Rock Around the World

Tales From The Crypt Presents Mercury. NR
Bordello Of Blood

The average person can't afford the type of speaker setups that are in the finer theatres throughout this country. At no other time in our history has the cinema going public benefitted from better sound. I recall the Trailer to Dead Presidents that had Jimi Hendrix and The Band Of Gypsies playing the opening bars to "Machine Gun". That was sonic bathing for me.

You're in for that same sonic bathing with this soundtrack. Bordello Of Blood hits the racks on Aug 6th followed by the movie ten days later in wide screen release on the 16th.

There is some serious guitar riffing on this soundtrack. The opening bars to Free's "All Right Now" and Humble Pie's "30 Days In The Hole" belong to the All Time Rock And Roll Canon.

Other well placed songs include the Title Track by Anthrax, Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak", Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz", Kerbdog's "This Is Not A Love Song" and Redd Kross' "Deuce".

This particular theatre experience is going to be a sonic treat for you with all these delicious tunes, plus you can tap into the vibe anytime you want if you get the soundtrack.


Internet Listening Pleasure: Bordello Of Blood, All Right Now, Ballroom Blitz, Deuce, 30 Days In The Hole.

Girls Town Mercury Records. NR
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

I've got this friend of mine that has got to be one of the most beautiful women I've ever met. The way she presents herself and carries herself, you'd never know her life was such a hard journey.

Her ability to sacrifice some of life's comforts in order to pursue her craft in music have my total respect. Some of the songs on this Soundtrack remind me of her. Thanks for opening up to Scorpio, Cancer. This is for you, 'Lex.

Get ready for this Soundtrack to elicit your own personal reveries. Ears on 8/20, New York & L.A. Eyes on 8/23. Dig Lucious Jackson's "Strongman" and Lamb's "Gorecki".
Internet Listening Pleasure: The Path, Strongman, Gorecki.

Downset Mercury Records. NR
Do We Speak A Dead Language?

Downset feels like a Male fronted version of Manhole and seems to share the same consciousness.
Internet Listening Pleasure: Empower, Eyes Shut Tight, Keep On Breathing, Hurl A Stone, Sangre De Mis Manos, Horrifying.

Tears For Fears Mercury Records. NR
Saturnine, Martial & Lunatic

Tears For Fears is important to Pop Music in that TFF helped to bring back bottom and organic drum tones amidst the largely synthesizer-only confusion of the early 80's.

Listen to this collection of rarities and B-sides that bear the point out.
Internet Listening Pleasure: Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams, Schrodinger's Cat, Pharoahs, New Star, Lord Of Karma, Always In The Past, Ashes To Ashes.

A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan Epic. NR

I'm driving down Foothill Blvd. today and these kids in a 1971 Mustang convertible idle up next to my car at the light. "What's your plate mean?", asks the kid in the front passenger seat. "Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dallas/Fort Worth", I say to him as I hang a right down Ocean View.

Lots of kids can discover for themselves the guitar legacy of Stevie Ray Vaughan through the spirit and vibration of this All Star tribute album. A few labels have tried to come up with somebody to fill the hole left when Stevie moved on, but they ain't quite got it yet, since the Heavens don't part that often.

Some of the Biggest names in Blues, Rock and Pop convened at Austin City Limits' soundstage to perform heartfelt renditions of SRV's repertoire.

A few of the Artists; B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Buddy Guy have sort of transcended the genre of Blues and appeal to audiences primarily interested in Rock. Artists like Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, and Doctor John have Pop audience appeal, while Jimmy Vaughan brings an encyclopedic understanding of the Blues to the audience he appeals to.

This amalgam of performances on a single album should appeal to the broad spectrum of music lovers everywhere and further clarify the single-handed impact SRV had on Pop, Rock, and especially Blues, for which Stevie can be credited with bringing to the Widest possible audience and really busting open the genre. I think SRV would be happy to see that there is a place in the Billboard charts devoted exclusively to Blues Music.

