didn't trigger an industry search for (or widespread radio access to) bands that were unusual or unique. On the contrary, the Doors' rise caused interest in other California bands that sounded just like them, most notably Iron Butterfly. And despite Sabbath's otherworldly effect, they had emerged from the same heavy blues ideal that produced mainstream acts from the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds to Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith. Blondie's success did not send companies back to New York to find another band just like it. The immediate effect of Blondie's breakthrough meant an industry spending spree that brought to prominence bands like the Knack, the Romantics and the Police. But the larger implication was even more important: a complete redefinition of alternative music. Blondie seemed to show the industry that almost any music might have commercial potential. Their success set the stage for a wider acceptance on the part of big labels of things that were simply different - Goth, post-punk, New Romantics, as well as narrowly defined New Wave. An unusual band could be expected to bring a substantial audience around to its point of view - even if that point of view was starkly different from dominant norms. This idea is predicated on the notion that Blondie was very different from the pack when they emerged on vinyl in 1977. Given fond memories of Blondie all over the radio from 1979 on, it is important to remember that guitar music in 1977 centered around bands like KISS, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. While Blondie chewed familiar 60s influences - Phil Spector girl-groups, surf guitars, percussion styles and pop structures from British Invasion bands - they blew a very unusual bubble. In fact, as the _Platinum Collection_ booklet notes, as a result of the foreigness of Blondie's music and appearance some people initially thought they were French. The first UK single, "X Offender" (included on both compilations), is a perfect example of the band's idiosynchrosies. Opening with a spoken-word passage lifted form the Ronnettes or Chiffons, the song then heads into a quick, rolling pace reminiscent of a small-time "Born to Run." An amateurish surf-twang solo creates a diversion, then Deborah Harry coos to the fade-out like a 50s balladeer. Rock crafted from non-rock, non-blues fascinations and retaining the structures of the poppy influences. _Blonde and Beyond_ emphasizes this pure-pop side of Blondie. Short, sugary, guitar-based titles interrupted only by the calypso "Island of Lost Souls" and the original "Heart of Glass (Disco Version)." Included are four previously unreleased songs (including a pre-disco version of "Heart of Glass") and a number of others that qualify as extremely difficult to find, primarily five non-album b-sides from US and UK 12" singles. Aside from the ten unreleased and rare tracks, nine album tracks fill out the compilation. The collection is not chronologically ordered, rather the songs demonstrate the consistency and continuity of Blondie's pop sensibilities. Taken together, they make a very good case on behalf of Blondie's skill and taste. Also included is a booklet that contains a complete discography and some good pictures. 11 of the 19 songs on _Blonde and Beyond_ are not on the double CD _Platinum Collection_. The two CDs bring together 47 tracks in order to cover the entire career of Blondie: every US and UK 7" (A and B-sides), plus five brilliant early demos (previously unreleased), and two new (disposable) remixes. _Platinum Collection_ is arranged entirely chronologically except that demos and remixes close out the compilation. Among the demos is a bare version of "Heart of Glass" (called "Once I Had a Love") without any disco studio technology. [The version on this compilation is better than the similar one on _Blonde and Beyond_.] The demos are, however, the only unreleased material here, and many of the b-sides were album tracks. Obviously, all the hits are included, and _Platinum Collection_ is far superior to the old _Best of Blondie_ which came out even before Blondie's final album. The extensive booklet contains complete discography, many pictures including the cover of each single, and commentary on each track by band members other than Debbie Harry. Blondie's coexistence with, and eventual surpassing of, standard cock-rock in the charts signalled a major shift. Certainly without the monetary returns of Blondie, major labels would never have embraced New Wave as they subsequently did. None of Blondie's New York comrades bludgeoned the musical status quo in the same way with the possible exception, later, of the Talking Heads. The spectacle of the Human League or the Waitresses being promoted alongside the J. Geils Band or Foreigner would have been unthinkable without Blondie to prove that the charts could accomodate music that bridged or broke stylistic barriers. Considering that many off the original