Monday, October 5, 1998
Soundbites
Rialto, "Rialto" (China Records)
Just by looking at the glammed up pretty boys on the album
cover, you could easily get the impression that Rialto is another
in a long line of bland British bands trying to milk off the
success of such influential stalwarts as Pulp and Suede. But stick
that round little disc into your stereo, and you realize right off
the bat that you are dead wrong.
Unlike some of their yawn-inducing cohorts, Rialto demonstrates
the canny ability to meld intelligent lyrics with catchy melodies,
steering away from formula. From the lush theatrics of "Monday
Morning 5.19" to the achingly beautiful "Milk of Amnesia" (as
singer and songwriter Louis Eliot croons over a sample of the
Johnny Farrow and Marty Stymes oldie "I Have but One Heart"),
Rialto provides each song with its own identity. The six-piece
outfit uses two drummers, keyboards and the occasional trumpet to
create an abundant amount of toe-tapping hooks.
Most remarkable about the album is how former Kinky Machine band
members Eliot, and producer and lead guitarist Johnny Bull are able
to create vivid images and short stories within each song a la
Pulp. The Morrisey-ish track "Underdogs," for example, includes the
lyrics, "The Underdogs keep running after shining motorbikes/
Trying to keep up while they look back and laugh."
Though Rialto’s sound is mostly upbeat, a closer inspection
reveals something more pessimistic and cynical at heart. Many songs
deal with hopelessness and despair, such as the UK hit
"Untouchable" which has Eliot moaning, "Untouchable if I’m not fit/
To even crawl, if I’m too sick/ I’ll soak my skin in alcohol/ Until
I feel untouchable."
While their act may not be as au courant as the more
electronically driven bands receiving all the attention these days,
Rialto proves that good, old-fashioned song writing can be just as
exciting.
Tristan Thai
A Tribe Called Quest, "The Love Movement" (Jive)
After 10 years of making music as a group, A Tribe Called Quest
is calling it quits. And so ends another era in hip-hop, no more
Tribe. Blessing music lovers with four albums, the group’s fifth
album, "The Love Movement," will be their last. With three classic
albums (including the flawless "Low End Theory") to their name, the
group has the burden of achieving musical greatness every time they
step in the studio. Unfortunately, much like their ill-received
fourth effort, they fall short once again. That’s not to say that
"The Love Movement" is a bad album; it isn’t, but the burden of
strict scrutiny must be applied to the Tribe.
One of the best songs on the album is the first single, "Find A
Way," which features a beautiful melody and opens up with Q-Tip’s
all too familiar voice. The song is about a female who creates
confusion in the group’s life, and while some have suggested that
it’s actually a well-disguised ode to hip-hop, only time will tell.
As the bass comes in, Q-Tip’s lyrics take over: "Messin’ me up, my
whole head/ Teasin’ me just like Tisha did Martin/ Now look at what
you startin’/ School-boy crush and it ain’t on the hush/ The whole
world see it, but you can’t/ My peoples they complain sit and rave
and rant/ Your name is out my mouth like an ancient chant/ Got me
like a dog as I pause and pant." This song exhibits the chemistry
that made A Tribe Called Quest a success time after time.
Another impressive track is "Rock Rock Y’all," featuring
Punchline, Wordsworth, Jane Doe and Mos Def. This song stands out
(and has some of the best lyricists) because the beat picks up as
compared to the rest of the tracks on the album. The production
complements the lyrics especially when Punchline and Wordsworth
rhyme.
However, the mediocre moments throughout the album match the
highlights. Several tracks throughout the album can easily be
interpreted as boring. Songs such as "Pen and Pad" just don’t go
anywhere. Even "Steppin’ It Up" manages to somehow bore the
listener despite that two of the hippest emcees (Redman and Busta
Rhymes) are on the track.
Tracks that can be categorized as decent are "Against The
World", "Common Ground" and "Like It Like That." These are good
songs overall, but they just aren’t great songs that exemplifies
the album as a whole.
