>From: GORDONKA@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu () Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 12:12:44 GMT ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Volume 1, Number 5 R.A.D! ON-LINE September 15th, 1993 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ R.A.D!, "Review And Discussion of Rock & Roll" and R.A.D! ON-LINE, its electronic counterpart, are published monthly, on the fifteenth of every month and are copyright 1993 by Keith A. Gordon & CONSPIRACY M.E.D.I.A. Reprinting is okay, just be sure to send us a copy to the address below. R.A.D! ON-LINE is posted every month in the Usenet newsgroups alt.zines and alt.music.alternative. The current issue, as well as back issues, are available for downloading from MONDO GORDO! BBS, telephone 615.791.8050 or A Brother To Dragons BBS, telephone 615.781.9943. Your comments are welcome, as are editorial contributions of reviews, letters of opinion & such. Direct all mail to 826 Old Charlotte Pike East, Franklin, TN 37064 or via the net to: GordonKA@CtrVax.Vanderbilt.Edu, subject R.A.D! Sorry, but we are unable to offer on-line subscriptions at this time. CONSPIRACY M.E.D.I.A is a no-profit anarchist collective involved in the creation of mixed-media. ========================================================================== CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE: File 1: EXPLORING THE NEW PSYCHEDELCA (Interview) File 2: BILLY IDOL: CYBERPUNK (Interview) File 3: SCATTERLINGS (Rock & Roll news) File 4: NEW CD RELEASES FOR SEPTEMBER (Info) File 5: KOOL KUTS (Record Reviews) File 6: RE/ISSUES (Review Column) File 7: THE SINGLE'S SCENE (Singles Reviews) CD RELEASES REVIEWED THIS MONTH INCLUDE LIZ PHAIR, JULIANNA HATFIELD, THE OBLIVIOUS, N.I.L.8., TYPE O NEGATIVE, DISAPPEAR FEAR & MORE! ========================================================================== File 1: EXPLORING THE NEW PSYCHEDELICA For ten years now, Britain’s eccentric Ozric Tentacles have been charting a new musical course, their eclectic instrumental blend of styles making them one of the U.K.’s top live bands and winning them a loyal cult following here in the United States. They began their career with a series of half a dozen D.I.Y. cassettes before moving onto multi-format status. The four previous independent CDs they’ve released during the past five years have won them great critical acclaim and a measure of commercial success. Their latest, _Jurassic Shift_, entered the U.K. National Sales Chart at #11, the highest debut in history for a indie disc. Describing what Ozric Tentacles does on record isn’t easy...a quick spin of either of their I.R.S. Records releases, _Strangeitude_ or _Jurassic Shift_, will provide the listener with a literal myriad of musical style and influence. You’ll hear metallic-tinged Hard Rock, improvisational Jazz, Middle Eastern Raga, seventies-styled Progressive Rock...and many other things quite difficult to describe, much less identify. We call it a new form of Psychedelica. It’s not a bunch of foppish, paisley-clad sixties-wanna-bes affecting a style, Ozric Tentacles are a collection of talented and curious musicians who just like to get together and play. What you hear on disc is their love of music... Signed to I.R.S. in the United States, the Ozrics, as they’re known to their fans, are eager to tour our country in support of their two recent CD releases. R.A.D! spoke with Ozric guitarist Ed Wynne after a July performance in New York City in which the band -- Wynne, bassist Roly Wynne, flutist Eoin Eogan, synth wizard Joie Hinton, drummer Merv Pepler and percussionist Paul Hankin -- amazed the cynical New Music Seminar audience three nights running with a series of electrifying showcase performances. --------------------------- Keith A. Gordon KG: Well, Ed, why don’t we start at the very beginning? When did Ozric Tentacles get together? EW: Ten years ago, exactly, on Midsummer’s Day this year. That was at the Stonehenge Solstice Festival, which was in the wilds of the countryside of England. KG: Were you all friends before the band got together? EW: Some of us were, yeah, some of us went to the festival so that we could do a jam, then we met other people there, who are still in the band. KG: You liked what you heard so much that you decided to stick with it... EW: Yeah...it’s a style of music that I will always do, I think...and I met these people who were perfect for that, who were really into it, and they said 'can we have a jam,' and that’s the way it went. KG: After the festival, then what? EW: We carried on, playing these little festivals, free festivals in England, and slowly more and more people started coming on to see us. Eventually we starting getting actual gigs, parties and things like this, booked outside festivals, and it just sort of built up on its own. We started getting gigs in clubs, and since we were always into home recording, I thought I’d start putting some of these songs on tape and selling them at the gigs, so people would have something to take home, and the whole thing just sort of snowballed from there. KG: Is that where your first six cassettes came from, 'Do It Yourself' projects? EW: Yeah, we used to just copy them off at home, stack 3 cassette players together and copy them off ourselves. We’d go and photocopy the covers, cut them out and stick them in there and take them up to the gig, our little box of tapes. KG: Get a little gas money, eh? EW: Basically! It was more important, really, to get it together so people could hear it. I had my telephone number on the tape, which was useful, so that anybody who liked it could then call me up and say, ‘can we book you for a gig?’ We’d say, ‘yeah!’ and so we were never short of gigs to do. KG: Where did the name Ozric Tentacles come from? EW: Just through lots of people liking to say strange words, really. We used to get spaced out and flap funny names between each other and laugh a lot. One of those just stuck as the name of the band. Someone came up at a festival and said, ‘what’s the band called?’ ‘Ozric Tentacles,’ and he laughed and it stuck. KG: How would you describe the music of Ozric Tentacles? EW: It’s very hard for me to describe our music because it’s very diverse, with all sorts of different styles. It’s instrumental, goes from Reggae to Hard Rock to Ethnic music to Dance music to, well, all sorts of styles, really. It’s quite an improvised sounding music, many styles, all quite spacey sounding. Progressive Rock, maybe, would be a loose way to describe it. KG: Who would you say your musical influences are? EW: They’re pretty widespread. In the early days, it was definitely bands like Gong and Hawkwind, stuff like this that we all used to listen to....a lot of Jazz music, and many Rock bands. We’ve all been mad for music since we could walk, listening to the Beatles and anyone and everyone who could come up with a good song. KG: When you record an album, do you compose the material in advance or do you just go into the studio and let it happen? EW: Some and some, really...occasionally, I’ll come up with an idea on the guitar, have it in my head for a couple of days and think, ‘this is alright, I’ve got to go and put this one down,’ so I’ll go and put a rough version down and add to it and that will become a song, or else we’ll go into the studio and set-up to record and think ‘alright, what should we do, let’s try a jam on this’ and we’ll see what happens. KG: How did getting signed to I.R.S. come about? EW: I guess that they just heard a bit of a buzz from England, since we were getting quite popular there, and I think that some American’s picked up a tape while they were there and came back and played it around. Word of mouth, really... KG: Upon your signing, I.R.S. reissued your 1991 English release _Strangeitude_. What’s the story behind that disc? EW: Unlike a lot of bands, when we start recording, we really don’t have a lot of an idea as to how its going to end up. We usually just start with a few songs, put them together, and then the concept starts forming itself. The concept on that one was we thought that it sounded stranger than the others, so we thought we’d call it _Strangeitude_ and put a weird cover on it. Being non-lyrical, it leaves it very wide open for our titles, we can call them anything. That’s were all the mad titles come from! KG: Tell us a little about your latest release, _Jurassic Shift_. EW: That was completed about 3 months ago. That was the first one we actually recorded at home. We’d recently acquired a 24 track studio, so that meant that we could take our time on that one. There is a bit of a feeling on there, for me, that we were thinking ‘this is a new studio, how are we going to deal with this?’ I think that the next album will be a lot easier to do, really, since we were still experimenting with drum sounds and things on this first one, finding out what the room sounded like and getting to know how to work all of the equipment. There’ll be more musical freedom on the next one, which is one half done already. KG: When can we expect it? EW: I don’t know when you’ll get it. We’re working on it now, so it’ll probably be early next year we’ll release it in England. It may be a synchronized release date with I.R.S. as well. KG: Your early cassette releases may be released as a box set of some sort? EW: On CD, maybe! I think that’d be very strange. Have you ever heard these early cassettes? Some of the tapes do sound pretty out of it, really. There’s a live album which was recorded at a club with a cassette player on the floor...I don’t know whether it’s worth putting out on CD, but I suppose that you have collectors and people who want them. I’ll try and clean them up a bit... KG: People are more interested in the music, anyway... EW: ...rather than the quality, which is great! I’ve found that, in America, that there’s a lot of real music people here, that really love music. In England, they can be cynical, maybe? There’s a lot of music in England and they’re all ‘here come the Ozric Tentacles again!’ They love it, but they’re heard it a lot. Here I’ve met people who are genuinely amazed by us. It’s quite a shock, really. I thought that there was a scene in America where they’d think, ‘here’s one of these bands.’ In fact, it seems that they’re starved for a free, improvised music. KG: What sort of music do you like to listen to? EW: I don’t get to listen to very much music, because I’m spending so much time in the studio, but when I’m not in the studio, it’s nice to have a break, so whatever I do listen to, I like it to be wildly different from the stuff that I do. What I find most interesting is strange ethnic music, African music, because I haven’t heard a lot of it before. I’m very, very tired with the corporate pop song. Anything with a bit of ‘different’ to it, I’ll listen to... ========================================================================== File 2: BILLY IDOL: CYBERPUNK The Internet is the happening place to be these days, with ravers and cyberpunks and those of a industrial persuasion all clamoring for access to this ever-evolving data highway. Actually a world-wide network tying together schools and businesses, military bases and research facilities, the Internet offers rapid electronic mail to all four corners of the globe, access to millions of text files, games and software and literally thousands of news groups, where users can leave messages on everything from computers to conspiracy, music, fanzines and, well...you name it. All of this takes place in that electronic netherworld called cyberspace. Among the estimated ten million users of the Internet is a name many music fans will find familiar: Billy Idol. The quintessential punk has evolved into a cyberpunk after discovering the literary works of one of the writers who helped define the cyber-sci fi genre, William Gibson. Gibson’s vision of a future where information is the most valuable commodity and where console cowboys physically jack into their computers in order to cruise through cyberspace captured Idol’s imagination. He bought a computer, learned how to use it, and starting hanging out in cyberspace. The experience led him to the creation of his latest album, _Cyberpunk_, a tour de force of raging techno beats and cyber-lyrics that has one foot in Rock & Roll and the other in this brave new world. Appropriately enough, we caught up with Idol via Email and conducted the following interview entirely in the medium of cyberspace. We mailed the following questions to him via computer to Idol's address on The Well and, a short time