MELOMANIA rolls out the red carpet, welcoming you to countdown to RSD 23!
SATURDAY - April 22nd - BE THERE!
Various Artists - 200% DYNAMITE SKA, SOUL, ROCKSTEADY, FUNK & DUB IN JAMAICA [2LP](Soul Jazz/Redeye)
Reggae collections that cross the boundaries are generally party-starters. As a sequel to the burner "100% Dynamite," "200%" does not double it as much as it expands its scope. The classics "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw and "Funky Kingston" by Toots & The Maytals" are like the signposts letting you know there is quality still ahead. To follow the "Dynamite" analogy, listen as Jackie Mittoo's instrumental "Earthquake" lights the fuse with its steady head-nodding beat, then adds his double-tracked organ fills and enough auxiliary percussion to make it sizzle.
SPARKS - Sparks [LP](Friday/The Orchard)
SPARKS - Woofer's In Tweeter's Clothing [LP](Friday/The Orchard)
These two albums represent how it all started for the Mael Brothers. Children of the Hollywood sign-glare of Rock N'Roll in the Sixties and California (pre-) fab housing, Ron and Russell tackle their early writing like they are trying to create new Tin Pan Alley Pop. "Sparks" features them in the studio with their first band and producer Todd Rundgren. "Fa La Fa Lee" and especially "Wonder Girl" put Russell's unique operatic delivery in place (pre-Freddie Mercury, sorry folks.) While Rundgren generally makes sure to keep Ron's Farfisa/piano riffs at the center of the songs. The naive charm of the 1971 debut shapes their first true album as Sparks (and the only one with the five-piece band.) In the studio as a full group for "Woofer," the separation and call-and-response in their songs become more obvious. The single "Girl From Germany" is a pre-Glam/post-Beatles charmer that works today because in 1972 - it existed out of its own time. Former Electric Prune James Lowe lets Sparks be so different (the sea shanty "Beaver O'Lindy," sing en Francais on "The Louvre," and turn "Do-Re-Mi" into their catchy sing-a-long) and indulge far more than most artists could on their debut (the strings-and-things on the libretto-ready "Here Comes Bob.") The true highlight of production and performance is "Moon Over Kentucky" which gives the band a real chance to stretch out the drama of the riveting cut and showcase their innate ability to capture and change moods. For an artist about to rise from being heckled at the Marquee in London to becoming a staple on "Top of the Pops" (and release TWO perfect albums,) "Woofer" shows you the tea leaves of their still-developing future.
SOUNDCARRIERS - Celeste [LP](Ubiquity)
With hypnotic background voices and slight-swinging beats, Germany's Soundcarriers are the nexus where Musik Kosmiche meets Sixties Cocktail gems. At its best when it bolts for a Stereolab (plus flutes!) quality ("Step Outside,") they prove adept at tempo shifts (the uphill chug of "Morning Haze") and a skewed view of Pop (the organ and reverb-drenched Spiritualized-meets-Motown hop of "Rolling On.") Space Lounge!
MOTORHEAD - The Lost Tapes Vol.4: Live in Heilbronn 1984 [LP](BMG)
Having lost the classic band members "Fast" Eddie Clarke (to form Fastway with UFO's Pete Way) and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor (spinal injury, but will return in 1987,) Lemmy started from scratch with drummer Pete Gill (Saxon,) and twin guitars from Phil "Wizzo" Campbell (Persian Risk) and Wurzel (straight out of the British Army.) With four new songs on the retrospective "No Remorse," Motorhead is brutal in 1984. "Killed By Death" throws back to classic Motorhead and sounds like it could be on "Iron Fist." Out of the four "Lost Tapes" compilations, "Heilbronn" is the closest to what you imagine the live fury would be. They savage the "Ace of Spades"-esque gallop of "The Hammer" and a chaotic "(We Are) The Road Crew" - this is Motorhead getting its tearing the wheels off to prove it can roll.
MILES DAVIS - Turnaround: Rare Miles From "On The Corner" [LP](Legacy)
In the early Seventies, Miles veered from wild fusion into streamlined funk on the underrated classic "On The Corner," Miles may be trying to play like he is Sly Stone - but this album remains one of the few cases of Fusion done right. Joined by Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Al Foster, Michael Henderson, Dave Liebman, Lonnie Liston Smith, Reggie Lucas, and Mtume (a veritable list of future stars,) these outtakes are jams that give you the opportunity to hear how well the band could push-and-pull the ideas that Miles was spitting out. On the lengthy funk freak-out "The Hen," a James Brown-esque bassline, wailing saxophone, and fevered percussion never let up. "U-Turnaround" is the closest approach to a song, while the fused "Big Fun/Holly-wuud" is a slow-rolling showcase for Miles' wah trumpet. Culled from the "On The Corner" sessions, these rarities will hopefully generate new interest in an album that is too often overlooked in the giant shadow of "Bitches Brew."
SUN RA - Haverford College, Jan. 25, 1980 [LP](Modern Harmonic/Redeye)
Unlike many of the releases of this period in Sun Ra's career, playing solo on a mellow Rhodes brings out a surprising (almost) tranquil performance. "Lost In Outer Space" does venture into some serious banging, but Sun Ra seems to give in to his quieter impulses on "Haverford Impromptu #1." When he digs into the well-known "Rhapsody In Blue," Sun Ra finds some unique harmonies to use for dissonance. However, he then neatly counters the attack with elegant runs. Finally, when he combines his own "Space Is The Place" with the standard "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," he tests the dynamic changes between muscular lows and twinkling high notes. The high point is the moment when he finds the "Rainbow" phrase and runs through all the harmonic additions he can before it dissolves into some low-note pyrotechnics that sounds like a rainstorm is coming in. Not only for Sun Ra fans.
Various Artists - NEW YORK NOISE [2LP](Soul Jazz/Redeye)
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, this compilation is the seminal Downtown NYC/No Wave collection. James Chance's James Brown routine on "Contort Yourself" never gets old, while the weird spoken word of Arto/Neto covers where Arto Lindsay is leading music post-Mars (also represented - but not totally in chaos.) Bush Tetras' "Too Many Creeps" is a stone-cold classic, but the ESG-ish groove and chiming guitars of "Can't Be Funky" deserve their place here. Arthur Russell's Dinosaur L might have better singles (Loose Joints "Is It All Over My Face?" from 1980,) but the dub/organ groove of "Clean On Your Bean #1" fits the time period to a tee. Liquid Liquid's "Optimo" is perhaps the one single to break out of this setting to become a dancefloor classic. However, the nervous tension of "Wawa" from Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Konk's afro funkin' "Elephant" probably still packs smaller dancefloors. The importance of "New York Noise" is not how well it covers this period of rapid growth in the Downtown scene, but how well it preserves its importance.
We sincerely hope that this was time well spent. We thank you for reading, listening, subscribing, and most of all supporting the artists listed here. Thank you.
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