Records

Rip It Up, Issue 88, 1 November 1984, Page 34

Records

Devo, Shout (WEA) Like hulahoops and skateboards, Devo have had their day. They thrashed their novelties over the first couple of albums, retaining a hard-core of support since by dint of clever videos and the innate conservatism of the general public. Shout is more formula fun. No brave horizons or experiments, the 10 tracks here are very pleasant. Even your Mum would hum along to Devo’s version of Hendrix's 'Are You Experienced?'. Maybe the videos will add a more stimulating perspective. DT Krokus, The Blitz (Arista) In a field as limited as heavy metal it’s all too easy for name bands to lay down an album of standard metal textbook cliches and hooks and expect to cash in. The Blitz is one of these albums highly predictable and ultimately boring. Krokus have made no discernible progress on recent albums and reach an unimaginative low with this one. Even a cover of the Sweet’s glampop hit 'Ballroom Blitz’ (presumably in an effort to emulate Quiet Riot’s success with Slade remakes) falls flat on its face. Best ignored. CC Jermaine Stewart Finally (Virgin) After years of dancing on Soul Train and singing backups for Shalamar, Jermaine makes his solo debut with this confused collection of pop-soul. His voice is pleasant enough, especially in tandem with the backup singers, but the problem is the way it’s presented by English producer Peter Collins. An over-use of Fairlight programming and a desire to fill up every space with something that goes "bang!" just obscures the vocals and produces a stodgy, heavy feel. Lyrics about jacuzzi pools and a cover boasting the names of the world's foremost clothes designers don’t help. Jermaine really wants to become Michael Jackson but he simply doesn’t have the talent or a producer like Quincy Jones to help him along the way. KB Paul McCartney Give My Regards to Broad Street (EMI) It's too easy to be cynical about McCartney and his trade. As a musician and tunesmith he’s long since evolved into the role of safe, across-the-board entertainer, a position with more credibility than the bad-ass teenage degeneracy crap that the Stones have tried to live up to in their obvious middle .age. Digressions aside, this album is the soundtrack to a Macca musical and it’s a mixture of old and new, good and bad, maudlin and not so maudlin. Reverential treatments of 'Good Day Sunshine', ‘For No One’ and other Beatle ballads do no harm, while new stuff like ’No Values and 'No More Lonely Nights’ should please rocking mums. I can live without this album, easily, but maybe you cant. Make your own value judgements. GK Lee Aaron Metal Queen (Big Time) Spearheaded by April Wine and Triumph, Canadian metal bands

have always had a distinct sound; bordering on pomp, strong on melody, deliberate, chugging riffs and slick guitar playing. This second album from sultry Lee Aaron fits very neatly into this pattern. Aaron’s multi-tracked voice fairly screams out above the superb guitar playing of Wrabit’s John AlLani. If you enjoy class femme metale and have been frustrated by Benatar’s wimping out since 'Heartbreaker', check this one out. CC Rickie Lee Jones The Magazine (Warner Bros) Back in 79 a lot of people, besides Chuck E, were in love with Rickie Lee Jones. But that streetsmart, hipster cool of hers seemed to shield less art than artifice. The first album quickly reduced to three or four tracks and the two-year-in-the-making follow-up to even less. And last year's slap-dash EP presented cover versions that were an insult to their originals. The Magazine shows slight hopes of a turnaround. Her writing can still flounder badly in sub Joni Mitchell meanderings but, more positively, she's also re-employed the lazy, swinging funk that secured her initial success The vocal mannerisms still irritate though. A minor talent. PT Various Artists, Beat Street Volume 2 (Atlantic) If you're looking for hard core electro sounds don’t bother with this sucker. Volume two of a continuing series that could prove to be endless. The best dance track is Rockers Revenge's chant over an Arthur Baker rhythm in 'Battle Cry'. The real goodies are Tina B's neat beat ballad 'Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy' and Juicy’s 'Give Me AH' nice, real nice. But the rest are fairly disposable. There’s a terrible attempt at rap parody in Phony Four MC’s 'Wappin (Bubblehead)’ and Jenny Burton’s ‘lt’s Alright By Me' sounding more like Las Vegas than the Bronx but that’s the breaks. KB

M+M, Mystery Walk (RCA) Hey gang, anyone remember 'Echo Beach? Boring, wasn't it? Martha and the Muffins plodded on bravely for a few years after that, but Canada never had much new wave credibility, so they fell by the wayside. Now they’ve ditched most of the name, picked up lotsa percussion and drum machines, made a clever-clever video, got slightly funky, and guess what? Mmmm. Yeah, let’s do the dishes or something else exciting. DC The Comateens

Deal With It (Virgin) So, Willy de Ville New York lookalikes the Comateens weigh in with another album. Last year they were smart enough with Pictures On a String and on Deal With It they clarify their target. Glistening velvet-assed little shakers like ’Don’t Come Back’, 'Ask Yourself, the title track and the premier pop of Jo-Ni' suggest that they’re after Solid Gold land. If persistence means success in the States then they've still a ways to go, but Deal With It implies that they’ll get there eventually. Another romp with business rock 'n' roll. GK Various Artists Streets Of Fire Soundtrack

(MCA) The gossip is that this ripoff from the Springsteen legend has dropped a bundle at the box office. Quite understandable that is, if the soundtrack’s any indication. How the hell do you sequence Jim (“l-made-Meatloaf”) Steinman with the likes of Ry Cooder or the Blasters? Not to mention the Fixx with Dan Hartman. Or even ... oh, forget it. PT