*************************************************************** TAKE ONE-the electronic modern rock review ISSUE #29-JULY 31, 1997 *************************************************************** THIS ISSUE: Radiohead, Prodigy, Sarah McLachlan, Oasis, On the Road: Matthew Sweet, Gigolo Aunts, the Smithereens (Wax Museum). FROM THE EDITOR My recent unemployment left me able to be quite productive; however, it didn't speed up this issue's completion. Oh, well. Laziness is a disease. To contribute to Take One, e-mail me at lynslo@aol.com or ss230495@oak.cats.ohiou.edu. No longer must you only review albums, concerts, or singles; the advent of the new _The Soapbox_ department allows one to simply mouth off about the state of things musical. Better yet, if you have an idea for a completely new feature, ask me about it. It is likely we can work something out. Another idea I had for a theme issue revolves around each of our developments as music fans. Surely, as kids, we were exposed to various types of popular music by our parents, MTV, or other source. And while we all went through phases of taste (I know I remember my "metal" stage fondly), some of the music from our younger years surely stayed to shape our tastes for the future. So, anyone interested in contributing musical musings for this project, please contact me. The best music news-'n-reviews site on the web, in my opinion, is Microsoft (!) MusicCentral (http://musiccentral.com). Plenty of unsubstantiated, juicy, opinionated gossip about rock stars mixed in with highly timely advance information about record releases and such. Addicted to Noise (I forget the URL), another otherwise-fine site, overdoes the graphics, ads, and design, and leaves things taking forever to load. Until next issue. -Scott Slonaker, Founder/Editor lynslo@aol.com/ss230495@oak.cats.ohiou.edu THE SCALE *****=Revolutionary, groundbreaking. ****=Excellent. Whoops ass. ***=Solid, pleasant, listenable. **=Mediocre, blah. *=Horrid, spew-inducing. ************************************************************** THIS WEEK'S FEATURE ALBUMS ************************************************************** -Radiohead, _OK Computer_ (Capitol) ****1/2 Boy, have Radiohead come a long way since "Creep". One listen to _OK Computer_, and it's not hard to realize that an act that could have been just another British one-hit has come a long, long way. Sure, Radiohead's 1995 album _The Bends_ featured a greatly expanded musical palette (and becoming one of the top two or three records of that whole year), but nothing can prepare one for _OK Computer_'s stark, asymmetrical arrangements, swirling textures, and cryptic subject matter. _The Bends_ had several gorgeous U2-esque pop songs contained within its luxurious folds, but Radiohead refuse to build on, or even mine, their already-prodigious melodicism here. Nothing closely resembling a "hit", or even a "single" in the conventional sense, jumps out from _OK Computer_. This record is meant to be consumed as a whole, the way '70s progressive rock intended. "Airbag", the opening track, is reminiscent enough of "Planet Telex", the first song on _The Bends_, its herky-jerky guitar, throbbing bass, and miscellaneous background noise almost drowning out singer Thom Yorke's ethereal wailing. "Paranoid Android" (the initial video, if not the first radio cut), is like an Frankenstein-ed amalgam of the wispy beauty of "Fake Plastic Trees" pasted to parts of the thrashy "Just" (both from _The Bends_). For six and a half minutes it continues, through moments of spare beauty, eerie noise, and spasmodic slabs of riffage. Yorke's ending sighs of "from a great height..." are among the album's loveliest textural moments. If there is a radio song on this album, it's "Let Down", whose repeated admissions of "let down and hanging around" do spin a mildly accessible hook. More often, the music is content to swirl and twinkle about, diving and jumping like a fish out of water. Combined with Yorke's Bono-gone-tenor crooning, it creates an atmosphere almost alien to '90s modern rock. Really, the best comparison to _OK Computer_ is..... (!) Pink Floyd. But while Floyd frequently (and throughout just about all of its albums) lapses into (sometimes) drug-addled somnambulence, Radiohead occasionally kicks and flails like a child throwing a tantrum, which in turn makes the frequent shimmering washes of sound that much more potent. And "Fitter Happier", which sounds like a robot out of Aldous Huxley's _Brave New World_, could very well be the "Another Brick in the Wall" of its generation. _OK Computer_ is not an easy first listen, but was intended that way. The