later, he mailed the answers back the same way. ----------------------- Keith A. Gordon KG: Billy, you’ve made what I feel is a logical evolution from 'punk' to 'cyberpunk.' What was the catalyst which created this evolution? Idol: I wanted to get back to my punk rock roots and DIY. First I read William Gibson’s _Neuromancer_, then I found out a Virtual Studio where I could bring a computer into my home and record my band with it. With Mark Younger-Smith on guitar, Tal Bergman on drums and me singing, it was like being in a garage band once again. Doug Wimbush did the bass in NYC. KG: What do you find to be the most fascinating aspect of cyberspace? Idol: I think it’s being able to communicate one to one million. And the possibilities it provides. They are never-ending and exciting. KG: What role do you think music will have in the future in cyberspace? Idol: Well, I can only speak for myself. I’ll be able to record on the road and send it back to my producer through the phone lines. I’ll be able to communicate directly with my fans or detractors. And I’ll continue to record cheaply and efficiently in my home. KG: What parallels do you perceive (if any) between William Gibson’s vision of the future and where we really seem to be going? Idol: The fascinating thing is that I’ve heard that Gibson was computer illiterate when he wrote _Neuromancer_. That means that actual application could be much grander, and of course, in reality and in this time, it is. KG: What other cyberpunk authors have you read? Idol: Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash. Robert Anton Wilson, and some others. KG: Tell us how you recorded your new album and the influences which helped to create it. Idol: Used Pro Tools and Studio Vision programs, with my band recording the music and me singing. We blurred identities. The most important thing to remember is that _Cyberpunk_ is a human album, not a computerized record. The computer is the tool and the musician is the method. KG: What are your favorite songs on the new album and tell us a little about them... (Descriptions are from Idol’s 'biography-on-disc'): "Power Junkie;" in extreme cases, a tomorrow person can snap at the hopelessness of his situation and react by blowing away fellow workers at the post office or strangers at a fast-food restaurant. But we’re all power junkies on some level when we kill ourselves and each other with poisonous relationships and misdirected rage. "Shangi-La" The most powerful computer in the known universe, your brain, can be accessed in many ways. Beside ancient and effective methods of inner exploration, such as acupuncture, meditation, yoga and martial arts, we have virtual reality and nootropics (psychoactive drugs that increase intelligence) at our disposal, the new cool tools that people can use to surf the information waves of the human biocomputer. "Adam In Chains" Do you want to be hypnotized and see the shape of things to come? Here’s a prayer for the tomorrow people and power junkies. Can we find the door to our inner self and challenge our spiritual demons? Can new technologies, such as VR and brainwave entertainment devices become new channels for self-realization? "Mother Dawn" Life is a powerful force, and the tenacity of nature should never be underestimated. Though people have ignorantly damaged the planet and continue to hurt one another, the Earth has an amazing resiliency that gives us reason to believe in the future. KG: There seems to be a renewed interest in the Punk era of 1976-1980. What are your memories of that era, and of Generation X? Idol: Just having the courage and the commitment to play music whether we knew how to or not. We just did it. Just like today. I don’t know much about computers, but I have the desire to learn and I have a computer and a modem, so I go for it. Banging my head sometimes, but continuing on. KG: Speaking of which, Generation X is the media term now applied to today’s youth. How do they differ from the "blank generation" of our era? Idol: Actually, Generation X, the people today, think they have it all sussed, where the blank generation admitted to knowing nothing and that being the answer to all of the problems. A willingness to learn and try and go. That’s just my opinion KG: Will you be touring in support of the new album? What can we expect, if you are? Idol: Tour begins in the States in October. It will be interactive. I’ll have my blendo videos and screens in each city. We’ll shoot the audience and mix the footage through the video toaster and then onto the stage screens. KG: What’s in the future for Billy Idol? Idol: The future for Billy Idol is my five-year old son Willem. (This interview originally appeared in the September issue of Nashville's BONE Magazine and is reprinted from Gordon's "Dancing On The Edge" column there...) ========================================================================== File 3: SCATTERLINGS WARNER BROS. WILL BE DIGGING deep into their archives in the very near future, establishing a new series of re-issues, compilations and box sets culled from their (very full) tape library. The first onslaught of album releases - 16 discs worth - is due for mid-September and includes reissues of such classic Rock albums as the Faces’ 1971 classic _A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...To A Blind Horse_ and 1973’s _Ooh La La_ (both with Rod Stewart vocals). Other notables among these initial titles include an Everly Brothers’ compilation, _Walk Right Back_; Maria Muldaur’s self-titled debut album and her smash hit _Waitress In The Donut Shop_ disc; and the late Lowell George’s first post-Little Feat solo album, _Thanks I’ll Eat It Here_. Future plans for the label include albums from Nico and John Cale and an Alice Cooper box set. THOSE MAVENS OF METAL, the Foundations Forum, along with Concrete Marketing, recently announced the winners of this year’s Hard Music Awards, which will be presented at this year’s Foundations Forum convention in Burbank. Among the winners were Stone Temple Pilots, for "Breakthrough Artist;" Biohazard, for "Best Independent Artist;" and White Zombie for "Best New Artist." Alice In Chains grabbed the award for "Best Artist" of 1993, while those hard rock stalwarts Kiss will take home the Foundations Forum "Lifetime Achievement