RECORDS

Rip It Up, Issue 32, 1 March 1980, Page 10

RECORDS

FLYING .COLOURS

SPLIT ENZ TRUE COLOURS V MUSHROOM In the last issue there was a picture of five long-haired earnest looking hippies who were Split Ends 1973. They have changed. In fact change is the operative word when talking about this band; transition, adaptation, keeping abreast of what’s happening, and that’s sensible. That’s Split Enz. Anyway over the last few years they have gradually honed their music down to the vigorous sixties angst of True - Colours, , an album whose closest relation is Frenzy not only in chronology but also in content and style. Colours has the advantage, however, of having been produced by David Tickle (previous experience: engineered Blondie) Enz's most suitable producer to date. : . And so armed with a new producer and a batch of zestful songs the band waste no time in cutting the mustard. “Shark Attack’’ is a feverish opener and then their already classic “I Got You’’, a song plucked from the best traditions of British sixties rock singles and just loaded with presence. "What’s the Matter With You’’ and “I Wouldn’t Dream of It” are high grade itchy Enz numbers but the impetus of the first side is lessened slightly by Eddie Rayner’s instrumental "Double Happy” and a needlessly schmaltzy "orchestrated” song from Tim Finn “I Hope I Never". Four out of six ain't bad though. Side Two features three spirited typical Enz songs (“Nobody Takes Me Seriously”, “Missing Person” and “How Can I Resist Her”) a do-the-funky-Giorgio Moroder instrumental, (“The Choral Sea”) and a haunting veritable pop masterpiece, "Poor Boy”. A melody worth crying for, superbly arranged and produced, especially the counterpointing of the Green/Griggs rhythm section against Finn’s vocal and Rayner’s keyboards. That’s the next single. That’s an order. Words like “showpiece’” and “classic” aren’t to be used lightly but True Colours offers both. The highs here are the highest they’ve been and I reckon they’re still climbing. A tonic from the troops. George Kay

THE JAM SETTING SONS POLY DOR How could The Jam improve upon All Mod Cons, their magnificent album of last year? But they have and incredibly it’s not even a near thing. Setting Sons is streets ahead of its illustrious predecessor. Both musically and

lyrically Paul Weller has improved upon his past efforts, placing himself almost in a class of his own as far as British rock’n’roll is concerned. From the Jam’s debut album onwards, it was obvious that Weller was a master of Townsendinspired, power-chord rock. But it was only with the band's third album, All Mod Cons, that he showed any consistent ability to produce real melodies. This time out Weller has penned a bunch of truly timeless melodies. The effectiveness of the tunes is increased by a more adventurous approach to their arrangement. The most obvious example being the gorgeous strings on “Wasteland”, “Burning Sky” and “Smithers Jones”. Yet this development represents no softening on the part of the band. The core of their sound is still the tough jangle of Weller’s Rickenbacker and the relentlessly propulsive rhythm work of Bruce Foxton (bass) and Rick Buckler (drums). Prior to the release of the album, there were murmurings that it was to be a ‘concept’ album. Weller has stated that though certain themes do emerge from the lyrics taken as a whole, he did not deliberately write them around a ‘concept’. Lyrically, Weller has come a long way from his days as an angry young man capable of saying some very arrogant and foolish things. On Setting Sons, he writes with clear perception about the British social, political, military and commercial establishments. His vision is a grim one, but refreshingly, he doesn't start laying the blame on obvious scapegoats. With rare honesty he admits that he is as apathetic as everyone else when it comes to finding solutions to social problems. There is no other word for it. Setting Sons is simply a classic. Dominic Free

THE CLASH LONDON CALLING CBS Third album and they're still the Clash City Crusaders, rock’n’rollers who believe that what they are doing is an instrument of change, for the better. The Clash are still tenacious hardheaded idealists, the “Four Horsemen” of the fourth side of London Calling: Four horsemen coming right through Four horsemen and they 're pissing by you. Sitting comfortably? Not for long coz Side One is immediate wallop as the title track stomps and struts into greatness and straight away you realise that they’ve finally got the sound right, gutsier than the historic first but less streamlined than the metal of Rope. Next,

"Hateful” which is hard restless pop but it’s “Rudie Can’t Fail”, knockabout ska, that ties with “London Calling” as the best of the first side.

