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                       APRIL, 1997 (Issue # 23)


                          - The Specialists -

                DJ Johnson.................Editor
                Wayne Burke................HTML
                coLeSLaw...................Graphic Artist
                Lauren Marshall............Administrative Assistant
                Louise Johnson.............Administrative Assistant and
                                           Keeper Of The Debris

                         - The Cosmik Writers -

   Ann Arbor, coLeSLAw, Robert Cummings, Shaun Dale, Phil Dirt, Keith
   Gillard, DJ Johnson, Louise Johnson, Steven Leith, Steve Marshall,
   The Platterpuss, Paul Remington, John Sekerka and David Walley.


____________________________________________________________________________

SOUND CLIPS:

The following is a list of sound clips available at
http://www.cosmik.com/cosmikdebris, home of the
online version of Cosmik Debris.  These are all
found in the April issue.

IN THE REVIEW SECTION (Seconds/Kilobytes)
---------------------------------------------

Stir: "Looking For" 23.16/249k
They Might Be Giants: "New York City" 19.42/206k
The Fat Boys: "Louie Louie"	32.91/354k
The Skalars: "Spoiled Brat" 35.70/384k
The Flaming Groovies: "I'm Drowning" 25.61/275k
The Boys In The Lough: "The Balkan Hills" 27.71/298k
The Bomboras: "It Came From Pier 13" 25.59/275k
The Humpers: "Chump Change"  30.70/330k
Simon Chardiet:	"All By Myself," "Truth Hurts" and "Attack
   Of The Little Ones" 40.11/431k
Mighty Zandoli, Black Prince and Lord Blakie: "Hold De
   Pussy" by Lord Blakie  33.83/364k
Roger & Zapp: "(Everybody) Get Up" 29.12/312k



BLUEBEATS INTERVIEW
---------------------------------------------

"Dance With Me"	29.74/320k
"This Cruel World" 25.99/279k
"Hardest Working Man" 19.78/212k
"Crazy Dub"	32.52/350k


OTHER INTERVIEWS
---------------------------------------------

The Eric Benet and Penetrators interviews each
have links to sound clips that are not on the
Cosmik Debris website.  They are in WAV, AIF,
AU and RAM (Real Audio) formats.


___________________________________________________________________________


                    T A B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S


EDITOR'S NOTES: A new writer for Cosmik, and some contest winners get really
   great stuff.


ERIC BENET - R&B From The Soul: Just when you thought all the soul had gone
   out of R&B, along comes Eric Benet.  Eric took a break from the rigors
   of touring to talk with Shaun Dale about the music he loves, the call of
   the road, and the only place he'd rather be.


FRANK CONVERSATION - David Walley On Zappa: Paul Remington's in-depth
   conversation with the author of NO COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL, the controversial
   Frank Zappa biography.  Walley gets into the details, dispels some myths,
   and, as he has always done, shoots from the hip.


SUPERSPYSURFSLINGERS - THE PENETRATORS: Agent Rip Thrillby may or may not
   have been in the country long enough to give or not give this interview.
   That's all we can say.  To declassify this information, make some popcorn,
   dim the lights and read this most important document.  Surf music will
   save the world, my friend...


GOING STEADY WITH THE BLUEBEATS: Drawing on the wonderfully rich tradition
   of a Jamaican music called Rock Steady, New York City's fantastic Bluebeats
   have found a niche in the ska scene.  Mike Drance, Steven Prisco and Russ
   Sisto talk it up with DJ Johnson.


TAPE HISS (John Sekerka) - Thornetta Davis / Patti Clemens:  Thornetta Davis
   can belt soul with the best of 'em.  And she can sing just about any other
   style whenever the mood strikes her.  In this interview, she talks about
   her craft and tells the tale of how she found herself signed to... Sub
   Pop?  AND John has a nice chat with Patti Clemens of City Of Tribes Records
   about the goings on at that cool label, and about her latest project, Ring.


RECORD REVIEWS: From Beethoven to The Bomboras!  I... mean stylistically
   speaking, you know... they don't all start with "B" or anything.
   They're... Well, just check it out for yourself.


BETWEEN ZERO & ONE (Steven Leith):	What if we all just stopped caring about
   politics and news?  What if this wasn't a rhetorical question?


WALLEY AT WITZEND (David Walley): David's Fables? You bet! This month, it's
   the strange story of a young conservative.


PHIL'S GARAGE (Phil Dirt):	Phil sets the wayback machine for... about 19...
   well, WAYback, as he takes us on a quick tour of the pre-surf guitar
   heroes that would have a big impact.


STUFF I NOTICED (DJ Johnson): DJ really got PO'd this month.  What is this
   "Zero Tolerance" business and why aren't we doing something about it?


THE DEBRIS FIELD (Louise Johnson):	The April offering of the weird and
   wonderful.  Poems, book reviews, quotes and stuff.


HOW CAN YOU BITCH US OUT WITHOUT TOUCHING US?: Our e-mail addresses and shoe
   sizes.


_____________________________________________________________________________

EDITOR'S NOTES
By DJ Johnson


Hey, a weird thing happened to us this month.  Paul interviewed an excellent
writer by the name of David Walley.  Quite an interview.  Turns out the man
really took a shine to Cosmik Debris.  As of this month, David will be
contributing a monthly column called Walley At Witzend (Witzend being the
name of his street).  We jump up and down in the now familiar "Happy Dance"
and welcome David aboard.  And I must say, we are quite knocked out by the
whole thing.

We have a packed issue for you this month, so let me just mention our contest
winners and that'll be that.  As you may recall, Miller Freeman Books and
Cosmik teamed up to give away three full sets of All Music Guide books.  Each
winner will receive the Jazz, Blues, Rock, and All-Music (multi-genre) books.
Quite a prize!  Our three lucky winners are:

Ephraim Samesh of Haifa, Israel,
David Meyer of Washington, DC, USA, and
Willy Teigen of Narvik, Norway.

Congratulations, guys!  Everybody be sure to check out this month's contests.
We're having THREE of them, giving away a total of 15 CDs.  The Bluebeats,
Eric Benet, and The Penetrators will each kick in CDs for 5 winners.  There
are entry forms online, toward the end of the table of contents.  Each contest
form is also accessible through links at the ends of the appropriate
interviews.	 Those of you who are reading our Ascii version can simply send
e-mail to moonbaby@serv.net with your name, e-mail address, and a quick
mention of which contest you're entering.  Winners will be notified by e-mail.

That's about it.  We have another diverse offering for you this month.  We
hope you enjoy it.  And please drop us some e-mail if you have opinions
about what we're doing, or even if you just want to shoot the breeze.  We
love e-mail.

DJ Johnson
Editor

___________________________________________________________________________

ERIC BENET: R&B From The Soul
Interviewed by Shaun Dale


Eric Benet is riding a wave of international interest in his solo debut
on Warner Brothers Records, "True To Myself".  Currently touring the US
between hops to Japan and England, I caught up with him in an Atlanta
hotel room where he had set down for a few hours the night before a TV gig
at the unmusicianly hour of 7:00 am.  We talked about music, families, the
road and the Net.  Benet was a pleasure to talk to, but he's a joy to
listen to.  Snag the CD or catch him on the road - in the meantime, here's
a chance to get to know a bit about the man behind this sweet soul music:
Eric Benet...


Cosmik: Before we get started, I might as well lay my cards right on the
   table - I loved the album.

Eric Benet: Thank you very much. I appreciate it, man.

Cosmik: So now you're on the road supporting it...

Benet: Trying to work it out - hitting city by city.  And there's been an
   incredible response in each market.

Cosmik: I understand the papers in Dallas were very good to you.

Benet: Yeah, they were.

Cosmik: And now you're in Atlanta, and you'll be hitting the west coast,
   coming up my way...

Benet: I can't wait for that!

Cosmik: I want to talk about you and the music, but I couldn't do that
   without talking about George Nash and Demonte.  My guess is that you
   guys have been working together for a long time...

Benet: Well, you're partly right.  I've been doing a lot of things musically
   with George. Demonte came into the picture recently and he's a phenomenal
   keyboard player.  He has added so much to the flavor and he's just a
   brilliant addition.  But George and I have been writing since I was,
   like, twelve. So George and I have this relationship musically where I
   can hear his idea before he can and vice versa, so it works out very well.

Cosmik: Are they on the road with you?

Benet: Well, no. George has done a couple dates with me but basically I have
   a different band on the road.

Cosmik: And these are guys from Milwaukee?

Benet: Yeah.

Cosmik: That's one of the things I was asking myself when I was listening to
   the album for the first time- where did he go to get that sound? There
   are certain places we think of to get different soul sounds. And when I
   checked the notes I found...Milwaukee!

Benet: Well, it's not important where you are, its important what's inside you.

Cosmik: That's true, but places get identified with a certain music. There's
   a lot of music here in Seattle, for instance, but only part of it is
   thought of as Seattle music.  And Milwaukee is not a place looked to as
   a Mecca of the R&B world...

Benet: The musical influence didn't come geographically.  It really came from
   the record collection, and from my family.  It's always been a musical
   family, and we've always had a bit more elevated taste in music, and
   quite an eclectic taste.  Early 70s soul was the cornerstone of the
   influence, but we also listened to the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Steely
   Dan, Queen. So it all got meshed together.

Cosmik: I have a theory about African American music and the influence of
   the church - there's a line of succession you can hear through people
   like Sam Cooke and Aretha and Al Green. I hear a lot of that on your
   disc. I'm guessing Mom and Dad took you to church as a kid and a lot
   of the influence is from that.  Am I close?

Benet: Oh man, you hit it right on the head. My upbringing is definitly
   gospel music, every Sunday going to church, joining the gospel choir.
   And that's true of everyone in my family.  Church is very much alive
   and imprinted in me creatively.

Cosmik: Speaking of family, you had an earlier act with your sister,
   [Ed.Note: The act was simply called "Benet."] that had a deal, then you
   broke out on your own.  Was that a similar act, a similar style?

Benet: "Benet" was more a collaborative effort, between my sister, my
   cousin, me and the producers that were involved - Jeff Lorber, Robert
   Bookins, Sammy McKinney - and there was a lot less autonomy for the
   artist, a lot more control for the label and the producers. It was
   very much an adult contemporary, jazzy, poppy album.  When you listen
   to my album, I had creative control and made the album I want to make.
   Everything from the album cover to the font style we used pretty much
   came from me and musically from George, me & Demonte.  It was the
   difference between having complete control and just being happy having
   a record deal and making a record for the record company.

Cosmik: Was a lot of the new album put together without the record company?
   I noticed the number of studios you used, and how much was done in the
   hometown...

Benet: Actually, "True to Myself," "I'll Be There" and "More Than Just a
   Girlfriend" were all done before I got the record deal...

Cosmik: So you put together some music you wanted to play and the record
   company said that's music we want to release...

Benet: Exactly. That's pretty much what happened.  We got three songs deep
   and submitted the shit out, and got some excitement from Warner Brothers
   and a couple other record companies.  We went with Warner and they were,
   like, here's some money to build yourself a studio at home just make
   about seven more of those songs.  Then they hooked me up with Roger
   (producer Roger Troutman) and another friend of mine who I'd done some
   things with musically - Christian - who is a brilliant producer out of
   St. Louis.

Cosmik: Well, the track with Roger Troutman was "If You Want Me To Stay,"
   the Sly Stone cover, which was great.  I remember when that was a new
   song, and you did a great job with it.  I'm sure everyone who's heard
   the record has been trying to figure out the influences - one that
   stands out, of course, is Stevie Wonder.  I understand you may have an
   opportunity to do some work with him...

Benet: Yeah, I would love for that to happen.  Word got back to me that he
   really liked the record a lot and would like to meet me.  That would
   pretty much - well, where do I go from there, as far as meeting people
   who made an influence on me, that would be the top of the totem pole.
   I'd probably lose my mind.

Cosmik: Well, when I reviewed the disc, I noticed that influence, but you
   haven't really covered anybody's particular style - there's a synthesis.
   I noticed some Marvin Gaye there, maybe a little Al Green - echoes of
   music I love but put together in an original and contemporary package.

Benet: Yeah, thank you.

Cosmik: But it's a departure from the hip hop sound that most people identify
   with contemporary black music.  Was that deliberate?  Are you interested
   in the hip hop thing?

Benet: The thing wasn't to try to create this vibe or recreate something that
   would be a nostalgic record.  That wasn't anything I tried to do or would
   try to do in the future.  I wouldn't, like, have the genre in mind and
   then try to make music to fit it.  I just basically wanted to make music
   like, how do I say this...like the feeling I had when I was three or four
   years old and listening to "Talking Book" and not completely understanding
   it, but just feeling it. That's such a deep deep soulful record. There are
   certain chord arrangements and certain melodies and certain arrangements
   that cut through right to your soul, that just make you feel good and
   uplift you. That's the kind of music I wanted to make. I think way back
   then, when I was three, four, five, an imprint was made as I was listening
   to those records over and over again.  A precedent was set, of what good
   music should be.  When I write a song, that's my standard.  Like you said,
   I'm not trying to bite Stevie Wonder, and I'm not trying to bite Al Green,
   but I guess I am trying to bite the standard to which their music was made.
   That's what I'm doing, if that makes any sense.

Cosmik: It makes a lot of sense. There's a kind of primal thing there.  When
   I pick something to review, I tend to listen to snatches of things and
   sort out things I want to come back to.  Before I really heard your songs,
   and knew what they were about, I heard that thing that made me want to
   come back...

Benet: That was the objective.  Just to make an honest and sincere, good
   music record.

Cosmik: So you heard "Talking Book" at three or four...I'm trying to date
   you. How old are you now?

Benet: Twenty seven.

Cosmik: So you've been at this for awhile.

Cosmik: Yeah, a little bit.  Like I said, my family - remember Singers
   Unlimited? - well, my family, my older brothers and sisters and George,
   he'd be over to the house.  Long before George and I started to write
   together - he's around the age of my older brothers and sisters.  They
   had a little band and they'd set up in the living room and listen to the
   Singers Unlimited and try to figure out the harmonies.  I was just raised
   in an environment where there was really good music all around me.
   Eventually George and I hooked up and started to work out our own songs...
   (coughs) excuse me.  I'm getting over a cold.

Cosmik: Whoa. I don't want to hurt your voice - you've probably got to work
   tonight, or tomorrow.

Benet: Hey, I'm going to do this thing on this morning show.  Like, Good
   Morning Atlanta.  I've got to be there at seven o'clock...

Cosmik: Well, people wanting to hear you sing at seven in the morning isn't
   the worst thing in the world.  At least they want to hear you.

Benet: Yeah.  Be careful what you wish for.

Cosmik: And you have a family.

Benet: Yeah.  I have a beautiful, beautiful little girl who I spoke to
   yesterday.  I spoke to her today too, but yesterday she was *reading*
   to me. Man, I haven't been home in two weeks and she was putting words
   together, sounding words out, but yesterday she was reading without
   hesitation.  It really puts this love/hate thing with the road - it
   makes both ends of that spectrum a little more extended.  I'm loving it
   because every show I'm doing I'm selling out, and I'm getting standing
   ovations at the end of the show and people are starting to feel me and
   that's what I've always dreamed of happening.  But another dream was to
   have a family and have a child, and I have that too, and when I'm not
   there every day I kind of hate the road.

Cosmik: And she's five?

Benet: She's five.

Cosmik: Yeah, that's an age where every day is really a new day...

Benet: Every day its like something she says or does just blows me away,
   and I want to be there every day for that. But daddy's got to go make
   donuts right now.   She's in school right now so, I know I'm going back
   to London this summer and I'm going back to Japan and maybe Australia
   and maybe I can bring her with me.  I really loathe being away from my
   daughter.

Cosmik: Well, that would be a great opportunity for her, to travel like that.
   I know you were just in Japan this winter.

Benet: Yeah, I was in Japan about two months ago, and London a few weeks ago.
    They're really big on the record over there.

Cosmik: Well, I understand your daughter is already following in the family
   tradition - she cut a PSA [Public Service Announcement] for the Fox
   Children's Network with you...

Benet: Yeah.

Cosmik: How did that happen?

Benet: Well they presented the idea to me.  It's a piece about being
   conscious of the elderly and caring for our youth, that kind of vibe.
   And they had a little girl in the treatment for the commercial and I
   said hey I know the perfect little girl, so she came out and did it with
   me.  But I'm definitely not trying to be this backstage father, believe
   me.  I'm not trying to get her out there . I'm going to do everything in
   my power to convince her that before even thinking about the entertainment
   business she needs to make sure the education is solid and everything else
   is taken care of first.

Cosmik: Become a doctor or lawyer and if you still want to sing go ahead...

Benet: Exactly.

Cosmik: That's probably the best way to do it.

Benet: I think so.  I should have listened to my parents. (laughs)

Cosmik: So you bypassed all that for the music business?

Benet: Yeah.  I dropped out of college after a minute.  I just decided I
   needed to do this right now if its going to happen.  I got my ass chewed
   up the first time I went out there but I just kind of hung in there for a
   bit.

Cosmik: Well, after hearing the music, I'm glad you did.

Benet: Thanks man.

Cosmik: One of the songs that caught my ear, which is in the tradition of
   the socially conscious songs of Stevie and of Marvin Gaye is "Chains".
   It's a bit of a departure from the rest of the album, in the way Stevie
   used to put together an album of love songs and drop something conscious
   into the mix.  But it's a very positive vibe, something different than a
   lot of what's on the air these days.  How much of your life is that, is
   making a difference...

Benet: How much of the narrative is my personal experience?

Cosmik: Well, that, but maybe more how important is it to use your music to
   have a positive social impact?

Benet: Oh, it's very important.  You can only say "baby I love you, baby I
   lost you, I miss you and baby we have great sex" so many ways before it's
   like, "damn, don't you have anything else to sing about?" There are so many
   more relevant and pressing issues. For me, songwriting is an expression of
   what's in my heart and what's in my mind, and there's a lot more in my
   heart than just the love songs.  I think that anyone who's of at least
   functional intelligence can think of other things than what's going on in
   their love life and their own little personal world.

Cosmik: Well, that was part of the contradiction I saw at first, thinking,
   well, this guy's out of Milwaukee, where'd this come from.  Because for
   those of us that aren't there, or haven't been there, when we think of
   Milwaukee, we might tend to think of Richie and the Fonz.  But you're
   talking about things that we might associate with LA or New York City
   and it makes people realize those problems exist everywhere...

Benet: Hey, there's Compton all over, man, believe me.  Where I was raised
   there was a crack house on one side and a whore house on the other side
   and a drug house across the street.  I grew up in a very bad neighborhood.
   I mean, there was a lot of love there, and a lot of good there too, don't
   get me wrong, but there was a lot of evil around me. That's why family is
   such a beautiful thing to me.  We were raised in this terrible neighborhood
   but we were completely resiliant and shielded, not because my parents were
   so strict but because it was so loving.  So it was right there in my face,
   but I always knew right from wrong.  I was never tempted to do... I mean, I
   was curious to a point, but I guess when you're raised the right way the
   curiosity never turns into experimentation.  In a way, I guess my house
   was like the black Richie Cunningham and shit, but it wasn't because my
   surroundings were.  It was because my dad and my mom knew what they were
   doing.

Cosmik: OK. So you're on a short promotional tour right now...

Benet: It's going to stretch out.  I'm doing this up till the 14th of April,
   just me and my band, and on the 17th I start with Erica Badu, and that
   will go on for another month.

Cosmik: So you're headlining now and you'll be opening for Erica on a national
   tour?

Benet: That's it.

Cosmik: And that's the tour that will bring you out west?

Benet: I dunno. I'm the artist, I never know where I'm going to be.  I just
   know what time to be in the hotel lobby tomorrow.  Tomorrow it's 6:00 so
   I can get over to the TV show.

Cosmik: What kind of venues are you playing? Clubs? Small halls?

Benet: You know, places like the House of Blues, 1000 seaters, 1500 seaters,
   things like that.  Intimate enough that people can come feel it.  I love
   being onstage, I just hate being away from my baby.

Cosmik: Well, they're bound to give you a day off someplace.

Benet: Yeah. Actually I was just home last week but it feels like pretty much
   forever.  And I won't see her for a week and a half.  I sound like a
   wimp, man, but I just really really miss her.  She's five years old and
   everything she does is brilliant and I just want to see it all, you know.

Cosmik: I know what you mean.  My kids aren't five anymore but that doesn't
   go away. I'm sure your mom still thinks you're brilliant...Is the next
   project scheduled?  Or are you just going to work this one for a while?

Benet: I'm going to keep working this one as long as it works, but all the
   while I'm thinking of songs and of putting the next record together.

Cosmik: Do you get a chance to write on the road?

Benet: A little. Not as much as I'd like to.

Cosmik: I'm looking at a CD of the "Spiritual Thang" remixes on my desk.  Is
   that coming out commercially?

Benet: Yeah, the remixes are on a cd single in the stores. It's an in-store
   single.

Cosmik: Is the current record making the record company happy?

Benet: Yeah, the record is doing great in Japan and London.  I don't know
   where it is on the charts there but I think it's doing well.

Cosmik: How is it doing over here?

Benet: It's doing fine.  The record keeps hanging in around 60 or 70.  It's
   hard to record to work on urban radio, because frankly, I don't think
   I have an urban record.  I think it's a good crossover record. But it's
   the old thing, you know, the record is expected to be an urban hit
   before it crosses over.  That's just the way it works.

Cosmik: I guess that's the way it works, but it probably shouldn't.  There's
   sure great music here for a lot of folks, black or white.  But there
   are all those categories.  For instance, I saw that the label has a
   website up for you at www.wbr.com/blackmusic, which is kind of a shame.
   I thought "Why box this guy into that thing?" It should just be at
   goodmusic.com.

Benet: Yeah, I agree 100%.  It's very frustrating.  I agree that it's soul,
   and it should get heard in the urban market. It's more than that, though.
   I think it's black, it's blue, it's orange.  It's more than just colors.
   It's good music.



                          *        *         *


Eric Benet is an active member of the Internet community.  His e-mail address
is tru2myslf@aol.com. This is not simply an address to the record company.
Eric answers the messages personally.  Drop him some e-mail.  And be sure to
check out his website at www.wbr.com/blackmusic.

         YOU COULD WIN A COPY OF ERIC'S NEW CD, TRUE TO MYSELF!

Warner Brothers and Cosmik Debris have cooked up a scheme to give away five
copies of Eric Benet's CD.  All YOU have to do is enter!  No trivia contest,
no tricks... Just a drawing.  Just send e-mail to moonbaby@serv.net with the
words "ERIC BENET CONTEST" in the subject line and your name in the body of
the message, and you'll be in the running.  Good luck!


_____________________________________________________________________________

FRANK CONVERSATION: David Walley On Zappa
Interviewed by Paul Remington


"No Commercial Potential: The Saga of Frank Zappa"
Da Capo Press, ISBN: 0-306-80710-6

It was 1972 when the first Zappa biography appeared on the market. Out of
the mind of author David Walley came a work that characterized the essence
of musician and composer Frank Zappa, not only as a brilliant composer of
modern, avant-garde, and cross-genre music, but also as a distinctly human
subject; a uniquely developed character, human in every respect of the word.

Walley's work emerged appropriately titled, "No Commercial Potential: The
Saga of Frank Zappa." A lean 150+ pages in length, Walley slices through
"time and those waves" to bring us an interesting view of Zappa's life and
eventual career. From his birth to the eventual disbanding of the original
Mothers, and beyond, prose is punctuated with quotes from Zappa, his
family, various associates, band members, and anyone else that mattered.
Quotes support the book's content, and pictures support the timeframe of
the text. This concise and unique presentation makes for absorbing reading.
More importantly, it stands time-tested as a valuable document of the
mid-to-late Sixties: the freak scene, American life, and the culture that
influenced Zappa.

In 1980 Walley released a new edition that contained material previously
written in 1972--untouched--plus a new section capsuling Zappa's musical
activity from the early Seventies to 1980. Though this new section deviates
from the approach of the original 1972 material, it provides a thorough
analysis of Zappa's musical activity during this period.

The latest release of "No Commercial Potential" marks the third edition to
appear on the market since 1972. Walley describes the potpourri of new
additions to the book as containing: "Life after 1980, concepts of creative
continuity, how he makes his music, a short survey of albums, how they fit
with the overall continuity of his work, updated discographies,
bibliographies, videographies, fanzine lists, Internet references, his
fascination with the Synclavier and reasons for same, 1988 tour melt-down,
etc."

Walley's human approach to profiling Zappa has not been accepted by all with
open arms, including Zappa himself. At times supportive, yet eventually
unsupportive, Zappa rebuked Walley's work on the book, describing him to
the media as a "psychotic." His words rippled through the Zappa community,
and to a small segment of die-hard Zappa fans Walley's book became next to
worthless. To others, it justly remains an important addition to the many
books currently available that profile Frank Zappa.

Regardless of Zappa's stone-throwing, the book remains in print, and finds
new readers from new generations discovering the man behind the composer.
Walley exposes various sides of Zappa--the man--factually supported by
quotes and comments from those that worked with him. After reading the book,
you may be asking yourself what all the fuss was about. In reality, the only
fuss that occurred as a result of this book was perpetuated by Zappa himself.
But even Zappa observed, "This book is going to be around for a long time."

Walley's views are balanced. He recognizes that the view one derives from
Zappa is solely related to how the reader views him through the approach of
the author. As a result, the many Zappa books that are currently released
each present a slightly different view of Zappa. As Walley observes,
comparing his book to Nigey Lennon's book, "Being Frank," "If you perhaps
read our two books together, another dimension of Zappa appears." This is
the key to understanding Zappa. To fully understand him, one must embrace
all aspects of the man's life and music. Enter Zappa's "Project Object,"
and the more accessible "Conceptual Continuity" that threads its way through
all of Zappa's aural and visual creations.

Zappa is a three dimensional character with immense depth, personally and
musically. It's nearly impossible to capture his complete essence in one
book. "No Commercial Potential" takes a keen approach to the early days of
Zappa, and has become not only an important work for the consumer market,
but also for the Zappa biographer. Ben Watson's massive tome on Zappa was
written with attention to Walley's book. Regarding Watson's book, "Negative
Dialectics of Poodle Play," Walley confidently explains, "One thing that's
for sure, without me, Watson wouldn't have had a clue."

And so, we segue into this month's feature: a conversation with David Walley.
Walley converses with us about Frank Zappa, the man and his music. He
discusses Lennon and Watson's books, writing "No Commercial Potential," his
relationship with Frank Zappa, how Zappa's music fit into and influenced the
music scene in general, and historical and sociological issues surrounding
the life of this truly unique American composer.


			     *            *             *            *


Cosmik: When and how did you formally present your book, "No Commercial
   Potential," to Frank Zappa?

Walley: Maybe it was in 1970 or 1971 that I approached him with the idea. "I
   don't want to impair your ability to earn a living," he said to me. "But
   you're not," I replied. There's a passage in "No Commercial Potential," in
   the older section, which gives the gist of our conversation on the subject.
   Don't forget that I was one of the few writers in New York City that was
   on his side, who knew how to write about what he was doing. "You're one
   of the few people who understand what I'm doing," he told me. I remember
   when I was winding up my stay in LA (around the same time that Nigey
   [Lennon] was living under his piano) and I told him that I was too
   overwhelmed by the material, that I was distressed that he could live in
   such surrounding chaos (the inter-band, family backstage politics, etc.)
   and yet be so alone. He looked at me very queerly and didn't say a word,
   but I knew that I had hit home. I remember telling him--must have been
   four or five in the morning--that I couldn't do the book, that I didn't
   know what to do. And for a change, he treated me like a human being, not
   just someone he was enduring an interview with, imparting information. He
   made me feel better. "Of course you can do it, you know what's going on.
   You're a good writer." You see, I also knew that the only way I was going
   to get him to be real with me was if I totally lost control and was real
   myself; maybe too real. I think that he had trouble being honest with
   people because he thought they were going to hurt him--that, in effect,
   that's what he was always looking for and found. If you want to know the
   truth, he knew that I knew, but he also knew that I wasn't about to catch
   him out. What would have been the purpose? I could have talked to all his
   old girlfriends (well, I did) and used that material. I could have talked
   to his ex-wife who would have had lots to say, but that wasn't my
   intention. That was small shit. It was always a question of recognition,
   if you will. I knew who he was, but he didn't have a clue who I was. He
   had a magnetic personality and I could see how easy it would have been to
   capitulate to him. But, then again, I would no longer have been my own
   man and this book would have been a piece of promotional trash instead of
   the serious, thoughtful and insightful history it has turned out to be.

Cosmik: When you first approached writing "No Commercial Potential," did you
   intend to approach it from a sociological level, or did that transpire as
   a result of discovering how much American culture and society was a part
   of Zappa and his music?

Walley: I looked at the music of Frank Zappa as a cultural historian. It was
   interesting from the point of view of not only what he was writing
   (lyrics, musical assemblages of styles) but how he was doing it. If he
   was just a rock and roll star, though I might have enjoyed what he was
   doing, I wouldn't have been so obsessed with it. Look, I was a grad
   student finishing up a MA in Modern European History and doing an essay
   on "Student Revolutionary Movements in the Paris Commune." This was 1968.
   Paris was going up, and I was wondering what the use of history could be
   if not as a predictive tool. I looked on what Zappa was doing as a primary
   resource, an opportunity to discuss American culture as it was happening.

Cosmik: You were the first to cover Zappa in a biography. What was there
   about Zappa that inspired you to write a book profiling him?

Walley: He was something more than just a rock and roll star. Well hell, he
   really wasn't. He was a composer who used rock and roll music like another
   form of American music. I was struck by his use of musical forms of all
   kinds as well as the satiric edge of his lyrics. He had the words and he
   also had the music, and he was a unique American character, much like
   Charles Ives and Howling Wolf. What I'm saying is, I was fascinated that
   he drew from all areas of music and made something larger. He had a larger
   context than just a pop star. If he wasn't, as a cultural historian, I
   wouldn't have been so intrigued. Of course, I would have grooved, but I
   wouldn't have been so enamored with what he was trying to do. He was also
   a figure that was "serious" and at the time "counter-cultural," but not
   in the fashion jeans sense of the word.

Cosmik: When did you begin working on "No Commercial Potential"?

Walley: It was 1967 and I was at Rutgers University (the class of '67 went
   from civil right to acid in four years, you know). I went over to see
   Butchy McCormick and he turned me on. He also played "Help I'm a Rock,"
   and that's all she wrote. [Smiles] Then I saw the Mothers at the Garrick
   [Theater, New York City]. When I moved into New York City and started
   working for Jazz and Pop [Magazine], I did a review of "Uncle Meat."
   Since my publisher was a friend of Frank's, I was able to meet him at the
   Newport Jazz Festival where he read the article and told me that I was
   one of the few people who knew what he was doing. So I continued writing
   about Frank, and was one of the few critics in the Underground Press to
   give him more of a voice.

Cosmik: How did you decide on the approach you took to the 1972 edition?

Walley: The material decided the approach for me. [Smiles] At the time I was
   reading Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle," I was struck by the phrase, "As it
   was supposed to happen," which fed into the way I was thinking the life of
   Zappa was set up.

Cosmik: Did you find profiling Zappa to be a difficult task?

Walley: It was hard work because the material was leading me, I wasn't leading
   the material. I started with the idea of trying to present this man in his
   own time and proceeded from there. One can't help but be influenced by the
   way Frank makes music, and I just wanted, as a writer, to make a prose
   representation of how he makes music, i.e., using his techniques to write
   history, because that's what I do.

Cosmik: How broadly was "No Commercial Potential" accepted when it was first
   published? Obviously, it's considered one of the essential Zappa bios now.
   Was it embraced the same way back in 1972?

Walley: It had favorable reviews in all the major music magazines of the day;
   Rolling Stone, Creem, Rock Magazine, Win Magazine. Of course, that was
   helped by the fact that many of my colleagues who knew me and knew what
   kind of shit I'd gone through wanted to be supportive, it was also a
   really fine piece of work of which they approved. He was a formidable
   presence in his "original" Sixties configuration after all.

Cosmik: The material you would have to work with if writing "No Commercial
   Potential" today would certainly be richer and different than the material
   you had available in 1971. I would assume the way in which Zappa's life
   changed over the years might alter how you would view him as a biographical
   subject. How has the way in which you viewed Zappa changed since first
   being inspired by Vonnegut's words?

Walley: I don't know about "richer and different." I wrote "No Commercial
   Potential" to contextualize Frank, to give readers some idea of where he
   came from. Most pop stars have no context other than the commercial world.
   Zappa's was much more rich. I mean, the Sixties was quite an interesting
   period in American history, very unique. Once one has a context,
   everything else follows from there. Look, Frank was not a hippie, he was
   a freak. Hippie is a made-up merchandising word. Here's the way it goes:
   beatnik-head-hippie-doper-yuppie. Zappa's satire touched on all those
   changes. Contemporary American political history was also part of the
   pool from which he drew his inspiration, the newspapers, TV. If you're a
   satirist, you work with what you have. Well hell, he was like Mort Sahl
   or Lenny Bruce who used newspapers as part of their acts, to draw material
   from. Zappa drew from the electronic newspaper, so to speak.

Cosmik: Yes, that's one of things I find so fascinating about Zappa: he
   embraced everything, commercial and otherwise. He was beyond commercialism.
   It's interesting he was so caught up with it in terms of desiring
   commercial acceptance. On one hand he satirically bashed it, yet on a
   personal level he strove for it to embrace him. Do you feel he was trying
   to fight a losing battle in his attempt to redefine what is commercial,
   which is what would have had to happen had the commercial world accepted
   him?

Walley: I don't think he was "beyond commercialism." He had a highly developed
   sense of what was commercial, or at least how to do that part of the
   business. I think he was just trying to get his stuff sold to as wide an
   audience as possible. In my opinion, there are many other groups who
   should have learned something from Zappa--about how he went about his
   little commercial dance too, positive and negative. [Smiles] You see,
   when I blew out of grad school, I was heavily dosed with the classics:
   Horace, Petronious, Heredotus, Livy, etc. And I was also a very enthusiastic
   acid-head in terms of the fact that I learned from acid about what
   metaphors are. So anyway, isn't show biz just a large stage and if you've
   got the eyes to see, there are interesting fables and lessons to be
   learned, positive and negative, like, "never believe your own publicity."
   It's all about the importance of having good maps.

Cosmik: "Beyond commercialism" was actually in reference to his music, not
   him personally. As commercial as Zappa's music can be, it is so often
   ignored from airplay. Would you agree?

Walley: It depends on what piece of music you were talking about. I think
   that for most program directors, his music was too difficult to
   conceptualize. They had to think too much about it, and because they had
   to think too much about it, they figured that their audiences would feel
   the same way. Not the case at all. The program directors were just very
   un-evolved. Some of it was too sophisticated, some of it was just too
   "dirty." Frank pushed the limits. Unfortunately, the limits pushed back.
   [Smiles]

Cosmik: "No Commercial Potential" contains such a focused view of the Freak
   scene in LA during the late sixties, one wonders if you actually were a
   part of it, or associated with it at that time. Can you explain your
   background, and how that background gave you the knowledge-base you needed
   while writing the book?

Walley: At the time I was working for the East Village Other, Jazz and Pop
   Magazine and freelancing around. I was living in the Lower East Side of
   New York. My paper's office was above the Fillmore East on Second Avenue,
   culture central as it were. Because of my work as a journalist, I had
   access and a certain amount of freebie flights to the coast where I met
   the rest of my colleagues. Anyway, the Village was happening and there I
   was on 74 East 7th Street, right in the middle of it. My "background" was as
   a trained cultural historian who was into music generally and rock and
   roll as it was constructed then. I guess I was just lucky to be at the
   right place at the right time; "As it was supposed to happen," in my
   humble opinion.

Cosmik: What contact, if any, did you have with Zappa and his associates
   prior to writing the book? Or, did you develop contact with key personnel
   during the writing process?

Walley: I actually had no contact with the members of the band before writing
   the book. Well, maybe in passing to say hello. I developed my contacts
   during the writing of the book, most specifically with Don Preston and
   that gang, and later, Mark, Howard, Jim, Aynsley, Jeff, and George while
   I was doing full-time work.

Cosmik: What was Zappa's first reaction to the book, and did it change over
   time?

Walley: He was amused but not overly enthusiastic:


Zappa: Listen, now that I'm thirty years old, now that I'm over the hill, I
   don't give a shit . . . I don't care, really. If you want to make a book
   about me and put your theories and talk balloons and stuff like that,
   should I stop you if there's a market? But as far as working intensively
   to produce some historical document with all the hot poop, why just the
   mere fact that nobody got into it does not interfere with the facts.

DGW: Well as far as writing about the artist and still having the artist
   around . . .

Zappa: Yeah, I know. The minute you start doing anything like that in the
   field of pop music it's automatically . . .

DGW: But I don't consider you a pop composer.

Zappa: Well, it's irrelevant whether you consider me that or not. The more I
   think of it, the less I'm interested in impairing your earning power,
   anyway.

