Date: Wed, 23 Mar 1994 19:52:54 -0500 From: "Colin P. Macinnes" To: ai983@freenet.buffalo.edu, dell@wiretap.spies.com, ftp@fir.cic.net Subject: Bang Sonic! Mar94.txt BANG SONIC! the Atomic-Powered alt.rec.music.comp E-mag Mar94 Vol.I Iss.7 Bang Sonic! is published once a month as both a stand alone Macintosh document and as a text only file. The Mac version is about 150k but it has a swell photo of Trent Reznor on the cover. Once you get the stand alone "doc" just de-bin-hqx it (then, naturally, "unstuff" it.) So simple a child could do it. THE CATCH (because there is always a catch): Stuffit-Lite and Stuffit-Delux have been know to have difficulty de-bin-hqxing Bang Sonic! If you experience difficulty, try using "Binhqx v.4.0" or better yet, "HQXer". Either one will take care of business for you. Bang! is available in assorted Usenet newsgroups. It could show up anywhere, but look for it in: alt.zines rec.music.misc alt.music.alternative rec.music.reviews Bang Sonic! will also be available via: FTP: Gopher: etext.archive.umich.edu etext.archive.umich.edu gopher.well.sf.ca.us We also keep plenty of copies on hand at: ai983@freenet.buffalo.edu ************** CONTENTS Nine Inch Nails - the downward spiral Ace of Base - the sign Pet Shop Boys - very the Cranberries - everybody else is doing it... Marc Almond - 12 years of tears (live) Red Red Groovy - "25" The Next Big Thing - by Frankie Machine The Wisconsin Project Juggernaut - by Danny Ocean Hit Lists from Around the World New Releases of Note and Interest Mail From YOU to US! ****************************************** Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral Nothing TVT / Interscope Records Oooohhhhh THAT'S SCARY! Five years ago Trent Reznor blew in from nowhere (Cleveland, same thing) with songs that captured the hearts and minds of disaffected youth everywhere. "Pretty Hate Machine" summed up the essence of teen angst and despair, flailing rebelliously at nothing really in particular. Also, you could dance to it. Nine Inch Nails had the black-leather clad, chain smoking, self-alienated members of society at its feet. "The Downward Spiral" is the record it seemed might never get made. This sophomore effort (disregarding, for the moment, the "Broken" and "Fixed" EP's) was shrouded in mystery and surrounded by controversy. It was recorded in the former Manson Family estate. There were reported clashes with co-producer Flood. Now that all is said and done, it sounds about how the follow up to "Pretty Hate Machine" ought to sound. Darker. Angrier. More ambitious. More polished. You can still dance to most of it. This is, however, a concept album. Though albums centered on grand themes frequently collapse under the weight of their own lofty ambitions (Elvis Costello's "The Juliet Letters" and Shriekback's "Sacred City" for instance), "The Downward Spiral" manages to tell a tragic tale without becoming bogged down and self-absorbed. The official story is that "'The Downward Spiral' portrays a person's need to get away from the pain of indulging in things that are not necessarily right for them, whether it be through drugs, religion, or self-destruction." While this may or may not sound promising depending on your point of view, it is an accurate characterization of the album's tone. "The Downward Spiral" starts off kicking and screaming, but eventually descends into a terrifyingly cozy netherworld. SWEET DREAMS AREN'T MADE OF THIS Side one is where the dancing is. The far reaching impact of Ministry's terror-dance-metal is felt throughout, much to no one's surprise. "Mr. Self Destruct" launches the assault, with a raging introduction to the self-loathing that follows. The tempo shifts from the building blues-shuffle of "Piggy" to the speedy rip-gun blasts of "March of the Pigs." There is a lot of middle ground on side one as well, plenty of hit single fodder. The side eventually ends with a sense of unraveling, of sanity slowly slipping away. The second side is like a completely different album. It's just as disturbing as the first side, but in a quiet, spooky, more personally threatening way. "A Warm Place" is a disarmingly serene instrumental that leads off side two. Shortly after that the insects start buzzing and the imagery becomes disconcerting. The Shakespearian ending won't lift spirits, but it does provide a sense of closure, and there is something profoundly gratifying about that. "The Downward Spiral" is a beautiful, brutal nightmare. It was painted on a much larger canvas than the beloved and revered "Pretty Hate Machine." Trent uses a far more sinister palette of colours as well. "The Downward Spiral" may not be for the squeamish, but even they can dance to it. VITAL STATISTICS Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral Released on Nothing TVT/Interscope Records Catalog number 92346-2 / halo eight Total playing time: 