Over, and Spanish lessons and sing-a-long choruses explode on “Spanish Bombs”, enlist for the International Brigade or join the fascists in the jackbooted “Working For the Clampdown" and “Guns In Brixton”. There’s no escapism here, you’ve gotta front up. Side three offers no solace. “Death or Glory” is a physical blow at hypocrisy, “Koka Kola” takes a lunge at business and "The Card Cheat” is the Clash being metaphorical. You can handle it, you have to because the fourth side is next. And there’s no let up. “Four Horsemen” and “I’m Not Down” let you know just who is playing rock'n’roll. Wrong (Gordon) it’s not Ted Nugent, try again, meanwhile visit Jamaica and do the “Revolution Rock”. You can do it. And all this for a paltry ten bucks, the price of a single album, and you get lyric splattered inner sleeves courtesy of Ray Lowry who chronicled the Clash’s assault on America last year in NME. No room for complaints. London Calling, eclectic, firey and forceful. It takes risks and sometimes fails (“Jimmy Jazz”, “Wrong ’Em Boyo" and “The Right Profile”) but mostly succeeds, and how. So don’t talk about the Clash selling punk to the highest bidder coz if you do you’re only selling yourself and the best rock’n’roll a long ways short. A few years ago NME’s Pete Erskine said that if you didn’t like Little Feat then you didn't like rock'n’roll. That goes double for the Clash. George Kay ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS F-BEAT Get Happy? What sort of title is that for an album from Angry Elvis? Well, he may not have got quite happy a contented Costello is unthinkable but the attitude of anger has been modified. Perhaps just as well. The posture was ultimately self-limiting. That is not to suggest for a moment that Get Fiappy! in any way lacks punch. It’s a knockout blow. But infinite wrath is not within most of us (excluding genuine basket cases). How soon before Costello’s fury became just another pop trademark? I was among those who found Costello less than a miracle man at Sweetwaters. My presence there had been solely to enjoy E.C. in action. It was a rather unfocussed set, the finest moments that night coming in two ballads, his own “Alison” and the C&W chestnut “He’ll Have to Go”, both of them songs of anger barely suppressed. Once and for all, Elvis proved if proof was needed

