Reviews

Weekly Rreviews For July 11th 2004

Review Index

I am also Assistant Editor & reviewer at MetalUK.

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

Recent reviews include
Rush - Chronicles (The Video Collection)
Deep Purple - The Early Years
Damageplan - New Found Power
Whitesnake - The Early Years

You will also find some reviews at spacerock.co.uk

The Rocker
New releases from;
Superczar - Pop Art
Various - Further Adventures of the Telepathic Explorers
When's The Future - Then
And many more....

 

New Reviews

Various - Moonhead Music From The Underground Vol 5

Moonhead is the premier German psychedelic and progressive music magazine, and even if your German is a bit rusty or indeed non-existant, it's still worth getting a hold of, for the fabulous CDs that come with every issue.

This time around it contains tracks from Axess Maxxess, Donovan's Brain, Queen Of Purple Heart, Brainstorm, Weltraumstaunen, Mamasweed, Root Deco, Space Debris, Anam Cara and ST 37.

There's not a weak track on the sampler, but those falling into the outstanding category are 'Close Encounter' by Axess Maxxess, a drifting, etheral instrumental, the Brainstorm contribution to the Stone Premonitions 'Moon Orion Project', the hard driving stoner blues 'O'Ryan In The Underworld' by Root Deco, out of place, but fabulous, the pure krautrock of 'Long Distance Voyager' by Space Debris and the ST 37 contribution, 'Solaris'. 13 minutes that pass in the blink of an eye.

Hey, even if you don't understand a word of the magazine, think of it as 64 pages of pictures, and you'll be fine!

Jay-Z - 99 Problems

When I first heard this I was stunned at the grinding guitars and powerful drum sound. Then I saw the video, and saw the inimitable Rick Rubin strutting around. Then I recognised the guitar part as being from a Mountain song ("Long Red". Then I realised the drums were from "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier, a classic early eighties rock moment. And it all made sense. Rick Rubin has continued his quest for the perfect fusion of rock and hip/hop, and has made one of his finest attempts yet. Ignore the lyrics (as a millionaire rappper complains about his life) and bask in the music. Stunning.

The Whiskey Bandits - Live

Thirteenth Note 28th June

A good reception was given from the 1st note, a few fans have already been gathered on this Glasgow bands travels and they gained a few more tonight. With good guitars, strong beats, great tunes and a cocky lead singer with a strong clear voice TWB are wicked to watch. With various influences such as Ocean Colour Scene, Happy Mondays and a bit of early punk combined with zest charisma and style these guys are excellent. The tunes were melodic with a funky and catchy in your face twist, they oozed confidence – well who wouldn’t if they could play that way! So if you are into guitars with a hint of punk and a little something extra then go check out The Whiskey Bandits. If your not then go and see them anyway and get converted.

Review by Kate Jarvis

Kathy Compton - Recovering Humans

A strong and expressive singer, Kathy Compton brings to mind some of the finest female singer songwriters - the Joni Mitchells of this world - although she has a distinctive sound that doesn't owe anything to anyone.

Not that she's the finished article quite yet, but there is a compelling honesty to her work, as the words and music flow through you. Hers is a warm sound that peaks on "Demigods and Hot Wheel Rods" and "Rainbow Thunder Shooting Star".

Granted, it gets a bit hippy love vibe in places, but it's better to be open, than closed to the wonders of life. Come on, anyone who covers "The Love Boat Theme" in an affectionate manner is beyond reproach. A special word of welcome also goes to “Grass Beneath My Feet" which has an irresistible mellow beat.

There is the potential here to go places, although I think she's going to have to think hard about concentrating on one musical idiom. Eclecticism isn't what it used to be, and with the youth of today having an attention span of 15 seconds, you've got to grab them where it hurts.

2am Orchestra

This comes on like the bastard offspring of Badfinger and Big Star making sweet love to the Fountains Of Wayne while being filmed by that bloke of the Red Shoe Diaries.

Which I think is my way of saying lush, orchestrated but with a degree of melodic porn. The brainchild of singer-songwriter David J. Kelley, 2 a.m. Orchestra have a wide eyed innocence just waiting for a scusi type rogering. Oh, and in case you were wondering, they're not a real orchestra although there are strings popping up now and then, as well as a brief burst of trumpet.

It's the kind of smart arse pop that music journalists love, but real people rarely hear (see Ben Folds with or without Five for further info). Kelley wrote, engineered and produced all of the tracks as well as singing and playing a fair number of the instruments,. See previous smart arse comments.

The great joy of this release is the lack of knowing winks and arty references that so many college pop acts lay on thick. The truly great power pop acts were seriously screwed up individuals who didn't read about life in books, they lived it. And the 2 a.m. Orchestra give off the same vibe.

The undoubted highlight is "(Part One) The Loss", which makes the loneliest sound you can possibly imagine, a lament that tugs at even the hardest heart. This is an album of dignified beauty and loss which you will return to, again and again.

