==== ISSUE 145 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [June 2, 1998] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gaj@westnet.com Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker Correspondents: Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Jason Cahill, Patrick Carmosino, Krisjanis Gale, Emma Green, Paul Hanson, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Chelsea Spear, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon West Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gaj@westnet.com ================================================================== All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the editor. ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' REVIEW: Tricky, _Angels With Dirty Faces_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Rod Stewart, _When We Were The New Boys_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Natalie Merchant, _Ophelia_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Bernard Butler, _People Move On_ - Robin Lapid REVIEW: John Wesley Harding, _Awake_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Lenny Kravitz, _5_ - Linda Scott REVIEW: B-52's, _Time Capsule_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Autour De Lucie, _Immobile_ - Scott Byron REVIEW: Chris Stills, _100 Year Thing_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Veda Hille, _Spine_ - Chelsea Spear REVIEW: Sherry Rich, _Sherry Rich & Courtesy Move_ - Daniel Aloi REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Last Days of Disco_ - Bob Gajarsky NEWS: Bauhaus TOUR DATES: Burning Airlines, Connells, Evelyn Forever, Flick, Irving Plaza, Ivy, Paul Kelly, Megadeth / Monster Magnet, Pitchshifter, Saw Doctors, 12 Rods, Josh Wink THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Tricky, _Angels With Dirty Faces_ (Island) - Joe Silva Since _Maxinquaye_'s startling arrival, Tricky has tried to give all concerned a redefined vision of urban musical blight - soundscapes that are sparse and menacing, yet ultimately groovin'. "Aftermath" was all those things, but four years out, Tricky may have become the victim of his own vision-thing. What Tricky's "voodoo" is currently about is more crisp drum tracks holding up ghostly bass and guitar lines and a bit of the old ultra-grim keyboard. His feel for effectively etching a track's character remains near-stellar, but in the end there's too little variation throughout what he chooses to render. The fragments he chooses to build upon are too wispy or skeletal to be the basis for much of anything. But lavished upon with stroke after stroke of calculated gloom, they become curious enough to draw your attention. Which is exactly what Tricky's best at. But there are small triumphs. The incessant, spare riff laid down by Jack Hersca on the lead-off piece "Mellow" is engaging enough in its basic nature to distract you momentarily from Tricky's tolerable lifting of basic Tom Waits shtick. The gospel choir placed up against a macabre fairground vibe during "Broken Homes" shows off his occasionally great flair for juxtaposition. But while PJ Harvey chimes in to make something of the rudimentary melody Tricky, not content to have smartly orchestrated all of this, can't restrain himself from tainting the goods with a completely unnecessary appearance on da' mike. As things go on from there, you'll hear Tricky natter on about feeling "pre-menstrual" (pre-millennial?) as the industry gets ready to bleed him for more than he cares to dispense. His ego is firmly lodged in an abstraction that insists upon it's share of universal respect as long as there no protracted amount of prodding at his flesh. He's here to assure us that he's great and powerful. Just trust him on this one, okay? As always Martina, in her role as significant other and general purpose point of illumination, thankfully comes to the fore. Her totally credible demand for her "ten dollars today" during "Singing the Blues" makes you wonder if PJ's earlier stand-in appearance was just a bit of artistic name-dropping. As pure cinema, Martina's voice is a leading light whose languor is a verite that Tricky can not do without while he's running the game. Because even though he can nab ace talent like Marc Ribot or genre heavies like Anthrax's Scott Ian (!!!), they are largely subjugated to his will. Until Tricky finds a key collaborator or is willing to hang on his ego a touch more aggressively, his will continue to be an overpoweringly morose specter over his output. --- REVIEW: Rod Stewart, _When We Were The New Boys_ (Warner) - Bill Holmes Rumors about the comeback of The Rooster Of Rock were flying the moment this album's concept was leaked to the press last year; the common thread being that Rod was making a rock record that could stand alongside _Every Picture Tells A Story_ or any Faces disc. As fans became excited and critics sharpened their axes (for the inevitable failure), the further details regarding the "cover song" concept became available, leading both fans and critics ready to write the old man's epitaph - not only has he lost his way musically, but now even his muse has left