Rita Lee & Roberto "Rita Hits" 1975-1983(rec) 1984(comp)**

After publishing my latest post on Gal Costa, it dawned on me that we lost in the space of a few months arguably the greatest ladies of Brazilian popular song: Gal Costa in November, Rita Lee in May, and Astrud Gilberto in June. I thought it'd be a good idea to dedicate the rest of the month to them; after all this is exactly the appropriate kind of music for a hot summer like this one. 

To be honest, this doesn't represent any of my favorite Rita Lee moments; those would be during her time with Os Mutantes (1966-72). I remember being disappointed when I first listened to this CD, thinking it was just mainstream pop and not that interesting at all. So I put it away for many years, but then I thought it'd be interesting to hear it again with fresh ears so I took it out for another spin. What I didn't remember about it is that it's not a proper best-of covering this particular period in her career (1975-1983). Rather, it is a medley of hits taken from albums of that time, either solo or under the name of Rita Lee and Roberto (De Carvalho, her husband). As expected, the DJ chose the most upbeat songs, with a preference for disco, latin pop, and rock and roll. Suffice it to say that the late 70's and early 80's saw Rita Lee leave her past as an acid folk and psychedelic rock singer behind to embrace the commercial sound du jour - but then again, didn't most of her contemporaries all over the world do the same? As a result, while her earlier music with Os Mutantes remains interesting, these songs sound quite outdated albeit still pleasant as commercial pop of that period goes. The thing is that, even if one feels nostalgic for that era, I honestly can't think of any use for a collection of truncated versions such as this. I do remember that when I was a kid there were some mix LPs like Stars On 45 or Jive Bunny & The Master Mixers that people would play at parties; the DJ would put on a vinyl and let the whole side play on (something like 15 songs in 22 minutes) while he went to the loo or for a drink or to chat up some girl. I guess this compilation may have had a similar function at some time. But this isn't 1984 any more, so I can't think of any reason to recommend it. Somewhere there must be a regular Rita Lee compilation with entire songs. Or, better yet, get anything by Os Mutantes. Seeing as we only get excerpts here (most of them less than 90 seconds each) it's no use grading individual songs. Therefore I'll just mention the tracks and the albums they were taken from. These are, in chronological order, the following:

Esse Tal De Roque Enrow (Fruto Proibido, 1975) / Arrombou A Festa (Refestança by Rita Lee & Gilberto Gil, 1977) / Jardins Da Babilônia, Miss Brasil 2000 (Babilônia, 1978) / Corre-Corre,  Papai Me Empresta O Carro, Mania De Você, Doce Vampiro (Rita Lee, 1979) / Bem-Me-Quer, Orra Meu! , Baila Comigo (Rita Lee, 1980) / Saúde, Atlântida, Mutante (Saúde by Rita Lee E Roberto, 1981) / Flagra, Barata Tonta, Só De Você (Rita Lee - Roberto De Carvalho, 1982) / On The Rocks, Desculpe O Auê (Bombom, 1983) / Caso Sério, Lança Perfume (Baila Conmigo by Rita Lee Y Roberto, 1983)