DGW: Well, you're really not.

(p. 156, "No Commercial Potential," Copyright David G. Walley.)


Cosmik: Zappa's referred to himself, more than once, as being "over the hill"
   at the age of 30something. Why?

Walley: No, he was just being a smart-ass. I mean, really, the whole concept
   of being "over the hill" comes from that same fiction perpetrated in the
   Sixties of "Don't trust anyone over thirty" when Abbie Hoffman and Jerry
   Rubin were way over it; in their mid-thirties, I think. I didn't pay that
   comment no never mind, I just used it because it showed how Frank thought.
   His humorous side, I suppose.

Cosmik: Did any of Zappa's associates side with you over this controversy
   between you and Zappa, or did they stay out of the whole ordeal?

Walley: Many of Zappa's associates approached me and told me that I'd written
   a dynamite book. However, they told me NOT to tell Frank they'd said so
   because he would have fired them. I respected their wishes, naturally, but
   found some matter of satisfaction in their approval of what I'd tried to
   do.

Cosmik: Interesting. A sign of the control Zappa had, not only for his music
   but also his band members. How did you find his band members felt about
   the control Frank required?

Walley: They bitched naturally, (cf. "200 Motels"), but they also played
   great things and had a good time. Of course they had to watch what they
   said around him or in the press.

Cosmik: Did you find Zappa's early band members respected him? If so, on what
   level?

Walley: His early band were a group of contemporaries. They had their own
   issues with him, i.e., whose band was it. By the time Frank fired the
   first Mothers and he was in control, he was the leader. He paid them and
   they worked for him, not, I suspect, with him.

Cosmik: There's a controversial aura around "No Commercial Potential." I've
   read negative, offended opinions from some readers. Do you feel "No
   Commercial Potential" is a potentially offensive book?

Walley: No, it only offended Frank, everyone else told me that whether he
   liked it or not, that's who he was. I refer you to "Our Bizarre
   Relationship" which can be accessed through Bill Lantz's homepage
   (http://www.primenet.com/~lantz/pages/walley.html), Evil Bob's homepage,
   or in the BIBLIOGRAPHY FAQ in "No Commercial Potential." Somewhere in my
   files I have the original letter I wrote to Zappa about it, which, of
   course, he never replied to.

Cosmik: I think many may develop the impression that you placed a "spin" on
   "No Commercial Potential" based on your dislike of some sides of Zappa.
   Not many people who write a profile have such sharp things to say about
   their subject.

Walley: I didn't set out with any sort of "spin" at all. The material that I
   gathered presented itself that way. As I said, I let the material take me
   where it could and I just held on for dear life at times. Believe you me,
   I wasn't looking specifically for any negative spin. In my opinion, the
   "negative spin" theory came from Frank himself, thinking what I could have
   said but didn't. Maybe he could have dealt with it much, much better had
   I done so. But, I still don't understand what's negative about saying that
   human beings are fallible. He was a human being in a human universe. He
   was a great artist, possibly a genius. Even geniuses can be assholes at
   times--so what. Frank spent lots of his time calling other people assholes
   which was his right, but he could never look as clearly at himself. Then
   again, how could he? All I can say is that I was lucky to have found topics
   which inspired me and made me intellectually grow. Each of the biographies
   I've done, on Zappa and Ernie Kovacs (formerly released under the title of
   "Nothing in Moderation" or "The Ernie Kovacs Phile"), have shown me how to
   approach my own work.

Cosmik: WE agree on this, but others may not. My objective view isn't that
   the "negative spin" impression of "No Commercial Potential" came from
   Frank. I see it as a matter of accepting the human sides of Zappa, which
   many of his fans (including Zappa) find it difficult to do. It's hard for
   most to see their hero as less than bigger-than-life. It's easier to
   attack your credibility as the writer. You're the main target. Would you
   agree, and how have you learned to deal with this?

Walley: I'm too much of a small fry as a writer to give "a good goddamn" about
   it. I know what I did, I know the care and sweat and toil which went into
   the writing and research of the book. As a writer, I'm not as heavily
   invested in myths as fans might be. When I was working as a rock and roll
   critic in the late Sixties and early Seventies, I met a lot of musicians.
   Some were decent smart guys while others were just assholes. They weren't
   pop stars to me. They were, for the most part, my contemporaries, and we
   talked about a whole range of things: art, music, politics, literature.
   They knew it was a joke. I knew it was a joke. We just tried to have good
   conversations about things that mattered. About the only really bad
   interview I did was with Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart when Rocket Rodney was
   playing with [Jeff] Beck. Between the two of them I couldn't manage to
   cobble together a half of an interview. But, for the most part, the people
   I met were quite intelligent. They all admired Zappa for what he was doing
   too, especially the Bonzo Dog Band and Viv Stanshall, though I think that
   there was some sort of mutual admiration society there.

Cosmik: That's understandable, as I'm sure a large segment of your audience
   were not offended by your approach. Have you received any feedback from
   individuals that really made you feel good about the book? I'm sure you've
   always felt good about it, but when someone you admire and respect comes
   forward to express kind words, that can really mean a lot.

Walley: As a matter of fact, yes. I've had tremendous feedback from readers
   who bought all the other editions; from music professors, especially.
   When I got online and started talking about it, it was really gratifying
   to see how long a shadow my book had cast on the Zappa world in general.
   One writes, one finishes up one book and starts another. It's like making
   a record and putting in the tracks. Some of them have "legs" and some of
   them don't.

Cosmik: Did Zappa take any legal action towards you for publishing the book?

Walley: None, he, or more importantly, Mutt Cohen, Herbie's brother, made
   noises like they were going to sue. My publisher was at a loss, thinking
   that I'd never gotten song permission. But I'd done my homework, had given
   them the permission slip which was lost when the publisher's accountant
   died and the papers were lost on the desk for six months. [cf. "Our
   Bizarre Relationship"] I was even prepared to personally excise the
   offending lyrics (above the fair use quotient), have each person who
   helped sign the book and place across the cover "Censored" which would
   have certainly increased the value of the book, at least as a historical
   artifact. When we finally found the slip, we sent in the money which
   they returned. We finally said "fuck it" and published the book. It all
   seems to have worked out well enough in the long run, eh? [Smiles]

Cosmik: Oh man . . . [Laughs] Censored across the front! Now, that would have
   been a real bold and realistic statement. I'm sure Zappa wouldn't have
   liked that, but how could he disagree with it? What stopped you from
   doing it?

Walley: What Frank said publicly was many times in opposition to how he acted.
   What does Whitman say? "If I contradict myself, I contradict myself." Of
   course, it would have sold the book quick and made it an instant artifact,
   and here I'd be using "time and those waves" which the book set up to sell
   it. [Smiles]

Cosmik: Your answer still leaves us hanging. Why did you refrain from
   releasing it with "CENSORED" splashed across the cover? He might have,
   had he been in your shoes. The controversial aspect of the entire
   situation is fascinating to me, although I can certainly see a reason
   for you not going that far.

Walley: I guess, in retrospect, I could have done so, but then it would have
   been a lie. Had he served me with a restraining order, I and my friends
   would have gone into the warehouse and excised all the material above
   the "fair use" limits. That would have been the only reason for resorting
   to that expedient. My publisher thought it was a neat idea. Anyway, I
   knew I was right and fuck him if he couldn't take a joke. [Robust laughter]

Cosmik: If you're simply relaying facts, then I don't understand Zappa's
   response to your work. Perhaps he felt the book contained a personal spin
   based on how you assimilated those facts, which is the writer's prerogative.

Walley: Anybody with any grain of sense also sees this, so I never understood
   why he proceeded to spend years of his life (most of the Seventies)
   trashing me. I remember telling him that if he didn't like the book, he
   didn't have to mention it. But as they say, "Sorrow, sing sorrow, but
   good win out in the end."

Cosmik: How, specifically, did he trash you?

Walley: He gave interviews in Gallery magazine and in Penthouse where he
   characterized me as a psychotic--a disturbed person who had no
   understanding of what he (Zappa) was about. He said in interviews that I
   must have made it all up, that none of it had any basis in fact!

Cosmik: How did that feel, having your subject turn on you, so to speak?

Walley: I was really hurt by Frank's response to my book since I had nothing
   but respect for his work and what he was trying to do. I thought it was
   an unbelievably paranoid response, but in retrospect, I suppose it was a
   product of his world view (which I amply demonstrated) as well as the
   fact that indeed he was quite sheltered, or better, demanded that he be
   sheltered. He was most stung by what Captain Beefheart said, though I
   found what he had to say very accurate and telling. Frank was big for
   criticizing everyone else, but couldn't take the heat himself. He
   disparaged his old band, called Ray Collins in an earlier edition of my
   book before it was cut out because of bullshit legal pressure and because
   I could no longer produce the tape, "An archetypal acid burn-out victim,"
   which was a fair enough assessment--cruel, but fair enough if taken in the
   context with whatever else he was saying. Anyway, Frank's comments really
   got me, and in some ways, inhibited my confidence, though I did go on to
   write a biography on Ernie Kovacs, and that was in a way therapy because
   Kovacs was such a wonderful, quirky and brilliant man.

Cosmik: Referring to "Our Bizarre Relationship," how did you view your
   correspondence with Ben Watson? [Author of the Frank Zappa book, "Negative
   Dialectics of Poodle Play," ISBN 0-313-11918-6]

Walley: I found Watson awfully condescending, and that was the major vibe in
   his book too. I found it offensive, but then again I probably offend too
   easily. I have no real love to pretension, which is why I liked much of
   Zappa's music. His music was loaded with pretension, so much so that you
   had to laugh with him, not at him.

Cosmik: What's interesting about Watson is he's not an American and has never
   grown up in the American society that influenced both you and Zappa. Do
   you feel this may have an impact on Watson's view of Zappa?

Walley: I did bring that up to him but it seems my comment was below his
   notice. If he was a real intellectual interested in dialogue, instead of
   erecting barriers to insight, he'd tear them down. Intellect is the clear
   sword that makes things if not simple, at least comprehensible. It's like
   Watson's knowledge is only for him and to hell with everyone else.

Cosmik: It is interesting to read both your correspondences. It's clear you
   both harbor different schools of thought. And, perhaps that's good. Having
   more than one point of view can result in a different view of Zappa, I
   suppose. For those that see eye-to-eye with Watson, his book becomes
   valuable.

Walley: You could have blue-pencilled more than a third of the book and still
   had something interesting. His editor obviously was overwhelmed by the
   force of Watson's bogus-pomp critical theory to weigh in with his opinions.
   God knows, I'd have whacked huge chunks out of it.

Cosmik: For me, my main gripe with Watson's book is similar to my gripe with
   Nigey Lennon's book, "Being Frank" [California Classic Books, ISBN:
   1-879395-55-X]; I don't CARE about Watson. Nigey's book seemed more a
   book about her during her short period with the Mothers of Invention
   and Zappa than about Zappa. I don't have anything against Nigey and
   respect the work she produced, but I'm not interested in Nigey, I'm
   interested in Zappa. Likewise, I'm not interested in Watson's slant on
   social and political views. I don't think that slant was helpful to his
   daunting, yet at times fascinating book.

Walley: I've been through this with a number of people. From my perspective,
   from what I know/knew of the man, I thought Nigey's book was an interesting
   portrait and quite accurate. If you perhaps read our two books together,
   another dimension of Zappa appears, that's all I'm trying to say here.
   Nigey is an extraordinarily bright, competent writer, very funny too.
   It's another context of him, before the accident, which inalterably changed
   Frank, really.

Cosmik: So, you would corroborate Nigey's view? You also saw the change in
   Zappa following his 1971 injury.

Walley: Absolutely! In fact, during conversations with her, both on-line and
   on the phone, she confirmed my suspicions. It was a real revelation
   speaking with Nigey because she's such a brilliant woman and one hell of
   a writer. By the way, you should check out her books on Alfred Jerry,
   "Alfred Jerry: The Man with the Axe," and Mark Twain, "The Sagebrush
   Bohemian," which deals with Mark Twain in the West and her thesis that
   Twain was actually a Western writer, not an Eastern writer.

Cosmik: It's logical you would be associated with Nigey. How and when did
   you first meet her?

Walley: John Scialli [father of asteroid Zappafrank] "introduced" us on-line.
   He gave me her e-mail address and I dropped her a line. We started writing,
   and writing, and writing, and then calling, and writing and then
   collaborating.

Cosmik: Zappa's life was so influenced by American culture, it almost appears
   Watson was unable to identify with it. Now, as an American, I found this
   aspect of "No Commercial Potential" perhaps the most fascinating. As Frank
   said about music, there's no right or wrong. Your book and Watson's book
   are what they are. We decide for ourselves what is right and wrong,
   accepted or unaccepted, liked or disliked.

Walley: Sure, that's what makes horse races, that's what makes the history
   of biography so interesting. One thing that's for sure, without me, Watson
   wouldn't have had a clue. Anyway I've been told by real live professors at
   real live universities and colleges that if one wants to know about
   America in the Sixties, my book puts them there quickly, accurately, and
   deftly. Don't forget, I've always seen myself as a cultural historian,
   even when I was writing about pop music. At one time I thought that it
   was a mirror into the soul of America, now-days it's more like just
   another sealed tuna sandwich in the consumerist mall world we all know
   and loathe.

Cosmik: I don't mean to slam Watson. I've heard him interviewed, and was
   quite taken by his intelligence and ability to analyze. He is very
   insightful, at times. For me, he has a tendency to over-analyze. "Negative
   Dialectics of Poodle Play" contains a lot of really interesting information.
   I just didn't care for the way he wrapped his own words around some of
   the information, and the slant he put on the book.

Walley: That's exactly right, and that's exactly what I told him though I
   don't think he responded to me, or if he did, it was in code. Life's too
   short to be spending time playing the kinds of intellectual games Ben
   finds fascinating. But, then again, England only has four television
   stations. [Smiles] Real intellectuals don't need to obfuscate what they
   analyze. Put another way, real intellectuals make things easy to
   comprehend because they have an overview, and that's something I don't
   think Ben has achieved yet. Maybe it's a function of his age or the
   company he keeps in England, I really don't know. For me it was
   showboating of the worst kind. I'm not interested in the kinds of power
   games or submission and domination that Ben seems to prefer, at least in
   "Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play."

Cosmik: Have you read any of the other Zappa books, aside from Watson's, and
   have any impressed you?

Walley: As far as it went, I thought Michael Gray's book had some merit
   (more on Pamela Zarubica who I'd love to get back in contact with).
   Gray did use much of my book (and credited me with same, thanks Michael).
   He has a definite opinion about things and talks about his family
   (something which I thought was beside the point). Whatever Miles does is
   fine with me, I know him and trust him as a journalist. As for the rest,
   I can't say, though I'd like to see what Neil Slaven has to say for
   professional curiosity surely.

Cosmik: Regarding the latest edition of "No Commercial Potential," why did
   you take such a different approach in the chapter content between the
   1971 and 1980 edition, then again between the 1980 and the 1996 edition?

Walley: For one thing, I was no longer in contact with Zappa, as you no doubt
   can understand now. Funny about the 1980 edition, it was actually the
   booksellers, the salesmen in the field for EP Dutton who asked the
   publishing house if they could get an update. That was pretty neat. By
   the time 1995 rolled around, the old man had died, I was older and
   perhaps a little wiser, and had some more perspective; I decided on that
   approach. By the way, the new chapter was written using the Internet, and
   my was it helpful! That's how I found the Marshall interview.

Cosmik: I see, so the update was initiated by the publishing house. Did you
   have thoughts of updating it yourself, prior to their contacting you?

Walley: Absolutely not! I thought that I was done with that part of my life.
   [Smiles] It was Gary Lucas, an old colleague of mine--one hell of a guitar
   player who played with Beefheart--who kept going on about how I should
   check out Da Capo Press, how they put out all kinds of great rock and
   roll books. So I did a cold call to Mike Dorr, did my dance, he read the
   book, proposed it to his editorial board, and the rest, as they say, is
   history (or better, a continuation of history).

Cosmik: When the book was released, did you have any idea it might become an
   important sociological and historical "period-piece?"

Walley: No, not really. I was just concerned at the time in trying to present
   an approach which reflected my subject, so the reader could understand
   through prose what Zappa was up to. Remember, I told you I was trying to
   use Zappa's tools ("time and those waves") to do so.

Cosmik: "Time and those waves" is an interesting way to describe it. You
   begin "No Commercial Potential" describing how Zappa's concept of time
   and those waves applied to his work. What was there about this approach
   Zappa found appealing? He carried his use of "time and those waves"
   through Civilization Phaze III.

Walley: I liked the way he used his own time, enfolded into his creative
   time, how he made it all part of his Project Object, i.e., his larger
   oeuvre. You see, the Project Object was all of his time: interviews of
   him, films etc., his concerts, his studio work. To understand the whole
   scope of the Project Object perforce one has to be conversant with ALL
   and EVERYTHING. Which is what, in some ways, "You Can't Do That On Stage
   Anymore" is all about. Once one grasps that conceptual continuity, one
   can have a full appreciation. Of course, as I might have said, Zappa was
   at times not the best judge of what was really good, and from his
   perspective, everything he ever did showed great genius, or a genius in
   the making. Not always the case.

Cosmik: And, of course, as you've pointed out, the only person who really
   was conversed with ALL and EVERYTHING was Zappa. His vault holds evidence
   of this. With him gone, who can assess everything that's in there from
   memory? So, the Project Object was primarily an appreciated concept within
   Zappa with us enjoying his Conceptual Continuity as an observer. Would this
   be a correct statement?

Walley: Absolutely! You buy the music of Zappa, you buy into his universe
   which he was always in the process of defining, refining, commenting on,
   living, etc., etc.

Cosmik: You stated in "No Commercial Potential," "[Frank] works so hard at
   not being serious, that he even is serious" (P.4). This appears to apply
   not only to his social side but his compositional side. I'm thinking of
   compositions like Billy the Mountain, and many others. Learning what makes
   Zappa tick, one might be surprised by this dichotomy. Do you have any
   feelings why--even through his frustrating childhood and professional
   life, which instilled a mounting level of cynicism--he maintained such
   a biting sense of humor? Perhaps it was his way of sneering at the world?

Walley: It was his defense against critical failure. What he had most of all
   was a naked will which showed in his compositional efforts. At any rate,
   he thought of himself as an Outsider in the classic Colin Wilson mode
   (great classic book on alienation). Look, the world is a pretty absurd
   place, people are strange, right? If you can't laugh at it, you have to
   cry. Who needs that? There's also something of cosmic laughter in Zappa's
   satire, though it did get more than a little heavy-handed at times. I
   think that was due to his pandering to the tastes of his audience as they
   developed.

Cosmik: Zappa's life was his work, which he never actually considered "work,"
   from what I've been able to determine. During your friendship with him,
   did he have recreational activities and personal interests outside of
   music?

Walley: [Robust laughter] Are you serious? When would he have had the time?
   His amusements, I suspect, were being on the road and watching and writing,
   you know, the experience of being detached and out there in the Netherlands.
   Touring does make you crazy, and Frank was crazier than most. After a while
   one tends to view the world from the aspect of a traveling musician on
   tour, it can't be helped. I mean, room service is a "heavy" concept while
   living the normal life that we lead, unless we're Yuppie capitalist
   scum/bond traders living in an American Express Gold World.

Cosmik: Was the view of Zappa you placed in the Afterword formed during and
   after your work on "No Commercial Potential," or was it formed before the
   book was written?

Walley: It was written on the day that I heard that he died. Oh, I'd been
   thinking about writing something, just for my files, just to get it off my
   chest. I actually sat down and wrote the Afterword the day that he died,
   edited it quite a bit and sent it off to the New Yorker Magazine. When I
   finished the update, I decided that I wanted it in the book as well; as
   my voice, my thoughts. I'd done my "job" as Zappa's biographer and I
   thought it was time to step out from behind the footlights and give my
   little speech. If the book hadn't been re-released, the Afterword would
   have stayed on my hard drive as blank, empty electronic space. [Smiles]

Cosmik: Reading the Afterword, it seems as though you criticize Zappa with
   the same level of cynicism Frank was known to express himself. Why did you
   feel this was a proper conclusion to the book?

Walley: What's good for the goose is good for the gander, I suppose. It's
   what I felt, and I thought I was being honest with myself because indeed I
   was conflicted about him. I really did love the man and his work. I just
   didn't like how he treated me when I'd done nothing to him. I think that
   considering what I could have written, I definitely was rather "nice" to
   him in that regard. Anyway, what would have been the point about writing
   a book which trashed someone whose music I respected and whose vision I
   somehow shared. What, writers aren't supposed to express themselves? He
   was a big one for honesty, and a big one for truth telling. I thought it
   was only fitting that I expressed my views. It's too bad it didn't appear
   in the New Yorker, it would have been a revelation.

Cosmik: In the fourth paragraph of the Afterword you state, "[Zappa] was a
   victim of his own publicity, and always seemed afraid to commit himself
   . . . Still, it was a cop-out not to commit himself while being famous
   for accusing others of that failure." Yet, in the following paragraph,
   you state, " . . . [Zappa] was deeply committed to musical excellence."
   Can you clarify what appears to be a contradiction?

Walley: Well that's the way I saw it. I was talking about intellectual
   honesty vs. musical integrity. He disparaged his music even as he
   performed it and intensely cared about it. It used to blow his mind when
   I said that I really liked his classical music; best of all, his chamber
   music. He couldn't just present it, he had to stick your nose in it to
   show you just how smart he was when all he had to do is be himself.

Cosmik: Can you give an example of how Zappa used his intelligence?

Walley: No, I really can't. You see, he had a way of intimidating people,
   and you had to be very strong to hold your ground. It's almost like
   conversation was an effort to him, or better, at least to me, it always
   felt like even when he was talking to you, he was being interviewed. The
   only time I got him to be real with me was when I made the decision to
   just lose it--to drop my journalist/biographer mask. That's when I told
   him that I was having trouble with the material and I didn't think I
   could do a good job. And he actually made me feel better. But this, of
   course, was before he saw the galleys and we had our little discussion
   about "facts" vs. "opinions."

Cosmik: Were your personal visits with Zappa an "effort" for him, or was this
   the way he was while in the public eye?

Walley: From what I have found out, he did that with everyone, even when he
   was in bed. You'll have to ask Nigey about that, but that's just the way
   he was. He was uncomfortable within himself and only was really happy
   when he was working and writing. He was a monomaniac, but in a good way,
   I'm thinking. [Smiles] In public he had this persona that he was genial
   but detached. Well, at least to me it was kind of an imperious attitude.
   After a while it didn't bother me so much and I just talked "through" it,
   didn't pay it any mind, kept on trucking, smoked another cigarette and
   waited.

Cosmik: You say, he was uncomfortable with himself--in what way?

Walley: Body language. His inability to "dance," perhaps. I think he was
   uncomfortable with language, though, in my opinion, he was a good writer
   when he had the mind. He once told me that writing was "a low evil mean
   form of enterprise," but I knew that was just Frank being cute.

Cosmik: I wonder if Zappa's conversations with you were an effort for him,
   in a sense, due to the issues he had with "No Commercial Potential." What
   do you think?

Walley: Not before the book or before he saw the galleys. I spent quite a
   bit of time just hanging out with him, watching him edit tape, and talking
   with him while he did. The bottom line was that every time I was in LA, I
   could always see him. He always told me to come by, and I did. I didn't
   cover him like a cheap suit. When he was in New York City at the Fillmore,
   I'd see him at the One Fifth Avenue or backstage at the Fillmore. He was
   nice. He was cordial enough. I thought we were becoming friends in a
   certain way. At least he appeared to "like" me as far as he was going to
   "like" anyone who wasn't directly connected with his job.

Cosmik: Were these social visits, or were these visits in context with the
   research required to write "No Commercial Potential"?

Walley: I guess a bit of both. For the record, Frank always claimed after
   the book came out and when we were still talking that I "abused his
   friendship," and I could never figure what that meant. I think he
   genuinely liked me and enjoyed talking to me if only because I knew at
   least musically what he was trying to do. But his life revolved around
   his studio, the road and writing music, as far as I could tell.
   Friendship works both ways. It was okay if I sought him out (hell, I was
   being "useful" to the Project Object). But as far as him giving me a call
   or dropping me a line, I don't think so. Look, I genuinely loved hanging
   out in the basement where time stood still, where one could walk in at
   nine at night and come out when the sun was coming up again. I liked that.
   The trouble was that I always ran out of cigarettes about half-way through
   these sessions and I'd have to smoke his shitty Winstons. [Laughs]

Cosmik: [Smiles] Did Zappa remain as detached when he realized you weren't
   intimidated by his responses?

Walley: I couldn't tell you for sure. I was just trying to maintain my "cool,"
   such as it was. What I'm saying was that it was my "perception" that he
   was detached, but subsequently I've been told that his general style was
   like that too. According to Nigey, even in bed.

Cosmik: This seems to be the general approach his family has taken. While I
   might refrain from saying they are "detached" from the commercial community
   and the public eye, they do live on their own island, much the way Zappa
   established himself. Do you feel they are this way because they've learned
   to be that way, or because they've learned that's what works?

Walley: Perhaps they have learned, but it seems that his kids are just like
   in the Steely Dan song, "Hollywood Kids" (Making movies of themselves,
   you know they don't give a fuck about anybody else, etc., etc.). I guess
   if your Dad's a cool rock and roll star, even if you only see him for less
   than six months a year, that's worth points in the high school. Still in
   all, Frank was a good provider for his family, that was his function and
   he did it well. As far as not being around for your kids when they're
   growing up (or even when you're there)--not being able to see them because
   you're on a different schedule--artists have that problem with their kids
   all the time, it just depends on how they deal with it, in my opinion.

Cosmik: How did Frank deal with it, from what you saw? He appears to have
   divided his life into two areas, his music and work, and his family, never
   involving Gail in his music. Yet, he did involve a few of the kids in his
   music at times, and Gail did run the home business. They seemed to be
   involved in his working world to some extent.

Walley: Frank was a terrific teacher and I saw that the pitfalls were of
   imbalance, the need for the balance between force and form, that old
   occult dictum. As I said, the music business was a moral/spiritual theater
   and if you had eyes to see it, and the brains to process all that
   information, you could learn how to live a successful life. There are
   positive and negative lessons. It's like learning how to smoke dope, or
   deal with psychedelics, or even alcohol. It's all about finding
   limits--testing yourself. When I was a kid, I used to have this saying by
   Thomas Jefferson over my desk, "You don't know what is enough until you
   know what is more than enough." Really, it's all about maps. You can be
   in the right place, but with the wrong maps or no maps, you're lost.

Cosmik: Did you spend enough time in the basement with him to be able to
   gain a sense for how he "operated" in the studio, using the studio as a
   tool? If so, can you share some of your experience?

Walley: I never saw him record but I did spent time with him while he was
   editing Uncle Meat (around the same time that Wadleigh was cutting the
   negative for "Woodstock"). It can be dull-fucking-boring work unless
   you're into it. I remember the evening because I'd gotten a freebie out
   to LA as--get this--a reporter for the East Village Other covering
   Playboy After Dark. Frank said I was welcome to hang out. He'd be in the
   film editing studio and if I wanted to come and hang, I was welcome. As
   a rock and roller back in those days, the record companies had a little
   more money to spread around. There were junkets (just like the grown-up
   media). Dig this! I was given a roundtrip first-class trip on TWA, comped
   to stay at the Tropicana Motor Lodge on Sunset Blvd., a notorious sink of
   rock and roll depravity. I went out there with $20, I came back with $9.
   So I guess the answer is that I really didn't see him in his studio
   environment. Look, any piece of technology connected to media, once Frank
   got the hang of it, was a useful studio tool: Moog synthesizers, ARP
   synthesizers, all that Guitar Player World techno-shit. He was a tinkerer,
   an authentic American character. Maybe he thought of himself as Edison or
   Nicola Tesla, for all I know. Still, it's the quality of time spent with
   Frank, alone. I always had to be on my toes. After all, I did understand
   he was working. And it's true, artists use the excuse of working in all
   kinds of ways. Some do so to avoid their wives or families or the accreted
   bullshit that builds around the two. If you have an understanding wife,
   you're a lucky man. If you have an understanding supportive wife who not
   only can tell you things but you'll listen--you'll listen like when you're
   acting like a jerk around your kids--then you've got a jewel. To be an
   artist's wife--to be an asset--she's got to be as creative with what she
   does as you with what you do. Luckily, mine's a therapist and a damned
   good one, if the truth be known. I owe so much of what I am now to her.
   Writing is also my life, but without the other human component, it really
   wouldn't be what I want it to be--with my words having weight, power and
   force, making me able (in whatever I address myself) to make a statement
   which just hangs out there like Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix. (Well, what
   can I say? It's a powerful, powerful transcendent jam.) [Smiles]

Cosmik: It sounds like your married life and working life are in balance. Is
   it completely separate, or do you involve your wife in your work? For
   instance, have her proof material, involve her in your ideas, etc.

Walley: Absolutely she's involved. She reads all my material. And thank God
   for the computer because in the old days I'd bring in material which she'd
   read and be afraid to make any suggestions because she knew how long it
   took me to type it all up on my Selectric. Now she has no fear and I don't
   mind--a few keystrokes and PRESTO, new copy. She has a very good sense of
   what works and what doesn't, when I'm being clear and when I'm not. She's
   my partner. She keeps me balanced, which is a blessing because I find that
   writers tend to get unbalanced and out of touch. Actually, it's having a
   family which keeps things in perspective, and for that I'm thankful. If I
   hadn't married my only wife, I'd really be in a bad way. She keeps me on
   target and focused, gives the reality check I need when I get out of line.
   She's an equal partner. I don't think Frank approached the "Gail" question
   quite like that, and that's too bad. If Frank had a wife who was his equal,
   or who had good maps, Frank could have been greater still. Oh well, life
   is strange like that. It's like my old dear late friend Vivian Stanshall
   of the Bonjo Dogband used to say, "Afterlife, after shave."

Cosmik: The pop star of today has been redefined over the last three decades
   while popularity and acceptance is a universal dream that remains the same.
   Zappa rarely appealed or was accepted by the pop market, yet harbored a
   brutally loyal fan base that was built with little influence of airplay
   (in the US). Do you feel Zappa had an inner desire to be accepted much
   the same way as a "pop star?"

Walley: Sure, he wanted to be a pop star but only on his own terms. Not an
   unreasonable idea. Just like I wanted to be accepted for the writer I am,
   one who writes about important subjects in a unique manner. Frank was
   lucky: he developed a fan base that supported his concerts and bought his
   albums and because he had total control of the artistic and manufacturing
   end, he was able to make a fine living doing so. He had it all, in my
   humble opinion.

Cosmik: For him to desire to be a pop star on his terms, it would require a
   re-definition of what "pop" was at the time (or any time). Do you feel he
   was aware of this?

Walley: Sure, he was aware of it. These are the rules: if you want to win,
   you've got to have "time and those waves" at your disposal. I'm sure that
   Frank was amused, whatever he was or is, to get his "Lifetime Achievement
   Award" from NARAS, but he knew it was a shuck and a jive. He sure as hell
   scared the shit out of them when he was alive, didn't he? I think Frank
   wanted to be remembered, and perhaps might be, once the bloom of fandom
   had been burnished a bit, as an American original composer like Charles
   Ives. It's a tough call to make, a tough concept, I think, for a lot of
   people who happened to be habituated to the idea of consumerism.

Cosmik: As a historian, do you feel Zappa emerged at just the right time,
   considering how much the current social and cultural world affected his
   musical output?

Walley: Absolutely! He (and we of that generation) lived in interesting
   times, fruitful for satirists and social critics. I know no one wants to
   hear it, but living through the Sixties was an exciting and scary time.
   Frank was THE quintessential artist of his time, even if most people
   preferred to concentrate on the Beatles. Frank was a product of "time
   and those waves." He appeared "as it was supposed to happen."

Cosmik: Later in Zappa's life his interest in observing the American way of
   life was expressed as concern with him becoming politically active,
   striving to make a difference, and to influence us to make a difference.
   Interestingly, unlike Zappa's experience with the PMRC and many other
   clashes with the American "establishment," he never incorporated his
   displeasure with how the US government handled his association with Haval
   and the Czech government into his compositions. Do you have any opinion
   why, and do you feel Zappa viewed the outcome of his work with the Czech
   government as a "failure?"

Walley: I think he just shined it on. I mean what's the use of pissing off a
   whole country full of fans. Anyway governments are funny like that.
   Actually, I've been doing some sleuthing in the question, and contrary
   to what Frank may have said publicly about the incident (the Czech
   government has said little officially), it more than likely appears that
   the reason for the "demotion" was due to the fact that Frank started
   making inflated claims about what he was gong to do and didn't vent any
   of it with the Czech government. At the time, as you know, the government
   was new in the community of nations, so Frank kind of put them on the
   spot. I've been in communication with the Czech embassy in Washington,
   D.C. trying to track down the "real" story. I've also sent out a few
   Freedom of Information Act requests to the State Department for cable
   traffic between Foggy Bottom and Prague and I'm awaiting their reply (if
   any).

Cosmik: What's new in the latest edition of "No Commercial Potential"?

Walley: Life after 1980, concepts of creative continuity, how he makes his
   music, a short survey of albums, how they fit with the overall continuity
   of his work, updated discographies, bibliographies, videographies, fanzine
   lists, Internet references, his fascination with Synclavier and reasons
   for same, 1988 tour melt-down, etc. If you look at the chapter precis at
   the beginning of the book, that will give you the overview.

Cosmik: Were there other additions you would have liked to have included,
   but just didn't have the time or support of the publishing house?

Walley: You see, the thing about the original edition of "No Commercial
   Potential" was that it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of effort. There was
   no way I could actually BE that person I was back then, I no longer had
   the time. Anyway, back then I was unencumbered (well that's not the
   right word) with responsibilities. Now I have four children, a wonderful
   wife, four mini horses, seven cats, two dogs, some fish, etc. What made
   even updating the book so difficult was that I had to keep the same set
   of "eyebrows" on the material, the same overview. Talking to a new set
   of musicians wasn't going to get me any more insight than I already had.
   So what was the point of that? Putting it another way, I couldn't
   duplicate the original thrust of "No Commercial Potential," the 1972
   edition. Of course I could have done some more historical sleight-of-hand,
   but really, I was less interested in that.

Cosmik: Can you explain "eyebrows"?

Walley: Same tone, feeling of ironic detachment, that's what I mean by
   eyebrows. The eyebrows of the face give the face character. I guess that's
   what I'm trying to say here.

Cosmik: What are you working on now? What's next for David Walley?

Walley: I'm working on a book for Plennum Press (a subsidiary of the same
   company that Da Capo is) called "TEENAGE NERVOUS BREAKDOWN: music,
   politics and high school in the Post-Elvis Age". It started off a few
   years back as a book called "PLAY SCHOOL: the highschoolization of
   American Life," and it managed to segue into Teenerve. Seems my Da Capo
   editor was talking with the Plennum editor. The latter wanted someone to
   do a book on rock and roll. My editor suggested me, and that's how it
   happened.

Cosmik: When can we expect to see it hit the market?

Walley: If I'm a good boy (and I'm hoping to be), the manuscript is due in
   two months. With luck, it will appear in the Spring of '98.

Cosmik: Will it be hardback, softback, or is that and the price yet to be
   determined?

Walley: Hardback, I think. But this is more of an academic house and I
   haven't really sat down with my editor yet. From looking at their list,
   I'd venture to say that Plennum has never done anything like this. Me,
   I'm hoping that it's more than a fair approximation of what I've been
   thinking about for the past twenty-five years. I've been waiting a long
   time to write this book, and I have a feeling many other people out there
   have also--some of them readers of "No Commercial Potential."

Cosmik: Will it have international distribution?

Walley: Why not? It could also be sold to a mass market paperback house. I
   could appear on Charlie Rose and Letterman. [Laughs with a sarcastic grin]

Cosmik: Of all the profiles you've written, which is the most inspiring for
   you, personally?

Walley: Two for two--Zappa and Kovacs ain't too shabby for this cultural
   historian! [Smiles]


David Walley lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts with his wife, four mini
   horses, seven cats, two dogs, and various other animals. He continues his
   freelance writing and is currently working on "Teenage Nervous Breakdown:
   Music, Politics and High School in the Post-Elvis Age" for Plenum Press,
   and "The Lost Episodes," a novel collaboration with Nigey Lennon.


			     *            *             *            *


One of Walley's sidelights is writing fables in the style of George Ade,
Ambrose Bierce, and Mark Twain. In keeping with the Conceptual Continuity of
this article, he's included a previously unpublished fable titled "Fame and
the Artist".  [Ed. Note: Beginning this month, David Walley joins the staff
of Cosmik Debris.  He will contribute a column each month.  Be sure to check
it out.]


FAME AND THE ARTIST
by David G. Walley
(C) 1991

Once upon a time in a city far away there lived a struggling artist, a genius
painter. His early friends were impressed, and so was he when he went to
their openings and saw how his ideas had been adapted for commercial use.
He didn't mind though since he was sure that some day his own time would
come.

