New Music Reviews
Robert Krajewski
reviews of anything musical than just talking about records...
>>Whatever<<
Quartet -- Ultravox [Chrysalis album]
Yawn. Even though the group seems to have an indentity of its own now, it's
not an interesting identity. The remarkably clean sound that George Martin
and Geoff Emerick (the same team that did Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road) produce
only emphasises the tedium. However, ``Reap the Wild Wind'' and ``Hymn'' are
pleasant exercises in portentious synthpop.
A Broken Frame -- Depeche Mode [Sire/Mute album]
The upbeat synthpop band to end all upbeat synthpop bands lost their main
songwriter and actually GREW in the process. Interesting use of rhythm boxes,
heartfelt vocals, and refreshingly direct lyrics are the new fruits of this
album. ``See You''is especially fine.
``Genetic Engineering''/``4-Neu'' -- OMD
[Telegraph/Virgin single, Britsh import]
The A-side is very catchy, but the toy piano makes the song sound too trebly
and coy. The B-side is another foray into piano-drone mode (a la Martin
Hannett) and is pretty good.
War -- U2 [Island album]
Do these guys ever do anything wrong ? A direct, more varied sound (some
fiddles, horns, and acoustic guitars) is deployed on melodic and driving
material. The band is playing better than ever, with Bono's vocals and the
Edge's incredible guitar playing leading the sound. They deserve all the
praise they have been getting lately.
Junkyard -- the Birthday Party [4AD album, British import]
This was released sometime last summer, but I'd just like to give it plug
here. It's very noisy, witty, and rhythmic music that isn't for everyone.
Although they're from Down Under, they don't come on with the same
eager-to-please attitude of Men At Work or Olivia Newton-John (even though I
do like Men At Work to some degree). The cover, by Ed ``Big Daddy'' Roth is
the perfect answer to all those tasteful new wave art music designs.
Porcupine -- Echo and the Bunnymen [Sire/Korova album]
This album transcends any ``psychedelic revival'' tag people may put on it,
but yes, it will remind you of those days gone by, especially with L. Shankar
sitting in on a few cuts. Very good vocals and lyrics.
Remix of ``Poison Arrow''/``Theme from Mantrap'' -- ABC [Mercury EP]
A stretched out version of ABC's current US single, with a mellower sound
balance and a flute arrangment. Nice stuff, as is the B-side, a slow,
cocktail-lounge version of ``Poison Arrow,'' complete with simulated record
scratches.
``Der Komissar'' -- Falco [A & M EP]
``Der Komissar'' -- After the Fire [Epic single]
The original, in German, has better vocals, while ATF's version has a
nice pop feel in the instrumentals. Too bad they could't be combined.
A good dance tune either way.
``1999''/``How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore ?'' -- Prince
[Warner Brothers single]
The B-side is a ballad with soft percussion, piano, and gospel-style
vocals, featuring some of the lascivious boy wonder's best singing yet.
The A-side is an edited version of the apocolyptic partying anthem.
``Blue Monday''/``On the Beach'' -- New Order [Factory 12" single]
Power, Corruption, and Lies -- New Order [Factory album]
Packaged in a sleeve that looks like that of a floppy, the new single is a
very good piece of gothic dance rock that leaps out of the speakers. The
B-side is a dub of the A-side, an arrangement which may be great for DJs who
want to scratch and whomp-mix the two sides at clubs, but is rather
disappointing for those of starved for new material from the important band.
The companion album is much more assured than 1981's Movement -- the vocals
are mixed louder, the instrumentation sharper, the rhythms more danceable and
urgent. The last cut, ``Leave Me Alone,'' is especially haunting, for it
manages to be more upbeat than most things Joy Division ever did while still
being majestic, though not pompous (cf. Ultravox). Too bad the first side is
a bit weak in places.
Nuts and Bolts -- Richard Barone and James Mastro [Passport album]
Even though more aggressive-sounding music has permeated rock's mainstream and
recently funk (Planet Rock and all that huevo stuff), these two members of the
Bongos are making sure that 60s AM pop does not go unheard. Barone's side is
more interesting (less a recreation, more percussive and convoluted) that
Mastro's, but James does do an excellent cover of Tommy Roe's ``Dizzy.''