post- Blondie signings are still around, Blondie's direct influence on today's music scene is not easily discounted. IRS Records, for example, soon signed both the Go-Go's and contemporary taste-makers R.E.M. This point is well made by either compilation. Unfortunately, the organizers at Chrysalis have managed to balance the material so that both collections are desirable, whether or not you already have the original albums. Neophytes might prefer _Blonde and Beyond_, as it stands up particularly well next to contemporary bands. But people who still remember listening to Blondie at the pool will certainly want the singles on _Platinum Collection_ ("Call Me," "Atomic," "The Tide is High," and "Rapture") that are missing from _Blonde and Beyond_. - Tim Mohr --- REVIEW: Method Man, _Tical_ (Def Jam) _Tical_ (*another* word for weed) is Method Man taking his turn to spread his Wu-Tang style over the full length of an album with the Wu's Prince Rakeem (aka The Rza) at the controls, fresh from his exploits in the Gravediggaz. _Tical_ is one long hazy nightmare - darker than the darkest moments of Cypress Hill's _Black Sunday_. West coast hip-hop conjurs up images of sunny days and warm nights with the sounds bumping in low-rides. This East coast sound reeks of dark alleys with moonlight catching the glint of steel amidst muffled conversations. Slow muffled beats and droning hammer-horror keyboards meander through the songs with little bits of funk buried deep in the mix, the unstructured feel creating an atmosphere of menace. Method's voice heightens the discomfort, sounding more like a 40 year old gangster than a 20 year old 'gangsta'. At times, all this is magnificent. The Rza's production sounds like little else in hip-hop at the moment: almost buried menacing vocals in the title track; "What the Blood Clot" with Method's vocals right up in the mix so that it feels as if he's scary, flowing inches from your face; and "Stimulation" with what sounds like the theme to a 50's romance ebbing in and out of the mix. Genius. But at other times the mood is lost and you're reminded of the poorer moments from the Wu-Tang Clan album. The creeping approach is completely unsuited to Method's ode to his girlfriend, "All I Need" (it sounds more like he's stalking her rather than telling her how much she means to him) and "Release Yo' Delf" re-interprets Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" but comes out silly and unconvincing. _Tical_ is far more consistent than the patchy Wu-Tang Clan debut, although perhaps *too* consistent - sacrificing variety for the creation of a mood. By the time you get two-thirds of the way through your praying for some surprises that never come - just more creeping menace. Scary. - Martin Bate --- Concert Review: American Music Club, Toronto, Lee's Palace, Dec 5, 1994. Rating: Excellent Typical stage banter from non-traditional looking "rock star" Mark Eitzel: "You know, I was on a talk radio show with Jeff Buckley a couple of weeks ago. All the calls I got were questions like 'So how did you come up with the name American Music Club?' Then Jeff came on and he goes 'I love you, you're beautiful, I want to marry you!" Random male member of the audience: "I love you, you're beautiful, I want to marry you!" Eitzel: "Thanks! But I think we'd fight." Ahh well, so Mark Eitzel doesn't have traditional "front man" looks. He still looks--and sounds--mighty good to those of us who think American Music Club is one of the better "rock bands" (which seems too limited a term for them) prowling the circuit today. This was my first encounter with live AMC, and though I'd become a fan upon hearing their major label debut _Mercury_, I was mightily impressed at how the band added an impressive jolt to their finely crafted songs in concert. Mark Eitzel may not think he's got much in common with Jeff Buckley, but in reality they are united in their ability to get beyond the shallow limits of the usual "rock star" ego and damn near take flight as they transmit the emotional depths of a song to the audience. Eitzel also shares with Buckley a "singer's" voice: live, the power of his vocals shines through in a way that makes the albums seem meek by comparison. The man barely needs a microphone. The bulk of the material on this eve came from the last two albums, the aforementioned _Mercury_ and the current _San Francisco_. The first part of the set was dominated by tunes from the latter, Eitzel opening the show solo with an impassioned version of "What Holds The World Together" ('the wind that blows through Gena Rowland's hair,' of course). The last notes of this song were cue for the band, minus pedal steel virtuoso Bruce Kaplan, to make their entrance. Kaplan's unexplained absence led the band to avoid the more atmospheric numbers from _San Francisco_ and instead ROCK OUT. Upbeat numbers like "Can You Help Me?," "Wish The World Away," "Hello Amsterdam" and "I Broke My Promise" all worked well live, highlighting