==== ISSUE 136 ====    CONSUMABLE     ======== [February 24, 1998]

  Editor:             Bob Gajarsky
		        Internet: gaj@westnet.com
  Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim 
                      Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean 
                      Eric McGill, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker
  Correspondents:     Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott 
                      Byron, Patrick Carmosino, Araballe Clauson, 
                      Krisjanis Gale, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, 
                      Robin Lapid, Scott Miller, Linda Scott, 
                      Scott Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon 
                      Steltenpohl, Simon West
  Technical Staff:    Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann

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                            .------------.
                            |  Contents  |
                            `------------'
INTERVIEW: Mono - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Various Artists, _What the World Needs Now: Big Deal 
   Artists Perform the Songs of Burt Bacharach_  - Scott Slonaker
REVIEW: Peter Case, _Full Service No Waiting_ - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Hip Hop Coast 2 Coast_ - Lang Whitaker
BOOK REVIEW: "No Mercy" The Authorised Autobiography of The 
   Stranglers by Paul Buckley - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: The Yardbirds, _BBC Sessions_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, _Struttin' Our 
   Stuff_ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Pave The Rocket, _Taken In_ - Jason Cahill
REVIEW: Scott McCarl, _Play On_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Quintaine Americana, _Decade of the Brain_ - Sean Eric McGill
REVIEW: Time Bomb Symphony, _If You See Kay_ - Bill Holmes
NEWS: Dodgy, Morrissey
TOUR DATES: Cravin' Melon, Fatboy Slim, Goldfinger / Sugar Ray, 
   Irving Plaza, Chantal Kreviazuk, Life Of Agony / Far, Reel Big 
   Fish / Pilfers / Mr. T Experience, Shake Appeal, Third Eye 
   Blind / Smashmouth
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
	INTERVIEW: Mono
		- Al Muzer
	Coming as no surprise to those who've paid even the 
slightest attention to the pop charts over the last few years, 
the sudden appearance of acts such as  the Spice Girls, Prodigy, 
Sugar Ray, Jimmy Ray, Fatboy Slim, Black Grape, Hanson, Aqua 
and Chumbawamba on your favorite radio station's Top 40 playlist 
is no accident. 
	Bored with grunge, tired of rap, not ready for metal 
(again), leery of power pop, not about to get behind country on 
anything approaching a major scale and not quite as enamored 
with techno or electronica as the media predicted they'd be most 
of America seems content letting mindless sports chants, peppy 
instrumentals, chirpy teen pop ditties and one-off novelty 
numbers fill the musical void until something comes along to 
unify the nation's radio dials again. 
	In what appears to be just about the right place at 
pretty close to the right time, Mono's 10-song Echo/Mercury 
Records debut, _Formica Blues_ while not exactly the next big 
thing a slumping record industry was hoping for is, nonetheless, 
a lush, atmospheric, Phil Spectorian island of retro-futurist, 
Portishead-aware trip-hop-pop that sounds positively stunning 
when heard next to such mindless musical diversions as "Wannabe," 
"Firestarter," "Get Higher," "Fly," "Are You Jimmy Ray?" "Barbie 
Girl" or "MMMbop." 
	The perfect soundtrack for your day-to-day grind - 
especially if your life happens to be an obscure French art 
film shot in black and white or a low budget spy flick circa 
1964 - Mono is the moody, cinematic, post-St. Etienne pop 
creation of London-based vocalist Siobhan De Mar (whose father, 
Tony Meehan, played drums for Cliff Richard's Shadows) and 
Brighton-born producer/keyboardist/guitarist/songwriter Martin 
Virgo. 
	Already semi-known for his work on tracks by Bjork, Femi 
Williams and Shara Nelson in addition to the minor notoriety he 
gained with his classic remix of Massive Attack's "Unfinished 
Sympathy"; Virgo was introduced to De Mar (paying the bills as a 
session vocalist on a number of rap and dance tracks at the time) 
two years ago by the duo's current manager. 
	"I was playing around in the studio on my own searching 
for a new creative outlet when Siobhan and I were brought 
together as 'possible working partners'," chuckles Virgo during 
a recent phone call from London. "Who knew back then that it 
would lead to all this! You know, the fact that the two of us 
happened to work together so well from the beginning is quite 
odd, really, because we're both very different people. Extreme 
opposites, actually." 
	 "I'd been doing a lot of straight-ahead dance records 
and working on  music that," he pauses to consider his words 
carefully as he tries to describe the creative catalyst for 
Mono's full-length debut, "while it was all quite good and was 
personally very rewarding, it  really was lacking in any form 
of subtlety or real depth." 
	Attracting major label interest almost from the moment 
their partnership was announced, Virgo and De Mar reached an 
agreement with Echo (a Chrysalis imprint) and the captivating 
singles "Life In Mono" and "Slimcea Girl" (named after a brand 
of bread available during London's not so swinging '70s) were 
released. 