that above all he is a singer, and one of the best. Some suggested that at Sweetwaters Costello “didn't get angry enough,” that his music pivots on rage. Indeed it does. But after three albums as Angry Young Man, Elvis’ bitter flame could have consumed him. Neatly, he has sidestepped the issue of destruction or -decline with Get Happy! ■ redefine Elvis costello in terms of soul music. ■ Perhaps more correctly, the album redefines [soul music in terms of Elvis Costello. The music is rooted in the Tamla and Stax I recordings of the sixties, the music of the Mods. But don't be misled by labels. This is no saggy recreation of other people’s past glories. Costello uses the form as the base for his new songs, the jumping off point for some hot rhythms. Stoking the heat are the Attractions, pumping like a trans-Atlantic Booker T. and the MGs, or maybe the Detroit rhythm section of Motown’s finest days. The sound is cut to the bone. Just the Attractions, no flab, no solos (apart from a brief flash of guitar in the closmg bars of “sive Gears in Reverse” and a snatch of harmonica on “I Stand Accused”). The band has shed the "pop song” approach of Am red Forces (no cheesy organ here) and in doing has gained muscle. If such a tight little band can be said to have a fulcrum it is Bruce Thomas. His bass line on “Secondary Modern” throbs like a re-run of “Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Costello himself drops a little of the snarl, allowing himself the relaxation of singing as if it’s all for fun. “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down”, one of the two non-originals on the album, is instant vintage. Elvis is a dab hand with a strong chorus and this one is a classic call-to-arms. With 20 tracks (playing time a fraction over 47 minutes) on a single album it is clear that only repeated listening at leisure will reveal all. For the moment I rate very high indeed the aforementioned "Stand Up”, “Opportunity”, “sive Gears”, “Temptation” (which is modelled on Booker T’s "Time is Tight”) and “Motel Matches” (he does a good ballad, our El). “Human Touch” with its rock steady beat seems to be a nod to the Specials, whose album Costello produced. Costello is reported to be elated by the recording, which is again produced by Nick Lowe. He reckons the digitally-recorded album one of the best he has heard, and swears there is no loss of sound quality despite the 20 (as in “20 Golden Greats 0f...”) tracks. The album sells for the normal price of a single album. It amounts to an economic miracle as well as an artistic triumph. Whether Costello will pursue the line of Get Happy! remains to be seen. Whether he does or not, it is a fine addition to an altogether magnificent body of work. Ken Williams THE PRETENDERS REAL The Pretenders are one of the newest wave of British bands frequently older musicians who draw on the energy ideas of the first wave and combine it with the melodic ideas of the 60's pop combos. While The Pretenders' singles so far “Stop Your Sobbing”, “Kid” and “Brass in Pocket” have leant heavily on the latter influence, their debut album concentrates more on full-throttled chord crashers in the punk vein. Indeed the The Pretenders at first seems to offer only reworkings of chord sequences we've allheard too many times before, but in every instance guitarists James HoneymanScott and Chrissie Hynde inject variations and counterpoints that make these old ideas over afresh. Producer Chris Thomas has kept the sound clear, full and punchy high fidelity rock’n’roll in the manner of the work he did for the Sex Pistols. And while Nick Lowe, on his production of their first single “Stop Your Sobbing", conceived of singer Chrissie Hynde as a little girl lost in a wall of sound, Chris Thomas has coaxed far more out of the lady from sassy American streetwise on “Tatooed Love Boys” to an almost Stevie Nicks’ softness on “Private Life” and “Lovers of Today". Those who buy the Pretenders debut album on the strength of their pop single “Brass in Pocket” are in for a shock but with listening The Pretenders continues to reveal more and more hidden delights that will turn that initial shock into a very pleasant surprise.

Alastair Dougal

SHARON O’NEILL CBS JON STEVENS JEZEBEL CBS It is not inappropriate to consider these artists together. They share producers (Jay Lewis and Steve Robinson), session musicians, and give vocal support to one another. Their record company has given both much encouragement, and they have reciprocated, Stevens especially, with hit records. It is quite a while since New Zealand has had its own family-faTe, safe-enough-for-TV singers certainly any worth a damn. Now we have Sharon and Jon. That is not a criticism in itself, but an indication of the broad base of their audience. While he has had phenomenal success (two records, two number ones), Stevens is the epitome of the singer of songs, as strong only as his best material ("Jezebel'’ would have been a hit anywhere), not matured enough to interpret convincingly ("Ain't No Sunshine" is disastrous, mechanical funk without conviction). Jon Stevens’ potential hasn’t been realised, but few singers can support the burden of weak material, and his album is short on strong songs. Sharon O'Neill is the country's most visible singer-songwriter. Her accomplishments put her in danger of being overrated; equally, she should not be underrated. This album puts her on a footing with the leading exponents of country-accented rock, the likes of Christine McVie, Bonnie Raitt, and the less satisfying Linda Ronstadt. O’Neill’s best material, and there are riches aplenty, inspires her collaborators. The sympatico guitar lines of Jay Lewis and Dennis Mason’s wistful sax linger in the memory. Sharon O’Neill’s more rocking approach is to be welcomed. Few New Zealand artists will produce such a satisfying album. Outside the new wave, our brightest hope. • Ken Williams THE RAMONES END OF THE CENTURY SIRE When Phil Spector met Dee Dee Ramone three years ago it was reportedly love at first sight. Spector just couldn’t believe the guy. Perfect, he kept saying, perfect. Now Spector’s admiration for the unique Ramone persona has come to fruition with his producing their latest album, and what he’s done is largely what you’d expect right through to making sure they record one of his songs. The backings have been fattened out, the vocals sunk a little deeper into the mix, and the songs are even stretched beyond three minutes. Four times. Usually the new extra tex-