him. As someone from the other side of the pond might say, "Bollocks"! Scrape away all the surface crap about Rod's Hollywood image, his tabloid romance diary fodder and every other preconceived notion and you just might remember that Mr. Stewart is one of the best interpretive performers of the last thirty years. Whether breathing fire into the classic "I'm Losing You", celebrating the joyous "People Get Ready" or rocking out with covers of his beloved Sam Cooke, Stewart has always peppered his records with inspired versions of other's work; casual fans might be surprised how many of his covers are superior to the originals. But the big misnomer here is the "rock album" tag - while half the songs light a bigger fire than most of recent memory, the others fall into that literate ballad category that Rod has mined for gold. On this record, Rod digs down a little deeper and sings in his upper register more than usual - a bold step for an elder singer, but perhaps his own way of proving a point. "Superstar", complete with the opening fanfare that screams "sensitive ballad", is a prime example; Rod's pleading vocals cascading above the melody. Ron Sexsmith's "Secret Heart" follows, framing Rod's voice in a beautiful acoustic arrangement that proves his pipes are as strong as his phrasing. Perhaps the most beautiful song on the record is Nick Lowe's "Shelly My Love", yet another ballad that boldly leaves Rod's vocals naked against the framework of the song. They might be mellow, but they are among the most beautifully fragile performances of his career. Perhaps his most challenging vocal is on "Weak", the passionate power ballad by Skunk Anasie that truly pushes his gravel voice to the limit. A nod and a wink to his departed bandmate Ronnie Lane, the arrangement of "Ooh La La" recalls the atmosphere of his early records when Pete Sears and Mickey Waller and Martin Quittenton and others brought his folksy vision to life. Ditto the closing track, the Dylanesque "What Do You Want Me To Do" from Waterboy Mike Scott, simple acoustic and harp easing the record to a close. This is the first record that Rod has self-produced in years, and it reinforces the fact that he has always been his own best producer, balancing sparse ballads and full band rock and making it cohesive. As far as pure adrenaline rock, there are really only three kick-ass moments. The opening track and single "Cigarettes And Alcohol" (Oasis) gets full "Brown Sugar" treatment, complete with horns and saucy background vocalists (take THAT, Liam!). Turn the knob up as well for the vastly underrated Graham Parker's raucous "Hotel Chambermaid" and especially the Stones arrangement of Primal Scream's "Rocks", a no-brainer for his upcoming live show. But the arrangements and playing here are far more reminiscent of his post-emigration American bands than classic Faces material. As talented as any of his bands and sidemen have been over the years (and make no mistake, there have been many heavy-hitters), there will never be another song that will recapture the magic of the golden era. Why? Because as much as neither one will ever say so publicly, the combination of Ron Wood and Rod Stewart created a magic that neither has been able to match without the other. Watching the video of _Unplugged And Seated_, even with the acoustic setting, it is obvious how the two naturally feed off each other. So while he may be recapturing his roots (the album art's little side joke), the rock is more along the level of "Hot Legs" than "Stay With Me". But he knows that better than anyone. The centerpiece of _When We Were The New Boys_ is the title song, the lone track penned by Stewart (co-written with band mate Kevin Savigar). The tempo and lyrical framework will immediately recall both "Forever Young" and "I Was Only Joking", and like those, contain autobiographical lyrics that perhaps here are more poignant than ever. Stewart's well aware of his past glories, and also that he cannot turn back that clock, no matter how much his fans (and probably himself) might want him to. But while he's not trying to recapture the torch, he's not passing it either - if you want it, Noel, come on and get it. The lyrics are among the best he has ever written, and I suspect one of the most introspective looks he has permitted us to share: "We never dreamed it could ever end / This was our moment, this was our space / This was a jewel of a time to have graced / But they're all sweet memories now / When we were the new boys..." At ten songs and forty-one minutes, even the time recalls the vinyl era (and if you consider "Secret Heart" the end of side one, "Hotel Chambermaid" is the ass-kicker that every side two needs to open with). While this might be a little short for his ever-zealous fans, it should be just long enough to prove his point. Rod The Mod has still got it in spades, and his finest record since _Never A Dull Moment_ shows a man comfortable with his past, not jealous of it. --- REVIEW: Natalie Merchant, _Ophelia_ (Elektra) - Jon Steltenpohl Few artists can maintain poignancy and vitality throughout their careers, but Natalie Merchant is taking a shot at it. On _Ophelia_, her second album after leaving the safe confines of 10,000 Maniacs, Merchant continues to shine. She is, as always, confident and alluring. Her voice is forged with a bold sensitivity, and she drapes herself in a musical tapestry that is shimmering and vibrant. While her first solo album, _Tigerlily_, kept a rather simple musical focus, _Ophelia_ finds Merchant venturing out into a garden of lush orchestration. With the help of handpicked guests such as Daniel Lanois, N'Dea Davenport of the Brand New Heavies, and Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission, Merchant explores a world that 10,000 Maniacs would never have allowed. The bio for the album quotes Merchant as saying, "I wanted to approach the recording of _Ophelia_ as a series of workshops. Rather than use a band and rehearsing it, I hand-picked musicians for specific songs and invited them into the studio. There was a refreshing amount of freedom and spontaneity in this method." The resulting effort succeeds for the most part and provides a reminder of the type of album an original, exciting artist should make. Merchant's songwriting remains the same. The lyrics are personal portraits of characters painted with Merchant's knack for sympathetic and vivid first person interpretations. In "The Living", Merchant sings the suicide note of person sick of the world. In "Life is Sweet", she is filled with comforting optimism for a child from an unhappy home. But, the focus of _Ophelia_ is the orchestrations. Gone are _Tigerlily's_ danceable tunes. The title track is a grand pageant with drama and flair. It is filled with quiet mystery and reverence, and Merchant sings with fading echoes. "Life is Sweet" features tender piano and gentle strings which rise to aching beauty, and "My Skin" is a ghostly aria with sparse piano touches that recalls "Verdi Cries". Karen Peris' contributions on "Frozen Charlotte" and "When They Ring Them Golden Bells" add greatly to those songs. For the most part, the extra musical touches work, but there are a few tracks which might throw listeners. "Break Your Heart" features backing vocals by N'Dea Davenport of the Brand New Heavies and oblique jazz trumpet by Chris Botti. It's a good song, but it doesn't really fit the typical Merchant sound. Likewise, "Thick as Thieves" ventures too far with its focus on Daniel Lanois' guitar (which the bio describes as "a psychedelic guitar excursion"), and the overpowering orchestration in "King of May" tends to distract from Merchant's voice. Fortunately, the few lapses are mainly due to the way the songs are recorded, and the album still flows the way you would expect. _Ophelia_ is a terrific album that shuns pop simplicity for a more grandiose ideal of beautiful music and sincere lyrics. _Ophelia_ is not a casual album. Instead, it requires listening and contemplation. If anything, it shows that Miss Merchant is willing to take risks by expanding and challenging her repertoire. For such an experienced songwriter, working on the presentation of songs is about the only avenue left for improvement, and Merchant succeeds more often than not. _Ophelia_ may not find any hit singles other than "Kind & Generous" but is nonetheless a great album. --- REVIEW: Bernard Butler, _People Move On_ (Creation/Columbia) - Robin Lapid You could tell Bernard Butler would end up doing the type of music offered on his debut solo album, _People Move On_, if you listen to his previous work with David McAlmont. Taking over singing duties for the first time (as well as nearly every other job on the album except percussion and strings), the former Suede guitarist has surprised everyone with very accomplished vocals - he has a sweet, near-falsetto timbre that blends seamlessly into its sonic landscape. Each song aspires toward a four-minute epic rule, stewing up hooky pop melodies delivered via a soulful Motown vibe, while Butler conjures the muse of Neil Young. Perhaps recalling his one-off work with the Verve, the album also revels in a huge flourish of orchestra strings, sometimes subtle but often wending their way toward a dramatic finish, not very far off from McAlmont and Butler's "Yes" single. "Woman I Know" starts everything off with a deep, mellow soul sound that earmarks the rest of the album. Symphonic anthems like "Not Alone" and "Stay" get to where they're going in due time, and the semi-acoustic songs cleanse the palette. Even the inordinate amount of strings still occupy their rightful place in the song. Butler delivers low-key, understated guitar solos and sometimes even replaces them with equally beautiful piano or mellotron or string interludes. But it almost sounds too perfect. The songs tend to get overwhelmed by their heavy production -- they try too hard to please and complete themselves when sometimes they should remain dangling, a little off, not so refined to the point that they lose definition. Every instrument and vocal blends so well that the song drifts effortlessly into the ether at a point when you need something weighty to ground you. Lyrically, Butler bares his soul and seems to allude to the fruition of recent personal highs, including