Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 6. April 4 1977

Records

page 13

Records

Aretha Franklin: Tan Years of Gold Atlantic.

I kinda enjoy this—the cutesy title aside. What they really should have done was stamp it: 'Warning. Not for the faint hearted". Noteworthy omissions from this slickly-packaged collection selected from Mrs Franklin's Atlantic catalogue are her two sizeable English hits "I Say A Little Prayer", and "The Weight".

Artwork of a singer dropping papers and holding their hand to their head

It's a remarkably cohesive compilation ranging from those early classics that—practically single-handedly—rewrote soul music to the fuller (and somewhat same-y) material of her later years, the likes of which hasn't been seen since that posthumous Otis Redding double set. Not for nothing did her spirit animate so much of Dylan's Tarantula.

—Patrick O Dea

Record Kindly supplied by Colin Morris Records, 54 The Terrace

David Bowie: Low R.C.A.

David Bowie has earned a reputation as one of rock's most flamboyant and influential forces. From the days of the ageless Space Oddity, through concepts concerning Ziggy Stardust and the Orwell inspired Diamond Dogs the man now follows his restrained but masterly Station to Station with an album titled simply Low.

Once again it is a new approach for Bowie moving into the surreal, synthesised world so worthily inhabitated by King Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Eno and at times, Todd [unclear: Rundgren].

Eno, the avant garde synthesiser exponent contributes to this album and it is now very clear just how highly Bowie regarded Eno's album Another Green World. While Bowie writes all the material (excepting two collaborations) there can be no denying the influence Eno has on this album and naturally on Bowie.

Side One is the more recognisable Bowie containing some definite Station to Station links. The finest track, arguably, is "Be My Wife" featuring some intricate guitar from a generally average Ricky Gardener. "Always Crashing In The Same Car" "Speed Of Life" and "A New Career In A New Town" are all excellent tracks from a very satisfying twenty minutes.

Side Two is the more experimental and perhaps, the more cerebral side with Eno and Bowie counting the opening track: the peerless "Warzawa". The only instruments used are synthezizers and piano all played by Eno. Bowie's, voice takes on new extremes with ethereal harmonising and wailing to create an over-hanging spiritual effect. "Art Decade" and "Weeping Wall" (all instrumentation by Bowie) lead into the closing number "Subterrareans a complex song featuring among other things some fine [unclear: sexophone] by Bowie himself.

I have admiration for Bowie because of his decision to experiment with his music in what is going to be a non-commercial way. The sales of this record will probably not reach Ziggy Star-dust/Aladdin Sane proportions but Bowie is now obviously placing the music above all other considerations.

There are reservations to be made about this album and the most obvious one is the lack of a gentune lead guitarist. Carlos Alxnar maintains the rhythm sensibly enough. But on lead Ricky Gardiner is usually found wanting. It is worth noting that Bowie wanted Robert Fripp (guitarist and leader of King Crimson) for this album but unfortunately Fripp was unavailable and I feel the music suffers accordingly,. Perhaps Bowie now regrets his dismissal of Earl Slick his previous guitarist.

That apart, however, this is an extremely fine album—well worth listening too by those people into Bowie and who appreciate progression from album to album and also recommended for Eno followers.

—Colin Williams.

Record kindly supplied by Colin Morris Records, 54 The Terrace

KGB: Motion MCA

K.G.B is a group formed in 1975 around the collective talents of Ray Kennedy on Vocals, Barry Goldberg on keyboards and guitarist Mike Bloomfield (hence the group name) with Carmine Appice on drums and bassist Greg Sulton.

Since the first album Mike Bloomfield has left and been replaced with Ben Schultz who seems content to remain in the background most of the time.

The material on this second album is generally not as good as on the first album but the tight performances and good production go some way towards making up for it.

The best track is "Treading Water" with its rippling electric piano, a lovely little one-line chorus and harmonic fade out which conjures up images of floating into a sunset on a South Seas cruise.

Other tracks worthy of note are "I only need a next time", and "Going through the motions". The former is built around a nice bright chord progression and the latter contains an impressive voice bag guitar a la Jeff Beck.

