RECORD REVIEWS MUSIC
V ALBUMS
I Stereolah: Pang! (Too Pure) Bands like Stereolab are important. Sales of this album might make one drop in the ocean look mighty by comparison. and the band might split up tomorrow - no, yesterday in fact — but still there‘s an underlying rationale to their existence. They demonstrate that you can rework the most familiar and basic elements of pop music and still sound like nothing else in the firmament. There are signposts for those afraid to explore without a map—- distorted shimmer rock‘s old chums The Velvet Underground and My Bloody Valentine are compass points in the shape of one chord distensions and Seaya Sadier‘s adherence to the Nico/Bilinda Butcher school ofsilky monotone vocals. but ifyou think that tells you all you need to know about this record. you are mistaken. 0 sad and jaded one. it's all so simple - so who else sounds like Stereolab? Apparently no one. (Fiona Shepherd)
I Seaweed: Weak (Sub Pop) Aw. come on you guys! lfyou‘re going to ride the stoopid kick-ass American hardcore wave. at least make some attempt to mark yourself out from the pack. Give the listener more to look forward to than another numbing dog’s dinner of rancid riffs. strained sandpaper vocals and that stop/start bit where the tempo changes for the duration of one verse. That's not variety; that‘s dearth ofimagination. As such. Weak is the ideal stagediver‘s soundtrack — a mindless procession of effort. with no design or thought behind it. and ultimately no reason for paying any further attention. (Fiona Shepherd)
I Franlr Zappa: You Can’t Do That On Stage Any More Vol 5 (Zappa) Breaking with the tradition of previous sets in this series of hitherto-unreleased live work. the old maestro has split this double-CD down the middle. devoting the first disc to recordings ofthe original (1965—69) Mothers interspersed with various larkings-about on tour buses and in dressing rooms. Much ofit isthe band at its most groundbreaking. and the set cries out only for some narration to turn it into a satisfying documentary. The second disc is a montage of performances from 1982 when the Zappa band boasted axe-hero Steve Vai alongside precision drummer Chad
I Wackcrman. The
i
l l
l
musicianship on display is.
naturally. frightening.
especially on the rapid-fire instrumental ‘RDNZL‘. (Alastair Mabbott)
I John Harle And The
Bournemouth Sintonietta:
Saxophone Works (Argo)
Three new works by
English composers. Gavin Bryars‘s The Green Ray is dreamy and reflective. Michael Nyman‘s Where The Bee Sucks builds up to a typically bustling vibrancy. and Mike Westbrook's Bean Rows And Blues Shots reshapes the blues in surprising ways. Harle plays all three with distinction. Jazz and pop influences also surface boldly in the work of Errollyn Wallen and
l |
may be anathema to the devotional black leather brigade. but is probably a welcome relieffor the
; more far-sighted fans.
l
(Craig McLean)
I Yo La Tengo: May I Sing
Lindsay Cooper on British
Women Composers Volume I (Lontano), which they share with Elizabeth Maconchy and her daughter. Nicola
‘ Lefanu. (Kenny Mathieson)
I I Schubert: Symphonies
(Virgin and EMI) Those who favour Schubert‘s Symphonies on period instruments will have to dig deep this month. especially for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment‘s versions of Nos 5 and 8 (Virgin
' Classics) under Sir
Charles Mackerras. which are as fresh. crisp and superny judged as their earlier Symphony No 9. The sonority of period instruments does not suit all ears, but even the committed might have reservations over the ferocity of Roger Norrington‘s readings of Nos 4 and 6 (EMl Reflexe). which may lack charm for many tastes. Try and hear them before you buy. even ifyou are already a Norrington
convert. (Kenny
Mathieson)
I The Mission: Masque
(Phonograrn) The Mish breaking out. The Mish
loosening up. The Mish
throwinga wobbler. ‘Masque‘ is all ofthese and. in one vaguely jovial
' instance. will have their diehard fans turningin
their graves. For their fourth album. the panstick
i dournessofgothnessis ' clawed off. . .partly.This
The Mission achieve by calling in outside
consultants. Anto
Thistlewaite co-writes
I ‘She Conjures Me Wings'. ; the result being a jaunty
knees-up-cum- alcoholiday. Jaz Coleman adds mystery to The Mish‘s usual hollow bombast with ‘Arabic orchestration' on ‘Sticks And Stones'. Miles Hunt‘s involvement on ‘Who Will Love Me Tomorrow?‘ is almost folksy. almost sprightly. All of which
Willi Me? (Alias) Of all the releases recently despatched this way by American label Alias (former home to American Music Club). none came within sweating distance of Hoboken‘s Yo La Tengo. lf Miracle Legion hadn‘t gone all conscience- crazed on us. if REM were still obscured by their mid-80$ cloud of enigma. ifThe Replacements had floated offall druggy-mystical. Yo La Tengo would serve no useful purpose. As it is. with this. their fifth album. swinging from the short sharp harmonies of ‘Upside Down‘ to the sonic-bliss meandering
psychedelia of
‘Mushroom Clouds Of Hiss‘. Yo La Tengo could well be the most crucial band still treading the American underground boards today. (Calvin Bush)
V SINGLES
' I Live: Operation Spirit
(Radioactive) More nervy rock from the US hinterland, Live are neither as scuzzy nor as thrashy as their fellow invaders. Instead they temper their metal with
guttural aplomb and
lyrical pertinence. Headless rock chickens they ain‘t. and ‘Operation
. Spirit‘ is all the more
winning for it. (CMcL)
I Adamski: Back To Front (MCA) And so it came to pass on a bright midsummer's solstice that Adamski and Leftfield would inject new poison into a rather dehydrated rave scene. Utter genius as. instead of speeding the beats up. they‘ve taken the beats out. This spacious, hypnotic track with its grinding bassline is a very brave step forward by the unhippest name in dance. Full respect. as Adamski moves back to the front. (P0)
} IChlll m: Elevation EP . (United Rhythm) Having
lost ['1 F tothe newly
formed Clubscene label. ‘ URR return with an
excellent Shamen-esque acidy thing from
. Glasgow‘s quixotic Chill FM. ‘Blow Your Mind’ is
a writhing rave classic. slippery as an electric eel, while ‘Elevation"s staunch pianos and shrill vocals are more instantly accessible. The Chill thrill cult starts here. (CB)
Om Music Presents‘ I
‘ _../
elbow
,I'.
k. EDINBURGH QUEENS HALL 19th JUNE " .
EV E F0 R B E RT & ms eon umours
EDINBURGH QUEE 27th JUNE engagwsn
BUDDYGUY
A N D H I S 8 A N o GLASGOW BARROWLANDS lst JULY
GOATS
GLASGOW
DON’T BARROWLANDS
llth JULY
SHAVE
133mb P1112
EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
2lst JULY
FISHBONE
GLASGOW BARROWLANDS 22nd JULY ch“.
I ' o I ’- -. I /
Q. ABERDEEN MUSIC HALL 28th JULY "1 *' GLASGOW ROY - m- HALL 29th JUI. ADDITIONAL ncxers on GLASGOW snow 30'“ JULY SALE NOW ,
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM VENUE BOX OFFICES, JUST THE TICKET VIRGIN UNION STREET, RIPPING 8: VIRGIN EDINBURGH 8- ALL TOCTA
OUTLETS THROUGHOUT SCOTLAND. CREDIT CARDS 03l-557 6969. POSTAL 8. OTHER INFO DST-$56 l'2l2.
The List 19June—21uly 199233