The performances that shook me the hardest were Jimmy Vaughan's reprise of "Texas Flood". Jimmy is literally so Close to the music of his brother that it causes me to tremble. The other performance that gave me quavers was Robert Cray's reprise of "Love Struck Baby". "SRV Shuffle" is an example of Huge talent cooperating with each other...Listen for how the Big Guitars comp for the Organist's solo. That is true disposition of Ego. That is what SRV DFW means.
Internet Listening Pleasure: Bonnie Raitt, "Pride And Joy"; Jimmy Vaughan, "Texas Flood"; B.B. King, "Telephone Song"; Eric Clapton, "Ain't Gone'n Give Up On Your Love"; Robert Cray, "Love Struck Baby"; Six Strings Down, SRV Shuffle.

The Jerky Boys Mercury. NR
The Jerky Boys 3

Not as funny as JB1, which made me howl,...I think the boys should go on vacation to another city, in another state, pick up a phone book and start fresh. I think the Tri-State area is hip to the JB's shit.
Internet Listening Pleasure: Bamm!, Lawnmower Sale, No!, Bad Ass Massage, Kissel Crooner.

Scrawl Elektra. NA
Travel On, Rider

Marcy Mays is sort of a Mid-West version of Boston's Jennifer Trynin.
Internet Listening Pleasure: Good Under Pressure, Story Musgrave, Hunting Me Down, Louis L'Amour, Come Back.

Hoodoo Gurus Zoo. NR
Blue Cave

If you like Catherine Wheel and Oasis, you're sure to dig this band which has been at the avant garde of alterna-pop since 1983.

You are gonna dig the groovy pop dispensed by this band. It's got an edge to it.
Internet Listening Pleasure: Big Deal, Mine, Please Yourself, If Only...,Get High!, Son-Of-A-Gun, Night Must Fall.

Teddy Andreas Samsung Music. NA
Innocent Loser

This Jersey Dude is a regular with Carole King and Guns & Roses when those acts hit the road.

An extremely big hardware company has given this artist a recording contract...Another Pacific Rim mega-corporation is on our shores and seems poised to be a permanent player in the Music Business.

Teddy tips his Jersey hat off to Danny Federici with some sterling B-3 work. Vocally, I hear nods to Van Morrison, Dr. John and to The Boss.

"Rip In The World" has a "Rosalita" vibe to it. My only thing is that I think that the sound got a haircut, and is not as full out Rockin as I know Teddy is--I hear him all the time. To me, this album is gonna fly in Japan and parts of Europe, but it needs a re-mix/re-tracking if it's going to spin in America.

One of the friendliest Rockers in Town, several Marquee names pitch in all over this album. Teddy's got a lot of friends...check out the album credits.

What an Honor to have Carole King sing background vocals on your album. Now that's heavy.


Internet Listening Pleasure: Innocent Loser, Rip In The World, Where The Ragman Roams, Trip Through The Jazz.

Molly McGuire Epic. NA
Lime

Listen to the words on "Wish Number One"...Dig.


Internet Listening Pleasure: Wish Number One

Manic Street Preachers Epic. NR
Everything Must Go

"The Girl Who Wanted To Be God" is a full on first class hit and should get spin.

Rotate this one.

Internet Listening Pleasure: A Design For Life, The Girl Who Wanted To Be God.

Kristen Barry Virgin. NA
The Beginning.The Middle.The End

Kristen's phrasing, at times, reminds me of Bjork, but when Kristen gets to the punch lines, it's all her bag entirely.

This album's got a groove and a vibration I totally dig. "Seeing Gun" and "Big Girl" should get spin. The latter's got the hipsway in the bottom...very sexy.


Internet Listening Pleasure: Created, Don't Cry, Seeing Gun, Big Girl.

Better Than Ezra Elektra. NR
Friction, Baby

This is probably one of the best albums I've listened to...One of the Best Listening Experiences of 1996!

Chock full of gorgeous, intense tunes and delivered with a panache that sets it apart from other product released so far this year.

See you at the Grammy's.

I want to meet the woman standing next to Ockenfels. Is it smoke I see in that mirror?


Internet Listening Pleasure: King of New Orleans, Rewind, Long Lost, Normal Town, Scared Are You?, WWOZ, Speeding Up To Slow Down.

Terrell Pointblank. NR
Beautiful Side Of Madness

Why do I think of the movie, "Leaving Las Vegas" when I hear this? This album would have made for a better soundtrack.

Exquisitely produced by John Porter, this album captures what ever it is that composes Terrell...Most of the lyrical content seems highly autobiographic.