marriage and new fatherhood, but the voice and the music can't really find their own niche, their own personality. The vocals are smooth but not haunting, the music catchy but not gripping, the songs accomplished but not necessarily unique, although as a contributing and solo artist Butler always hints at the best possibilities. People do move on, and you can tell Butler probably doesn't have the, "What, wear the red shirt again? Not bloody likely!!" exchanges he did while serving Suede's glam-rock factions. He's settled down now, and so has the music. _People Move On_ is an impressive enough debut, but I hope in time Butler will dig meatier roots into his musical ethos and have the confidence to take more chances. --- REVIEW: John Wesley Harding, _Awake_ (Zero Hour) - Joe Silva While we may be a bit remiss in delivering this, the world at large is probably equally dilatory in recognizing our man Harding for being the decent sort of songwriter that he actually is. Thoughtful, witty, and (to get the long-standing comparison right out of the way) as quick with a catchy tune as Mr. McManus used to be. Fair play to Elvis though who, in his brooding middle ages, is searching for more grandiose and somewhat less tuneful vehicles to steer his vision with. But Wes is no less keen on piecing together clever notions and bewitching allusions as he gets on. Have a listen to "Window Seat" to hear him wax inventive on the parallels between ordinary life and air travel (particularly the bit about the metal detector being the barrier between us and the "great beyond."). That's Wes all over - a writer's soul trapped in a modern folk singer's body. In a recently lost taped conversation, he thoroughly frightened me with the list of books that he's taken along with him on tour this year. But unlike his long-stated icon Dylan, Wes retains his appreciation of a good song being more than sounds under an interesting narrative. There's a sturdiness to his melodies as well as a conviction to his stories. The balance between might vacillate now and then, but not much. With his assorted "gangsta folk" in tow, Wes uses a healthy variety of sounds to populate his wares. "Your Ghost (Don't Scare Me No More)" combines a robust bass Moog undercurrent with rhythmic bits of triangle (!!!) and a shuffling backbeat, while the singer goes on about an increasing comfort zone with the specter of a lost love. And while the sound effects that open "Burn" (lighters, and striking match books) might come off as a bit twee or heavy-handed reference-wise, they don't detract much if at all from what may be the strongest of his airs on this collection. But tunes aside, the things that are most memorable here are the tales that Wes happens to spin. "Miss Fortune," a tale of a ward who is forced to mistakenly live the first part of his life as a girl by his rich benefactor, can take you from one end of the song to the other simply on the story's strength. The infectious tune then, turns to straight-up icing as a result. Which leads us to believe that Mr. Harding, despite a super showing on the earlier _Why We Fight_, make be reaching another peak in his labors. Poised for a post-position in the 1998 year's best in a currently lackluster year. --- REVIEW: Lenny Kravitz, _5_ (Virgin) - Linda Scott With the release of his fifth album, _5_, Lenny Kravitz is back with a mixture of style and sounds ranging from hip-hop to rock. Kravitz has always insisted on recording with just musical instruments (no electronica!) and _5_ is no exception. This sound, the retro dress, and song topics always brings out the critics. Kravitz' fans ignore the critics and go for the whole package. So when Kravitz announces at the start of _5_ that he's "getting straight in '98", and there are synth credits from dabbling in the studio gadgetry, Kravitz' longtime audience might be getting worried. For them, the good news is that Kravitz may say he has taken the plunge into the world of loops and overdubs, but he never does more here than get his feet wet. And that's not bad at all. Kravitz is receptive to different styles. After all he comes from a multicultural background, half Bahamian, half Jewish and growing up in Manhattan, L.A. (where he attended school with his friend Slash and Maria McKee), and the Bahamas. Hitting with his rocking debut album, _Let Love Rule_, Kravitz went on to make the darker _Mama Said_ (Slash and he crafting the title song), But his longest lasting success came with the third album, _Are You Gonna Go My Way_ where the title song with its trademark guitar stutter was blasting from car radios and cover bands for months. _Circus_ was a letdown, and _5_ doesn't have the hit singles and strength of _Are You Gonna Go My Way_, but it's a step up from _Circus_. As his life moves on, Kravitz suffers the pains and joys of a family. His beloved mother, actress Roxie Roker, has died, and he has a young daughter by his failed marrieage to actress Lisa Bonet. The songs dedicated to mother and daughter, "Thinking Of You" and "Little Girl's Eyes" are tender and lovely to listen to. Kravitz can sing a ballad like no other rocker - his voice is