``Get the Balance Right !'' -- Depeche Mode [Sire 12" single]
This tune combines the old boppy feel of the group with a new sophistication
in lyrics. Also included are a live version of ``Tora ! Tora ! Tora !'' and
an instrumental ``The Great Outdoors.''
the Bangles [Faulty EP]
Good clean fun from LA. GoGo's comparisons are likely, as both groups
emphasise classic pop. However, the Bangles come from a punkier, almost
psychedelic direction.
The Key -- Joan Armatrading [A & M album]
Although critics and a smallish group of fans have always been very
appreciative of Joan Armatrading's music, commercial success has pretty much
eluded her. This album is her direct salvo at the pop charts, and it should
hit. Her melodies and lyrics are very assured, while the instrumentation is
more aggressive. The production is by Steve Lillywhite (except for Val Garay
on two cuts).
The Days Of Wine and Roses -- Dream Syndicate [Ruby/Slash album]
The 60s are back with a vengeance in California. This is not MTV ``new
wave,'' it's good ol' noisy rock and roll complete with feedback, strong
melodies, and Lou-Reed-like vocals. Highly recommended, especially if you're
waiting for the second coming of the Velvet Underground.
The Photographer -- Philip Glass [CBS album]
For anybody who's REALLY into minimalism, this is going to be a
disappointment. Philip Glass was only a rigourous minimalist for a few years
at the beginning of his career; he used the forms to create rather dramatic
pieces (like the masterwork ``Einstein On the Beach'') that took tens of
minutes to build instead of tens of measures later on. Anyway, there's an
interesting attempt at a song form here (``A Gentleman's Honor''), and side 1
is a good introduction to his work if you're not sure you'd be into this sort
of thing.
Baselines -- Bill Laswell [Elektra/Musician album]
Bill Laswell is the bassist for Material, an avant-garde-jazz/funk/punk unit
out of Manhattan (via Celluloid Records of France) that also dabbled into
commerical dance funk on their second album. He steps out on this disc to
display not only his considerable technique at electric bass, but also his
knack for composing and fleshing out jazz pieces (well, don't think they'll
sound like George Benson) that stick to your eardrums, even when they
incorporate musical strangeness. Also appearing on the album are Fred Frith,
guitar artiste extraordinaire, and drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson.
``Lined Up''/``Hapax Legomena'' -- Shriekback [Warner Brothers/Y 12" single]
Shriekback specialises in the kind of dark, dubby, funk that English white
boys just can't resist; these guys do it the best on the A-side of this
record, that is, with the least pretension to being truly funky. However, it
does create ``an atmosphere you can dance to.'' The B-side seems like
wierdness for wierdness' sake to me.
``Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye'' -- Bananarama [London single]
Ah, Bananarama have the good taste in covering this obscure mid-70s hit by
the group Steam. Pop heaven occurs during the ``na na na na''s.
``Two Hearts Beat As One'' -- U2 [Island 12" single, British import]
A very strong single. The A-side is a club remix of the current U.S. single
by Steve Lillywhite. The B-side has the British version of ``New Year's
Day,'' which adds an extra verse, a longer intro, and a dub-style drum track.
Following that is another remix of ``Two Hearts'' by Francois Kevorkian, which
is just as long as the album version, but redone for the dance floor.
``Great Fire'' -- XTC [Virgin 12" single, British import]
>From the forthcoming album ``Mummer,'' one of my all-time fave Britpop groups
have come up with a rather Beatlesque number -- especially when the string
arrangement clicks in !
``Church of the Poison Mind'' -- Culture Club
[Virgin 12" single, British import]
In my opinion, this is the group's best single yet. A very Motown-ish
arrangment drives this tune, which almost rocks -- but it's still more a
soul record. No syrup in the production this time, and Boy George gets to
show how much his voice can do. One tune on the B-side (also on the 7"
version) called ``Man Shake'' is pretty interesting, too. No album until
September or so.
