REVIEW: Sgt. Rock, Live the Dream (Wiiija/Beggars Banquet)
- Wilson Neate
Sgt. Rock is the nom de guerre -- or more accurately, the nom de spin -- of Tooting-based DJ Jim Burke. On active duty since the early '90s, Burke is the veteran of numerous campaigns: a bid to put Cheam on the map with Skank Thing; a stint as vocalist with Collapsed Lung, who scored a Coke commercial spot on TV with "Eat My Goal"; and work with Junior Blanks, whose "All About Beats" (DJ Scissorkicks Remix) was featured on the FIFA 2000 CD.
Along the way, the Sergeant has received commendations from Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim says, "Sgt. Rock is going to help me make the floor mine") and was even enlisted to DJ for a 60-year-old man's birthday bash recently -- the old-timer in question being another DJ of some note, John Peel.
The world of Sgt. Rock is more cartoonish than that of his comic-book namesake. And it has nothing to do with "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" by XTC -- or ecstasy for that matter. Rather, the theme drug here is something slightly older: with a smiley-face logo bearing the number of stripes commensurate with his rank, the Sergeant's first CD, Live the Dream, is all about acid beats cooked up with funk, loops, breaks and samples.
Those lucky enough to witness the spectacle of Sgt. Rock live on the recent Brassy tour describe his appearances as "a cross between the Lo-Fidelity All Stars and an Eastern European game show." While the Sarge mans the decks, large foam Sgt. Rock smileys dance and wrestlers parade around the stage to entertain the troops. And listening to the often goofy disco/club jams of Live the Dream, it's easy to imagine it as the soundtrack to such an event that captures the spirit of an earlier acid scene so affectionately and accurately.
"Supadickie" sets the tone for the proceedings on Live the Dream. Consisting largely of squelching noises and a sampled voice saying "fuckin' 'ell," it makes for compulsive listening. During the Sergeant's live extravaganzas, the vocal tag has been provided by an individual kitted out like Kendo Nagasaki, the masked martial artist who -- with Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks -- formed the legendary triumvirate of wrestlers during the golden years of '70s British grappling. It all makes perfect sense, really.
"Yeah Word Party" is a more funked-up affair, its groove evoking a kind of Parliament-lite vibe. A debt to George Clinton is also suggested by "Dada Struttin'" -- that's "da da (da)" as in Trio rather than Dada as in Tristan Tzara -- as it incorporates a catchy guitar sample that sounds uncannily like the opening of Funkadelic's "Funky Dollar Bill," albeit accelerated to almost chipmunk speed.
"Deeper 'n' Deffer" -- a cut about which Norman Cook himself has enthused -- is an energetic party-friendly track, as is the digitized disco funk of the next single, "We're in Heaven." The more mellow and melodic "Emma 18" is another loopy outing, spiced up with what appear to female, er, "dialogue" fragments borrowed from a porn movie.
Sgt. Rock has been described as ideal for listeners for whom Fatboy Slim is a just little too high-brow, but it's precisely the frequently silly, cartoon quality of Live the Dream that sets it apart from a lot of DJ-based stuff which doesn't quite have the legs away from the dancefloor. While it might not have the kind of hooks that make viable single fodder of Cook's material, it still makes for infectious and mindless listening.
In the liner notes Sgt. Rock thanks both Sly Stone and Leonard Rossiter -- the comic actor honored on "So Many Reggie Perrins in the Arse End of Space." That gesture nicely sums up Live the Dream, an album that combines funky beats with a healthy dose of silliness.