Cousin Silas - Portraits & Peelings

Better known to us as editor of Modern Dance, this is editor Dave Hughes, exercising his creative urges in an electronic direction, across an experimental format.

"Portraits & Peelings" is something for you lovers of the avant-garde (i.e. readers of the Wire), with a few bones thrown to us spacerockers to keep us happy. Opener, "Bug Lady" is a real gem, going all cosmic on us, before "Olympus Mons" takes us further down the space corridor.

Things get all Edgar Froese on "Window Spinnerets" and "Glass Ravine", both heading down an ambient tangent, but by the time we get to "Hologram Chopper" it's gone all bleep drone skibop music of the future.

It's a bit Orb, it's a bit Tangerine Dream, it's a bit all of it's own, but it's never dull, always interesting, and on highlights like "Congealer", it's something new. Imagine a soundtrack to the most messed up sci fi mind control movie you can conceive (you know, "Bladerunner" but good) and you'll be close to the mark.

Roger Chapman
“Live in Hamburg & Chappo”
“Under No Obligation”
“Hybrid and Lowdown”

Following hot on the heels of the excellent Family and Chapman Family and Friends releases, Mystic has come up with yet more material from a rock singer whose distinctive vocal style easily puts him up there with the Joe Cockers and Rod Stewarts of this world. Sadly, success in the UK eluded him but at least Roger was able to take solace in the positive response of the German record buying and concert going public. Hence, a live set from Hamburg originally released by Castle in 1992 is a logical thing to bring to music lovers’ attention once again.

I have to say that the kind of music Roger was performing with his band The Shortlist at this time makes more sense live than in the studio being, as it explicitly was, a return to Roger’s r’n’b and soul roots with only the Chapman song ‘Shape of Things’ coming close to the creativity and imagination of a good Family song (of which there were plenty!)
The music may be more fun and more accessible but there is much regret to this listener that Roger had to resort to covering other peoples’ songs. The version of Leiber and Stoller’s ‘Keep Forgettin’ on ‘Chappo’ is OK but the (mis)treatment of Tim Hardin’s fabulous ‘Hang on to a Dream’ is, quite simply, a mistake.

The first three songs on ‘Live in Hamburg’ are all from the ‘Chappo’ so at least there is a continuity between these two releases. For me the best moment though is Micky Jupp’s ‘Short List’ with its killer chorus and acerbic jibe at ‘teasers’ (to be polite about it). The audience clearly appreciated this song too. The live cover of Willy Dixon’s ‘Hoochie Coochie Man; doesn’t quite make it for me but a raunchy rendition of Jagger- Richards’ ‘Let’s Spend the Night Together’ is more suited to a raucous and at times irreverent band. There is a welcome bonus live track- ‘the Chapman/ Whitney song ‘Hey Mr Policeman’ from Family’s very first album ‘Music in a Doll’s house’.

Roger wanted something ‘a bit funky’ on ‘Hybrid and Lowdown’ but I find Roger’s singing rather subdued on this, a sister album to 1989’s ‘Walking the Cat’. The sultry references to food in tracks like ‘Sushi Roll’, ‘Sushi Rock’ and ‘Chicken Fingers’ give the album a theme of sorts bit it seems that the food comes a poor second to the sex. All the subtlety of Family has long since disappeared it seems and the languorous version of ‘Bye Bye Love’ does little to redeem the album despite the best efforts of some outstanding backing musicians. A good idea to take the Bryants’ 1957 song at a slower pace than the Everly Brothers did though! There is a 7 track bonus live EP with this one recorded in Germany in 1990.

By this time I was struggling to disguise my disappointment at some of the material issued by one of my favourite singers, although I must confess songs like ‘Who Pulled The Nite Down’ have a certain charm that made me understand why ‘Chappo’ is so highly rated by some.
However, that was all about to change when I gave ‘Under No Obligation’ a spin. This album totally hits the spot for me with its overt blues leanings and production by Mike Vernon. Even the Pete Sinfield song that Chapman devotee Pete Feenstra reckons ‘doesn’t quite work’ does the trick for me. ‘Spontaneity and edge’ are two apt descriptions culled from the sleeve notes and Chappo is clearly on form here with some of the old ‘creativity’ returning. I am puzzled as to why this record has never attracted critical acclaim and as to why it has had to wait so long for a UK release- well done, Mystic! A Dr John song’ Renegade’ is thrown is for good measure as a bonus track and a 4 track bonus live EP is also included. Hats off also to a great band including Geoff Whitehorn and Alvin Lee (on 3 songs each) with Mick Weaver and Pete Wingfield (and others) sharing the keyboard duties.
As ever these recordings are lavishly packaged with comprehensive sleeve notes from Pete Feenstra and are a must for Chapman fans and collectors alike. The one I will be returning to though is ‘Under No Obligation’.

(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)