	"Great songwriting has always fascinated me, so I really 
wanted to convey a bit more of the actual song than is normally 
allowed to come through on most dance tracks, " Virgo says of 
his lush, dreamy, romantic, oddly-compelling musical creations 
that sample or recall the likes of Isaac Hayes, Gil Evans, The 
Ipcress Files, David Sylvian, Petula Clark, Portishead, Edith 
Piaff, Artery, Dusty Springfield and the team of Burt Bacharach 
and Hal David. 
	"My influences are the standard '60s nicks," he laughs. 
"You know, the Beatles, Stones, Dionne, Dusty, Burt the usual. 
And, while the songs on _Formica Blues_ are, I hope, obviously 
influenced by the classics; I really tried to look at the 
vocals, samples and music more as colors, moods and shadings 
than as an actual foundation. My ultimate goal when we formed 
Mono," Virgo adds after a bit of thought. "was to create something 
with more drama, space and dynamics than I'd been permitted to 
create working for other people." 
	An immediate success, "Life In Mono" quickly caught the 
ear of actor Robert De Niro (in Europe working on an MTV-friendly 
version of Dickens' Great Expectations with Ethan Hawke and 
Gwyneth Paltrow) and the song soon became not only the music 
for the closing credits of the film but the lead cut on a 
soundtrack album that also includes Scott Weiland, Duncan Sheik, 
Pulp, Iggy Pop and Chris Cornell. 
	"We're really quite pleased to be a part of the film," 
Virgo comments on the movie. "It' s definitely something of a 
'dream start' for Mono to be involved with a project of this 
size and magnitude this early on in our career." 
	"We're in the planning stages for our first major tour," 
he adds, "and the big hope here is that the movie will give us a 
bit more name recognition when we begin our trek across America."  
	"Actually," Virgo laughs before ringing off, "the 
interest America has shown in Mono so far has really surprised 
me. I sort of thought we might be a bit too parochial for the 
states, ya' know? I really didn't think we'd be able to get an 
American [record] deal," he chortles, "unless I shaved my head, 
wore devil horns and started dancing about madly on stage!"    
---
	REVIEW: Various Artists , _What the World Needs Now: Big Deal 
		Recording Artists Perform the Songs of Burt Bacharach_ 
		(Big Deal)
		- Scott Slonaker
	Tribute albums have always been the favorite projects of indie 
labels.  When the songs are already familiar, it cuts by half the 
name-recognition obstacle that any upstart label has to overcome.
	So, it follows naturally that the New York pop label Big Deal 
Records might celebrate its fifth anniversary by choosing a classic pop 
craftsman like Burt Bacharach to pay their homage to.  Bacharach's 
compositions have been remade before, for sure (one reason why a song 
like "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" is so recognizable), 
but the chance for a group of acts who all generally have aspirations to 
three minutes of radio fame to get their hands on Burt's nuggets is 
tempting, for sure.
	And, for the most part, Team Big Deal doesn't disappoint.  The 
two most familiar tunes covered on the record, "Raindrops Keep Falling on 
My Head" and "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me", are right 
at the top, as read by Japan's Shonen Knife and the Absolute Zeros, 
respectively.  The Knife's rendition is pleasantly foreign-sounding, all 
tinkly pianos and stilted girl-group harmonies.  The Zeros speed up the 
tune most recognizable as an '80s hit for Naked Eyes to a Green Day-styled 
bounce.  Obvious, but still fun.
	The more classicist acts in Big Deal's stable use Bacharach's 
songs to indulge a few retro fantasies.  The Wondermints, currently the 
best Beach Boys tribute band in the world (compliment), wheel out the 
moogs, horns, and layered harmonies for "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".  
Idle adopt a similar loungy stance for "Make it Easy on Yourself".  Barely 
Pink's wide-eyed boyishness ends up perfectly suited for "It's Love That 
Really Counts".
	Other artists are less worried about the "tribute" aspect.  The 
Gladhands camp up "Promise Her Anything" with grin-inducing results, 
Splitsville (formerly known as the Greenberry Woods) graft a chunk of 
"Video Killed the Radio Star" onto "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" 
(horrors!), and Cockeyed Ghost fuzz out "Walk on By", reducing the Dionne 
Warwick classic to a gibbering puddle of sonic Jell-O.
	Special mentions should go to Hannah Cranna for giving the epic 
Carpenters hit "(They Long To Be) Close To You", a really tough song to 
do right, the old college try.
	Not all of these remakes are going to appeal to everyone, especially 
hard-core Bacharachers, but there can never be enough (mostly) well-meaning 
pop bands in the world.  At least as far as this critic is concerned.
---
	REVIEW: Peter Case, _Full Service No Waiting_ (Vanguard)
		- Daniel Aloi
	Peter Case is so well-traveled, he could sit alone in a room 
and come up with something that perfectly captures life on the road.