65:08 14 tracks Mr. self destruct Piggy Heresy March of the pigs Closer Ruiner The becoming I do not want this Big man with a gun A warm place Eraser Reptile The downward spiral Hurt Produced by flood and trent reznor ****************************************** Ace of Base The Sign Arista Records HUNTING HIGH AND LOW There must be mysterious forces at work in the universe. That is the only way to account for something like this happening. First Abba, then A-Ha, now Ace of Base. There must be Ouija spirits involved. Why else would all these world-dominating Nordic supergroups have names that start with the letter "A"? How else could they mysteriously achieve world domination? Last summer Ace of Base swept through Europe like a crabby German fighting hyper inflation. Borders be damned. Take no prisoners. That isn't too difficult to account for because in spite of historical mystique, Europe is really just a less hygienically sophisticated version of Canada. That is why every artist who meets with ridicule in America falls back on the boast of being "big in Europe." They probably are. So what. So is David Haseloff. More recently Ace of Base have rolled over the American charts like a high-priced hooker. This means nothing as the Americans also have no taste. Look at American beer. American cigarettes. American cars. America's taste is in its collective, McDonald's stuffed mouth. But I digress (ed. actually, to digress you must have started to make a point which you have thus far neglected to do.) PABULUM FOR THE MASSES Being evil is far better than being innocuous. At least with evil there is the potential for something interesting to happen. The faux dub groove that Ace of Base roots itself in, is not a bad place from which to start. UB40 has managed to dig itself out of it once or twice. These arrangements never get fleshed out though. Paper thin and no place to go. The tone varies but the character is almost nonexistent. >From the big boss grove of "All that she wants" Ace of Base give the impression that they are the next Massive Attack. The tension dissolves quickly and the intrigue is shallow. By the third track they are trying to board the KLF's "Last Train to Transcentral." Ultimately, they lack the courage of their convictions and end the round lacking punch. They earn bonus points for ambition. Ace of Base look to exploit the dreadfully underutilized spy-music genera, however "Living in Danger" ends up sounding suspiciously like "One Night in Bankok" by Murry Head. There are some interesting moments on the album when Ace of Base shrug off their signature reagee shuffle in favor of a more conventional dance beat. "My Mind" starts off with a Shamen-esque exclamation "there's a base in your mind" followed closely by the ominous "Sprockets" instruction "dance!" The song is little more than filler but at least it is moderately interesting as a change of pace. It isn't difficult to figure out how Ace of Base managed to conquer America. After all, the Americans are a weak-minded people ripe for toppling. Just ask the Japanese. Then ask the Ouija board. VITAL STATISTICS Ace of Base - the Sign Released on Arista Records Catalog number ARCD 8740 Total playing time: 45:50 12 tracks All that she wants Don't turn around Young and proud The sign Living in danger Dancer in a daydream Wheel of fortune Waiting for magic (total remix 7") Happy nation Voulez-vous danser My mind (mindless mix) All that she wants (Banghra version) Ace of Base are: Buddha Joker Linn Jenny ****************************************** Pet Shop Boys Very EMI Records TOUCH ME . . . I'M KITSCH "West End Girls" made the Pet Shop Boys the flavour of the month in 1984. In the ten years since they have been unique in their level of consistency. They haven't kicked out the unproductive half of their membership (a la Wham!, Tears for Fears, O.M.D.). They haven't attempted to reinvent themselves with each album (a la ABC, David Bowie, Elvis Costello). At this point, people have a good idea about what to expect from the Pet Shop Boys. Lush, layered intricate melodies. Clean, compelling rhythms. Deadpan pop-tart vocals. "Very" allegedly marks something of an image overhaul for the Pet Shop Boys. They would have you believe that this isn't the old, stand-off-ish, aloof, cooler-than-thou Pet Shop Boys. They have put on Devo hats and jumpsuits, and are making a concerted effort to smile. Thankfully you can't teach an old dog new tricks and though the cosmetics may be different, the sarcastic essence remains the same. The album opens with the stompy and sinister "Can You Forgive Her?" which boils over with bile and disgust. You can smell the resentment flooding from the speakers. However, this is a peppier version of the Pet Shop Boys. The massive Angelo Badalementi arrangements are gone, replaced by the always invigorating Anne Dudley. The new happy-happy Pet