One afternoon, a gallery owner, a friend of his friends, came by the studio
and told him he should be rich and famous and offered to help him for next
to nothing (65%). The artist considered the offer and decided to give it a
whirl since it would be nice to make a living wage as an artist instead of
a short-order cook at the local beanery.

Within a matter of weeks, the artist was seeing his name in all the right
places. He started spending less and less time in the studio and more going
to openings and schmoozing the customers, a practice he had formerly loathed
passionately. The few times he was actually in the studio, the phone rang
off the hook with invitations which made work or sleep impossible. This must
be the way it happens, he thought when he had time.

The artist adapted to the new regime and unloaded his back inventory, but
although he had quite a stock from his leaner days, inevitably he ran out.
Now the demand for new work outstripped his ability to produce it and feeling
pressed he was starting to suspect that his gift would lead to his eventual
destruction.

While he was regarding the blank canvas and the silent phone with equal dread
late one morning, he came to an illumination that fame was killing him for
real and he was living in a nightmare from which he could not awake. It was
bad enough he no longer had time to paint and spent most of his waking hours
schmoozing the fast set, but worst of all, the attractive and cultured women
of his fantasies were in reality social-climbing yentas looking to add his
scalp to their collections. Museum trustees were only less honorable, and
what was the use of that?

Abruptly the artist withdrew from the fandango of fame and even stopped
showing up at the openings of his new gallery. At first it was charitably
said that he was Sick or Out of Town on A Commission. Eventually, his agent
took him to lunch to inquire anxiously whether he'd done anything to offend?
A week after that he was deleted from the "A" list. When Art News and Art in
America ran a few speculative sidebar articles about what happened to him,
his stock plunged in the unofficial Art Futures market. By then Fame no
longer interested him.

Leaving town, the Artist purchased a nice little farmhouse upstate with the
profits from his fatter days and continued The Work. If you needed him, you
wrote or called the General Store, they'd fetch him. His temperament and
creativity improved, and his good patrons still sought him out, eager to see
his work, even if it wasn't in the public eye anymore. When things got slow
it still tickled him that some of his early work were in good museum
collections. Although he never made as much money, whatever he made was all
his.

MORAL: Sometimes a little fame is all you really need.


____________________________________________________________________________

SUPER SPY SURF SLINGERS: The Penetrators!
Rip Thrillby interviewed by DJ Johnson

Super spy surf slingers... Say that four times fast.  Agent Rip Thrillby
leans casually against a concrete wall smoking a cigarette, his eyes hidden
behind a pair of extra-dark Raybans. In a few moments, he will climb up onto
the stage and strike a blow for the Southern Surf Syndicate, sworn enemies
of musical banality and apathy. The bad guys take cover, their gutless
corporate alternacrap drowned out by the thunder of Stix Stechkin's drums,
Trace Lugar's bass, and the reverb-flooded twin guitar assult of Spanky
Twangler and Agent Thrillby himself. Another victory for the SSS, another
crushing defeat for G.R.E.M.M.I.E.

But who are these evildoers who call themselves G.R.E.M.M.I.E., and more
importantly, who are the boys in the SSS?  Agent Thrillby has these answers
and more, but getting the information was difficult business.  Finally,
arrangements were made for me to meet Thrillby at a remote and relatively
safe location where this interview could take place far from prying eyes.
Here are the minutes of that meeting with the man known as Agent 027.


               *                  *                    *


Cosmik: How difficult is it to balance detailed espionage work with playing
    rock and roll?

Rip: Actually, they are the same thing. Most of our skirmishes are not
   fought with guns and grenades, but with guitars, though we can't always
   rule out the first two. You see, we are up against an entrenched,
   stratified enemy, whose modus operandi is to beat the world's listening
   public into a submissive stupor through a constant barrage of The
   Oppressively Banal.

Cosmik: And exactly how does your music counteract this?

Rip: Our music is about melody as much as it's about anything else. Combine
   this with driving rhythms, bone-shaking bass and a wash of rhythm guitar
   over the whole thing, and you have a sound that has a very powerful effect
   on the pleasure centers of the human brain. Research at the Southern Surf
   Syndicate Institute of Leisure-Time Studies has confirmed this effect,
   applying the scientific method in the lab, and from volumes of anecdotal
   evidence in the field. As you might imagine, the Institute's a pretty fun
   place to hang around.

Cosmik: In your daily undercover activities, who is the enemy and what do
   they want?

Rip: They are the Global Resistance to Eliminate Manly Music's Influence
   Eternally, or G.R.E.M.M.I.E. Trust me, Deej, we're not paranoid or
   delusional here. Just turn on your TV or radio -- pick up a copy of an
   nationally distributed mainstream "music" magazine. G.R.E.M.M.I.E. is a
   very well-funded organization, and their influence is everywhere. The
   Trilateral Commission? Ha. The Illuminati? Amateurs. Scientologists? Well,
   their pockets are almost as deep -- gives you an idea of the depth of the
   threat. G.R.E.M.M.I.E.'s power rests in its ability to cultivate a malaise
   over the music-buying public. The negativity in today's pop culture has a
   multiplier effect, as the listeners and viewers are fed the same crap over
   and over -- a similar phenomenon exists among the recessive genes in	a
   hillbilly family's gene pool. As these recessive genes--and there is
   compelling evidence that ideas work and multiply in society in a very
   similar way--have a ho-down, you end up with some screwed-up babies, just
   like you have so many screwed people shuffling through the world today.
   That's what the Southern Surf Syndicate is here for. Rock & roll was never
   meant to be a bummer. People don't need to be told that life sucks on a
   Friday night. By delivering kicks to the people, they have a multiplier
   effect of their own -- soon folks are, duh, *expecting* a good time,
   perhaps for the first time in their G.R.E.M.M.I.E.-scarred lives. The
   threat is strong, but so are we.

Cosmik: I see. So then Nirvana...

Rip: Well, check out the video for "Heart-Shaped Box" and see if you're
   surprised Cobain blew his brains out. Computer programmers have a phrase
   that goes, "Garbage in, garbage out." The same principles apply to mental
   health. Think about it: if you ate at McDonald's everyday for a long enough
   period, all the material your body uses to replicate its cells would come
   from a McDonald's bag. You literally would be nothing more than a highly
   processed Big Mac. Same goes for the care and feeding of your brain. Give
   it a steady diet of nothing but negative crap, and it's not surprising
   when it turns the gun on itself.

Cosmik: And Pearl Jam?

Rip: More whining, even less that's musically compelling than Nirvana. Anyone
   who really cares enough about Eddie Vedder's personal problems to sit
   through one of their records is beyond any help we may might be able to
   offer.

Cosmik: I'm going to go out on a limb here... Is Trent Reznor even more of a
   threat to society than we had all originally suspected?

Rip: Oh, man. It's not obvious? You see, these days you have "artists"
   making records they call rock & roll, and doing it in a state of mind
   that is completely alien to the spirit in which rock & roll was born.
   Can you imagine Buddy Holly or Gene Vincent singing about the subject
   matter of your typical Trent Reznor noise pollution? Or even being able
   to imagine the success of a Trent Reznor and his new Satan-worshiping
   lap dog currently on the charts? Of course not. Maggots don't feed on
   living bodies, only corpses. Trent Reznor and his ilk are proof that
   mainstream pop culture is nothing more than a rotting stiff, and he's
   just the latest necrophiliac to break into the morgue.

Cosmik: But is he a REAL threat?

Rip: I wouldn't elevate him the status of "threat." He's more a symptom than
   anything else. Somewhere along the line, the good-time factor fell out of
   pop music, with a few notable exceptions over the years. Rock & roll that
   takes itself seriously is not rock & roll; it's usually just sophomoric
   poetry accompanied by a few guys who learned more about playing scales
   than they ever did about what makes a good tune. This builds upon itself
   for a few years. If you could liken pop culture to that hillbilly gene pool,
   Trent Reznor would be the kid playing banjo in Deliverance.

Cosmik: The thought occurs to me that while we're all dancing our asses off
   to our favorite Penetrators tune, we might actually be hearing coded
   messages.  Anything to that?

Rip: None, other than what I've already mentioned. Surf music doesn't need
   lyrics to communicate its point. It communicates what can't really be
   articulated into words. The best surf music captures the power and majesty
   of the sea, of desire, of the mystery of life itself, without even really
   intending to. It's that unassuming quality that just all of a sudden hits
   you over the head, and part of its power comes from the fact that it's
   first off intended to be fun music, not to be taken too seriously, but
   then capable of great beauty at the same time. Why mess that up with
   subliminal messages? Leave that for G.R.E.M.M.I.E.

Cosmik: Is it possible that we're putting ourselves in the line of fire simply
   by listening to your music?

Rip: G.R.E.M.M.I.E. is a highly organized entity, and they do keep tabs on
   who has our music, at least to the best of their limited ability. You
   probably aren't in any real physical danger listening to our stuff, though
   I can't guarantee it. A hardcore surf fan has a multiplier effect on his
   acquaintances, for the number of people diggin' the reverb grows
   exponentially once turned on. Sorta like the old shampoo commercial. "And
   so on, and so on, and so on..."

Cosmik: Who are some of the other "good guys?"  Who else is fighting the
   good fight and is deserving of our dollars and attention?

Rip: Lots of great bands. Los Straitjackets, Laika & the Cosmonauts, The
   Volcanos, The Fathoms, The Space Cossacks, Man or Astro-Man?, Thee Phantom
   5ive, The Falcons, The Boss Martians, Pollo Del Mar, The Torpedoes, Death
   Valley, Squid Vicious, The Treble Spankers, The Daytonas, Jon & the
   Nightriders, Satan's Pilgrims -- those are just off the top of my head,
   based on what I've been listening to lately. There are tons of others.

Cosmik: How important is your music gear in this spy equation?

Rip: Very important. Gear must be rugged, and have the proper sound. Clean
   guitars are key, no fuzz.

Cosmik: What are you all playing?

Rip: I'm playing two standard Stratocasters, heavy gauge roundwound strings,
   tone pots disconnected, through a late 60's Twin Reverb, with a 70s
   outboard Fender reverb tank. Spanky plays a Rickenbacker 360, a Jazzmaster
   reissue with Seymour Duncan replacement pickups, a Harmony electric
   12-string shaped like a Hofner bass, and a late 60s Twin. Trace has two
   Jazz Precision Fender basses, and is currently shopping for a new amp rig
   -- he's blown up 8 in the last three years. Stix plays Ludwig drums and
   Zildjian cymbals.

Cosmik: How do you deal with trying to remain undercover when you're forced
   to play in public?

Rip: Well, the Syndicate deals in both overt and covert means. Being able to
   blend in with the crowd is an important ability of ours. We don't dress
   like rock stars, and have normal haircuts. This allows us to get away with
   a lot that your average alternative band type couldn't. Being invisible when
   necessary is as important as cutting a figure on stage. Given that only
   about 10% of band time is spent on stage, you can see how important this
   becomes.

Cosmik:	Let's talk about your time onstage, or more specifically... the songs
   themselves. How do you create your music at The Institute?  Can you take
   us through the process of creating a Penetrators tune?

Rip: Well, it's never quite the same way twice -- we're not the military,
   after all -- but, there are patterns that emerge. Most of the time one
   of us will have stumbled upon a cool riff screwing around on the guitar;
   sometimes they kind of pop out of thin air it seems, and you drive home
   at 90 mph so you can play it before you forget it. Usually one of us
   will have one part pretty well-developed, and then another will have a
   part that makes a nice bridge, or we just make it up during practice.
   Some songs have emerged completely different at the end of a practice,
   after we've all contributed our ideas. Sometimes you can tell a song's
   going to take a few gigs to develop a life of its own, and find the right
   groove. "Lamento A Go Go" and "40 Miles to Vengeance" both took a while
   to ferment. We trust each other's judgment, so if someone suggests
   something completely out of left field, we'll go with it just to see how
   it sounds. Sometimes it's crap, sometimes it's great. Ya never know 'til
   you try it, and you can't be afraid to fall on your face on stage. The
   bottom line is that it's a highly collaborative process for us, and that's
   also why all our songs are credited as Luger/Stechkin/Thrillby/Twangler.

Cosmik: I'm dying to know what the inspiration was for "Night Of The Drunken
   Cheerleaders."

Rip: Quite often the titles come before the songs. We generally approach our
   music as though we're writing soundtracks for movies that haven't been
   made yet. Start with a situation in your head, and then try to come up
   with a lick or a chord progression that suggests the action you see in
   your mind. One night Trace and I sat down with a 12-pack and a pad of
   paper, and just made up song titles, and "Night of the Drunken
   Cheerleaders" was one of them. Talk about great movie material -- lust,
   mayhem, terror, and physically-fit babes. AIP Noir. We probably came up
   with 50 or 60 potential titles, and not long after that I came in and
   Trace was playing guitar. He said, "What does this sound like?" I
   immediately answered, "Sounds like drunk teenage girls, to me." We knew
   it had to be effervescent and bouncy, but creepy, too -- so we added
   the Twilight Zone-ish figure, which I had laying around, not knowing
   what to do with it. Putting songs together is a lot like building a
   jigsaw puzzle sometimes. But anyway, when I play Cheerleaders I think of
   gorgeous babes sprinting through bars, doing cartwheels. I like that.

Cosmik: Well, I'll never hear THAT song the same way again. I think I like
   it better the new way.  You guys get a huge sound on that song.  What did
   you do in the studio to make it sound so big?

Rip: We recorded it once before and put it on our demo tape, but knew it
   wasn't the final version. We added a bridge for the second recording,
   which I think really completes the structure of the song. From the
   beginning we knew we wanted a pumping Farfisa wash in the background too,
   and S3 Field Agent Bobby Corvair was available to lend his services the
   second time we recorded it. With that organ running through a reverb
   tank, on top of that beat, it really makes the sound really big, and
   completes the arrangement. I can't even listen to the first version
   without wincing now.

Cosmik: There's a distinct difference between spy and surf, and you seem to
   have both pegged.  Is it as simple as "I write surf and he writes spy,"
   or is it a mood thing?

Rip: I think of spy and surf as cousins who are prone to drink together.
   Most spy themes you hear make use of a lot of chromatic riffs, much more
   so than traditional surf. You'll hear sharps in weird places, which always
   makes a good spy tune compelling, but slightly unsettling, too, which is
   kind of the point, ya know? Danger, mystery, and intrigue -- the sharps
   and flats lend the intrigue. Leave out intrigue but throw in say, beauty,
   and you have the basis of surf, which traditionally, but certainly not
   always, stays in key. Surf music is supposed to suggest the awe-inspiring
   power of a breaking wave -- well, there's your danger and beauty, and
   what's more mysterious than the sea, particularly at night? You find that
   darkness in both genres, as each makes extensive use of minor keys,
   lending a spooky dramaticism to both. In their purest forms, surf music
   suggests that you're part of an already written epic, spy music tells you
   to scramble, buddy -- there may not be a way out of this one. It's not
   hard to see how you can blur the lines between the two.

Cosmik: Makes perfect sense.  The liner notes of Kings Of The High Speed
   Weekend say that the Melodie of "Melodie's Dilemma" is "one confused
   chick."  It's a beautiful ethereal tune.  Is there a story to Melodie?

Rip: That was one of those that wrote itself in about 30 minutes. Trace came
   up with the A-minor/G/F signature riff and we just ran with it. For the
   name, we just went with what it sounded like -- it sounds like a tune
   which can't decide whether it wants to stay sad or get happy. The A-minor
   is replaced by a C-major in the chorus, and then we throw in the tempo
   shifts in the bridge to further complicate it, and try to suggest that
   confusion. But, it all stays in key, like what we've already discussed,
   which keeps it closer to beauty, like a confused girl. We finally decided
   to play a dumb pun off of "melody" and make it about a chick named
   "Melodie." We're well-known Bobby Fuller fans, and after the Bobby Fuller
   segment on Unsolved Mysteries a few months ago, we actually got mail from
   people asking if this song was about the mysterious woman of the same
   name in the last days of his life. No, it's not -- we'd never trivialize
   his death that way, but it was kind of weird.

Cosmik: That's weird. I recently interviewed Randy Fuller, and that whole
   situation has been in the back of my mind ever since because it's so
   bizarre, but I never thought to make a connection between that Melodie
   and yours. I respect you for not trivializing that, too. You know what,
   though... I'm surprised to hear you're such big Bobby Fuller Four fans,
   because I can't hear it in your music. Can you?

Rip: I think it's there, probably in the rhythm guitar more than anywhere
   else. A lot of our songs are more chord-based than is typical for surf,
   with full strumming, kind of similar to some of Bobby's stuff, if not
   in actual "sound," at least in approach. "Our Favorite Martian" is one
   of our all-time faves, and it's not a typical surf tune -- the verse is
   kind Astronaut-ish, but then the chorus is pure Bobby -- full chords.
   What a great reverbed guitar tone on that one. He was playing surf music
   in El Paso, Texas before anyone there had even heard of it, for crying
   out loud. You don't get anymore landlocked than El Paso, and I think we
   can identify with that a bit. Just the way his stuff was mixed is an
   inspiration, too -- the Bobby Fuller Four can make even cheap speakers
   sound great, especially because of the use of stereo, where one guitar
   will be panned all the way right, another to the left, and so on. It makes
   you feel like you're sitting in the middle of the band, and we try to mix
   our stuff with that in mind.

Cosmik: Here's something from your liner notes, and it's an accurate
   description.... "Country Blues Stomp Big Band Roller Rink Surf."  Now
   how the hell did you come up with a genre like that! (Ed.Note: Refers
   to "Hubba-Hubba" from Kings Of The High Speed Weekend.)

Rip: Well, that song sounds like all of those genres at once! That's
   definitely the dumbest tune we've ever written, so we wanted something to
   take it over the top. Agent Corvair said he wanted us to hear what he'd
   made up for it, and wasn't sure if we'd like it -- but man, we fell out
   laughing when he started playing, because he suddenly turned what was
   essentially a piece of filler into a roller rink tune with that organ. So
   then we added sax, and Spanky even added those little egg-shaker things
   to make it even more cartoonish. We had fun at the studio, acting like we
   were creating our masterpiece, confusing the engineer to no end. He wasn't
   sure whether we were serious or not, and we still get a good laugh out of
   it.

Cosmik: Tell me about Agent Corvair and the other... what do you want to
   call them... supplemental Penetrators?

Rip: The Syndicate makes extensive use of its field agents, and calls on
   them for a variety of missions, many on stage and in the studio. When we
   need Farfisa, Agent Corvair gets the call. Sax, Agent Le Sabre.
   Occasionally Stix is unable to make weekday missions in Tuscaloosa, being
   based in Atlanta, so we have Agent Rollo Ricochet, who subs on drums.
   Agents Stretch Rowdy and Leggy Limbeaux have both filled in on bass in
   similar capacities. Other valued operatives are Dirk Danger, Bolt Action,
   Buck Bangalore, Ringo Battero, Sluggo MacKeggan, Jet Powers, Torch Stryker,
   and Rex Gutson, all of whom have been essential to the success of past
   missions. Esprit de corps is extremely high in the ranks of the Southern
   Surf Syndicate, and it's good to have such a dependable support system.

Cosmik: The sax playing in that tune isn't fancy, but it's rock and roll and
   it's tasty.  Do you enjoy that different kind of playing, when you have a
   sax player taking the lead?

Rip: That was Field Agent Jacques "Leather Lungs" Le Sabre on that one. We
   just told him to blow E notes the first couple of verses, double us on
   the chorus, and then do whatever the hell he wanted to for the last verse,
   which he did. We thought it would be the perfect way to end the disc, just
   in case anyone thought we took ourselves seriously.

Cosmik: "Carl's Bad" is a great spy tune where you get in and get out in like
   a minute and a half.  In fact, most of your songs are under three minutes.
   Do you prefer that, as a listener, over longer songs?

Rip: Hell, yes. My God, there is nothing more boring than listening to a
   bunch of hippies jam for 20 minutes. There's no discipline to it, it goes
   nowhere -- it's so totally self-indulgent. It's like watching someone
   else's home movies, whereas a well-crafted song is like watching a Buster
   Keaton short. Leave 'em wanting more. I may just be too dense to
   understand the space jam, or maybe I just have a short attention span.
   Whatever the case, I've heard very few tunes that need more than five
   minutes to tell their tale, and a lot more that do just fine clocking in
   at around 2:50. You give the audience more melody for their money, and
   you know what they say about brevity being the soul of wit.

Cosmik: I like the humorous title versus serious music thing you do, like
   "The Wind Beneath My Kilt."  Celtic beauty, funny title.  Who wrote the
   music?

Rip: I worked on the skeleton every now then, just as a diversion. One day
   in practice things were going slow -- we weren't getting anywhere. Just
   for the hell of it, I asked Stix if he could play a Celtic rhythm. He
   did, so I played the main part, Spanky started strumming, and Trace laid
   the bedrock. A few minutes later we had a bridge. It was probably the
   fastest we've ever worked a new original out. It was pretty cool when a
   couple guys who were hanging out upstairs came down and asked what we
   were playing. We knew we were on to something by then.

Cosmik: What happened then?  "Hey, this sounds too serious!  Let's call
   it...?"

Rip: We tossed a few ideas around -- stuff like "Loch Ness Luau," which
   seemed way too obvious. Trace and Spanky came up with the title in the
   car, driving back to Alabama from Atlanta. We thought it was a good touch
   of levity to offset the fairly serious approach of the song. We've had
   bagpipe players come on stage a few times to play an intro for it while
   we take a quick beer break. That's always fun, and the absolute
   last thing a rock and roll crowd expects to hear.

Cosmik: Probably the most memorable song on your album is "Lamento A Go-Go,"
   because it has what I think is the most realized melody and structure.
   There's an interesting story behind the title, though, which you've
   probably told a zillion times.  Do you mind telling it again?

Rip: Yeah, we couldn't think of a title for that one, so we decided to have
   a contest to name it. We played it for three or four months live, and
   would always announce that we needed someone to name our song. You can
   do that with instrumental music, ya know. We got 70 or 80 entries,
   ranging from "Pipe Dream" to "Cactus Sangria" to "Mystery at Monster
   Beach," a title I actually really like, though not for this particular
   one. Finally a girl named Erin Bradley gave us the winning entry when we
   played City Stages in Birmingham last June. We knew she had it the second
   we heard her say it. We'll probably do the same thing for a cut on the
   next CD, unless it becomes too common a practice. We'd never heard of
   anyone doing it before, though we've heard of a couple bands doing it
   since. Jacques' sax really makes that song work. I still find it hard to
   believe that song is us. I'm not normally a big saxophone fan, but with
   the right song, you can't beat 'em.

Cosmik: That surprises me. I think your sound is made for saxophone in the
   same way Impala's sound is made for it.  Or ripe for it, however you want
   to look at it. Is there a particular instrument or sound you haven't had
   yet that you can hear yourselves trying out?

Rip: Well, like I said, some stuff just cries out for sax, but I don't think
   it would work on others. Then you have a sax player on stage, just standing
   around until the next song. There are a lot of instruments we plan on using
   in the future. One of the reasons we haven't released The High Plains Surfer
   Trilogy except on our demo tape is because of the lack of instrumentation
   on the guitar-only demo. That one's going to get the full Morricone
   treatment, with strings, horns, classical guitar and Stix Stechkin on
   mouth harp. The guitar-only version of "Forty Miles to Vengeance" is on
   the "Spaghetti" comp on One Million Dollar Records, shipping this month,
   though.

Cosmik: "Last Of The V-8 Interceptors" would seem to be great spy flick
   music.  Ever been approached about a project like that, or do you have
   any desire to do that?

Rip: We're actually talking with a company right now about doing some scoring
   for some independent films, and some stuff for some obscure cable TV
   shows. We'd really love to get into that. Actually, a guy at Florida State
   is using V-8 in a film he's doing. Looking forward to seeing it. That was
   the first song we ever wrote, and was inspired by The Road Warrior -- it's
   Max's car, which has to run hard to escape the barbarians, then slow to
   conserve gasoline. So, we tried to make the song structure reflect that.
   Dumb, but true. We were approached to do music for a film being shot in
   Atlanta recently, but turned it down after reading the script. We're not
   in this to embarrass our mothers.

Cosmik: Hmmm... Care to elaborate on that?

Rip: Well, let's just say that we don't really care to be identified with
   the gay junkie prostitute/chicken ranch scene of Atlanta, which is the
   subject matter of this particular film. We take enough kidding for our
   name as it is, ya know? The producers described it as a sort of
   "Dixie-fried Pulp Fiction" which set off the warning light, and it didn't
   get any better from there. There's only one female speaking role in the
   whole thing, and she's a waitress or something. No scantily clad femmes
   fatale, no car chases, no explosions, no gun fights -- not our thing.
   Now, if some film maker can unite those elements, we'd love to hear the
   pitch, 'cause we'll step up to plate for that one.

Cosmik: Your version of The Scarlets' "Stampede," according the the liner
   notes, "owes much to Jon & The Nightriders' rendition from a few years
   back."  Is John Blair a big influence?

Rip: Any surf fan or surf band owes John a big debt -- that man should never
   have to buy his own beer again. Not only has he got a top-notch combo, but
   just look at all the side-work he's done: The Illustrated Discography of
   Surf Music, all the compilations he's shepherded to completion, like the
   Rhino Cowabunga box -- I don't see when he has time to sleep. Guys like him
   and Phil Dirt, Bob Dalley, Davy Peckett at New Gandy Dancer in England and
   a few other brave souls really kept surf and instrumental music alive
   during the dark days. We wouldn't be in the midst of the current
   renaissance, with more surf and instro bands now than ever, without
   their vigil.

Cosmik: Isn't it great to see Jon & The Nightriders getting out there and
   doing it again?

Rip: Oh yeah. We're really tickled to be playing with them in Atlanta in June
   for the Surfari USA showcase, Saturday the 21st at The Variety Playhouse,
   a 1,000-seat venue. Besides them and us, check out the lineup: The Chantays,
   Agent Orange, The Fathoms, The Volcanos, Death Valley, Thee Phantom 5ive,
   The Space Cossacks, The Phantom Creeps, The Sir Finks, Squid Vicious, Los
   Perdidos, The Royal Pendletons, Susan and the Surftones, and The Atomic
   Teen Idols in Atlanta and Chattanooga that Sunday, 6/22. Before and after
   the main two shows, various lineups of the bands, plus Teisco Del Rey and
   Los Straitjackets, will be in other cites like Austin, Houston, Birmingham,
   Nashville, Tuscaloosa, Little Rock, Dallas, Norfolk, Raleigh, Charleston,
   Athans, Columbia and Washington D.C. The Southern Surf Syndicate is very
   pleased to be playing a major hand in the event, designing all promotional
   materials, as well as performing a number of less glamorous duties.

Cosmik: Man, that's like guitar school, isn't it?! I assume you're like most
   guitarists... a fan of great players and all that. Look at who you'll be
   playing with: John Blair, Eddie Angel and Danny Amis, Susan Yasinski, Mike
   Palm, Teisco... I mean, I'd go nuts. I'd just hang out in the wings and
   take notes!  Is it great to be a part of a scene with so many amazing
   players to watch?  And to know they're watching you, too, and thinking
   "Oh, cool!  THAT'S how he plays that riff!"

Rip: Yeah, we can't wait. We would have never in a million years thought
   we'd be gigging with The Chantays or Jon & the Nightriders when we
   started. We don't normally get stage fright, but geez, getting up and
   playing in front of cats like that, whom you've respected for so long,
   can be a little daunting. We played with Los Straitjackets last fall in
   Tallahassee, and that thought crossed our minds -- holy cow, Eddie Angel
   and Danny Amis are watching us play. Really, it gives you an adrenaline
   jolt that only improves the performance, though. I think the Surfari USA
   shows are going to be meetings of the world's largest mutual admiration
   society. Surf bands, more than any other genre I've heard of, are so
   great about helping each other out, because they really dig what other
   surf bands are doing. What's good for the goose is good for the gander,
   and all. This is going to an incredible event -- an embarrassment of
   riches for reverb addicts. Bob Dalley told me the first time he met Bob
   Spickard of The Chantays, who wrote "Pipeline," he grabbed him and said,
   "YOU! It's your fault I spend all my money and time on this stuff! If
   you had never written that song I could have lived a normal life!"
   There's gonna be a lot of that in June, I suspect. The mind reels...

Cosmik: Who else would you say had a hand in influencing The Penetrators
   sound?  Of course you covered The Astronauts...

Rip: The influences come from all over. Pretty predictable really, but some
   of the bigger ones are The Lively Ones, early Dick Dale, The Ventures,
   Bobby Fuller, The Shadows, Ennio Morricone, plus about a million one-hit
   wonders. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet were a big influence -- every
   song sounded different than the others, and that's what we try to do.
   Really, anything with a melody and a sense of drama is a spark. A diet of
   good music will keep your ears in shape, and condition them to recognize
   a good melody, even in its infancy. None of us are the most talented
   musicians, but I think that what we may lack in technical ability we make
   up for in taste. There are a lot of great songs that don't require
   virtuoso skill to play, and there are a lot of crappy ones that do. Most
   of our songs are really pretty simple as far as technique, but we use
   some unusual structures which we think make sense when taken on the
   songs' own terms. The instruments always retain the traditional surf
   tone, though -- reverb-heavy guitars, deep, punchy bass, and drums which
   are light on the kick and toms, heavy on the snare and cymbals. Phil Dirt
   described our sound as "traditional, yet modern at the same time." We
   were very flattered by that. Visually, we're ultra-trad, wearing matching
   uniforms on stage -- everything from sport coats to racing jackets.

Cosmik: You mention in the liners that you're aware that "Baja" has been
   covered 500 times, but that you hadn't had your turn yet.  When you
   decided to cover it, did you decide right away to be faithful to the
   original, or did you work on other interpretations first?

Rip: That was one of the first songs we learned, because it's so simple, but
   so perfect. It's just a really pretty, plucky song, so it's no wonder it's
   been done so many times. I like looking at people's faces in a crowd that
   you know have never heard that song before, and you can tell they're
   digging it, because it's so damn catchy. We never make a conscious attempt
   to duplicate the arrangement or original sound of a cover, they just kind
   of reflect our own idiosyncrasies after a few playings. Blair Glover, who
   used to play in Thee Phantom 5ive, sat in on that one in the studio --
   he's the real drippy guitar you hear. Really, it wasn't a difficult
   decision to include "Baja" at all. I'm always disappointed if a surf disc
   doesn't include a couple covers. I always find it interesting to hear how
   other bands approach the classics, and where their point of departure is
   to make it their own.

Cosmik: I think you captured the beauty and mystery of the tune very well.
   Did it take a lot of tweaking to get that right?

Rip: Thanks -- we really appreciate that. Spanky does a droning thing with
   his B and E strings I've never heard anyone else do, which kind of makes
   it ours. That one was actually pretty easy, but some of them have been a
   real ordeal to get ready.  "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" was rough
   going. "Diamond Head" took a while to get tight, for reasons none of us
   could ever understand -- just didn't mesh. You never know.  Songs that
   are difficult to play sometimes work like magic, and other times easy
   ones are the biggest bitch to work out. If nothing happens after a few
   run-throughs, we drop it and come back to it later. Playing is supposed
   to be fun, and there's no better way to make it a chore than to beat a
   song that ain't working into the ground. That goes for both originals
   and covers. Move on and keep it fun in practice. And by the way, it's
   "practice," not "rehearsal."

Cosmik: Practice your skills and practice playing as a unit, but doesn't
   your actual show require rehearsal just like a play? There certainly
   are more elements to a Penetrators show than just music.

Rip: Yeah, but nothing is that scripted. We pull some ridiculous stunts
   on stage, but it's usually flying by the seat of our pants. I'd like
   to think that spontaneity is one of the hallmarks of our shows. The
   set list is always the first casualty, as usually by halfway through
   a show it's nothing more than a tip sheet. You can't "rehearse" that
   -- you can rehearse a play or a dance, but not a rock & roll show. You
   "practice" your songs, and that implies that you're doing it to make
   them sound better, like a baseball team practices to play better. Could
   you imagine a baseball team having "rehearsal"? It's all about becoming
   a more smoothly operating unit, learning to communicate with your
   bandmates. Really, "training" is probably the best word.

Cosmik: One of your tunes on Weekend was titled "Unknown," and credited to
   a band called The Vy-Dels.  I'm not familiar with them and I can't find
   any information about them, either.  Who were they?

Rip: It's an appropriate song title, 'cause that's all I know about them. We
   learned that song off a bootleg I bought a few years ago called "New Wave
   Surf Party." I almost didn't buy it, because it's got the worst cover
   you've ever seen, and the title doesn't help. But man, every track rips!
   It's also got the incredibly rare "Crash" by The Creations, and "The
   Truant" by The Truants, which we recently recorded for a split we're
   doing with The Space Cossacks.

Cosmik: Ivan and the boys! They just got signed to a brand new label called
   Musick Records.  Their first release kicks ass. Instrumental Fire, it's
   called. Have you heard that?

Rip: Not yet -- that one is on my imminent purchase list, though. For a comp
   like that all you have to do is look at the list of bands, and you can
   buy it with confidence, without even hearing it first.

Cosmik: Did you get hooked up with The Space Cossacks through the Cowabunga
   list on the Net?  [Ed.Note: Cowabunga is an e-mail list for fans of
   instrumental surf music, and it is populated by a who's who of the surf
   scene.]

Rip: Yep. Cowabunga has been a fantastic way to hook up with other surf
   bands. I met Ivan on Cowabunga about a year and a half ago, and it was
   fun hearing the progress reports as he put his band together. We played
   with them last September in Tuscaloosa and Atlanta, and they really blew
   us away. Ivan plays with the precision of a surgeon, and I love the Shadows
   influence in their sound. We're excited to do the split with them, and
   those always work well for bands, because you then have another band out
   there pushing your stuff. The same label, Solamente, put out our split
   with Thee Phantom 5ive last year, as well as our first appearance on
   vinyl, the "Dickheads" Dick Dale tribute comp. We've sold a lot CDs,
   picked up distribution, and gotten a lot of out-of-town gigs through
   Cowabunga. Anyone with a real interest in surf should subscribe.

Cosmik: What are some of the best songs we haven't heard yet, and when will
   we get to hear them?

Rip: A lot of stuff we've had in the can for a while is coming out on a
   half-dozen or so comps this year, but there will be some new stuff out
   soon. The comps are a really cool way to get heard by people who might not
   otherwise hear you, and they've been really good for us. We rerecorded
   "Redlined" for the Space Cossacks split on Solamente. This was available
   only on our demo before. We are going to be the debut EP for the new
   Bellingham, Washington label Continental, run by Sean Berry, who also
   runs the 'zine by the same name. We're still discussing which songs we
   want to put on that, but they will be all new, and we've got a good dozen
   or so new originals looking for homes on vinyl and CD. We're already in
   pretty good shape for a follow-up CD; some of the new ones just have some
   bugs to be worked out before we'll play them live.

Cosmik: Surf music is so powerful and inherently beautiful, but it's also a
   genre that comes and goes.  This wave has lasted longer than a lot of so
   called experts predicted.  Do you have any predictions for the future of
   surf, and for where you'll be and what you'll be doing in a decade or so?

Rip: Predicting when this wave is gonna crash seems to be the latest parlor
   game in indie circles. It really is amazing what's happened with surf
   music in the past few years. When we started our mission training in the
   fall of '93, the only other contemporary surf bands we knew of were The
   Phantom Surfers, Untamed Youth, Man or Astro-Man?, and The Finks, plus a
   few others known for doing surfy stuff occasionally, like Shadowy Men On
   A Shadowy Planet. As Syndicate intelligence-gathering capabilities grew,
   we came into contact with other like-minded groups of individuals. I
   really think the state of today's scene qualifies as a grass-roots
   "movement," for lack of a better term, and it's been going on a lot
   longer than since Pulp Fiction hit. I'm still not sure whether that was
   good or bad for surf. But anyway, how else can you explain the geographic
   diversity of all these surf bands around the world now, many with
   absolutely no proximity to any other surf band? G.R.E.M.M.I.E.'s influence
   is pervasive and ubiquitous; they've got deep pockets and well-placed
   operatives around the world. So it's not surprising really, to see this
   revolt against the malaise. People have been yearning for something fresh,
   pure and powerful, and surf music fits the bill. The British Invasion left
   the form in a state of arrested adolescence -- I mean, geez, we've now
   been playing as a band as long as the peak years of the First Wave lasted,
   which is really weird to me. You had bands like Jon & the Nightriders, The
   Surf Raiders, and The Halibuts stoke the fire in the late 70s and early
   80s, and now you have the Third Wave. It never really went anywhere; there
   are just more people on the beach now.

