COMPILATION REVIEWS:
- Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: John Mellencamp, The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 (Mercury)
As the title of this album suggests, The Best That I Could Do is a compilation of the first half of John (Cougar) Mellencamp's career. While most greatest hits collections are summaries up to the present time, Mellencamp chose to limit this one to the first half of his career - thus ensuring future album sales of recent discs such as Mr. Happy Go Lucky.
While Mellencamp grudgingly gains critical respect, he has also lost much of the commercial luster which greeted such monster hits as "Jack And Diane", "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." and "Hurts So Good". As the mid 1980s approached, Mellencamp's had sound shifted from imitations of his heroes (Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry) to the voice of the Midwestern-person and a sound uniquely his own - and the American public ate it up.
Here, then, we get a quick glimpse at how John was able to effortlessly weave the straight-ahead guitar sound which also catapulted Bruce to stardom with violins, accordions, and other instruments not usually associated with rock. Every song (but one) included here is instantly recognizable to anyone over the age of 18, as tracks such as "I Need A Lover" have aged wonderfully. That one exception - a cover of Terry Reid's "Without Expression" - comes off a bit weaker than his classic hits.
The unfortunate part of this collection is some of the omissions; "This Time", one of his early breakthrough hits, is omitted, as are "Hand To Hold On To", a beautiful B-side cover of "Under The Boardwalk", and several hits from Scarecrow and Lonesome Jubilee. And for a man as successful as John Mellencamp, 57 minutes of hits from his first decade somehow doesn't do him justice.
The liner notes, penned by Billboard editor Timothy White, are a joy to read. White offers the buyer a rare glimpse into many facets of the self-proclaimed "Little Bastard" by chronicling the Mellencamp tree and the influences behind many of the hit singles.
All in all, this collection could have been better by chronicling more of the Mellencamp hit parade. But for an artist this popular, nitpicks are almost always inevitable. Well worth a listen in this holiday season.
TRACK LISTING: I Need A Lover, Ain't Even Done With The Night, Hurts So Good, Jack And Diane, Crumblin' Down, Pink Houses, Authority Song, Lonely Ol' Night, Small Town, R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A., Paper In Fire, Cherry Bomb, Check It Out, Without Expression
REVIEW: Saw Doctors, Sing A Powerful Song (Paradigm)
Ah, but you haven't heard of the Saw Doctors, have ye? With none of their previous three albums seeing the light of day in the United States, this wouldn't be the least bit surprising - but the Saw Doctors have already got a loyal following in the Irish-American communities, or among transplanted Europeans.
And with the release of Sing A Powerful Song, highights of the three previously-released albums are now available on one disc. The seventeen songs encompassed here shy away from the political songs which seem to be more normal among Irish exports and instead focus on love songs, favorite roads and the like. "I Useta Lover", one of the top selling singles in Irish history, is the type of song which can (and has) get a room full of people to start dancing uncontrollably - even if the people have no prior knowledge of the band.
Sort of a Tommy Makem / Clancy Brothers (for the 90s) meeting the Pogues with the charisma and live performance of the 1980s Springsteen, the Saw Doctors represent a welcome, bouncy change from downtrodden angst. Sing A Powerful Song is guaranteed to get you out of that chair and take notice of this talented four piece Irish group.
TRACK LISTING: Green And Red of Mayo, It Won't Be Tonight, Wake Up Sleeping, Macnas Parade, What A Day, Hay Wrap, N 17, Exhilirating Sadness, Red Cortina, Clare Island, To Win Just Once, Share The Darkness, Same Oul' Town, Never Mind The Strangers, Why Do I Always Want You, Sing A Powerful Song, I Useta Lover
REVIEW: Joan Jett, Fit To Be Tied (Mercury)
Back in the mid 80s, Joan Jett was such a hot commodity amongst the rock crowd that MTV had *2* of her singles, at the same time, as MTV exclusives. The fact that neither song ("I Love You Love Me Love", "I Need Someone") is included here only showcases how underappreciated she is in the eyes of the public.
Combining an attitude which would make Chuck Berry proud, Jett's hits ranged from covers of glam rocker Gary Glitter ("Do You Wanna Touch Me"), Tommy James ("Crimson And Clover") and "I Love Rock N Roll", to her own songs such as "I Hate Myself For Loving You" and "Bad Reputation. When capturing the essence of other people's songs, Jett brought a high level of rock and roll enthusiasm to each cut - often times better than was ever originally intended. And in light of Sly & The Family Stone's "Everyday People" being used for a commercial, one could expect Jett's energetic cover of this song to receive additional radio airplay.
The previously unreleased "World Of Denial" (as well as different versions of "Roadrunner", "I Hate Myself For Loving You" and "Little Liar") are some of the 'new' songs which appear here. The cover of the Mary Tyler Moore song "Love Is All Around" offers an alternate view - somewhere to the right of Husker Du's timeless version - of this 'classic' tv show theme.
Rock and roll is in good hands as long as Joan Jett is still performing.
TRACK LISTING: Bad Reputation, Light Of Day, Do You Wanna Touch Me, Roadrunner, I Love Rock N Roll, Victim of Circumstance, Everyday People, I Hate Myself For Loving You, Crimson And Clover, Fake Friends, Make Believe, Cherry Bomb, Little Liar, World Of Denial, Love Is All Around
REVIEW: Sinead O'Connor, So Far - The Best Of (Chrysalis)
With the closing of the United States EMI offices this year, many artists' careers were thrown into a temporary limbo. And while a Garth Brooks delayed his album until publicity departments and other promotional avenues were in place at other labels, artists who had *just* released discs - such as Sinead O'Connor - got the short end of the stick. And when Sinead's last album (the Gospel Oak E.P.) didn't achieve her expected level of sales, she departed for Sony.
So Far - The Best Of traces her history on Chrysalis / EMI. While it's clear that Sinead can perform brilliant 'hit' songs ("Mandinka", "Emperor's New Clothes", "I Want Your Hands On Me", Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U"), it appears as if Ms. O'Connor doesn't want to pursue that direction. So outside of the aforementioned hits, the rest of the album highlights the direction in which we can expect her career to follow. Her work with Bomb The Bass on "Empire" stretches her defined limits, and the Clyde Stubblefield / James Brown sample on "I Am Stretched On Your Grave" - recorded in the middle of the Brown sampling craze - still stands the test of time. And, her poignant cover of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" would allow O'Connor - her shaved head notwithstanding - to appear completely at home in front of a debonair audience wearing tuxedos and thousand dollar evening gowns.
Like David Byrne, Sinead's creative output hasn't stopped flowing, but has merely expanded into more non-conventional directions. So Far does an excellent job of capturing many of the angles of this multi-faceted woman.
TRACK LISTING: Nothing Compares 2 U, Mandinka, Emperor's New Clothes, The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance, Fire On Babylon, Troy, I Am Stretched On Your Grave, Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home, John I Love You, Empire, I Want Your Hands On Me, Heroine, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart, Just Like U Said It Would B