powerful but mellow. You want to hear every word, and these tracks are mixed so that you can. There are a couple of other singles worthy of mention. "Live" is a brassy song that kicks off the album and has a funky style of its own. Down the tracks is "If You Can't Say No", which might be the masterpiece of _5_. Great topic, great lyrics, and Kravitz really gets down to business with this one. Not to be missed. Bottom line here? Traditional fans, as well as those who wanted to see some changing (but not along the lines of Moby) will definitely like this album. Kravitz is moving along with this album, and maybe _6_ will pull the past and present styles together and he'll get another huge one. Want to hear some clips and maybe see a video before you buy? Visit Lenny Kravitz official web site at http://www.lennykravitz.com ; there's a special gift there of a non-album track you can download, and you can even get a coupon to use if you buy _5_. --- REVIEW: B-52's, _Time Capsule_ (Reprise) - Bob Gajarsky Of course, it seems so obvious now that the B-52's had to succeed. A prototypical geek who couldn't sing on lead vocals, girls with bouffaint hairdos, and offering an alternative to 12 minute rock jams or 9 minute extended disco grooves proved to be the formula that would launch the B-52's off the ground and into modern rock's stratosphere. Of course, there was no such thing as modern rock or alternative music when the B-52's broke out of Athens via CBGB's in New York's lower East Side (Blondie, Talking Heads). The guitar groove from "Rock Lobster" owed a debt to the surf instrumentals of the 60s, but what was with these lead vocals? And the backing vocals seemed like something ripped straight out of a "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" film. There lay part of the attraction of the B-52's; irresistible hooks, but the package was wrapped with the weirdest bow imaginable - lead singer Fred Schneider. And Schneider even inspired imitators; "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Mr. Popeil" isn't too far from removed from Schneider's unique, geek-talk rapping style on "Party Out Of Bounds". Music and fun was a serious matter to the quintet from Athens, and those who danced to songs such as "Private Idaho" and "Planet Claire" truly saw the new-wave B-52's as a cutting edge alternative to Michael Jackson and Prince. And, in that time frame, they were. Guitarist Ricky Wilson succumbed to AIDS in 1985, and it seemed that the group was near the end of the line. The bland _Bouncing Off The Satellites_ (1986) met with limited enthusiasm, and one could have been excused for thinking that the B-52's were finished. However, the rocket was just getting ready for another takeoff. "Shake That Cosmic Thing" (curiously omitted here) was the track that re-introduced the band to an era of fans that were just dipping their toes in another British invasion and hadn't yet heard of the term 'grunge'. Radio programmers took note, and "Channel Z", "Deadbeat Club", "Roam" and the now-wedding classic "Love Shack" netted the B-52's their most successful album (the #4 smash _Cosmic Thing_), several bonafide top 40 hits, and pressure to recreate that magic once again. It couldn't happen. _Good Stuff_ represented a mix of the good (the title track) and the bad (much of the remainder of the disc). The underappreciated "Is That You Mo-Dean?" fits in much better on a hits collection than on its original home. The "Flintstones" theme is wisely excluded from this set, and is instead buttressed with an unreleased mix of "Summer Of Love", and two new songs - "Debbie" and "Hallucinating Pluto" - which could also have come from the _Whammy_ time period. This collection is more complete than their previous (import-only) set, _Dance This Mess Around_, simply because it includes their comeback years. And, clocking in at nearly 80 minutes, it's hard to get upset at a song ("Legal Tender") omitted from both compilations. Good job! TRACK LISTING: Planet Claire, 52 Girls, Rock Lobster, Party Out Of Bounds, Strobelight, Private Idaho, Quiche Lorraine, Mesopotamia, Song For A Future Generation, Summer of Love (Original Unreleased Mix), Channel Z, Deadbeat Club, Love Shack, Roam, Good Stuff, Is That You Mo-Dean?, Debbie, Hallucinating Pluto --- REVIEW: Autour De Lucie, _Immobile_ (Nettwerk) - Scott Byron French art-popsters Autour De Lucie are at once instantly accessible and difficult to define. Sultry singer/co-songwriter/acoustic guitarist Valerie Leulliot is the obvious focal point of the band -- her warm, breathy voice is at the center of all the tracks here. But the music on _Immobile_ comes from so many directions and mixes so many influences and styles that each listen reveals more layers. A first obvious comparison would be with Portishead -- on some tracks there's a mix of live instrumentation with sampled rhythms ("Salon\l'humeur," "La verite (sur ceux qui mentent)) behind Leulliot -- but Autour De Lucie is much less dramatic and stylized. On many tracks, the way the electric and acoustic guitars bounce off each other recalls American and English folk-rock; but others ("Chanson sans issue (ne