   I think another crucial element is the lack of a language barrier. The
   music speaks to each listener individually, whether their tongue is
   Swedish, Japanese, or Southern Twang. It's just music -- no
   politics, no lead singer with a "message" hogging the limelight. That's
   why surf music fans are the best people in the world to play for, 'cause
   they're there to hear music, plain and simple. We weren't prepared
   for the kind of built-in audience you get with this stuff -- there are
   absolute fanatics out there, all over the world, that will seek you out
   when they hear about you. The Internet has been really great for that.
   We've had orders for our stuff from as far away as Australia, Greece,
   and Finland, all thanks to our website. The Cowabunga e-mail list has
   been a veritable motherlode of information and contacts, too.

   Pop culture has become so splintered now that surf will enjoy a certain
   measure of success, far more than in the past, indefinitely, I think. It
   may not always be at the Pulp Fiction level, and in every other TV
   commercial, but it will be there. The popular music machine isn't as
   monolithic as it used to be, where it's always the latest, short-lived,
   One Big Thing, so it will always have its niche market. And besides, you
   don't play this stuff to top the charts, though stranger things have
   happened -- you play it 'cause you love it. At least that's why we do it.


                     *                *                *

You will find The Penetrators web site at www.dbtech.net/penetrators, and
you may reach the band via e-mail at reverb@dbtech.net.



____________________________________________________________________________

GOING STEADY WITH THE BLUEBEATS
Interviewed by DJ Johnson

In case you've been asleep at the wheel, I'll pass this news brief your way:
there's a ska explosion happening all over the world.  The Toasters, Buck O
Nine, Critical Mass, Agent 99, Suicide Machines... they're everywhere and
they're diversifying.

Rock steady was the musical style that followed Ska and preceded reggae in
Jamaica.  It was simpler, happier music marked by a stripped down sound and
strong melodies.  While rock steady hasn't seen quite the resurgence that
ska has enjoyed, there is hope on the horizon.  Former Scofflaws front man
Mike Drance and his band, The Bluebeats, are picking up steam on the strength
of one of the year's finest albums in any genre.  Titled Dance With Me, it
has the song power to become one of the great classics of this era, and
the musical magnetism to inspire young musicians to further explore this
great sound.

Mr. Drance, guitarist Steven Prisco and bassist Russ Sisto were kind enough
to field a few questions about their music and their plans for the future.



				    *             *              *


Cosmik: Your album is on a ska label, but your music is definitely rock
   steady. Do you find the same fans at your shows that go see The Toasters
   and Let's Go Bowling, or is there a whole different scene for your genre?

Russ: It's a bit of a mix right now.

Mike: It's basically the same crowd, but a more well informed and musically
   educated crowd.  I'm real happy to see so many people dig our music
   because I figured the crowd would have been a lot more minute. Not a lot
   of clueless jocks who just want to mosh, but more real hardcore rudies
   who know their roots.

Russ: Mike has been able to bill The Bluebeats into some great NYC ska shows,
   so we've been sharing the stage with some of the top ska bands like
   Mephiskapheles, Scofflaws, Insteps and The Stubborn All Stars. The plan
   is to play rock steady and see what develops. So far audience response
   has been fantastic. We just played with the Skatalites in Boston and
   everyone had a great time!

Steven: One of the things that I really like about the current ska scene in
   the states is the fact that they are so open to all of the different
   variations of ska, from traditional to skacore. I'm sure that not
   everybody likes everything, but we have played plenty of multi-band shows
   where the crowd supported every act. I've seen other scenes die because
   they wanted all the bands to sound and look exactly the same, but this is
   different. It's very happening.

Cosmik: Rock steady albums, the original stuff, are a lot harder to track
   down than old ska or reggae albums.  How did you all go about educating
   yourselves and absorbing influences?

Mike: Actually they're a lot more readily available than they used to be.
   I'm into vinyl and I've been going to the same few record stores in New
   York for years and have found some real gems, but now most of that stuff
   is available on CD.

Steven: More and more stuff is coming out on CD. Mike has a great collection
   of LPs that have been the source of most of our choices of cover songs.
   The first rock steady I heard was on the "Harder They Come" soundtrack. I
   learned every song on the record and it got me into reggae in a big way.
   It is still one of my favorite records.

Russ: My primary influence is the Bluebeats! I learned about ska, rock
   steady and reggae from Bill, Mike B., Mike D. and Steve.

Cosmik: If somebody wants to educate themselves about rock steady, what CDs
   do you think they should go looking for?

Mike: Treasure Isle has some really good compilations.  And that book
   compilation, "The History of Jamaican Music," is excellent.

Cosmik: What is it that appeals to you the most about rock steady as
   opposed to other forms of Jamaican music?

Mike: SOUL brother, SOUL!  And just beautiful music.

Steven: I love all of the island music, not just rock steady. Rock steady is
   cool because it is truly soul music.  Some of the songs are very passionate.
   Sometimes you get to play great grooves behind really beautiful melodies,
   and then sometimes it just plain rocks! It gets difficult at times to
   explain the difference between ska, rock steady and reggae as they cross
   over each other so often. Just the slightest variation of the rhythm or
   the strumming of the guitar can make a song sound totally different.

Russ: I love to play rock steady bass. There is nothing like it. It is
   simple, yet very focused and needs to be played just so. Check out "I'll
   Be Standing By" on our Dance With Me CD. That's an original rock steady
   bass line accented with Mike's guitar. To me that's what is unique about
   rock steady. It's the heartbeat.

Cosmik: It seems like it might appeal to somebody who appreciates purity,
   too, because it's so stripped-down.  It seems to be about song structure
   and pure melody.  Does that challenge you and keep you interested?

Mike: It is definitely a challenge.  Anybody can come up with a non-melodic
   thrashing song about almost any subject whatsoever.  We put a lot of time
   and thought into our music.

Cosmik: Somebody playing your basic rock and roll gets a riff in his head
   and he writes a song around it and records it.  Bam.  It's not compared
   to anything.  YOUR music is rooted in an amazing tradition, and not many
   people are carrying that particular torch.  Does that cause you to work
   harder on the actual writing and crafting of the songs?  Like you have a
   tough standard to live up to?

Mike: Absolutely a tough standard.  You might say it is complex in it's
   simplicity.

Steven: It always hard to write for genre music - hard to come up with
   something original.  Even though this music is tied to the Jamaican
   experience, unlike reggae, rock steady doesn't much get into the
   religious/political side of things, which is good for us, since we are
   not living that particular experience.

Russ: The toughest standard for my songwriting is the band itself. I get a
   riff in my head and I write a song around it, but it must pass the
   Bluebeat's scrutiny. It's a real good learning process for me and if the
   song survives to the stage I know it's gonna be one hundred percent.

Cosmik: I'm always impressed with songs that make it on melody and structure
   as opposed to flash and big sound, and of course that sums up rock steady.
   When you're working out a song, do you sometimes find yourself saying "no,
   too much.  Let's strip it down a little?"

Steven: Almost all the time. With almost no exception the most powerful
   music and lyrics are always simple and direct.

Cosmik: How far down do you take it?  What's the extreme?

Steven: With our music, after you have the melody and have established the
   groove, that's about it. A little coloring with the guitar, keyboards and
   vocals and that's it.

Russ: I love to rework songs. Pretty much throw it against the wall and see
   what sticks. If it is easy to forget the lyrics or the arrangement or the
   melody then what good is it? I try to bring a finished song for the band
   to listen to. Then it's a matter of arrangement. The band has developed a
   real good sound that rarely requires stripping down. It's a rock steady
   focus that is always there when you want it. A real treasure.

Cosmik: We have a lot of readers who are into every bit of good music they
   can dig into, and some of them won't have heard of rock steady before
   reading this.  How would you want it described to them?

Mike: When someone asks me what kind of music we play, I usually say rhythm
   and blues with a Caribbean flavor.

Steven: I have gotten pretty tired of having to explain what kind of music
   my band plays when I say that I am in a rock steady/ska band, so usually
   I just say I am in a reggae band! To anybody not familiar with the history
   of Jamaican music, that's probably how they would describe us. It's kind
   of hard to describe the subtle differences in the rhythms - and honestly,
   in the end, it's not worth making the distinction!

Russ: It's a ska, reggae influenced heartbeat with very unique bass lines.
   Almost everything else is optional.

Cosmik: The scene... which I guess we can just call the ska scene, since
   that seems like a good blanket term that covers rock steady and everything
   else... is extremely strong, and it's better organized than most any other
   scene in the country, I think.  I keep tabs on several scenes and what's
   going on in them, but I've never found anything like the ska scene.  What
   has it meant for The Bluebeats in terms of support from fans and other
   bands and labels?

Mike: Well it certainly makes it easier to get gigs.  A lot more clubs and
   colleges are booking "ska shows" and it is still growing.

Russ: It's just been great! There is a community spirit that is carried by
   the music. It's not so much a bands and fans scene, more like some really
   great parties we've been invited to attend. Just a whole lotta fun!

Steven: The scene is great. The support is amazing. Without sounding silly,
   it is really the greatest feeling to be playing music that I love to
   people who are just interested in having a good time. Its a great vibe
   between bands too, very little ego trips and everybody is always ready to
   help each other out with gigs and the like.

Cosmik: Besides playing, do you go to a lot of ska shows?

Mike: No.

Steven: I try, but the fact is that ska shows tend to be multi-band events, I
   see so many bands just by showing up at our gigs that I don't really have
   to!

Russ: I would like to see more original Jamaican shows. It's part of the
   Bluebeats' homework.

Cosmik: Have any of you ever been to Jamaica?

Mike: I was born there.  Jamaica, Queens.  Never been to the Island.

Steven: I haven't been there, but I'm hoping we get a chance to go and play
   there. Soon.

Cosmik: How far down the road from New York have you played?

Russ: The band has been to Boston and Philadelphia. Mike has scheduled
   a show in DC as well.

Mike: Boston and DC coming up in June.

Steven:  In Boston, we had a great gig with the Skatalites. And we have
   played a number of times in Connecticut.

Cosmik: Have you found any towns that have as organized a scene as New York?

Russ: We saw a great turnout when we played Boston with the Skatalites. There
   is a lot going on there and we hope to go back soon.

Steven: Boston has a vibrant scene. I've heard that Florida really digs the
   sound, too.

Mike: Philadelphia has a pretty cool scene.  I like that town.

Cosmik: Something you see in ska bands that you don't see in most other
   genres is the practice of playing in several bands at once. Look at all
   the guys in the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble... they're all from major
   bands, and they all show up on stage with half a dozen other bands. Do
   any of you actually belong to other bands outside The Bluebeats?

Russ: I've decided to focus my efforts on rock steady with the Bluebeats. I
   like ska but rock steady makes my blood boil. It's still a learning process
   for me that leaves little time for playing around.

Mike: I'm in Pearl Jam.

Cosmik: I said "BANDS," not media darlings.

Steven: No, we are all just Bluebeats. Mike Drance, Bill Grillo and our
   original keyboardist Jennifer South and original bassist Victor Rice
   along with myself were all in the Scofflaws together. Then the guy who
   replaced Victor in our band is now playing in the Scofflaws. Victor, of
   course, is a member of the NY Ska Jazz Ensemble. Got that?

Cosmik: I THINK so... Hey, another Ska-Jazz Ensemble guy, Cary Brown, played
   keyboards on Dance With Me. When did Allison come into the picture?

Steven: We were between keyboard players when we recorded the CD so we asked
   Cary to play on the record. Allison joined the band last September.

Cosmik: We've already talked about the Jamaican artists you listen to and
   learn from, but I'm curious about other artists that might influence your
   sound a bit.  Ska was heavily influenced by American soul music. Do you
   listen to old Stax or Motown and draw on it a little?

Mike: YES! I love Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Al Greene...

Steven: Of course, I think that all comes into play. I've always been a fan
   of soul music: James Brown, Al Green, Solomon Burke.

Russ: Well I love the Beatles along with everyone else in the world and it's
   interesting to hear ska and rock steady beats in some of their songs like
   "Ob La Di Ob La Da."

Cosmik: I hear just a touch of late 50s pop in "This Cruel World." I think
   Ricky Nelson could have had a #1 with it.  Did you feel a little of that
   while you were writing it, Steven?

Steven: I wrote that song with Toots Hibbert singing it my head. I am
   basically a pop guy, so I guess I'm not surprised that it would show.
   I don't know about Ricky Nelson, but I would love to hear the solo
   that James Burton would have played!

Cosmik: Oh, yeah!  How 'bout Burton playing AND Toots singing?  Nice combo.
   Your songs tell some great stories.  I think my favorite story is in
   "Hardest Working Man," which reminds me of George on the Vandelay
   Industries episode of Seinfeld.  Was that about anyone specific, or can
   you tell us without getting sued?

Mike: We won't get sued but we won't tell. Unless, of course, someone
   already told you.

Steven: No comment until the time limit is up

Cosmik: Fair enough.  Another moment that gives me chills is that little
   guitar riff in "You'll Come Back To Me" right after the line "like a river
   to the sea." It's such a simple riff, but playing like it does right off
   of that strong vocal line, it's extremely powerful.  Was that part of the
   song when you wrote it, Russ?

Russ: In the studio I sort of sang it like "DADADA" to Mike Bifulco [Bluebeats
   lead guitarist. Ed.]. He loved it and recorded it! I realized later it is
   a repeat of the opening melody. Pretty cool!

Cosmik: Gotta ask about "Singapore Mei Fun."  13 seconds of dead silence,
   listed in the liners as "Traditional."

Russ: A tribute to the original Jamaican record labels and all the misprints,
   mislabels and missing tracks. All in good fun.

Cosmik: I like that!

Mike: It's a song that was cut from the CD after the art work was finished.

Cosmik: Aw, damn, you ruined it. I like Russ' explanation better. Oh well.
   I LOVE the two dub pieces at the end of the album.  Who came up with that
   idea?

Steven: Mike wanted to do the dubs, so him and I went to the studio and did
   them, old-school style, hands all over the board. It was the most fun I
   had in the studio!

Mike: Steve and I thought it would be fun to do the dubs and it really was.

Cosmik: Is that something you plan to continue doing?

Mike: Maybe.

Steven: Absolutely. I want to do an entire dub version of the next record.

Cosmik: The dub of "Don't Get Crazy" is my favorite, because it's got all
   that cerebral floaty texture going on and then "Yah yah yah," sort of
   floating in space.  That's an original, but the other dub is from "Down
   At The Trainline," which is a cover.  Why did you choose to do a version
   on that one?

Steven: We had a really solid track of Trainline so it stood out as a choice
   for dub.

Mike: And because it's more of a reggae tune than the others on the CD.


Cosmik: Are you fans of dub?

Mike: Yessah!

Steven: Oh yeah. Big time.

Cosmik: Your style of dub is like the classic style, like Tubby or Scratch.
   Do you like any of the modern digital dub, like Mad Professor or Scientist
   or Alpha and Omega?

Mike: Don't like digital anything.

Steven: Some of it's pretty cool. I'm getting more and more into techno. I
   really like the drum and bass thing that's happening now.

Cosmik: What are some of the things you're working on now, and when can we
   expect to hear them?

Steven:	We are writing songs for the next record. We have a song on the
   Skalcoholics comp that's coming out the end of April. We are also
   recording a song for a Sesame Street CD.

Cosmik: Any plans for touring and getting yourselves heard on the west coast
   and elsewhere?

Mike: No immediate plans. We're trying to get out west, but it may not be
   economically feasible.

Steven: Time will tell.

Cosmik: One last question. Dance With Me was an amazingly strong album. Just
   about every song could have been a single, the hooks were incredible, and
   from my own experience I can tell you that every song got stuck in my head
   at various times in the last few months.  Do you ever wonder just how the
   hell you'll follow your own act?

Mike: We'll just keep doing what we're doing.

Russ: Whenever we need guidance we can always rely on the Mike Drance alter
   ego, The Amazing Carnac, and the way becomes clear. So goodbye and remember
   to be High and Mighty.

Cosmik: (Laughs) So it shall be.

Steven: First of all, thanks for the kind words. I think that we are still
   working on this act. We are getting some nice support from college radio,
   and thanks to people like you, good press. We still have a way to go with
   Dance With Me. Russ and Mike have already written some great stuff for
   the next record. I'm not worried.


____________________________________________________________________________

TAPE HISS
By John Sekerka

[The following interviews are transcribed from John Sekerka's radio show,
Tape Hiss, which runs on CHUO FM in Ottawa, Canada.  Each month, Cosmik
Debris will present a pair of Tape Hiss interviews.  This month, we're
proud to present interviews with Thornetta Davis and Patti Clemens.


              *                  *                     *


			         T H O R N E T T A   D A V I S


From Nirvana to Combustible Edison to Friends of Dean Martinez, Sub Pop
is trying very hard to shed its grunge image by signing diverse acts. The
latest roster addition is one Thornetta Davis, a 34 year old rhythm and
blues belter who happens to be a single mom living in the heart of Detroit's
darkness. Thornetta spoke from her hotel room in the midst of her latest
mini tour, on which she is wowing audiences with a silky smooth groove soul
and rocking out with a little jet fuel from the remnants of legendary rock
funksters Big Chief.


John: I know you have a daughter back home, do you limit your touring time?

Thornetta: That's right. I don't want to be away from her for too long. She's
   only 13 years old, so I go on the road for a maximum of three weeks at a
   time.

John: What does she think of her Mom being on the road?

Thornetta: I've been performing for years, so she's used to it. I told her
   I'd be leaving for a couple of weeks, and she's cool with it. I call her
   every other day.

John: Doesn't she get the bug to join you on stage?

Thornetta: No (laughing), I wish she would. She's like I was at her age.

John: So you needed prodding to get up to the mike? Maybe you should do the
   same for your daughter.

Thornetta: I tried when she was a little girl and she cried through the whole
   song. So I said I'd never do that again. I was in tears too ... 'I'm sorry.'

John: Why has it taken so long to get a record out?

Thornetta: Actually, I recorded an album with The Chisel Brothers. We pumped
   it ourselves and sold it at gigs. We were doing blues, but you can't get
   rich singing the blues. I finally caught Sub Pop's attention, they
   approached me and asked if I wanted to do an album.

John: Let me get the picture here: there's you up front with a bunch of
   goateed pasty white guys playing rock in the background.

Thornetta: (Laughing) They're not goateed pasty white guys. They're cool guys.
   I worked with them about four years ago on their album. They used to be
   called Big Chief. I did background vocals for them. I did a lead vocal on
   "Mack Avenue Skull Game," and shortly thereafter Sub Pop approached me.

John: Sub Pop have been expanding their roster to include some more eclectic
   artists, outside of the grunge niche which they are famous for...

Thornetta: I think I might be the only black artist on the label, although I
   don't think what I do is that much different - I just have a bluesier voice.

John: Are you still living in your old neighbourhood?

Thornetta: Yeah.


John: Isn't Detroit a doughnut city: an empty ghost town center where all
   the nasty stuff happens, surrounded by a residential area?

Thornetta: Suburbs, yeah. I'm in the inner city part. It's coming back. We
   have a good mayor and he's bringing downtown back to life.

John: And you've been there forever?

Thornetta: I've been there all my life. I'm living on the same street that I
   grew up on. My Mom is just across the street - she takes care of my
   daughter while I'm gone. It's home.

John: This past year, you' swept The Motor City Music Awards, winning
   everything from blues to jazz to R&B. I'm surprised you didn't win
   Detroit's top banjo player!

Thornetta: (Laughing) Yeah, I started getting some recognition with The
   Chisel Brothers. We were doing blues and soul. I was in shock at the
   awards. I hope I win best rock album this year!

John: Did you listen to a lot of Motown growing up?

Thornetta: Hmmm .... that, plus a bunch of other things. I was just a little
   kid when Motown was hot. I remember listening to The Supremes, The
   Temptations.

John: So besides Motown what were you listening to?

Thornetta: My idol was Phyllis Hyman. There were a lot of female groups in
   Detroit not on Motown. There was this one really hot group, The Jones
   Girls. When I started singing in a group we'd do a lot of covers of The
   Pointer Sisters, Aretha Franklin and The Jones Girls.

John: I love all that early stuff, but I can't stomach what passes for
   contemporary R&B. I find it too overproduced, too schmaltzy. Do you agree?

Thornetta: Yeah. I think everyone's doing the same thing and I don't like
   that. I used to sing that stuff: Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, before I
   started singing the blues. But now there's too many people doing it.
   Everyone looks the same. Every video is alike. I just don't wanna get
   lost in the sauce.

John: Thornetta, I'd like to get a bit personal, do you have a tattoo?

Thornetta: Yeah.

John: What is it?

Thornetta: It's a grapevine. I didn't want a rose and I didn't want an eagle,
   and I like grapes.

John: Was this part of the Sub Pop initiation?

Thornetta: Oh no, I got this tattoo when I turned thirty. I always wanted
   one. I also got my nose pierced at that time.

John: I dug up some of your concert dates and found that you were on the same
   bill as crazed organ punksters Five Finger Satellite. Those guys are insane!
   What was it like sharing that stage, and performing for an audience who
   were primed on a punk night out?

Thornetta: The crowd accepted us well. We only did a couple of tunes for that
   show - just testing the water. Six Finger was off the hook (laughing). I
   wasn't used to playing with bands like that. It was very exciting.

John: Has touring fueled your song-writing fire? I know you were hesitant to
   write, and you were coerced into it for your album.

Thornetta: Yeah, I went into it cuz I had to, but I was also motivated at the
   time. Breaking up with somebody and getting into a new relationship can
   do that.

John: When I first read of you and "Sunday Morning Music," I assumed there
   would be some gospel in there. Have you ever dabbled in church music?

Thornetta: Nope. I wasn't raised singing in church like everyone sings.

John: Another stereotype swirls down the drain. You do have a great voice
   though. Is a gospel album out of the question?

Thornetta: You never know.

...tape hiss



                     P A T T I   C L E M E N S


Cradling four month old daughter Kara, Patti Clemens coolly conducts a live
radio phoner from her San Francisco home, talking about her music projects
and City Of Tribes, her new, vibrant and adventurous record label.


John: How long has City Of Tribes been operating?

Patti: We've been around for about three and a half years. We started doing
   what we call fourth world music, kind of a hybrid between first and third
   world music.

John: I've talked to Beth Custer and Kenneth Newby who have recorded for your
   label, and they are quite impressive and diverse musicians, who also
   happen to play together (as part of Trance Mission) at times.

Patti: Right, one of our trademarks is that C.O.T. is kind of like a family,
   a lot of the musicians cross-collaborate and work on each others' projects.
   Every year we put out a compilation called Event Horizon which shows off
   solo work as well as collaborative projects.

John: I was just spinning the latest Event Horizon, listening to Ring, which
   is your project.

Patti: Yes. I'm the vocalist and song-writer, working with Barbara Imhoff who
   plays a full concert harp. I call her my rock'n'roll harper. She's very
   powerful.

John: How big is that harp?

Patti: It stands about six feet tall. It's what angels play in heaven, it's
   all gilded, it's all gold, it has a crown on top.

John: How does she lug that monster around? Does she have a huge case?

Patti: There's a giant cover for it which looks like a hot oven pad. She can
   stick it in her car, but it takes two people to actually carry it.

John: If you ever take the C.O.T. family on the road, you're going to need
   some type of wild vehicle to carry all those didgeridoo and harps.

Patti: We're also going to need baby-sitters. There's a lot of new babies
   around here.

John: Speaking of births, how did C.O.T. actually start?

Patti: I was playing with a band called D'Cuckoo - an all female electronic
   percussion band here in the Bay area. I wanted to move into a more
   acoustic realm and we were playing with Stephen Kent, and I started
   following him around, and really liked the people he was playing with.
   They turned out to be Trance Mission and I recorded their first demo
   tape. So basically I started the label to put out my own music as well
   as my friends'.

John: Is D'Cuckoo still around?

Patti: Oh yeah, they do a lot of big corporate gigs. Corporations throw these
   amazing events, like giant rock shows, complete with lighting and fog
   machines and two-thousand screaming marketing people. They do a lot of
   high-tech events as well as festivals.

John: Are you still a part of the group?

Patti: I was playing with them right up until I had my baby. So she's already
   been on tour.

John: I was surprised to learn that a lot of electroacoustic and eclectic
   jazz labels have very small press runs, sometimes only 500, because their
   audience is a very select one. What kind of numbers does C.O.T. churn
   out?

Patti: We start out with two to three thousand, and all of our CDs have gone
   into subsequent pressings. I think our music has longevity even though
   it's hip and timely. The music is deep enough that it doesn't become dated.
   One of our records is a re-release of Lights In a Fat City, of which
   Stephen Kent was a member. That CD is now eight years old and it's still
   selling strong. Really good music is always really good music. It doesn't
   change.

John: What's new for City of Tribes?

Patti: Kenneth Newby has a solo release which is very rhythmic as well as
   ambient. We're also working with a group called Stella Mara. They are a
   duo: Jeffrey Stott does percussion while Sonja Drakulich sings in
   languages around the world. She turns ancient texts into lyrics for her
   songs. We like to call it new world ambient.

John: Where do you find these musicians?

Patti: We find each other. Most of them are local, and this is kind of a
   vortex for interesting musicians and hybrids.

John: What's in your CD player right now?

Patti: Everything ... Halcyon Days, Massive Attack, Geoffrey Oriema, Mouth
   Music ... I love all kinds of music.

John: Off topic, didn't you have a trashy rock'n'roll fantasy when you were
   growing up?

Patti: I'm going to admit it here for the first time, but I was enamoured
   with Carly Simon. I thought she was really cool.

John: Really? I thought she was really hot... I think we better stop right
   there.

..tape hiss



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============================================================================



ASHFORD & SIMPSON: Send It / A Musical Affair (Warner Brothers)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

After a brief performing career as Valerie and Nick in the early
sixties, Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson took their act into the
studio to write and produce an impressive string of hits for the Scepter
and Motown rosters.  They returned to the microphones in 1974 and hit
with "Anywhere."  Thus reborn, they continued to produce other artists
while becoming stars in there own right with a series of hook laden,
funk flavored disco hits.

These two albums, from 1977 (Send It) and 1980 (Musical Affair) show the
full range of their skills, as writers, performers and producers.  With
Simpson at the keyboard and some of the best studio cats in the business
in the band (guitarist Eric Gale looms large on both albums), the duo
created a body of work that helped define the era.

Released as part of Warners' Black Music-Ol' Skool catalog, these are
both fine albums, full of songs that could have been (and some were)
hits at the time and can still teach a good deal about crafting and
producing dance music.  I could only recommend both to my fellow
compulsive completionists, but I heartily recommend either to anyone
with an interest in seventies soul or in learning a bit about what makes
a hit song work.

Or anyone who just wants to tap their toes a bit with a smile on their
face, for that matter...

Track Lists:

Send It (1977): By Way of Love's Express * Let Love Use Me * Don't Cost
You Nothin' * Send It * Top of the Stairs * Too Bad * Bourgie Bourgie *
Waited Too Long

A Musical Affair (1980): Love Don't Make It Right * Rushing To * I Ain't
Asking For Your Love * Make It To The Sky * We'll Meet Again * You
Never Left Me Alone * Get Out Your Handkerchief * Happy Endings



BEETHOVEN: The Last 5 Piano Sonatas: No. 28 in A, Op. 101; No. 29 in B Flat,
Op. 106 (Hammerklavier)*; No. 30 in E, Op. 109; No. 31 in A Flat, Op. 110;
No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111. Vladimir Ashkenazy, Piano. (LONDON 452 176-2
[ADD/DDD*] Two Discs 65:50; 68:27)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

As promised in the March Cosmik, the Beethoven sonata wars continue this
month with a survey of this two-disc Ashkenazy set, a new reissue of
performances from 1971 (No. 32), 1972 (No. 31), 1974 (No. 30), 1976 (No. 28)
and 1980 (No. 29). Last month I reviewed Brendel’s new recording of the final
three sonatas on Philips and found it, not surprisingly, a quite impressive
offering. It is interesting to compare these two artists in this repertory:
without doubt, they are the two most heavily recorded pianists of our time,
maybe of all time. Only Rubinstein, Horowitz and Richter come to mind as
possible challengers to the prolific pair. Ashkenazy’s repertory is broader,
taking in whole chunks (Rachmaninov and Chopin) and handfuls from a vast
range of composers; but Brendel’s is generally deeper in the narrower areas
he explores, more often focusing on massive cycles (Beethoven and Schubert)
or on huge surveys (Liszt), both groups of which he often records a second
and third time. (Bear in mind that Ashkenazy records heavily as a conductor,
as well!)

How does Ashkenazy stack up against his formidable rival in these works? In
general he is more dramatic, offering greater contrasts in dynamics and tonal
range. Brendel, in effect, interprets less, is more straightforward, allowing
the music to stand on its own. Both approaches serve each artist well. Both
are afforded good sound, too, with Brendel’s slightly superior. I think I
would give Ashkenazy a slim edge in Op. 109, where his finale effervesces
with glory and sunlight to top off a generally magnificent reading. Brendel,
however, imparts greater wisdom and depth to No. 32, turning in a performance
that could pass the desert island test with flying colors. It’s difficult to
choose between the two in No. 31, and in Nos. 28 and 29, I have only Brendel’s
1970s Philips readings to use for comparison, not his recent new ones. I’m
not suggesting here that his earlier efforts are of inferior quality, but
from what I’ve heard of his newer cycle, it would clearly be the preferred
choice (better, too, than his impressive 1960s Vox cycle). In Nos. 28 and 29
both Ashkenazy and Brendel turn in accounts of considerable interpretive and
technical depth, each negotiating every challenging hurdle with seeming ease
and finesse. (Try either one’s fugue.) The Hammerklavier simply holds no
terrors for either artist, and that’s saying worlds about their pianistic
skills.

In the end, your choice here may depend more on your own individual tastes
in this repertory than on what critics may perceive as one’s telling
superiority in this work or as the other’s marked failing in that. I
marginally prefer Brendel in the last three sonatas. But Ashkenazy’s offering
is a two-for-the-price-of-one set, where Brendel’s is full-priced. So, in
such a close horse race, the scales for many may tilt toward Ashkenazy. But,
of course, I could throw other variables into the mix here, too. As I
suggested last month, Schnabel is an icon in this repertory, but his
decades-old recordings can hardly boast state-of-the-art sound. And there
are many other fine pianists who have walked this vast landscape, including
Richter, Pollini, Kovacevich, and Serkin. Two additional factors complicate
things further: in recent years London issued new separate digital recordings
(which I’ve not yet heard) of Ashkenazy playing Nos. 28 and 29 on one disc,
and Nos. 30, 31 and 32 on another; and the earlier Brendel/Philips performances
of the last six sonatas may still be available as a two-for-the-price-of-one
offering. To clear the air a bit, however, if you’re looking for a bargain,
this pair of London discs is highly recommended. Even at full price it’s
competitive.



THE BOMBORAS: It Came From Pier 13! (Dionysus)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

I knew this was a soundtrack to a fictional film the minute I read the liner
notes.  Not because I'm so smart, but because I wanted to see the movie so
damned bad that I KNEW they'd never actually make it.  It would have been
a grand stew made from equal parts The Warriors, The Wild Ones, The Great
O'Malley, and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.  They just don't make movies like
that anymore.  I said it aloud and wept openly.

Well if I can't have the movie, at least I can have the soundtrack.  It's
the best LP The Bomboras have come up with yet.  Initially known as a surf
band, they've branched farther out into the garage rock realm, and they've
done it in style with sparkling guitars atop pounding drums and thudding
bass, twist-tied nicely with a thick Vox organ tone.  They didn't abandon
trad surf--in fact, some of their most authentically soaking wet music is on
this album--but it's the tunes that lean into the garage, like "Stormy,"
"The Creeper," and "She'll Do Ya Wrong" that inject the guts into Pier 13.

Former X guitarist Billy Zoom--reportedly living a quieter happier life as
an auto mechanic working on the swankiest cars--turns up on sax and six
string bass.  Good to know he can still get his ya ya's out when he wants
to.

It Came From Pier 13 is a lot of fun.  The liner notes are a howl, conjuring
memories of B-movie teasers from the 50s and early 60s.  "SEE surfers ripped
from their boards!  SEE	The Creature menacing a speeding hot rod!  SEE The
Creature cause havoc on the beach!"  YES! YES!  I WANNA SEE THAT!  Oh well.
At least I can hear it.	(Dionysus Records: PO Box 1975, Burbank, CA 91507)



THE BOYS OF THE LOUGH: The Boys of the Lough (Philo)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Originally recorded at Passim in Harvard Square in 1974, this is the CD
reissue of one of the earliest albums from one of Celtic musics most
important groups.  The Boys of the Lough, along with the Chieftans and a
few more, helped broaden the popular image of Irish music beyond the
knit sweaters and bravado image promoted by the Clancys and added a
healthy dose of Scottish and Shetland tunes to the mix.

The music on this disc is fairly stripped down.  The instrumentation is
at its most basic - mandolin, fiddle, flute, concertina and bodhran.
The selections include Irish jigs and reels, Scots marches, Shetland
reels and some fine songs from both the traditional and vaudeville
traditions of Irish music. (You should really make an effort to learn
the words to "General Guiness" before next St. Patrick's Day...)

The instrumentation and live setting create a simplicity and atmosphere
that offers up images of a group of friends (well, extremely talented
friends) gathered round a peat fire in a western Irish pub, picking out
the tunes they'd learned from their fathers, who learned them from
*their* fathers, for the entertainment of themselves and their sons and
daughters.  Impeccably played and accessibly displayed, this is an album
well worth releasing in a format that will make it available to a new
generation of listeners.

Track List:

The Kincora Jig/Behind the Haystack * The Day Dawn/Pit Home Da Borrowed
Claes/Da Fashion O'Da Delting Lasses/Da Peerie House Under Da Hill *
General Guiness * The Boys of Twenty Five/The Boyne Hunt/Chase Her
Through the Garden * The Flower of Magherally * The Hound and the Hare *
The Cameron Highlanders/The Balkan Hills/The Atholl and Breadalbane
Gathering * The New Set: The Golden Slipper/The Streamstown Jig/Johnny
McIljohn's Reel/Sonny's Mazurka * The Shores of Lough Bran * Ar Eirinn
Ni'Neosfainn/The Whinny Hills of Leitrim/Another Jig Will Do * The
Darling Baby * The Nine Points of Roguery



BRAHMS: The Four Symphonies: No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68; No. 2 in D Major, Op.
73*; No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90; No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98. London Symphony
Orchestra, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra* conducted by Antal Dorati.
(MERCURY 434 380-2 [ADD] Two Discs 2:32:43)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

To a certain segment of classical music enthusiasts, purchase of this new
reissue will be a foregone action of some urgency. Why? In the late 1950s
and early ‘60s Mercury Records produced a number of recordings hailed as
landmarks in sound reproduction and mastering. To this day, some assert that
Mercury’s recording techniques of that era remain unsurpassed. They note the
close-up clarity of the sonics and the naturalness of the soundstage. I
remember my first hearing of Byron Janis playing Prokofiev’s Third and
Rachmaninov’s First on an LP when it came out in the early ‘60s on Mercury:
the sound was spectacular, so vivid, so lifelife, so powerful. I wondered
then why the other labels simply didn’t copy Mercury’s techniques and
produce LPs of that impressive quality. Hearing these Brahms performances
from December 1957 (No. 2), June 1959 (No. 1) and July 1963 (Nos. 3 and 4),
one marvels still at the sonic properties--and also at the consistency of
the readings by the late Antal Dorati.

I must note right off that the tempos here are among the fastest in the
complete Brahms Symphony sets. Ormandy, Maazel, Walter, Masur, Kertesz and
others are significantly slower. Levine and Wand, though, both on RCA, are
also brisk, each actually clocking in ahead of Dorati in the Fourth Symphony.
In the Third’s first two movements, Dorati is surprisingly relaxed, proving
he was certainly not inflexible in his approach to Brahms. Of course, tempo
is but one small part of the overall interpretive persona of a conductor in
a project like this. Dorati always manages to give forward thrust to his
readings here, adroitly pointing up the classical, lean side of Brahms,
although never slighting the innate Romantic character. Contrapuntal detail
emerges cleanly, orchestral balances are well-judged, and Dorati interprets
each work as a unified whole, always eschewing the tendency to italicize for
some momentary effect, or to turn episodic due to a lack of structural grasp.
Try the first movement of the First, where the strings slash away relentlessly
to convey anxiety and a sense of doom lurking around the corner; or hear the
peaceful, joyous beauty of the second movement of the Third flow by seamlessly
and with such mesmerizing charm. In short, these readings, while not probing
in nature, are insightful and never sound extreme or hasty, despite their
briskness.

To those who think that Dorati’s Haydn and Bartok were his only worthwhile
major contributions, this set could change their minds. It may not be at the
top of the heap of Brahms Symphony cycles, but it holds its own quite well
against most comers. Both orchestras play admirably, even if the Minneapolis
Symphony (now called the Minnesota Orchestra) is a bit scrawny-sounding.
(Back then it probably was a smaller ensemble.) Mercury provides excellent
notes and interesting details on the recordings and techniques used. A most
desirable reissue.



