Shake Summation

Rip It Up, Issue 82, 1 May 1984, Page 4

Shake Summation

The Birthday Party Matinyj|(Mute)aMi^P^B A friend prone (all too often discovered prone) to frequent and copious drinking once raved "You don't need to change, just progress," of his former ensemble. The words come back listening to Mutiny! blues. The same basic elements were at work 'onThe first BP LP (of 'Mr Clarinet', et al) but this EPs best moments fulfill them with hard grace. 'Jennifer's Veil' is about Nick Cave's fascination with the compelling desperation beneath that which is outwardly "hackneyed", "tired" or ."bad". The lyric's rampant melodrama is acceptable because Cave is immersed in it. Like a slice from a fat romantic novel, an elegant

cliche. In some ways the Party's finest moment. Tracey Pew's bassline drives 'Mutiny in Heaven', a startlingly frank piece of lapsed Catholicism that B Trays B Fart. (Percht on mah bed ah was ...

sticken a needle in mah arm ... Ah tied off! ... Fucken wings burst out mah back!) Side Two, and Cave again creates himself a scenario in 'Swampland', (Come mah bounty hunters for ah cannot run no more.) but the music doesn't quite carry it. Nasty but imprecise. Last is 'Say A Spell', the Roland Howard song and it doesn't deserve to be on this record. Unexceptional backing to wet words Cave doesn't sound interested. If that's] the {sort of thing Howard wanted to write it's no wonder the Party's over. Cave's work is purely idiosyncratic another ego really only dilutes it. The year's best record. The. Great Unwashed Double 7" (Flying Nun) Five songs' in the fabbest packaging you can imagine. The sleeve

has been made out of the plastic backdrop used in the neat . video for "Neck of the Woods'. 'Woods' features a great guitar sound but isn't actually the best track. That honour goes to Peter Gutteridge's got ten-pas ting-no w-I'm-looking-for-the-man ’ tale 'Can't Find Water'. Or maybe Hamish Kilgour's curious Duane Eddy'. 1 Whatever, even if it doesn't quite have the psychedelic intoxication of an Unwashed live performance, it's a refreshingly brash bracket of songs. Like, no bullshit, yTcnow ...? Play it, Duane! Miltown Stowaways Invitation] (Hit] Singles) As the Miltown say.their goodbyes one by one, this record is on playlist at 89FM and it deserves it, too. The title , track is the first time the band has taken a more measured and pared-down approach and let the song shine through the playing. Kelly Rogers' voice sounds a little affected but he is actually singing these days. The Bush' and 'Medieval' are more traditional Miltown .fare but they're still memorable as songs <md|that'sltHe].'difference. Syd Pasley's guitar is notable. Not perhaps an exceptional record but definitely a large step in the right h directionSß|^H^H

Marching Orders The Dance (Flying Nun) This song stands out live but they've played it just a bit slow in the studio you feel like giving the turntable a helping hand. Jackie Clarke's voice gets a bit thin in places too, and her bubbling personality an integral part of the band's appeal naturally doesn't come across on plastic. 'Games We Play' is the better for being faster. A fun, if lightweight, record with a most accomplished production. Russell Brown

Late News Steve Garden has become first engineer at Progressive Studios. Garden has worked extensively in his own Basement Studio, with artists like Ivan Zagni, Don McGlashan and Phil Bowering ... the new Sons in Jeopardy single 'Sign of Life' / "Wax' will be out soon on Hit Singles. Expect to see a video too.

. And East Village Eye and New York Rocker are now available at Record Warehouse, care of Ether Relay.