	That was how the songs on _Full Service No Waiting,_ his 
sixth solo album, came about. Locked inside with his tools --  a 
Gibson J-45 and his "acoustic 1960s word processor," a manual 
Smith-Corona -- he looks inside and draws on his experiences, 
creating original work with the storytelling quality and just-right 
feeling of classic folk songs (as in "Honey Child, a song that could 
be 70 years old). And he has been off the road long enough to have 
perspective on both the leaving and the staying. 
	Not that he waxes all wistful and romantic about his highway 
miles.  There are some regrets heard from the songwriter's (by now) 
resident cast of down-and-outers, drifters and small-time criminals 
on the run. In "On The Way Downtown," (written with his son, Joshua) 
the narrator is surrounded by the ghosts of people from his past, 
even as he keeps going out there with open expectations.
	Case often writes from his own heart, looking for the same 
truth in himself that he brings out from his characters. Coming to 
terms with approaching midlife (and finding it good), he assesses 
his grounded existence in "Beautiful Grind" -- finding little 
moments in the family day-to-day that add up to a meaningful life 
together for two people.
	He's also reflective about a defining chapter from his more 
than two decades as a musician.  "Still Playin'" closes the album 
with recollections of Case's days as a street singer, busking on 
corners and sleeping on floors. A hard life sometimes, but one he 
wouldn't have traded for anything. He also recalls good times 
playing and singing in "See Through Eyes," even though "we laughed 
and threw it away."
	Never much of a musical experimenter, Case has a signature 
sound that is a comforting constant on each album -- descending 
guitar figures and harmonica playing, plaintive singing. It's all 
organic, helping his vividly drawn characters to breathe. This 
stamp is on all of his songs, even the ones inspired by traditional 
music.
	Producer Andrew Williams highlights Case's mastery of 
dynamics, with a band including overbooked roots-rock sessionman 
Greg Liesz, who plays an array of guitars.
	There are some people who look back on Case's tenure in '80s 
rock bands the Nerves and Plimsouls, and wonder, upon hearing him as 
a singer-songwriter, where he changed along the way. I'm not one of 
those.
	Case stays faithful to his heart and the lure of the open 
road -- even as he ignores it, contentedly staying at home in 
California, the land he hightailed it out of Buffalo for, as a 
teenager so many years ago. 
	Call it Americana, call it Triple-A, call it Contemporary 
Folk. Whatever the label, this is honest music.
---
	REVIEW: Various Artists, _Hip Hop Coast 2 Coast_ (Priority)
		- Lang Whitaker
	Staying on top of the music world is a nearly impossible 
mission. Moving almost as fast as the needle on Marv Albert's lie 
detector, the rap and hip hop industry break new music and new 
stars daily. Therefore, putting together an album of the best in 
rap and hip hop is no easy feat due to the time constraints 
involved. On _Hip Hop Coast 2 Coast_ New York's Hot 97 and Los 
Angeles' Power 106 team up to provide a soundtrack for a "west to 
east musical road trip of popular rap music."
	There are several of rap's up and coming stars featured on 
this compilation. "I'll Be" pairs Foxy Brown and her ill na na, 
Jay Z, together  like a ribald Ricky Ricardo and Lucille Ball, 
airing out a lover's quarrel. Master P and Steady Mobb'n are 
'bout it, 'bout it, rhyming about how they're trapped in a vicious 
Catch 22 that won't allow them to escape the ghetto gangsta 
lifestyle. NYC's Lost Boyz get a much deserved mainstream push 
thanks to the inclusion of their track "Get Up". Also, the 
rising E-40 teams with Too Short and K-Ci Hailey on the anthem 
"Rapper's Ball". Interestingly, even though E-40 is every bit as 
overweight as Biggie Smalls ever was, he flows without sounding 
like he's got 6 ham sandwiches stuffed in his jowls.
	Shuffled between the newer songs are some of hip hop's 
finest from the last few years. "C.R.E.A.M" brings back the track 
that launched the Wu Tang Clan onto the world stage. Jermaine 
Dupri and Da Brat come funk, funk, funkin' along with the lazy 
"Funkdafied", and LL Cool J's "Loungin' (Who Do Ya Luv)" bring 
together a Carribean flavored groove with one of the more 
memorable hooks of the last year.
	Straying from the rap that dominates this album is one 
of hip hop's all time greatest songs, Blackstreet's "No Diggity". 
Producer Teddy Riley masterfully mixes a thumping bass, a piano 
lick deeper than the Titanic, a convicted rap by Queen Pen, a few 
tossed off lines by Dr. Dre, a synclavier vocal straight out of 
Roger Troutman territory, and four part harmony for hip hop bliss. 