Gal Costa "Índia" 1973*****

20-something years ago, I discovered Tropicália through a Luaka Bop compilation of songs by Os Mutantes. It was something of a revelation, since I've always been a fan of psychedelic 60's music but had never imagined a possible hybrid of psychedelia, jazz, folk, and exotic Latin rhythms. In the course of the years I collected some tropicalia-related CD's and LP's, and this is one of my favorites. Gal Costa had been one of the movement's figureheads and made some experimental LP's in that vein, but by 1973 she had left that mostly behind. It still is a very inventive album, combining jazz, folk, pop, bossa nova, and psychedelia - just softer and more mainstream than the challenging psychedelic LP's that preceded it. Which didn't stop it from getting in trouble with the Brazilian dictators who had previously imprisoned tropicalia leaders Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. This time the sensors took exception with the album cover: it presents a close up of Gal's bikini front, while on the back the singer is pictured half naked, wearing only a grass skirt and jewelry made from beads and feathers. IMO it wasn't the nakedness that offended them but the use of indigenous dress (after all, to the military regime, the Amazonian tribes were savages, rather than true Brazilians) and Gal's pose, which was insolent rather than seductive. The cover was then replaced with a simple blue one, until recent reissues like this reproduced the original in all its exotic glory. Musically, the album impresses from the beginning: the eponymous first track features gorgeous orchestral arrangements and nostalgic vocals which remind me of Portugese fados as much as they do of bossa nova. This is followed by "Milho Verde" a traditional Portugese folk song combining Afro Latin percussion with layers of vocals reminiscent of medieval European music - an innovative arrangement by Gilberto Gill who also plays guitar throughout this record. "Volta" is a melancholic early 20th Century composition with sparse piano backing, while side 2 opens with "Relance" a song with Argentinean bandoneon and a funky beat, and one of two contributions made by Caetano Veloso to this album. "Pontos De Luz"'s funky bass and horns riffs offer another detour from the so-called MPB (Brazilian Mainstream Pop) style dominating the rest of the LP, which closes with a great version of Tom Jobim's much-covered bossa nova classic "Desafinado". A perfect listening for warm summer nights, combining soft exotic vibes with those weird Tropicália touches. Gal Costa would go on to ever greater mainstream pop success to become a national idol while remaining a constant irritant to the country's extreme right; she alienated many of her compatriots with her ceaseless denunciation of former president Jair Bolsonaro, and lived just long enough to see him get ousted from office, as she died last November at the age of 77.

***** for Índia, Desafinado 

**** for Milho Verde, Presente Cotidiano, Volta, Relance, Da Maior Importância, Passarinho, Pontos De Luz

Wet Leg "Wet Leg" 2022****

Most of the bands I saw in last month's Release Festival were old favorites: I've seen Siouxsie, Echo & The Bunnymen and Madrugada many times each; I was looking forward to more of the same, and wasn't disappointed. On the other hand, there were bands whose albums I liked but hadn't had the chance to watch live yet. Interpol was one such case, and a relative disappointment: an apathetic stage presence, with the singer murmuring into the microphone, almost not moving and making no effort to connect with their audience. To be fair, I only heard maybe 5 songs before heading to the other stage to catch The Bunnymen. True to form, Ian MacCullogh didn't step in the spotlight once. He spoke little, in a strong Scouse accent which few understood, but he at least sounded like he enjoyed being on stage and playing his songs. All in all, it was a good festival; most of the bands performed very well, but the one I enjoyed the most were probably Wet Leg; maybe because it was such a nice change from seeing too many bands by 50- ,60- , or 70-year old dudes in the last couple of years. 

Wet Leg is a young band from Isle Of Wight, who surfaced recently with a couple of singles written during the pandemic lockdown. When I saw them in the festival last week, I had had their LP only for a month or so and wasn't overly familiar with the way they sound on record. Going back to it now, the record sounds just a tad too clean; live, the songs sounded noisier and harder. Onstage, singer Rhian Teasdale proved to be a confident and communicative performer, while guitarist Hester Chambers was more shy but seemed to enjoy her role just as much. The same goes for the 3 guys in the band; although they are mostly not the ones who played on the record and they are nominally tour musicians rather than full members, it's obvious that the whole gang has bonded well and enjoy their time together. I'd bet that they'll gradually form into a real band. Wet Leg (the album, as well as the band) was a tremendous hit with music critics, winning multiple awards. I hate to join the crowd, but I'll have to agree with the general sentiment. The attraction is obvious; the album is the product of two young women who refuse to take themselves too seriously. Their lyrics are irreverent and funny, and the music full of hooks. Style wise, they seem to be updating 90's - 00's indie pop for the Tik Tok generation, combining post punk riffs with playful synths and sweet girlish vocals. First single "Chaise Longue" is upbeat , featuring an intro that reminded me of The Fall, and a repetitive and nonsensical but effervescent chorus. The second hit from the LP "Wet Dream" combines a disco beat with indie guitars reminiscent of The Breeders and sweet vocals a la Lush. And let's not forget that other obvious 90's reference, since songs like "Ur Mom"and "Oh No" surely sound like a poppier version of Elastica. Opener "Being in Love" is another upbeat highlight, one I think I'd like more if the girls' voices didn't sugarcoat too much. But I guess that's what makes this album a hit; a couple of sweet sounding females singing about whatever comes to their minds, spouting funny and irreverent one-liners. "Angelica" shows more variation excelling in the quiet/loud department, with occasional noisy guitar bursts and a more rhythmic part reminiscent of M.I.A. "I Don't Want to Go Out" is a nice melodic rocker, and "Loving You" the closer the album gets to a ballad. Another relatively subdued track is "Piece Of Shit". At times it reminds me of Pixies - which is, of course, a good thing. The next two tracks are both mid-tempo: "Convincing" is -excuse the pun- the least convincing track here (nothing seriously wrong with it, but nothing memorable either) while "Supermarket" sports a bluesy sing-along chorus. Album closer "Too Late Now" gets off to a slow start but picks up pace along the way for a bright and jangly Lemonheads-like ending. All in all, this LP is fresh, and has "fun" written all over it. I did enjoy the humorous jabs and occasional foul language, especially when mixed with emotional candor. Also, while the upbeat and poppy singles are the most accomplished songs here, it's the more subdued and complicated stuff that make me more eager to hear what Wet Leg will do next; one plainly sees that they have not only mastered the art of writing hit songs full of great hooks, but that there's room for growth as well. In that respect, I have the same feeling I got by the Fontaines DC debut a few years back: that the accolades may be a bit premature but that this is a band to watch, for sure.

