Wednesday, November 27, 1996
SOUNDBITES
Tricky "Pre-Millennium Tension" (Island) Tricky, the British
trip-hop king, established himself with the 1995 critical smash,
"Maxinquaye," a showcase of ambient loops and hip-hop rhythms. Now,
he follows that up with a darker, more hip-hop-driven album with a
post-modern-industrial feel to it. The album’s first track, "Vent,"
is a brooding song with a P.J. Harvey-meets-Massive Attack
(Tricky’s old outfit) vibe ("Gone insane/Hijack a plane/Don’t push
me/’Cause I’m close to the edge"). "Piano" haunts with resonance as
well, with erratic beats and random lyrical interjections. Tricky
experiments with rap a bit with the urban avant-garde "Tricky Kid"
("They used to call me Tricky Kid/I live the life they wish they
did/I live the life don’t own a car/Now they call me superstar"),
and the starkly tender, early ’80s-influenced "Makes Me Want to
Die." Tricky specializes in hypnotic, creepy songs
("Christiansands") but Tricky’s main problem is that his music is
hard to digest. Songs like "My Evil Is Strong" sound bombastic and
have no rhythm, something the average listener probably won’t sit
through without heading for the "skip" button. However complex and
abstract his music is, Tricky is still a master technician of
music. His unique sound, a hybrid of instruments with synthesized
loops and sound effects, is uncompromising and unparalleled.
"Pre-Millennium Tension" is an aptly named album of Trent
Reznor-like synthesized orchestrations. It evokes a disturbing mood
that booms and creeps all the way through. Mike Prevatt Grade:
B
Bush "Razorblade Suitcase" (Trauma) It’s been two years since
Bush came out with its debut 5 million-selling album, "Sixteen
Stone." Now these English rockers are back with fun for all those
who doubted their credibility, with the credibility leader in
producing, Steve Albini (after all, he produced Nirvana, the
standard-bearer of credibility in "alternative" music). The fun is
in listening to Nigel Pulsford’s beautifully expressive guitar work
take songs through all the paces of a modern rock track. The fun is
also in listening to drummer Robin Goodridge and bassist Dave
Parsons actually play a song that’s enjoyable because of the
emotion it evokes. The disappointing part of "Razorblade Suitcase"
is singer Gavin Rossdale’s whining about how "you will get yours"
in "Cold Confusion." The major criticism of Bush has always been of
its lead singer and his pretty-boy attitude when it comes to
presenting himself to the public. All the little girls love him and
that makes the critics jealous enough to make Spin magazine proudly
proclaim that you "shouldn’t hate them because he’s so beautiful"
on the recent cover with Rossdale’s grinning mug on it. If Rossdale
would just pull back on trying so hard at singing teenage pop songs
like "Glycerine" from "Sixteen Stone," then Bush would be fine.
Case in point is the the track "history" that is a rock song for
the ’90s with Rossdale’s standard stream-of-consciousness writing
style at its best. But on most songs, when he starts a chorus, it
should never sound like he’s whining. Though he genuinely sounds
like he’s whining because of his style, he should try to just sing
and let the lyrics bring the emotion to him because the lyrics are
fine. He shouldn’t pump the lyrics with whininess that makes them
sound like pleas. Bottom line: If you’re a fan, buy it. If you’ve
come to have an aversion to Rossdale’s vocals, then this album will
make you never want to listen to Bush again. Michael Nazarinia
Grade: C
Ocean Colour Scene "Mosley Shoals" (MCA) With a retro-rock sound
and blazing guitar solos, Ocean Colour Scene has a chance to join
the ranks of fellow British mates Oasis and Bush in making it big
in the States. Six years of setbacks, turmoil, and natural
disasters couldn’t stop Scene from releasing its UK chart-topping
album "Mosley Shoals." Simon Fowler might be the frontman but it’s
Steve Cradock and his electric guitar that gives life to the songs.
A combination of late ’60s rock with a touch of blues, Scene
delivers songs dealing with hardship, heartache and redemption
wrapped around smooth guitar riffs and strained vocals. Most of the
songs on "Shoals" wallow in sadness with slow turtle-paced beats,
with the exceptions of "The Riverboat Song," which starts out with
a 30-second guitar solo brilliantly performed by Cradock, and
"You’ve Got it Bad" and "The Day We Caught the Train," which are
the bands most rock-pop tracks. Scene’s influence comes heavily
from the Beatles, which is a good thing, but is taken too far on
one of the best tracks, "The Day We Caught the Train," when lead
singer Fowler blatantly steals Paul McCarthy’s distorted vocals and
rhythm from "I Am the Walrus." Besides the one misdeed, Ocean
Colour Scene offers a refreshing departure from the current
happy-pop/glam-rock coming out of Britain these days. Trinh Bui
Grade: A-
Keith Murray "Enigma" (Jive) Keith Murray has got more energy
than a hyperactive, motor-mouth second grader. On his sophomore
album, Murray channels this excessive energy into some of the best
battle rhymes ever heard. Dealing out battle rhymes to squash wack
emcees is what Murray does best. On his sophomore effort "Enigma,"
he continues to rap in his trademark style, with his raspy voice
reciting lyrics filled with obscure vocabulary. Even when he makes
up words (like beautifullest), Murray’s boundless energy is his
main attraction. This energy is evident on the album’s first
single, "The Rhyme." Murray metaphorically speaks of his rhymes as
an uncontrollable monster that "punches phony M.C.’s dead in their
esophagus." The album does not lag with guest appearances by
Redman, Erick Sermon and Jamal. Murray’s rhymes are backed up with
beats produced mostly by fellow Def Squad member Erick Sermon. Some
of the beats compliment Murray’s energetic delivery, but others
fall short and sound tame in comparison. "The Ummah," A Tribe
Called Quest’s production entity, also contributes some excellent
production. Nelson Saldua Grade: B+
Chaka Khan "Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan (Volume 1)"
(Reprise) For the past 25 years, Chaka Khan has consistently
recorded excellent music. In a time where the label "diva" is used
to describe seemingly every rhythm-and-blues female singer, Khan’s
songs show her legitimate claim to the label. On this album, she
has selected 11 songs from her extensive discography and added five
previously-unreleased songs. "Epiphany" contains classics like
"Ain’t Nobody," "Through the Fire" and "I’m Every Woman." It also
includes a live version of the Stevie Wonder-penned "Tell Me
Something Good." "I Feel For You" is Khan at her best, meshing pop,
funk and rap music. Written by Prince and featuring Stevie Wonder
and rapper Melle Mel, "I Feel For You" is an example of Khan’s
ability to transcend musical and generational boundaries. The only
disappointment in the song selection is the glaring omission of
"Sweet Thing." The new material on "Epiphany" includes "Never Miss
the Water," a dynamic duet pairing Khan with Me’Shell Ndegeocello.
On this and the other new songs it is evident that Khan is not
showing any signs of slowing down. Her voice is still as powerful
as ever and she still can sing a song like few others can. Nelson
Saldua Grade: A-
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