vois-tu pas)" most notably) are also rooted in the once-revolutionary, now quaint synth-pop of the early '80s, like Heaven 17. One track, "Les promesses," has a climax that would have worked beautifully for the Bongos. There's a loping, Chris Isaak-like feel to "L'eau qui dort." And I would imagine that there are other, more obvious and direct influences in French pop history that are alien to me as an American listener. And I speak little French, so the lyrics are largely a mystery to me. But the mysteriousness of this recording -- and this band -- is part of its appeal. Mysterious, eclectic, sensuous, moody... all good words to describe Autour De Lucie. --- REVIEW: Chris Stills, _100 Year Thing_ (Atlantic) - Jon Steltenpohl Being the child of music star has to be a double edged sword. On the one hand, it's a simple matter to use your parent's name to get noticed and you've got some musical DNA built in to help you out. On the other hand, it would be impossible to escape the natural comparisons to your parents. For every Dylan or Buckley kid with critical acclaim, there's a Lennon or Sonny and Cher brat stinking up the place. Chris Stills falls right in the middle. Musically, he's got something, but a lot of poppa Stephen is in there to make the comparisons unavoidable. _100 Year Thing_ is filled with some pretty good harmonies and hooks, but it's like an instant time machine. The sound is fixed squarely on sparse rhythm guitars, a few licks from a Hammond organ, and crystal clear harmonies. In other words... welcome to the 60's. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes Young perfected this sound 30 years ago, and there was a good reason for their success. This is a great style of music. The problem is that we've heard it all before. Take a song like "If I Were a Mountain". The lyrics start out "If I was a mountain. Or a flower on a tree. Would I be running. From the future that I see. Would I be cryin' baby. From the horror that lay before me." Makes you wonder if the war in Vietnam is still going on or if Kent State is still under siege. (Really, it's about personal anguish.) In 1968, this song would have been #1 on the charts, but today it seems like an instant oldies classic. Lenny Kravitz pulls off his post Hendrix apocalypse with a little modern day funk, but Chris Stills merely gives us a carbon copy of his father. Mind you, the carbon copy isn't all that bad. "If I Was a Mountain" is a good song. So are songs like "Trouble", "Last Stop", and the bluesy title track "100 Year Thing." They all flow with a "Woodstock" kind of flavor. But it's too much. "Tears of Envy" tries for a Kravitz style free-love flavor, but it still feels like Stephen Stills doing funk. "Doors of the World" has a slight Jeff Buckley feel to it, but it doesn't quite plunge to the emotion depths that the late Buckley did. In the end, Chris Stills doesn't fall far enough from his father's tree. Given his father's success, this isn't a completely bad thing, but just being a pretty good version of his famous dad isn't enough to make a great album. If you're a huge Stephen Stills fan, consider this a deservedly great new album, but if you never really got past liking the oldies now and then, you'll be disappointed. _100 Year Thing_ is a decent effort that rarely escapes Stills' lineage. --- REVIEW: Veda Hille, _Spine_ (Bottom Line) - Chelsea Spear An online cult called the Ectophiles, lovers of music both beautiful and fierce, have anointed singer/songwriter Veda Hille a goddess. Her music has created a cult groundswell in Canada and pockets of the United States, though her records are hard to come by stateside. Bottom Line Records, the label who helped bring Hille's wacky fellow countrymen Moxy Fruvous to an American audience, now provide the means for Hille to help her get a domestic foothold, and to make us Yanks decide if she really is a musical divinity by rereleasing her two-year-old album _Spine_. _Spine_ is a pleasant enough record. Hille has a strong, supple voice that works best when she's not emulating Janis Ian, and her lyrical insights offer startling clarity, idealism, and well-articulated anger - sometimes all in the same toothsome, well-turned phrase. Unlike the musical sisters many may find for her in the Lilith camp, Hille is capable of balancing her love of beauty and melody with her ideological anger. If I didn't know any better, I would think this was a debut album, for there are signs all over the place of what Hille has been listening to, or, in some cases (considering the vintage of this release), who has been listening to her. Aside from the aforementioned vocal resemblance to Ian, which is most pronounced on the song "Path Of A Body", the Kashmir-flavoured coda of "Slumber Queen" sounds like an acoustic-guitar-based version of Tori Amos' new single "Spark". Additionally, the balmy piano chords of "26 Years" offer an atmosphere similar to that of Nina Simone's memoir "Four Women". Those who have experienced Hille live swear by the experience, though there's not much here to suggest a powerhouse live show. The record's glossy production accounts for this surfeit, making