"Je t' aime" is a Spooky Tooth sounding track based around a slow style, and containing an instrumental jazz break that would be more effective if it was better played.

Throughout the album Carmen Appice and Greg Sulton provide a solid and powerful rhythm section, and Ray Kennedy's vocal prowess provides proof that, given some good material, this group could really be a No 1 musical force.

—Geoffrey Churchman

Record kindly supplied by Colin Morris Ltd. 54 The Terrace.

John Mayall: A Banquet in Blues Blue Thumb

I doubt whether the appearance of a new John Mayall record on the shelves of record stores arouses as much interest these days as it might once have.

Mick Jagger once called John Mayall's band the "Blues School" as nearly all those who played in one of Mayall's many groups became a success in the Rock business, one of the most famous of these being Eric Clapton, who with Mayall produced the classic "blues breakers' album in 1966. His albums around 1970/71 contained relevant social/environmental commentaries such as The Laws Must Change', Nature's Disappearing/Took the Car' and 'Where did my legs go,' and the music was based around rhythmic bass patterns with plenty of instrumental solo space for his sidemen.

However, his last few albums have been disappointing efforts being collections of substandard songs few of which can be described as being in a blues idiom, and this album is no better. Despite an impressive lineup (including Larry Taylor, Sugarcane Harris, Blue Mitchell and John McVie) the song structures really allow no chance for them to demonstrate their abilities and the songs themselves are so dreadful as to make one wonder why his sidemen agreed to record them. As exception is Table Top Girl' about his fantasies with a stripper named Cathy Jayne Mikel (who receives a credit on the cover for the album inspiration) and which contains a nice moog solo from Doug Bare. (Yes that instrument can be put to good effect.)

'You can't put me down' contains some nice fluid guitar lines from Rick Vito and 'Fantasy Land' is a 14 minute live track on which the whole band go through their paces on some quite remark able soloing. The album is worth listening to for these three tracks, but not worth buying.

—Geoffrey Churchman.

Record kindly supplied by Colin Morris Ltd., 54 The Terrace.

Paul McCartney and Wings: Wings over America Capitol

Well, what is there left to say about Paul McCartney? If you like the man and his music and even if you don't, you have to admit that he is one of the giants of the music-world of the last twenty years.

His latest album, "Wings Over America," although it contains few new songs, won't hurt his reputation. This triple album come from McCartney's very successful US Tour, which spanned many Wings' fans who were not Beatles' fans in years gone by.

The album itself opens well with a ten-minute sequence of "Venus and Mars", "Rock Show" and "Jet". Both McCartney's big solo albums are well represented. Notable tracks from "Band on the Run" include "Band on the Run", "Jet", "Let Me Roll It", "Picasso's Last Words" and "Bluebird".

More than that, McCartney cannot resist singing a few of the songs that first made him what he is today, as the cliche goes. Paul sings "Yesterday" as well now as he first did a dozen years ago. Also on the album is "Lady Madonna" with subtely different lyrics from the original, and "The Long and Winding Road" complete with horns section. One day someone with talent will do that number without the horn section and maybe then it won't sound like they're trying to rip-off a symphony orchestra.

What does all this tell you about McCartney apart from the fact that he's still singing old songs? Actually, he's still singing those old songs very well. Wings may not be a supergroup but they are competent professional musicians. God knows what Linda McCartney does. She is credited with keyboards but if you know Wings you know that keyboards are not prominent in any of the songs, and I suppose we should be thankful for that. Their guitar-work, though not Peter Frampton or Eric Clapton is good enough. Wings, of course, are a vehicle for Paul McCartney and it is his song-writing ability that makes them what they are. Paul does most of the vocals and, although the tracks are probably from different concerts as no one concert is mentioned, there are signs of strain at times in Paul's voice "Band on the Run" on "Wings Over America" particularly suffers from this.

Photo of Paul McCartney standing in-between a man and woman

Other gripes include the poster, nothing to get hung about (Strawberry Fields Forever anyone?) but the inside of the cover makes up for this and is quite suitable for covering small strains on the wall paper. In fact its probably the best thing you can do with it for the continual hassle of putting three records into what is essentially a double album cover only damages the cover.

