MO BETTER BEATS

Rip It Up, Issue 213, 1 May 1995, Page 28

MO BETTER BEATS

ADINA HOWARD Freak Like Me

Yes sir, this baby got back, and she likes to bump and grind it. Straight out of nowhere comes Adina Howard, a 90s gal who knows what she wants and says it like she means it — unlike some of her Top 40 contemporaries. With a nice funk underneath her pop vocals (courtesy of a Bootsy Collins sample), Adina is in search of a man ‘freaky’ like her. Sure bet she finds one too!

THE EMOTIONS Flowers

Originally recorded in 1977, and produced by Maurice White (of Earth Wind and Fire), this ‘Wizdum’ remix was produced in 1990 by Gaz Anderson and Tony Thorpe. Five years later, as the ‘disco’ craze shows no sign of abating, Sony give it a general release. Bugger, there goes my exclusive remix. Still, I don’t mind sharing, as it’s a great remix — it sharpens.up the the original version without demeaning it. And what a classic it is. The Emotion were three (later four) sisters who sang backing for many artists before enjoying their own fame with this hit (and ‘Best of My Love’). The vocals are sublime.

DETRIMENTAL Babylon

Formed after the split from Fun-da-mental (who wanted to become more accessible, aka mainstream), an acrimonious parting by all accounts, come Detrimental. Like early Fun-da-mental, these guys are hardcore socialists, mightily pissed off with the world. The beats are hard, but the lyrical content is beyond me.

TLC Red Light Special

If you ever wondered what the hell I was dribbling on about when I said these gals were just too damn sexy, give this a listen. From their most excellent album Crazy Sexy Cool, this is a rather sordid, yet deliciously sultry song about what the girls could do to you if you were their boyfriend. I wish! If you listen to the lyrics you’ll also realise it’s a song about oral sex — not them doing you, but you doing them. I wish! Also includes the bonus track ‘My Secret Enemy', not on the album.

NICKI FRENCH Total Eclipse of the Heart

Yes, the 80s are back, that’s why we’re now getting all the remakes of 80s hits. The Drag Babies have been performing this live around New Zealand for the last few months, but this housed up techno version is from English woman Nicki French — who offers an almost note perfect cover of the original vocal by Bonnie Tyler. The beat is strong but purists may perhaps prefer the ‘Mobius Loop Mix’.

TAKE THAT Back For Good

Hmmm, this Brit-pop five piece are doing their best to look adult. One has dreadlocks and another has what appears to be a heroin habit. Must be the strain of all those UK Number One pop hits. Interestingly the boys

have decided to release a four song EP, rather than just their current radio single (even if Gaz has written them all). The lads do sound a lot better too, obviously hoping the old cliche ‘it aint where you’re from, it’s where you’re at’ holds true.

THELMA HOUSTON Don’t Leave Me This Way

Well, this has certainly been doing the disco rounds as the retro revival continues. Hipper DJs will have been playing you some of the many and varied remixes available. Now, finally, Colossal records of Australia have put them out on disc for you at home. Excellent stuff too, like the Emotions (mentioned above), there’s no holding back a true dancefloor classic. Five mixes to choose from, the ‘House Mix' being one of the best.

2UNLIMITED Here I Go

These guys are as soft as Detrimental aren’t. The beats are good — typical of their previous works, so if you like their other stuff you’ll love this. Brain food for the gym set.

NICK D’ANGELO

©©WBISBE)

THE ROOTS Do You Want More?! (Geffen)

The Roots are a live rap group with a beatbox (sometimes) and a jazzy vibe (always). They comprise of a drummer, a bassist, two rappers and. various guests — some with instruments and some not.

The beat part of the Roots works very well. Cool sounds. The drummers. ‘BROTHER?’ and sometimes ‘Rhodes’ are not scared of being simple and dirty, and the various guest sax’, guitar and kitchen sink (honestly) on top of fat, hate that word, but fat bass lines and sometimes band dawdles. A crazy bed for any rapper.

There are two MCs who rap on most of the tracks, all with different feels — Datskat and Mellow my man on either end of the scale. The guest rapper named Ninety-Nine steals all the respect. She’s a woman from the New York crew Boom Poetic. She delivers a verse about a group rape and has a silencing power.

Do You Want More? is a good beat head album but an uninspiring lyric head album.

LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND Keepers of the Funk (Pendulum)

Lords of the Underground are a trio from New Jersey. Keepers of the Funk is their second album following Here Comes the Lords. Both LPs are produced mainly by Queensbridge legend Marly Marl. Their first release was well recieved by the ‘hardcore’ mainstream, if you know what I mean. Keepers of the Funk fails to impress with its samey ‘keep it real for my homeys funk factory’. For brothers who claim to be Keepers of the Funk, they haven’t done a very good job. The ‘funk’ has obviously been prostituted at every opportunity. As much as it kills to say it, I think they'll probably do well sales wise. They are very clean cut tough guys, with well practised glares and all the right clothes. Their raps are packed with all the right words in the right order (it’s lucky crew rhymes with brew). The single ‘Tic Toe’ sums it up — how real we are, how our ‘niggas’ and ‘block’ come first and how we are gonna blow up. More rhetorical trend following crap from half skilled, half tough, gold wearing chumps. What happens when they play themselves out and they have to get real jobs?

DJ HURRICANE The Hurra (Grand Royal)

The Hurra (DJ Hurricane) is the long time DJ for the Beastie Boys. I can safely say this is the reason he’s making solo records. The production is done by Mario Caladato Jr. and the Hurra, but sounds more like Mario Cee’s flavour. Live drums and a lot of effects on guitar and voice. All the beats have a live feel to them and Mario even plays on a few. Sean Dogg from Cypress Hill gets a verse, and with songs like ‘Feel the Blast’, ‘Where’s My Homies?’ and ‘Stick ‘Em Up’, it’s tough guy talk all round. '

The cover photo says it a 11... the Hurra is standing on stage in a packed stadium full of white dudes. This leads me to believe he’s warming up for the Beasties. I keep thinking maybe Hurricane saved Mike D in a knife fight or something... whatever. I just hope the debt is repayed and Grand Royal can start financing good music.

OLI GREEN