**** on Being in Love, Chaise Longue, Angelica, I Don't Wanna Go Out, Wet Dream, Ur Mum, Piece of Shit, Supermarket, Too Late Now

*** for Convincing, Loving You, Oh No

Siouxsie & The Banshees "Through the Looking Glass" 1987****

I've been away from my laptop for some time, hence my absence of late - traveling to Greece where I have family, and taking care of some business there. Coincidentally, after missing a lot of crucial elections during the years of the "debt crisis" and subsequent punishment of the country by EU and IMF, I got to vote in the national elections - twice in the space of 5 weeks! For all the good it did - worst election results of my lifetime, maybe I'll elaborate on another post. But there was a silver lining for this trip, and that was that I got to see some concerts which I'll comment on in the following weeks. One of them was the long awaited return of a favorite of my teen years, Siouxsie Sioux. Siouxsie headlined that day's Release Festival. It was the 5th time I saw her perform in 30-something years: twice with The Banshees, once with Creatures, and once before solo, 15 years ago. Which is about the same amount of time she had stayed inactive. Why? Who knows? Maybe she felt like a 15-year vacation. I know that I sometimes do. Anyway, last week she reaffirmed her status as Goth Ice Queen. Her stage presence, at least, was impeccable - even though at 66 she was more restrained in her moves, famously copied by Jenny Ortega on her iconic Wednesday dance in the Tim Burton series. Sure, her vocal performance fluctuated between strained and sublime; but that's almost always the case with music legends past their prime. It is, in any case, a rare privilege to see artists of Siouxsie's caliber perform; not to be missed, at least this is how I see it. After my return to the Netherlands I'll write more about the acts I saw live, and tie each of them with an album presentation. For today, I'm re-posting an earlier review of an older LP by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

I bought this LP around the time it came out, then couldn't resist getting it again when it was remastered and released as a digipack CD. These remasters are so good (in terms of sound, aesthetic and bonus tracks) that I ended up buying almost all of them despite already having their complete discography on vinyl. Back at the time, many goths and punks perceived this album as somewhat of a betrayal. It is at times unusually light and melodic, with intricate arrangements by Martin McCarrick who would soon permanently join the band on keyboards and cello. And, of course, cries of betrayal would multiply in the future with the release of the even poppier "Peepshow" and "Superstition". But the Banshees were always a band apart from the other punk pioneers. They may have hit the scene as Sex Pistols hanger-ons (they accompanied the Pistols on their infamous Bill Grundy interview and had Sid Vicious as a drummer in the early days) but they came from a very different place: while the Pistols were street hooligans, the Banshees were glam fans drawn towards punk which they saw as an original and extreme fashion statement. So when it came to recording a tribute to the artists that influenced them, it wasn't surprising that most of their choices came from the early 70's, the golden age of glam rock. Supposedly they got the idea of a covers album from Bowie's "Pin Ups". Remember, at the time it wasn't as common as it is now - Nick Cave beat them by a few months by releasing "Kicking Against the Pricks" but I can't think of any other band releasing an all-covers LP in the early 80's. 