The album also includes six bonus tracks at the end of the
album. While most Tribe fans probably already have half of these
previously released songs, it’s convenient to have them in one
place. Among the highlights in the bonus tracks are "Scenario
(Remix)," "Jazz (We’ve Got) Remix" and "Hot Sex" (unfortunately,
there’s no "Bonita Applebum" remix with the Isley Brothers
beat).
"The Love Movement" overall is a decent album; it just doesn’t
compare with what A Tribe Called Quest did at their very best. The
main problem with "The Love Movement" is that it has one flaw: it
isn’t perfect – thus, it does not live up to A Tribe Called Quest
standards.
Tenoch Flores
Chris Isaak, "Speak of the Devil" (Reprise)
Chris Isaak is cool. Chris Isaak is very cool. Chris Isaak could
probably record an album with goats as musicians and it would still
be cool. So while his latest effort is not his best work, it’s
still not too bad.
Blending his familiar themes of loneliness and true love with
smooth musicianship, "Speak of the Devil" is cut from the same
cloth as his earlier albums but lacks the visionary feel of "San
Francisco Days"or "Baja Sessions."
The album begins well, with the foreboding "Please," another
tale of those heartbreaking women who seem to be perpetually
screwing him over. "Please," as well as most of the album’s 14
tracks, find Isaak in fine vocal form, switching between
impassioned wails and soft croons.
Another highlight is sharp guitar work from both Isaak and
Hershel Yatovitz, adding a bluesy bite to "Like The Way She Moves"
and beautiful rhythm to "Walk Slow." After a strong start, the
album lags a bit, with bland tunes such as "Don’t Get So Down On
Yourself" and the corny "Talkin’ Bout A Home." Isaak wraps things
up with a bang, however, closing with the Link Wray-esque "Super
Magic 2000," a reverb-heavy guitar attack.
All in all, "Speak Of The Devil" is a musical sandwich: it’s
satisfying, but you probably won’t remember it forever.
Brent Hopkins
The Goo Goo Dolls, "Dizzy Up The Girl" (Warner Brothers)
If you’ve turned on the radio in the last six months, there’s a
good chance you’ve heard "Iris." It’s inescapable; everywhere you
look, it seems like "Iris" is there. On "Dizzy Up The Girl," you
will indeed find "Iris," but it’s only a small piece of an
ensemble. The Goo Goo Dolls prove that they’re not a one-trick
pony; they can write more than one good song per album. The sixth
release in the Goo Goo Dolls’ 11 years, "Dizzy Up The Girl" gives
the listener 45 minutes of edgy rock with a tender side.
And the songs aren’t carbon copies of one another, either. The
Dolls try their hand at a range of different sounds with generally
pleasing results. Whether employing dramatic orchestrated melodies,
such as "Acoustic #3" and the wistful "Black Balloon," or punkish
fury, in "Dizzy" and "Amigone," the Dolls show that they know their
stuff. They sound most comfortable with straight-up rock, shining
most notably in "Bullet Proof," a darkly protective love song.
The album’s only stumbling point are the tracks in which bassist
Robby Takac takes over as lead vocalist for John Rzeznick. Although
Takac writes excellent music, his abilities as a singer place him
somewhere on par with Dee Dee Ramone hacking out "Wart Hog." When
Rzeznick takes the mic, however, the Goo Goo Dolls sound the way
they should, emotional and honest, which is what makes "Dizzy Up
The Girl" pleasurable to listen to.
Brent Hopkins
Platiscene, "Seeing Stars" (MOJO Records)
One drop of Cast, a splash of Bowie, a pinch of The Beatles and
a hint of Blur are the ingredients necessary to make Plastiscene’s
debut album, "Seeing Stars" successful with both KROQ listeners and
underground britpop fans alike. "Seeing Stars" is an amazing
combination of today’s trendy radio sound with indie-influenced
melodies and vocals sounding a lot like popular frontmen, John
Lennon and Billy Corgan.
