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Reviews
Weekly Reviews For May 1, 2005 I am also Assistant Editor & reviewer
at MetalUK. I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock You will also find some reviews at spacerock.co.uk
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New Reviews
And this is one of the good ones. Powerful, without overpowering. And not only do you get a cracking unreleased track, the mid-paced “Underground Army”, but you get the video to the lead track and a French language version of “Heavy On My Heart”. And if you think she sounds sultry in English, wait till you hear this. Oh, and an unspecified amount of money is going to the Anastacia
Fund for breast cancer research
This time around Hayseed Dixie take their skewed country bluegrass to the Holy Grail that is “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead and give it a damn good going over, as only they can. It’s fun, it’s a laugh, it has a live version of AC/DC’s “Have A Drink On Me”, and even one of their original tunes for company. You should also check out their ‘real’ album under the Kerosene Brothers handle – a gem. Enjoy it for what it is.
Peter Ulrich – Enter The Mysterium Where to begin? How do you even begin to categorise something like this? Is it medieval, darkwave, gothic, ambient – what? Well, actually, all of the above and more. In case you’re wondering, Peter Ulrich was the percussionist in Dead Can Dance from 1983 until 1990, appearing on “Garden of Arcane Delights”, “Within the Realm of a Dying Sun” and “Spiritchaser”, as well as working with This Mortal Coil on “Filigree & Shadow”. So, pedigree established. The concept to this outstanding album appears to be a loose conglomeration of supernatural and religious themes from the Marathon Monks of Japan to the notorious John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I’s spiritual advisor, and all points inbetween. Ulrich handles most of the instrumentation himself, and although not a singer as such, his vocals suit the music. The exotic instrumentation lifts what are, sometimes, fragile songs into a dreamy, lush magic carpet ride, which never fails to enthral. Despite the disparate influences, the album flows seamlessly in and out of the different vibes, nowhere better than on the lengthy, but indispensable “The Witchbottle Of Suffolk”, where so many different worlds collide! A remarkable album, not just for the medievalists amongst us, but for anyone interested in the explorations of sounds and texture.
Ruby Boots – Somebody Take Me Away
Harmony vocals are one of my all time favourite misical thangs, and the art of close vocal harmonies is an increasingly rare skill. No doubt helped by the fact that Ruby Boots comprises three sisters - Dawn, Andrea and Heather - this is a display of harmony singing at its finest. "Somebody Take Me Away" highlights a delightful blend of folk, country and a little bit gospel, with a marvellous array of songs. Six of the songs were written by sister Dawn, the remainder well chosen covers, and the blend together as well as the voices. The sisters began singing together along with their parents in a mid-western gospel act "The Schimpps". But that name veers too close to the “Mighty Wind” for comfort, so Ruby Boots it is. A beautiful record and a beautiful sound.
Debbie Fleming - Steppin' Out I didn’t realise that this was the same Debbie Fleming whose 1974 Attic Records 7” single, "Long Gone" has been lurking in my ludicrously large record collection for the last couple of decades. That was a pop / dance number, and Debbie has moved on a lot since then. For Ms Fleming has developed into a quite outstanding jazz singer, with excellent phrasing, and – bonus – an excellent songwriter as well. The highlights are plentiful but my particular boat was floated by "Crazy In Love", which has a fabulous melody and wonderful backing. The tone is mainstream, but it never even gets close to being bland. It’s the sound of an experienced singer finding a true voice, and using the instrument to best effect.
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