THE CARTER FAMILY: Give Me The Roses While I Live  (Rounder)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

This is the sixth collection in Rounder's chronicle of the complete
Victor recordings of the original Carter Family, one of the most
influential groups in the history of country, white gospel and American
folk music.

These fifteen tracks, recorded 1932 and 1933, contain ample evidence of
the particular talents of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and her sister
Maybelle (Maybelle herself was a Carter by virtue of marriage to A.P.'s
brother).

A.P. Carter composed a good many songs, but his real claim to fame was
as one of the great song collectors in the field of Appalachian music.
Many a song that might otherwise have died unheard in the hills gained a
national audience through a Carter Family performance, even if the price
of the hearing was yielding the author's credit to A.P. himself.  The
range of songs here - popular ballads, holiness gospel from both white
and African American sources and old timey hillbilly tunes - display an
ear for a peculiar combination of respect for tradition and a sense of
commercial possibility.  That ability to commercialize tradition helped
make the Carter's instrumental in the development of country music.

Equally important, of course, was the "Carter lick", Maybelle's guitar
style which has become an essential part of any picker's repertoire.
Though well known for her autoharp stylings with later incarnations of
the Carter family (most famously featuring herself and her daughter
June), Maybelle was primarily a guitarist with the original group.

Sara, who also played guitar, was the primary autoharpist in the trio.
She was also the lead singer and her vocal style was definitive and
continues to influence country singers.  Even younger performers who
might be unfamiliar with her work will have heard her echo in the work
of Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn and other singers.

This combination of composer/collector, highly original instrumentalist
and distinctive vocalist was enough to lead to a 14 year recording
career that was well underway when these selections were cut.  The
Carter Family of 1932-33 knew what songs and styles would appeal to
their audience and turn a dollar in the depths of depression.  It would
be stretching to claim that these are all essential performances.  The
first eleven were laid down in a single session, many in a single take.
They are all competent performances, though, and typical of the Carter
Family style.

For those with a strong interest in the history of American country and
popular music, all the discs in this series will be of interest.  For
those who just want a taste, this disc will do nicely, with some strong
material and performances mixed with some which are merely typical.

Track List:

Sweet As The Flowers In Maytime * Will The Roses Bloom In Heaven * My
Little Home In Tennessee * The Sun Of The Soul * If One Won't, Another
Will * The Broken Hearted Lover * Two Sweethearts * The Winding Stream *
I Wouldn't Mind Dying * The Spirit Of Love Watches Over Me * The Church
In The Wildwood * Give Me The Roses While I Live * I Will Never Marry *
On The Sea Of Galilee * Home By The Sea



SIMON CHARDIET: Bug Bite Daddy (Upstart)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Last year I reviewed a CD by Simon and the Bar Sinisters called Look At Me
I'm Cool.  It was one of my favorite releases of the year for several
reasons, not the least of which was the fact that Simon Chardiet is among
the most interesting guitarists in America.  That album was an unbelievable
smorgasbord of colliding genres and sassy guitar work.  I wondered how he'd
ever follow that act.

First thing he did was disband the Bar Sinisters.  That's okay, the sound(s)
remain the same.  Bug Bite Daddy is another genre-explosion of blues, surf,
rockabilly, and punk.  Simon switches gears faster than a Lotus on the
backstretch.

Rumor has it that Simon is one of the more colorful individuals in rock and
roll, and titles like "Gerbil On The Wheel Of Love" and "Left Wing Fascist"
will only add to the legend.  And who else do you know who would think of
doing an alternately warbling and snarling cover of "What's New Pussycat"
as a full punk assault?  And then follow it with a smooth and tasty blues
tune ("Lesson In Love")?  Well, that's Simon!

Along with the handful of excellent originals, Bug Bite Daddy offers up a
bunch of Simonized covers like "Have Love, Will Travel," "Goldfinger," "Run
Chicken Run," and "Bop-A-Lena."  And talk about bonus tracks!  The CD
concludes with the 6 long lost surf tracks known as the Shrimpjob Sessions,
from which the songs on the split single with The Shitbirds were taken.
I think it's safe to recommend this CD to nearly everybody on the planet.
Unless you only like classical music, you'll find plenty to love about Bug
Bite Daddy.



CHARLIE: No Second Chance / Lines (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

Charlie was one of those great bands that got a ton of FM airplay in selected
regions, yet little or none in others. Their albums have never been available
on CD. Now, there are four Charlie albums in the stores, packaged as two
double-CDs. No Second Chance was the band's second album, originally released
on the now defunct Janus label. The band quickly became known more for the
scantily clad women on the covers than for the music. "Johnny Hold Back" and
"Turning to You" did well as FM hits, but the rest of the album never really
went anywhere. The tracks on the new CD are sequenced differently than the
original US album. Since the US master tapes were unavailable, they used the
UK masters instead, which had the running order rearranged.

On Lines, Charlie's music took on more of a Steely Dan sound that would
permeate their next few albums. "She Loves to be in Love" is probably the
closest Charlie ever came to having a real hit, although tracks like "L.A.
Dreamer" and "No Strangers in Paradise" (including the false ending) were
still able to get considerable FM airplay. The liner notes could be more
informative, but the original albums (which have been out of print for
years) didn't have a whole lot to speak of, either. Still, it's great to
have these albums available again--especially on CD.

In case you have trouble finding Charlie in your local record store, you can
order it direct from Renaissance through their web site. Point your browser
to http://skymarshall.com/renaissance for more information on Charlie or any
of the other Renaissance artists.



THE CHI-LITES: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

If you're just looking for the biggest hits, this is most certainly volume
two.  Since the band wasn't exactly a hit machine, you can surmise that
this should be renamed.  After all, most of these songs barely cracked the
top 100 on the R&B charts.  What does that mean?  They didn't have a publicity
machine pushing them, that's all.  There is some fine soul here, and even a
little bit of funk.

Eugene Record had one of the sweetest voices in the soul biz, and it
propelled records like "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl" onto the charts
in the early 1970s.  The first few tracks on volume two were recorded long
before that stretch of success, when they had yet to find their own sound
and there was still a great deal of imitation going on.  "Price Of Love"
and "You're No Longer Part Of My Heart" reveal a group in great danger
of sinking into the sea of Temptations clones.  Just before the big
successes came, they tried a hard funk groove on "I Like Your Lovin' (Do
Ya Like Mine?)," but that Temps influence was still too audible, though
it was now tempered by a Sly & The Family Stone arrangement sensibility.
Record and company (that sounds funny, doesn't it?) decided it was time to
choose a niche and carve the damned thing.

"Yes I'm Ready," at least within the boundaries of volume two, introduced the
new Chi-Lites sound: soft ballads with lush string sections, sweet harmonies,
and themes of love delivered in Record's soulful tenor.  From that point on,
the music on this disc makes only a few forays outside of that formula. "Don't
Burn No Bridges," "The Devil Is Doing His Work," "You Don't Have To Go," and
"Hot On A Thing (Called Love)" have quicker than Chi-like tempos, but that
squishy lovey dovey theme rides shotgun the whole way.  Don't be fooled by
the title.  These weren't chartbusting mega platters.  They were just sweet
soul tunes performed by a great group led by a wonderful singer.  To hell
with the charts.



CINEMA FACE: Face Card (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

Cinema Face is a progressive rock band out of Canada. They've taken a basic
prog sound and brought in several outside influences, one of which I'll bet
you've never heard before. The disc gets off to a good start with "Call
Again." Great vocals from Frank LaMagna, and a good tune all around. Next up
is the title track, and this is where things get a bit different. The verses
of the song sound a bit like early-70's Genesis, or possibly something from
the first couple Alan Parsons Project albums. The twist comes in the middle
of the song, when the tap dancer comes in. I don't think I've ever heard a
tap dancer in a prog song before. The song takes on a bluesy, almost
vaudeville feel during the tap 'solo.' How's that for originality?

The cover of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar" is the track that initially sparked
my interest in Cinema Face. As with many cover versions though, it doesn't
hold up against the original. Here, the arrangement is bombastic and too
heavy-handed (although I've heard you need to see this one performed live to
really appreciate it). The next couple of songs sound like they got stuck in
the 80's. "Only World" sounds a little too much like Styx. It's like "Sing
for the Day" all over again. "World Leaders" is a killer though, with its
thumping bass runs and stellar guitar solo.

In case you have trouble finding Face Card in your local record store, you
can order it direct from Renaissance through their web site. Point your
browser to http://skymarshall.com/renaissance for more information on Cinema
Face or any of the other Renaissance artists.



CULTURE: Stoned (Ras)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Novices in the ways of dub take note: a dub, or version, is a mix of a
preexisting track that is enhanced with lots of echo, reverb, drop ins
and drop outs, and general space-outs.  The vocals are removed, only to
pop in for brief seconds at a time here and there.  Rastafarians consider
the music to be an important part of their meditation, along with ganja.
The rest of the world feels the same way, but they just call it "getting
stoned and listening to trippy-ass music."

Serious reggae fans already know what an amazing album Culture's One Stone
was.  Stoned is the dub version of One Stone, and since the original was
recorded by Culture with Dub Mystic handling the instrumentation, you know
the version is going to be something special.  Joseph Hill's voice slides
through the mix at unexpected moments like a restless ghost trying to be
heard, only to slip back under the pulsing bass and echoing kick drum.  No
individual song from One Stone comes out the same as it went in, making
Stoned a completely different work.  Even the upbeat tunes, like "Mr.
Sluggard" and "Get Them Soft," become trance-like and mystical.	 Dean
Fraser's beautiful sax tones sound even more spectacular in this dreamlike
setting.

The transformation is amazing.  This was released at the same time as the
dub version of Lee "Scratch" Perry's Who Put The Voodoo Pon Reggae.  Both
are excellent.  The key difference is that Perry's album was nearly dub
in the first place.  This one, I would assume, took more magic.  Dubmaster
Jim Fox handled it beautifully.  It was clearly worth the effort.



MILES DAVIS: Bluing: Miles Davis Plays The Blues (Prestige)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

The back cover nearly says it all.  "Miles Davis with Walter Bishop,Jr.,
Art Blakey, Ray Bryant, Paul Chambers, Kenny Clarke, John Coltrane,
Tommy Flanagan, Red Garland, Percy Heath, Milt Jackson, J.J. Johnson,
Philly Joe Jones, Jackie McClean, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Pettiford,
Tommy Potter, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Arthur Taylor, Lucky
Thompson."

If that Hall of Fame line up doesn't convince you to run straight to the
racks and search out this collection, let me try and finish the job...

Producer Ed Michel has created an incredible, indeed, essential document
with this compilation.  Nine tracks recorded between 1951 and 1956
document not only Miles incredible facility with the most basic of jazz
stylings, but the evolution of his early years as a leader, culminating
with the legendary Miles Davis Quintet of Davis, Chambers, Garland,
Jones and Coltrane.

If you've ever wondered what a great trumpet player might sound like
when his attention is given at least as much to his next fix as his next
note, 1951's "Bluing" may provide a hint.  Miles opened the decade with
a habit, and there's no denying that it affected his playing.

Nonetheless, he had, by that time, developed enough technique to play
through it and was leading a sextet that drew rhythm from Art Blakey and
drive from Sonny Rollins.

The next track skips to 1954.  "Blue n' Boogie" finds Miles clean and
searching for the band and the sound that would take him to the next
level.  Joined here by J.J. Johnson's trombone and Horace Silver's
piano, among others, he nearly finds it.  But the best is yet to come.

The next five cuts continue to display an amazing list of sidemen - that
Hall of Fame lineup - in various combinations before the disc closes on
two cuts, "Trane's Blues" and "Blues by Five," from the 1956 sessions of
the Miles Davis Quintet.  Was this the greatest jazz ensemble of the
1950s?  Tough call.  It was a great decade for jazz, after all.  But
it's an argument I love to make, and a band I love to listen to.

If you're a serious fan of Miles you may well have all the cuts on this
disc.  Even so, it's worth having them in one place in this order.  If
you don't have them, here's your chance.

There.  I hope you're convinced.

Track List:

Bluing * Blue n' Boogie * Bags' Groove * Green Haze * Dr. Jackle * No
Line * Vierd Blues * Trane's Blues * Blues by Five



DINOSAUR JR: Hand It Over (Reprise)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Life is a never ending series of perplexing choices for J Mascis.

I mean, what's a guy to do?  Join the P.G.A. tour?  Sit home and watch
the Massachusetts seasons change?  Or record another Dinosaur Jr disc?

J picked the prize behind curtain number three this time and we get a
look at what he's been up to musically since 1994's "Without A Sound"
other than his fling at solo acoustic work.  And Dinosaur Jr is back
with a vengeance.

He's apparently been listening to Neil Young records, of course.  And
shopping for amplifiers with a volume setting of 12.  And trying to form
a band to go with the band name he works behind.  He almost got away
with it, too.  Bassist Mike Johnson is on hand, and J went out and
recruited a drummer.  But by the time he was through, George Bertz ended
up on only one of the twelve cuts.  If he's not sure about anything
else, Mascis is sure about what drum sound he wants.  He wants the J
Mascis drum sound.

The biggest outside influence on the disc comes from My Bloody
Valentine's Kevin Shields, who shows up on vocals, guitar and introduces
Mascis to a set of new pedals he calls the Wobulator, the Doppelganger
and the Meatball.  Shields also shared studio production chores.

But Mascis, on guitar, vocals, percussion, drums, banjo, mellotron and
the new effects, carries the music on his by now well adapted shoulders.
On this outing, Mascis, who was grungy when grunge wasn't cool, delivers
his big thumpy wall of screaming distortion over to a set of songs about
relationships.  Hard to call them love songs, though, because love (at
least love of any significant duration) seems to be the missing
ingredient in his relationships.  The titles provide a good hint.
"Nothin's Goin On," "Alone," "Gettin Rough," "I'm Insane," "I Think
You're Insane" - no wonder he spends so much time with his golf clubs.

I'm glad he got off the course long enough to get these songs down,
though.  If you're a fan you gotta have it, of course, but it's also a
good introduction to a rock original who has been a bit ahead of the
curve for a decade or so.  It may be a couple years till we hear from
him again - I mean, the New England leaves are beautiful when they change
color and it takes a lot of time on the links to keep that handicap
down, but you'll no doubt hear echoes of this music from a lot of bands
in the meanwhile.  Might as well go to the source.

Track List:

I Don't Think * Never Bought It * Nothin's Goin On * I'm Insane * Can't
We Move This * Alone * Sure Not Over You * Loaded * Mick * I Know You're
Insane * Gettin Rough * Gotta Know



THE FAT BOYS:  All Meat, No Filler (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

I don't hear much hip-hop these days.  Maybe not as much as I should,
really.  Because sometime along the way, hip-hop stopped being as much
fun as it could, and should be.  But there was a time...

This Fat Boys collection from Rhino, following on the heels of the
recent Sugar Hill boxed set, has just about got me tuning in to BETV to
see if there's someone new with the party spirit of old.

The Fat Boys - Darren "The Human Beat Box" Robinson, Mark "Prince Markie
Dee" Morales and Damon "Kool Rockski" Wombley - tended to dance
dangerously near, and sometimes over, the line between novel creativity
and just plain novelty, but by gawd, they had, and delivered, fun.

This was a hip-hop world in which everything wasn't a G thang.  The only
gunplay on the disc involves shooting the locks off a convenience store
for a little late night food fest.  They could offer a serious note -
but those notes tended to be cautionary ("Jail House Rap", "Don't Be
Stupid") rather than gangsta braggadocio.  They could also work in a
variety of styles, well demonstrated on tracks like "Hard Core Reggae".

They will always be best remembered, though, for classic covers.  This
collection offers up "Sex Machine", in which The Human Beat Box delivers
his best JB; "Wipeout", which scored on both the pop and urban charts
and featured the Beach Boys in their only hip-hop appearance; "Baby
You're a Rich Man", a surprising choice for a Beatles cover but one of
the strongest cuts on the disc and "The Twist (Yo, Twist!)" featuring
the irrepressible Chubby Checker himself.  The covers here are capped
with what may be the best damn "Louie, Louie" I've heard in any genre.

This collection is a reminder of how important the Fat Boys were to the
development of hip-hop in the eighties.  If you don't think the Coasters
mattered in rock and R&B, then you may not think the Fat Boys made much
difference to hip-hop.  And you're wrong.

There's plenty of proof here that sounds can be fun - even funny - and
still be produced with serious intent.  The Fat Boys delivered serious
fun.

Word.

Track List:

Fat Boys * Human Beat Box * Jail House Rap * Can You Feel It * The Fat
Boys Are Back * Hard Core Reggae * Don't Be Stupid * All You Can Eat *
Sex Machine * In The House * Falling In Love * Wipeout * Baby, You're a
Rich Man * The Twist (Yo, Twist!) * Are You Ready for Freddy * Louie,
Louie * Lie-Z (7" Lie) * Just Loungin'



FLAMIN GROOVIES: Supersneakers (Sundazed)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

In 1968 the Flamin Groovies stepped into the studio and recorded their
first album, "Sneakers."  It was one of the most blatantly derivative
pieces of work I've ever heard.

And I love it.

Because the sound of the Groovies in 1968 was derived from the music
they loved and it just happened to be the music I was most drawn to at
the time.  East met west in the Groovies combination of the Lovin'
Spoonful and Kweskin Jug Band's New York bluesy goodtimes sounds and
the San Francisco ballroom scene.

Of course, hints of the original talents that would lead to the creation
of the Groovies later pop masterpieces like "Teenage Head" were in
evidence as well.

On this disc, "Sneakers" is "supersized" with the addition of a 10 song
set from a 1968 show at San Francisco's fabled Matrix club.  Along with
another batch of Roy Loney originals, including live tracks of several
of the "Sneakers" tunes, there are covers of the Spoonful's versions of
"Wild About My Lovin'" (also a Kweskin staple) and "Sportin' Life" and
the John Sebastian original, "Night Owl Blues."

The Flamin Groovies hadn't achieved legendary status at this point
(well, *I* think they're legendary, dammit) but their special
combination of good times, blues and early psychedelia makes this disc
one helluva lot of fun.

Pardon me while I adjust the strobe light and hit the replay button...

Track List:

I'm Drowning * Babes In The Sky * Lovetime * My Yada * Golden Clouds *
The Slide * Prelude In A Flat To An Afternoon Of A Pud

Bonus Live Tracks:

Cabria * In Between * Doin' My Time * Night Owl Blues * Wild About My
Lovin' * The Slide * My Yada * Local Boy Makes Good * Sportin' Life *
Good Morning, Mr. Stone



STAN GETZ AND CHARLIE BYRD: Jazz Samba (DCC LPZ 2011)
Reviewed by Paul Remington

The 1962 recording of Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd was destined to become a
classic. And, a classic it has become. Thanks to DCC Compact Classics, the
original Verve recording--recorded in the acoustically warm Pierce Hall,
Washington, D.C., February 13, 1962--has now been re-released as an audiophile
virgin vinyl LP pressing. As always, DCC delivers a magnificent product, with
all the splendor of the original recording enriched and enhanced through DCC's
all vacuum tube cutting system. Mastered by Steve Hoffman, the quality of
this release makes it a must buy, not only for newcomers, but for those who
own and cherish previous commercial pressings of this disk.

Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd are famous for their interest in Brazilian and
South American musical forms. They have worked with the most influential
musicians that promoted these forms; Joao Gilberto, Miguelito Valdes, Antonio
Carlos Jobim, and many others. Their interest in the Samba, which borrows
it's roots from African rhythm, is kindled by the complex rhythmical makeup
of the music. More complex, structurally, than traditional American popular
music, the Samba's harmonic line may run as long as 64 bars. Traditional
Samba rhythm also consists of two drummers, offering a more complex rhythmic
structure.

This framework of rhythmic and harmonic balance captivated Byrd, and after a
1961 South American tour with bassist Keter Betts and drummer Buddy
Deppenschmidt, Byrd sought to explore, more intimately, this beautiful and
musically challenging style of music. Enter Stan Getz: already familiar with
the Samba form, the collaboration of Getz and Byrd is only too logical. Getz'
familiarity with North American jazz coupled with Byrd's classical training
and jazz exposure (Byrd formerly studied with classical guitar giant Andres
Segovia) transform the traditional Samba into an entirely new form. The Samba's
innate structure provides for melodic development, improvisation, and a
complex rhythm, while still being simplistic enough to provide adequate solo
space within the structure. (cf. Samba de Uma Nota So (One Note Samba)). It's
a perfect form for both musicians, but especially for Getz, who's reputation
for soft and cool melodic fluidity in melody and solos is legendary.

Getz and Byrd are joined by Keter Betts on bass, Gene Byrd on guitar (Charlie's
younger brother, then a senior at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore),
Buddy Deppenschmidt on Drums, and Bill Reichenbach on drums. The addition of
two drummers in the ensemble provides a rich rhythmic groove for each piece.
The Samba rhythm is supplemented by swing elements (brushwork accenting 2 and
4 on a 4/4 piece, for example).

Seven selections are performed, each stemming from traditional Samba. The LP
opens with the familiar Jobim classic, Desafinado. This piece finds Getz
stating a warm opening theme that's followed by superb soling by Byrd. Getz'
lyricism throughout the piece builds through the coda to the completion of
the tune. This approach is common for each of the pieces. Rhythm is solidly
performed, while chordal and melodic ideas are performed by Getz and Byrd.
Other featured pieces include: Samba Dees Days, O Pato, Samba Triste, Samba
de Uma Nota Sa, E Luxo So, and the Latin-American standard, Baia.

"Jazz Samba" represents some of the earliest recordings that unite the South
American Samba with North American Jazz. With both Getz and Byrd in their
30s, their musical abilities are just blossoming. For Getz, he had tried to
capture the essence of this form of music prior to these recordings with
limited success. His determination and talent certainly paid off in "Jazz
Samba". Both Getz and Byrd are a perfect match. As Getz recalls, "The first
time I ever played with Charlie . . . the things he did with the guitar and
the music really impressed me. He has such a feeling for melody. The chord
changes on these tunes were very adaptable for improvising. I dug playing it
with Charlie and his guys even more."

There are a pocket of releases in any genre of music that become "classics".
Certainly, "Jazz Samba" falls into this category, and will be available for
generations to come. The style of music created by Getz and Byrd has been
emulated and explored the world over. And what better label to have press
such a release than DCC. Their quality may leave your CD player envious.



STAN GETZ AND GERRY MULLIGAN: Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi (DCC)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

DCC has dipped into the Verve catalog to revive this session from 1957
for their 24 karat gold disc treatment, and the treatment is a treat.

Getz and Mulligan were at the height of their respective (and
considerable) talents in the late 50s.  The two reed masters each made
their own artistic impact on the sessions.  Stan Getz put together the
rhythm section and made excellent choices.  Drummer Stan Levy and Ray
Brown on bass provided a base of swing and drive that enlivened the set
of standards the sax duo selected and pianist Lou Levy provided a smooth
base for the horns to slide across when not punctuating them with his
own tasteful breaks.

It was Mulligan's notion to have the duo swap horns on three of the
tracks, with Getz playing the baritone while Mulligan returned to the
tenor on which he had first gained the favor of Charlie Parker.

There's a discrepancy on which three tracks those were.  In the
original 1957 notes, session producer Norman Granz lists them as "Let's
Fall In Love," "Anything Goes" and "Too Close For Comfort."  The notes
that accompanied the 1991 CD reissue have Bob Blumenthal swapping "That
Old Feeling" for "Anything Goes."  My inclination (and my ear) leans
toward the opinion of the man who was there, but Blumenthal's opinion
deserves respect as well.  The fact is, while this album has taken some
knocks over the years for this instrumental experimentation, both
players have great facility with both instruments and there's great
pleasure to be had without becoming engrossed in a "Who played what?"
debate.

Two tracks on which Getz and Mulligan stayed on their customary
instruments are included here as bonuses, having been left off the
original release due to time considerations, and the best cut on the
disc may well be their presentation of Charlie Parker's "Scrapple From
The Apple."  The other bonus, "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," holds
it's own with anything from the original as well.  Between them, we get
an extra 17 minutes of Getz and Mulligan, which is a bonus in the truest
sense of the word.

The disc is hi-fi, not stereo.  DCC production wizard Steve Hoffman went
to the original monophonic first generation session tapes, having
discovered that there were no genuine stereo masters available.  Those
of us who lived through the "electronically re-mastered for stereo" scares
will certainly appreciate his care in giving us the sound as the original
artists and producer would want us to have it - clear, rich and brilliant
in true high fidelity.

Track List:

Let's Fall In Love * Anything Goes * Too Close For Comfort * That Old
Feeling * This Can't Be Love * A Ballad

Bonus Tracks: Scrapple From The Apple * I Didn't Know What Time It Was



GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION: Graham Central Station (Warner)
GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION: Release Yourself (Warner)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Here's one I had NOT forgotten about.  As a white kid introduced to funk,
at least in part, by Sly and the Family Stone, it didn't take a genius
publicity agent to get me to buy the first Graham Central Station album in
1974.  After all, the Graham in question was Larry Graham, bassist
extraordinare from the Family Stone.  With Sly, Graham's amazing
finger-popping bass sounds found a huge audience and influenced future
funk musicians everywhere.  You can't listen to R&B radio for more than
ten minutes today without hearing his legacy.

As a pop writer, Graham never had Stone's flair or genius, but the Station
did put out some solid funky rock and roll that seemed like a logical side
dish for fans of the Family Stone.  The 1974 self-titled debut album was
probably their best.  The funk is a background element for pop on some of
the tunes, but there are a few deep grooves, most notably "Tell Me What It
Is," a tune that echoes the funkiest moments of Family Stone.  Graham's bass
churns like a sinister whirlpool under maracas, tambourines, drums, and an
early cheesy-sounding drum machine.	 "Can Ya Handle It" begins innocently
enough, feigning light fluffy pop for a minute or so before another
detonation of funky bass blows it into the clear.  The farther into this
album you go, the more you appreciate the subtle touches; biting guitar
tones that give each tune a razor-sharp edge; spiritually uplifting backing
vocal harmonies; outstanding incidental percussion that makes you wanna
dance your ass off; and Graham's knack for laying back gracefully and still
painting a bass masterpiece.  Graham Central Station was a solid debut, and
a tough act to follow.

Later that same year, Graham Central Station's follow up, Release Yourself,
came out to great expectations.  This time, the formula of POP-plus-funk
was inverted to FUNK-plus-pop.  The grooves were deeper and nastier, and
Graham's bass was farther toward the front of the sound.  And it was a big
sound!  A year of touring had hardened that sound and tightened the band,
making them one of the best funk outfits in America.  The powerful arrangement
of "Tis Your Kind Of Music" gave the band a street credibility on par with
War, while the lion's share of the tunes got down in a fashion that put them
in the same league as Tower Of Power.  As a lead vocalist, Graham was just
hitting his stride on tunes like "Hey Mr. Writer" and the title track.  As
an instrumentalist, he was breaking new ground, playing all the instruments
on two of the tracks, and doing so in convincing fashion.

Graham Central Station never made a better pop album than their debut, and
they never made a funk album better than Release Yourself.  Fitting, then,
that Warner Brothers Black Music Ol' Skool division should re-release these
two together.  A lot of great stuff coming out of that place lately.  Earth,
Wind and Fire albums are on the way.  I can't wait to see what's next.



ISSAC GREEN and the SKALARS: Skoolin' with the Skalars  (Moon Ska)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

While ska is busy being broken down into a sometimes perplexing array
of subcategories and studied from historical, musicological and
sociological perspectives by fans and critics, it's important to
remember that at its heart, ska has always been dance music - music to
inspire happy feet and good times.

Issac Green and the Skalars are a nine piece unit from St. Louis who
are obviously having and providing a good time.  A few bars into the
first cut, "Spoiled Brat," I found a grin on my face that didn't go away
until the closing notes of "Junbok" wrapped up the festivities.

The all-woman sax trio (Jessica Butler, alto; Michelle Roe, baritone;
Amy Scherer, tenor) all double on vocals and are essential to the
distinctive sound of the band.  Male vocal chores are carried by
trombonist Evan Shaw, whose vocal contributions are fine, but whose
trombone work is exceptional.

The horns are played over a solid base of Farfisa organ (Jason Brody),
guitar (Ethan D'Ercole), bass (Willie Horton) and drums (Dave Sharma).
Isaac Green is credited with "steps and shouts" and shares songwriting
credit for the nine original gems on the disc.  Covers include a nod to
the master with Coxsone Dodd's "I Love You," the 60's classic "Beechwood
4-5789" and an almost bluesy "Bloodshot Eyes."

The band is tight, the mood is up and, hey, it make you dance, mon!
Check it out...

Track List:

Spoiled Brat * Beechwood 4-5789 * Puppet Lover * Don't Count * Bloodshot
Eyes * Special K * The Row * Phat Steaks * High School * Sitting * I
Love You * Junbok



THE GUESS WHO: The Ultimate Collection (RCA)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

When it comes to Canadian artists, few can top The Guess Who. They were the
first group out of Canada to have a gold single, and their music paved the
way for future Canadian acts to follow. However, stability within the group
was lacking. The band went through several personnel changes over the years.
The most successful lineup consisted of Burton Cummings on piano & lead
vocals, Randy Bachman on guitar, Jim Kale on bass, and Garry Peterson on
drums. The three CDs on The Ultimate Collection cover material from the
band's RCA catalog only.

As a major Guess Who fan, I can't help having mixed feelings about this
compilation. It's great to finally have this music on CD here in the US,
but it comes at the cost of unacceptable amounts of tape hiss, and too much
bass. Unfortunately, they recorded the songs on less than state of the art
equipment, and it's painfully obvious when you hear the tracks on CD.
Executive producer Don Wardell told me that they tried to clean up the hiss
using CEDAR noise reduction on "These Eyes." After two failed attempts, they
decided to leave the masters 'as is,' rather than lose the ambiance of the
original recordings. Some songs were faded out early to make the hiss less
noticeable.

Disk one starts with "These Eyes" and works its way through most of the hits.
"American Woman" suffers from major tape hiss, which actually changes audibly
eight seconds into the song. "Undun" has a cool 10-second piano intro on the
original album that most people have never heard. This is the kind of thing
that should be included in a collection like this. Instead, the producers used
the same version that appears on every Guess Who compilation ever released.
On a positive note, disc one also includes some great album tracks, like
"Proper Stranger," "8:15," and "Coming Down Off the Money Bag/Song of the
Dog" from the Share the Land album.

The second disc contains the best material overall. Live at the Paramount is
covered by three tunes-- the excellent "Truckin' Off Across the Sky," "Runnin'
Back to Saskatoon" (the single version, rather than the much better album
version) and "Glace Bay Blues." Since the latter two songs follow each other
on the original album, they should have just left them alone. Instead, they
switched the order of the songs, and chopped off the entire intro to "Glace"
(the song now starts with the vocals) in what is best described as just poor
editing. Like disc one before it, there are still a lot of great tunes on
disc two. Songs like "Rain Dance," "Albert Flasher," "Heartbroken Bopper,"
and Cummings' biting commentary on the music business, "Those Show Biz Shoes,"
are all highlights.

Overall, disc three is probably the weakest of the set, although there are
plenty of killer tunes there too. Once you get past "Clap for the Wolfman,"
you get "Road Food," "Attila's Blues," "Star Baby," "Musicione" and "Glamour
Boy" all in a row. For the real fans, it doesn't get much better than that.
There are four songs each from Flavours and Power in the Music, although some
of those should have been left off in favor of album tracks. However, they
did include "Dreams," one of the most beautiful songs ever written by Cummings.

During the process of scouring the vaults for the master tapes, they found
the coolest tracks on the whole compilation--rehearsal takes for "Lightfoot,"
"No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature" (with different lyrics), and "American
Woman" (where Bachman screws up the guitar lick in the middle of the song).
It's a shame that the producers didn't go after more of the 'rare' cuts.
However, due to the condition of the master tapes, those tracks will probably
never see the light of day.

The Ultimate Collection could have been great. Overall, it's a decent selection
of songs and it's great to have this stuff available on CD, but the sound
quality is disappointing. If you have a copy of Track Record (the previous
Guess Who compilation), hang on to it. The sound quality is better, the liner
notes are MUCH better (each song has comments from Cummings, and original
Guess Who producer, Jack Richardson), and it contains songs not found on The
Ultimate Collection.



HILDEGARD OF BINGEN: Chants: Rex noster promptus est; Hodie; O splendidissima
gemma; Ave, Maria; Ave, generosa; Caritas abundat in omnia; Spiritui Sancto;
O rubor sanguinis; O eterne Deus; O clarissima Mater; O Ecclesia. Norma
Gentile, Soprano. (LYRICHORD LEMS 8027 [DDD] 56:59)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

This album, which Lyrichord entitles, “Unfurling Love’s Creation,” contains
eleven chants by the mystic nun Hildegard (1098-1179). Last summer I wrote a
review for Cosmik of a Delos disc by Voices of Ascension that offered two
works by this intriguing, now quite popular figure. In that piece I described
her as “…a poet, writer, scientist, diplomat and visionary whom nobles and
popes consulted… Some of her admirers call her a feminist, but grudgingly
concede her feminism was hardly in step with that of today--who among the
Steinems and Smeals worship fervently in a male-dominated religion, much
less write hymns extolling the Blessed Virgin?” Indeed. Hildegard was
undeniably not only one of the most influential women of her age, but one
of the most influential of its leaders--male or female, and at a time when
women dared not even dream of equality. I should also add that Hildegard was
canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. Suffice it to say, that
someone of her vast intellect, extraordinary talents, and mystical charisma,
is born on this very imperfect earth about once every century!

But, you ask, what about her music? To those unaccustomed to it, let me
caution them that they may initially find Hildegard’s idiom alien to their
ears, barren of color, a bit monotonous at times, perhaps bordering on the
gloomy. However, within its direct, simple (but not simple-minded) language
you find a religiosity, a solemnity, and a peacefulness that, when fully
grasped, soothes and nurtures the aural senses. It’s as if one is connecting
to a highly spiritual realm via the captivating human conduit, Hildegard.

Soprano Norma Gentile is supported in seven of these chants by a drone
chorus, which, in effect, provides a rather basic harmony, singing a
sustained chord softly throughout the piece. In the remaining four selections
she sings unaccompanied. Ms. Gentile delivers Hodie (track 2), a short,
beautiful chant, with an enchanting sweetness and gracefulness, and sings
Ave, Maria (track 4) with a mesmerizing loveliness, a loveliness that
heightens the effectiveness of those moments of seemingly intense spiritual
ecstasy. In two of the longer and more rewarding selections here, O
clarissima Mater (track 10) and O Ecclesia (track 11)--one of Hildegard’s
more popular chants--Ms. Gentile sings with the same unflagging commitment
to Hildegard’s profound art. In fact, one is astonished by the rightness of
her phrasing throughout the disc, by the subtlety in how she swells her
voice to fullness and softens it to delicate, velvety pianissimos, and, most
importantly, by how she so consistently captures Hildegard’s simple yet
elusive and vocally challenging idiom.

There are many Hildegard discs on the market today, but this Lyrichord
offering surely ranks among the best. It features splendid sound, excellent
notes, beautiful singing, and the music of the intriguing, the remarkable
Hildegard of Bingen.



SHIRLEY HORN: Loving You (Verve)
Reviewed by Paul Remington

No one sings jazz quite the way Shirley Horn does. She's developed a style
all her own and has fixed herself solidly among the upper shelf of jazz
divas. That breathy style, the smooth and sensuous flow of lyrics sung with
feeling and mood--it inspires the most carnal, romantic and sexual desires
that lie within each of us. Imagine: the lights are low, candles are lit on
a private table set for two, and slow jazz is playing softly in the
background. Horn's latest CD, Loving You, is undoubtedly the disk in the CD
player. This release is certain to result in long and wanting stares from
across the table.

This is a disk for lovers and romantics--those passionate in the emotional
wows of courtship. Loving You features Horn's sensitive vocal interpretation
and style well cured in a uniquely artistic presentation. Each piece is
relaxed and grooving, with excellent musicianship throughout. Horn performs
three Brazilian pieces, a style which she interprets with the most personal
touch. Her choice of material isn't limited to the "stock" jazz standard.
She has obviously given careful thought to the material presented on this
release.

At times, the disk is reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan's 1982 Pablo release,
Crazy and Mixed up. As on Vaughan's disk, Horn performs Love Dance, a song
about two lovers who turn their hearts over to a first time romance. "Turn
out the quiet, love wants to dance;" this is a common theme throughout the
CD. The Island is another standard sung by Vaughan. Don't look for the same
stylistic approach in Horn that Vaughan displayed. Although both sing jazz,
both are very different vocalists, stylistically. Unlike Vaughan, Horn is
very simple, with a vocal style not defined by complex melodic and harmonic
interpretation, scat singing, and vocal acrobatics. Hers is simple,
economical, and well tempered, further defining the phrase, "Less is more."

