December 10, 1992

Other Arts & Review

the Other Press

Southgang Holds Its
Own With Group Therapy

Southgang’s debut album,
‘Group _—_ Therapy,’ shows
considerable promise, with a hard
rock/metal sound that most bands
coming out of Atlanta, Georgia
seem to have.

If groups such as Slaughter
and Guns N’ Roses are your forte,
then Southgang will be right up
your alley.

Southgang
Group Therapy

Virgin Records
reviewed by Gord Belec

Most tracks on the album are
creative and the musicianship is
there. Butch Walker takes care of

ve

 

the crunching guitar riffs and intense
solo’s. ‘Fire In Your Body’ is probably
the most intense track on the album
as far as guitar work is concerned.
Jayce Fincher compliments the
record with all base sounds and his
work is solid. Skin basher, Mitch
McLee, is incredibly talented and
shows considerable promise on the
last track of the album, ‘The Blue Bird
Has Landed (The Uncut Trail Mix)’.
This is a bluesy and groovy little tune
that gives McLee some room to show
or with a couple of great
drum solo’s, on
Jesse Harte can easily be
com: to Mark Slaughter (of the
band Slaughter), with vocals being

better than average. Harte’s octave
range is incredible and his best effort
has to be on the track ‘Final Resting
Place’.

Not all of the songs on the
album are great. Tracks such as
‘Culture Clash City’, “White Trash
With Cash’ and ‘Ode To Peggy’s’
are tracks that need work as far as
commercial potential is concerned.
But, given the fact that Southgang is
a relatively young band, their future
song writing can only get better.

rene gives a solid effort
with this debut and future releases
are looked forward to.

He Ain't Dead Yet: Keith Richards,
the Living Cadaver

It’s easy to rattle off the
catchphrases: Keef Riffhard, the
living cadaver, star voted most
likely to o.d. 1965-85, rock & roll
vampire, the face of rock and roll...
Keith Richards has been cliched to
death.

Keith Richards
Main Offender
Virgin Records
reviewed by Haroon Khan

Still, any way you slice it, the
skull and Marlboro man is back
and would’ya believe it...in a
mellower mood.

After patching things up with
Mick Jagger and maki ions
on the Steel Wheels tour, Richards
is on a more even keel than he was
when he released the rawer Talk is
Cheap album in 1988.

 

 

This is not to say that Main

is on par with Brahms. Keith is
grungier than any Seattle wannabe
ever could be.

Still Richards is a crooner at
heart, and the songs ‘Eileen’ and
‘Hate It When You Leave’ are classics,
with his raspy yet surprisingly strong
voice lending a certain charm to the
proceedings.

Only Keith could make a line
like “I'd be destitute without you” live.
The aforementioned grunge factor is
key on ‘999’, the opening track.
There’s even a foray into Marley/
Tosh country with the reggae number
‘Words of Wonder’.

The X-Pensive Wino’s are still
on board as Keith’s home away from
the Stones.

Guitarist Waddy Wachtel joins

King of Hearts: Still
Crying over You

A white light cascades over the
man dressed in black.
He wears his sunglasses at night.

Roy Orbison

King of Hearts

Virgin Records

Reviewed by Haroon A. Khan

He stares off in the distance,
lost in his own reverie.
The only thing kee
company is his guitar.
shall ever be.

His shadow spreads over the lip of
the photograph, uncontainable.

He is the King, not of rock and roll,
that designation has been taken.

No, even more importantly he is
the King of Hearts - a mantle that
can never be usurped even after

 

 

ing him
is is as it

death.He'll always be here, to carry us
through that night of heart break, of
lost love.

‘Reach out and let it touch your soul
And give in to love

love is believing’

his voice will be emanating from
speakers carrying the haunting
sounds from a well worn piece of
black vinyl. Perhaps you'll hear him
while driving on a stretch of
lonesome highway - ‘I drove all
night'the shiny discs that reflect the
colour of the spectrum beam out his
music.

The music of Roy Orbison will
live as long as there is a heart that’s
been broken and the only thing that
can heal it is a song that he sung. That
is to be remembered.

Looks Over Talent?

The band is called Cell Mates
and how someone could call this
crap music is beyond me. This
album suggests that anyone with
great looks and a body that could
melt the 501’s off of your Levi's
can get signed to a record deal.