ture works, although the saxophone players struggle to play as fast as the band on the anthemic opener "Do You Remember Rock'n’Roll Radio”. Or is it that the band struggle to play as slow? And we must inevitably blame Spector for "Baby I Love You”. It’s a mistake obvious from the jaunty yelping string riff at the beginning, and laboriously confirmed after that. But then we have such vintage chordslashing Ramones as "Chinese Rock”, which Johnny Thunders claimed he wrote when He did it (extremely well) and which gets a Thunders-free Ramones writing credit here. Superb. And right before that there’s a tinkling pretty "Danny Says”, which builds powerfully a structural tactic not used before and one which should be used again. It’s nowhere near the most obvious radio song, but it would make a great single. The whole first side is good really. "The Return Of Jackie -And Judy” is the only palpable re-write (hear the little nick from "Pretty Vacant”?) and the side bows out with real power on "Let’s Go”. The uh-huh bits are on the second side, but they hit the straight with energy to burn, and finish strongly with “All The Way” and "High Risk Insurance”. Another fine Ramones album then. The necessary shift has been made, cautiously yet, but all the old weapons are still being used. And no-one in the band is even close to marrying Britt Ekland OR Faye Dunaway. Roy Colbert JEFFERSON STARSHIP FREEDOM AT POINT ZERO GRUNT For my sins, they gave me a mission. Record and analyse the latest movements of Jefferson Starship, once the Jefferson Airplane, guiding light of innumerable once-young hippies. 'Does anyone care?’ I protested. Was I to be "terminated with extreme prejudice”? The Starship is pushing the concept of "a

brand new band” and to a point this is true. Never a stable congregation, the most recent fracture saw the loss of former linchpins Grace Slick and Marty Balin. The regrouping brought in Mickey Thomas (ex-Elvin Bishop), who probably sings higher than Grace, and Aynsley Dunbar, one of the few rock drummers who lives up to the hype and who may be the album’s greatest asset. "We wanted to make a record that kicked ass like we did live,” says Craig Chaquico, he of the excessive hair and the excessive guitar. Indeed, this is a more rocking Starship, rocking in the sense of Led Zeppelin, Foreigner, Journey, thunder drums, endlessly rifting guitars. Heavy metal, with an injection of Paul Kantner’s relentlessly optimistic anthems to a better world. And let us not forget the numbing banality of Craig Chaquico’s “Rock’n’roll is good time music” song. We could collect the paeans, to the joys of rock music, put 'em in a boxed set, leave it unopened. Only marginally more than a song about rock and roll does the world need a new heavy metal band. Ken Williams THE MEKONS THE QUALITY OF MERCY IS NOT STRNEN VIRGIN The Mekons are part of the experimental wing of English rock bands, which is currently such a force on the club circuit. Anyone who has heard others from this group such as The Human League wouldn’t be expecting easy listening. So its a surprise to discover that the Mekons have immediate appeal as a pop band. The band do take a few liberties with traditional ideas about arrangements. But the secret of their appeal is that they have such strong tunes to work on from the start. Their repertoire ranges from pacy trash pop like "Dan Dare” to atmospheric ballads like "Lonely And Wet”. Along with many other young English musi-

cians, the Mekons have learnt from reggae music. So on this album the guitars, bass and drums play together but often not at once. The technique is used to good effect, one good example being the choppy guitar rocker "Like Spoons No More”. Another point in regard to their playing is the clever interplay of the lead and rhythm guitars. It’s probably best heard on the fine love song “Roseanne” where an understated melodic lead runs over the chord strum. Bands can be clever and still be fun. XTC are one example, the Mekons are another. Dominic Free THE SLITS CUT ISLAND Don't create, don't rebel Typical girls don't think too clearly Typical girls try to be typical girls very well ("Typical Girls”) The Slits are not typical girls, they are Ari Upp (vocals), Viv Albertine (guitar) and Tessa (bass) and they've been chipping away at rock's foundations since 1977 but to no avail until now. Drummer Palm Olive-left a year after the band’s formation to launch another all femal enterprise, the Raincoats. She was replaced by Budgie, a man. He doesn’t pose on the cover. The songs on Cut acutally date back to their beginnings when Palm Olive was around so you get "Adventures Close To Home”, ingratiatingly droll, which appeared last year on the Raincoats EP. The Slits are chintzy Pere Übu, vulnerable females who lash out at what they don’t like "FM”, “Love and Romance” and "So Tough”. The songs lurch gently, cynically, infiltrated by vague reggae overtones and convoluted introspective viewpoints. Can you dig it, man? I like the album. It’s honest, musically unorthodox, existentially rewarding and I like the cover.

