MUSIC RECORD REVIEWS Making Music Happen
I _ that fact, but without adopting a m I conventionally oppositional concerto
Jonathan Trev: rounds up structure. If anything, the gorgeous the new releases. i romanticism which drew many lThe Piano Concerto (Argo) listeners into the film music is
iThat definite article makes it sound as enhanced in this version, with its iii he does not intend to write another, unashamedly lush, singing strings, ; but actually refers to the fact that this i full-blown melodies, and rich
' concerto is a development of his ! instrumental textures. immensely successful soundtrack g The accompanying piece on the disc, music for Jane Campion’s film ‘The ' which is almost as substantial in .. Plano', released last year through length, is ‘MGV (Musique a orande
A good single should be Virgin. This ‘reconsideration’ (ilyman’s g Vitesse’), written to commemorate the Played "on-“OP f0? 3 word) of the film music fleshes it out ! inauguration of the rev llorth- wcek' bu" mum ‘” your ( considerably, both in the fuller f European line in lille in 1993. This is a head for mom” week and E orchestral writing and, most notably, ! more abstract, less structurally then be forgotten. v , , based I M g b , i b t, I Magnapopss may I, tn the piano part, . on me o c 3 o Vious p ece, u is a so more . Downt (play It Again material from Scottish songs. ; typically liyman-esque in its muSIcal Sam) fits the bin perfectly. Pianist Kathryn Stott is a virtuoso language and momentum. A limited The opening guitars sprint where Holly Hunter was not, and number of the discs also carry a free into your brain and run liyman’s new score takes advantage of i Argo sampler. (Kenny Mathieson) !
around until they drop. You‘ll mumble fragments of the chorus under your breath and then it will
neighbourhood, where crack and guns and untimely death soak the concrete,
erase itself from your Fqncwding ‘00 “fats 0‘ §3V‘399 memory but you‘ll feel all . . '"lusuc? 0" mama" so"- gang” by the better for it lllmatic (Columbia) the devd’s lasso’, ilas tore himself nonetheless. ‘l.ow' III the world of New York hip-hop, free with a voice whose stage is too
every year brings a crop of exquisite real to be phoney: ‘This nigga raps hardcore releases. The desperation of with a razor/Keep it under my tongue.’ ghetto lite obliges hip-hop never to New York’s finest on have been
sell out With has. his debut drafted to give llas’s ‘mad fat fluid appearance on the Main Source 12in rhymes’ the muscle they deserve. Pete ‘live At The Barbecue’ ill ’91 had hill' Rock and The Large Professor deserve hop heads going wild for a full-blown credit for the album’s most death-
llas lP- Expectations grew of a defying beats. Check out ‘The World Is monument that would go way deeper Yours’, ‘lialf-Time’, ‘One Time 4 Your than the corporate gangster (c)rap Mind’ and ‘It Ain’t Hard To Tell’, then
(Virgin) from Cracker is a languid love song equating your girlfriend‘s company with being stoned. Fair enough. There's the same dreamy. disconnected feel to this single and it‘s perverser addictive. lfyou're feeling a bit sleepy after that then
The Family Cat‘s
‘Wonderful iixcttse‘. that dominates sales these days - take the lump out your throat and pray (BrigiwimfmiWilli~ . . keeping REAL hill-hot) on the rails. to whoever for thanks that you could fi;°,‘h'§,:;‘1:{:s;t:utnt More truth, less fake bravado. . be around to hear this_
energy levels hook up "as "V93 i" Queensbtldse Prolects. If you didn’t buy ‘lllmatic', then you agaitt- Fuzzy guitar riffs "9* York, 3 "M398 hIP'hOP never saw ’94. Peace. (Ewan Allinson)
rip open the track and ‘the revolution starts tomorrow‘ but not until
' contains no potential singles, at least as we understand them. They’ve even,
.80.,wnnw in [he i l for the most part, left ‘Jet Set’ free of
afternoon‘. Too knackered ; their Trademark spiralling guitar
after a hefty night‘s Experimental Jet Set, Trash And No i crescendos, Instead, this strangely '
partying to get up in the ‘Star (Geffen) ! erotic brew is muted and fragmentary. .