the revamped AMC's debt to a seldom-identified strain of rock n' roll I call California Coke-Rock. This line includes Steely Dan, latter-day Tim Buckley, and David & David of _Boomtown_ fame, artists who may be an anathema to the increasingly close-minded alternative scene, but who nevertheless embody their own particular brand of Pop hipster cool. In this, AMC remain true to their roots. Of course, the darker Eitzelian moments of despair were still in evidence, and they provided the biggest thrills of the night. When Eitzel proclaimed "this is the number that will galvanize the crowd" before the haunting "In The Shadow of the Valley," he wasn't just whistling Dixie. Here, as he did all night, lead guitarist Vudi shone, standing with eyes shut tight and delivering emotional lead guitar reminiscent of another Californian, Neil Young. When Vudi and Eitzel, the best rock duo since Jagger and Richards, began trading feedback-laden guitar licks at the song's end, it could have been Young's own legendary Crazy Horse up there. Encore time found numerous calls (mine among them) for "Johnny Mathis' Feet" going unanswered. That's my sole complaint about the show. But the charged renditions of "Gratitude Walks" and of course "Mercury" more than made up for any sins of omission. What remains is the mental picture of Eitzel damn near levitating as he wrenched every last ounce of emotion from the songs, and Vudi, looking like some Beat guitar-mystic, driving him on to greater heights. -John Walker --- REVIEW: Blaggers I.T.A. _Bad Karma_ (Parlophone) Blaggers I.T.A. are a UK band that last year were being splashed all over the pages of the British music press, being an anti-fascist band before the cause was a compulsory fashion statement. They now release their major-label debut, an album which outperforms their debut and stands favorably alongside any of the other Brit-pop albums that have been raved about this year, and, yet, barely a whisper is heard. Why is this ? Well, at the height of the hype, an after-show discussion over a few drinks between lead Blagger Matty and a Melody Maker journalist ended up with the journalist receiving a kicking after making several disparaging comments to Matty's face. The resultant furor has resulted in the band being given an unofficial cold shoulder. Now, I am in no way saying that what Matty did was admirable, but the hypocrisy displayed in crucifying a band for displaying the same tendencies they seem only too happy to encourage in Oasis, and an act of violence they would have cheered from the roof-tops had it been perpetrated against an insulting *tabloid* journalist rather than 'one of them', is laughable. Seems you can talk about how hard you are till the cows come home as long as you don't actually *do* anything. Blaggers I.T.A. are deeply political - they are affiliated with the fight-fire-with-fire Anti Fascist Action organization - but the politics here go past the familiar 'racism is bad' chant that we all know, and dig a little deeper into UK and world politics. This is done with an eloquence approaching that of the Manic Street Preachers, although with a good deal more clarity. Musically, they are like all your favourite current Brit-Pop bands rolled into one (which is what makes the press snub all the more apparent) - they have Oasis' cool-hooligan swagger and pop-suss combined with a punk attack that will have the New Wave of New Wave bands giving up and going home and fans of The Clash getting excited. On top of all this a samples-and-rap element that the 94-model Pop Will Eat Itself would (and *do*) thoroughly approve of. Sure, its not all perfect. Its often all too easy for the message to get lost in Matty's sneer and snarl and co-hort Christy's speed-fire rap but the adrenaline rush makes up for this. The music borrows freely from other sources, but the samples and vocals give the album an unmistakeable identity of its own. Everything from the 90-mph ram-raid of "Stresss" with its 70s-cop-show trumpets to the mid-pace soaring guitar-pop of "Hate Generator" reeks of something that, under normal circumstances, the UK press would be getting excited about. In the absence of that support then.....the hype starts here. - Martin Bate --- New Ways to Read Consumable! Consumable is now being displayed at new locations. The first new site is on Delphi, in the Music Fandom forum. To access this from Delphi, type GO ENT MUSIC and you'll be able to read each issue of Consumable. Past issues of Consumable are archived in the Music News topic of this database. In addition, a new World Wide Web (WWW) site is available through Westnet, a network access provider based in Rye, New York. The URL address for this site is http://www.westnet.com/consumable.html and the WWW site can be found by setting your browser to http://www.westnet.com and proceeding from there. --- NEWS: Nettwerk Productions, home of Sarah McLachlan and others, has overhauled their world wide web (WWW) site with a new