Shop Boys are full of irony and mistrust, but they are trying to put a smilly face on their bitter contempt. "'You're much too kind', I smiled with murder on my mind" -from "Yesterday, When I was Mad" The catchy, kitschy disco that the Pet Shop Boys purvey has never sounded more polished. They span the genera, such as it is, covering all of the bases there are to cover. High-NRG chirping. The cool glide of more traditional house music. The over the top, melodramatic production value of "The Theater" would make Trevor Horn proud. Even the two contemplative, slow-dance songs are perkier than is generally the case when the Pet Shop Boys slow the tempo down. BET SHE'S NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND "Go West" closes the album and if ever there were a doubt that this is the new, fun-loving, devil-may-care Pet Shop Boys, this song puts those doubts to rest. Covering the Village People would make the London Symphony Orchestra sound jovial and goofy. "Go West" also points to another key element in this album. The Pet Shop Boys have always been somewhat "glamorous" without stating as much. There are no declarations (unless covering a Village People song with an all male chorus singing backup can be considered a declaration) and yet the lifestyle issue pops up more frequently and less subtly on this album than in previous work. Just another benefit of the all-new, less austere, party-time Pet Shop Boys. VITAL STATISTICS Pet Shop Boys - Very Released on EMI Records Catalog number D135187 Total playing time: 53:18 12 tracks Can you forgive her? I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing Liberation A different point of view Dreaming of the queen Yesterday, when i was mad The theatre One and one make five To speak is a sin Young offender One in a million Go west Produced by the Pet Shop Boys additional production by Stephen Hague mixed by Stephen Hague and Mike "Spike" Drake Orchesta arranged and conduc ted by Anne Dudley ****************************************** The Cranberries Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? Island Records FURTHER INTO THE FOG I FALL Being touted as the next great, important band is something of a mixed blessing. On one hand you get the attention that most bands spend their entire careers hoping for. On the other hand there are impossible expectations and a vast array of pre-conceived ideas to overcome. The Cranberries received a fair amount of attention from the press after releasing their debut album. Lead singer Delores O'Riordan has been compared to virtually every female pop singer since Kate Smith. "Oh, she sounds like Sinead." "Oh, she sounds like Harriet Wheeler of the Sundays." "Sarah McLachlan." "Kate Bush." "Elizabeth Fraser." et al. . . . Besides being patently unfair, these comparisons are wildly inaccurate. While Delores' impassioned and compelling voice bears a passing similarity to some of the afore mentioned singers, the truly defining sound of the Cranberries on this album comes from the producer. Stephen Street. The Stephen Street sound is unmistakable. It is late-model Smiths, early-model Morrissey, and Bradford's "Shouting Quietly." Mr. Street produces perfectly balanced little songs where the guitars never get out of hand unless it is to prove a point. Where the string arrangements just hang around for contrast. Where you can understand the lyrics because they generally mean something. All of the earmarks of Street's guitar based anguish-pop are here on "Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?" That isn't to diminish the importance of the band on this album. The Cranberries are not a Smiths clone with a woman up front for camouflage (although that really wouldn't be such a bad idea for a band.) There is something very quaint about the songs on "Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?" Something that makes them seem personal and familiar. None of them are terribly long (and that is of great benefit to a generation of listeners with severely limited attention spans). They are also as catchy as a cold. By the third or fourth trip through the album, singing along becomes an almost irresistible impulse. Talk show legend Larry King is fond of noting that the measure of a good song is whether you can hum it whilst walking down the street. Larry would most certainly dig the Cranberries. The lyrics are pure and full of youthful vigor. Just like the poems that everyone writes in high school except not as stupid. The topics are standard fare; love lost, love found, why is the world just one big bloody conspiracy to make me miserable. They arouse a basic, instinctual desire to give poor Dolores a big hug and a kiss on the forehead and to try to fix her up with this friend of your brother that is a really sweet guy who's heart she will have no problem breaking so that she will have some sense of