In conclusion, if you like good songs, and its a brave man, or a fool, who says that McCartney can't sing, and if you like good value, "Wings Over America" is worth the money, the triple album costing about as much as two ordinary single albums, where ever you buy them. You'd better not expect lyrics, the only way to get the lyrics to a reasonable number of the songs is to buy "Band on the Run" and "Venus and Mars". Unless of course you're a Wings fan (McCartney fan) in which case you could well have all three. To you people. I'd just say that with "Wings Over America" the spell remains unbroken.

—Craig Malson

Andrew Gold: What's Wrong With This Picture Asylum.

I chose this album to review because I feel that Andrew Gold is a guy who deserves some kind of media exposure, however humble.

If you want to know why without buying this record, then listen to anything done by Linda Ronstadt over the last couple of years. He plays guitar, piano and mandolin, and also arranges her material. I was first attracted to him by his solo on "That'll be the Day" Ms Ronstadt's last single. It's a beautiful melodic break that saves the song from being just another rock 'n' roll revival, and turns it into a pretty good showpiece for Gold.

Thus inspired, I quickly got hold of his first album, and found out just as quickly why he plays behind Linda Ronstadt and not in front of his own band. His voice just doesn't cut it. But the album, simply called Andrew Gold" does show him off as a guitarist and songwriter in a way that I hoped "What's Wrong With this Picture" would do better.

As it turned out, I was neither disappointed nor satisfied. There is nothing really horrendous about this album, neither is there the maturity or novelty I was expecting. The songs vary from Bay City Rollers sound-alikes (e.g. "Hope You Feel Good") to oldies ("Do Wah Diddy") to Jackson Brownish ballads. The only distinctively Andrew Gold material anywhere is the guitar work, which as usual is precise, clean and as original as is possible with, what on the whole are fairly middle of the road tunes.

Most of the really syrupy stuff is on Side One with Side Two saving the album from being completely mundane. "Go Back Home Again" especially—this track would make a great single and is the highpoint "Firefly" don't inspire love or hate they're well-performed, and quite list-enable.

So if you're after good quality American pop, remember the name Andrew Gold.

Marty Wood,

Record kindly supplied by Colin Morris Ltd., 54 The Terrace.

Barclay James Harvest: [unclear: Octoberon] Polydor

The sentiment that music should "always go on", as it is here expressed by Barclay James Harvest, as it has previously been elsewhere, is undoubtedly an honourable one. But when the framework for that sentiment, be it lyrical or musical, is debased by its medium, there hardly seems much point in carrying on. Or is there?

Put it differently. To hedge or to wedge—that was going to be the quotation—instead it's probably the what. In 1968 the corporate heads of EMI—groove for groove the United Kingdom's largest recording organisation—put their heads together and decided to form a progressive label, the term 'progressive' still having some currency then.' Whatever caused such a drastic twist in the in the minds of the conservative board was pretty obviously the profit motive, or—just possibly—a more obscure reason like an heartfelt desire on their part to improve a lamentable situation. Be that as it may, rumour has it, they named the label Harvest because of the above group.

They switched to Polydor in the middle of 1973, Octoberon is about their ninth album, and their line up hasn't changed. The album is halved into "Red" and "Blue" sides which correspond roughly with optimism and pessimism, though not necessarily in that order. Guess who's going to win this one, shortstop? The material is supposedly original with the exception of a few extra suspicious pieces and a particularly blatant Floyd rip off in May Day (but the bridge is so ingeniously melded into the total sound fabric as to fit perfectly), and played with finesse enough to interest those into the fringes of lightweight spaced rock. They've worked themselves to a reputation as one of the British cult bands, but on the thin and somewhat insubstantial offerings contained herein, it's hardly merited. It's proficient but rarely startling and occasionally meanders towards the tedious.

Lest that be misunderstood let it also be added that on the tracks where a more up tempo approach is taken Barclay James Harvest do, at least, show that they've earned their chops.

—Patrick O'Dea

Record Kindly supplied by Colin Morris Records, 54 The Terrace