interface. The site contains both released and unreleased audio sample, biographies of Nettwerk artists, discographies, photos and more. Interested parties should search out the WWW and point the browser to the electronic address, http://www.wimsey.com/nettwerk/ New York City-based The Rake's Progress, fresh off their _Cheese Food Prostitute_ E.P. (reviewed in a previous issue of Consumable), are currently recording their first full length album. The group, which was formerly on the hi-fi label, will release this album in the spring on the new Herb Alpert/Jerry Moss label, Almo. --- REVIEW: Yello, _Zebra_ It's been 14 years since Yello released _Solid Pleasure_, and it might well be Switzerland's most important contribution to pop music so far. It was followed by some other excellent albums in their characteristic experimental/electronic sound. During the second half of the 80s, they seemed to lose their creative momentum somewhat, even though some of their weakest tracks like "Oh Yeah" can be heard in virtually every television commercial and movie soundtrack. The last album, _Baby_ from '91, spawned the great single "Rubberbandman", but was found in the sales bins quickly. It's been quiet about them since then, but now Dieter Meier and Boris Blank are back with their new album _Zebra_, with considerable media hype. The first track, "Suite 909", comes as a slight shock to the old-time fan. It's got that dance/techno-beat that we hear all too often in the current charts. Some cool sounds and Dieter Meier's voice lift it above average, but that's not what we expect from a band that used to define the trends a decade ago. There are some other tracks that follow this pattern ("Night Train", the first single "Do It", "Fat Cry"). They seem to target a new, younger audience with these, and they might very well succeed. Fortunately, that's not all they do. The second single "Do It" is a brilliant, short (2:30) song that should enter history as a classic Yello track. Boris Blank has worked hard on his samplers and computers, and opens his huge bag of tricks. There are some songs (especially "I.. I'm In Love" and "Tremendous Pain") that live up to past masterpieces like "Vicious Games", "I Love You" or my all-time favorites, "Lost Again". Great sounds and Dieter Meier's characteristic vocal style make up for experimental, yet catchy pop songs that can get the listener addicted. "S.A.X.", as indicated by the name, features nice saxophone samples and the closing track "Poom Shanka" works up oriental influences, another current trend. All in all this might not be the ultimate album for the desert island. But it's a far shot better than the last few Yello albums, it might get them new friends while making the old ones happy. They deserve another plus point for withstanding the excessive-length-syndrome, the album clocks in at 46 minutes. As usual, everybody has to answer the ultimate consumer question ("to buy or not to buy") for himself. You might be able to live without _Zebra_, but it's well worth the money, and could be one of the best albums you buy this year. - Reto Koradi --- REVIEW: Urban Species, _Listen_ (Payday/London) Urban Species are a Lodon rap outfit on the UK acid-jazz label Talking Loud. One listen to the album and it's easy to see why; their mix of live instrumentation and samples owes more to the laid-back jazz-funk shuffle of UK bands like Galliano and the James Taylot Quartet than to hardcore US-rap exponents such as Public Enemy. The music capitalizes nicely on its jazz-funk base to take in gentle forays into reggae ("The Ropes"), swingbeat (UK hit "Spiritual Love"), 90's soul ("Just a Matter of Time"), Latin percussion ("The Consequence"), utilizes acoustic guitar on the title-track and even rock-guitar and P.E. style squeals on "Gotta Have It". There's some nice grooves and beats on here - a bit lacking in that vital spark in places, but enough to get you smiling and nodding your head. The problem is that the vocals fail to excite, being the usual monotone rap used as a foil for traditional jazz-funk vocals with bands of that ilk. As a contrast, such a style works well, but here, as the focus, it is found lacking. Their clarity is their one redeeming feature with the lyrics solid but predictable. If you really want to hear how this kind of thing should be done then check out The Brand New Heavies _Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1_, Guru's _Jazzmatazz_ project or anything by french rapper MC Solaar. - Martin Bate --- To get back issues of Consumable, check out: FTP: eetsg22.bd.psu.edu in the directory /pub/Consumable Gopher: diana.zems.etf.hr Engleski Jezik/Music/Consumable or Hrvastki Jezik/Glazbena Rubrika/Consumable (URL) gopher://diana.zems.etf.hr:70/11/eng/Music/Consumable http://www.westnet.com/consumable.html (WWW) http://www.westnet.com (on Delphi): Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC Thanks to access provider Westnet for their kind support of Consumable. ===