"We may be gods/ Or just big marionettes/ But the sun never sweats/ Life is a gamble/ And we're all placing our bets/ And the sun never sweats."
Ah, the poetry! Spinal Tap, the mock rock group in Rob Reiner's hilarious 1984 docuparody, This Is Spinal Tap, has ventured into the studio. (Even the Village People are indulging themselves in a comeback. Why not these marvelous metal manqués?)
Tap is still guitarists Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins and bassist Derek Smalls (played by comedians Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer). Spinal Tap's drummers, remember, keep getting snuffed. One spontaneously combusted onstage.
The album tackles standard rock themes from misogyny ("Bitch School") to touring's agonies ("Stinkin' Up the Great Outdoors"). In the process, Tap is joined by a roster of no- (well, almost no-) nonsense guitarists including Slash, Jeff Beck and Dweezil Zappa. Even Cher shows up, singing on the obligatory sappy ballad, "Just Begin Again."
In other words, Break Like the Wind is almost identical to the latest release by Cinderella, Poison, Iron Maiden or (the name of your favorite head-bangers here), except it's articulate. Try the bloated manifesto "The Majesty of Rock": "That's the majesty of rock/ The mystery of roll/ The darning of the sock/ The scoring of the goal/ The farmer takes a wife/ The barber takes a pole/ We're in this together."
The spoofery works nearly as well aurally as it did visually. But bring on those videos! (MCA)
Kronos Quartet
The Kronos Quartet (David Harrington, violin; John Sherba, second violin; Hank Dutt, viola; and Joan Jeanreneaud, cello) has in its 13-year history expanded the realm of classical music by performing compositions by rock, jazz and blues greats. So it shouldn't be a shock to hear the group following the influence of the blues back to traditional African music.
What is surprising is how natural the album is. All the works were commissioned for Kronos; many are performed in collaboration with African composers. Instead of cultural imperialism, the album is an exploration of the richness of African music.
One highlight is "Saade (I'm Happy)" by Hassan Hakmoun, a wailing Moroccan tune featuring Hakmoun on a fretless bass instrument, the sintir, and other Moroccan musicians on the lutelike aut and a bass drum, the bander. Also noteworthy is "Kutambarara (Spreading)" by the Zimbabwean Dumisani Maraire, an mbira (thumb piano) composition featuring the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir.
The most familiar piece, because the Quartet performed it in 1985 and because of its modern style, is "White Man Sleeps," by white South African expatriate Kevin Volans, whose music reflects European composers' as well as the rhythms and textures of Africa.
The album alternates between string quartets featuring the pentatonic scales and percussiveness that are Africa's gift to rock and roll, and pieces accented by traditional instruments. Kronos adroitly adopts the tonal color and rhythmic style of instruments as diverse as a Gambian kora (a cross between a guitar and a harp) and a Nubian tar (a small drum). Kronos has reconciled African culture with European notions of formal music in a most entertaining way. (Elektra/Nonesuch)
Joe Public
Technology dominates black music so thoroughly in the hip-hop era that a group such as Joe Public, which plays instruments, seems like a novelty act. Even so, the quartet proves on its jejune if jumping debut release that it's the funkiest Buffalo, New York-area product since Rick James.
Because their music has an organic base doesn't mean it isn't modern. Check out "Live and Learn" with its whomping, New Jack beat, sunny rapped-and-sung melody and a Steely Dan—like refrain. These guys program a drum machine with the best of them. (Listen to the dance imperatives of "I Gotta Thang" and "I Like It.")
The four Publics—guitarist J.R. (Joseph Sayles), bassist Kev (Kevin Scott), keyboardist Jake (Joe Carter) and drummer Dew (Dwight Wyatt)—all write (they composed Keith Sweat's hit "Keep It Comin' ") with a range of moods, from mincing funk ("I've Been Watchin' ") to ballads ("I Miss You"). The group's sound is still unseasoned. Even that may be to their advantage, though. Look at the success on the R&B charts of such callow little shavers as Tevin Campbell, Another Bad Creation and Boyz II Men. Youth is being served. (Columbia)
Wynonna Judd
With her mother and duet partner Naomi forced into retirement, Wynonna, 27, gets by nicely in her solo debut. She delves into Raittish blues on "What It Takes" and rocks in countrified fashion on "A Little Bit of Love." She handles the love-gone-wrong tune "My Strongest Weakness" like a Nashville torch carrier and goes gospel with "Live with Jesus." Throughout, Wynonna flaunts her resonant voice and notable lack of twang (maybe too notable—her lack of affect makes her seem colorless). And while Mom isn't around, Wynonna gets support from producer Tony Brown and such composers as Mike Reid and Paul Kennerly. The younger Judd is clearly capable of running the family business. (MCA)
- Contributors:
- David Hiltbrand,
- Anthony Kosner,
- Ralph Novak.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
