RECORDS

Rip It Up, Issue 57, 1 April 1982, Page 16

RECORDS

Britain last year: These make the double twelve inch a little more relevant. ACR are the victims of Factory-then-it’s-mandatory-schtick. Realistically they suffered because of early press hyperbole and their fifteen minutes sound like the shortest on record. George Kay

Cold Chisel Circus Animals WEA In light of Cold Chisel's somewhat flat performance of their new material at Sweetwaters, I approached their new album with a certain amount of trepidation. Fortunately, my fears have proved groundless. Chisel have never sounded better in the studio environment.

The album opens with Jim Barnes' 'You Got Nothing I Want', a crunching rocker, and one wonders why he's contributed so few songs to their repertoire. lan Moss offers two songs, Bow River' and 'No Good For You', which are solid fare but don't surprise, while Prestwich's ballads, 'Forever Now' and "When The War Is Over', present the gentle side of Chisel. The remainder of the album is the work of keyboards player, Don Walker, who has been responsible for nearly all their previous material. Taipan' growls and boils, Houndog' allows Moss full scope on guitar, while Barnes' screaming finale, 'Wild Colonial Boy', is Chisel at their best. "Numbers Fall' and 'Letter To Alan' maintain the intensity.

Barnes has no peers in the shouting stakes, yet tempers this with delicacy when required, combining adroitly with Moss's stinging riffs and the powerhouse rhythm.section. On any assessment, Circus Animals is a triumph. David Perkins Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft Gold Und Liebe Virgin ' The only compromise that Robert Gorl and Gabi DelgadoLopez, the duo that is D.A.F., present is the translation of song titles and credits on the inner sleeve. Otherwise, Gold Und Liebe (Gold And Love), the fourth album to date and the first released here, is unrelenting, dark and malevolent, exhilarating and celebratory all at once. Gabi's vocals are breathless, gutteral barks of passion and the finest you will hear all year. ; Translated, the name means German-American Friendship, a black joke considering Germany's present political situation. However, this is the insight into the

collective sense of humour D.A.F. possess, their knowledge of the limits of the capabilities and belief in their talents. An almost-typical German attitude to life and lust. D.A.F. are male animals, proud and roaring defiance and dare, levelling steely gazes at the environment that initially spawned them, and which is now wholly responsible for the state of their existence. Don't be disillusioned by any premature aversion to D.A.F.'s analytical observations. Nothing is gained by musical complacency, except airplay in this country, and you definitely won't be hearing D.A.F. on any airwaves. Stefan Morris Simple Minds Celebration Arista Glasgow's Simple Minds, having left Arista for Virgin's greener pastures, now qualify' for a co'mpilation/best of. ' Locally, Celebration emerges as an impressive fifth album as it contains insights into their second album, Real to Real Cacophony, unreleased here. 'Premonition' is all-purpose drive, one of their best songs, and 'Factory' and Calling Your Name' confirm what we've missed. The debut, Life In A Day, with the band dewey-eyed from Roxy Music and Bowie sentiments, is represented by the title track and 'Chelsea Girl', both singles, and both more naive than winning. If Real by Real Cacophony was the big leap into maturity and identity, then Empires and Dance must be regarded as their best stride to date. - Combining the European travelogue textures of Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express with their own determined . bass/drums propulsion, Simple Minds developed their own stature. _ Kerr became more confident as a vocalist, more commanding and the band sounded more authoritative. Celebrate', 'I Travel' and Thirty Frames A Second' are lifted to prove those points. Celebration is rounded off with