everything sound much slower and elaborate than it has to. Ironically, hearing this record has piqued my interest in seeing her live; underneath all the influence and production, Hille seems like she'd have an intriguing enough voice to make for a compelling performance, and I would love to see the abundant beauty within these tunes balanced with some of the fierce spirit hinted at in an occasionally growly voice and lines like "God knows that my mouth holds more teeth than wisdom." Until then, the woman has an engaging voice that I'll be interested in hearing develop, but for my musical worship, could someone pass the Tara Key and Naomi Yang? --- REVIEW: Sherry Rich, _Sherry Rich & Courtesy Move_ (Rubber Records /BMG Australia) - Daniel Aloi Country music hasn't had a crossover superstar from Australia since Olivia Newton-John hit more than 25 years ago. When Sherry Rich came from Melbourne to record in Nashville last year, she made a pop-meets-country debut album that blows away, aesthetically at least, the current crop of stars with big hits and big hair. Rich landed in Music City (and America) for the first time to work on her songs over Christmas and New Year's 1996-97 with Courtesy Move, otherwise known as Wilco members Jay Bennett, John Stirratt and Ken Coomer. Bar-hopping with the band there and in Chicago between rehearsals and recording sessions, she cemented a landmark collaboration on a par with that of Linda Ronstadt and the fledgling Eagles. Starting with the bare bones of some songs, they ended that fun, alcohol-fueled fortnight with one great record that shows how accessible so-called "alternative country" can be. It all feels loose and lived-in, an almost effortless meeting of a great singer and a great band. Smart and winsome, Rich is the daughter of a country singer but she grew up in love with rock'n'roll. Most of the proud swagger you hear on the album is balanced by revelation and sensitivity, adding up to a statement of purpose in the same league as Amy Rigby's acclaimed "Diary of a Mod Housewife" two years ago. Released in Oz last October, _Sherry Rich & Courtesy Move_ is now making its way into the hands, hearts and minds of Americans who've seen Rich play across the country, both with and without her adopted backing band. Rich is in her 20s, and seems to have no stars in her eyes. Her songs are mature and realistic, and she claims ownership -- no team of producers to pick her material, no calculated angling for a hit. Most of the 13 songs -- some written with Bennett and the other band members, one composed with Paul Kelly -- are pure delights and serious fun, from the opening rocker "Polite Kisses" (think of Lucinda Williams' "Passionate Kisses" with more up-front sexuality) to the gritty and bluesy "Little Miss Cool." She kisses off a succession of men in her lyrics, particularly in "Is That All You Wanted" and "Three Time Loser," and in the see-ya-later sentiments of the fast, open-road song "Two White Dogs." She can be just as adept at a hesitant admission that she's fallen in love ("Who's That Girl"). Rarely do the highs and lows of romance sound so good, in either country or pop songs. The album's atypical standout is "Beautiful, Talented, Dead," a ballad examining Kurt Cobain's suicide. (It was first recorded well before Michael Hutchence's exit, now something of a national obsession in Rich's homeland - but it could certainly apply.) Rich captures the shock and misunderstanding felt by millions of fans. She's a bit disapproving, but lets the words and music convey respectful mourning as well. A cover of Badfinger's "I'll Be the One" complements the album's romantic focus. On a hidden track, "Cheese Quiches," Bennett goofs on "Polite Kisses" in a "Weird Al" Yankovic way. The musicianship is up to the material, as well - Rich's rhythm guitar and Bennett's slide, lead picking and keyboards are aided by Coomer's offbeat menagerie of percussion, Stirratt's rock-steady basslines and relocated Aussie Kerryn Tolhurst on mandolin and lap steel. Nashville's music establishment should wake up to the talent hitting the bars on its own streets. A deal and airplay for an artist like Sherry Rich could single-handedly up the quality of contemporary rockin' country several notches. The way it works now, though, a song like "Polite Kisses" could be a smash hit for the likes of Pam Tillis or Patty Loveless. After playing South by Southwest and some limited touring with Courtesy Move, Rich now plans on continuing her stay, to write new songs in Nashville with Jim Lauderdale and others. Something equally wonderful should come of it. (You can contact Rubber Records for more information at rubber@ozonline.com.au) --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Last Days of Disco_ (WORK) - Bob Gajarsky In the late 1970s, a nearly-hedonistic lifestyle conquered city streets. New York's Studio 54 became a mecca for disco fans looking to get their fill of a good time. Straight single men might have a hard time gaining entrance to the club, but those men with women - or men - on their arms were more likely to see the glitter of the dancefloor. The club itself may now be just