Wednesday, February 18, 1998
Soundbites
MUSIC:
Bob Marley and the Wailers, "The Complete Wailers 1967-1972 Part
1," (JAD) It looks like the Beatles’ "Anthology" phenomenon has
carried over to the reggae world. This three-disc collection is a
must for serious reggae fans, as well as the curious and those
devoted to the Wailers, the group reggae-legend Bob Marley fronted
before embarking on a his successful solo career.
The three-disc set includes three separate albums, all of which
sometimes carry different versions of songs on the other two (here
comes the Beatles’ "Anthology" comparison). The first album
represented is the rare "Rock to the Rock" album, which carries the
earliest incarnations of the Wailers (from 1967-68), which included
Marley, his wife, Rita, and Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Most of
the songs take the popular "rock steady" reggae sound. which was a
slower, rock-pop influenced style, and mixes it with many ’60s
harmonizing/vocal styles. You can see the impression American
R&B, pop and Motown had on the Wailers with such tunes as
"Treat You Right," "Chances Are" and "There She Goes," without
sacrificing that distinct reggae sound.
The second album is the even rarer "Selassie is the Chapel"
release from the 1968-1970 era. This album shares a lot of the
"rock steady" and ’60s American pop-music styles from the "Rock to
the Rock" album, but with "Selassie," the Wailers start
experimenting more with different sounds and rhythms. It almost
sounds less like the traditional reggae we know of today. But the
magic of "Selassie" comes in the Wailers’ burgeoning spirituality
and their discovery of the Rastafarian religion. Their passion for
Jah, the god of the Rastafarians, shines throughout their positive
music, which includes the title-track hymn, "Tread Oh" and "The
Lord Will Make a Way." Included also is a cover of the Box Tops’
"The Letter" (titled "Give Me a Ticket" here) and the Wailers’
classic "Rocking Steady."
And the third record is simply titled, "The Best of the Wailers
(1969-70)," the true highlight of this multi-disc set. Considered
the first "concept" album of reggae, the record was actually a
commercial flop at the time, but many reggae aficionados point to
its influential relevance now. "Best of" comprises a more polished
sound, thanks to the late Leslie Kong’s production efforts, and
displays the talents of stars-in-the-making, Bob Marley and Peter
Tosh. The ’60s pop music influences remain, but "Best of" offers a
more "straight-up" reggae sound than the other two albums included
in this set. The signature, optimistic anthems, along with such
covers of such pop songs as Jr. Walker’s "Hold On to This Feeling,"
the Archies’ bubblegum hit, "Sugar Sugar" and another version of
"The Letter," make "Best of" even more of an enjoyable listening
experience than the rest of "The Complete Wailers."
This collection, as a whole, represents a satisfying and
comprehensive history-in-song of the most influential reggae
artists of the ’60s and ’70s. Reggae fans, as well as people
interested in the culture, evolution and inspirations of the
Jamaican-rooted music genre, will surely find
"The Complete Wailers" delightfully impressive. Mike Prevatt
A-
Pee Shy, "Don’t Get Too Comfortable," (Mercury) Alternative
pop-rock can often achieve great playful tunes but, at the same
time, fall into the Sesame-Street syndrome of over-simplified
melodies. In their second major label release, Pee Shy fine-tunes
their bright, giddy sounds to create real pop-rock fun without
resorting to cheesy nursery rhymes.
The first track and single of the album, "Mr. Whisper," shows
exactly what the band is capable of, namely funky beat-happy
rhythms and a cutely odd quirkiness in the female vocals. From
bridge to chorus, the mood remains light and plain but not without
talent. True, at times sappiness can get dull, but Pee Shy tends to
stay away from static rehashing of the same tunes by creating
dynamic songs. "Jad Fair" eases into an ethereal melody that
carefully ponders "What is this space left to fill/ a bull’s eye
forever …" A little abstract, but it takes a small but distinct
step away from surface lyrics.
Faster beats excite songs such as "Much Obliged" and "Fear."
Through their humorous tone, Pee Shy mixes both slow and fast
acoustic-guitar beats for listeners everywhere.
It cannot be considered serious rock, but it pulls off sarcasm
in a mature fashion. It’s a relieving dose of mind-numbing picks
for the midterm blues. Michelle Zubiate B
James Iha, "Let It Come Down," (Virgin) Yes, it’s a little
dopey. Yes, it’s a little foofey. But what’s wrong with being a
gentle romantic in the midst of a cruel world? James Iha’s first
solo album, "Let It Come Down," veers from the usually
disillusioned, embittered pieces found on his efforts with The
Smashing Pumpkins. And though it might not be what one would expect
from the hard-rocking guitarist, it remains a calm, sweet
background to whatever make-out session you may have planned. Or
moody bout with a lack of a sex life, as the case may be. Either
way, the meandering pace of Iha’s borderline sappy vocals in his
down-home songs reflect a tenderness that, no doubt, will never
break into the mainstream.
Regardless, the timeless lyrics on songs like "Lover, Lover"
still manage to strike a chord, with Iha crooning lines like
"Lover, darling, when you hold my hand / It’s all I’ll have ’til
tomorrow." In many ways, "Let It Come Down" is just a bunch of love
songs, like a ’50s LP intent on turning chicks to jelly as they
dream of their one and only. Though it may be a tad out of place in
today’s musical atmosphere of self-indulging pain junkies and
poppy, feel-good, one-hit wonders, it remains a worthwhile listen.
The plain and simple pieces hearken back to a more soothing era
where it was okay to swoon about the illusion of love. Where it was
okay to believe that things would work out. When idealism wasn’t a
four-letter word. Ah, Calgon, take me away! Vanessa VanderZanden
A-
God Lives Underwater, "Life in the So-Called Space Age," (1500/
A&M Records) Increasingly, bands rely on an electronic fad to
support their lack of talent or creativity. There are a few bands,
however, that come out of synthesized madness to relieve fans with
truly great hits. Most become a combo of both. Dabbling in
techno-rock keyboards and electronic computer sounds, God Lives
Underwater’s third release proves both more appealing and
well-constructed than other albums, but it still has its flaws.
Within the album, those computer sounds can either strengthen or
create unnecessary background noise. For the most part, it’s the
former, but in cases such as in the song "Vapors," those sounds
become excessive. "Vapors" has a great core, but its obnoxious
digital intro and phony Beatles-ish ending weighs down its
potential.
The album also forms many contrasts in quality between songs. At
times its electronic overtones can create uneasiness and disturbing
reactions, but at the same time can demonstrate probing and
methodic melodies. Such is the case in "Rearrange" and "Can’t Come
Down."
The best song of the album "Happy?" is a combination of
melodically touching lyrics and hauntingly ethereal rhythms. Its
lyrics have that element of love-lost emotion that makes many of
their songs moving such as "And I hope that you’re happy/ At least
one of us is/ I hope one day you’ll see/ I need you to save
me."
Songs such as "The Rush Is Loud," however, have real intense
moments, but those odd generated mixes in combination with monotone
vocals are far from appealing. "Life in" is a confusing jumble of
great songs and geeky tunes. Michelle Zubiate B-