Award." The Forum, scheduled for September 9th to 11th will also feature many live showcases from the cream of the hard rock crop. Tad, My Sister’s Machine, I Mother Earth, Greta and Mind Bomb will all be performing during the convention, which will also feature performances from Kiss, The Scorpions and the only American show this year of the newly reformed Accept. THAT EARTH - SHAKING, GROUND- BREAKING U.K. underground label Earache Records has signed a long-term licensing agreement with Columbia Records and Sony Entertainment. With this deal, select Earache releases will receive the red-carpet treatment via enhanced distribution and marketing. Earache, founded by Digby Pearson in his Nottingham, England bedroom, helped create and define the genre of thrash / death metal called "grindcore." During its brief history, the label introduced such monster outfits as Napalm Death, Godflesh, Carcass and Entombed to the world. The first handful of released from the new Earache/Sony alliance include Cathedral’s _The Ethereal Mirror_, Fudge Tunnel’s _Creep Diets_ and Entombed’s _Hollowman_ EP. Early 1994 will see albums from Entombed, Godflesh and Napalm Death. PORNO FOR PYROS GOT INTO A bit of hot water during an August show in Miami. Federal agents and Miami police raided the Bayfront Amphitheater before Pyros’ scheduled performance and seized what was termed as "counterfeit" money. Band members were held in police custody for several hours while the G-men tallied up their confiscated loot. The faux $100 bills were used as a stage prop, tossed to the crowd by lead singer Perry Farrell during the band’s performance of their song "Meija." Authorities were tipped to the practice by a Denny’s restaurant in Tampa (where the band had played the previous night). Seems some dim-bulb of an employee accepted the sill C-note as the real thing from some hungry fan, despite the fact that the bill features a picture of Farrell's’s face on both sides. No charges were brought against the band and they went on to play their gig, forced to throw real $1 bills at the audience. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND will be releasing the first-ever authorized live recording of the band in October. Culled from a series of reunion shows this past June in Paris, the album, a double CD set titled _The Velvet Underground Live MCMXCIII_, will feature vintage tracks performed by the original line-up of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker. In addition to the double disc set, a single CD version will also be released, featuring 10 tracks taken from the larger set, and a limited edition disc offering special packaging and an unreleased track will also hit the shelves. In other words, lets milk this one for every drop we can... THE BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED KATE BUSH’S new release, _The Red Shoes_, is due for release In October as well. Her first effort in four years, the first single, "Eat The Music" is already gracing finer radio airwaves everywhere. Recorded mostly in her home studio in Kent, England, the album is said to be a more commercially-oriented recording than most of Bush’s material and features performances from many surprise guest musicians. _PEACE TOGETHER_ IS AN adventuresome musical project put together to benefit the young men and women of troubled Northern Ireland. The recent CD release of the same name features songs donated by a number of critically-acclaimed artists, including Peter Gabriel, Sinead O'Connor, U2, Lou Reed and Billy Bragg. Other artists contributing material to the effort include Feargal Sharkey, Nanci Griffith, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, Fatima Mansions, Andy White and others. The Peace Together Trust was formed by musicians Ali McMordie (Stiff Little Fingers) and Robert Hamilton (The Fat Lady Sings) and was inspired by their own upbringings in Ireland. A series of concerts this summer featuring New Order and Hothouse Flowers will compliment the album release. All monies raised by the Peace Together album, along with the concert proceeds, will be used to support cross-community cultural activities for the young people of Northern Ireland. THE LEGENDARY BOOKER T. & THE MG's have signed with Columbia Records and are currently on tour with Neil Young. The most commercially successful and critically-acclaimed instrumental Rock and Soul posse of the sixties has reformed with core members keyboardist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn joined by drummers Steve Jordon and James Gadsen. The first Columbia album from the Stax wonders, scheduled for early 1994 release, is tenatively titled _Mo' Greens_ and will offer a mix of originals penned by the band as well as covers of such classics as "I Can't Stand The Rain" and "Just My Imagination." Aside from the band's past success as performers, both Jones and Cropper have been successful as producers, working with artists like the Iron City Houserockers, Bill Withers, and Willie Nelson. FROM ROADRUNNER comes the news of the anticipated October release of _Chaos A.D._ from Brazil's Sepultura. The band's fifth disc, recorded with producer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine) will feature their trademark heavy sound along with socially-concious lyrics. Guest writer Jello Biafra penned the song "Biotech Is Godzilla" for the album, which promises to be a big one... (BANDS & LABELS, PLEASE SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASES, RECORDINGS AND OTHER PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS TO: CONSPIRACY M.E.D.I.A, 826 OLD CHARLOTTE PIKE EAST, FRANKLIN, TN. 37064) ========================================================================== File 4: NEW CD RELEASES FOR AUGUST Richard Thompson MIRROR BLUE (Capitol) Iggy Pop AMERICAN CAESAR (Virgin) John Hiatt PERFECTLY GOOD GUITAR (A & M) John Mellencamp HUMAN WHEELS (Mercury) My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult 13 ABOVE THE NIGHT (Interscope) Meatloaf BAT OUT OF HELL II: BACK INTO HELL (MCA) Flavor Flav FLAVOR FLAV (Def Jam) The Cure SHOW (Elektra) Pearl Jam FIVE AGAINST ONE (Epic) Archers Of Loaf ICKY METTLE (Alias) Zero RAVENOUS (Wonderland) Poor Righteous Teachers BLACK BUSINESS (Profile) Various Artists CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF DON COVAY (Shanachie) Coming In October: ... discs from Kate Bush, Velvet Underground "Live", Crowded House, Teenage Fanclub, 10,000 Maniacs "Unplugged", Lemonheads & Jackson Browne! ========================================================================== File 5: KOOL KUTS Liz Phair / _EXILE IN GUYVILLE_ (Matador) You're going to be reading a lot about this one in the days and months to come: Liz Phair's _Exile In Guyville_ is one of those instant masterpieces that seem to appear out of nowhere to shock the music world, albeit briefly, out of its dull complacency. A musical and lyrical response to the Stones' classic _Exile On Main Street_, Phair musters as much passion, lust and sheer guts on this debut disc as Mick & the boys ever have. Phair has been called a feminist, much like Polly Jean Harvey has been tagged with the label, but I suspect that what they both are is artists, gifted with the ability to present a feminine point of view in a male dominated medium. _Exile In Guyville_ comments lyrically on the joys and frustrations, trials and triumphs of growing up female in America; it's gritty, honest, sexy and brutal, and it rocks like few discs can. (Matador Records, 676 Broadway, New York, NY 10012) ------------------------------------------------------ The Juliana Hatfield Three / _BECOME WHAT YOU ARE_ (Mammoth/Atlantic) Jenni Muldaur / _JENNI MULDAUR_ (Warner Bros.) Two very different records, each aspiring to stake out part of the pop spectrum for themselves. Jenni Muldaur’s record has more of a mainstream sound to it, and could probably do very well on "adult contemporary" stations if more of them had the balls to play anything new, instead of relying on the same tired warhorses like Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, and the annual Michael Bolton cover song. This record has solid, well- written songs, and Muldaur brings sincerity and feeling to them with her voice. Tunes like "Black Clouds" and "Together Far Apart" may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but if you like the sound of contemporary pop music and could do without a lot of its vapidity and banality, this record is certainly worth a try. With any luck, Warner Bros. will hold on to this talented performer and put out enough of her records, or use their stranglehold on the media to put her face all over VH-1, that she’ll eventually get some of the airplay and recognition that she’ll have coming to her if she keeps proving herself like she does on this debut. Juliana Hatfield’s new album is also distributed by the Time Warner media empire, through Atlantic Records. In terms of pop music, it falls into the Alternative Nation / 120 Minutes marketing category (tip #1 to media empires: know your target audience). The style is "power pop," pop music with more of the aggressiveness and hard edge of rock, to which Hatfield adds her own take. The result is a lot like PJ Harvey’s recent release _Rid of Me_: a woman vocalist/musician who takes on the trappings of traditionally male-dominated rock music, and subverts them, exposing personal frailties using riffs and poses usually used to inflate imagined strengths. Songs like "Spin the Bottle" and "My Sister" are like glimpses into the private life of a disoriented young woman for whom every day is simply a struggle to survive on her own terms and to be acknowledged for herself. Respect as an individual is as important to Hatfield as it was to, say, Aretha, as songs like "Supermodel" and "A Dame With a Rod" attest - the message being that this is not just another pretty face, so you had damn well better not try to treat her like one, and it’d be a pretty good idea if you didn’t treat any woman like one, and an even better idea if every woman was willing to stand up for the respect she deserved. The very title of the album, Become What You Are is a call to action: recognize your self-worth, Hatfield says, and don’t let anything stop you from realizing your potential. At the same time, she doesn’t lie and say that this is easy, but shows the personal demons against which she fights to become what she is. I don’t know what the "official" riot grrl take is on Hatfield -- whether she might be too pop or not -- but it seems to me like her record is right in line with their street-level feminist agenda, and perhaps even more accessible on a musical level. Hatfield’s voice is still a bit rough, but it works -- this isn’t meant to be polished pop, after all, and with the instrumentation around her voice, you hardly notice the minor flaws. This is probably one of the better records of the summer, and strongly recommended. Review By Jesse Garon (j_garon@mindvox.phantom.com) ------------------------------------------------------ The Oblivious / _AMERICA_ (Daemon Records) The Oblivious are Holly Vincent’s vehicle for her long-awaited return to Rock & Roll after a decade out of the spotlight, and a classy one it is at that. Vincent, best known for a pair of early eighties recordings with Holly & The Italians, is the original femme fatale, a serious rocker with a bad attitude. With a sneer and a whisper, she jumps back into the fray with "Crush," _America_’s rocking first cut. Over the course of the next 13 songs, Vincent cuts loose with a full-blown power pop assault, sounding as crisp and as potent as she did when we last heard from her. With her underrated six-string work blazing the way, Vincent leads the band through a set of intelligent, heartfelt numbers certain to leave the listener thirsty for more. If no-frills Rock & Roll with a biting edge is your cup of tea, look no further than The Oblivious. (Daemon Records, P.O. Box 1207, Decatur, GA 30031) ------------------------------------------------------ Disappear Fear / _LIVE AT THE BOTTOM LINE_ (Disappear Records) If you always sort of liked the Indigo Girls but found them, well...too sterile, too tame...then check out Disappear Fear’s _Live At The Bottom Line_. This incredibly talented duo move miles beyond the typical Folk- influenced singer/songwriter vein in introducing songs that are as intense, personal and damn beautiful as any this critic has ever heard. Songwriter Sonia’s Byronesque lyrics speak to the romantic hidden in every listener, masterfully describing the longings of the heart. From the bittersweet memory of