I dare you to only listen to it once. This is the track that when 
you're alone, like in the car by yourself, you play over and over 
and sing along at the top of your lungs. Incidentally, the piano 
in "No Diggity" sounds remarkably similar, production wise if not 
musically, to the piano sound perfected by The RZA on Wu Tang 
Clan's _Enter The 36 Chambers_ album.
	That this CD was pieced together by two radio heavyweights 
is no surprise. However, what is puzzling is that with the combined 
foresight and industry pull of these two behemoths, they couldn't 
scrounge up any tracks that were released in the past 6 months or 
so. They say these songs were pulled from their playlists, but 
Tribe Called Quest's "Award Tour"? That came out in '93. Granted, 
Mack 10 and AllFrumTha I do collaborate on a brand new song (the 
percolating "Make You Dance"), and there is a seldom heard remix 
(Tribe DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad remixes Ice Cube's "What Can I 
Do"). But somebody forgot to tell Power 106 and Hot 97 about 
several of the more influential artists of the past few years: 
Missy Elliot, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and even (shudder) Puffy Combs.
	Profanity flies fast and furious, so those of you with 
virgin ears be warned. Priority Records is pressing two versions 
of this album- a clean and an explicit version. I was sent a copy 
of the explicit album, and my guess would be that a clean copy 
would be so full of beeps that it could double as a soundtrack 
from "The Jerry Springer Show".
	There is also a delicious irony nestled beneath all of 
this. While "rap activists" like Mrs. C. DeLores Tucker rant and 
rail against explicit hip hop albums, a portion of the proceeds 
from this compilation will go to two youth charities in New York and
L.A.  Even if Mrs. Tucker can't get rich off of her constant 
badgering of artists like the late Tupac Shakur (who once rhymed 
her name, Seinfeld-style, with a female body part), it's good to 
see some artists willing to share the wealth with the less fortunate.
---
	BOOK REVIEW: "No Mercy" The Authorised Autobiography of The 
		Stranglers by Paul Buckley
		- Tim Kennedy
	The Stranglers were the first band I ever went to see back 
in 1978. Punk was tailing off in the capital,  but in the rest of 
Britain it was thriving.  Thousands of kids were defacing their 
clothing and dyeing their hair and any band that cared to tour the 
provinces found crowds flocking to worship their antiheroes.  One 
of the bands that were 'semi-detached' from the punk vanguard but 
who attracted a fanatical following amongst punks was the 
Stranglers - 'semi-detached' in the sense that they pursued a 
distinct path,  with complicated keyboard-driven yet rhythmic and 
aggressive psychedelic music.  Keyboardist Dave Greenfield was 
clearly familiar with the works of Rick Wakeman and Ray Manzarek.  
Jet Black the drummer was at least old enough to be in sixties 
bands.  Guitarist and singer Hugh Cornwell looked well past his 
teens.  Only bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel could boast pretty-boy 
looks,  though he too was no teenager.
	The main problem - as far as the press were concerned - 
was the reputation for unprovoked aggression,  associated 
principally with JJ Burnel who was liable to take out his martial 
arts skills on those who crossed him.  Any bad review might be 
followed by the hapless writer being kidnapped,  driven to the 
next town then left gagged and bound whilst the night's set was 
played out on stage.  After a couple of unsavoury incidents the 
band were 'black-balled' by the press,  compounding the vicious 
circle further.
	They were involved in some gig riots on the continent,  
although it is not clear whether this was the fault of the band 
or of conditions out of their control. They made ample use of 
most hard drugs at one time or another,  though it didn't seem 
to blunt their creativity.
	The band's reputation for nastiness was mostly deserved, 
judging from the comments in this book from the lads themselves 
alone.  They seem to have mellowed somewhat now and JJ confesses 
his sins here and admits he was beyond the pale.  However, the 
behaviour of the band should not detract from their music which 
for a period of six or seven years (1977-1984) was of great 
quality and clearly influences bands to this day.
	In these days of political correctness the tone and 
content of the early Stranglers records seem outrageous.  Women 
were sex objects,  violence was a regular theme and the casual 
attitude of the band to these issues would bring immediate 
condemnation if it happened today.  Their banter onstage rarely 
went further than bad sexist jokes.  However if you hunt through 
any band's output from the 50s up to the 80s you'll find similar 
gaffes,  as Buckley points out.  Allowances are made and excuses 
are given.  I would merely point out that at the time punk was 
just about being as shocking as possible,  and it was only later 
that writers have tried to make punk seem in some way 'pure' and 
'honest'.
	Buckley never witnessed the band in its heyday of the 
late 70s and relies instead on live recordings and the recorded 
output to judge the band's musical merit. This is a drawback of 
the book,  although it makes up for it by having the full 
cooperation of the band.  The writing style is awkward and some 
of the comparisons are laboured and unconvincing.  Buckley's 
closeness to the band has meant he has possibly paid too much 
attention to the latter-day Stranglers - a rather sad reflection 
of their former glory,  and more of a hobby for the original 
members still involved.