self-esteem. Of course Dolores doesn't need to be set up with your brother's friend because she is a huge, international rock star that is on MTV at all hours of the night and day and has all sorts of manic depressive men with great hair throwing themselves at her feet. This all happened because the record industry has been kind enough to build up a lot of hype around her band. And her band has been able to live up to the demands of all of that hype because (in part) of the talent and experience of Stephen Street. So if Dolores is going to give anyone a big, wet kiss, it ought to be Stephen Street and not your brother's friend, which takes the pressure off you to set them up. Sometimes life works out okay. VITAL STATISTICS the Cranberries - Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? Released on Island Records Catalog number 314-514 156-2 Total playing time: 41:04 12 tracks I still do Dreams Sunday Pretty Waltzaing back Not sorry Linger Wanted Still can't... I will always How Put me down Produced by Stephen Street ****************************************** Marc Almond 12 Years of Tears (live) Sire Records GATHER 'ROUND THE camp CITE The tag "live album" carries a lot of baggage with it. Not too long ago live albums were the domain of overblown metal bands that had outlived their usefulness. The punk movement and the alternative genera it spawned were supposedly a reaction against these overwrought behemoths. However, of late the pioneers of new music have flooded the market with concert albums. The Cure and Depeche Mode are prominent among the offenders. Now that "alternative" bands are starting to churn out double-live albums, the time has come to see just how genuinely "alternative" they still are. Unlike his contemporaries who became rich and corporate, Marc Almond began commercial and grew increasingly odd with passing years. When "Tainted Love" broke Soft Cell into the mainstream it began a long, strange odyssey for Marc Almond. Fourteen solo albums later, Almond has become the embodiment of "camp." This live set is as peculiar and unconventional as befits a man who has spent his professional career doing Quixotic battle against normalcy. The concert opens with the uncharacteristically accessible disco strains of "Tears Run Rings." It's dance rhythms and rollicking piano solos belie the nature of the performance. This is not nearly so much a rock concert as it is a cabaret extravaganza. WELCOME TO THE CABARET OLD CHUM Dramatic in the extreme. Vaudevillian at times. The core of the set is contained in the torch and cabaret songs. For much of the time it is just Marc and a piano. This recording is conclusive evidence that Marc Almond exists in an aesthetic paradigm that is completely unlike anything else in modern music. He lives in his own little universe, and it is very rarely sunny there. Eventually Marc breaks into the enormous sounding dance production of "Jacky" and suddenly it is the 1990's again. Though the strings and the horns are back in the mix, it is just as campy and unconventional as the torch songs earlier in the show. Though the subsequent pop songs use more traditional arrangements, the point is still the same. This live performance, and Marc Almond in general, is absolutely unique in its eccentricity. Finally, Marc Almond busts into "Tainted Love" for the first time since he left Soft Cell. As a new version it adds nothing. It isn't as slick as the original and the live performance does not increase the energy level. As a historical artifact it is probably significant. The set closes with eight minutes of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye." As the camp hero sings his way into the sunset, it is apparent that he is one of the few members of his generation that hasn't betrayed his vision for a sack of cash. If "12 Years of Tears" is any indication, Marc Almond will never play to a packed house in the Rose Bowl. VITAL STATISTICS Marc Almond - 12 Years of Tears (Live at the Royal Albert Hall - Edited Highlights) Released on Sire Records Catalog number 9 45247-2 Total playing time: 74:54 14 tracks Tears run rings Champagne Bedsitter Mr. sad There is a bed Youth If you go away Jacky Desperate hours Waifs and strays Something's gotten hold of my heart What makes a man Tainted love Say hello wave goodbye Produced by Gregg Jackman Recorded September 30th, 1992 ****************************************** Red Red Groovy "25" Continuum Records IT'S A SUNSHINE DAY Red Red Groovy contributed tracks to the "This is Techno" collections that were full thrust raging rave assaults. While there is a load of double barrelled dance music on this long player, the Red Red Groovytrain makes a number of other stops along the way. To be sure, Red Red Groovy are able to turn up the sweat machine and let fly with the BPM. "Is this Heaven?" (which was included on "This is Techno Vol. 4") features