Horn is backed by a superb rhythm section. Piano is played by the diva
herself, Shirley Horn. Bass is played by Steve Novosel, and drums are played
by Steve Williams. Three of the pieces ("Loving You," "Should I Surrender,"
and "It Amazes Me") feature Horn on solo piano. Her piano playing matches her
vocal: sensitive, simple, and moving. The group material consists of "The Man
You Were," Errol Gardner and Sydney Shaw's "Dreamy," Jobim's "Someone to Light
Up My Life," "In the Dark," "Kiss and Run," and "All of A Sudden My Heart
Sings."

Horn released her first LP in 1960. Since that time, she's recorded a number
of releases on her own, and has appeared on numerous others' releases. Horn
signed with verve in 1987. Verve has earned a reputation for producing some
of the most important releases in the history of recorded jazz. Verve's
signing of Horn furthers this reputation, and provides her with the support
and platform to express herself freely.

Loving You marks her ninth release as a leader. Her vocal talent and piano
accompanist have been revered by some of the most influential names in
jazz--Miles Davis, Carmen McRea, Quincy Jones, and Oscar Paterson, to name
a few. Critics have embraced her stylistic presentation, stating: "Shirley
Horn is the best singer in jazz today" (San Francisco Chronicle), "Horn
conveys more passion in a single sigh then any self-conscious spectacle of
vocal gymnastics" (Boston Phoenix), "Her singing is very similar to Miles
Davis' trumpet playing--cool, dry, intimate, lined with elegance" (New York
Post).

Horn has yet to reach her peak as a performer and interpreter of jazz. She
brings a unique flare to each piece she adopts into her repertoire. As is
customary with most naturally gifted musicians, Horn can take most any piece
and make something of it. As Art Tatum took a banal piece such as "Little Boy
You've Had A Busy Day" and worked timeless magic with it, so can Horn breath
life into any piece she performs. She's just one of those musicians.

So, surprise your loved one this week. Pick up a copy of Horn's latest on
Verve. Set the table for an intimate dinner for two, light the candles, dim
the lights, and put Loving You in the CD player. Pour yourselves a glass of
burgundy and enjoy the finer things of life. Fine wine improves with age.
As with fine wine, so does Shirley Horn's style improve with age. Her style
matures so well, it actually becomes timeless.



THE HUMPERS: Plastique Valentine (Epitaph)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Awwwww... Isn't that SWEET?  Check out this love lyric:  "Can't wait to see
your face - It's gonna be all over the place - It's gonna blow up - blow it
up - Blow it up to the moon - Mr. Postman, deliver it soon."  That little
segment of the title track sums up the sweet emotion of the entire song.
Kaboom!  And that, in turn, sums up the entire album.  Ka-BOOM!!!  Plastique
Valentine explodes within four seconds of track one, and the shockwaves keep
right on coming until the last amp has been blown 34 minutes later.  Last
year's album, Live Forever Or Die Trying, was a hard act to follow, but
follow they did.  Plastique Valentine does nothing to dissuade those of us
who suspect The Humpers are very near the top of the rockin' heap.  Songs
like "Anemia," "Dummy Got A Hunch," "Mutate With Me," and "Fable of Luv"
are pure wall-o-guitars rock that sounds just the way the good lords (Little
Richard and Iggy Pop) intended it to be.  The band just keeps getting hotter
every time out, and Scott "Deluxe" Drake's voice has NOT mellowed with age
and experience.  In short: OW! HOT! HOT!!!



THE HUNS: Live At The Palladium 1979 (Get Hip)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Two decades after music's revolutionary war, we mostly seem to remember the
punk bands that could actually play and sing.  In fact, a lot of younger
punks who worship at the Clash and Dead Kennedy altars have never heard the
bands that sounded like shit.  Here's one now.  Recorded at a battle of the
bands in Dallas, this sloppy--in fact, downright awful--performance has
gained semi-legendary status, or so I've heard.  I dunno.  There is something
to be said for this stuff.  It has the attitude and a little bit of the
energy that punk was supposed to be about, and it's truly DIY.  Maybe it's
just the musician in me that makes it so disconcerting to hear a drummer
that can't keep a beat and a singer that...can't.  Subject matter like "I
want you to shit on my face" turns you on?  Here, you can have my copy.



INCOGNITO: Beneath the Surface (Verve)
Reviewed by Paul Remington

The world of pop-fusion has been around for over two decades. The style
consists of good pop writing, a solid rhythm section, and smooth and flowing
vocals, then combines it with elements of jazz; complex chord progressions,
sophisticated improvisation, and arrangements for horn and string sections.
This is a beginning when describing Incognito's latest release on Verve.
This London based band has produced a collection of material heavily
influenced by funk, soul, and jazz. Producing this style of music is no
assurance it's going to result in a favorable outcome. Incognito has nothing
to be concerned of, and has released a beautiful collection of material that
echoes back to some of the pop-fusion styles of the Seventies. One can hear
a number of influences, from Steely Dan to the Crusaders, and many in-between.

Most of the credit should be passed to guitarist and composer Jean Paul
"Bluey" Maunick, who wrote all the material on the CD, including horn and
string arrangements, and lyrics. Fayyez Virgi also lends a hand on horn
arrangements. The arrangements are very pleasing, and yes, the strings are
real strings! They weren't extracted from some elevator downtown. Bob Beldon
conducts a full-blown string section, the New York Strings, which consist of
22 violins, four violas, and four cellos. Their presence is non-obtrusive
and light. Like a piano player comping chords quietly behind a soloist, the
strings feed the melodic and harmonic structure of each piece delicately.
Ten musicians make up the New York Horns, who perform the horn arrangements.
Some may recognize baritone sax-man Ronnie Cuber listed under the horn
section.

The rhythm section consists of Graham Harvey (keyboards), Duncan McKay
(trumpet), Ed Jones (tenor sax), Snake Davies (tenor and baritone sax),
Fayyaz Virgi (trombone), Jean-Paul Maunick (guitar), Randy Hope-Taylor
(bass), Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. (percussion), and Richard Baily (drums).
The musicianship is superb, and blends with the horn and string arrangements
quite well. The personnel varies slightly on a few tunes, although a majority
of the musicians listed above perform on most of the pieces.

The music is smooth and very grooving with vocal styling similar to Anita
Baker and Luther Vandrose. Two vocalists are featured: Christopher Ballin
and Maysa Leak. An individual named Imani sings the vocals for one piece,
"Fountain of Life." The vocals are as infectious as the music, with a loose
improvised style not laden with predictability.

Three pieces are instrumental, rich with intelligent arrangements and chords
progressions. The opening instrumental, "Solar Flare," sounds more like a
grooving Herbie Hancock jam from "Man-Child." Flowing chord progressions
frame an excellent solo by Alexander Pope Morris on the closing piece, "Dark
Side of the Cog." These areas of the disk lean more towards the jazz side
than the pop side, which balances the CDs musical presentation. Each tune
offers something a little different.

Incognito will certainly receive airplay by stations featuring a jazz-pop
mix. If you've never heard of the band, but like what you're reading,
chances are this disk is right up your alley. US purchasers of the CD will
receive two bonus tracks: "All That You Want Me to be" written by Jean-Paul
Maunick and Jay Daniels, and "Sunchild" written by Jean-Paul Maunick and
Graham Harvey. The Instrumental "Sunchild," again, features Alexander Pope
Morris on flugelhorn and trumpet. He plays a fantastic flugelhorn solo that
closes the disk.

At 75 minutes, "Beneath the Surface" is a real bargain. The sound is
excellent; well performed, mixed, and recorded. Since their 1980 debut
single "Parisienne Girl," Incognito has released many titles which are
available on Verve: "Tribes, Vibes and Scribes," "Inside Life," "Positively,"
and "100 Degrees and Rising." With writing like this, there is certainly
much more musical terrain yet to be explored. I'm sure we'll be hearing more
material from this talented group of musicians.



ALAN JACKSON: Everything I Love (Arista)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

I'm a latecomer to the Alan Jackson show.  Having turned my back on country
music for over a decade, I missed a few good 'uns that snuck in behind the
dullpop stars in tall hats.  Jackson is certainly one of the best things to
happen to country music in the 90s.  Everything I Love is all the proof you
need.

Filled with a combination of good ol' fashioned country honk and heartfelt
ballads, Everything I Love is a great purchase for those who love the classic
sounds of country music and want to hear intelligent modern examples.  The
album opens with the too-cute hit "Little Bitty," and I don't mind at all
because I know you have to make your money somewhere.  Calculated hits, like
that Tom T. Hall-penned bitty ditty, make great songs like "Buicks To The Moon"
and "Must've Had A Ball" possible.

Jackson's emotional resignation elevates the title track to something much
finer than just another ballad.  "Everything I love is killing me. Cigarettes,
Jack Daniels and caffeine.  And that's the way you're turning out to be.
Everything I love gonna have to give up, 'cause everything I love is killing
me."  Despite the ironic and amusing lyric, you can feel his heart breaking,
and you're sure you've been there yourself.	 Contrast this with the equally
desperate subject matter of the album's honky-tonk stomper, "Who's Cheatin'
Who," which finds Jackson rockin' and a rollin' happily while telling the
sad story of a cheating significant other.  Listen to Everything I Love, but
really listen.  You can jump, you can dance, but you really need to pay
attention to this album or you'll miss the best parts.



L7: The Beauty Process - Triple Platinum (Slash/Reprise)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

L7's third release brings more of their unique blend of bad attitude and
good humor.  Their sense of humor served them well since getting these
tracks down presented more challenge than any band wants to deal with.

Bassist Jennifer Finch left the band during the process to begin a new
life as a collegiate coed, which was anything but a beautiful
development, though the split was reportedly amicable.  The three
remaining members (Donita Sparks - vocals, Suzi Gardner - guitar, and
Dee Plakas - drums) set out in search of a replacement and came up with
former Belly bassist Gail Greenwood, who fit seamlessly into the fabric
of the band.

No mean feat, that, since the bass plays a significant role in the sound
on these 12 tracks.  The sound here is dense - your woofers will
definitely get a workout.  It's so dense, in fact, that you'll have to
pay a bit of attention to notice that these grrls aren't mad at
everything all the time.  Check out "Off The Wagon," an ode to going
out and getting face-down drunk just for fun.  Or Gardner's lyrics on
"Me, Myself & I," about the ironic humor hidden behind a breakup.

Of course, this ain't no bunch of Pollyannas.  They're more than happy
to remind you that "The Masses are Asses" and the world contains some
"Bad Things."  But they aren't mournful grungesters whining about the
sorrow of success, either. There's too much energy here, and too much
fun.

L7 will follow a swing through Europe with a US tour in April.  They've
got some great new songs to play with this release.  Definitely worth
checking out the show, but first, buy the disc, learn the songs and get
off the wagon and on the town...

Track List:

The Beauty Process * Drama * Off the Wagon * I Need * Moonshine * Bitter
Wine * The Masses are Asses * Bad Things * Must Have More * Non-existent
Patricia * Me, Myself & I * Lorenza, Giada, Allesandro



LIVE: Secret Samadhi (Radioactive)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

Live achieved great commercial success with their second album, Throwing
Copper. For the new album, the York, PA foursome didn't stray much from the
formula that gave them multi-platinum success the last time. Secret Samadhi
gets off to a great start with three songs in a row, "Rattlesnake," "Lakini's
Juice" (the first single & video), and "Graze." After that, the roller
coaster ride begins. The next song, "Century" features lyrics like "this puke
stinks like beer" and "I can smell your armpits." In the immortal words of
Frank Zappa, "ultimately, who gives a fuck anyway?"

Luckily, lyricist & lead vocalist Ed Kowalczyk loses his fixation with puke
and armpits by the time they get to the next song, "Ghost." Although the
song sounds like "t.b.d." part two, it's really the only track worth
mentioning where they try anything new. The backing vocals by Jennifer
Charles (of Elysian Fields) add a new dimension to the band's music.
Unfortunately, it's the only song on the CD that she appears on. "Unsheathed"
is up next, and it pretty much sucks. The only other song worth mentioning
on the CD is "Heropsychodreamer." Patrick Dahlheimer lays down a mean bass
line on the track, with the urgency of early U2. The lyrics could be better,
but the music kicks ass.

Secret Samadhi is essentially Throwing Copper II. If you liked that album,
you'll probably like this one too. Just don't look for much in the way of
anything new.



MAD PROFESSOR: Beyond The Realms of Dub (RAS/Ariwa)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Part two in The Prof's Dub Me Crazy series is now within easy reach, thanks
to Ras.  They seem to be re-releasing another Mad Professor CD every few
months, and they'll get no complaints from this boy.

Though this album was only recorded one year after part one, Prof seems to
have come up with a sound that was considerably more surreal.  Sometimes
like sexual afterglow, sometimes like full blown angel dust freak out, the
effect is always certain.  Even then, The Prof didn't pussyfoot around.  The
main difference between 1982 Mad Professor and 1997 Mad Professor is that
he had a tendency to counter his most pleasantly surreal sounds with painfully
harsh noises in 1982.  Today, he is more likely to counter a hum with a
whisper, adding texture to the trance state.

Some of his deepest sounds are here: "Kunta Kinte - African Warrior," "The
English Connection," "Get Drunk And Celebrate" and the title track, which
spins the prettiest web of all.  Dub fans and psychedelia fans alike will
eat this one up.



MAD PROFESSOR: A Caribbean Taste Of Technology (Ras/Ariwa)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

This is a 1985 Mad Prof album that had one key difference from his typical
work: the presence of steel drums.  The inherently happy sound of steel
drums floating atop a sea of the Prof's psychedelic sounds makes for some
schizophrenic listening.  It's a little bit like dropping acid at the mall
on Christmas Eve.  "Gee, Wally... I don't remember 'Noel' sounding this
sinister..."  Nowhere is this impression clearer than on "Uncle Sam's
Backyard."  Happy keyboards of the exotica variety maintain a cheerful march
as audioarmageddon erupts all around.  It's all a dream, courtesy of Mad
Professor and steel drummer Patrick Augustus, along with a large cast of
supporting musicians that includes Jeffrey Beckford, Michael Rose and
Vin Gordon.  This is a very good album: not his best, but probably his most
unusual.



MAD PROFESSOR & LEE PERRY: Dub Take The Voodoo Out Of Reggae (Ariwa/RAS)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

If you have already heard Lee "Scratch" Perry's most recent album, Who Put
The Voodoo Pon Reggae, you're probably thinking "how much closer to dub can
it get!?  Scratch makes 'em that way right out of the chute, doesn't he?"
Yes, he does.  Match the hypnotically rambling psychedelic bent of Perry
with the technically amazing dreamscapes of Mad Professor and you get the
coolest version release of the year.  It comes within a whisker of edging
out some of the better pure dub (music created specifically to be dub, as
opposed to reworkings of existing reggae recordings).  The uninitiated need
to understand up front that there are few audio experiences on Jah's green
earth that compare to putting on the headphones and hearing Scratch Perry
blissing out.  His music is extremely intoxicating and cerebral.  Mad
Professor enhances this effect and takes Perry to a whole new level of
surrealism.  Whether you have spliff in hand or just Perrier, these ten
tracks can take you away from your hardships for a spell.



BILLY MARCUS: Hamp (Contemporary/Fantasy)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

This is just an incredible album.  Here's the deal: pianist Billy Marcus
leads a band that includes a sax section with three tenors and a baritone,
acoustic bass, and drums.  These Florida jazzmen tackle 10 tunes that were
either written by or performed by vibe master Lionel Hampton.  Ah, another
tribute album, you say.  Yes, but not the usual fare, because... well, did
you see any mention of a vibe player in that list?  No, you didn't.  Marcus
and company have interpreted Hamp's music in a completely different light.

Relax.  It's still swing.  Of course, the harmonics are different and the
effect is a bit edgier, but it swings like Mae West's hips.  Billy Ross,
Terry Myers and Eric Allison (tenor sax), and Turk Mauro (bari) play their
hearts out, spinning a whole new thread from some of Hamp's most laid back
moments on record.  Gary Duchaine and James Martin platoon on drums, and
Dennis Marks and Don Coffman do the same on bass.

Hamp also features a pair of fantastic vocalists, Julie Davis and Brenda
Alford, who add sass and steam to a few tracks along the way.  Davis has
the smoothest, sexiest voice to hit the jazz scene in a long while.  Alford,
who possesses a smokier bluesier voice with just a touch of edge, pulls off
some fantastic scat singing on "Homeward Bound."  Being a sucker for the
blues, I found that track--and a few others on Hamp--most intoxicating.

Modern jazz buying is such a gamble for those of us who yearn for the real
thing.  I have a stack of CDs that I never listen to.  Hey, I thought they
were jazz.  They were in the jazz section of the store, y'know?  I was
experimenting.  They were elevator music, with far too much Fender Rhodes
and Sade-style drones singing boring songs.  Billy Marcus is a name that
might be hiding amongst such recordings in the CD store.  Go for it.  This
is the real deal.



MIGHTY ZANDOLI, BLACK PRINCE & LORD BLAKIE: Raw Kaiso 1 (Rounder)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

My strongest desire in creating Cosmik Debris was to turn people on to great
music they wouldn't have been likely to hear about otherwise.  To educate.
This live recording of three legendary calypso artists is exactly what I had
in mind.

Most everyone has heard popular Americanized calypso.  At the very least, you
have heard Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song."  (You know, "Daaaay-oh").
A more accurate Belafonte example for our purposes would be "Jump In The
Line," which you have also heard if you ever saw Beetlejuice.  That is the
rhythm, that is the tempo, and that is the feel of great calypso.  This folk
music from Trinidad and Tobago can be happy (Belafonte) or dangerous (Sparrow)
or down and dirty (too many to name).  The three performers on Raw Kaiso 1
cover all that ground and more.

Recorded live in Port Of Spain, Trinidad, this intimate concert is so much
fun that I can't imagine anyone not immediately falling in love with it.
Three beloved calypso performers--Mighty Zandoli, Lord Blakie, and Black
Prince--take turns creating their own party atmospheres with a crowd that
was clearly into it from the first note.  Humor is a key element in this
music, and while most of us might not understand the lingo, the laughter
of both performer and audience makes us wish we did.  That's why this CD
stands above most others as a great introduction to the genre: the liner
notes include lyrics with FOOTNOTES!  Footnotes that explain the lingo!
We're talking a 10 for performance AND a 10 for the liners.  Don't pass
this one up.  There aren't many labels that have this kind of dedication
to culturally important music.  Thank you, Rounder, from the bottom of my
heart.



THELONIOUS MONK QUARTET:  Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival '63 (Vol. 1)
Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival '63 (Vol. 2) (Mobile Fidelity)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

By 1963, Thelonious Monk has shed much of the criticism and controversy
that had effected him earlier in his career.  Essentially, the jazz
world had finally caught on to (if not caught up with) the unique style
and vision that "The Onliest" Monk brought to his music.

It was a style that seemed particularly well suited for the festival
stage and these two releases document one of his finest performances at
one of the most noteworthy festivals (for many jazz fans, there were
Newport and Monterey, and everything else trailing somewhere behind).

These performances put Monk in his favorite ensemble setting, the
quartet with drums, bass and tenor.  The tenor in question was Charlie
Rouse, an often underrated player, but Monk's first choice throughout the
sixties.  It was no mean feat to be Monk's tenor man, especially in a
live setting.  In addition to the challenging compositions you faced,
you never new when Monk might leave the piano bench for a stroll around
the stage - or off it, leaving you to carry the set until the mood moved
him back to play.

Rouse meets the challenge admirably on both of these discs, as do
drummer Frank Dunlop and John Ore on bass.  Everyone gets ample space
for solos as Monk extends the songs, to the recorded delight of the
Monterey audience.  The shortest cut on Vol. 1 comes in at 12:08 and the
tracks on Vol. 2 range from Monk's own "Epistrophy" at 6:11 to a
monumental 18 minutes and 55 seconds of "Sweet and Lovely."

These discs have been issued as separate releases, which may help you
afford one until you can budget for both, but together they are a
valuable and entertaining document of Thelonious Monk at a high point of
his illustrious career in a setting that complemented his skills.  Each
disc has selections from each of the two sets played at the festival.
Each delivers up nearly an hour of outstanding music.  You'd be equally
well served to get either one first, and the other one soon.

Mobile Fidelity has transferred the music from the original masters to
their Ultradisc II 24k gold disc format.  The music deserves it and they
did a beautiful job.  You can almost feel the salt spray off the
Monterey coastline as you listen.

Track Lists:

Vol. 1: I'm Getting Sentimental Over You * Well You Needn't * Evidence *
I Mean You

Vol. 2: Light Blue * Criss Cross * Epistrophy * Sweet and Lovely *
Bright Mississippi



THE LANNY MORGAN QUARTET: Pacific Standard (Contemporary Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Lanny Morgan cut his bop and swing chops in the bands of noteworthy
leaders like Charlie Barnet and Maynard Ferguson and as one of the five
reeds in Supersax. In the late sixties he launched a highly successful
career in LA's studio scene cutting movie soundtracks, TV themes and
sweetening the recordings of artists from Steely Dan to Shirley Horn.
These days he leaves the studio primarily to tour with Natalie Cole.

With that resume, it's astonishing that "Pacific Standard" is only his
third recorded appearance as a leader.  Hopefully it's the beginning of
a whole new phase, because he rises to the role brilliantly.

Leading a quartet which includes pianist Tom Ranier, drummer Joe
LaBarbera and Dave Carpenter on bass, Morgan delivers straight ahead
interpretations of 10 standards.  Selecting primarily songs that he has
enjoyed performing in jam sessions over his long and illustrious career,
he brings style and freshness to each cut.

The dominant impressions left by the music are of taste and tone.  There
isn't a stray note anywhere.  Morgan also shows a deft touch at passing
the lead to his bandmates, offering up space for impressive solos by
Ranier and Carpenter that will have you reading liner notes in the jazz
bin looking for more of their work.

A glance at the track list may lead you to wonder if there's anything
left to say with some of the songs included.  A listen to the disc will
tell you that indeed there is, and the Lanny Morgan Quartet says it
fluently.

Track List:

In the Still of the Night * People Will Say We're In Love * Stella by
Starlight * The Song is You * Rosalie * I'll Remember April * Body and
Soul * Broadway * Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most * It's You or
No One



NIRVANA: In Utero (24k gold disc by Mobile Fidelity)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Mobile Fidelity goes for the gold with Nirvana's 1993 follow-up to Nevermind.
Since you've probably already suffered through a zillion arguments on the
merits of the album itself, I'll just say that I like it more than its
highly worshipped predecessor, and almost as much as their Sub Pop debut album,
Bleach.	 Fewer hooks, more balls.  Nuff said.

Now, what can an audiophile release do to enhance things?  For starters, the
output is much higher.  Side by side with the Geffen release, it sounds like
it's coming through an entirely different stereo system.  I gave it the
"crappy stereo test," pumping it through my infinitely cool but ultimately
flat sounding 1960s console stereo (recently fitted with a 1982 CD changer).
Woo!  Surprise!  The damned thing still sounded hot.  Best of all, it aced
the headphone test.  Sound spaces were well defined, especially for the
extra instruments, like the cello on "Dumb," which seems rise up from behind
the band to envelope the stage.  The power tracks have more presence in the
headphones than they do on the standard release, too.  It's not just loud:
it's thick.

In Utero wasn't a quiet wallflower of an album in the first place, but it
never kicked like this.	 Now, let's get Sub Pop and MOFI on a conference
call to talk about Bleach!



NUFLAVOR: Nuflavor (Reprise)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

This is another entry in the R&B harmony group sweepstakes, one of the
most popular forms in pop since the days of doo-wop, and maybe one of
the hardest to break through in.  If these guys can't do it, well, maybe
it's *too* hard.

There are fine solo and harmony voices here, but fine solo and harmony
voices are hardly a rare commodity in the genre.  There's also some damn
fine material here.  It's pretty hard to pick the single off the advance
disc I have - it could be (and may ultimately be) any of several. There's
a strong commitment to ballads on the disc and several are standouts,
including "Sweet Sexy Thing," "Heaven" and "Soul to Soul."

"Havin' a Party" is a an up-tempo tune with a funk hook that's begging
for an extended dance mix.  "Come 'Round My Way" could be covered to
good effect by a lot of rock bands in need of a ballad, as well.

Without taking a thing away from Nuflavor themselves, credit should also
go to producer Gary St. Clair who manages to combine a range of settings
and sensations that create a sense of variety despite the laid back tone
of most of the tracks.

Track List:

Voices of the Future * Sweet Sexy Thing * Heaven * Baby Be There * Soul
to Soul * Open Arms * Havin' A Party * For The Sex Of It * Close 2 U
(On and On) * Unconditionally * Come 'Round My Way



MIKE OLDFIELD: Voyager (Reprise)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Mike Oldfield may still be best known for Tubular Bells, but he has
released a total 19 of albums with international sales of over 40 million.
"Voyager," his nineteenth, is both an extension of and a departure from
his extensive body of work.

It extends his long standing status as a master of the studio and a
composer of thoughtful original work.  It steps away, though, from his
repute for electronic mastery, exchanging it for a greater emphasis on
hand played instrumentation.  The more organic feel that results is a
fine complement to his other departure here - unlike his previous
efforts, traditional songs dominate this disc.

Oldfield has always had a feel for Celtic themes (the British composer
has an Irish mother) and on Voyager he blends Celtic flavored originals
with traditional songs like "Women of Ireland," "She Moves Through the
Fair" and "Flowers of the Forest."  He does so with the help of a team
of traditional players, a choir and the London Symphony Orchestra.  And
he does so very nicely, thank you.

Fans of Celtic music will find the traditional pieces treated
respectfully, and the originals hewing close to the tradition.  Oldfield
fans will find the new-agey, meditative feel that has drawn them back to
his music over and over through the years.  New listeners will find some
outstanding guitar work by Oldfield himself, an intriguing blend of the
ancient and the contemporary and a set of songs which are equally suited
for pleasing background and serious listening.

Though his fans are fiercely loyal, some critics have dismissed Oldfield
as a producer of original Muzak.  To each his own, but if this is
elevator music, I've got to spend more time hanging out in elevators...


Track List:

The Song of the Sun * Celtic Rain * The Hero * Women of Ireland * The
Voyager * She Moves Through the Fair * Dark Island * Wild Goose Flaps
Its Wings * Flowers of the Forest * Mont St Michel



PROKOFIEV: Violin Concertos: No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19; No. 2 in G Minor, Op.
63. Sonata for Solo Violin in D Major, Op. 115. Tedi Papavrami, Violin;
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit. (NAXOS
8.553494 [DDD] 61:39)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings


Papavrami tosses his hat into the ring to challenge the formidable competition
in this popular pair of concertos: Chung/Previn (London), Mordkovitch/Jarvi
(Chandos), Sitkovetsky/Davis (Virgin), Perlman/Rozhdestvensky (Angel),
Bell/Dutoit (London), and individual issues of No. 1 by Mutter/Rostropovich
(Erato) and Vengerov/Rostropovich (Teldec), as well as the recent No. 2 by
Perlman/Barenboim (Erato), all of which have offered something out the
ordinary. Oh, the two icons of the past in this repertory, Szigeti (in No. 1)
and Heifetz (in No. 2) can’t exactly be overlooked (but I must confess to
never warming up much to Heifetz, at least in his second recording, with
Munch on RCA from around 1960). Where does Papavrami (born, 1971) fit in
this distinguished assemblage?

The thing you notice first about him is his strikingly individual style: a
solid, accurate tone that he can, and often does, drop to quiet pianissimos
in rapid passages, only to spring adroitly back to fullness; a technique that
allows him to play the trills and quivering notes in the closing moments
(track 3, beginning at 6:46) of the First with astonishing finesse and
accuracy; and a grip on the music’s structure that suggests maturity, if not
complete mastery. His phrasing of the reappearance of the lyrical alternate
theme in the Second’s first movement (track 4; 8:14), for instance, is
absolutely stunning, played worlds more sensitively than in Stern/Ormandy
from the 1960s. And his sul ponticello effects in the First’s Scherzo are
brilliantly executed. Some may accuse him of being too cute, however.
Papavrami, as suggested, occasionally exaggerates contrasts in his dynamics
to the music’s detriment; try his buildup in the finale of the Second (track
6; 5:09) where he often begins a phrase in a sort of quiet haze to enhance
an outburst moments later, or to contrast with subsequent, well-articulated
accents. Overall, however, this proves a minor flaw; some listeners may even
like the effect.

In the end, Papavrami comes across as a violinist with superb technique and
good ideas. His readings of the concertos certainly place him in the running
with the best. He is the equal of Mutter in the First, though I favor Perlman
(Erato) in the Second. But for a disc containing both works Papavrami’s ranks
with my previous favorite, Chung/Previn. If Angel has reissued the Milstein
performances, they, too, would be a worthy contender.

What may hold this Naxos performance back a bit is the periodic disengaged
conducting of Antoni Wit, whose pointing up of orchestral detail in a few
places seems grudging or lacking in impact. Try the first movement
development of the Second, wherein the horns at 4:58 lack punch, and where
the close of this section is not forcefully punctuated by staccato strings.
Still, his overall contribution, especially in the First, is more than decent,
and Naxos’s sound is absolutely splendid. And you get an excellent reading
of the rarely encountered Solo Sonata, originally conceived by Prokofiev to
be played by an ensemble of violins. All things considered, not least of
which is Naxos’s low price, this release must rate a high priority.



LEE RITENOUR & VARIOUS ARTISTS:  A Twist Of Jobim (i.e. music)
No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19; No. 2 in G Minor, Op.
63. Sonata for Solo Violin in D Major, Op. 115. Tedi Papavrami, Violin;
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit. (NAXOS
8.553494 [DDD] 61:39)Reviewed by Shaun Dale

By now your local "smooth jazz" station has probably got "Water To Drink
(Aqua de Beber)" locked into its rotation and if you've heard it, you
may have put this album into that bag for better or worse.

If so, you've made a mistake.  This is a labor of love from producer,
arranger and player Lee Ritenour, who is all over this disc.  Ritenours
affection for and skill with Brasilian music has been amply evident
since his early work with Sergio Mendes and he brings all that
affection and skill to play here.  I simply can't think of anyone better
suited to pay tribute to Brazil's greatest popular composer.

The sounds of bossa nova are indeed smooth, and in the right hands they
are unquestionably jazz, but they go much farther than what is generally
meant by "smooth jazz."  As played and sung here by an outstanding
roster of A list sidemen and stellar soloists including Oleta Adams, El
DeBarge, Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, the Yellowjackets and,
of course, Ritenour himself, these songs are capital "A" Art and capital
"J" Jazz.

Whether it's Jarreau and Adams weaving vocal magic on "Waters of March,"
Dave Grusin's piano taking a mesmerizing solo turn on "Bonita," El
DeBarge's haunting exchange with Art Porter's soprano sax on "Dindi" or
Ritenour leading the way on the bluesy "Captain Bacardi," there is
simply wonderful music throughout this disc.   Mentioning any track
risks ignoring something special elsewhere.  Hancock's interpretation of
"Stone Flower," for instance, or Jarreau and Adam's updating of the
Jobim classic "Girl From Ipanema," grounded with samples from the
original.

This is the first release from the new i.e. music label, in which
Ritenour is a principal.  If it's any indication, I can't wait for the
second.

Track List:

Water To Drink (Agua de Beber) * Captain Bacardi * Dindi * Waters Of
March * Bonita * Stone Flower * Favela * Children's Games * Lamento *
Mojave * Girl From Ipanema



ROGER & ZAPP: The Compilation - Greatest Hits II and More (Reprise)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Roger Troutman keeps himself pretty busy these days producing some of the
most important R&B artists in the business.  His trademark talkbox sound
funks up anything with a rhythm, so he's always in demand.  Lest we forget
where he came from, this compilation CD gathers some great tracks from his
four solo albums and the four albums he recorded with his brothers under
the Zapp moniker.

Zapp did their best to put the funk back into R&B during the post-disco
years of 1980-1987, producing classics like "More Bounce To The Ounce"
and "Computer Love" along the way.  Those tracks appear on Greatest Hits
volume one, so what's left for volume two?  Puh-lenty!  Zapp was essentially
a cover band that earned its place on the record racks through Troutman's
unique reconstruction of familiar tunes.  Greatest Hits II collects tracks
like Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City" (featuring Stevie himself),
Wilson Pickett's "Midnight Hour," and even Dolly Parton's "I Will Always
Love You," along with Troutman originals like "Chocolate City" and the
irrepressibly funky and danceable "Everybody Get Up."  These were some of
the sharpest grooves of the 80s, and they still sound fresh.

Troutman's use of the talkbox (which mainstream radio listeners will
remember as the weird effect on "Do You Feel Like We Do" and "Show Me
The Way" from Frampton Comes Alive) is as relentless as it is unusual,
so this music might take some getting used to.  I recommend the effort.



ROBERT SHAFER: Hillbilly Fever (Upstart)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Let it be known across the land that Robert Shafer is the genuine article:
a unique player with the skill to be a guitar god and the good taste and
judgment to avoid that trap in favor of making real music.

Without diluting the structure of the song, Shafer will pepper it with
amazing guitar licks for which the term "tasty" could have been coined.
His choice of material doesn't hurt; great rockabilly and country tunes
like "Dixie Fried," "Beam Me Up, Scotty Moore," "Haze Over Coal River,"
and the wonderful ballad "Will Your Lawyer Talk To God For You" fit Shafer's
amazing guitar style like a glove.  Eleven of the twelve songs were written
by others, but the lone original, "Return Of The Flatwoods Monster,"
indicates that Shafer's ability as a writer of melodic instrumental music
is quite considerable.

While I don't always feel comfortable about giving away mystery track
surprises, I just can't help myself this time, because the hidden nugget
isn't your usual throwaway boring jam session.  Uh uh.  It's a stormin'
rockabilly instrumental version of "The Flintstones," and it's the stuff
guitar legends are made of.

Much applause and admiration to vocalist Don Dixon and the rather large
cast of musicians that performed on this album.  The playing is first rate.
I'm going out on a limb (a pretty sturdy one, I believe) and proclaiming
Robert Shafer as the successor to the throne of his late friend Danny
Gatton as king of the Telecaster.  Hillbilly Fever is good listenin' no
matter who you are.  If you're a guitarist, it's absolutely essential.



SHOSTAKOVICH: Suite from The Gadfly, Op. 97a; Suite from Five Days - Five
Nights, Op. 111a. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine conducted by
Theodore Kuchar. (NAXOS 8.553299 [DDD] 76:31)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

Let’s face it, Shostakovich’s film music is not highly regarded. Alongside
Prokofiev’s or Herrmann’s, for example, it pales wretchedly. In fact, there
are many who would assert that Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, and John
Williams are far more important figures in this genre. I wouldn’t contend
otherwise. Some may even claim that James Horner and Danny Elfman are
superior to Shostakovich here. I don’t know if I would go that far, but I
am inclined to believe that Shostakovich was clearly out of his element in
this very descriptive, highly demanding musical realm. His  introverted
persona thrived in the more musically nebulous forms of the symphony, the
quartet, and concertos for string instruments. But not all of his thirty-odd
film scores can be dismissed as lightweight efforts. Like The New Babylon,
both The Gadfly (1955) and Five Days - Five Nights (1961) offer something of
substance, and the latter actually contains moments of truly inspired music.

With highly inventive quotations from his Eleventh Symphony (Dresden in Ruins;
track 14) and from the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth (The Liberation of Dresden;
track 15), Five Days rises well above the mediocre. True, it, like its disc
mate, suffers from bouts of tune-spinning that sound far removed from the
music in his symphonies and chamber works. In fact, there are many passages
in both scores where it is difficult to even recognize this usually highly
individual composer. But Five Days grips you with a dramatic, if corny, sense
of tragedy that carries you along in its earnest depiction of the tragic
events involving the bombing and destruction of the German city Dresden
during World War II. This five-movement suite (and the twelve-movement one
from The Gadfly) was assembled by Lev Atovmian (misspelled in the accompanying
notes as “Atoumian”), and we can only be thankful to him for his work in
rescuing these compositions, warts and all, from obscurity. Why were the
Soviets so lax in excavating many worthwhile film scores from neglect?

The Gadfly may sound superficial, an attempt at pandering, at placating the
repressive musical establishment that could not just make life miserable for
a composer, but could end that life with the well-known midnight knock at the
door by the friendly KGB agents. But however trivial the music often sounds
in its directness and simplicity, it makes no pretenses, and is quite
enjoyable on a superficial level. It’s not Shostakovich spilling his guts on
music that troubles the spirit and challenges the intellect, to be sure, but
it is Shostakovich reining in his emotions and turning on the fawcet of charm
and child-like simplicity with lively rhythms and catchy, if tired, tunes.
That side of his complex psyche is worth serious scrutiny.

The performances here by Kuchar and his Ukrainian players are utterly
first-rate, making the music seem almost better than it is. This conductor
is top-notch in everything he does, and his orchestra is vastly underrated.
Naxos provides excellent sound and good notes. You won’t find much
competition in these works on disc. The Gadfly Suite was issued on a Koch
International CD in 1994, and I believe there was at least one other
recording of Five Days marketed recently. Having heard neither, I still feel
perfectly comfortable in recommending this superior Naxos CD.