	What has to be emphasised is that despite the differences 
between the band and other punk outfits of the time outlined 
above,  this band commanded the most fanatical following of all - 
and a huge one at that.  The band were glorious live, and provided 
inspiration amongst others to Joy Division (who were a support act 
to the Stranglers early on) with their dark rat-infested vision.  
They were somewhat right-wing in outlook - possibly close to some 
of the beliefs of the current 'militias' of the US,  though they 
never proposed any direct action.  In the early 80s they wrote a 
(superb) concept album about alien abductions _The Gospel 
According To The Meninblack_ which very much fits into this 
paranoiac belief system,  involving aliens breeding humans for 
meat and even Jesus as an alien agent.
	The eighties saw the band go into decline though a few 
singles showed that they could still sell on a large scale.  The 
band lost its focus as Hugh became disenchanted with JJ's 
aggression and he eventually split.  Two new members were brought 
in,  a vocalist and a guitarist,  but the lack of commercial 
success of the 1990s output has left a yawning gap between the 
financially-struggling newcomers and the rest who can rest on the 
security of their royalties.  Hugh has become a solo artist with 
limited success,  though he seems content enough.  The two 
parties do not talk - Hugh is still too nervous of JJ,  who 
detests his ex-partner for walking out.
	Perhaps there was no band like them.  They were 
instrumental in showing punks that they could make more than a 
noise - that musicianship was important.  A generation grew up 
that played strange dark music - ultimately 'goth' was probably 
the Stranglers' doing.  They were never huge, though they had more 
'hits' than the Clash or the Pistols during the time of punk.  
Songs like "Peaches"  and "No More Heroes" defined punk for many 
of us at the time,  more so than the others who rarely toured the 
provinces.
	This is an interesting and honest, though not terribly 
well-written, book. Nonetheless, it serves as the only source 
for those who want to discover this fascinating band.  The 
decline of the band over time should not detract from the glory 
of what they were; this is really the story of two bands, with 
the latter-day group only a sideshow to the main event that was 
the original Men In Black.
	The committed fan will not find much that is new here, and 
will wish that the writer had dug a little deeper into the 
minutiae of the band - for there is much more to be found.  
Perhaps a compilation of the best of official fanzine 'Strangled' 
is in order.
---
	REVIEW: The Yardbirds, _BBC Sessions_ (Warner Archives)
		- Bill Holmes
	Recent years have seen the radio vaults spring open, 
releasing many classic hours of The King Biscuit Flower Hour and 
John Peel sessions, among others, and the BBC Archives certainly 
have more to offer than the Beatles legion of appearances. Case 
in point is this collection, which captures the blues-rock 
influenced Yardbirds in their middle guitar period (read Jeff 
Beck, post-Clapton and pre-Page). The sound quality is amazingly 
clean considering the lack of foresight most studios had at the 
time, and the performances are stellar.
	The only thing that sounds dated here is the radio chatter 
from the sometimes befuddled announcers, offering long-stale jargon 
like "that's really, really just TOO MUCH!" or some other effort to 
be clever. But although most tracks are introduced in such a 
manner, it's the fire within that's amazing. Jeff Beck simply 
torches Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business". As one would 
expect, blues covers dominate, and excellent versions of standards 
like "Train Kept A'Rollin", "Smokestack Lightning" and "Dust My 
Broom" are all two to three minute masterpieces. Naturally some of 
the band's most famous songs are here as well, including "Shapes 
Of Things" and the two Graham Gouldman numbers "For Your Love" and 
"Heart Full Of Soul". My personal favorite "Over Under Sideways 
Down" gets a major rave up as well.
	Naturally live recordings show warts and all, and to say 
the band butchers "Hang On Sloopy" would be generous. But with 
twenty six cuts in all, those off moments are few and far between. 
The last six cuts, recorded in 1967 and 1968 feature Jimmy Page on 
guitar. Although still a couple of years before forming Led 
Zeppelin, listen to cuts like "Little Games" and "Think About It" 
and you can hear that this new direction was already flowing 
through his head and fingers. While Page's style was not as 
traditionally blues-rooted as Beck, it's remarkable in its own 
right especially when you consider what was passing for lead 
guitar work on commercial radio at the time.
	Fans will be happy to gather these cuts under one roof, 
and those too young to remember the band firsthand have a 
worthwhile document that proves what the fuss was all about.
---
	REVIEW: Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, _Struttin' Our 
		Stuff_ (Velvel)
		- Linda Scott
	Six years ago, Bill Wyman left the Rolling Stones; his 
31-year run as the Stones' bassist came to an end when he 
developed a dissatisfaction with touring.  After he left, Wyman 
pursued non-musical interests setting up London's Sticky Fingers 
restaurants, writing his autobiography, _Stone Alone_ , and doing 
professional photography.  Luckily, the musical call was too 
strong, and Wyman has been exploring musical genres other than 
the hard rocking Stones style.