Cell Mates

Between Two Fires
Attic Records

reviewed by Gord Belec

If you're looking for a new
band with great musicianship, look
elsewhere because this band
sounds like it was thrown together
last week. I guess being posers and
acting like rock stars means record
deals. They lack creativity and
their guitar work is predictable. It
even sounds like Guns N’ Roses

 

 

was ripped off with the guitar solo
on the track, ‘Bird In A Gilded
Cage’

Pamela and Paula Mattioli
are responsible for the thrashing of

most songs.on this EP. Their singing
is mediocre at best. There is some

mise however, with tracks such as
‘Spirit Is Willing’ and “Time Marches
On’- if you can stand such studio’d,
cosmetic-voiced to-the-max crap, but
that’s for you to decide.

Besides putting a ‘G’ label on this
album, (G meaning garbage?), the
sound is hard rock with a metal edge.
The most irritating track on the album
is ‘(It's Close) But It Ain’t Love’: a
pathetic attempt to play blues. To
even put ‘blues’ after that song is not
only ridiculous, but down right
embarrassing for the band.

If you base a band’s future
fortune and fame on record chart
progress, be aware that record charts
are unfamiliar territory for Cell
Mates.

Oh...and if such polished faces can
hold a tune, let’s just say that would
be a bonus: but not required.

Steve Jordan as Keith’s co-
producers. The divine Ms. Sarah
Dash lends her inimitible vocal
stylings on ‘Body Talks’.

The musicianship on this
album is even more cohesive than
the first. Ivan Neville multi-
instruments his way throughout the
album, as does most of the band in
playing the unusual. Richards even
plays bass on ‘Words of Wonder’
and ‘Yap Yap’.

Make no mistake - the Winos

are a very dangerous band that has
already proven to be killer live.
Check out the Live at the Palladium
album and video for a taste.
For living proof, let’s hope Keith
and Co. follow Ronnie Wood’s trail
and make it to Vancouver on their
upcoming tour to whip it up.

  

 

 

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| dunday, December 13

Brain Damage ¢ Wailin’ Al Walker «

Willie MeCalder * Robbie King ©
Irienda © Cathi McDonald « Denise
McCann © Randy Bachman * Jin
Bymes * Cail Bowen & Straight Up »
ROB Allstars * Powder Blues * The
Blue Shedows with Billy Cowaill and
Jeffery Hatcher

ae 6:30 pm i +

a Benefit for the Vancouver Food Bank |

at i The ‘Commodore

 

Monday, December 14 |

Clyde Roulette » Mud Bay Blues :

Band ¢ Sweet Dick * Pete & The
Sneaks * Harp Dog Brown * Blue
Planet Band ¢ due Leonard * Doc
Fingers © &ceds of Time © Incognilo
¢- Nite Train Rewe

Doors.7-CO pm

- 4:

+

+

 

 

 

Tickets $12 advance $15 at the door
nus a non-perishable food item

High Energy Rhythm Fest

 

Review of Youssou N’Dour Et Les
Super Etoiles De Dakar at The
Commodore Ballroom Nov. 28,
1992.by T.J. Halmosi

 

The entire evening was a high
energy musical rhythm fest,
combining sound textures from
South America and Western Africa.
The show began with Brazilian
guitarist/percussionist Salay
Muchato, who cleverly incorporated
a combination of acoustic guitar,
percussion, South American
stringed instruments, Bobby
McFerrin-like vocals and body
percussion. Also notable was his
clever use of the guitar as a
percussion instrument which
conveyed many different sounds,
resembling a variety of percussion
voices such as congas, bongos and
a shaker. His excellent utilization of
simple percussion instruments was
most impressive, in addition to hs
complex usage of changing tonic
modes as he alternated between the
cultural sounds of Spain, the Middle
East and Caribbean calypso. Ending
with a torrid acoustic guitar solo/
barrage reminiscent of Ravi
Shankar’s highly acclaimed sitar
solo at Woodstock, Salay Muchato
proved to be an ideal primer for the
evening’s feature event.

Wearing a white robe, typically
worn among the common people of
his homeland in Senegal, West
Africa, Youssou N’Dour exploded
onstage backed by his ten-piece
band, Les Super Etoiles De Dakar
(The Super Stars of Dakar). The

entire audience was immediately
brought to its feet and stayed there all
night. N’Dour and his band moved
the masses with a uniqu and energetic
tribal beat, while he danced around
the stage like a man possessed.
N’Dour’s charisma and the visual
stage presence of the entire band was
enormous. re proved their musical
expertise by fusing the sounds of

May JAZZ
UES |

funk, samba, West African and
Caribbean rhythms behind his
flowing vocal ability, which
seemed to be infinite. In closing, I
wish to pass along a valuable
lesson I learned in regards to
musical enlightenment: buy more
Youssou N’Dour albums and
never miss his show when he
comes to town.

presents from Senegal, West Africa

_one of the most admired singers in the world:
ro

 

produced by G.F.B Productions |

Youssou N'Dour

 

 

 

  
    
  
   

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