George Kay

THE TOURIST REALITY EFFECT LOGO The Tourists suffer from an identity crisis, amongst other things. They don’t know whether to commit themselves to Byrds influenced airy pop or to tackle something with a little more intellectual muscle. Reality Effect, their second album, well and truly catches them in two minds. In their attempt to evolve something of their own they have tried to combine too many incompatible elements resulting in a diffusive, although not unpleasant, lightweight rock. When winsome Ann Lennox takes lead vocal The Tourists could pass for 1980's Honeycombs (remember them?) and it’s in this vein that they are most effective. “All Life's Tragedies”, “Everywhere You Look” and “So Good to Be Back Home Again” have strong hooks and pass quite comfortably as attractive pop, and a belting version of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to be With You” is impressive. But Peet Coombe’s lead vocals and Byrd’s fixation, diluted mind you, are difficult to handle. This band has too many pots on the boil. They need to sort themselves out and decide on a definite musical direction. George Kay TOM VERLAINE ELEKTRA Verlaine’s troubles with Television in the last few months of their existence are certainly dim memories in the light of this determined and well organized solo album. Always a picture of artistic aloofness, Verlaine's music flirted just a little too closely with condescension for mass approval, yet this cannot detract from the man’s subtle talents in evidence for a third time on his first solo album. Retaining the services of Television's Fred Smith on bass and drafting in Jay Dee Dougherty on drums, Verlaine knocks out two majestic gems on the first side, "Souvenir From a Dream” and "Kingdom Come", with the direct “Grip of Love" not being too far behind in the honours. As fine the first side is, it is only a dress rehearsal for faultless structures of the second. He’s always been a guitarist of delicacy and imagination but on “Flash Lightning”, "Red Leaves”, “Last Night” and the climactic "Breakin’ In My Heart” he almost surpasses his previous standard as set on Marquee Moon. Tom Verlaine is an album of poise and composure illustrating the man at his best. George Kay SPLIT ENZ MENTAL NOTES FESTIVAL . Rumour has it that second-hand copies of the first pressing of Mental Notes have been

Tom Verlaine changing hands at high prices, so it is not surprising that Festival have re-released the record. It is fast becoming a classic of NZ rock vinyl. The original was released here on White Cloud, Barry Coburn's label, and on Mushroom in Australia. In addition to current members Tim Finr>, Noel Crombie, and Eddie Rayner, the lineup at the time included Phil Judd, Mike Chunn, Wally Wilkinson (guitar), and Paul Crowther (drums). By 1975, the band had evolved into a highly structured unit, relying heavily on Eddie Rayner’s keyboard talents. The songs are all Judd, or Judd-Finn compositions, and the result is Gothic rock. About half of the album resurfaced on Second Thoughts, produced by Phil Manzanera in London. Manzanera brightened up the sound considerably, but left the arrangements largely untouched. Tracks not included on Second Thoughts are "Under The Wheel”, “Spellbound”, “May-be”, “Amy” and “So Long For Now”. The cover features a Phil Judd painting which was damaged in transit, the result improving the painting's already surrealistic tone. For this pressing, the artwork was unavailable and the cover has been photographed from an existing sleeve, leaving a highly authentic patch where the price sticker had been. If you’ve got an original copy, don’t sell it cheap. Mental Notes still gives good ear, particularly if you’re an Enz freak with a bent toward, the weightier stuff. Recommend reading, and compulsory for collectors. John Malloy