Records

Rip It Up, Issue 99, 1 October 1985, Page 28

Records

Paul McKessar

Propaganda A Secret Wish Zang Tumb Tuum You could probably get the same effect playing Tuxedo Moon

at 45rpm through a very big bass woofer after four bottles of champagne, but the convenience of having riffs as good as these alongside such slugging atmosphere on the same album is hard to pass up. The first song on this LP is 'Dream Within A Dream', in which Claudia Brucken ushers in a song that sounds like a

Camaro on mescaline. The second, Murder of Love', a sulky paean, the third, Jewel', a hummable motor accident. Sex, wit, ego thrills and spills, boys and girls. So it goes. Propaganda, strangely enough, are German, and thus their blood is laced with the same sparkling stuff that made D.A.F., early Kraftwerk, M, and very fast motor cars. They are on the ZTT label, which means very interesting packaging and photographs that are worth the retail price alone (by Anton Corbijn, amply making up for his dreary smears on the last U2 album). They have names like Suzanne Freytag and Ralf Dorper ... well, maybe things aren't all that hot over there ...

Propaganda are also ZTT’s first group to concentrate on songs with beginnings and ends and sing-along-bits-in-the-middle, which means that an audience outside of myself might find them a little more than ''interesting'’ or ''progressive", perhaps even "fun" The Art Of Noise album was one of the best pop albums of the year (much better than that Frankie crowd), but to earn that title they had to throw away (throwaway?) all that would earn them money and concentrate on things like drums and tortoises (sorry Paul, tortoises

went out in 1983 everyone knows that). Propaganda have the pleasurable role of picking up the pieces with hands of rich ability and sculpting something that people can really get their teeth into, their actions always under the watchful eye of finicky Aunty Horn. In other words, Propaganda live up to their sleeve notes and far exceed our expectations. There is nothing laid-back here; their Germanic luxury gives flaccid pop funk a shove. The Last Poets they ain't; perhaps the new prose pose? Chad Taylor

Sheila E Romance 1600 Warner Bros I was watching that cultural bible Entertainment This Week and

there was Sheila E talking about how her new album is going to be more adventurous and heavy on the latin. But it seems she got lost in Amadeus and we get The Glamorous Life Part two, circa 1600.

Going by the credits, Ms Escovedo plays everything on the album except for guitar and horns; talent this woman has aplenty. There are some nice rhythm textures (natch!) but they tend to get repetitive and degenerate into endless jams, with ‘A Love Bizarre' verging on boredom at more than 12 minutes. The tracks I like are the shorter, more direct cuts, like the ballad 'Bedtime Story) the title track, and the single 'Sister Fate) If you liked the last album, you may find this one attractive The main problem is that there isn't anything particularly musically or conceptually different about it. I was expecting a few surprises and not just a retread. Maybe next time. Kerry Buchanan

Various Artists Auckland Acoustics Real Groovy Records Following the encouraging interest shown in Acoustic Confusion's delightful Hazy Days album, Real Groovy's Chris Priestly has assembled an album of artists from the Auckland folk music scene and musically it's another success. Six artists contribute two tracks

each with Nick Smith adding one further track: a Tim Buckley-esque effort and a somewhat more itense track than the others, which fall into a more expected folk sound. Acoustic Confusion themselves are represented; one track from their album, the other easily maintaining the standard set therein. Chris Thompson’s and Wayne Gillespie's contributions are in standard singer-songwriter mould, with Gillespie’s being the more appealing thanks to the interesting backing instrumentation. Chris, whose tracks here are accompanied by wife Lynne, is a veteran of the NZ folk scene, with a history stretching back to the 60s and four or five albums under his belt. Wayne Gillespie has a selffinanced album, Wayward Son, already under his belt and another on the way.

Siren, a trio, deliver two spirited cover versions (Dylan and Patti Smith). Apparently the best material was saved for an album that, with the band's demise, never came to fruition. Nevertheless the tracks here are a fine testament to a great live band. I’ve saved the best till last two unexpected treats from artists I've previously not come across. Kathryn Tait has a lovely husky voice and her two self-penned songs have tunes that stick and lyrics that delight, while Mahina Tocker (inspired somewhat by Joni Mitchell) has written two songs of real class. Acoustic Confusion and Wayne Gillespie have been invited to the Whare Flat Folk Festival near

Dunedin later in the year and most of the artists from this album will be performing together in Auckland on November 24. Contact Chris at Real Groovy for details. Chris Caddick The Eastern Dark Julie Is A Junkie / Johnny and Dee Dee 7” Decline of the Reptiles The Hammer Speaks Waterfront, Aust import Firstly, the amazing Eastern Dark debut single: James Darroch (lead vocal, guitar abuse, hair), Geoff Milne (kerthwack) and Bill Gibson (rotund vocals, bass, piano, 12-string) play a different Ramones cover (in chronological order) every gig. Get the significance of the song titles now? Birdman meets da brudders an' they'd all be proud.

■' Decline of the Reptiles provide loads of variety on the mini-album The Hammer Speaks. They've been around for three years without playing live too much, and already have an apparently excellent single out on Wat front, ."What I . Feel ’/’Flesh! > It's: p übably worth checking out too poppy white noise or somethin)

The opening song. Peel Out) is solid feedback and driving piano, gruesome lyrics and gruesome fun! Time Stands Still’ is a direct contrast great single material. Powerful pop with weaving organ and jangly guitar. 'The Visitor' provides side one with a fine flourish at,the end.

The two songs on side two are both different again. 'You're Lost' has a ska-tinged organ at its heart and 'The Hammer Speaks' is a slab of funkier-edged nihilism, A couple of Aussie gems classic fast noisiness from the Eastern Dark and serious fun from Decline of the Reptiles Ridiculous names I reckon, but neat records, immaculately presented and packaged. Available from Waterfront Records, PO Box A 537, Sydney South 2000.