(my) vinyl front and back covers

They display their impeccable taste right from the start by covering The Sparks' "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us", an intensive song that fit their style perfectly. Kraftwerk's "Hall of Mirrors" is sped-up with exotic touches that remind us of Banshees side project The Creatures, and while no one would be surprised by the inclusion of those German electronic music pioneers, who could have predicted they'd tackle Disney next? Yet, their version of "Trust In Me" from the Jungle Book movie is curiously seductive and sexual but nothing short of sublime. "This Wheel's on Fire" was chosen as lead single and rost to #14 on the UK singles chart. Apparently The Banshees were unaware of Dylan & the Band's country rock original and modeled their own version after the Julie Driscoll cover. Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" is probably one of the saddest songs ever, Siouxsie's performance doesn't send shivers up the spine the way Billie's does but it makes great use of cinematic strings and funereal New Orleans horns. The Doors' "You're Lost Little Girl" is given a more psychedelic twist, featuring a sped-up chorus, carnival sounds and strings borrowed from The Four Tops' "Reach Out". It's followed by the album's highlight, a cover of Iggy Pop's "Passenger". Siouxsie's laid-back delivery and the addition of horns improve on the original arrangement (in Iggy's words: "I wish I had thought of it. It kind of improves it"). I listen to it every day - its my wake-up ringtone! Their version of John Cale's "Gun" sticks close to the original, but I daresay is slightly superior as Siouxsie is a better vocalist than Cale... which I can't say about "Sea Breezes". The Banshees started out as huge Roxy Music fans and they give their all, but somehow they don't own the tune as they did with other covers here.

CD insert

My old vinyl LP ends with Television's "Little Johnny Jewel" saving this fine track from obscurity. The original used to be only available as a rare 7' single, until it was appended as a bonus track on the "Marquee Moon" CD. The CD version of Through the Looking Glass also adds some bonus tracks: Extended "dance" mixes of "Wheel on Fire" and "Passenger", a punk rock cover of Jonathan Richman's "She Cracked" and single-only "Song from the Edge of the World". The latter is the only original composition on the CD, a very good upbeat song featuring a new incarnation of the band with John Klein on guitar and McCarrick as a full time member on keyboards.  Overall I can say that Through the Looking Glass (named after the Lewis Carroll book) is one of the best cover albums ever: Revealing as to the band's influences and, despite the variety of its source material, consistent and recognizably Banshees-like. To end the review with a piece of interesting trivia, the album title is only one of Siouxsie's many references to Alice in Wonderland, e.g. naming their record company "Wonderland" and including Alice sketches in the weirdest kids' TV show ever, in which they starred alongside The Cure's Robert Smith. Not surprising, really, for those who've delved into their cryptical and surrealistic lyrics.

***** for Trust in Me (The Jungle Book), This Wheel's on Fire (Bob Dylan & The Band), Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday), The Passenger (Iggy Pop)

**** for This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us (Sparks), Hall of Mirrors (Kraftwerk),Song from the Edge of the World, The Passenger Locomotion Mix

*** for You're Lost Little Girl (The Doors), Gun (John Cale), Sea Breezes (Roxy Music), Little Johnny Jewel (Television), She Cracked (Jonathan Richman/Modern Lovers

