focus on one or two tiny
things have produced some
interesting results, but
they also hold this album
back.

There are some really
interesting experiments on
this album; by now you've
likely heard Roberts’ shaky
leap at a falsetto on the
catchy lead single ‘Keep A
Lid On Things. It takes a
few listens (12 in my case)
to really appreciate what
they're trying to do, but
accessibility has never been
their aim. The hip hop and
blue-eyed funk elements
on this effort will likely
lose even more core fans
than the guitar-driven rock
of ‘A Worm’s Life’ And,
while it’s not entirely
stinky, I wholly doubt the
homeboys Roberts is hang-
ing with in Harlem will be
rushing out to buy it
either.

The best sign of Roberts’
self-imposed bubble is his
comment, “In this one I
make the momentous dis-
covery that ‘Elvis’ rhymes
with ‘pelvis. Could there
possibly be a more fortu-
itous rhyme in all the
English language?” I’m
sorry Brad, but you're a lit-
tle behind here. Presley
was dubbed ‘Elvis the
Pelvis’ in the press before
‘Hound Dog’ was a week
old. Get with the program,
bass man.

I sincerely hope this is a
transitional record. The
Dummies are an interesting
act in an increasingly
uninteresting business, and
never fail to raise a brow.
But Give Yourself a Hand,

 

I'm afraid, won't be a sta-
ple in anyone's collection
after the AAA radio push
dies down.

Melanie Doane
Adam’s Rib
Columbia/Sony

Volume: 4
Somebody call the cops!
Uniquely angelic on her
sophisticated debut
Shakespearean Fish,
Melanie Doane has been
kidnapped by marketing
dolts and repositioned to
captivate doe-eyed pre-
teens and sleep-walking
working stiffs.

 

With malice and fore-
thought, the perpetrators
of this heinous crime tar-
geted Doane because of her
blonde hair and good
looks. No consideration was
given to her clear, clean
vocals—nay, they instead
produced her vox to emu-
late Sheryl Crow, of all
people. It’s an unfortunate
loss, and due to the myste-
rious popularity of the
bland Yank pop queen, will
likely be made more
painful by tons of public
display.

Adam’s Rib is boring,
overproduced radio fodder,

and will likely be on the
charts for some time. It’s a
sad commentary that this
day and age encourages
wanton destruction of tal-
ent for the sake of wide-

 

spread pablum. Please,
someone, stop the mad-
ness!

Kent
Isola
RCA/BMG
Volume: 8

bsolutely frickin’
A«« in their native
Sweden, Kent is

poised to invade North
America. Wide open, airy
pop emanates freely. from
Isola, proving that great
Britpop can be made
anywhere. Solid
arrangements, rich without
being overindulgent, define
this record. The best track
on the record is found near
the end—‘Velvet’s’ chorus
of “you and I move at the
speed of light” punctuates
one of the best damned
pop songs I've heard in
recent years.

Comparisons have been
made to Radiohead, Oasis
and the occasional
Portishead track. Locally,
this evokes The Roswells or
The Orchid Highway. If

May 1999 the Other Press

you're a fan of spacey
vocals and strong musi-
cians, check out this
record. It’s a keeper.

Jimi Hendrix & Band of
Gypsies
Live at the Fillmore East

 

Universal

Volume: 8.5

f you are a Hendrix fan,
[« double disc set is

an absolute must for
your collection. Recorded
over four shows in two
days (December 31, 1969
and January 1, 1970), Live
at the Fillmore East is
arguably his strongest live
recording. Recorded just
nine months before his
tragic death, these concerts
originally appeared as Band
of Gypsies and featured just
six tracks.

Upon its original release,
Band of Gypsies was equal
parts challenging and
exhilarating. Hendrix was
expanding his musical hori-
zons here, daring his fans
to accept more soul and
early funk in the arrange-
ments. While there was
some reticence among the
rock set, most fans ate it
up; the album was a huge
commercial success.

This 1999 rerelease is an
interesting look at these

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