Monday, 8/11/97 SoundBites MUSIC:
Smashmouth "Fush Yu Mang" (Interscope) For awhile, popular
alternative music seemed to have tied a rock to its feet and dove
into the deep end without even realizing it. Then along came ska –
modern rock’s lifeguard – which has at least temporarily
resuscitated KROQ, "Alternative Nation," and the local club scene.
Smashmouth, the ska-punk foursome with the current, catchy
lounge-rock hit, "Walking on the Sun," looks to be another
checkerboard covered outfit that will help keep alt-rock afloat, at
least for a few more months. What Smashmouth and most popular ska
does these days is incorporate a bit of fun into alternative music.
Generation X rock remained devoid of frivolity and bounce until No
Doubt paved the way for the ska’s mainstream unveiling. Along came
Sublime, radio’s embracing of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel
Big Fish, and 1997 sees the dawn of the alt-rock party album. We
Friday night marauders no longer need to rely on just the Beastie
Boys or Bob Marley anymore. Smashmouth’s debut effort is even more
the party album than the aforementioned college-ska classics. Most
of "Fush Yu Mang" puts virtually horn-less ska and punk-pop
together, along with some adolescent yet sometimes clever lyrical
themes. You can’t help but to make Green Day comparisons to such
songs as the infectiously thrashing "Flo," "Heave-Ho" (about the
landlady from hell) and "Nervous in the Alley," a druggie-centered
song that even has the Billie Joe Armstrong faux-British accent.
Steve Harwell’s vocals come across like a young Mike Ness (Social
Distortion) and Gregory Camp’s guitar work has hints of ’70s funk
and ’90s power-pop ("The Fonz" could be mistaken for Weezer …
kind of like the follow-up to "Buddy Holly," eh?). And let’s not
forget "Padrino," the ska treatment of Mario Puzo’s "The
Godfather," which is not to be skipped. Usually, festive
alternative pop doesn’t make for classic records, and Smashmouth
proves the point with their sometimes awkward transitions from punk
to ska to pop and back to ska, all usually in one song’s duration.
And the Specials Smashmouth ain’t. But on the whole, Smashmouth
provides a vibe that isn’t for laying back and soaking in but
rather getting up and enjoying yourself without the bore of
repetitiveness (i.e. Prodigy). May dorm parties never be the same.
Mike Prevatt B Primal Scream "Vanishing Point" (Reprise) Bridging
the gap between the electro-dance sound, trip-hop and the British
pop phenomenon in the U.K., Primal Scream returns with "Vanishing
Point," a post-rave compilation of hypnotic trance songs aimed to
send you to some alternate dimension. The album is more of a return
to their 1991 Mercury Prize-winning rave fave, "Screamadelica,"
which helped revolutionize the British music scene. "Vanishing
Point" succeeds in creating hip-gyrating beats and hallucinogenic
atmospheres. However, Primal Scream fall into the same traps that
other electronic-based artists (i.e. Prodigy, the Orb) do,
especially when it comes to lengthy songs that drone on with little
change. The album features a couple of really intriguing pieces,
including the dark, sci-fi-esque "Kowalski" and the low-key
"Trainspotting" (from the movie of the same name). However, some
songs, like the instrumental "Get Duffy" and the vocally-droning
"Out of the Void" have weak melodies that give "Vanishing Point"
low pop appeal. Primal Scream does shed most of their Rolling
Stones-like sound though that gave "Screamadelica" its swagger and
"Give Out But Don’t Give Up" (its 1994 release) its ’70s
guitar-rock feel. Primal Scream doesn’t cater to the masses,
leaving its somewhat character-less electronic sound mostly for
their devoted ravehead fanbase. But if you’re curious about this
burgeoning music scene, check it out for its Brian Eno-esque
techno-pop. Mike Prevatt B- Various Artists "Spawn: The Album"
(Immortal/Epic) From the people behind the innovative "Judgment
Night" soundtrack, where rap mixed with metal and hard rock, comes
the soundtrack from the new movie, "Spawn." This time around, hard
rockin’ alternative artists team up with electronic music stars to
create a dark, spooky score that parallels the shadowy movie based
on Todd McFarlane’s immensely popular comic book. The techno-rock
hybrids work wonderfully, giving the whole record a consistent aura
that, no matter how stark the songs seem, the beats and rhythms
warrant some sort of body motion. "Spawn: The Album" could be the
most innovative compilation album released this year. Its unique,
experimental styles remain distinct from other albums and
soundtracks released this year … or last year, perhaps. The
highlight of the album, Filter and new electronic music sensation
the Crystal Method’s "(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do" sets the stage
for the industrial dance motif that runs rampant through the album.
The first single, this exciting, Nine Inch Nails-esque track should
attract many people to the album. Marilyn Manson and Sneaker Pimps’
"Long Hard Road Out of Hell" tips the industrial thrash side of the
scale more so than the trip-hop side, but its eeriness haunts
beautifully. Other exceptional, rockin’ tracks include DJ Spooky’s
rave-treatment of Metallica’s classic "For Whom the Bell Tolls (The
Irony of It All)," and Mansun’s Britpop-with-hips "Skin Up Pin Up,"
with 808 State. And then there are the electronic-heavy tracks,
fully balancing out the harder, more crunching songs. Orbital is in
perfect form with "Satan," their live show favorite, collaborated
with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett. Prodigy’s techno-pop "One Man Army,"
with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, should have been
included on their newly released album. And Stabbing Westward’s
"Torn Apart" (with Wink) sounds like Trent Reznor teamed up with
the Chemical Brothers, with an assortment of loops and beats
garnishing the gloomy vocals. A few tracks make for awkward
additions, like the Silverchair’s pseudo-Nirvana "Spawn" (with
Vitro) and Korn’s House of Pain-impersonation with the Dust
Brothers ("Kick the P.A."). But a few rotten apples don’t spoil
this bunch of inventive and original alt-rock songs. Mike Prevatt
B+ SMASHMOUTH "Fush Yu Mang"