	His latest musical excursion is the ambitious _Struttin' 
Our Stuff_ .  Wyman has a new group, The Rhythm Kings; and the 
band has produced a 12 track debut album featuring blues, R&B, 
and jazz styles dating back to the 1920s.  _Struttin' Our Stuff_ 
is challenged to take this variety of genres over a long time 
period and captive 1998 listeners.  A difficult project, Wyman 
was wise enough to select talented musicians for The Rhythm 
Kings (Beverly Skeete, Terry Taylor Dave Hartley and Graham Broad) 
and season the music with outstanding guests including Eric 
Clapton, Peter Frampton and Albert Lee among others.  These 
performers add a level of sophistication and polish to the 
debut album.
	_Struttin' Our Stuff_ has a polished, professional sound 
that's striking even at first listen.  The album opens with a 
cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1969 hit "Green River".  
An instant attention-getter, this version is so close to the 
original that it's startling when Wyman and Skeete come in on 
vocals.  Taylor does excellent guitar work here.  The cover of the 
Stones' "Melody" is not as close.  The jazz/blues sound is still 
there, but the lyrics have changed somewhat to accomodate the 
male/female duet of Fame and Skeete.  Clapton comes in on guitar - 
always a showstopper.   Wyman wrote a blues ballad, "Bad To Be 
Alone" which Skeete sings to perfection in the style of the 20s 
blues clubs, and the Wyman/Taylor composition, "Going Crazy 
Overnight", possesses a distinctly Southern feel.
	The band also covers Willie Mabon's "I'm Mad" 
(1953) and Howlin Wolf's 1961 track "Down In The Bottom".  
The album's closing track, John D. Loudermilk's hit from the 
early '60s, "Tobacco Road" features Paul Carrack on vocals with 
Frampton on guitar, and solidly wraps up this collection.
	_Struttin' Our Stuff_ is an ambitious album with different 
styles and several performers.  Great performances from The Rhythm 
Kings and Wyman's guests make a professional 'debut' album belying 
the fact that each track was done in 1 to 3 takes.  The album is 
quite good, with lots of excellent covers interspersed with 
original works, but it remains primarily for those with a broader 
musical interest range.  
---
	REVIEW: Pave The Rocket, _Taken In_ (Deep Elm)
		- Jason Cahill
	Every once in a while a band will come along and, quite 
simply, grab you by the collar, slap you in the face and force 
you to remember exactly what it was that first drove you into the 
waiting, hopeful and undiscriminating arms of independent music.  
A band with sheer force and absolute passion, playing music that 
exists in a world without rules, without boundaries.  Pave The 
Rocket is that band.  From the opening chords of _Taken In_ you 
just know you're listening to something very special and very 
unique.  The reason we all started listening in the first place.
	As a band, Pave The Rocket haven't been around all that 
long, only a few years.  _Taken In_ is their debut release for 
New York City independent label Deep Elm Records.  Despite their 
relative inexperience, however, the St. Louis based foursome have 
managed to put together an album laced with a maturity and 
emotional dissonance some bands never seem to find.
	Musically, Pave The Rocket's sound seems most influenced 
by Sunny Day Real Estate and Pond, bands with a unique ability to 
combine force driven guitars with atmospheric and soft melodies 
and vocals.  The songs on _Taken In_ are raw and powerful, intense 
and all too moving.  Highlights include the album's first two songs, 
"Drool" and "Remora", perfect examples of what can be accomplished 
with a low budget and a who cares attitude.  On the beautiful 
ballad, "Little One", the band showcases their ability to write 
poignant, heartfelt lyrics while still maintaining that raw, 
unfiltered sound.  Reminiscent of early Smashing Pumpkins, it 
bleeds intensity and shows a versatility most bands often lack.
	With its mature and emotional lyrics, and a sound which is 
both blistering and brave, _Taken In_ is easily the best independent 
release in quite some time.
---
	REVIEW: Scott McCarl, _Play On_ (Titan)
		- Bill Holmes
	If you don't remember the name, there's two tip-offs 
right on the CD cover: the words "ex Raspberries" under his 
name, and the immortal imprimatur of that great label Titan 
Records ("It's All Pop!"). In other words, if hooks and melody 
are your thing, pop open the wallet and get this disc right away.
	Raspberries fans need no excuse to grab this on sight - 
this isn't some sideman hanging on to someone else's legacy like a 
barnacle. McCarl added a strong jolt to the band and the seventeen 
cuts here are proof positive that the man could pull his weight. His 
slightly raspy vocals evoke Paul McCartney in his prime, floating 
across sweet pop that calls to mind Badfinger, The Records, The 
Beatles, and yes, his alma mater ("Go Down Swingin'" would have 
been a hit for The Raspberries). The first ten cuts are newly 
recorded, and as a bonus there are old tracks dating back up to 
thirty years ago!
