Wednesday, October 14, 1998
Soundbites
MUSIC:
Various Artists, "Rare on Air – Volume 4" (Mammoth Records)
The inclusion of Sarah McLachlan’s ethereal serenity, Café
Tacuba’s tongue-twisting Latin beats and Ozomatli’s jazzy hip-hop
on one album at first seems improbable and inexplicable. But the
eclectic mix of talent presented on "Rare On Air – Volume 4" can be
strung together to create a distinct, common sound.
KCRW’s (89.9 FM, broadcast from Santa Monica) latest compilation
of live performances from its morning music show, "Morning Becomes
Eclectic," features a variety of artists who have seen the
spotlight anywhere from this past summer to a few years back.
Despite some obvious disparity in style, the music finds a
common bond in its complex and, dare we say, sophisticated sound.
The Backstreet Boys won’t be found here. Nor will Garbage or
Marilyn Manson or any other over-produced acts.
The key to this album is its simplicity. These live cuts are
complete with background chatter and technical difficulties, yet
still seem suspiciously flawless.
Mazzy Star’s hauntingly sweet "Flowers in December" flows
carefully, leaving discriminating ears insisting that they must
have remixed the song, lest lead singer and harmonica player Hope
Sandoval be a product of perfection.
Ani DiFranco’s frantic "Gravel" is closer to the listener’s idea
of a rough-edged, live cut. Along with Joan Osborne’s "St. Teresa,"
their unplugged efforts are why fans seek "Rare On Air" – for a
different interpretation of the original favorite.
Nevertheless, KCRW has assembled a satisfying blend of musical
genres to simultaneously uplift and soothe the open ear.
Louise Chu
Baxter, "Baxter" (Maverick)
Incorporating the eeriness from the world of drum ‘n’ bass with
the methodic rhythms of trip-hop, Swedish trio Baxter’s debut
self-titled disc dredges up tried and true elements from both
genres, creating a familiar soundscape.
Led by ex-Salt singer Nina Ramsby, Baxter’s music is a better
sampler for trip-hop newbies than a thoroughly enthralling
experience for trip veterans.
The arrangement and production by the threesome hits every
clichéd trick and techie nuance; from the slow bass thumping
in the musical background to the wispy, hollow feel permeating each
piece.
By no means is Baxter a talent-less sound-a-like: rather, the
trio just tries too hard, colliding genres that disagree with each
other. The drum ‘n’ bass speedy drum samples stumble over the
typically calming trip-hop melodies. Together, they take away from
each other, making for a stop-and-go effect in much of the
album.
Baxter does have moments when it shines from within the
darkness. "Fading" finds the group constructing a perfect balance
between frantic beats and delicate, almost fragile, keyboard
strokes.
Constantly outperforming the music, Ramsby’s emotion-strained
droning adds a dreary outlook that no chord or note could ever
produce.
Baxter’s experimentation with the dark walkways of two barren
genres comes up short musically, but the coincidental occasions
when the two forms match nearly make up for the hackneyed-sounding
tracks found on the rest of the disc.
Trinh Bui
Voodoo Glow Skulls, "The Band Geek Mafia" (Epitaph)
Ska hangs in there for the time being. Sure it’s hard to put
down the horns and turn to another method of melody-making, but
sooner or later, they will have to either give up the dream or even
just alter their methods a little bit. Either way, this madness of
endless, horrible ska production must end.
Unfortunately, it continues another day in Voodoo Glow Skulls
new album, "The Band Geek Mafia."
The creativity ends with the album title.
Not only do the lyrics remain incoherent throughout the entire
album, but listening to even three consecutive songs gives the
listener an immediate headache from the constant yelling.
The guitars know one chord, one beat, one tempo. Far be it to
ask for any more out of the band.
The album contains only a few noteworthy picks. "Stranded in the
Jungle" grasps the concept of catchy creativity. "Left For Dead"
utilizes amusing lyrics, and "Walkin’ Frustration" actually holds a
real beat for awhile.
Too bad the positive aspects of these tunes couldn’t be combined
to produce one memorable song.
These few moments fail as motivation for anyone to actually buy
the album. But who knows? Often bands such as Voodoo Glow Skulls
make up in live performance what they lack in recording
abilities.
Michelle Zubiate
George Martin, "InMyLife" (Echo/MCA)
Music producers usually lack the recognition to merit a
compilation album with the likes of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey.
Of course, there is the occasional exception.
When producer George Martin teamed up with four young lads from
working-class Liverpool, little did he or the rest of the world
know that their professional relationship would permanently change
the rock ‘n’ roll landscape.
The lads would be known later as the Beatles, and Martin would
be the man behind the mixing board for many of the group’s classic
hits.
Decades later, in celebration of his friends, Martin has
reworked some of the most memorable Beatles’ songs with new musical
arrangements and guest vocalists.
Although some of the renditions border more closely on the realm
of good ideas gone awry, all the songs are executed with good
intentions.
It’s hard to screw up any Beatles’ tune, but somehow "Life"
finds a way to warp a beautiful song into a crass rehash. Celine
Dion’s "Here There & Everywhere" manages to capture Dion’s
perfect pitch in an airy void of nothingness. The song moves
without weight, leaving a strangely missing sensation in the
tune.
A classical variation of "Because" by violinist Vanessa Mae
might as well be a new song altogether, as Mae’s stirring but
overpowering strings ripple away the Beatles’ sound.
Martin’s dabbling in the classical and pop genres warrants
praise for effort, but Beatles’ music is straight rock ‘n’
roll.
When Martin sticks to rock, the disc truly works. Williams’ and
Bobby McFerrin’s "Come Together" and Carrey’s "I am the Walrus"
entertain simply with the vocalists’ unique take on the lyrics.
By far the most magical cut off "Life" is Jeff Beck’s
guitar-serenading "A Day in the Life." Beck’s guitar sings the
lyrics as well as provides the soul that radiates from the timeless
song.
"Life" for the most part hardly does justice to the Beatles or
Martin. Few songs reflect the originals and the ones that come
close last too short.
Trinh Bui
Cypress Hill, "IV" (Ruffhouse)
Marijuana, guns and speaker-shattering bass. These seem to be
Cypress Hill’s main themes, and the group hits them again and again
on "IV." Think of Cheech, Charlton Heston and Bootsy Collins
hooking up for one strange party.
In this 71-minute ode to weed and automatic weapons, Cypress
Hill turns out song after song that would make Tipper Gore
cringe.
You may not want them to baby-sit your children, but they do
make some pretty good music.
There’s a predictable number of drug tunes that don’t say
anything that hasn’t been said on their previous albums.
"Dr. Greenthumb" boasts an amusing intro, with its hillbilly
infomercial offering aid on your homegrown marijuana efforts, but
"High Times" is nothing special.
There is also a fair amount of macho posturing, with "Riot
Starter," "Dead Men Tell No Tales," and the obligatory "I’m a
better rapper than you are" boasting of "16 Men Till There’s No Men
Left."
The group even ventures into pseudo-romance, with the
oh-so-touching ballad, "I Remember That Freak Bitch (From The
Club)." Lyrics aside, B-Real’s unmistakable voice, combined with
catchy beats, makes for some good music to move to.
Whether you’re dancing, driving, even just walking around, "IV"
will keep you moving.
Brent Hopkins
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