a blistering dance rhythm under a vast array of vocal samples. James T. Kirk repeatedly asks, "Lovely, isn't it?" and indeed, it is. However this all out dance barrage is more the exception than the rule on this album. During certain portions, "25" is as beautifully atmospheric and subdued as anything by Ultramarine. "The Fabric of Space" begins with a whisper and then gently sneaks into an 808 State flurry of activity. Long stretches of the album blend together to create grand dub landscapes. Then, like a sucker punch, Tiffany starts singing and it's back to the shopping mall. Not actually Tiffany, but it might as well be. On three separate tracks there is a female vocalist that seems to belong on an entirely different album. It is as if the Little Mermaid unexpectedly swam into the recording studio. A couple of the other songs feature traditional vocals as well, but to far less jarring effect. On the funky, hip-happening "View (the Universe)" the female lead singer has a vaguely B-52's quality. The male vocals that pop up on a couple of songs are of the space-waif-boy variety. Somewhere between Candyflip and Fini Tribe. They are hardly even noticeable behind the triple-phat Beastie Boys base line and the Odd Couple organ riff on the super-trippy seven minutes of "A Flower." Call it diversity of incongruity. Is the glass half-empty or half-full? As an album it is considerably more interesting that a collection of bang-bang dance-dance tracks. Parts of "25" are undeniably brilliant and beautiful, flowing together as naturally as scotch and soda. Dance music for the moon. Except for the few unscheduled stops in Debbie Gibson-land, Red Red Groovy pilot a course through some exquisite terrain. VITAL STATISTICS Red Red Groovy - "25" Released on Continuum Records Catalog number 19303 Total playing time: 70:58 17 tracks the Footprint of memory View (of the universe) Ibiza bar 25 Come to me, ecstasy the Time has come Another kind of find Euphorigin A Flower Suspicion the Fabric of space the Two eternities Burning like the sun Divergence of now the Vision Is this heaven? Beginnings of sorrow ****************************************** THE NEXT BIG THING Early Seventies Stones MARCH 1994 by Frankie Machine "To get the fish, drain the pond." - R. Bresson One of Fin's scotch and sodas, and you'll be contemplating Conrad Viedt as he wanders around the rain drenched pavements of 1919 Berlin. Two, and you begin to realize where all the flour and hats of mid 80's death punk originated, and why it killed itself. Three, and your off on a winged journey to happier times. Streamlined plastic and chrome times. Times when everyone thought it would be pretty nice to date Mary Tyler Moore. I'm on my fourth. This column was going to be concerned with the future of music for the unkempt. If CJD ("Cool Jazzy Disco") will come to sustain those of us who like haircuts and new clothes, then the rest of us will fall back on the innocence and hard edged purity of the "Exile on Mainstreet" Stones. Crass and simple manifesto choruses about visceral pleasures and the will to attain them shall scream from every transistor A.M. radio (a retro technology that will soon replace the disc-man). Specially designed and mixed for a two inch speaker run by a nine-volt battery, the early Seventies Stone's influence will rear its percussive head to reclaim the youth who have grown tired of the "more flannel please" drones emanating from the West Coast. Got different badges, but they wear them just the same. At least that is how Danny and Sleepy, down at the other end of the Marlin's cocktail dispensary, see it. Mr. Ocean goes so far as pointing to the new Charlatans and Primal Scream material as proof positive. Some fell into heaven and some fell into hell. Well, that is what I meant to drone on about, but after four scotch and sodas the mind drifts elsewhere - more Sade than Slade. Fin flew to New York for lunch last week. He felt like a steak sandwich, and where do they make the best steak sandwiches - 21 of course. I'm not sure I buy that one, he's using it in order to convince a young woman she should become the next and only Marlin Cigarette Girl. Why not - it worked for Robert Stack. Which brings me back to the subtle glory of a good scotch. Served at USO's from Bangor to Illiana, filling the fighting man with spirit like smoke in a glass. It is the kind of thing you should be drinking on the night you run into Joan Leslie. For wearing black and telling jokes, nothing pleases like a smooth and elegant scotch high-ball. Next one is on me. Frankie Machine. ****************************************** (It is a distinct honor to introduce a new feature this month. Bang Sonic! proudly invites you to...) Throw Yourself Under the Wheels of the Wisconsin Project Juggernaut as It Careens into Pop Music by Danny Ocean Like an Olive in a Glass of Champagne