	It's hard to pick favorites from the newer cuts, as there 
are many standouts. The beauty of the midtempo "Fallin' In Lovin'", 
the Rubinoos backing Scott on the infectious "In Love Without A 
Girl", the collaboration with Kyle Vincent "Same Ol' Heartache" 
(again with the amazing Tommy Dunbar and Al Chan lending a hand) 
and the bouncy "I'll Be On My Way" will do for starters. There truly 
isn't a bad cut among them. (His contribution to the Raspberries 
tribute CD, "Nobody Knows", is also included here).
	If any of the older material sounds dated, it's because of 
the production, not the song writing. Regardless of the time period, 
Scott's music echoes the feel of his influences and contemporaries. 
"Don't Wanna Go" has an Artful Dodger sound, while "Surrender" and 
"Wait A Minute Girl" will turn the head of any Badfinger fan. "Don't 
Make Me Sad" (the song from Scott's demo that wowed Eric Carmen) 
sounds like a John Lennon demo.
	The booklet is wonderfully arranged; each song is annotated 
and there's an illustrated biography that traces his career from 
that first moment when pop whacked him upside the head. McCarl is 
gracious with remembrances and kudos to fellow musicians, some of 
whom made it big and some who weren't as lucky.  Recent interest in 
The Raspberries (books, album reissues) apparently reminded McCarl 
not only that he was among the lucky ones, but that he still had 
much more music to offer. If these recordings are any indication, 
pop music fans will reap the rewards for quite a while. Welcome back!
	The release is also notable for the return of Titan Records, 
that great pop label owned and run by Tom Sorrells (Scott's friend 
and fellow band member in Yellow Hair). Now Tom, how about a Gary 
Charlson collection to send pop fans into absolute orbit?
---
	REVIEW: Quintaine Americana, _Decade of the Brain_ (Roadrunner)
		- Sean Eric McGill
	I like Tool. I like Tool a lot. 
	That being said, I'm actually surprised I liked 
Quintaine Americana's _Decade of the Brain_ as much as I did, 
since they occasionally sound a lot like Tool. Perhaps it's 
because you get the feeling that they just sound like Tool from 
time to time, and they don't want to be Tool...there's a big 
difference.
	This trio from Boston sticks pretty close to what has 
come to be the standard for heavier rock bands: a vocalist 
with a penchant for screaming, a heavy bass line, the usual. 
And while some of their songs have a dark edge to it, they 
don't seem hell-bent on trying to top everyone else's dark 
songs (which is good, since they'd have to top Korn's tale's 
of child sexual abuse...and I really don't want to hear that).
	I basically said that to get this one point out of 
the way: if you're looking for something that will change the 
way you feel about hard rock music - this ain't it. Which 
leads to another point: that's not a bad thing. Quintaine 
Americana creates their own sound by melding the sounds of 
other bands. And what's more important is that a lot of these 
influences on their sound aren't really evident in the first 
listen or so. 
	Of note are the definitely blues-based "Swan Dive 
Into A Lake of Fire", and the Tool-esque "Old Tricks Again". 
But the highlights of the album are the album opener, "Black 
Car", and "Burn", two straight-ahead rock songs that had me 
ready to bounce around the room...but that's just me, I do 
that a lot.
	When people ask me what kind of music I review for 
Consumable, my answer is usually something like "heavy 
stuff" - and that's about right. Oh sure, my year-end lists 
always have some abnormality in them (like when Tool and The 
Artist were 1 & 2 one year), but for the most part, what I 
review and listen to tends to be heavier rock.
	This basically means that I'm pretty jaded musically 
(no doubt partly due to two whole Korn albums seemingly about 
little more than child sexual abuse). Say the word "fuck" on 
your album, and a few years ago, I would actually perk up an 
eyebrow. But alas, those days are long since gone. To put 
it simply...you can't shock me anymore...but you can bore 
me. But by not trying to be like every other band that has 
come down the pike since harder rock became "cool" again 
(it's too blue-collar to be "hip"), Quintaine Americana kept 
my interest from start to finish, and left me wanting more.
	Not that I'm overly surprised. Roadrunner has always 
had a knack for putting out quality hard rock that falls 
outside the mainstream, and Quintaine Americana is no exception.
---
	REVIEW: Time Bomb Symphony, _If You See Kay_ (Chequered)
		- Bill Holmes
	First, to get past the sophomoric pun in the title...then, 
you can enjoy the revelation that Time Bomb Symphony is actually 
one Darren Robbins, the Midwest pop master who released _Steals 
Your Girlfriend_ a few years back. I don't know why he and Adam 
Schmitt (who also has his first in many a moon coming out this 
year) are forever linked in my mind, but perhaps it's because 
they're both multi-instrumentalists who have an ear for a good 
hook and the chops to serve it up. The opening cut, "Take Me Or 
Leave Me" is a perfect example - pulsating drums, sweeping guitar 
chords and energetic vocals.