gorgeous, twisted lullaby "Exit Music (From a Film)" (incidentally, used as such in last year's _Romeo and Juliet_ remake) takes a few spins to coalesce fully. This album is unlike any other in my (almost three hundred at last count) CD collection, and, as difficult as it can be, certainly a rewarding project. The lyrical concept is supposed to be something about computers taking over society, but how many concept albums are really clear in what they're about, anyway? For me, the achievement of _OK Computer_ is in its creation of _textures_ over songs, yet, the pieces still cling (barely, in some cases) just enough to the normal structure to retain continuity. Yorke's vocals are only occasionally understandable, but that's part of the effect. Truly a band that has seen their dreams to fruition, Radiohead has created one of the most stunning albums of the year, a record that both departs completely from modern rock convention and makes the King Crimsons and Yeses sound positively Jurassic-era. This band's got balls. Now that they've made their point, I want to see Radiohead go back to pop songs in the future. _OK Computer_ stands to be an impossible act to follow, and besides, somebody's got to be U2, and it sure as hell ain't U2. ************************************************************************ -Prodigy, _Fat of the Land_ (Maverick/Warner Bros.) **** --Charles Wade (illgreek@prodigy.com) "I am a firestarter!/A twisted firestarter!" bellows Prodigy dancer/frontman Keith Flint (in the video, at least) in the song "Firestarter." And indeed Keith and his band Prodigy are literally burning up the charts; their latest album, _Fat of the Land_, debuted at #1 on Billboard and is still selling like hotcakes. Perhaps the most notable characteristic of the band is their ability to incorporate punk viscerality, rock spectacle, hip-hop attitude, and (most obviously) techno stylings, in a single album, and, in some cases, just one song. Nevertheless, Prodigy are not new to this style. They are pioneers and have been ripping clubs apart in the States and Europe for years. And the ripping and whoop-ass continues in _Land_, the band's third album (I think). The album's ten tracks each carry their own pulsating, inventive, and impression-making force. It is hard to deny the record's gloomy, dark tint, but it still takes its listener on a profound, powerful, and fun ride with each push of the "play" button. Each member shows off their talents (except Flint, who mainly commandeers the live show) in a healthy balance of instrumentals and vocal songs, with special acclaim due to the ingenious production and mixing by Liam Howlett, who has masterminded Prodigy from the start. Yes, we are talking Grammy material. Well, maybe a Grammy would be pushing it. Prodigy are, even though many may wish to deny it, probably too "good" to win a Grammy; they're definitely not the tie and jacket type. It is finally good to see a band that is accepted by the mainstream, even though they are not a mainstream band (and show their only signs of wanting to be one in their outrageous videos). With the success of the singles "Breathe" and "Firestarter", some may accuse Prodigy of being too commercial or selling out. But then again, they still get little radio airplay, have no glitzy marketing techniques (other than videos, of course), and do not play their shows at K-Marts, like some other European bands we all know and (used to) love. Although the above singles are all good in their own light, they are not the sole support of the energy-filled album. Other high points include "Smack My Bitch Up", "Diesel Power", and "Climbatize". Say what you will about Prodigy visually or in concert, but _Fat of the Land_ is, no doubt, a landmark album of 1997, and should not be missed. *************************************************************** THIS WEEK'S FEATURE SINGLES *************************************************************** -Sarah McLachlan, "Building a Mystery" (Arista) ***1/2 After a grossly exhausting 18-month tour for 1994's platinum _Fumbling Towards Ecstasy_, Sarah McLachlan found herself falling victim to something this reviewer knows all too well: writer's block. After taking six months off, however, she's back on track, and her fourth album, _Surfacing_, should be in stores now. First from it is a trademark McLachlan torcher, "Building a Mystery", which, unlike previous hits such as "Possession", utilizes mostly guitar and real drums instead of techno-based grooves. The effect gives the song a much-needed human touch, and Sarah's perfectly applied vocal chords do the rest. The lyrics sound as if they are