``When Boys Talk'' -- Indeep [Sound of New York 12" single]
One of the more consistent disco groups to appear in the last year has
released yet another hit. The vocals are very much in the rap style, with a
rather stark backdrop (bass, rhythm guitar, rhythm box). Great fun, and you
close-minded rock and rollers oughta take a listen to it.
Let's Dance -- David Bowie [EMI America album]
A cynic may say ``Oh no, now Bowie is playing yet another role: the
Well-Adjusted Family Man,'' but this is quite an entertaining album. The
arrangement are inspired by early r&b, but there are modern touches all
around. The first side, which leads off with an anthem for the age, ``Modern
Love,'' is the best.
Subterranean Jungle -- Ramones [Sire album]
The Ramones are back with their awesome buzzsaw sound, but they're older and
wiser now. The cover version of ``Time Has Come Today'' illustrates their
strength: a sound no one can duplicate, good taste in oldies, and a clean
production that actually helps the record seem more aggressive.
Murmur -- R. E. M. [IRS album]
I'm not going to flame about how this album unpretentiously combines 60s
innocence and psychedelia with 80s D.I.Yism and just plain old good tunes to
result in one of the finest records of 1983. So just go out and buy it.
The Hurting -- Tears for Fears [Mercury album]
OMIGOD, it's, like, another synth band from like, England, y'know ? I'm sure
there are plenty of you out there who feel the same way. Well, I assure you,
these guys are different:
[1] They're human, but not obsessed with bubblegum-pop-radio love.
[2] They realise that acoustic instruments and synths that can sound
like them may not be trendy, but they work and relieve the electric
drone syndrome.
[3] They write good songs that would sound decent on any kind of
instrument.
It's quite a surprise.
``Bob'' Robert P. Krajewski ARPA: RpK@MC
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From: r...@mit-vax.UUCP (Robert Krajewski)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Genesis etc
Message-ID: <2...@mit-vax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jun-83 02:21:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-vax.221
Posted: Tue Jun 28 02:21:17 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jun-83 09:14:11 EDT
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I'm not a fan of the old ``progessive'' rock scene by any stretch of the
imagination, but I remember listening to the very first Genesis album.
Although derivative from the music of other groups back then (most notably the
Beatles and the Moody Blues), it had some stuff going for it. First, Peter
Gabriel's words were quite good. They could be considered ``poetic'' and
``flowery,'' good things to be back in 1968, but there was also evidence of a
creative, almost warped genius behind those words. Also, Anthony Phillips'
guitar work was some of the best acoustic guitar I heard in a rock context.
Did you know that Phil Collins has recorded for Linn ? Now you can a chip
that plugs into the Linn Drum Computer and sounds like like Phil.
``Bob'' Robert P. Krajewski ARPA: RpK@MC
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From: r...@mit-vax.UUCP (Robert Krajewski)
Newsgroups: net.records
Subject: New Clash
Message-ID: <2...@mit-vax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jun-83 02:21:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-vax.222
Posted: Tue Jun 28 02:21:35 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jun-83 09:15:58 EDT
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The Clash are due for a new album, though I've not heard of one yet.
Remember, ``Combat Rock'' was released more than a year ago. Whenever it
comes out, it will have Topper Headon on drums. He left the group just about
a year ago (the drummer on the first album, Terry Chimes, replaced him on
tour), but now he's cleaned up.
``Radio Clash'' is the name of a single that came out about four months before
``Combat Rock.'' I didn't recall liking it that much.
``Bob'' Robert P. Krajewski ARPA: RpK@MC
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From: g...@rlgvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: TIOCFLUSH of input only - any way to do it?
Message-ID: <7...@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jun-83 02:23:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.709
Posted: Tue Jun 28 02:23:11 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jun-83 08:39:11 EDT
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The code to support passing an argument (FREAD, FWRITE, or FREAD|FWRITE) to
the TIOCFLUSH ioctl (or, to be precise, passing the address of an int which
has the desired value) is present in vanilla 4.1BSD. It is not present in
vanilla V7. The most portable way of doing it is to do a TIOCGETP followed
by a TIOCSETP of the values gotten with the GETP.
Guy Harris
Computer Consoles, Inc.
Office Systems Group
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