	An even better comparison would be fellow Midwesterners 
The Shoes, except Robbins packs more of a wallop. While I've 
always admired The Shoes' pop sensibilities, ultimately they 
wear thin on me because of the production; everything sounds 
limp. If you feel the same then you might want to check out 
"Better Love Next Time" and "LMLYD (Love Me Like You Do)", two 
good examples of mid-tempo pop with a better punch. Not that the 
songs here are bombastic - _If You See Kay_ has the same 
demo/lo-fi production technique but somehow gets a little more 
fuzz on the guitar, a little more snap on the drums.
	Darren's voice is different than your classic pop tenor - 
it's a huskier sound not unlike Jules Shear - and his playing is 
solid. His writing displays versatility, from the raucous, chunky 
"See You In Hell" to the bouncy "Perfect Rose" (complete with 
"Tainted Love" keyboard riff). And yes, there's a couple more bad 
puns, from the rocking "Act Your Rage" to "Better Love Next Time", 
the latter another great Shoes meets Cars sound. The album closes 
strongly with the catchy "Connected By The Moon" and the 
rollicking bonus track "Heaven", which might be my favorite song 
on the record.
	While there's not any one song here that jumps off the 
disc and screams "release me as a single!", _If You See Kay_ is 
a solid effort that will please his old fans and hopefully gather 
some new ones as well.
---
NEWS:	> U.K. trio Dodgy are set to release a greatest hits 
album in the summer of 1998, followed by a 'farewell' concert 
at the Phoenix Festival.  The band are expecting to be on a 
hiatus from each other that could lead to a permanent dissolution 
of the band.
	> Another Morrissey compilation, _My Early Burglary 
Years_, will hit shelves on May 12.
	In another of the 'repackage' series, this effort collects 
16 tracks from B-sides, albums, and an unreleased song.
	The enhanced CD includes the video to the UK hit "Sunny", 
along with both B-sides ("Swallow On My Neck", "Black Eyed Susan"), 
other B-sides including "Sister I'm A Poet", "Girl Least Likely 
To", "At Amber", "Pashernate Love", "I've Changed My Plea To Guilty", 
"I'd Love To", Michael's Bones" and "Nobody Loves Us".
	Album tracks include "Reader Meet Author" and "Boy Racer", 
a live version of "Jack The Ripper" and "Boxers".  The previously 
unavailable track is a live version (from the early 90s) of the 
T-Rex hit "Cosmic Dancer".
---
TOUR DATES:
	Cravin' Melon
Feb. 24 Buies Creek, NC Campbell Univ
Feb. 27 Danville, VA Sir Richards

	Fatboy Slim
Mar. 3 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro 

	Goldfinger / Sugar Ray
Feb. 24 Miami Beach, FL Cameo Theatre
Feb. 25 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Feb. 27 Houston, TX Theatre @Bayou
Feb. 28 Dallas, TX Bronco Bowl
Mar. 1 Austin, TX Ranch Studios
Mar. 3 Tempe, AZ Hayden Square
Mar. 4 San Diego, CA SOMA

	Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com)
Mar. 3-4 Reel Big Fish / Mr. T Experience
Mar. 5 Government Mule

	Chantal Kreviazuk
Mar. 2 Columbus, OH Ludlow's
Mar. 3 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Mar. 4 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club

	Life Of Agony / Far
Mar. 1 Colorado Springs, CO Pure Energy
Mar. 4 Spokane, WA Outback Jacks

	Reel Big Fish / Pilfers / Mr. T Experience
Feb. 24 Jacksonville, FL State Fairgrounds
Feb. 25 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle 
Feb. 28 Washington, DC 930 Club
Mar. 1 Providence, RI Lupo's
Mar. 2 Scranton, PA Tink's
Mar. 3-4 New York, NY Irving Plaza

	Shake Appeal
Mar. 3 Philadelphia, PA Khyber

	Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth
Mar. 1 Washington, DC Bender Arena
Mar. 3 Providence, RI Lupo's
Mar. 4 Boston, MA Orpheum
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
	> I was pleased to see Tim Kennedy's enthusiastic review 
of the Stereophonics album, _Word Gets Around_ .  A year ago 
(January 1997) I was in London where I grabbed the opportunity 
to see them play at the NME Brat Festival.  They were openers, 
one of 4 acts that night, and they knocked me out!  Tight, 
powerful, confident music from three guys who looked too young 
to buy liquor legally.  The next day I prowled the local record 
stores and came up with a brilliant "single" CD with two A sides. 
("Looks Like Chaplin" and "More Life In A Tramp's Vest").  I've 
had a copy of _Word Gets Around_ for months.  It's as satisfying 
as Tim Kennedy says in his review.  S.Z., Palo Alto, CA
---
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