Various Artists "Festival Of The South Seas" 1961***

OK, so that's an album I bought purely for the cover. Well, not completely true, I was also curious as to what I would listen, I mean I hadn't heard any music from Fiji or Tahiti before, but mostly for the cover. I have these frames I hang on my wall where I put vinyl covers on display, different ones every month, usually with a theme. So I thought I'd buy this cheap LP (it only cost me €2,5) and frame it alongside some other exotic themed cover e.g. Les Baxter. I was surprised to find it was a collectible item, mostly because it was among other worthless pseudo-world albums from the 60s e.g. anything from mambo to balalaikas. Usually these were supposed to make local traditions palatable to Western audiences rather than portray folk music as it is. But some of this stuff sounds quite authentic to my ears. Apparently this LP was recorded live "in The Town Hall" (not sure of which town, but somewhere in New Zealand) on June 6, 1961 at a concert sponsored by, among others, TAEL (Tasmanian Empire Airways Ltd). Different Polynesian nations are represented. None of the artists was familiar to me, but after some searching I found out that things aren't exactly as represented. Daphne Walker, for example, the one here who sounds most like a professional entertainer, was born and raised in New Zealand, but she's included as a representative of Hawaii. Her three entries ("Sophisticated Hula", "Little Brown Gal", "Ukulele Lady") are among my favorites, English-language 50's swing with a Hawaiian theme and great Hawaiian-style steel guitar. Possibly the guitarist is Bill Sevesi, the other "Hawaiian" act here, but in reality another New Zealander. A steel guitar virtuoso, he adds two great swing instrumentals "Tiger Shark" and "Twelfth Street Rag" - the latter's highlight is a Django-on-ukulele-style solo. As for the Samoan Surf Riders, they are Samoan (although some of them are of German descent), but, again, based in New Zealand. "Malie E" features mostly percussion and choral vocals, while "Minoi" has a country swing flavor - I suspect the guitarist is again Bill Sevesi. Eddie Lund And The Tahiti Nui Club, on the other hand, are real Tahitians. They play on 3 tracks: "Introduction/Orea Dance" and "Drums Of Tahiti" are percussion-dominated, while "Te Manu Pukarua" is a catchy little dance number. Last -but not least, as they say- country represented here is Fiji. The Pacific Teenagers' "Bulu Makau = The Bull Cow Song" is a charming song with female harmonies that sounds to me similar to Hawaiian hula music; very different from the Fujian group doing their "War Chant" with the accompaniment of some castanet or maracas-like percussions. On the whole, I'd say the more Polynesian-sounding tracks were more interesting/authentic sounding, but the Hawaiian ones (even though played by New Zealanders, they sound very similar to real Hawaiian music in my collection) sound more pleasant to my ears. Listening to this LP made me want to travel to Polynesia, which is literally half the world away, and the cost of travelling is prohibitive to me. But never say never... One thing's for sure: if I ever get there, I'll try to pick up some records by local artists, and share my impressions with you. Also: I'm enclosing a spotify link here for those who want to listen to the album, but be aware that the tracklist on spotify is wrong: if you want to know who performs each song, you should read the title of the one directly above it. 

*** for Sophisticated Hula (Daphne Walker), Tiger Shark (Bill Sevesi), Little Brown Gal (Daphne Walker), Bulu Makau=The Bull Cow Song (Pacific Teenagers), Minoi (Samoan Surf Riders), Kaahi (Daphne Walker), Twelfth Street Rag (Bill Sevesi), Te Manu Pukarua (The Tahiti Nui Club), Ukulele Lady (Daphne Walker)

** for Introducing Eddie Lund and Otea Dance, Dance Song (The Tahiti Nui Club), Malie E (Samoan Surf Riders), Drums Of Tahiti (Eddie Lund And The Tahiti Nui Club), War Chant (Fijian choir)

Roger Waters "Radio K.A.O.S." 1987***

As I read in last week's Guardian, "Police in Germany have launched a criminal investigation into the Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters over a Nazi-style uniform he wore at a recent concert in Berlin. According to a police spokesman “An investigation has been opened over the costume displayed at the concerts on 17 and 18 May... The context of the clothing worn is deemed capable of approving, glorifying or justifying the violent and arbitrary rule of the Nazi regime in a manner that violates the dignity of the victims and thereby disrupts public peace”. Berlin police will continue to gather evidence and then hand over their findings to the state prosecutor, who will assess whether Waters’s act can be considered as incitement to hatred". Now doesn't that sound like a bad joke? Waters' work is deeply humanist, pacifist and anti-fascist in nature; could the German police really believe that Waters was actually "glorifying" the Nazis (who, incidentally, his father died fighting against)? Are they really unaware of Pink Floyd's The Wall album and movie? After all, the same work was presented with lots of fanfare and high profile guests in what was formerly no man's land between East and West Germany, only a few months after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In every performance, during the song "In The Flesh", he impersonates onstage (as actor Bob Geldof did in the film) a demented and hateful character, don't they know that? Of course they do! It's just that Waters has always been very vocal in his support for the Palestinian cause, openly condemning the state of Israel for human rights violations and for the occupation of Palestinian lands. So they apply political pressure on other governments to try and shut him up! How very not fascist of them!

