RECORD REVIEWS MUSIG
V ALBUMS
I Labeque Sisters: Love Of Colours (Soon/Dawn Upshaw: The Girl With Orange Lips (Elektra Nonesuch) Two appealing variations on the standard classical repertoire. The Labeques turn their attention to jazz tunes by Camilo. McLaughlin. Davis. (‘orea and Monk (among others). played with their typically clean but percussive touch. and a passable degree of feel for the idioms. Soprano Dawn Upshaw is highly regarded as an innovative recitalist with a strong gift for communication. and while this evocative set. which features a pleasing and beautifully sung selection of unfamiliar but atmospheric pieces by De Falla. Ravel. Stravinsky. Earl Kim and Maurice Delage. is not as powerful as last year's Knoxville: Summer 0f1915. its airy lightness oftexture suits her voice perfectly. Definitely one for people who can‘t stand shrieking operatic sopranos. (Kenny Mathieson) I Stanley Jordan: Stolen Moments (Blue Note) Stanley Jordan's recordings have never quite succeeded in capturing the vitality and excitement ofhis live act. at least partly because the two-handed hammering- on technique he employs is such a visual one. Stolen Moments. recorded live at the Blue Note in Tokyo. gets closest yet. It features the superb trio which played in Edinburgh last year. with Charnett Moffett on bass and Kenwood Dennard on drums. and opens with a blustering version ofthe Led Zep chestnut ‘Stairway To Heaven‘. which they usually leave to rock the house at the end. They reveal their real jazz capabilities in the richer harmonic material of standards like the title
; track or ‘Autumn Leaves'. ‘ where there is a little less
grandstanding and rather more musicality going down. (Kenny Mathieson) I Lisa Stanslield: Real Affection (Arista) Once brassy. now classy. From a monochrome sleeve self- consciously invoking Vogue-cover classicism. Stansfield is being sold. this time round. as sex of the sophisticated sort.
Discarding her former manifestation as a Gracie Fields for the House-Soul era (1989‘s Affection). Lisa‘s second packaging exercise now knows. rather than coyly assumes. its own stylish standing. That goes for the music too: she had a hand in writing these songs and quality is top-grade throughout. ‘Changc'. with Odyssey strings and lazy vocal. sets the tone: production and execution
ooze a confident maturity
and understated passion which. together. translate Stansfield‘s considerable potential into a stupendoust safe long-term bet for the 90s. (Paul W. Ilullah)
. IDrAlbanzlielloAlrika . (Logic) The strange tale of ’ dropped-outdcntal
student turned ragga/hip-hop merchant. On the anti-pollution. apartheid and drugs tip. this album was funded by the club success of ‘l lello Afrika‘ last year. ‘Electronic Euro fusion of reggae and African rhythms over hip hop.
mixedwiththeJu-Ju ' influence of Nigeria' isn't ' usually my thing. however
the album does contain some good crossover dance tunes (‘No Coke'. ‘Groove Machine 2'. ‘U & Mi Remix 91'). Pleasant, but harmless. (Philip
f Ogilvie)
I The James Taylor
. Quartet: Absolute (Bio Life)
This is one steamin‘ dance album: nine tracks recorded at various UK gigs last year. Long gone is the commercial pop image JTO attained at Polydor. This really does go back to basics as
Hammond man James
Taylor leads his boys more towards fusion. Side one is pleasant. mid-tempo
fatback groove. with the
highlight being ‘Absolution‘— 100 per
; cent pure jazz funk. Side I twoletsriphighly percussively. with flute
and Fender leadingto thoroughly addictive
v dance jive. Two great
vocal tracks from Soul II
Soul's Rose Windross and London rapper Noel McKay precede the JBs‘ inspired ‘Capo Di Monte‘ and the funky ‘RiffSong‘. No rave. no bleeps. just
solid groove — this is real
dance music. (Philip Ogilvie)
Lisa Stanstlelo
V SINGLES
I Kicks Like A Mule: The Bouncer(Trible Bossy Dream Frequency: Feel So Real (Citybeat) XL Recordings have been the big success of hardcore this year. and both of these tracks have an XL connection. Kicks Like A Mule. from the label’s A&R department. have remixed hits forT99and Cubic 22. and have decided to have a go themselves. Decent hardcore rave — play it. laugh. and by then you'll be dancing. Dream Frequency are on Citybeat. sister label of XL. A great value 3-track 12in featuring the extraordinary vocals of Debbie Sharp. it‘s certain to take off in Clubland. and with its rolling piano and superfast feel it‘ll likely end up in the charts as well. (PO)
I The Alvy Singers: Thought Dreams And Primal Screams (Time Bubble) A quadruple A-side. with no obvious leading track. each side being in a wildly different style from the others. The weak link is probably the Beatlcsquc ‘Rain‘. but they rattle away in fine. mainly acoustic. form on the other three. A memorable debut. as we say. from the Edinburgh-based trio (with tenuous We Free Kings and Pure Blind Panic links). (AM)
IThe Lost Soul Band: Save ll (FTM) It goes without saying that ‘Save It‘— electric guitar spunk a-go-go— is magic. The surprise this time lies on the B-side. Three first takes recorded in a marathon all-night sesh. flowing wih easy-going lonesomeness and ruminatory poignancy. Songwriting and playing that‘s more natural and
fresh than we deserve. (CMcL)
I The Edsel Auctioneer: Starfish (Decoy) Is it ‘Starfish‘ or is it ‘Starsign‘? The Edsel Auctioneer‘s press release eschews Neil Young. lying through its teeth as its charges accost and mug Young and his young prote’gés— the Fannies. the Dinosaurs. the Buffalos— for all they've got. And that includes the old family pics of Neil and the guys swapping feedback tips. (CMcL) IThe Sandklngs: Shake Your Head (London) Those pesky Midlanders. . . Wolverhampton wanders over to Stourbridge for
. some stop-start. CBTlOOI’l
caper. nasally whiney vocal lessons. And. come exam time. The Sandkings scrape through with a 8. ‘Shake Your Head' is easy come. easy go. a doppleganger for their near-neighbours‘ meaty fun. but an authentic-
sounding fake at that. (CMcL)
.\1(‘I’ l’RI-ZSI'ZV'I'S
MARILLION
.7: o a I c v
.. is... M \ITOUR GLASGOW BARROWLANDS TUESDAY 17th DECEMBER
Tickets: £11.00 Available from Just The Ticket and Lost In Music and all usual TOCTA agents (subject to booking fee). Credit Card bookings Tel: 031 557 6969 (subject to £1.00 per ticket booking fee).
M A R I L L I O N ANGEL‘HEART
MERLIN 5p.
BLACK SHINY RECORDS
DECEMBER LIVE SHOWS INCLUDE
[ROCK GARDEN (acoustic) I WED 11”)
KING TUTS (electric) SAT28th
The List 6— 19 December 199135