a couple of their earlier singles, 'Changeling' and 'Kaleidoscope'. The former,- especially, wastes no time , as it makes direction, no detours and no rest-stops. It goes straight for the flag. So Celebration is that rare breed - a compilation that is not only justified but necessary. ! - ■ iv>. • George Kay TV2I A Thin Red Line Deram TV2I are a", disturbing band, being so good, but also very open to comparisons. They come from Edinburgh, there are four of them, and they've been around since 1979. Influences are important here, because of their hybrid sound. Scotland is a. soul centre, like most of the northern part of Britain. TV2I have strong soul leanings,, especially in the horn playing of Dave Hampton on 'Snakes And Ladders' (a great non-hit single) and the racing funk of 'ldeal Way Of Life'. ''ItfHSBPPM Also not to be ignored is the Liverpool strain, a la Bunnies-Teardrop-Wah. Try This Is Zero', 'Something's Wrong' or 'When I Scream'. (It's worth noting that Teardrop Troy Tate produced one of their early singles.) Ally Palmer's guitar also comes very close to the Bunnies' Will Sargent on 'lt Feels Like It's Starting To Rain'. Influence No. 3 is Paul Weller, though maybe unconsciously,, in the voice of Norman Rodger. Weller cites TV2I as his favourite songwriters of last year. Certainly; 'Ticking Away', and 'Waiting For The Drop' owe a debt to him... Derivative? I'm still not sure. TV2I write excellent songs, building on vocals and riffs to terrific climaxes (something , this world needs more of). They're : not plagiarists, they're stylists with obvious mentorsHßßflßßßHß| I find this album immensely enjoyable, a creditable debut by a promising young band. But I'm still sure they can better balance their influences and - their own ideas, to produce something that

doesn't draw so many comparisons. . Duncan Campbell Dave Edmunds The Best Of Dave Edmunds [SwagsofigjlHHpHßpHH A misleading title, firstly because this album covers only his Swansong period, ie- the last four albums, and secondly because any 'Best Of' album has its work cut out to include every fan's personal favourite. (If I had my way, Swansong would put all . four albums together, include a few Bsides of singles, put them in a box set . and sell it all for about TO bucks. So much for fantasy ...) As a compilation, this album has a good track listing, except for one very real gripe; it includes none of the slower side of Edmunds, such as Take Me For A Little While or 'l'm Gonna Start Livin' Again If It Kills Me'. ... From Get It, we get 'Here Comes The Weekend', 'Ju Ju Man and Nick Lowe's 'I Knew The Bride'.- Tracks On Wax 4 contributes 'Deborah', 'AI On The Jukebox' and the excellent Trouble Boys'. Repeat When Necessary offers the strongest selection in 'Girls' Talk', ..'Queen Of Hearts', 'Crawlin' From The Wreckage' and The Creature From The Black Lagoon'. The latest LP, last year's Twangin', sees a fairly predictable showing of 'Singin' The Blues', the Stray Cats-backed 'The Race Is On', and John Fogerty's truly wonderful 'Almost Saturday Night'. I've raved enough in these pages about Dave Edmunds, so I'll say no more. If you haven't got everything he's put out recently, this is as good a place as any to start. Dave McLean Gregory Isaacs More Gregory Charisma . This is Isaacs' second album for Pre (through Charisma outside Europe), and where is the first, pray tell? Those who bought the double Virgin cassette of Cool Ruler and Soon Forward won't hesitate to purchase this. For the others, start . here and see what you're missing. Isaacs has a voice like satin sheets, a lover at heart, but not unaware of his identity. Try 'Confirm Reservation' or The Fugitive' on this set. Rastafari without the cliches. In fact, words like 'dreadlocks' and 'Babylon' are notably absent from Isaacs' work, which . may convert a few of those who dislike reggae. It doesn't all sound the same, and here's a man who ■ doesn't preach. , Well not much, anyway. 'Substitute' is the only letdown, when Isaacs - self-righteously scolds a wayward girlfriend, who's now smokin' and drinkin' herself down the high road to damnation. . Elsewhere it's bitter-sweet love songs, urgent and tender , at the same time, backed either by Sly and Robbie or Isaacs' own superb

Radies. The former duo tone down their usual trickery, allowing Isaacs' voice to dominate and shine, the way things should be. Let Mr Isaacs serenade you. It could be the start of something big. Duncan Campbell