a memory, but the soundtrack to the Whit Stillman film, _Last Days of Disco_, serves as a reminder of some of the hot songs from that era. The collection is bookended by two versions of the classic "I Love The Nightlife" - Alicia Bridges' original, and a cover by India with Nuyorican Soul. In between is a reminder that the more things change, the more they remain the same. If it wasn't for Sister Sledge and Diana Ross, two of the past year's biggest artists (Will Smith and Puff Daddy) wouldn't have samples to use for their monster hits. And is it too far a stretch to note the parallels beteween porno star Andrea True ("More More More"), who according to that song's writer Gregg Diamond "couldn't even sing one note" and former topless model, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell? The "Ooooh oooh" from the Michael Zager Band's "Let's All Chant" has become so mainstream that it's nearly impossible to go to a wedding or fraternity party and not hear it sung at some point by a drunken guy who has no clue (or care) to its origins. Amii Stewart's "Knock On Wood" has survied surprisingly well from its original days, and other acts such as Chic, the O'Jays and Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes all achieved much more than the brief glimpse of fame which was afforded most disco and R&B acts of the era. Dedicated fans of disco probably have most of these tracks in one place or another. But more casual fans of the music may want to reserve a place in their collection for _Last Days of Disco_. TRACK LISTING: I Love The Nightlife, I'm Coming Out, Got To Be Real, Good Times, He's The Greatest Dancer, I Don't Know If It's RIght, More More More, Doctor's Orders, Everybody Dance, The Love I Lost, Let's All Chant, Got To Have Loving, Shame, Knock On Wood, Oogum Boogum Song, Love Train --- NEWS: > Legendary British goth artists Bauhaus will reunite for three shows (July 10-12) at Los Angeles' Palladium Theatre, consisting of members David J, Daniel Ash, Peter Murphy and Kevin Haskins. --- TOUR DATES: Burning Airlines Jun. 6 Hagerstown, MD 180 Club w/ Trans Megetti Jun. 7 New Brunswick, NJ Melody Bar w/ TransMegtti Connells Jun. 6 Charleston, SC The Music Farm Jun. 7 Norfolk, VA Harborfest Jun. 13 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater Evelyn Forever Jun. 10 Long Branch, NJ Brighton Bar Jun. 13 Toronto, ON 360 Club Flick Jun. 6 Portland, ME Stone Coast Brewing Jun. 7 Harrisburgh, PA Wanda's Jun. 9 Pittsburgh, PA Pluto's Jun. 10 Youngstown, OH Woodpeckers Jun. 12 St. Louis, MO Galaxy Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com) Jun. 8-10 Sonic Youth Jun. 12 Edwin McCain / Pete Droge Ivy Jun. 9 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club Jun. 10 Charleston, SC Cumberlands Jun. 11 Washington, DC Black Cat Jun. 12 Philadelphia, PA Pontiac Jun. 13 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Jun. 14 Boston, MA Midddleast Club Paul Kelly Jun. 6 Vancouver, BC Starfish Room Jun. 9 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Jun. 10 Chicago, IL Double Door Jun. 11 Pontiac, MI 7th House Jun. 13 Cleveland, OH Wilbert's Megadeth / Monster Magnet Jun. 6 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amp Jun. 7 San Diego, CA Open Air Theater Jun. 10 Fresno, CA Rainbow Ballroom Jun. 11 San Bernardino, CA Nat Orange Show Jun. 12 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theater Jun. 13 Sacramento, CA Hornet Field Jun. 14 Santa Cruz, CA Civic Pitchshifter Jun. 6 Detroit, MI Shelter Jun. 7 Chicago, IL Metro Jun. 10 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck Saw Doctors Jun. 8 Portland, ME Raoul's Music Hall Jun. 9 Providence, RI Lupo's Jun. 11 New Haven, CT Toad's Place Jun. 13-14 New York, NY Randall's Island (Fleadh) 12 Rods Jun. 8 New York, NY Brownies Jun. 9 Philly, PA Upstairs at Nick's Jun. 11 Boston, MA Bill's Bar Jun. 12 Providence, RI Century Lounge Jun. 13 Woodstock, NY The Lake Josh Wink Jun. 12 Chicago, IL Metro Jun. 13 Detroit, MI Motor --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! > Great zine, with some excellent writers. Keep up the good work! I thought your subscribers may be interested in our new site, which provides one of the most comprehensive on-line listings of North American music festivals. Monthly listings are available at the website http://www.cobweb.net/~ozone/deadheads or by signing up for our FREE monthly festival E-zine. To subscribe, simply send your email address to punk@psc.edu with the subject "Festival Calendar." - Rob Hillard --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest music reviews publication on the Internet. To get back issues of Consumable, check out: WWW: http://www.westnet.com/consumable (Delphi) Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC To subscribe to Consumable, send an e-mail message to consumable-request@westnet.com with the body of the message stating "subscribe consumable". To unsubscribe, send a message to the same address stating "unsubscribe consumable". Web access contributed by WestNet Internet Services (westnet.com), serving Westchester County, NY. 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