flush with meaning and symbolism (which is what is most important; that way the listener can draw his/her own conclusions) without being overly explicit. Slow and langorous enough for adult contemporary radio, yet impassioned enough for modern rock as well, this one's a winner, and certain to be all over airwaves for some time to come. -Oasis, "D'You Know What I Mean?" (Epic) **1/2 The brothers Gallagher sure do know how to stay in the headlines; rumors of messy breakups flew from semi-reputable media outlets like the dickens over the past year since the breakout success of Oasis' second album, _(What's the Story) Morning Glory_. So, now, Britain's biggest new export of the '90s are back with the record that almost never was, _Be Here Now_ (out next month), and a single that does manage to put some new spins on the Bea...errr, Oasis' patented sound. "D'You Know What I Mean" begins with some interesting psychedelic swirlies and hugely amplified drum-pounds, showing the influence of Noel Gallagher's collaboration with the Chemical Brothers on "Setting Sun". From there, things gradually build into the inevitable swelling chorus, the same nonsensical lyrics and chord shifts repeated too many times. For Oasis to take their songs to the next level, the words need to at least sound significant (see above piece), not just be there for effect. (I'm not expecting Freedy Johnston, but could Noel maybe pay attention, or something?) As it is, though, "all my people right here, right now/d'you know what I mean?" doesn't make much of a dent. At least the influence of another pair of Brothers produces a sound slightly out of the ordinary. Give this one two and a half, or one more than the garden-variety Oasis single. As it stands, Oasis' best song is still the Mike Flowers Pops' swingin' lounge- lizard take on "Wonderwall". ON THE ROAD -Matthew Sweet/Gigolo Aunts, Bogart's, Cincinnati, Ohio, 7/5/97 ***1/2 Having purchased tickets well in advance for this show, I had plenty of time to build things up in my head. Since 1995's _100% Fun_, Matthew Sweet has been one of my favorite artists, his music compelling enough for me to pick up much of his prior catalog. 1991's _Girlfriend_ (bright, '60s retro) and 1993's _Altered Beast_ (dark, moody) were both quite good, presenting the same rock-solid power-pop product, pleasantly reinvented with each new record. (Clever reinvention is how big stars stay big stars; just ask Demi Moore or Madonna.) Sweet's latest release is this year's _Blue Sky on Mars_, and for the first time since I've been following him, he decided against tinkering with his sound, the only addition to _100% Fun_'s thick, fat guitar fuzz being some occasional '80ish keyboards. Perhaps I should have caught him circa '91, because Sweet turned all of his songs' live sound into the _Mars_ sound template. This resulted in older classics like "Girlfriend" and "Evangeline" sounding ham-handed and bashed- out, but left new cuts such as "All Over My Head" and "Back to You" in the album style. "Where You Get Love", _Mars_' best song and its first single, was also fine, albeit with barely audible keyboard oscillations (and I was in the third row). Oddly, the live version of Sweet's current single, "Come to California", sounded much better live than its unremarkable recorded version. Sweet's backing band, including guitarist Ivan Julian and longtime drummer Ric Menck, were tight and polished. Matthew himself simply gave the adoring crowd the aw-shucks, which was all that was really required. They played for almost two hours, which was generous even considering the $15 tickets and the overlong wait for them to take the stage (methought sound problems). We also got three encore sets, the final being two covers, "Do You Want My Love" (artist unknown), and "Teenage Kicks", by the Irish band the Undertones. Sweet was careful to inform the crowd (in his funny, squeaky voice; no wonder he was mostly quiet during the main set) of the impending obscurities, with a hope, I suppose, that fans as devoted as himself to his own genre would search out the originals. I'll keep an eye out. I enjoyed Sweet's set despite his indelicate handling of his own songs (although he did do stellar versions of "I Almost Forgot" with only piano and "You Don't Love Me" solo acoustic). Maybe for his next album he'll retreat back two historical decades, back to _Girlfriend_, and make do another album and tour from that point of view. Boston's Gigolo Aunts were an unexpected opener for Sweet, as up to the day of the concert there had been no opener indicated in concert listings. The Aunts proved a perfect warmup for Sweet, their