In the 1980's, and still today, every "alternative" band that picks up a guitar has owed an inestimable debt to the Velvet Underground. Well, in much the same way, every band that has hired a section of out-of-work string players has owed a debt to Scott Walker. Walker has a special place in pop history. Starting out as an expatriate American named Scott Engel who had big hits in England as one of the Walker Brothers (yes, his actual brother was the other one), had his career ended there he would have been remembered primarily for penning "No Regrets" (much later a hit for Midge Ure), and for being a classier version of that breed of losers with LA circa '85 haircuts and suitcases full of Wang Chung ripoffs that have to move to Japan to be stars. But when he broke up the Brothers and went solo, he turned into something very unique, and has remained one of the longest lasting cult stars to remain unrecognized by the American critical establishment. This is hardly the case in England, of course, where the recent reissue of all of his solo work was promptly greeted with five out of five marks by the hipsters at Select. However, his influence on pop musicians has rarely been so acknowledged. The only people who have gone out of their way to celebrate Walker have been Julian Cope (who, judging by his current work, desperately needs to listen to some Walker again before it's too late) and Marc Almond. Cope compiled a Walker collection called The Godlike Genius of Scott Walker in the early '80's. Almond wrote the liner notes to the 1990 collection Boy Child. Much less has been heard from Prefab Sprout, Echo and the Bunnymen, Nick Cave, Art of Noise, Morrissey and Marr, Martyn Phillipps of The Chills, American Music Club, Momus, or even Catherine Wheel. True, Catherine Wheel covered Walker's "30 Century Man" on a recent EP, and Phillipps has been vocal about his love of Walker, at least to the fanzine The Big Takeover. But his influence ranges much farther and wider than that. So why is it one should prick up one's ears every time a band uses strings, and strain to hear the Walker influence? When Walker went solo in 1967, he made records that combined in an utterly distinctive way heavy strings, Jacques Brel balladry, poetic, melancholy lyrics with a strongly psychedelic tinge, a deep, mournful, almost impossibly rich voice, and a lathering of late '60's British pop feel. Personally, I cannot imagine what anyone's first impression of Walker will be. My good friend Frankie Machine simply said "Oh, yeah, of course!" Me, I tried to like it, but couldn't quite deal with it. Until one day, when I popped it into the house sound system over at Sleepy La Beef's infamous opium den. Suddenly it all came clear. The sheer, ineffable strangeness of listening to the Brel, the strings, the LSD, and the despair that go into Walker's sound is indescribable, but very cool once you pick up on what he's doing, and how it makes you feel. Perhaps the best way to convey the feel and the sound of Walker to neophytes is by comparing him to those he has influenced. Prefab Sprout's expansive orchestral swing owes more to Sondheim, perhaps, but Walker is in there, too. In The Chills, Walker is mainly visible in the subdued sadness, and in stringed up tunes like "Water Wolves" on Soft Bomb. Art of Noise massive synthesized strings on their later ambient work bears the traces of Walker as well. Echo and the Bunnymen's Ocean Rain sustains a closer analogy to Walker in its combo of big strings and resigned sadness, as does American Music Club's "Johnny Mathis' Feet." But AMC's song blows up that sadness to huge, theatrical proportions even closer to Walker. Morrissey and Marr use bits of Walker throughout their work, in the mood that runs through the Smiths into Viva Hate on songs like "Late Night Maudlin Street." But Morrissey's lyrics are too close to the British kitchen-sink literary school, and the music too close to Beatles-y pop to really replicate it exactly. This is where Momus, Cave and Almond come in. These artists are the truest inheritors of Walker's sonic legacy. Momus, on the tight budget he always works on, never really gets the size and scope of Walker's sound, but on Poison Boyfriend especially, he gets the feel, French influence included, of course. Cave, while he remains rooted in American country music, also plugs into the Walker Big Drama mode on tracks like "Lament" on The Good Son. Almond, unfortunately, uses way too much techno-ish dance stuff on his recent stuff to really get it, but in his early solo career, on albums like Untitled, Vermin in Ermine, and especially Stories of Johnny (the title track, for instance), the drippingly romantic, despairing lyrics and huge orchestral sound is pure Walker. As rich an influence Walker has been on these people, his influence has been confined to artists that really are strong