Coincidentally, this is the same week I bought a vinyl copy of Waters' 1987 Radio K.A.O.S. LP. It's not a work that's aged well, I must say. Like most of his work, solo or with Pink Floyd, it's a concept album. I'm now going to to do something lazy and paraphrase wikipedia to give you a synopsis of the story: Our hero Billy is a paraplegic youngster with severe motoric and speech disabilities, but his brain is somehow able to receive and manipulate radio waves. His twin brother Benny is a miner who lost his job due to the "market forces". One night, drunken Benny inadvertently kills a passerby by dropping a concrete block from a bridge. He is taken to prison, while Billy is sent to live with his uncle David in California. Using a cordless phone and his radio wave manipulation abilities, Billy learns to access computers and speech synthesisers, and starts having conversations with a DJ on L.A.'s Radio K.A.O.S. Exasperated by the political and social world situation, he eventually hacks into a military satellite, simulating a worldwide nuclear attack while deactivating the military's power to retaliate. The album concludes with a song about how, faced with imminent death, people realize that the struggle for more money and power has led the world astray, and start to give attention to the things that really matter, like their friends, family, and solidarity to fellow humans. The story nowadays is supposedly rather outdated - and I say supposedly, because neither the poverty caused by neoliberal politics nor the nuclear threat is as distant as we would like it to be - certainly not with the NATO vs. Russia hostilities materializing into an actual war in Ukraine. Specific references, such as jabs at Reagan and Thatcher, are nevertheless too grounded in the 80's, and the story is needlessly convoluted. Musical production is likeways very old-fashioned, and clean to the point of sterility in a way that only 80's productions can be. Overproduced too, but that I don't mind, because which Floyd album isn't? The songs are full of female backing vocals, synthesizers, and saxophone solos (by Mel Collins, formerly of King Crimson/Camel). I'm often reminded of Robert Palmer, sans the soul vocals. There's also some very good guitar by Andy Fairweather-Low, albeit discreetly low in the mix. Most of the songs are 4 or 5 minutes long, with the whole thing sounding more like contemporary (for the 80's) pop rock than like Floyd's prog rock heyday. The unity of the project is achieved by the interspersed effects (such as Morse-code) and radio snippets, mostly by Radio K.A.O.S.'s fictional DJ. Upbeat opener "Radio Waves" is the lead single, commercial AOR with a nice guitar solo. Mid-tempo follower "Who Needs Information" is better, sounding somewhat like mid 80's David Bowie. "Me Or Him" is slower and quieter, the use of flute instead of the more bombastic synths giving it an understated feel. "The Powers That Be" reminds me of Floyd's "Dogs"; there's a sense of menace in the guitar riff and urgency and "you better run" chorus, but that's disarmed by the pleasant synths and upbeat horns. Likewise, side 2 opener "Sunset Strip" is as bright as befits a song about L.A.; never mind that the protagonist feels out of place and nostalgic for his UK home. "Home" and "Four Minutes" propel the story forward. As compositions, they are rather generic 80's pop rock whose saving grace is guest vocalist Clare Torry. Sure you know who she is; even if the name may not sound familiar there's no way you don't remember the wordless wailing in "Great Gig In The Sky" on Dark Side Of The Moon. Well, that was Clare! The album closes with a hopeful note on "The Tide Is Turning". It's a melodic ballad with the surprising addition of a male choir. Nice of Waters to add a bit of light to his usually bleak world vision. Now, I'm old enough to remember when this album got out in '87 and how everyone pitted it against his former bandmates' A Momentary Lapse Of Reason to decide who is the true heir to the Pink Floyd legacy. In most aspects, Radio K.A.O.S. seems to take up where Floyd left off with The Final Cut, which in turn was a (weaker) retread of The Wall. Which means there's a direct line linking it to one of Floyd's greatest artistic achievements. But, while Waters' hired band are impeccable professionals, there's something missing: Gilmour's distinctive guitar and vocal, Wright's keyboard magic, and whatever Mason does on drums - sorry Nick, I can't tell the difference between you and any other drummer, but the fault is all mine. On the other hand, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (to be presented some other time) may lack a unifying theme, but sounds more like classic Floyd by virtue of the musicians involved. The production, incidentally, lets both albums down, being very sterile and rooted in the 80's. I personally think that they're equally good (or bad, as some would have it), and that each represents different aspects of Pink Floyd. The audience voted for Gilmour's version; possibly because it had more radio/MTV exposure, or because of the impressive spectacle of the gigantic stadium tours, or simply because he won the court case and got to keep the band name. Listening to Radio K.A.O.S. now, and production notwithstanding, it obviously doesn't deserve the bad rap it gets by critics and fans. P.S. It just dawned on me that many of you may not realize what the album cover is depicting: it is supposed to be an 80's computer screen; don't you go on thinking of a flat screen either, these were heavy cubic monitors usually displaying a black background with monochromatic green letters/characters. In this case, the green dots and dashes are nothing more than the album's tracklist rendered in Morse code - or so I'm told; next thing you know they might accuse Waters of adorning his record covers with coded anti-semitic propaganda, and no-one but a few ancient sailors/radio operators could tell the difference! 

