Records

Rip It Up, Issue 64, 1 November 1982, Page 13

Records

David Taylor

Rip Rig and Panic I am Cold Virgin ■ Remember that jazz revival some fool was predicting after the "death" of punk a few years ago? Yeah, well it happened and Rip Rig and Panic are currently the hippest of the new swingers. Playing free-form jazz to an audience reared on rock riffs is bound to be difficult. The two singles off the album, 'Storm the Reality Asylum' and 'You're My King of Climate', featuring Neneh Cherry's vocals, are a good attempt at breaching the gap between jazz and pop culture. Climate', in particular, fairly swings along, with the singing sounding almost like part of the horn section. The rest varies from good to indifferent. The only really low points are 'Liars' and the doodling of Here Gathers Nameless Energy'. The jazz label doesn't fully express the contents. Funkoid basslines lurk everywhere and 'Warm; To the If in Life' is very African. , • Cold' is more a recreational drug than the panacea some claim it to be. If you feel like a rest from grand pop a la Minds/Associates, you know where to go. Russell Brown Various Artists Greatest Rap Hits Vol. 2 Sugarhill The origins of rap tracks are sufficiently obscure to provoke a lot of argument, but the idea of talking over a backing track probably was nicked from the toaster DJs of Jamaica, who started the whole thing some years back. The first rap hit of any significance was the loopy 'Double Dutch Bus' by Frankie Smith, but the one that will be remembered this year is 'The Message' by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the year's most crucial statement. The group's album is due for release here sometime, but till then, this collection serves as a suitable introduction. Grandmaster Flash has two

tracks here, Treedom’ and 'Birthday Party', both good examples of the art. Spoonie Gee, accompanied by an all-girl rap trio called the Sequence, contributes some paaarty sounds on 'Monster Jam'. The rappers have also discovered the reggae trick of using a good backing track over again with a different vocal. That's The Joint’ has already been used once, though just where escapes me at present. Up front this time are four guys and a girl named The Funky Four Plus One. The Sugarhill Gang had a British hit with 'Rapper's Delight', but 'Bth Wonder' on this LP doesn't match up. 'The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel' is a sortof dub exercise, playing around with segments of Blondie's 'Rapture', Queen's 'Another One Bites The Dust' and Chic's 'Good Times'. Clever-clever, but only marginally interesting. Now playing at discerning discos everywhere. Duncan Campbell Cocteau Twins Garland 4AD Cocteau Twins are a three piece from the UK that specialize in misty anguish. Closer to the Cure's

Pornography than lan Curtis' wistful wisdom, their music is firmly rooted in the new depression. Those roots are Cocteau Twins' chief strength and weakness. They carve a place for the band in the indies market and establish influences so clearly that the band could be dismissed as just another imitator. Throughout, the guitar has a familiar unfocussed aspect and the rhythms are kept direct and simple. Elizabeth’s vocals, heavily influenced by Siouxsie Sioux, are held deep in the mix to add to the overall hypnotic effect. All eight songs boast similar dynamics and pace so it's better to dip into the atmosphere of stronger tracks like 'Wax and Wane' or 'The Hollow Men' than allow the music to assume a dirge-like quality. The lyrics are Catholic visions of a still, dying world. Cleverly crafted, their literary pretension accords well with the band's chosen name and adds to the oppressive feel of the album. Garlands is a very contemporary album with its sound and concern, but Cocteau Twins have not yet found the right mix of inspiration and appeal. File under portents pending.