artistic personalities in their own right, and as a result you couldn't say that any of them are slavish imitators. For one thing, all of them have a range of other influences that they combine with Walker in fascinating ways. But that is another column. For now, all you need to know is that Walker is one of pop's hidden geniuses. He was a tortured romantic soul that went mad in the early 70's, and disappeared, much like Syd Barrett, but Walker is a Barrett that threatens to come back to life any year now. Before he disappeared, he recorded Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3, and Scott 4, all of which have been re-released. If you want a good taste of his finest moments before you have to plop down the bucks for all of those, consider Boy Child, also out on CD now. He returned briefly in the '80's with Climate of Hunter, a hodgepodge of new pieces put together by friends and admirers, which is also excellent and on CD. Well, until next time, this is Danny Ocean saying, Keep your ears open in these exciting days, pop music's best since 1982. ****************************************** Hit Lists From Around the World foreigners have the best taste anyway British Top 20+3 as of March 12, 1994 28: Pop Will Eat Itself - Ich Bin Ein Auslander 26: Carter USM - Glam Rock Cops 23: Beautiful South - Good As Gold A strong start for the long-awaited new hit for one of the more unconventional British pop bands. 'Good As Gold' is no less deserving a hit as anything else the band have ever produced, commercial enough for radio to love it yet with a kind of twisted irony in the lyrics that few others are capable of. It deserves to go higher - but will it? 20: Suede - Stay Together 19: Janet Jackson - Because Of Love 18: Bryan Adams/Rod Stewart/Sting - All For Love 17: Marcella Detroit - I Believe With Shakespear's Sister having imploded, the real talent within it gets to work with gusto on her solo career, kicking off with this gorgeous ballad which has been played to death on the radio and now lands straight in the Top 20. 16: Cranberries - Linger 15: Beck - Loser 14: EYC - The Way You Work It 13: D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better 12: Cappella - Move On Baby 11: Elton John and RuPaul - Don't Go Breaking My Heart 10: Reel 2 Real - Like To Move It 9: 2 Unlimited - Let The Beat Control Your Body 8: Morrissey - The More You Ignore Me He's either an insufferable bore or a total genius but the former lead singer of the Smiths is bound to cause a splash whatever he releases. To study his recent form though you would not have thought so, despite a coninuing press love affair his record sales have slipped so badly recently that his last hit 'Certain People I Know' became his smallest ever when it peaked at No.35 in December 1992. Thus it is that 'The More You Ignore Me' represents a startling turnaround, becoming his first Top 10 hit for five years, his fifth overall following the opening string of his career. 7: Primal Scream - Rocks/Funky Jam 6: Enigma - Return To Innocence 5: M People - Renaissance 4: Toni Braxton - Breathe Again 3: Doop - Doop Could anyone honestly have predicted that the biggest dance craze of the spring was going to be the Charleston? The 1920s flapper dance has returned to the nations clubs thanks to this Dutch smash which has been making waves underground since Christmas to such an extent that on commercial release a massive hit was ensured. 2: Ace Of Base - The Sign 1: FOURTH WEEK. Mariah Carey - Without You (This list is only a tiny fragment of the supurb Top 40 analysis done every week by James Masterton. Write to him directly at hid009@cent1.lancs.ac.uk -ed.) ************** Australian Top 10 as of March 12, 1994 10. Dr. Alban - Sing Hallelujah 9. Bryan Adams/Rod Stewart/Sting - All for Love 8. E.Y.C. - Feelin' Alright 7. Denis Leary - Asshole 6. Celine Dion - The Power Of Love 5. Salt N Pepa - Whatta Man 4. Twenty 4 Seven - Slave to the Music 3. Cut 'N' Move - Give It Up 2. Michael Bolton - Said I Loved You But I Lied 1. East 17 [2nd week] - It's Alright ************** American Top 10 as of March 12, 1994 10. Bryan Adams/Rod Stewart/Sting - All for Love 9. US3 - Cantaloop (flip fantasia) 8. Richard Marx - Now and Forever 7. Toni Braxton - Breathe Again 6. R. Kelly - Bump N' Grind 5. All-4-One - So much in love 4. Mariah Carey - Without You 3. Salt N Pepa - Whatta Man 2. Celine Dion - The Power Of Love 1. Ace of Base - The sign ****************************************** Upcoming Releases of Note and Interest save your pennies! Date Artist/Group Title ------ ------------------------ ------------------------------ 28 Feb Saint Etienne (UK) Tiger Bay 1 Mar That Petrol Emotion Fireproof 1 Mar The Orb Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld 1 Mar The Orb U.F. Orb 1 Mar KMFDM Hell To Go 1 Mar The Aphex Twin Analogue Bubblebath 8 Mar Soundgarden