Albums
Andy Eastwood, Ukulele Serenade
"Once in a while a young virtuoso pops up to show us the true meaning of being a musician."
That's what David Price thinks. David Price writes for The Banjo Times. Not your two-bit Banjo Courier, but The Banjo Times mate! And who are we to disagree? Andy's a student at our very own New College, and his first CD album is the latest triumph in an already, it seems, glittering career.
Now hold on a minute: yes, it's a ukelele album. You know, ukelele. Like George Formby. Before you turn away, remember that this is the very same George Formby who inspired some of your favourite pop stars, from Ray Davies to Morrissey to Damon Albarn. In fact Formby numbers make up about half this album, and are the tracks which best display Andy's astonishing skills. The solos on Leaning On a Lamp Post and I Told My Baby With a Ukelele are so fast you'll scarcely believe they were played by a human, whilst it is these very songs that also best showcase Andy's rich and warm vocals.
He sounds effortlessly natural singing the songs of his fellow Lancashireman, but still manages to turn in moving versions of other, less frivolous tunes such as Here Comes The Sun and We Have All The Time In The World. Overall, the balance between these soulful tracks and the laugh-out-loud hilarious Formby lyrics is perfect. The album feels supremely well-crafted, giving the impression of a coherent musical vision from start to finish - an impressive feat for a debut recording. Ukelele Serenade is entertaining, funny, and occasionally beautiful. If you want something a little out of the ordinary, it comes highly recommended.
This CD is available from Blackwells Music, Broad Street, or by sending a cheque for £9.25 to Andy Eastwood at New College.
pb
Laika, Good Looking Blues
I should have been slightly wary. I am only writing this review because one of my friends was supposed to, but denounced it as complete shite and said he really couldn't find anything interesting to say about it.
Actually, I can't either, but I suppose that's the point. Laika are trying desperately hard to be experimental and interesting but on the whole fail to do so. Very little distinguishes one track from the other. I skipped several tracks and couldn't tell I was listening to a new song. The tempo remains the same throughout, somewhat soporific.
At times Good Looking Blues catches the attention with a jazzy or jungle-lite thread, but for the most part its insistent beats sit uneasily with the at times trying to be seductive, at times mumbling vocals, and the oddly ingratiating, spooky underlying noises, which somehow make me think of a creepy children's cartoon set in the woods.
Nonetheless, the single, Uneasy, which was Jo Whiley's single of the week gels better than the others. Track 8 isn't too bad, but only because it sounds decidedly P.J.Harvey. Track 9, however, disappoints again with absurd stream of consciousness lyrics and transatlantic vocals.
This CD isn't necessarily bad, but if you need music while you study, you could put Laika on and it wouldn't distract you. That pretty much says it all.
HHHII lm
Ministry of Sound, Sound of Garage
Oooh, Ministry of Sound. Lovely. "The Sound of UK Garage" - sounds great. Mixed by The Artful Dodger - ah, the mastermind who created that Bo Selecta song, now we're really in for a treat. Or not. Depending, I suppose, on whether you think a trip to DTMs is the height of musical experience, and orange shirts are really, really Good Things.
Blah, blah, blah, word count, try to think of something else to say about this 150 minutes of musical tedium. Urm... well, it actually has NO good tracks on, not even one, and not even one "kind-of-listenable-if-you-really-force-yourself" track come to that. There is a special name for CDs like this: shite. And... that's it, really. No plus points, no redeeming features whatsoever, apart from the fact that anyone stupid enough to waste £16 or whatever on this is going to get exactly what they deserve. Guess what -
IIIII ab
Inhale, Feed
Many modern albums have irritating bits, but few specialise in annoyance. This one does. The first song harbours the singer repeating "Right from the st-u-u-u-u-u-rt" as though he has discovered a profound new method of communication. Instead he has pioneered a novel way of sounding pretentious and constipated at the same time.
Then comes the most brazen piece of musical plagiarism I have ever heard. Track 5 starts innocuously enough, with pleasant guitar pickings and syncopated piano notes. Inexplicably, it breaks into a soaring chorus of "Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry," 'dry' sung cunningly higher so no-one notices it sounds exactly like Radiohead. It's almost worth buying just to hear this astounding piece of cheek.
You can imagine the scene. The band listening t o music, someone has a wave of inspiration, "Hey, this is a really good song, why don't we pinch the chorus and pass it off as our own, that way we'll do really well and make loads of money." Unfortunately they chose one of the better known songs of recent times, and thus sound like stupid idiots.
The annoying bits are a shame, because somehow, somewhere a good album is struggling to get out. You are wasting your time listening to Feed however, as Pearl Jam and Radiohead and many others are the same, except good. To paraphrase Dr.Johnson, this CD I both good and original, but the parts which are good are not original, and those which are original are not good.
HHHII dl
13th Floor Elevators, His Eye is on the Pyramid
A compilation of songs by the great forgotten band of psychedelia. With vocalist Roky Erickson shouting about this and that with his incredible voice (putting Tom Waits to shame sometimes) its a tragedy that this band aren't better known. This double CD released last year contains many of their better known tracks, but frankly it's the element of unfamiliarity which makes listening to this album so exciting. Songs like the overwhelmingly brooding Slip Inside This House are incredibly infectious. The grooves (man) that this accomplished band put down are as vital today as they were in 1967. Take a risk, you'll never hear them on the radio, but for a tenner you can't go wrong.
HHHHH pw
20th Jan 2000