love lost on "Love Isn’t Dead" ("I always thought that you would/Be the one to come running back to me/When I call your name/It gives me pain to think/I drink the wine of time alone/I toast to us...") to the self-pitying humor of "Love Insurance" ("Give me some love insurance/I need the million dollar plan/That way the day you leave me/I’ll be able to make a friend/Sure, I’ll be broken hearted/And I’ll have you to thank/But I’ll only be lonely/Walking to and from the bank..."), these songs present classic observations on love and relationships from a charismatic duo who, hopefully, have a lengthy and successful career in store for them. (Disappear Records, 778 Waugh Lane, Ukiah, CA 95482) ------------------------------------------------------ N.I.L.8. / _HALLELUJAH, I'M GONNA KILL MYSELF (Fundamental) Successful Thrash mixes hard, consistent and rapid guitar riffs with rhythmic vocals in creating...shall we say, a certain ‘aural ambience’... which is perfect for physically-violent exercise like moshing or stage- diving. Disconnecting the conscious mind by bashing the body, a person is able to get into the music, literally, absorbing it as a physical and psychological experience lacking in most forms of music. N.I.L.8., with their second album, _Hallelujah I’m Gonna Kill Myself_, carry the concept a step further, creating a firey hybrid of old- fashioned, seventies-styled Heavy Metal and modern-era Thrash, cramming as many words as possible into the vocalist’s maw while backing him up with a fierce, all-out assault on the senses. As singer Jeff Williams performs vocal gymnastics in perfect sync with the music, mouthing songs with a socially-conscious lyrical edge, the rest of the band throws a continuous buzz and hum at you, lead by guitarist Eric White’s heavy six-string drone. The result is invigorating, morning ‘wake-up’ music for the headbanger hidden in all of us. (Fundamental Music, 207 S. Lamar, Oxford, MS 38655) ------------------------------------------------------ Type O Negative / BLOODY KISSES (Roadrunner Records) The orgasmic cries which open _Bloody Kisses_ are a foreshadowing to the musical and lyrical roller coaster ride which lies in store for the listener once entering the kingdom of Type O Negative. Working in a genre of their own making, owing as much to vintage David Bowie or Iggy & The Stooges as they do to eighties era ‘Death Metal,’ Type O Negative create a unique music for the mind and body, sensual as well as frightening, dark, yet powerful. _Bloody Kisses_’ lyrical fascinations touch upon many of the dichotomies of poetry and philosophy, from the tension inherent in the clash between faith and sexuality ("Christian Woman"), man’s obsession with death ("Bloody Kisses") to the tragedies of love and betrayal ("Blood & Fire" "Too Late: Frozen"). Along the way, they sling a few arrows, such as at media detractors ("We Hate Everyone") or the lost little girls following them from show to show ("Black No. 1"), hitting their mark with fierce determination. Musically, _Bloody Kisses_ runs alternately from somber, almost Baroque minimalism to full-bodied Hard Rock, infusing every note with passion, rage and fury. Type O Negative bring a new dimension to a genre overgrown with cliches, delivering the hard Rock goods in a manner all their own. (Roadrunner Records, 225 Lafayette St., Suite 407, New York, NY 10012) ------------------------------------------------------ Various Artists / _FASTER & LOUDER: HARDCORE PUNKS_ Volumes 1 & 2, (Rhino Records) Rhino Records is fast becoming the cultural memory of twentieth-century popular music. Name a major mode of music, and they’ve probably anthologized it in some way. Name a major performer, and he or she has a good chance of showing up in one of those anthologies, or has a retro- spective of his or her own, if Rhino could get the licensing rights. From Buck Owens to Charles Mingus, 70's soul to World War II, Rhino has remembered it, and packaged it to provide the marketplace with a seemingly infinite supply of product. This does have its drawbacks -- in the case of their various _Billboard_ anthologies, or their _Have A Nice Day_ tribute to the 1970's, it could be suggested the collections do more to fuel a meaningless nostalgia for kitsch than to preserve the most brilliant moments of mass culture, so that Rhino gets rich as we pay for the privilege of remembering how much fun we thought we had twenty or thirty years ago. And as we run through one set of memories, Rhino quickly offers us another set (Worked your way through 70's pop? Here’s disco!). Yet they do have to be given credit for rescuing from the scrapheap a substantial number of artists whose work might otherwise have been only vaguely remembered, or known only secondhand: artists like Julie London, Louis Prima, Gene Pitney, and so on... Now, quickly following the nine-part D.I.Y. anthology, which covered power pop and punk of the late 70's and early 80's, Rhino Records offers a two volume retrospective of the origins of American hardcore punk. It opens with one of the most well-known songs of that mode, the Dead Kennedys’ "Holiday in Cambodia", and over the course of two compact discs presents selections from Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Suicidal Tendencies, Angry Samoans, Mission of Burma, Husker Du, Wire, the Germs, X, and a number of other important groups. Just about every song on these two discs is worth listening to, and yet... it’s a nagging doubt, but if you were there at the time, if you were in on the early years of hardcore punk, you probably tracked down the vast majority of these songs as they came out on singles and albums, and the music is recent enough (mostly less than 15 years) that you probably still have a lot of it today, and this whole anthology is in a sense worthless, since you could likely compile one of equal value and significance spending a few hours with your tape deck. Unless, of course, you supposedly "grew up" and got rid of all those records sometime during Ronnie’s second term, in which case, should the whole grunge movement be filling you with a nostalgia for hardcore, you might as well shell out the money to have your youth handed back to you on two platters. The other group that this anthology seems best suited for is people like me -- the