Superunknown 8 Mar Sam Phillips Martinis And Bikinis 8 Mar Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral 8 Mar Mighty Mighty Bosstones Ska-core, The Devil And More 8 Mar Frankie Goes To Hollywood Bang: The Greatest Hits 11 Mar Barramundi:Intro To A Cooler World 14 Mar Carter USM (UK) Starry Eyed And Bollock Naked 15 Mar Inspiral Carpets Devil Hopping 15 Mar Matthew Sweet Son Of A. Beast 15 Mar Sheep On Drugs From A To H And Back Again EP 15 Mar Sister Machine Gun The Torture Technique 22 Mar The Farm Hulabaloo 22 Mar The Charlatans Up To Our Hips 22 Mar Texas Rick's Road 22 Mar Galliano What Colour Our Flag 22 Mar Brand New Heavies Brother Sista 22 Mar Morrissey Vauxhall & I 22 Mar Juliet Roberts Natural Thing 22 Mar Alison Moyet Essex 22 Mar Pet Shop Boys Very Relentless 22 Mar Barney Bedtime With Barney 22 Mar Vanilla Ice Mind Blowin' 22 Mar Brian Setzer Orchestra Brian Setzer Orchestra 28 Mar The Beautiful South (UK) Miaow 28 Mar Primal Scream (UK) Give Out But Don't Give Up 29 Mar Hole Live Through This Mar Yello Zebra 5 Apr Black Sheep Nonfiction 12 Apr The Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 19 Apr King Missle King Missle 19 Apr Pato Banton Collections 19 Apr Buster Poindexter Buster's Happy Hour 19 Apr Crystal Waters Story Teller 26 Apr The Church Sometime, Anywhere 26 Apr Violent Femmes New Times 26 Apr David Byrne Between The Teeth 26 Apr The Smithereens A Date With The Smithereens Apr Deee-Lite Apr Frank Black Teenager Of The Year Apr Me Phi Mi <title unavailable> Apr Seefeel Quique Apr Front Line Assembly Millenium Apr Basia Sweetest Illusions Apr Lush Lush 12 May Erasure I Say, Say May Sonic Youth Experimental Jet Set... May Beastie Boys Ill Communication May Siouxsie & The Banshees <title unavailable> May Seal <.title unavailable> May Paul Weller Wild Wood Jul Duran Duran Thank You ****************************************** Mail from YOU to US Open 24 hours at ai983@freenet.buffalo.edu Frankie - I thoroughly enjoyed your CJD commentary [Feb94's "Next Big Thing"], and I thought I'd drop a bomb your way. His name is Barry Adamson, and if you haven't heard him yet, well, finish that martini, snag the keys and head to the record store. Like the soundtrack to some dark, macabre, secret-agent flick, Mr. Adamson's music evokes images of Eraserhead becoming a spy while maintaining a killer groove. His latest release on Mute is "The Negro Inside Me". ALL of his albums are amazing - also check out: Moss Side Story, The Taming of the Shrewd, Cinema is King, and Soul Murder. He used to be with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Robert C. Stephens Human Factors Research Lab University of Minnesota Following Robert's suggestion, Frankie Machine quickly sought out some of Barry Adamson's material. Frankie offers his impressions in next month's "Next Big Thing". ************** To: ai983@freenet.buffalo.edu, One thought-- why not put tag lines on the articles? I realize that email addresses might cause user feedback to be splintered, but some credit to reviews will help readers learn about reviewers-- i.e. "Oh, I see Jacquelyn is panning this release, and she's been generally in agreement with my tastes, so I'll value her word more heavily than other reviews I come across on this release..." Just an idea. And thanks for everyone's hard work! Carmen Iannacone Dear Carmen- I am inclined to agree with you. When we began and were just rinky-dinkin' around the neighborhood anonyminity offered a sense of freedom. Back then it was important that everyone feel free to speak their mind without fear of retribution. Now the stakes are a bit bigger and the cyber-soapbox which allows Bang! to shout-out around the globe imposes responsibility. Accountability in exchange for access. The time has passed for slinking about behind the corrupting shroud of anonymnity! I ran this argument by the writers and suffice it to say they were unimpressed. For the most part I was greeted with stone faced, icy silence. Young Dean Carver managed a snort of disapproval followed by the pilfered manifesto, "this is a collective. No static. Democratic." The beautiful Ms. Scodwell diplomatically suggested that if and when I get around to actually writing something, I should feel free to sign it. Until that time, she continued, I should stop "standing on the backs of the brutally oppressed working class." I, on the other hand, sincerely thank you for writing, and proudly sign off, colin ****************************************** Bang Sonic! Bang Sonic! is edited (when push comes to shove) by Colin P. Macinnes. Overseeing the little things are: Assistant Editors- Todd Matthews & J.Patrick Ronan Writers- T. Scodwell D. Carver J. Burnett D. Barton B. Crull Pictionary Referee and Resident Mixologist- Scott P. Higgins A twenty-one gun salute to X-Mag Commander, Jeff Hansen ************** "I'm outta here" -Doug --