MUSIC LIST
MUSIC
PREVIEW
In this issue — the continuing re—emergence of Orange Juice‘s Edwyn Collins is scanned by Alastair Mahhott (helow). ()yerleaf Kenny Mathieson meets top jazz duo Boh Berg and Mike Stern. Stephanie Billen tracks down composer Michael Nyman and John Williamson chats to British funksters A Certain Ratio
LISTINGS:ROCK35 JAZZ35 FOLKS? CLASSICAL39
Divine ' Guidance
Alastair Mahhott gets blue with Edwyn (‘ollins
lf lidwyn (‘ollins has hecome one of the most legendary figures to haye emerged from (ilasgow in the last ten years. he‘s still one of the most underrated songwriters around. 'l‘his year. after a seemingly interminable wait following the split of Orange Juice. his first solo alhum made it into the shops. Hopeund Despair ( Demon) didn‘t disappoint old admirers -— country hallads. spaghetti western guitar and reggae-like rhythms all melted together in the (‘ollins hlender~ and the first single proper. ‘l‘iifty Shades of Blue“ (the highly uneommercial ‘( ‘offee 'l‘ahle Song' was slung out as a limited edition 12in hy the ‘peryerse hugger“ to 'intrigue people) is out now.
l’rime Collins. it eyen holds lines which seem at first glance to hint at the mind ofthe Young lidwyn. lo wit: ‘l'i'e been blessed H'I'I/i some brig/11 ideas So brig/it [thought [hey it ere lzeuren
sent But now I'm six months in arrears Divine
inspiration sure (fun 'l/nzy the rent. '
l)iyine inspiration. lidwyn. or rash. hoastful youth'.’
~'l‘hat was intended to he ironic. I suppose. 'l‘he
(‘( )l 'R'riasy arrest 1 )’1‘i..\.\"i>
usual .self-deprecating nonsense I come tip with. Not diyine inspiration. hut. yeah. in retrospect I suppose we were fairly inspired. I think to this day that it‘s the only hona fide underground thing that actually happened in Scotland. that was deliherately fostered hy Alan llorne. who was just playing at heing Andy Warhol at the time. But it made for a good creatiye enyironment.‘
From the pin—up of a thousand poorly-printed
fan/.ines. (‘ollins now seems more of a figure who should he psyching himself up for fiye—page features in Q. ls he maturing into a songwriterly thirties‘.’
‘Yeah. I suppose so.‘ he laughs. finding the idea
a shade amusing. ‘otherwise I may as well just
giye up. When I was younger l didn‘t really know what I wanted out of()range Juice. and exactly what my expectations were. I was less prolific then. Before ‘Rip it [p I felt the need to have a hit single. and after that I didn‘t feel so much pressure. I found it quite hard to write then. heing the central figure and all the limelight falling on me. 'l‘here was understandath some hitterness and jealousy. ldidn‘t really like the group socially. Nowadays I find it really easy to write. If you like. like diyine inspiration in “Fifty Shades of Blue”. ideas come into my head as if I‘m the medium for them. .‘ylayhe l‘m romanticising it a hit — I know the ropes really.’
Since he moyed down to London. the music scene in Scotland has flourished to a degree unirnaginahle in I‘M). and the discoyery has heen made that ‘Scottishness‘ can he a positiye asset when it comes to getting a record deal. lle's noticed this. and has an explanation.
‘Because one or two groups haye heen successful. the whole thing has hoomed. I think that all the talk in all the hars is of who‘s got what deal. and the A& R men encourage this. It’s got to he the centre of the music husiness in the specifically Scottish. Definitely around Postcard there was an entourage. a scene there. which was respect ofthe numher ofgroups heing signed up. I think that‘s why you get all these Scottish groups. 'l‘hey think “We‘ye got an entree into the music husiness”. just like when we started we saw punk as our entree.‘
Further sumptuous repasts await. lidn'yn (at/1m plays the Pair/ion. (i/usurm‘ on 'l'lz urs‘rluy 2f).
I LINNIE PATERSON. the ' corrected. are still on the Edinburghsingerwho l go. andfhe otherCritterHill fronted Writing on the Wall Varmints spin-off, Kith and (The Marquee'shouse Kin.are preparingforablitz handlinthe 605and this autumn.We are Beggars‘ Opera inthe705. l compelled. though. to andis now dyingof l recordthe passing olThe asbestosis. has released a Syndicate who. afteryears new 5-track single with an of work. finally gottheir initial run of 1000 (LPEP 1 ). rather smashing debut LP Proceeds will gotothe outscantweeksago.A Radiation Oncology Cancer weeping and wailing fills RelielFund. basedat the halls ofEMl. butthey Edinburgh‘s Western General. Since he came down withtheillness. contracted athis old employer‘s. Paterson has done muchto advancethe legal status of people in a similar position to himself. Listen! recommend you seektherecord out.
I HEX. WE HAVE been
haven‘tgivenuptheghost. sayingofthesingerJames Stewart.‘Jamesisstil|with l us.butlthinkTheSyndicale r asabandisnomore.lt‘s sad. but that's not to sayit‘s allnecessarilydead.'0uit whimpering.boyos.you‘ve l gotRiverCityPeopleto workonnow. ITHEBEAUTIFULSUIT. purveyorsotpoignantpop. wouldlikeittobeknown thathenceforththeyareno longertradingunderthat name. People. itseems. wereconlusingthemwith
five copies of his new live LP‘The Skin Mechanic‘ (which includeslive versions of ‘Are "Friends" Electric?‘. ‘We Are Glass'
chart act The Beaumui and ‘Cars') to the firstfive South.They are nowto be DBODIBTO answerfhis addressed as The Ruby question correctly. Whatis Suit‘whichleavesthem the name ofthe Shakatalt onlyTheJackRubies and keyboard playerNuman RubyTuesdayto contend frequently collaborates with(lmean.theremustbe Wilh. and With Whom he
a band SOMEWHERE called brought out an LP this year?
Answersto Listen! atthe editorial address.
I A FEW UP the more industrious and hard-working Glasgow
RubyTuesday . . .). I We‘re going to be. um. outoftownthe nightGary Numan plays atthe Barrowland, butwe have
IPOLICEWERE l lNUNDATEDwithreported UFOsightingson28 I September.asaresu|tof l twosearchlightsbeingused ‘ atRunrig'sBarrowland show. IRADIOONEINBANNING ATROCITY: Following the recenthAattackonthe RoyalMarinesbarracks. RadioOnehasseenfitto banTheMarines'current single. ‘Say Goodbye'. Hardlysurprisingwhenyou considerthatthefirstlineis deemedinsensitive—‘Say goodbyetothislife‘.This doeslollowanunlortunate lineofpopprophecies—The DarlingBudsreleasing‘Hit theGround'justpriortothe l Lockerbiedisasterand LivinginaBoxpre-empting Hillsboroughwiththeir album‘Galecrashing‘. whichhadtobedelayed—a f
sensitive situation as Sheffield istheband's J
bands are currently attemptingto putoutanEP to serve as a promotional tool for four different acts. The Hollow Horse. Tantara Blade and The Catherine Wheel have already agreed to participate and contributethe small initial investment required. However. they are still lookingforanother interested band to complete the quartet. and would like any interested bands to get in touch. The contact is Kenny Little. SScotstoun
Street. Glasgow G140TA. hometown.
The List 13 — :n (iastsgmgq 27