THE SKUNKS: No Apologies (Moon Ska)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

These guys are players!  I've been listening to this disc for about a month
now, and I'm here to tell you The Skunks are one of the most versatile bands
on the ska circuit.  Equally adept at blistering ska and melodic rock steady,
they have the wry sense of humor that the best ska bands all seem to have,
but that humor never becomes the hook.  They don't need it, it's just tasty
icing.  I must admit, though, that I jumped out of my chair when I heard
the sound clip from Police Squad in the middle of "Monoskat 7."  Dick Clark
asks Johnny the shoe-shine man what Ska is.  After Clark feeds him a $20 bill,
Johnny begins a hilarious description of ska, complete with his own thoughts
on why it could never become truly popular.  Y'know, I was wondering when
some ska band would use that clip!  Great touch.  And it's just one of many.
The Skunks are probably a blast to see live, and No Apologies conveys the
feeling of a live performance better than most studio albums.  From the
instrumental prowess to the cool factor provided by Rico's toasting, there's
a little bit of everything here.



STIR: Stir (Aware/Capitol)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Stir offers up 12 tracks of heartland rock on their premiere disc.
Originally an indie release on Aware, Capitol Records has picked up the
band for a push that has slotted the lead single "Looking For" on the
charts and in heavy rotation in many markets.

A Missouri based trio, Stir offers little in the way of glamour and
affectation.  The music is straightforward, with the influences of
seventies stadium and country rock shining through.  The lyrics focus on
the personal, with intentional room for your personal interpretation.

The three members of Stir are all multi-instrumentalists, giving them a
range of options that expand the sound beyond the normal expectations of
a guitar/bass/drums trio.  Andrew Schmidt contributes guitars, dulcimer,
Dobro and lead vocals.  Drummer Brad Booker doubles on electric piano
and sings backup.  Bass, Dobro bass and backing vocals come from Kevin
Gagnepain.

They get help here from Michael Utley on Hammond B-3 and Justin Niebank on
keys, percussion and vocals. Kathy Burdick joins for vocals on "One
Angel."  None of these contributions seem pervasive enough to prevent
the band from reproducing these songs on stage, though.

All the songs on the disc are from the pen of Andrew Schmidt, but all
three members write and contributions from Booker and/or Gagnepain may
well appear on the followup.

This one has a way to run first, though.  Want a tip?  Buy it now before
it produces 4 or 5 hits.  Its ground floor time for these guys (unless
you're in St. Louis, in which case I'm probably not telling you anything
you don't know).  There's a lot of potential here - a quintessential
good singin', good playin' American rock band.

Track List:

We Belong * Stale * One Angel * Nephew * Looking For * Lady Bug * Star *
Nothing's Wrong * Don't Understand * Until Now * Train * Ten Dances



THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: Factory Showroom (Elektra)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

What's with these guys, anyway?  I mean, John & John (Flansburgh &
Linnell) come up with some of the spiffiest pop hooks since Boyce &
Hart and then devote them to a tribute to James K. Polk or drag them off
to the original Edison Lab to be recorded on an 1898 wax cylinder.

I mean, don't they want to get rich and famous, or what?

I guess not.  And I'm glad.

Working again in an actual band format (with Graham Maby on bass, Brian
Doherty on drums and lead guitarist Eric Schermerhorn), TMBG has
unleashed their sixth collection of unrestrained pop quirkiness on an
unsuspecting world and a highly expectant corps of fanatical followers.

Everything you would expect from a TMBG disc is here, including a big
serving of the unexpected.  Their patented instrumental variety is in
good evidence as they use everything from strings to a musical saw to
achieve their musical ends.   They take a step off the funk end of the
pier with "S-e-X-x-y," bow down to seventies icons on "XTC vs. Adam Ant"
and give "I Can Hear You" a *real* oldies treatment with the aforementioned
visit to the Edison National Historical Site.

I'll leave the never ending debate about the "best" TMBG album to the
well established circle of newsgroups, mail lists and fanzines.  This is
a good 'un, though.

Track List:

S-e-X-x-y * Till My Head Falls Off * How Can I Sing Like A Girl *
Exquisite Dead Guy * Metal Detector * New York City * Your Own Worst
Enemy * XTC vs. Adam Ant * Spiraling Shape * James K. Polk * Pet Name *
I Can Hear You * The Bells Are Ringing



THIRD RAIL: South Delta Space Age (Antilles/Verve)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

James Blood Ulmer has had quite the unique musical journey.  He's played
rock, funk, soul, jazz... you name it.  How many people do you know who
are talented enough to go from never having played jazz to holding down
the guitar job in Ornette Coleman's band in just a few years time?  None.
Some of that jazz still resides in Ulmer's sound, but his true love seems
to be bluesy funk, and his greatest gift is his ability to translate his
most abstract thoughts into unusual guitar licks on the spur of the moment.
South Delta Space Age was recorded live in the studio (with just a few
overdubs), which is the best of all possible situations	for Blood.  His
playing is spontaneous, moody, and always from the gut.

Ulmer's partner in crime is Bill Laswell, who produced this music with a
light touch.  Had a heavy-handed producer gotten hold of this material, it
wouldn't have worked, as the spontaneity would have been processed right out
of the sound.  Laswell took on double duty, providing solid bass work that
is right in the pocket with drummer Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste, (formerly of
The Meters).  Filling out the band are Bernie Worrel (Funkadelic) on organ
and clavinet, and Amina Claudine Meyers on organ and vocals.

The track selection is varied and interesting.  A kinky little surprise sits
in the leadoff spot: Schooly D's "Dusted," performed as a slow menacing
blues with Ulmer's vocal riding the line between desperation and resignation.
"Funk All Night" calls the honor roll, as Ulmer sings "Funk...James Brown.
Funk...Brother George," eventually funkin' the hell out of just about everyone.
"First Blood" takes inspiration and a verbatim intro from Malcom X.  "You
been hoodwinked!"  The most unusual track of all is "Blues March," an
instrumental tune with killer swirling Hammond B3 work from Worrel and a
fine bit of wah-wah bass riffing by Laswell.

Third Rail is something of a destination for James Blood Ulmer, because his
sound and method are finally all his own.  His vision works for me.  What
he (and Laswell and company) has created here is classic funk without cliches,
and an easy groove without flashpots: it doesn't NEED to inform you that it
is indeed a groove.	 You feel it.



VARIOUS ARTISTS:  Magic & Mystery: Majestic Music from Scotland & Ireland
(Temple Records, Distributed by Rounder)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Scottish and Irish, traditional and way new compositions, fiddles and
pipes and harps and guitars and flutes and everything!

Hoo boy!

If you like Celtic music, there's sure to be something here that will
excite you, and a lot that will please you, and virtually nothing to
disappoint.

If you think of Celtic music primarily as jigs and reels then you'll be
surprised, and I think pleasantly, by these selections. This is a gentler
side of the tradition.  Focused on melody rather than rhythm, these are
the airs and ballads of Ireland and Scotland, performed by some of the
preeminent musicians of the genre.

"Magic & Mystery" is an appropriate title.  Put it on, close your eyes
and let the music transport you to a Highland camp or an Irish castle
someplace in the distant past.  But don't let the pensive mood set by
the music make you fail to take note of the great performances.

There's too much variety here to detail, but there are no bad tunes or
bad performances.  This is a fine introduction for the new Celtic listener
and a valuable sampler for the aficionado.

Track List:

Friderday (Dougle Pincock & Alan Reid) * Fornethy House (Heritage) *
Lady Iveagh (Ann Heymann) * Togail Curs Air Leodhas (Battlefield Band) *
Air for Jakes (John McCusker) * An Cailin Rua (Josie McDermott) *
Taimse Im, Chodladh (Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band) * The
Braidwood Waits (Alison Kinnaird)/Peace and Plenty (Battlefield Band) *
Miss Hamilton (Brian McNeil) * She's Late But She's Timely (Battlefield
Band) * Hollin Green Hollin/Thomas the Rhymer/Young Benjie/Tam Lin
(Gordon Mooney) * Planxty Sudley (Maire Ni Chathasaigh) * Mrs. Jamieson's
Favorite (Mac-talla) * The Crags of Ailsa/Staffa's Shore (Alison
Kinnaird) * A Stor Mo Chroi (Eric Rigler) * Brigid's Waltz (John McCusker)



VARIOUS ARTISTS: Rock Don't Run Vol. 2 (Spinout)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

The second volume of Rock Don't Run is just as cool as the first, and may
even have a higher fun quotient.  Like Volume 1, this disc has plenty of
spirited surf tunes.  Laika and the Cosmonauts' "Fadeaway" adds carnival
twists to the surf menu, which also boasts tunes by The Halibuts, The
Penetrators, The Mulchmen, and others.  Spinout Records head dude Eddie
Angel pops in for a pair of tunes with his own band, Los Straitjackets,
though he didn't contribute a solo number this time around.  My favorite
cut is one that would have to be considered a novelty tune!  "2000 lb.
Werewolf," by The Neanderthals, is a lo-fi classic complete with howling
and screaming and imagined ripping and clawing and... ah.  Sorry.  The
lo-fi tracks, in fact, fit in surprisingly well with the exquisite
recordings.  The Halibut's cover of "Summertime" (very well recorded),
which features some great guitarin' by Pete Curry and Rick Johnson, seems
perfectly at home alongside	"Pans Rock" (apparently recorded inside a pop
can) by The Panasonics.  And The Kaisers... well, I guess The Kaisers are
gonna sound good no matter HOW you record them or who you place 'em next
to on a compilation CD.  Eddie and company deserve a round of applause for
putting these bands together, along with Four Piece Suit, Simon and the
Bar Sinisters, The Exotics and The Vibro Champs.  A good time was had by all.
Here's hoping this is a long-lived series with many many volumes.  (Spinout
Records: 4402 Soper Ave, Nashville, TN 37204.)



VARIOUS ARTISTS: Skank Down Under (Moon Ska)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Yes, my friends, it's true!  They're skankin' their asses off in Australia
and New Zealand.  Moon Ska Records scores again with this compilation that
features some of the best from that scene.

"Can't Get Laid In The USA," by The Porkers, mixes 2Tone and punk elements,
with more than a little inspiration from The Clash's "I'm So Bored With The
USA."  The little break they borrowed from "Back In The USSR" is a kick, too.
Yeah, you're right... it's a derivative tune, but it's fun.  As it should be,
because ska is fun music.  Dr. Raju's "There Ain't Nobody Here But Us
Chickens," Skazoo's "Crazy People," Loin Groin's "Rough And Tough"... these
are all a blast to listen to, and to dance to.

For tongue-in-cheek silliness, there's nothing like "Jane Bondage."  Skapa
takes a medium-slow ska beat, laces it with the guitar part from "The James
Bond Theme," and comes up with the coolest track of the bunch.  What is it
about that Bond theme?  You can mix that guitar with rock, jazz, ska, surf,
reggae... hell, you could probably make it sound good in a polka number!

There's something about the air in Oz that makes for some interesting music.
Listen to what G.T. Stringer does with surf and jazz, or what The Blackeyed
Susans do with their zillion influences.  On Skank Down Under, you get a
damned good taste of the Aussie and New Zealand twist .

Quick bitch: Hey, Moon Ska!  We love your stuff!  You guys put out some of
the best CDs on the freakin' planet.  But could you do something about your
liner notes?  Every release has a tiny bit of info and maybe three pages of
your catalog!  If you must do that, how about at least one or two pages per
booklet dedicated to real information about the artists?  I'd sure like to
know a little about these bands.  Thanks for listening.	(Moon Ska Records:
PO Box 1412, New York, NY 10276. Call [212] 673-5538)



VARIOUS ARTISTS: Skarmageddon III (Moon Ska)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Moon Ska is a NYC label--guess what kind of music they specialize in--that
is owned by one or more members of The Toasters.  When they go on the road,
local ska bands in each city open for them, and many of them turn out to be
damned good.  A few years back, the label put out Skarmageddon: a double CD
compilation of tracks by some of The Toasters' favorite discoveries.  Many
of the bands that appeared on that set are now fixtures in the national ska
scene.  The following year, Moon released Skarmageddon II with the same kind
of theme, and many of THOSE bands are currently hot.  Here comes volume III.

This time around, the 45 tracks (by 45 bands) are split up a bit differently.
Disc 1 is jam-packed with great old-skool 2Tone ska from bands like The
Allentons, Skalicious, Johnny Too Bad and the Strikeouts, The Defactos, Spies
Like Us, and my choice for great band name of the year, Pro Midget Mafia.
This disc is proof that the 2Tone scene is still thriving, and still producing
incredible new talent.	Horn section fans will find plenty here to keep them
happy.  Ska is, after all, the last bastion for true brass sections (outside
of latin pop).

Disc 2 is labeled "Post-2Tone, Ska-Punk & Beyond," which is a pretty broad
description that turns out to be necessary, given the range of sounds.
Critical Mass, Skoidats, Hot Stove Jimmy, Two Thousand Flushes, Big D and
the Kids Table, Angry Planet, The Impossibles, and--gotta love this one--Army
Of Juan are just a few of the hot bands that make disc two sizzle.  We get
everything from what sounds like the 2tone on disc 1 (post-2tone?  I can't
tell...Sorry...) to lightning fast punk that can result in whiplash if you
aren't careful.  I found disc 2 to be the most fun, probably because I've
been hearing mostly old-skool for the past six months and the change of pace
is exciting.  Whatever the reason, disc 2 rocks hard.

I like what Moon Ska did with this volume of Skarmageddon.  Breaking it up
in this way makes it a bit easier to listen to.  I don't know about you, but
I pick my listening material based on my mood.  These forms of ska satisfy
very different moods and needs.  Right now, 7 cups of black coffee into my
day, this Trespassers track, "Gonna Get It, Nazi Punk," is just what the
doctor ordered.  (Moon Ska: PO Box 1412 New York, NY 10276. [212] 673-3359)



VARIOUS ARTISTS: Thrash Concert Tonight (Melodiya)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Slammin' thrash punk from a very cool Canadian label.  So far, just about
everything I've heard from Melodiya Records has rocked hard, and since this
is a compilation of several of the bands I've been hearing, it was a safe
bet this would rock hard, too.  And it does!  Bluebeard	and Pillar turn in
the most powerful tracks, Tristin Psonic provides mind-melting psychedelic
strangeness, Ten Days Late brings the crunchies, and The New 1-2 add a
heaping helping of snotty attitude. Powerful psych crunchy snot?  Sounds
like a recommendation!  Here are the particulars...	(Melodiya: 2523
Seventeenth Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3E 0A2. Phone/Fax
403-246-8916. E-mail heggw@cuug.ab.ca)

Track List:

Bluebeard (A Special Presentation) *  Primrods (Barbet Land) * Tristan Psonic
(The Perils Of Consignment)	* Jigsaw (Loose Ends) * The New 1-2 (The Spray) *
Straight (Ten Long Years) * Knucklehead (Johnny's On The Run) * Ten Days Late
(Clothes) * Pillar (Carbon Based) * The Primrods (Satori) * Knucklehead
(Bonnie & Clyde) * Jigsaw (Substance Spark) * Jigsaw (Substance Spark) *
Ten Days Late (Pick And Choose) * Pillar (Shatter) * Bluebeard (Fortune
Teller) * Straight (Beautiful People) * Tristan Psonic (Air Traffic Control) *
The New 1-2 (Like Ending)



VARIOUS ARTISTS: True Life Blues (Sugar Hill)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

Bill Monroe may be just a name, a hat, and a mandolin to most, but to others
he is a showbiz giant. This tribute collection claims the man stands alongside
such luminary music masters as Muddy Waters and Hank Williams, and when looking
down the long line of Monroe's accomplishments, it's hard to argue that fact.
Anyone weaned on the Grand Ole Opry would agree, for Monroe and his legendary
Blue Grass Boys had few peers. And few could match Monroe's prolific writing
skills, especially when considering that he wrote just as many vocal as
instrumental classics. Monroe wrote and played in a unique and unaltered style
for most of his life, and thus endeared himself to country and bluegrass
music fans, but also never made the crossover to other genres which would
have made his name legend in all music circles. Nevertheless it's a treat to
hear the new crop of players keeping his music fresh. Though that's nothin'
new. Y'see back in 1954 a young fella recorded Monroe's 'Blue Moon of Kentucky,'
and well, you know what happened.



THE VIDALIAS: Stayin' in the Doghouse  (Upstart)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Yee Haw!

Every once in a while a disc comes across my desk that makes me glad
there's a bottle of Rebel Yell on the shelf above it.  It's not that a
shot makes this music sound better, it's the music that makes the
bourbon go down a bit smoother...

These guys have a great honky tonk feel but there's a bit more here than
that.  Sure, there's plenty of pedal steel and some of those heartbreak
songs that go so well with the whiskey, but there's a Ramones cover
stuck in there, and an electric sitar.  There's also a Johnny Cash
impression, a William Blake reference and a helluva lot of good original
tunes.

Singer/guitarist Charles Walston penned everything here except the
Ramones "Questioningly" and the group effort "Coffee Break."  He's well
rooted in the country tradition, but certainly not afraid to break with
it where selling the song requires a different approach.

Some of the material may challenge the hard core country fan a bit, and
certainly the sound requires some affection for the genre, but if you've
got that affection and have a hankering for something a little different
now and then, there's probably something here for you.  There's plenty
here for me.

Track List:

Misery Loves Company * Body and Soul * Thunder and Rain * Whole Lotta
Doin' Without * Fashion Lasts Forever * What a Nice Surprise * Whose
Side Are You On * Such a Mystery * Lonely Sundown * Questioningly * All
Over Me * Coffee Break



LINK WRAY: Missing Links 1-4 (Norton)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Collectors and fans will bust a brain cell over this set.  Previously only
available on 8 LPs, this music fit nicely onto 4 CDs for your scratchless
jammin' pleasure.  The father of the powerchord started his musical life as
a hillbilly, performing with brothers Vernon and Doug as Lucky Wray and the
Palomino Ranch Hands.  It was Ray's band, and Ray's leaning was country,
but when bro Link kicked into a guitar solo, it became Linkabilly in a big
ol' hurry.  Disc one, titled Hillbilly Wolf, covers this phase of Link's
career, along with other early recordings by Link and various configurations
of the Raymen.  And and the odd truth is... I like this CD best of the four.
Okay, I know what you're thinking.  Uh...well, maybe I don't.  See, I do
realize the best Link Wray music happened when the vocal mic was off and he
hit that big ol' D chord, and none of that good stuff happens on disc one,
but this disc is the most consistent.  Link's habit of attempting vocal
tunes (sometimes not particularly well sung) keeps the other three discs
from achieving any solid coherency.  They're great for what they are--hunt
and pick compilations--but they don't flow like disc one.  That being said,
let's commence t'huntin' and pickin'.

Disc two covers The Raymen's transition from Epic Records to Swan.  'The
sound' is blooming at this point and the attitude is starting to come
through.  "Big City After Dark," "Hold It," and "Rawhide '63," have 'it'
in spades.  There are several live cuts that offer a little bit of insight
into the development of the sound.  Some of the vocal tunes here aren't
particularly painful.

Disc three finds Link and The Raymen hitting lean times as The Beatles and
the other Brits came ashore.  What we have here is a collection of sides
they recorded under other names (like The Spiders) or backing up other
artists.  There's even some Italian pop on this one!  Whoa!  And some real
obvious Beatles posturing.  Amid all the cheese you'll find hidden gems like
"XKE" and "Drag Strip," both recorded with The Fender Benders.  The most
interesting tracks are "Red Riding Hood And The Wolf" and "The Girl Can't
Dance," by Bunker Hill (Dave Walker).  Hill performed these tunes like a
madman, his voice sounding like a cross between Little Richard and a cat
in a dryer.   The sound quality of these two tracks is just shy of fatal.
Everything on the high end of the EQ spectrum is boosted till it hurts,
and everything on the low end of the... the... Alright, there IS no low
end of the spectrum.  These two tracks are great and awful.  They're your
ears on drugs.  The closing track, "Rumble '69," finds The Raymen getting
back in the groove just in time to pack up their stuff and move to disc
four.

The final volume is titled Streets Of Chicago, but they should have called
it The Party Disc.  Of the four discs, it's the most likely to please the
casual Link Wray fan because it's the closest to his trademark sound.  In
fact, I have to place "Bluebeard" in the top five Link tunes list.  Sue me,
it's a killer!  Just to drive this point home, the disc winds down with a
pair of Link's best known tunes, "Ace Of Spades" and "Rumble," performed
live at 1023 Club in 1964.  Sound quality?  Uh, no, but if you want that,
get any old Best Of package.  This isn't best of anything by any stretch
of the imagination.  This is archeology: 81 tracks that are rare as hens
teeth.  Collectors, start your engines.  Me, I'm gonna put the Hillbilly
disk back on.  Just can't help it.  (Norton Records: PO Box 646, Cooper
Station, New York, NY 10003)


______________________________________________________________________________


		              C O S M I K   Q U I C K I E S

				Fast little reviews for impatient people



BARTOK: String Quartets: Nos. 3, 4 & 6*. Juilliard Quartet.
(SONY CLASSICAL SMK 62705  [ADD/DDD*] 63:46)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

This is an important reissue from Sony: No. 4 is from 1949 (but has quite
vivid sound), No. 3 from 1963, and No. 6 from 1981. Personally, I would’ve
preferred the Juilliard’s incisive and absolutely thrilling 1963 reading of
No. 4 to this raw, but still convincing performance. Presumably, Sony will
issue the other three Bartok quartets shortly to complete this chronologically
mixed cycle. Despite personnel changes in the Juilliard over the years they
have remained almost in a class by themselves. All three accounts here are
compelling, and anyone interested in these twentieth century chamber music
monuments ought to purchase this disc.



CHARLIE: Fight Dirty / Good Morning America (Renaissance)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

Fight Dirty was probably the most consistent of all the Charlie albums. The
first two songs--"Killer Cut" and the title track--are some of the best things
the band ever recorded. Arnie Lawrence's alto sax on the title track and
"Heartless" is outstanding. Good Morning America was a major disappointment
after the great songs on Fight Dirty. The only track worth mentioning on the
album was the cover of the Couchois tune, "Roll the Dice." Luckily, the reissue
makes up for the lack of good material with three unlisted (and otherwise
unavailable) bonus tracks--"Fantasy Girls," "It's Inevitable" and "Never Too
Late." All three songs are alternate mixes. In case you have trouble finding
Charlie in your local record store, you can order it direct from Renaissance
through their web site at http://skymarshall.com/renaissance.



THE COWSLINGERS: Old One Eye/Heyday (Demolition Derby)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss

At their best, The Cowslingers combine the right elements of Rock & Roll,
Country Boogie and Honky Tonk and flavor it with their own irreverent
sensibility. I personally prefer the more uptempo A-side but if you like
bands like The Dave & Deke Combo or Big Sandy, you'll definitely dig this
as well. (c/o Kres Verreth, Tervuursestwg 1h, 1820 Perk, Belgium)



ROBBEN FORD: Discovering the Blues (Avenue Jazz)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

Discovering the Blues is the debut in the label’s new Avenue Vault Classics
series. Recorded in 1972, this previously unreleased performance at the
infamous Ash Grove in Hollywood captures the 21-year-old guitarist tearing
through amazing renditions of B.B. King’s “Sweet Sixteen” and the John Lee
Hooker classic, “It’s My Own Fault,” as well as some originals. There are
two tracks that fall flat, but the rest of it is killer. Highly recommended.



JEFFERSON STARSHIP: Freedom at Point Zero (RCA)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

Long before they built that damned city, Jefferson Starship was making albums
with good tunes on them. Once lead vocalist Grace Slick became an "on again,
off again" member of the group (this was the band’s first album without her),
they lost a huge portion of their credibility. They turned into a cheesy top
40 band--commercially more successful, but a far cry from the group heard
during the 70's on FM radio. Freedom at Point Zero (available for the first
time on CD) hinted at the band's new musical direction, but there were still
some good tunes on it. They had a few hits with songs like "Jane," "Girl With
the Hungry Eyes," and "Rock Music"--but the album tracks like "Things to Come"
and "Awakening" were Zero's highlights. The sound quality is better than the
original vinyl pressing, and the booklet includes new liner notes.




TERRY KATH: Chicago Presents the Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath (Chicago)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

When Chicago first started out back in the late 60’s, they had one of the
best guitarists around in Terry Kath. Jimi Hendrix once told Walt Parazaider
(Chicago’s sax player) “Your guitar player is better than me.” Kath died in
1978, but his music lives on. This CD is a tribute to Kath and his music,
featuring songs from the first eleven Chicago albums, plus two cuts from the
1972 Japanese live album. The sound quality on the disc is noticeably better
than any of the band’s previous CDs. If you’re a Chicago fan, this is
required listening. (This CD is only available through mail order. For more
info, call 800-552-5624, or write to Chicago Records at 8900 Wilshire Blvd.,
Suite 300, Beverly Hills, CA 90211)



MASCAGNI: Cavalleria Rusticana. Placido Domingo, tenor (Turridu); Elena
Obraztsova, Soprano (Santuzza). Leoncavallo: I Pagliacci. Placido Domingo,
tenor (Canio); Teresa Stratas, Soprano (Nedda). Chorus & Orchestra Del
Teatro Alla Scala, Milano conducted by Georges Pretre. (PHILIPS 454 265-2
[ADD] Two Discs 2’20:03)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

Domingo fans will be pleased by this two-for-the-price-of-one reissue of
performances made for the Franco Zeffirelli films. Critics were not
necessarily pleased by them when they were issued more than a decade ago,
but, on the whole, the I Pagliacci here is quite appealing, and if Pretre
reads Cavalleria in a bit of a slapdash manner at times, and if Obraztzova
isn’t the most beguiling Santuzza imaginable, Domingo still makes the whole
thing worthwhile. Philips provides absolutely sumptuous sound. No librettos,
but you do get decent plot summaries. A worthwhile pair.



THE NILS: Green Fields In Daylight (Mag Wheel)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

About time is all I can say. The Nils were the hotshit grunge (before grunge)
blue collar slop rock punk band in the mid eighties. They made growling
infectious innocent rawk that sounded like The Replacements, like Husker Du,
like The Nils. Alex Soria was a snotty twelve year old when he started
banging away at the guitar, and barely into his twenties when the big bad
rock'n'roll world put an untimely end to The Nils. Bad management, bad record
companies, bad you name it. Despite all their woes, The Nils managed to slap
together a bunch of eps and a killer full length album, before bowing out
of the big show. Green Fields In Daylight  collects all those eps, singles
with a bunch of live tracks for a jam-packed 29 track killer comp. Is there
a better bunch of Canuck rawk than 'River of Sadness,' 'Bandito Callin' and
'Scratches and Needles'? Don't think so. Soria, owner of that oh so rare
innate writing gift, fused plain talk lyrics with a thundering aural backdrop
to heart-pounding effect. And as great as the music is, it serves as a sad
reminder of what could have and should have been. Alex, where the fuck are
you now?



NOMADS: The Cold Hard Facts Of Life (Lance Rock)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

Being a true patriot (bleed maple sap I do), I must stand erect with right
hand over pumping heart area as the Nomads tackle grand Canuck garage anthems
with spirit, grace and a case of stubbies. A brilliant idea by label dictator
Jack T.: having a crack band of foreigners (yes, Sweden again) take on the
likes of Teenage Head, The Ugly Ducklings and The Northwest Company. And
besides us few remaining grandads who remember this slop when it first zapped
our close'n'plays, this record will be a brand new experience for most. Like
a cold hard, proposition denied slap, loosening a few filings, it's worth it
for the awakening factor. Now scuttle off to yer local vinyl nerd store to
scour for The Northwest Territory like you oughta.



STEVEN NOVACEK: Guitar Collection: Fernando Sor	(Naxos 8.553341)
Reviewed by Paul Remington

Adding to the never-ending quantity of releases Naxos produces, they
have recorded a magnificent collection of Sor material prodigiously
performed by classical guitarist Steven Novacek. Performed are three Sor
works encompassing 28 tracks: Trios Pieces de Societe, Vingt-Quatre
Exercises, and Book II. Sor remains one of the most often studied and
performed composers featured in classical guitar. His works are perfectly
suited for the instrument, and performances of these works utilize a
wide-range of musical technique. Novacek's performance is wonderful, and
as Director of the Classical Guitar and Lute program at the University of
Washington, Naxos should be proud of his release. At 60 minutes+ in length,
excellently recorded, it becomes yet another fantastic addition to their
bulging catalog of material.



PAVEMENT: Brighten The Corners (Matador / Capitol)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

Those bastards are at it again. Seems like every year Pavement releases a
record which everyone trips over praising, but sells diddley. There's a
always a killer single and a bunch of silly splatter wank indie guitar atonal
muzak. Brighten The Corners  ain't no different, except maybe they've become
more polished at their brand of studio lunacy, and there could be more than
one single here (awk!). Sure to make fans quite wet, the big wigs at Capitol
a tad confused, other bands forest green with envy, and new listeners
intrigued. All a good thing. The killer single is of course 'Stereo,' which
they've conveniently plunked as the leadoff track. I own everything they
make if that's any consolation.



PEPG!RLZ: Down'N'Dirty (Alive)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

Gimme a simple beat, a swirlin' electric guitar zap and a bored female vocal
whining repetitively, and I'll show you a good time. This good time can be
found on track four, a small, irritatingly hypnotic ditty called 'Buggin.'
It's nuthin' but a wawa pedal drone, some distant drumming and a one word
lyric. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what they call rock and roll. It's the
stuff that makes our parents' eyes roll deep into the backs of their heads,
and what sets our sweat glands into pubescent overdrive. And that's just the
start. PePG!RLZ may have a spelling conundrum, but they know how to squeeze
lust out of a beat. There's no room for nuance and subtlety here, this is
GRRRL rawk with claws drawn. If Mom thought Jingle Cats was a cute idear,
wait'll she gets an earful of 'Kitten Kat Farm' - a bump and grind striptease
number with howling felines. The ladies hit the white trash route with
'Cheezeburger Delux,' 'Monster Truck' (augmented nicely with a heartfelt and
authentic yodel) and 'Winnebago,' leaving an endless array of raodkill in
their dust, and a big satisfied grin on my face. Ya-hoooo!



PROKOFIEV: Visions Fugitives, Op. 22; Hindemith: Ludus Tonalis. Olli
Mustonen, Piano. (London 444 803-2 [DDD] 68:24)
Reviewed by Robert Cummings

I won’t hide my prejudice for the music of Prokofiev, but on this disc it’s
the Hindemith work that must merit greater attention. The Visions have had
many fine recordings over the years: Beroff/Angel, Sandor/Vox, Richter/various
labels (but in excerpts only) and, more recently, Chiu/Harmonia Mundi. But
Ludis Tonalis has only recent been getting attention, quite a bit of attention.
This recording will show you why. Mustonen’s deft control of dynamics, his
Pogorelich-like nuancing in coloration, and his all-encompassing technique
show the work as a major masterpiece. In sum, this disc, superbly recorded,
offers two twentieth century gems in highly individual, powerfully compelling
performances.



LAZARO ROS: Songs For Elegua (Rounder)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

This review comes with a warning: do not buy this disc unless you are
fascinated either by Cuban cultural lore or native musics of the entire
world.  This is NOT casual listening material for the unadventurous.
It is a kind of tribal singing, backed only by bata drums, designed to
offer prayer to Elegua, the eternal child (like a god) that is believed
to be the beginning and end of everything.  The liner notes offer a quick
explanation of all this, without which I wouldn't have had a clue what I
was hearing, since the songs aren't sung (chanted, really) in English.
Being one of those people who IS fascinated with native musics from all
over the planet, I would have enjoyed it anyway.  Highly interesting and
unusual.



COREY STEVENS & TEXAS FLOOD: Blue Drops of Rain (Discovery)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

This album was originally released on the Eureka label in 1995, and recently
reissued on Discovery. Stevens sounds like quite a few other artists. His
guitar playing is reminiscent of the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan (there’s
a cover of SRV’s “Lenny” on the CD), and at times, his vocals will have you
thinking  you bought an Eric Clapton album. The disc is about half original
tunes and half covers. There’s nothing outstanding on Blue Drops, but there’s
nothing that begs you to turn it off either. Overall, it’s a good blues/rock
album from a promising new artist.



SUICIDAL TENDENCIES: Self titled (Frontier/Epitaph)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

The classic debut album by Suicidal Tendencies comes up to bat once again
thanks to Epitaph's new commitment to great ol' music.  The classic punk
staples "I Saw Your Mommy" and "Institutionalized" are here alongside great
lesser known tunes like "I Shot The Devil," "Two-Sided Politics" and "Fascist
Pig."  Those who remember the band primarily for their speed metal music
should give this classic hardcore disc a spin.




VARIOUS ARTISTS: Latin Ska Vol II (Moon Ska)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

Here comes another batch of Latin flavored ska from bands spread all over
the world.  I never heard the first volume of this series, so I can't
compare it to anything, but I can say it's fine for a change of pace from
the my usual 2-tone and skacore diet.  A few tracks fall flat as a stomped
tortilla, but the rest range from pleasantly interesting to downright
skablime.  Sorry.  Bands like Persiana Jones, Skatala, Los Defactos, and
a few others here will gain fans stateside in a big hurry.



VARIOUS ARTISTS: Shut The Gate Suzy, And Don't Let Me In
(Nitro/Demolition Derby)
Reviewed by The Platterpuss

This fine little 19-songer is mostly a collection of tracks that were
previously released by the label as singles and it features tracks by New
Bomb Turks, Southern Culture On The Skids, Gaunt,Vice Barons and The A-Bones
who's "Bad Boy" (included here) is possibly the wildest version of that
classic I've ever heard. Other highlights include Sin Alley's "Let's Dance,"
The Gorgon's souped-up cover of The Chocolate Watchband's "Don't Need Your
Lovin," the punk-poppy "Glad You're Gone" by Brand of Shame and The Perverts'
take on The Tamrons' "Wild Man" which they sing in Dutch. If you're a fan of
gutsy, primal garage band music with no crossover appeal whatsoever (and I
mean that in only the most complimentary of ways), then this is definitely
for you. (c/o Kris Verreth, Tervuursestwg 1h, 1828 Perk, Belgium)



GENE VINCENT: The Screaming End (Razor & Tie)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

Dressed head to toe in shiny black leather, 'The Screaming End' would drag
his gimpy leg around the stage while snarling true blue rockabilly as his
unkempt greasy hair flopped with every primal beat. Gene Vincent was the
first bad ass of rock'n'roll. Crawlin' outta the ditch after a motorcycle
accident and onto the pop charts with 'Be Bop-A-Lula,' Vincent set the
standards for parental fright in 1956. This was rough, crazed music that
was equal parts sex and violence, with no eye-wink pretense, thank you.
'Be Bop-A-Lula' may have been Vincent's ticket to stardom, but it was also
his ticket to obscurity. Despite releasing music raw and powerful, Vincent
would only see the pop charts on a few more occasions before spiraling
into one-hit wonderland. Needless to say, if you want a good hit of Vincent
you'll have to shell out a small fortune for a rare vinyl copy, or scout
out some later comps. And as comps go, The Screaming End  is a beaut.
Collecting material from 1956 and 1957, when Vincent and the fiery Blue
Caps were red hot, this twenty track barn-burner sounds as fresh today as
it did back then. A young Vincent squeezes out all the sparks as he's
hustled to endless recording sessions by a hungry Capitol records. 'Pink
Thunderbird,' 'Jump Back, Honey, Jump Back,' 'Who Slapped John' ...
rip-roarin' ravers one and all, proving Vincent had a lot to offer. Time for
a rediscovery, methinks.



RICK WRIGHT: Broken China (Guardian)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

Pink Floyd keyboardist, Rick Wright just released his second solo album here
in the US. It’s been available for months in Europe and Canada, but for
whatever reason, was just released here. Don’t look for anything Floydian on
this CD. Mostly instrumental, this is purely sleep-inducing. Sinead O’Connor
does vocals on two tracks, and neither one are worth a second listen. Unless
you’re a die-hard Pink Floyd fan who has to have everything ever released by
the remaining members of the band, skip this one.


___________________________________________________________________________

BETWEEN ZERO & ONE
By Steven Leith


                        TRUE CONFESSIONS

I have a confession.  I didn’t follow any political news last month.  I
didn’t read the papers.  I didn’t watch the talking hair-dos.  I didn’t
listen to talk radio.  In short, I fell down on the job of tuning into
the political scene that surrounds us.

I didn’t do this out of spite.  Nor did I do it to prove a point about
the pointlessness of it all.  I did it because it has become so
predictable and boring that I can not stand to listen to another
syllable without going nuts.

Instead I played computer games, wrote on topics unrelated to current
politics and generally got on with my life.  After a month of getting on
without political news I find I am no worse off than before.  Well, with
the exception that I am hopelessly out of touch at cocktail parties (I
rely on spouting Net buzzwords to deflect questions about current
events.).

