Records

Rip It Up, Issue 95, 1 June 1985, Page 32

Records

Working Week Working Nights (Virgin) Working Week comprises a male guitarist, male sax/flute player and a black female singer, all British. On Working Nights they also use an assortment of prestigious horn and rhythm players. Working Week describes its music as "soul-jazz". Their current single, and only non-original on the album, is a rework of Marvin Gaye’s 'lnner City Blues'. Their producer is the guy who did Sade’s 'Diamond Life'. Seems impressive so far. Unfortunately it's not. If you've heard their ‘lnner City Blues’ you’ll know why. Working Week somehow manage to sound both busy and lacking at the same time. Partly it’s the uninspired arrangements. Certainly it's also the less-than-memorable writing. (One or two tracks could even pass as cocktail lounge music.) There's also a problem with vocalist Julie Roberts who, though powerful and true, phrases stiffly as if she's singing for theatre rather than a soul band. But there is potential here. Maybe it’ll bear fruit after they've been working months. PT Herbie Mann At the Village Gate (Atlantic) A reissue of an early 1960 s concert, in the days before flautist Mann decided there was more money to be made in disco crossovers and MOR supper music. This live LP only just surpasses the latter. I pass altogther. DC

The Tubes Love Bomb (Capitol) Out of San Francisco they came, in 72, and in three years they had achieved cult status, those white dopes on punk. Then came 'B2 and a change of label and direction with The Completion Backwards Principle, evidence of a move towards hackneyed American mediocrity. Here, even the influence of “The Wizard, the True Star”, Todd Rundgren