The album kicks off with "Sundial," one of the more
American-influenced tunes with a Weezer-esque guitar riff to appeal
to an alternative crowd. Flowing into Track three, "Big Wheel," the
1960s pop influence is obvious. But wait, just when you think the
melody sampling is over, "It All Comes Down" starts, and the
Beatles’ "Strawberry Fields" calls out through the speakers before
Plastiscene’s original melody takes over for the rest of the tune.
Even though the band doesn’t shy away from using other melodies,
there still remains a strong sound that maintains Plastiscene’s
uniqueness. The mixing and production on this album places
Plastiscene as one of the few bands who are successful in combining
the ’60s Phil Spectrum wall of sound with the simpler mixes of the
’90s.
"Lemon Yellow," which is featured on the "Baseketball"
soundtrack, has a propelling, syncopated drumbeat and a section
with distorted vocals that flows into a gripping chorus. Later on
the album, ballads such as "She Goes On" and "Picture in My Mind"
offer sweet melodies and simple, yet inspiring, lyrics such as "you
made me happy when you smiled," as well as some Beatle-esque vocal
enhancements that would have made John Lennon proud.
The ’60s British guitar-pop feel mixed with modern American
alternative drum beats take from the strong points of both musical
genres. Though many of the melodies are borrowed from other bands,
Plastiscene pulls it off with an amazing vocal and guitar
marriage.
As a debut album, the band has found a way to appeal to a large
spectrum of musical tastes. Hope prevails that the band’s next
album will have a few more original melodies.
Plastiscene has the ability to emulate some of the greatest pop
sounds from the past, yet keep their album unique and appealing to
their audience in the present.
Danielle Myer
Jerry Seinfeld, "I’m Telling You For the Last Time" (Universal
Records)
George, Elaine and Kramer are gone (for now), but Jerry is alive
and well, dispensing his notorious wailings and wisdoms for the
n’er-to-let-go.
Surprisingly, it is Seinfeld’s first comedy album. Following in
the tradition of Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor, he communicates his
humor without a visual medium.
Recorded live at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City,
Seinfeld revives his classic comedic style, as he pokes fun at the
minutiae of everyday life. His impeccable comic timing and amazing
eye into the back of everyone’s minds thrives in this hour-long
collection.
From the Olympics to supermarkets, "I’m Telling You For the Last
Time" acts as a concise package of Seinfeld’s nine years as the
defining voice of ’90s pop culture. Listeners will visualize Jerry
in the back of a cab, commenting on the driver’s body odor or in a
Chinese restaurant, perplexed by the existence of chopsticks.
All listeners need is Newman knocking at the door to complete
the picture.
But without his unforgettable cast, Seinfeld proves a comic
genius, standing on his own.
Louise Chu
The Warren Brothers "…Cold Cruel World" (BMG)
Sometimes, when you wake up with the techno beats from the
previous night’s dance club still ringing in your ear, or the
half-queasy feeling of the alcohol consumed bar side still sloshing
in your empty belly, or after going for Thai food with some guy you
picked up at a bar a week ago because he won’t stop calling and
hey, he’s buying, and you feel wicked and half-conscious and too
full of a good time to enjoy most of it, you don’t mind the sound
of country music.
It sort of settles your brain and calms your liver and makes you
want to be the "red-haired girl with pony tails" that The Warren
Brothers lonesomely croon over in their track, "Greyhound Bus."
And, yeah, it’s full of simple chords and dispassionate twangy
guitar riffs supporting repetitive choruses, but there are many
moments that transcend the banality.
The line, "I think I’m in tune when I’m out of touch," from the
song "The Enemy" hits the nail on the head and "It’s a beautiful
day in the cold cruel world" from the title track, "Cold Cruel
World" sums up the heart of this world’s mad daily
contradictions.
And there’s that sort of sense that
life-sucks-and-that’s-what-makes-it-worth-living that always
reveals itself in the sad under-riding notes of any good country
album.
So there you go. "Cold Cruel World" may not knock your socks
off, but it will keep them cozy, warm and firmly in place.
Vanessa VanderZanden
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© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board