quirky, fun Weezer-gone-retro rave-ups proving rather popular with those in attendance. I had thought the Gigolo Aunts defunct, as they have already been chewed up and spit out by a major label (having released one album and one EP, _Full-On Bloom_, stateside, before being dropped). I didn't recognize any of the songs ahead of time except "Kinda Girl", from the new EP _Learn to Play Guitar_ (we had spun it approximately every fifteen minutes for months at my radio station). The good thing was that the songs were so catchy that by halfway through each one it really didn't matter if I'd heard them before; I was singing and bouncing along anyway. The singer looks a lot like Ben Folds' taller brother, and his confident grins and witty stage banter proved endearing. And, they had some boss Altoids-esque T-shirts for sale ("curiously strong rock and roll band"). See below for a review of the Aunts' newest release, which I felt compelled to purchase at the show. The first band, Son of Slam, sounded decent enough but ruined any momentum by acting like Kiss in attitude, not theatrics. The singer shouted and exhorted the crowd before every song, and by the middle of the set, those in attendance had started to dodge the T-shirts he was throwing out. If Son of Slam want to have egos about their music, it might be a good idea to get reasonably good first. (One last note: whoever played the '70s _Poptopia_ power-pop compilation disc between the Gigolo Aunts and Sweet is to be roundly applauded.) -Gigolo Aunts, _Learn to Play Guitar_ (Wicked Disc) *** The best track on this six-song EP is the one I knew prior to catching the Aunts live: "Kinda Girl". Packed with handclaps, backing vocals, and retro sheen, it's worth the price of admission by its lonesome. "Sway" has a splendid ascending chorus, and "Wishing You the Worst" surprises with its general sullenness ("you were catching like a virus"), although the bright riffs and claps are still there. "Sloe" is a more restrained number, faux strings added for flavor. And "Rocking Chair" sounds like a good Super Deluxe outtake. Should you wonder what Weezer would sound like if Rivers Cuomo was more of a Beatles fanatic, check out this record. Contact Wicked Disc at http://www.wickeddisc.com. WAX MUSEUM (bands from the past that deserve attention) -The Smithereens, _Especially For You_ (Enigma/Capitol) 1986 _11_ (Capitol) 1989 _Blown to Smithereens: Best Of_ (Capitol) 1995 _Attack of the Smithereens_ (Capitol) 1995 The Smithereens were one band that both did and didn't get the respect due them. Sure, they were more revivalists than innovators (basically recasting '60s Stones/Who rock in a heavier, power-pop format), and singer Pat DiNizio doesn't have the world's best pipes or range, and the rest of the band keeps things simple, but the Smithereens' genius lies in one area: songs. The 'Reens are one helluva singles band, whether the rest of the pop world realizes it or not. Sure, intermittent hit singles were scored over the years ("Blood and Roses" in '86, "A Girl Like You" in '89, and 1991's "Too Much Passion"), but the radio also missed quite a few gems. _Especially for You_, the band's major-label debut, is non-stop classic-rock-gone-garage fandom, packed with killer tracks like "Behind the Wall of Sleep", "Strangers When We Meet", and "Groovy Tuesday". (The act also released an album in 1988, _Green Thoughts_, but I don't own it.) _11_ adds a few layers to the band's already-big sound, jettisoning some of the garage-y feel and turning the Marshalls up to, fittingly, eleven. Two more albums followed ('91's _Blow Up_ and '94's _Date With the Smithereens_) before the inevitable best-of compilation. The sixteen songs on _Blown_ are impeccably chosen, however, and sum up the band's fifteen or so years of existence well. The aforementioned hits are here, along with essential near-misses like "Top of the Pops", "Miles From Nowhere", and almost half of _Especially For You_, the band's virtuoso turn. Supposedly, the Smithereens are still around, although there has been no new of them for two years. Let's hope another of New Jersey's finest (along with Bon Jovi) are still alive and kicking. (_Attack of the Smithereens_ is a splendiferous collection of B-sides, demos, and outtakes; the band's _Anthology 1_, if you will.) ************************************************************ Take One is copyright 1997 Scott Slonaker. NEXT WEEK: Debut of the brand-new "Bargain Bin". Also the Gladhands, Barely Pink, and Super Deluxe in a power-pop free- for-all, Seven Mary Three, 311, Polara, Wax Museum: Big Star. Oh, and a live review of the Brian Setzer Orchestra (whoo!).