RECORD REVIEWS MUSIC
I Ruby: Salt Peter (Creation) It would be too simple to regard Ruby. the new project from ex- Silverfish singer Lesley Rankine. as the Livingston Iass's deliberate reinvention from spitting tomcat to seductive feline. Its a persona just as scathing and deadly as that from her days fronting Camden's maddest punky flailers. bttt with a far tnore subtle touch. The fact of the matter is that our Les just seems to have fancied a change. Do away with the hand. sod the tourittg. hack to the studio. play about with a computer. hang out a modern-sounding album. There are shades of Bristolian trip-hop with its swinging soundtrack elements here. but Still P'It'l' trades in the germs of ideas rather than delivering fully-fledged post-modern delights. with the result that it floats by on a snare loop without ever significantly catching your attention. (Fiona Shephet’d)
I Cast: All Change (Polydor) While The La's spun out a tantalisineg unfulfilled career on the strength of one excellent single (‘There She Goes') for nearly four years. former bassist John Power's new band have achieved twice as much in less than half the time. After two uplifting hits. this debut album is the power-pop triumph The
La's never made.
Itievitably. for a Liverpool hartnony group : there’s a Cavern-era
Beatles vibe. but it's just
as easy to hear other (i()s pop influences. from The t Who to The Monkees — but because Power writes I strong songs. these reference points recede into the background.
All ('lumee is produced by John Leckie who did the first shift on the Stone Roses. marathon recording session for The Sew/ill Coming. The light psychedelic funk of 'History' ~ the stand-out track on the album — is the way the Roses might have sounded if they hadn‘t messed around for five years. (Eddie Gibb) lg“ I Mick Harvey: Intoxicated Man (Mute) The musical centre which held The Birthday Party together and around which Nick C‘ave's Bad Seeds circle. Mick Harvey‘s formidable talents have long been evident to those in the know. leading to his frequent appearance as guest musician and
Cast: ‘power-pop triumph’ producer for the likes of Anita Lane and. most recently. RI. ‘no relation' Harvey. Intoxicated Mun — a homage to singer. songwriter. author. actor. drinker. swearer and Frenchman Serge Gainsbourg -— though. represents Harvey's debut as an artist in his own right. Given Gainsbourg’s status on these shores as 'lhe bloke who wrote “Je t’aime'". there's the danger of regarding the project as a novelty curio. \\'rottg. Having worked out new lyrical translations for eacfi‘song. Harvey has re-invigorated their musical setting. playing everything he can get his hands on. or — as.in ‘New York USA‘ and the heartbreakineg gorgeous ‘()verseas Telegram' — as little as possible. Deranged, dangerous and dramatic. with more wit and musical intelligence than we‘ve any right to expect. this is timeless sttiff. a thousand years away from scenester vagaries. Hip as a pussycat. mun amour. (Damien Love)
I Gateway: Homecoming (ECM) It has been a long wait for this trio's third album (since I977, to be precise). but well worth while. This is their strongest release yet. and confirms the promise of their Glasgow Jazz. Festival appearance in I994. John Abercrombie's guitar playing has a steelier edge than on many of his own records. while the playing of Dave Holland on bass and Jack DeJohnette is simply phenomenal throughout. The material is generally strong. tuneful and flexible. with Holland's title tune a stand-out. Recommended.
I Tim Garland: Tales From the Sun (EFZ) Tim Garland's bold. inventive saxophone playing is familiar to Scottish audiences through his work with Nigel Clark as well as his other band. the folk-influenced Lammas. Bright. airy themes and imaginative soloing are the hallmarks of this typically strong. lyrical.
well-shaped set in more mainstreamja/l idioms (albeit with sotne distinct Afro and Latin colouralion) from the saxophonist attd a fine group which includes Huw Warren's probing piano work. Andrew Kerr‘s deft vibes playing. i and a vibrant rhythm section underpinned by V Lammas's drummer. Mark Fletcher.
I Malachi Thompson And
Africa Brass: Buddy
Bolden’s Rag (Delmark) A big. bright and brassy rotnp through [00 years (stretching a point a
touch. maybe) ofjazz history with what amounts to a big band minus saxophones. Trumpeter Malachi Thompson was a member of Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy. and his former boss guests on a couple of cuts here. Thompson‘s music ranges widely in both idiom and style. from the updated New Orleans polyphony of the title track through swing. hop and free jazz. influences.
I Wayne Krantz: 2 Drink Minimum (enja) I've been impressed by guitarist Wayne Krantz and his
highly empathic trio. both on record and live. and this disc confirms that impression. Recorded in basic fashion straight to DAT in a New York bar (but with surprisingly good results). it features a new set of material in a jazz-rock fusion vein. but without any of the obvious cliches and mind- nutnbing predictability of much of that genre. Good stuffE
I Various: Universal Sounds Of America (Soul Jazz Records) Soul Jazz. raid the vaults for some highly listenahle examples of the more melodic and ambient facets of the 70s avant-garde in Detroit and Chicago. as well as a bit of weirdness. The Art Ensemble Of Chicago. Sun Ra and the Solar Arkestra (featuring his great long-time saxtnan John Gilmore. who died recently). Pharoah Sanders and Marcus Belgrave are the tnost familiar names. but they have dug deeper to come up with the likes of Steve Reid and David Durrah. A bit variable in quality. but still plenty of interest here. (Kenny Mathieson)
plus suppofl SINEAD LOIMN
GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL
Monday 30th October BIO 0141-227 551]
SEAN- HUGHE
STIRUNG UNIVERSITY THEATRE TUESDAY 14th NOVEMBER
EDINBURCJ‘I GEORGE SQUARE THEATRE FRIDAY 17th NOVEMBER
GLASGOW OLD ATHAENEIIM THEATRE MONDAY 20th NOVEMBER
: . # LITTLE . = ' FEAT
- A! . \ t .’ The Original Line Up
f - . -. . With New Vocalist f SHAUN MURPHY
EDINBURGH PLRYHOUSE i - Sunday 12“: November E 3/0 0131-557 mo
and the DANIEL LANOIS BAND
featuring Daryl Johnson & Brady Blade i ’21-'-
GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL
FRIDAY 17th NOVEMBER B/O 0141-227 5511
HANS ‘IIRGIII RECORDS thOh SI GLASGOW, PF. .‘ICES SI Eil‘IBJRG-I 6 CREE I CAMS. {3131-55} 5969('3:13W141-556 5555615: Ci)
The List 20 Oct-2 Nov I995 41