‘Page ten

by Dave Rockerbie

Toto Hydra

 

 

Toto strikes a light and
entertaining balance. be-
tween the entirely self-
conscious, need-a-hit,
slugging rock of groups like
Foreigner, and the musical
wit of someone like 10cc.
The group is not quite as
desperate as Foreigner; but
can’t create satire like 10cc.

Toto started off as so
many bands have in the
past, as studio musicians
breaking out on their own,
and doing it successfully.

Toto’s arrangements are
spicy and colorful, and the
songs are performed with
commendable style and
care. They do not rely on
studio-board dial-twisting,
but rather on their own
verve, to produce a sound
that really jumps out of the
speakers.

Popular hits range from
the current ‘‘99’’, to tunes
from their first album like
“Hold the Line’’ and my
favorite ‘Takin’ it Back’’.
Perhaps in rock it is not so
much what is said as how it
is said. Toto know how.

 

 

1994 Please Stand By

 

 

- Besides coaching Barbra
Streisand on how to be a
rock and roll singer in the
movie ‘‘A Star is Born’’,
1994 has also botched up a
potentially good album.

This group is basically a
Blondie clone, a competent
four-man combo backing up
a sexy female lead singer
who knows how to sound
very sexy but not how to
sing. There is a limited
demand for this type of
group and Blondie has
already cornered the mar-
ket. However, some show

occasional charm if you
don’t take them _ too
seriously. | often thought

that this group was simply

Blondie playing under
another name. A fair
album, but not. really
exception

PABLO CRUISE - Part of
the Game

 

 

This band scored it big
with their first two albums,
““A Place in the Sun’’ and
“Worlds Away” and will
probably do it again with
this one.

Pablo Cruise _basicially
plays Los Angeles AM
radio pop and seems to
release their albums only
when warmer weather
starts to come around. “‘I

S53. apes Le, Namraheuvigeac hs

reat, Shae

Want You Tonight”’ is a hit
single not for it’s lyrics or
melodies, but because of
the disco bass line. This
group thrives on singing
about male-female (in
California, who knows?)
relationships, without
really saying anything that
hasn’t already been said.
Relationships have
changed a lot over the past
two decades, but who cares
about relationships, when
all you want is music to
cruise the freeways by?

 

 

THE BEAT - The Beat

 

Here’s yet another bunch
of nightclub veterans pre-
tending to be young punks,
cashing in on the New
Wave bandwagon led by
the Knack.

The Beat relies on a
rehash of Sixties styles and
attitudes without a hint of
orginality, melodic inven-
tion, or those little oddities
that most groups have.

Yes, you can dance to the
Beat, and if somebody
played one of their songs on
the radio as an obscure hit
from 1966, it might be
enjoyable. But don’t be as
big a sucker as anybody
else and plunk down $7.98
due tofashionablepost-punk
cover art, on the chance
that these guys have as
much trouble with young
girls as the Knack’s Doug

The Other Press

Feiger. Where are the
Rutles now that we need
them. 2?

 

THE INMATES -
Offence

First

The Inmates are an
incredible throwback, a
rock and blues’ band
straight out of circa 1965,
complete with a Jagger/-
Morrison imitator on vocals
and Chuck Berry licks from
the guitarists.

’ Call them the fist
derivative of the legendary
Standells, the Inmates are
the ones who do the ok
remake of the semi-punk
classic ‘‘Dirty Water’
(allegedly written about
early curfews at the girls’
dorms at Boston Univer-
sity) that’s been on the
radio lately.

Does it cut the original?
Well, it is faithful without
being overly lavish (no
harmonica solo), consider-
ably more energetic, and
silly without being camp.
The rest of the album is
equally Sixties, no depths
_are pondered, no new
ground is broken, and

emotionally the Inmates are —

pretty shallow. But they’re
also actually entertaining,
maybe because _ they’re
-reactionary, like the times
they’re trying to relive.

Give it a listen and don’t
worry about what it means
till later.

-Buddha rocks

by Ed Droll

To descrive the _ resur-
rection of DOA at the
Smiling Buddha two weeks
ago a description of the
surroundings has to be
given.

The Smiling Buddha _ is

one of those age old
cabarets (rubbyhangouts)
downtown that always

seems to have old men in
front panhandling. Inside
it’s about twenty feet wide
and maybe fifty long, the
waitress sips
drinks from a huge glass of
something, and_ there’s
always this great big guy
who sits near the back, he’s
got short hair, and only
orders Coca Cola’s all night
and he’s obviously a cop.
Anyhow, DOA does not

consist of the same
members __ they once did.
Randy Rampage,  Van-
couvers favourite bass
player, left for San

Fransisco to start a band.

_(It’s some sort of cultural

exchange program with the
US, they get Randy and we

get Zippy Pinhead back.)
The group has two new
members, Simon Wilde on
bass, and Dave Gregg on
guitar, both of whom the
punk crowd appreciated for
the musical interpretations.
The crowd did it’s usual
pogoing and pushing at the
front of the stage but it was
fairly quiet unlike other
times when jeering fans
have jumped onto the stage
looking for fights.

The music was, as usual,
excellent. Joey Shithead
seems to only be able to
write great music. Cries of
“Thirteen’’, ““‘Whattch
Gonna Do’’ and_ other
famous titles were offered
as suggestions for the band
to play all night long.
Chuck Biscuits did his
usual job of playing the
best drums in. town (sorry
Bill) while Simon Wilde did
a commendable job of
chugging out the tunes,
although he doesn’t jump
around like Randy.

The addition of Dave on
another guitar was a move
to allow Joey to move

 
  

and

around on
concentrate more on his

stage

vocallizing, although Dave
looked out of place when
Joey was playing the same
parts as him.

Also

playing at the

New Jazz in town

Vancouver’s newest —

and Canada’s first — FM
Jazz radio station begins
broadcasting Saturday,
March 1st, at 92.1 on the
FM Band. It’s unique ...
it’s imaginative and when
CJAZ strikes up the band
all of Vancouver will be
listeing!

CJ AZ will be an active and
important part of the local
jazz music scene with live
concerts and _ interviews,
special features and pro-
files on the names who
shape the jazz music
community.

Why jazz? According to
CJAZ General Manager,
TOM PEACOCK, ‘‘Jazz
has enjoyed a tremendous
_upswing over the past few
years, and indications are

’ radio station to listen to.

March 3, 1980

’

  

Buddha were the Potatoes,
a sort of punk group from
North Van and the Rolling
Sex Beatles who were an
assortment of pizza de-
livery boys and moon-

lighting percussion players.
DOA rules. Again.

 

 

this trend is going to
continue.’’” A two-year
research study, including
an intensive 6-month mar-
ket test, showed that a jazz
station would fill a definite
void in the Vancouver radio

market. For example, one
club alone — that Hot Jazz
Club of Vancouver — has
over 14,000 paid-up mem-
bers who attend the club
and subscribe to club
mailers. Until now,
dedicated jazz-lovers such
as these have not had a

But now they has.. CJ AZ!
It comes alive Saturday,
March 1st, and __ it’s
destined to be the sound of
Vancouver in the decades
to come! Gane