mornings} fupposc- ‘ Previous recordings, ‘Daydream t Only a couple of times have they
llatioon’ excepted, seem to have frozen ; shown anyinclination to shape those
contains an animated some ninth} songs. 0'! the bunk 0‘ f "apmems mm. songs' .
bickcr Mme“ a Sman coalescing into their final shape. The Kim Gordon, in excellent voice,
laddish bloke and hi; reverse is true this time: it’s like f presrdes over the album’s most
extremely pissed-off we’ve poked our heads in just as the accomplished hunk of music, the
girlfriend. It's just as hand are pulling them right back apart closing ‘Sweet Shine’, which is so
Compelling as listening to again. Sonic Youth are bitter about i thoroughly bewitching that one can
your neighbmfls' JUIL‘in rock - the industry and the ethic - and only wonder whether its inclusion was ;
‘Ergu'n‘an‘; f"f“l‘l'ig ' . g seem intent on putting what distance 7 the result of a loss of avant-garde
Pm”? I L “a 5' Ag‘i‘i‘“ they can between it and themselves. 9 nerve. They’re not going to attract
all the odds. Iggy Pop is Now on the" thin! ma. I . . . .
Sn” in the land of the . )or. abel album, I new listeners with this one, and even
living we” 3mm“ Years they’ve finally given the finger to the committed may find their
of abuse have given him 3 those expecting them, some day, to g attentions wandering. (Alastair
sepulchral voice which come up with a monster rock LP. So it Mabbott) ..
can sound amazing.
Unfortunately it‘s wasted I _ comes With the appalling sub'nggae
on “Beside You' (Virgin). ' ‘ i ’ ‘Fiddle iiiddle’, a track Bitty McLean
whldch is so Imtddl‘clefthc FRANK BLACK would reject for being too gimmicky,
i’zzititeldsditii'tiviii [gtiiilihe Teenager or the year (Mn) but in his endearineg perverse
single‘s worth buying for it all starts frenetically enough, with “'5th M' “"39" “no” '3 With 0""
the live version of ‘l.ouie its best serene punk shimmy and °l “'9 a'”""‘ 5 “'9"P°‘"tst 0"
Louie’. isniec l Don‘t . ‘Thalessocracv’ impersonating earli M""‘°"a""'-
gave (Gotten) by ' Roxy Music in the style of The Ul’nevhably miter! yphui’re digesting an uns’ ’ oses s tows us ,, Stooges, so unwie y, no rig seems
the lads‘ (ahem) sensitive
side and it is a load of old 1 g . ’ ‘ By any reasonable law at averages, " :li'itkson "
tosh. But if you're a fan r E E N A G E 979 F T H E Y E A n you "has? a humungous n-haCKe" bl t it’ till testan lit
then you‘ll buy it anyway the" "mm s so.“ to be more cm" [my mime" um, 8 s a a
and in five years time 3 \\ than nomal- 3"" enough! things Start “3 mack s versanmy ’ If you on"
you,“ stand up at 8 Gum ’ I ‘ \\ to go awry mound $de Manor, give it the benefit of repeated listens.
‘N‘ Roses Fans _ g which is not quite dotty enough to !" "me! "P" "'9 “3"” mg“
Anonynpug "mung and i / pass the Talking "can to“ and has to Headache ceases to sound like an
confess My name is A. l , souls {or a placing along an Tom affront to the memory of The Pixies.
Ni“ ' “a” ‘1 Pmb'c'" ' - i Petty/Gin Blossoms axis. The nadir (Fiona Shepherd)
ennents Live! Making Music Happen
36 The List 20 May —2 June I994