So why do we care so much about something we have about as much impact
on as the weather?  We have all been taught that to be an informed
citizen is to be a good citizen.  We also have to make small talk with
people at work or play.  We have to pretend that we really are a part of
society instead of apart from it.

I say stop pretending.  Revel in the details of life that you have
control over like making coffee or reading a book.  You certainly don’t
have control over any branch of government (unless you are an elected
official, and even then I doubt it.).  You don’t have control over the
stupidity of cultists (no offense intended for Microsoft employees).
You don’t have control over the economy and never will under our system
of casino capitalism.

So, put on a CD, crank up the volume, use the newspaper to start a fire
and kick back.  If something really important happens someone will tell
you, sooner or later.


___________________________________________________________________________

WALLEY AT WITZEND
By David Walley


                    THE TRUE BELIEVER

Once upon a time in a college far away there lived a Young
Conservative. The editorials emanating from his off-campus
Conservative Weekly positively scorched the Administration and
continually stuck it to all the Liberals, Gays, and Third Worlders
whose absurd ideological demands were interfering with education's
sacred duties.

He and his claque, mostly Freshman looking for identity and a
few kindred souls, taped a professor cussing during a Music Class
and then claimed it was all a waste of the college's money to
employ him. Of course they didn't take into account that the
professor was an embittered bopster who just talked like that, oh
no. Far from being the counterweight to the Liberal Cannon, their
satires and bombasts were so heavy-handed that their point of
making good clean Conservative fun was all but lost on the general
collegiate population.

Not entirely though, for the Young Conservative became something
of a media celebrity among the old guard of the Movement who
publicized his struggle in their national media organs. At
graduation he was offered a job by someone who obviously was
delighted to see that keeping the campus safe from democracy was
worth something in the real world.

In due course, the Young Conservative came under the patronage
of a big-time contributor to the cause. The Old Man, a media
magnate, was wealthy, well-connected, and a good market player who
commanded a corner office and was never photographed without a tie.
At their initial meeting, the two nattered on about welfare rights,
gun control, unions and foreign policy. Government is too important
to be left to the whims of the governed opined the Young
Conservative and the Old Man laughed delightedly.

As his personal assistant, the young man became privy to the
inner sanctum and attended all kinds of testimonials for retired
generals, former Supreme Court Justices and the like. In time he
was entrusted to Convey the Wishes Of or Pass On Confidential
Letters to all those The Old Man couldn't see. He even met some
girls but they were entirely too straight for him.

The low pay was more than amply compensated for by the once a
week chats he had with The Old Man after work over scotch and soda,
both seated in the big corner office overlooking the World Trade
Center. And it was during one of those magic moments that he was
asked to undertake a Confidential Mission. NO, the details couldn't
be fully divulged, but all he had to do was give a small package to
General Packard, rumored to be the Movement's latest loose canon
working South America for the Cause.

The meeting at the pricey though secluded midtown boite went
well he thought. The General's reaction to the epigram he laid on
the Old Man was well-received too. However, when he returned to his
fourth floor Lower Eastside walk-up, he was met on the landing by
two Federal Agents who promptly arrested him on suspicion of
conspiracy.

Released after some preliminary questioning, the Young Conservative
was contacted through channels by The Old Man who told him everything
would be all right and not to worry about the heat.  Eight months of
being bounced from Committee to Committee in Washington convinced him
otherwise and eventually he came clean in exchange for Use Immunity.

Struck by the need to find honesty, The True Believer moved to
Colorado with the proceeds from the sale of his story to the networks
and became a Survivalist.

MORAL: To live outside the law you must be honest.


________________________________________________________________________________

PHIL'S GARAGE
By Phil Dirt


							ROOT CAUSE

Recently evicted from the womb, human perception of the world is limited to
what falls directly within the field of vision. Things seem to come into
existence and then go out of existence again, depending on whether they can
be seen or not. Some folks never evolve past that mode of thinking. They
are unaware of the thousands of small steps that came before the computer
was on their desk at work. Their view of evolution is limited to pictures
in stone 10 million years apart, so they only see big changes. They assume
new things appear in a flash of brilliance.

When Rock 'n Roll burst into the American consciousness, it was with the fury
and fear of a sudden foreign invasion, perceived as most Americans perceived
the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Of course, the distance between the R&B and Blues
the day before and the day Bo Diddley recorded "Bo Diddley" was minuscule,
but for most white adult Americans it was a chasm that opened while the were
asleep. They had no idea it was coming. So when it was suddenly on their TV,
it was really scary.

Likewise, when Ed Sullivan presented the British invasion in '64, it was a
sudden shock to those who missed the first two years of less successful
incursions by many of the same artists. The Beatles weren't born on Ed Sullivan.
They'd been slugging it out in the grimy clubs, and copying the style of a dozen
other and sometimes better bands, even copying the arrangements of many of the
same cover songs that the others were doing in Liverpool. Artists like the Big
Three reigned supreme. They were a real tuff dockside brawling band, playing the
same R&B covers, only much stronger and ballsier. John Lennon once tried to join
the Big Three, but was laughed at as being too much of a sissy. Now, I know that's
sacrilegious to some of you, but it's the way it happened.

Surf too did not spontaneously generate, despite what certain living legends
would tell you. It evolved from earlier work, some of which may have gone
unnoticed by the public at large, giving the appearance of instant eruption.

Before it was called surf, before there was surf, there were a few instrumental
artists and many instrumental B-sides. Most were unremarkable, but some were
strong influences on the players and writers within what would become the surf
scene. Some will be familiar names, and others less so. These observations are
partly mine, and partly gleaned from conversations with guys like Paul Johnson,
who aren't afraid to delineate their early influences.

Bo Diddley
Here's a man that borrowed his rhythms from the traditional children's music and
instrument of rural Mississippi, comprised of a string nailed to the side of the
house, attached to a stick, and sometimes mounted on a tub or pail. The peculiar
playing pattern and instrument were known as the "diddley bow." Bo Diddley
adapted this marvelous pattern to his Chicago Blues electric storm, and created
amazing new guitar sounds by slitting his speakers with his pocket knife. Listen
to his "Hush Your Mouth." This is the song Dick Dale recorded as "Jungle Fever"
and later as "Surfing Drums," right down to the lyrics, and it is from 1956.
Personally, I draw the line at the dawn of Rock n' Roll with Bo Diddley.
Everything before was just what came before.

Link Wray
What can you say about Link. His raw intense sound is also due in part to his
handy pocket knife slitting his speakers. Link inspired a whole generation of
players. With his first release in 1957, Link developed the artful use of
sustain and patience in cutting edge "rawk." In "Jack The Ripper," Link used
vibrato delicately and in gradually increasing increments to make his simple
melody and tom-tom driven rhythm hold interest through gradual textural changes.
Link was the first to produce truly ominous guitar tones and songs, right from
the start with "Rumble." If you want a real pleasure, check out his new CD on
ACE titled "Shadowman." Talk about huge!

Duane Eddy
Duane was fortunate to make it commercially. His good looks and boyish charm,
coupled with his big guitar sound and Dick Clark's lavish praise made him a
legend. His music was familiar to all the fledgling surf bands. You couldn't see
a surfband without hearing "Forty Miles Of Bad Road" (often retitled "Forty
Miles Of Bad Surf"), "Ram Rod" or "Rebel Rouser." Duane's sound was a
commercialized version of the style Al Casey had developed, which in turn had
been influenced by Owen Bradley and others. Duane's recordings were clean, crisp
white-bread approximations of Al's sound.

Al Casey
Al Casey was a session player and Duane Eddy's rhythm guitarist on many tracks.
Al wrote "Ram Rod," and is rumored to be the lead player in Duane's absence on
that track. He was a dynamic and flexible player, with his own unique sound.
What's funny about Al is that when he was asked to do a surf album for Stacy
Records, he had no idea what surf was. He listened to a couple of records, and
then took his material along with some tunes from Lee Hazelwood, and made one of
the meanest surf records of the day, despite its general slowness and poor
production. What he did with "Baja" begs the question if this was what Lee
Hazelwood had intended.

Jody Reynolds & the Storms
Everyone knows about the consummate teen tragedy hit Jody had with "Endless
Sleep." More important is the influence he had on the players in the surf scene.
Jody's big guitar sound was Duane Eddy turned ominous plus Link Wary reverbed
and cleaned up. The flip side of "Endless Sleep" was a killer instro called
"Thunder" that Paul Johnson specifically points to as a major influence. Its
slight reverb and vibrato and infinite Link Wray patience is remarkable, and
still quite powerful to hear. It would be nice to see his material emerge from
the vaults. Maybe Sundazed will do it (are you listening Bob?).

Dave Yorko
In the fifties, the use of guitar in instrumentals was mostly relegated to the
10 second break or a support role, with the exception of the countless Bison Bop
B-sides that came out of the back woods, where melody was not a requirement for
a song. Johnny & the Hurricanes were one of the few consistent hit maker instro
bands. Their signature formula was a cheesy organ or growling sax lead, with
guitar accents from the perfect hook generating mind of Dave Yorko. On occasion,
Dave would get a lead opportunity, as with "Crossfire," the song that the
Crossfires took their name from, the incredibly infectious "Sandstorm," and the
surf-ready "Sheba." "Sheba" is the prototype for the perfect surf song, Middle
Eastern in structure and melody, tom-tom driven, and incredibly cool.

George Tomsco
The Fireballs were the band lineup prototype for the surf acts. They employed a
slightly reverbed guitar sound, played palm-damped pluckage with artful lead-
rhythm interplay, and recorded a significant number of tunes the surfbands would
later cover. Though they came before, they also were contemporaries of the
surfbands towards the end of their instro career. Their original tracks like
"Rik-A-Tik" and "Bull Dog" were not only frequently covered, but songs like
"Torquay" were also borrowed as band names. George Tomsco wrote most of their
great tunes, and his pristine playing style was the model for the early surf
bands, who merely added a major helping of energy to create the sound we know
and love as surf.

The Ventures
The Fireballs were the model for the Ventures. The Ventures started life as a
vocal act, but bar patrons hated their singing, so they shut up and made a
career out of the classic Fireballs lineup and covers of other peoples' styles,
sounds, and songs, chameleoning their way through every new genre that came
along. Because of their popularity and familiarity, and their line-up similarity
to the classic surf band, their music was an integral part of a surfband's set
list, with Johnny Smith's "Walk, Don't Run" being the most common. The Ventures
used the Chet Atkins rendition of the Smith classic as their model.

The Gamblers
Studio sessions seldom produced the kind of energy and edge that was required to
get the attention of the surf bands that followed, but a notable exception was
the Gamblers, a studio concoction of guitarist/writer Derry Weaver and Elliott
Ingbar. Their watershed single "Moon Dawg" with its first-ever drug-titled
flip side "LSD 25" became standard fare with the surf bands. Derry pioneered
complete abandon on record, displaying uncharacteristic intense energy and speed
for recordings of the day.

Paul Revere & the Raiders
I know, but before they ever heard "Louie Louie" and Columbia picked them up,
this band did a lot in instrumentals in the Northwest style of the day,
including a great cover of "Moon Dawg." They contributed to the preparation of
their young fans for what was to come.

The Wailers
Seattle's most successful club band from about 1959 through the mid sixties was
the Tacoma based Wailers. They were a high energy band that issued and had hits
with numerous instrumentals that influenced and were covered by the surfbands.
Their tracks like "Tall Cool One," "Mau Mau," "High Wall," "Mashi," and
"Shanghaied" laced many a surf set. The Wailers even issued a semi-vocal a la
"King Of The Surf Guitar" or "Surfin' Hootenanny" single called "We're Goin'
Surfin'" that approached the surf genre.

The Viceroys
Among the many overlooked Seattle bands was the incredible Viceroys, whose
"Tiger Shark" is a masterful tom-tom surf tune. And their "Seagrams" blended
right in with the surf ethos as well, especially with its alcoholic title.

The Frantics
A one-off uncharacteristic track from the Frantics that also influenced the
surfbands was the incredible "Werewolf." It was later morphed by the Ventures
and then covered by Sweden's Bottle Ups and most recently Teisco Del Rey.

Surf, like everything else is a continuum. Going back into the prehistory can be
as rewarding as going forward.


____________________________________________________________________________

STUFF I NOTICED
By DJ Johnson


                             PLOP PLOP

When I was in school, back when dinosaurs and Led Zeppelin roamed the earth,
we had a little ritual.  No school day started without this ritual.  We all
went into the woods behind the school and smoked joints.  Hundreds of us. We
then went to class smelling very very potent, giggling like idiots and paying
no attention whatsoever to Mr. Gubransteen's doodlings on the chalk board.
Except when they looked like sexual organs.  We headed for the woods again
before 4th period to renew the buzz, drank lots of water before P.E. because
there was nothing worse than running laps when you were wasted, and we all
got 2.0 GPAs and an essentially worthless diploma.	This was high school in
the 1970s.  The teachers didn't say anything even though they knew we were
stoned.  Matter of fact, I got stoned with a few of my teachers over the
years.  Looking back on it, it was pretty damned sad.  Something should have
been done.

The term "let's not get carried away" supplies the theme of the following.

Twenty years later,	something has been done, and it's been done to death. The
term "zero tolerance" has swept the land.  If that term meant teachers calling
kids on the carpet for using recreational drugs, I'd be wearing "Support Zero
Tolerance" buttons and passing out pamphlets.  But this IS the conservative
90s, and reactionaries rule the roost, so you'll notice no buttons on my lapel.
Like all things in the 90s, zero tolerance has become too literal; too silly
to do any real good.  If an adult wants to make a point to a child, the worst
thing that adult can do is oppress the child and give him something to rebel
against.

Tell me this: would you rebel if cops kicked down your door and arrested you
for using underarm deodorant?  What if you did jail time for using nose spray?
Welcome to Zero Tolerance American Style.  This isn't happening to you (yet)
because you're an adult.  What about your children?  What about your son who
has a terrible sore throat today and has taken a box of Sucrets to school?
What about your daughter who is allergic to pollen?  What will you say when
she gets expelled for using eye drops?  You think this is a silly question?

Recently, a kid in Bremerton, Washington, pulled a prank on a bunch of other
kids in his school.  These 11 and 12 year olds were offered pieces of "candy,"
which were actually broken-up tablets of Alka-Seltzer, the popular antacid.
When the children put these things in their mouths, they began to foam,
alerting teachers and administrators.  When the foam cleared, all the children
were suspended for 3 weeks.  The school district's logic is that this will
teach them not to take things they aren't sure of.  Excuse me, but I can
recall many times that people I knew and trusted offered me pieces of candy.
This time, it turned out that somebody thought it would be fun to pull a
prank, and that's a shame.  I wish I worked for the district.  I'd offer the
superintendent a stick of gum.  "If he takes it make him say - 'I'm an asshole'
everyday."

Adding insult to injury, the school district is requiring these suspended
children to attend drug programs.  Is it just me?  Do any of you think this
is like a bad movie with mutant banjo players and 1-toothed preachers?  What
is happening here?

This isn't isolated.  A few months ago, somewhere in the midwest, two young
girls were suspended for taking Midol.  Midol is used by women to relieve
menstrual cramping.  I wonder if it was a man who made the decision to suspend
them... but that's another matter for another column.  The point is that these
girls were paraded and humiliated in the name of zero tolerance to please the
reactionary right.  In Portland, very recently, a young boy was suspended for
using mouthwash between classes.  Mouthwash does have alcohol, and the boy
did swallow the mouthwash.  He pointed out that there was no place to spit in
the school hallway.  Witnesses said he only took a small sip and he did swish
it around.  My conclusion?  He was trying to freshen his breath.  We all worry
about that stuff, don't we?  Don't we get bombarded with commercials that tell
us we won't be lovable unless our breath is fresh and our underarms are dry
and our hair is shiny and manageable?  And weren't we all ten times as worried
about all this in school?  During puberty?!  So they suspended this poor kid
for being normal!

Okay, if that boy had guzzled a LOT of mouthwash, he could have ended up with
a buzz.  Ever tried it?  Can you imagine trying to force yourself to drink
that much MOUTHWASH!?  Let's put that case aside and worry about this business
in Bremerton.  Alka-Seltzer can't get you high.  It can settle your stomach,
and it goes "FIZZZZZZZZZ" for a while, but you could take ten boxes of the
stuff and never see pretty colors.  NEVER!  This isn't about kids with drugs,
this is about adults without brains.  This is about the hysterical reactionary
hypocrisy that is currently substituting for parenting in this country.  Don't
give these kids a drug lounge where they can smoke crack in peace, but don't
hold a child up to ridicule and humiliation because he had Rolaids in his
pocket, either.

I think it's time we took a hard look at the meaning of "zero tolerance."
Maybe it's not such a good thing, huh?  Maybe we should replace it with
"common sense."  One of the things that we humans have been blessed with,
and utilize far too rarely, is our ability to reason.  As the religious right
advances, taking more and more school board seats, we need to keep an eye
on each and every person who could potentially hold our children's	futures
in their hands.  Despite what you may currently think, standing up to a mob
isn't the scariest thing in the world.  In this case, the scariest thing
would be NOT standing up to the mob, because while it's Alka-Seltzer today,
it might be books tomorrow.


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             Random stuff for your entertainment.  Happy scrolling!


						Edited by Louise Johnson



equinox

spring is here
yipee
11 days away from the month
with the greatest number of suicides
barring nuclear winter
birth WILL take place

shake hands with yr angel
before you wrestle
till yr 3rd eye bleeds

spring is here
shed yr skin
writhe like dogs
spring is here
fertility w/out epidurals
spring is here
      easter
           crucifixion
                 resurrection
                         writhe like dogs
 Copyright (c) Paul McDonald 1997
 All Rights Reserved


***


You have to read in order to write.  Art is a seamless web, and we all
latch into it when we find a loose end.

--Archibald MacLeish


***


THE DARWIN AWARDS

Darwin Awards are (by definition) granted posthumously. This citation is
bestowed upon (the remains of) that individual, who through single-minded
self-sacrifice, has done the most to remove undesirable elements from the
human gene pool.

The 1996 nominees are:

[San Jose Mercury News]  An unidentified man, using a shotgun like a club
to break a former girlfriend's windshield, accidentally shot himself to
death when the gun discharged, blowing a hole in his gut.

[Hickory Daily Record 12/21/92]  Ken Charles Barger, 47, accidentally shot
himself to death in December in Newton, N.C., when, awakening to the sound
of a ringing telephone beside his bed, he reached for the phone but grabbed
instead a Smith & Wesson .38 Special, which discharged when he drew it to
his ear.

[Unknown, 25 March]  A terrible diet and room with no ventilation are being
blamed for the death of a man who was killed by his own gas. There was no
mark on his body but the autopsy showed large amounts of methane gas in his
system. His diet had consisted primarily of beans and cabbage (and a couple
of other things).  It was just the right combination of foods. It appears
that the man died in his sleep from breathing from the poisonous cloud that
was hanging over his bed.  Had he been outside or had his windows been
pened, it wouldn't have been fatal.  But the man was shut up in his near
airtight bedroom. He was ". . . a big man with a huge capacity for creating
[this deadly gas]." Three of the rescuers got sick and one was hospitalized.

[Reuters, Mississauga, Ontario]  A man cleaning a bird feeder on his balcony
of his condominium apartment in this Toronto suburb slipped and fell 23
stories to his death, police said Monday.  Stefan Macko, 55, was standing
on a wheeled chair Sunday when the accident occurred, said Inspector D'Arcy
Honer of the Peel regional police. "It appears the chair moved and he went
over the balcony," Honer said. "It's one of those freak accidents.  No foul
play is suspected."

[UPI, Toronto]  Police said a lawyer demonstrating the safety of windows in
a downtown Toronto skyscraper crashed through a pane with his shoulder and
plunged 24 floors to his death. A police spokesman said Garry Hoy, 39, fell
into the courtyard of the Toronto Dominion Bank Tower early Friday evening
as he was explaining the strength of the building's windows to visiting
law students. Hoy previously had conducted demonstrations of window
strength according to police reports.  Peter Lauwers, managing partner of
the firm Holden Day Wilson, told the Toronto Sun newspaper that Hoy was "one
of the best and brightest" members of the 200-man association.

[AP, Cairo, Egypt, 31 Aug 1995 CAIRO, Egypt (AP)]  Six people drowned
Monday while trying to rescue a chicken that had fallen into a well in
southern Egypt. An 18-year-old farmer was the first to descend into the
60-foot well. He drowned, apparently after an undercurrent in the water
pulled him down, police said. His sister and two brothers, none of whom
could swim well, went in one by one to help him, but also drowned. Two
elderly farmers then came to help, but they apparently were pulled by the
same undercurrent. The bodies of the six were later pulled out of the well
in the village of Nazlat Imara, 240 miles south of Cairo. The chicken was
also pulled out. It survived.


***


I never took a shit on stage, and the closest I ever came to eating shit
anywhere was at a Holiday Inn buffet in Fayetteville, North Carolina,
in 1973.
 --Frank Zappa


***


You Grow Wild in My Heart

Peonies grow wild in Siberia, China, Japan and Tibet.
Peonies grow wild where the terrain is rugged and the climate harsh.
You grow wild in the Siberia, China, Japan and Tibet
of my heart where the terrain is rugged and the climate harsh.
Peonies are perennial plants tolerant of cold winters.
Peonies produce huge amazing flowers each spring.
Although you are not tolerant of cold winters or the cold of my heart
in the spring of each month you magically
produce huge amazing brilliant hued flowers.
Practically all garden peonies are hybrids of the hardy wild species.
No garden hybrid you are the hardy wild species.
The plant, especially the flower, is poisonous but the peony root
has been used medicinally by the Chinese for centuries.
Although your radiant beauty and your fiery wrath
often transport me to the edge of death burning searing
the peony root I discovered in your heart has saved me
ten times ten times the times I nearly died.
Peonies grow wild in Siberia, China, Japan and Tibet.
Peonies grow wild where the terrain is rugged and the climate harsh.
You grow wild in the Siberia, China, Japan and Tibet
of my heart where the scarred terrain is rugged and the climate harsh.
You grow wild in my heart.

copyright 1997 Ron Whitehead
RWhiteBone@worldnet.att.net


***


Animals without backbones hid from each other or fell down.
Clamasaurs and oysterettes appeared as appetizers.  Then came the
sponges, which sucked up about ten percent of all life.  Hundreds of
years later, in the Late Devouring period, fish became obnoxious.
Trailerbikes, chiggerbites and mosquitoes collided aimlessly in the
dense gas.  Finally, edible plants sprang up in rows, giving birth to
generations of insecticides and other small, dying creatures.

 -- From Firesign Theater's "I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus"


***


IMHO

One of the worst developments of modern culture
is the growth of bureaucracy.  The arts are
dominated by bureaucracy.  A movie can not be
produced for anything less than millions of
dollars, music is dominated by an industry
not its artists.  Great periods of art and
literature occur when the art and literature
is dominated by the artists and writers.
The book culture is a bureaucracy as well that
must satisfy the lowest common denominator
to meet the great expense of producing a book.
For a time, a brief time, the Web has turned
everything upside down.  But only if the
people respond, only if the artists and
writers respond.  The Web does not threaten
books or reading; it threatens bureaucracy.
Every free man and woman should threaten
bureaucracy.

david eide, author of Cyber Oasis
Copyright 1997, All Rights Reserved
eide491@delphi.com
http://people.delphi.com/eide491


***


PCMCIA  -- People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms
ISDN  -- It Still Does Nothing
APPLE  -- Arrogance Produces Profit-Losing Entity
SCSI  -- System Can't See It
DOS  -- Defunct Operating System
BASIC  -- Bill's Attempt to Seize Industry Control
IBM  -- I Blame Microsoft
DEC  -- Do Expect Cuts
CD-ROM  -- Consumer Device, Rendered Obsolete in Months
OS/2  -- Obsolete Soon, Too.
WWW  -- World Wide Wait
MACINTOSH  -- Most Applications Crash; If Not, The Operating System Hangs


***


Earlier this year, the dazed crew of a Japanese trawler were plucked out
of the Sea of Japan clinging to the wreckage of their sunken ship. Their
rescue, however, was followed by immediate imprisonment once authorities
questioned the sailors on their ship's loss. To a man they claimed that a
cow, falling out of a clear blue sky, had struck the trawler amidships,
shattering its hull and sinking the vessel within minutes.

They remained in prison for several weeks, until the Russian Air Force
reluctantly informed Japanese authorities that the crew of one of its
cargo planes had apparently stolen a cow wandering at the edge of a Siberia
airfield, forced the cow into the plane's hold and hastily taken off for
home.

Unprepared for live cargo, the Russian crew was ill-equipped to manage a
now rampaging cow within its hold. To save the aircraft and themselves,
they shoved the animal out of the cargo hold as they crossed the Sea of
Japan at an altitude of 30,000 feet.


***


Writing is a dogs life but the only life worth living.
 --Flaubert


***


NIGHTMARES OF AN OLD HOUSE

I dreamt of an old house;
fractured glass sweating on rough hewn sills,
dripping onto scarred, yellowed  baseboards;
tears in the woodwork.

Temporary children played in a yard
of dandelion snow,
choking the remnants of the uneven rows
of a vegetable garden;
sprigs of miniature carrots still fighting for the sun;
playing in the darkness of the pall of a beast,
its foamy jaws open to devour these children of the weeds;
a beast of cold eyes and hollow breath,
lurking, stalking in the emptiness of their stomachs,
and the hopelessness of their hearts.

I am haunted by this dream house,
by visions of these children,
pale in the blue glow of a television,
their warm faces flat against cool, puckered linoleum,
watching Mr. Sullivan with his broad shoulders
and black hair
pointing to Lennon amidst the screams of a crowd.
The children quiet in the meaninglessness of history.

I dreamt of an old house.
Walking through hallways of peeling paint,
awed by the bareness of existence
as a crowd of red faced children fight
for space in a single standard bed,
the soft coolness of the harvest moon
exposed through broken curtains;
the shadow of the beast resting
on the fraying tiles of the weathered roof.

I am haunted by these children,
arising from fitful sleep in  slow procession
to a large table of unmatched chairs,
eating bowls of hot oatmeal lumps
floating in icy milk,
the color of their cheeks
drained like meat frozen in a box.
The chuckling of the beast,
a mild undercurrent
to the flickering cartoon mice
on the television.

I dreamt of a beast in an old house.
A skeletal father in a carcinoma bed,
sweating stains on the sheets,
his only legacy to the hunger of the children
bearing his name.
The beast howled at the moist night,
as blue coats hoist the man
into the black doors of a one way ride,
the children sitting quietly on broken steps of the porch.

Even though I awaken,
my bed a river of wet, torn sheets
and displaced pillows,
I am haunted by this dream;
this vision of  children
trapped in the ivory sharpness of this beast
laughing as he gnaws on their souls;
laughing at me
as I recognize their faces;
their memories like scars from an old wound.

Copyright (c) David E. Cowen 1997
All Rights Reserved
Click <a href="davidintro.htm">right here  to read a short
introduction  to David Cowen:
<A HREF="mailto:Ripford@aol.com">Ripford@aol.com
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/ripford/homepage/cowen.htm">
http://members.aol.com/ripford/homepage/cowen.htm


***


ACTUAL NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

Soviet Virgin Lands Short of Goal Again

British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands

Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms

Eye Drops off Shelf

Teacher Strikes Idle Kids

Reagan Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead

Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim

Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps Nicklaus to 66

Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax


***


Calling The Toads
Part 1:
The Antinomian Fire This Time

by Ron Whitehead

Today "Specialization" is sold on every corner, fed in every home,
brainwashed in to every student, every young person. We are told that
the only way to succeed, here at the end of the 20th Century, and
certainly tomorrow in the 21st Century, is to put all our time, energy,
learning and focus into one area, one field, one specialty (math,
science, computer technology, business). If we don't we will fail. We
are subtly and forcefully, implicitly and explicitly, encouraged to deny
the rest of who we are, our total self, selves, our holistic being. The
postmodern brave new world seems to reside inside the computer via The
Web with only faint peripheral recognition of the person, the individual
(& by extension the real global community), the real human being
operating the machine. The idea of and belief in specialization as the
only path, only possibility, has sped up the fragmentation, the
alienation which began to grow rapidly within the individual, radically
reshaping culture, a century ago with the birth of those Machiavellian
revolutions in technology, industry, and war. And with the growing
fracturing fragmentation and alienation comes the path - anger, fear,
anxiety, angst, ennui, nihilism, depression, despair - that, for the
person of action, leads to suicide. Unless, through our paradoxical leap
of creative faith we engage ourselves in the belief, which can become a
life mission, that regardless of the consequences, we can, through our
engagement, our actions, our loving life work, make the world a better,
safer, friendlier place in which to live. Sound naive? What does this
have to do with Voices Without Restraint? With The Beat Generation? With
the so-called & sadly mislabeled Generation X? With The Youth of Today?
What place does the Antinomian Voice, The Voice of The Beat Generation,
The Voice that, though trembling, speaks out against The Powers That BE,
what place does this outsider voice have in the real violent world in
which we are immersed? Are we too desensitized to the violence, to the
fact that in this Century alone we have murdered over 100 million people
in one war after another, to even think it worthwhile to consider the
possibility of a less violent world? Are we too small, too insignificant
to make any kind of difference? The power-mongers have control. What
difference can one measly little individual life possibly make, possibly
matter?
   Today the X & microserf generations are swollen with thousands of
young people yearning to express the creative energies buried yet
burning like brushfires in their hearts, the smoke seeping from every
pore of their beings. They ache to change to heal the world. Is it still
possible? Is it too late? Is there anyone (a group?) left to show the
way? To set an example? To be a guide? A mentor? James Joyce, King of
Modernism, said the idea of the hero was nothing but a damn lie that the
primary motivating forces are passion and compassion. As late as 1984
people were laughing at George Orwell. Today, as we finally move into an
Orwellian culture of simulation life on the screen landscape, can we
remember passion and compassion or has the Postmodern ironic satiric
deathinlife game laugh killed both sperm and egg? Is there anywhere
worth going from here? Is it any wonder that today's youth have adopted
Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Herbert Huncke,
Gregory Corso, Neal Cassady, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Amiri Baraka, Robert
Creeley, Diane di Prima, Ed Sanders, Anne Waldman, & all other Beat
Generation & related poets, writers, artists, musicians as their
inspirational, life-affirming ancestors? These are the people who have
stood & still stand up against unreasoning power/right/might, looked
that power in the eyes & said NO i don't agree with you & this is why.
And they have spoken these words, not for money or for fame, but out of
life's deepest convictions, out of the belief that we, each one of us -
no matter our skin color our economic status our political religious
sexual preferences - all of us have the right to live to dream as we
choose rather than as some supposed higher moral authority prescribes
for us.
   The Beats, who in the next decade will come to be recognized as the
most important group of writers & poets in the history of America, have
given birth to new generations to new energies which are awakening to
the realization that the creative imagination provides salvation from
suicide, from death in life, by revealing that there are alternative
paths to follow in this world that lead away from the mundane, the
superficial into the inspired brilliant fire called life.


***


A man who writes stands up to be shot.
 --Thomas Hardy


***


FUN THINGS TO DO ON AN ELEVATOR:


Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.

Blow your nose and offer to show the contents of your
kleenex to other passengers.

Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead muttering: "Shut up, all
of you just shut UP!"

Whistle the first seven notes of "Its a Small World" incessantly.

Sell Girl Scout cookies.

On a long ride, sway side to side at the natural frequency of the
elevator.

Shave.

Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask:
"Got enough air in there?"

Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.

Stand silent and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without
getting off.


***


JACO

by Bill Milkowski (Miller Freeman Books)
reviewed by: John Sekerka

Jaco Pastorius may have been the prototypical rock'n'roller of them all:
coming onto the scene like a burning fireball, changing the face of music,
reaping the rewards, indulging through fame and money that followed, and
exploding out of control in a premature death. Only thing is, Jaco Pastorius
was a jazz bassist, and though his wild antics would have made him a
headliner were he in the pop mainstream, they just served as a sorry and sad
part of what should have been a glorious career. A rock star jumping off
balconies, dropping his pants, doing back flips on stage, hurling his bass
into the crowd, creates attention and rebel infatuation. A jazz player who
goes to these extremes is outcast by a stodgy and prim industry, and that's
where Pastorius ended up. No one wanted to play with him. No one wanted to
record him. And this for perhaps the greatest bassist of all time--a fact he
would proudly proclaim to anyone within earshot. What could have been
another run of the mill story of music star excess is treated with a careful
balance of distance and awe by friend and musician Bill Milkowski. It is a
tragedy for sure, but with several grand moments and comedic touches, as
we're whisked along Jaco's wild carnival ride to fame. And though everyone
quoted seems to be quite sad and remorseful about Jaco's early exit
(at age 35), one can't but help feel that this was the only way he could go.
This was a man of extremes--great joy and great despair--and as with many
geniuses he thrived on torment as well as happiness. The book comes with a
CD sampling three tracks from a live album, which is a nice touch, but far
too short a representation of the music he created.


***


CAFFEINE ADDICT'S QUIZ:

1. Do you use coffee to escape from your problems?

2. Do you eat spoonfuls of instant coffee because it's easier?

3. Have you ever woken up in a puddle of your own coffee?

4. Do you find that it's easier to drink more coffee than go to sleep?

5. a) Have you ever drunk cold coffee?
   b) Right out of the pot?

6. Do you spend more than 20% of your income on coffee and/or coffee
   related products?

7. Does your coffee cup resemble a beer stein?

8. Has anyone ever told you that you "have a problem"?

9. Do you need coffee:
    a) ...to get up in the morning?
    b) ...to get out of bed?
    c) ...to be injected intravenously to stimulate blood-flow?

10. Do you own a "Coffee Helmet"? (For the culturally ignorant, a coffee-
    helmet is a hat with coffee-cups attached to it and a straw coming out
    of each cup leading to the mouth, used for hands-free drinking.)

11. Do Native North American Aboriginal Indian Peoples call you "Ona mac
    towanda" (Smells-like-coffee)?

12. Does your doctor measure your heartbeat on the Richter scale as well as
    by its frequency?

13. Have you ever sold personal or other peoples' possessions just to
    get your fix for the day?

14. Does the phrase "swiss water decaffienated" strike terror into your
    heart?

15. a) Do you have a coffee maker in more than one room of your house?
    b) ...in more than five?
    c) ...in your bathroom?

16. a) Do the people at Second Cup refuse to give you free coffee cards
       anymore?
    b) ...because you're wearing out their hole-punch?
    c) ...and it's bad for the environment?

17. Do you grind your own coffee?

18. Do you grow your own coffee?

19. Have you ever been fired from a job because you're "drinking their
    profits"?

20. a) Do you know Juan Valdez?
    b) ...and his donkey?
    c) ...intimately?

21. Do you salivate uncontrollably whenever you hear dripping water?

22. a) Is sleep a hobby of yours?
    b) ...that you don't like?
    c) ...because it's too frustrating?


--------------+
Response Ratio|                   Addiction Factor(TM)
===========================================================================
 Yes   | No   |                         Analysis:
===========================================================================
 20-22 | 0-2  | You are a well-rounded member of society with a love for
       |      | life and you are very wise.
-------+------+------------------------------------------------------------
 17-19 | 3-5  | You are a slightly jagged member of society, life's okay
       |      | but it could be better and you are relatively naive.
-------+------+------------------------------------------------------------
 0-16  | 6-22 | What are you, some kinda nature-freak tree-hugger!?
       |      | Coffee's not good enough for you, huh? Here, have some more
       |      | TOFU! How about some ALFALFA TEA?!?
-------+------+------------------------------------------------------------

___________________________________________________________________________


           E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR CONTACTING COSMIK DEBRIS' WRITERS


               DJ Johnson (Editor)......moonbaby@serv.net

			   Ann Arbor................Nprice@aol.com
			   coLeSLAw.................coleslaw@greatgig.com
               Robert Cummings..........rcumming@csrlink.net
               Shaun Dale...............stdale@well.com
               Phil Dirt................reverb@cruzio.com
               Keith Gillard............liquid@uniserve.com
               Louise Johnson...........aquaria@serv.net
               Steven Leith.............leith@speakeasy.org
               Lauren Marshall..........Ocean@pluto.njcc.com
               Steve Marshall...........SteveM@pluto.njcc.com
               The Platterpuss..........Plattrpuss@aol.com
               Paul Remington...........prem@frontiernet.net
               John Sekerka.............jsekerka@gsc.NRCan.gc.ca
			   David Walley.............dgwalley@bcn.net

           Cosmik Debris' WWW site..http://www.cosmik.com/cosmikdebris

           Subscription requests....moonbaby@serv.net

           coLeSLAw's gAllARy is at http://www.serv.net/~coleslaw/

		   Shaun Dale's web site is at http://www.zipcon.com/stdale

           Phil Dirt's Surf Site is at
		   http://members.cruzio.com:80/~reverb/central.html

           Keith Gillard's "Liquid Records WWW site is located
           at http://haven.uniserve.com/~liquid