tail end of the Blank Generation -- we didn’t come into adolescence until hardcore punk was in something very much like a decline. We never knew who Sid Vicious was until six or seven years after he was dead, and although a lot of people know that Bob Mould was in a band before Sugar, too many people know that band only by reputation. For us, it’s a good thing that this anthology exists, because we can get a quick lesson on exactly what inspired a lot of the music that we think of as "alternative" today -- from the Rollins Band (Come to think of it, where is Black Flag in this anthology? Or Minor Threat?) to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, from Nirvana to REM -- this anthology is "roots music" in the same sense as a Sun Records greatest hits collection. It’s a primer for some songs and bands with which anyone who cares passionately about music ought to have at least a superficial familiarity. That it has been so thoroughly assimilated into the mainstream as to be anthologized was perhaps inevitable, but nothing can stop you from subverting mass culture once you actually have its products in your hands. The means are at your disposal, the ends are at your discretion. Review By Jesse Garon (j_garon@mindvox.phantom.com) ------------------------------------------------------ Umar Bin Hassan / _BE BOP OR BE DEAD_ (Axiom) Nicky Skopelitis / _EKSTASIS_ (Axiom) Henry Threadgill / _TOO MUCH SUGAR FOR A DIME_ (Axiom) In the last few years, Bill Laswell’s Axiom Records has presented a consistently strong range of music, ranging from native African tribal chants and indigenous music, including the Master Musicians of Jajouka, to avant-garde fusion from Ginger Baker, Jonas Hellborg, Sonny Sharrock, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and genre-transcending disks like Material’s The Third Power, ostensibly rap, but with some of the funkiest studio musicians ever assembled. On a lot of the records, there is a steady core of studio musicians that helps provide a consistent, yet ever-mutating, "Axiom sound." Umar Bin Hassan is one of the original Last Poets, and the vocal tracks he lays down on _Be Bop or Be Dead_ recall the freewheeling energy of a Last Poets or Gil Scott-Heron recording. Some of the pieces, such as "Niggers Are Scared of Revolution" and "This is Madness" were even written in the early 70s, and though their topicality has perhaps faded in comparison to the newer material, their edge is honed just as sharp. The names of Coltrane, Dizzy, Sonny, and especially Malcolm are mentioned in the music, and are at the core of its attitude. Forget Bill Gibson and his cyberpunk riffs on pulp noir -- this is what life is like in the Sprawl of the urban landscapes. A lot of the same musicians show up on Nicky Skopelitis’ Ekstasis, including Bill Laswell himself on bass, and Guilherme Franco, Aiyb Dieng, Foday Musa Suso, and Amina Claudine Myers. Together with Jah Wobble, Simon Shaheen, Bachir Attar, and others, they have made a true fusion record, which combines the instrumental style of African music with the energy of funk and the improvisational flow of jazz. The tracks almost seem to join together into one long funky ride; to pick one among these tracks, which I’ve been playing constantly on my CD player as I try to organize my thoughts for this review, is still not easy. The whole album is that good. Henry Threadgill’s record, with his ensemble Very Very Circus, is more of a straightforward jazz recording, if you had to pin it down, but you’re hardly going to confuse this with a Wynton Marsalis -- or even a Branford Marsalis -- jazz record. After all, would either of them include the combination of tuba, French Horn and electric guitar in their bands? And then add violins and South American instruments to boot? This is jazz, but it’s jazz with an Axiom inflection, and that always means that it kicks ass. Actually, this whole debate is kind of pointless. What is jazz anyway? I sure as hell don’t know -- the music moves you, great. Run with it. Music talks and bullshit walks. That’s all you need to know. Review by Jesse Garon (j_garon@mindvox.phantom.com) ========================================================================== ****************************************************** ****************************************************** Hey Gang! How'd you like to win a free Ozric Tentacles' CD? Just be one of the first ten readers to send your name & address to R.A.D! either via regular mail or Email and we'll send you a copy of the Ozric's hot new I.R.S. Records' release _JURASSIC SHIFT_. Send those entries to: P.O. Box 158324, Nashville, TN 37215 or Email: GordonKA@CtrVax.Vanderbilt.Edu ****************************************************** ****************************************************** ========================================================================== File 6: RE/ISSUES Although Jim Morrison may have achieved greater notoriety since his death some two decades ago, it has been Jimi Hendrix, also an early casualty to the ravages of the grim reaper, who has quietly changed the face of music as we know it today. Hendrix’s creative legacy and mastery of the guitar has influenced artists across disparate genres, from Rock to Jazz, from Soul to the Blues and beyond. MCA Records recently acquired Hendrix’s extensive album catalog with plans to rework and reissue them all, with _The Ultimate Experience_ serving as the first taste of things to come... ...and what a compilation _The Ultimate Experience_ is, offering up 20 of Jimi’s finest performances and, indeed, almost negating MCA’s future reissue efforts: this is such a complete collection of vintage Hendrix that the casual fan should need no other. From classics like "Hey Joe" and "All Along The Watchtower," to lesser-known gems like "Angel" or "Little Wing," these cuts illustrate Hendrix’s seemingly endless talent. In-depth liner notes and rare photos round out a fine package. Completists may have this material, but new listeners can use it as an introduction to the genius that was Hendrix...and there's more to come! The ongoing violence in South Africa, as well as the renewal of racial hatred in our own country sadly illustrates how far we’ve yet to travel to discover peace. Of all the trendy "Rockers helping the needy" projects