**** for Who Needs Information,The Tide Is Turning [After Live Aid]  

*** for Radio Waves, Me Or Him, The Powers That Be, Sunset Strip, Home, Four Minutes

Skafish "Skafish" 1980***

The first time I came across Skafish it was with their live contribution on soundtrack LP URGH! A Music War The Album, which I reviewed for this blog 8 years ago (wow, time flies when you're having fun - and even when you're not!). This is what I wrote about them back then: "Sign of the Cross*** The only band I hadn't heard before. Based on their name I would have guessed they played ska music, but they surprised me with their hardcore punk, almost metal, attack and anti-religious lyrics. They obviously weren't trying to make any friends. Gotta respect them for that!". When I recently found a whole album by them in the bargain bin, I decided to delve further into this band. What did I learn? First off they have indeed no connection to ska music: the band's frontman/singer/songwriter is called Jim Skafish, hence the name. They come from Chicago, and their 1976 stage debut is considered to be the Windy City's introduction to punk. This album, though, is hardly recognizable as punk. If you want to know how they sound, you have to imagine an equal mix of Frank Zappa, The Ramones, Devo, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Jim himself was a real character: tall and weird looking, if not outright ugly, often wearing old ladies' clothes, he impersonated all those outcasts he was singing about. This LP doesn't contain "Sign of the Cross"; it starts off with a spoken "introduction" by backing vocalist Barbie Goodrich in the guise of a former cheerleader wasting her life waiting for Mr. Right. "Joan Fan Club" is another high school story, a realistic depiction of the hellish daily life of a girl constantly picked on by bullies. The theatrical, darkly comic, delivery and fast tempo reminds me of certain tracks by the Dead Kennedys. Next up, there's a surprisingly moving ballad called "Maybe One Time". New wavey "Obsessions Of You" features a "big" chorus and multitracked vocals reminiscent of a musical revue number. "We’ll See A Psychiatrist" is a noisy piece with heavy guitar, "Romantic Lessons" an old timey 60's pop ballad, and "Guardian Angel" a semi-ironic Doo Wop pastiche similar to certain Frank Zappa songs. "No Liberation Here" is a heavy grunge-rocker, while the noisy closer "Take It Out On You", Buzzcocks-like "Work Song" and -especially- album highlight "Disgracing The Family Name" are the probably the only numbers that justify the punk rock label; the latter also reminds me of Danny Elfman's contemporary band, Oingo Boingo. This is, in my opinion, a great -albeit very unconventional- album: you have, above all, the theatrical aspect, punky rage, and dark comedy, vocals ranging from operatic to angry rants, you get some nice melodies and catchy choruses punctuated by moments of cacophony exacerbated by heavy guitar and Jerry-Lee-like clanging piano in the least appropriate moments. Now that I think of it, maybe "great" isn't the right word. But "interesting" and "original", most definitely are. According to discogs, the album was recently reissued on CD and LP, though original vinyl copies may be easier to come by.

**** for Joan Fan Club, Maybe One Time, Obsessions Of You, No Liberation Here, Disgracing The Family Name

*** for Romantic Lessons, Work Song, Guardian Angel, Take It Out On You

** for Introduction, We’ll See A Psychiatrist