of the 80's, Steve Van Zandt's _Sun City_ project was truly the most momentous. Never before had such a group of talent come together for so worthy a cause as did the stars who made up Artists United Against Apartheid. Never have we needed it, perhaps, as badly as we do today... Razor & Tie Music has reissued the _Sun City_ album on CD with updated liner notes from Van Zandt which tell the tale of the original release’s success: over $1 million raised to date and donated to the Africa Fund. The music here remains as vital and passionate as it sounded 8 years ago, and the line-up of talent speaks for itself, representing a cross-section of race and gender and of musical styles: Stiv Bator, Pat Benetar, Ruben Blades, Jimmy Cliff, George Clinton, Miles Davis, Peter Gabriel, Stanley Jordan, Bonnie Raitt, Joey Ramone, Lou Reed, Run-DMC, Bruce Springsteen and scores of others worked together to create this album. As Little Steven writes in his dedication, to the 11,000 South African casualties to political violence since the album’s original release, "the struggle continues." ========================================================================== File 7: THE SINGLE'S SCENE William S. Burroughs & Kurt Cobain "The 'Priest' They Called Him" (Tim Kerr Records) On this collaboration of two of the Alternative music world's hottest stars, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain offers a cacophonic soundtrack to Burroughs' tale of Christmas madness. This story of a junkie's holiday search for one last fix is finely punctuated by Cobain's screaming guitar, soaring riffs and ringing notes complementing a typical Burroughs tale of sorrow. (Tim Kerr Records, P.O. Box 42423, Portland, OR 97242) Cranes Adrift EP (Dedicated Records) A martial rhythm opens "Adrift," leading into a well-crafted, melancholy tale of a life lost that is accompanied by severe, syncopated instrumentation. "Everywhere" is a more accessible piece, mixing wisps of vocals with a steady, slowly unfolding musical passage, while "Underwater" will take the listener on a musical journey to an aquatic wonderworld, distorted instrumentation forced by truly haunting vocals. I hear strains of Laibach, Current 93, and maybe a few 4AD bands within these grooves, as well as a unique, gothic-influenced spirit of tragedy and despair. I'd gladly hear more... (Dedicated Records, Uxbridge Street, London, W8, England) Chapterhouse "She's A Vision" b/w "Don't Look Now" (Dedicated Records) At first, the opening notes of "She's A Vision" seem like the signature of yet another British jangly Pop band. Then the music takes a turn to the left, and the singer's menacing, heavy vocals kick in, creating an interesting, if disturbing counterpoint to the flow of the music. "Don't Look Now" mixes lighter vocals with tinkling, gentle instrumentation before leaping headfirst into an abyss of guitars, percussion and throbbing bass. An intriguing first taste of England's Chapterhouse. (Dedicated Records, Uxbridge Street, London W8, England) Liers In Wait _Blood & Family_ EP (Railroad Records) Atlanta's Liers In Wait take the concept of Gothic Rock (i.e. tortured vocals and obscure, death-obsessed lyrics), then throw in a touch of extra theatrical drama and speed it up half a beat in creating their _Blood & Family_ EP. Showcasing both their not inconsiderable musical skills and subtle, occult-influenced poetry, Blood & Family revolves around the talents of guitarist and vocalist William Anderson, whose deft guitar mastery and scary vocals underline the lyrical madness, subliminal sounds and steady rhythms of the three songs included here. An encouraging beginning for a band who transcends labels in the creation of a music that is fresh and original. (Railroad Records, P.O. Box 54325, Atlanta, GA 30308-0325) Hayride & Harvey Milk _Pals Forever_ EP (Self-Rising Records) This seven inch extended player pairs two of Athens' young talents together on a single disc. Side A, the "Long Hair" side (so named for the band's respective coifs), offers the punkish antics of Hayride, their vinyl mosh-pit called "Clampy Hold" fading into the straight-forward, tasty power-pop of "Jibber" (which also sports some of the wackiest, inane lyrics this side of the Ramones). "Carpet's Brown," a rollicking, fast- paced romp through garage-bandland ends the side with Kevin Sweeney's guitarwork soaring as the rhythm section of drummer Will Kraft and bassist Nick Bielli lay down a "nasty beat sure to move your feet." Flip the disc over to the "Short Hair" side and Harvey Milk come up to the plate with a pair of extra base hits. "Blueberry Dooky" begins as a plodding, dirgish metallic drone, then quickens the pace a bit before lapsing into a total musical mindfuck. A stinging bass line opens "Smile," a thrashy guided missile of noise and sonic fury. Vocals aren't lost in the mix, they're literally buried alive beneath the white light/white heat of this power trio. (Self Rising Records, 224 Elizabeth Street, Athens, GA 30601) BANDS! We'd love to hear your material. Send your 33 & 45 rpm singles (both 7 and 12"), CD singles, demo tapes or whatever to R.A.D! 826 Old Charlotte Pike East, Franklin, TN 37064. We'll try and review everything sent us, but we'll make no promises, and nothing can be returned. Copies of published reviews will be furnished, so what are you waiting for???!!! ========================================================================== THANX THIS ISSUE GO OUT TO... Randy Ford, Mary Manci @ LUCY'S RECORD SHOP, Pam Cross ("Hi, Pam!"), Steve Kares & IRS RECORDS, Michelle Roche, Donnie & the HOUSE O' PAIN gang, Andy Anderson, Tom Cording @ MCA Records, the folks @ KINKO'S KOPIES, Ron Hogan, Daryl & Jody & BONE Mag, Chris Kamatani, Lisa Shively & THE PRESS NETWORK, Sandy Sawotka @ IMAGO, Paul Southworth @ University of Michigan & anyone we may have forgotten! AS ALWAYS, THANX FOR THE HELP & SUPPORT TO Dru "j.a." Myers, Maxxima Thule, Orpheus 23 & Nuit/Star, Kid Kasual, C Ra & the regular gang o' CyberPunx... ------------------------------------------------------ Keith A. Gordon / EDITOR & PUBLISHER Tracey L. Dooling / ASSISTANT EDITOR Andy Anderson & Jesse Garon / CONTRIBUTORS R.A.D! ON-LINE September 15th, 1993 copyright by Keith A. Gordon & CONSPIRACY M.E.D.I.A >**END OF TRANSMISSION, END OF FILE**<