I think Porter's nailed down a blues lounge sound that makes me miss The Mint...Terrell is Modern, 21st Century Blues: current, but still at the root.

Joan Osborne has got the All Star voice: lips just barely off the ear lobe type of intimacy that really brings out the best in Terrell and his words.


Internet Listening Pleasure: Hopeful Sinner, Pour Our Souls, Georgia O'Keeffe, Whitley Flats, Shotgun, Beautiful Side Of Madness.

The Power Of Peace WEA. NR
An Album In Support Of CARE

I've got this friend that belongs to an exiled family...his long term goal is to eventually go back to that country and rebuild it, at some risk to his life...he cares in ways I'll never know.

This album generates cash that goes toward funding an organization that has been on the forefront of aid to nations in need. CARE has been doing it for 50 some odd years and this album is a celebration and a reminder of CARE's efforts coursing through half a hundred years of history...

The Title Track is a mind blower for me because Oleta Adams and The Queen of Soul are on the same tune...These two Divas are tapped in to the intonation of angels...Strangers like Giorgia and Emmanuel seem suddenly familiar to me, singing out in the context of human suffering...It's especially refreshing to hear Kenny Rogers, again, for the first time. Michelle Wright needs to hurry up and cross over into Pop...Michelle's got such a soulful country voice.

"Send Me A Lover" makes me flash to The World Music Awards [or something like that] where I saw Celine respond to Stevie Wonder's music...I mean the cameras were always cutting to Prince Ranier for Royal Response, and all I could notice was Celine grooving to the music, oblivious to the need for decorum in the presence of Royalty...When I saw that Celine was so taken by Music and less affected by the accoutrements of glamour and power, it created a soft spot for me in my heart for her...It shocks me that she would forego the royalties to such a hit song, but I guess there's much more to Celine Dion than surface beauty.

John Barnes and Chaka Khan lend music and words with heavy lyrical content and dramatic musical message.

Ella...I miss you Lady Diva...Rest, sweet princess, rest...

Please help heal the world, buy this album...please.


Internet Listening Pleasure: The Power Of Peace, Send Me A Lover, Kingdom, Lisa, I'm Not Afraid, Que Sera, Riguarda Noi, Happy Blues.

White Zombie Geffen. NR
Super Sexy Swinging Sounds

An album full of remixes by talented, knob-turning, paddle-pushers. All this based on work originally produced by Terry Date & WZ.

The Charlie Clouser Mixes have that hyper-tech Bladerunner noir vibration that take the material elsewhere.

John Fryer weighs in with an across the pond sound in "Super-Charger Heaven"

The Damage Twins and The Dust Brothers cap things off on the album with "Electric Head Pt.1" and "I'm Your Boogie Man" respectively.

Sort of White Zombie at peak interpretation for lounge and dance hall alike.


Internet Listening Pleasure: Electric Head Pt.2, More Human Than Human, Super-Charger Heaven, El Phantasmo And The Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama, Real Solution #9, Electric Head Pt.1, I'm Your Boogie Man.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Warner Brothers. NR
Songs and Music from She's The One

I saw She's The One on Labor Day with a good friend of mine from Bethesda, Maryland...

Before I get into talking about the music, I've got to tip my hat off to Ed Burns for writing a piece that appeals to my Brooklyn-born nature and New York sense of humor...Oh, and I humbly suggest that John Mahoney get nominated for an Oscar(TM) as Best Supporting Actor...Mahoney can deliver the goods, give it to him.

Tom Petty's music is right on the money and I'm fully tapped into the vibe of this movie every time I hear "Walls, #2". The only other thing I'd mention about the music in this movie is that there's a cut by the Isley Brothers in the movie in one of the bar scenes that is well placed, oh and the cut is "Who's That Lady?". Other than that, it's pretty much Tom Petty all the way.

One day a couple years ago I got to thank Tom for "American Girl" over at Mel's in Sherman Oaks...Guess I'll have to thank him for this Soundtrack if I ever see him again, since it's got that same exact vibration.

"Angel Dream # 4" is the shit.

Kudos to Rick Rubin, Tom and Mike Campbell for the production.


Internet Listening Pleasure: Walls(circus), Climb That Hill, Angel Dream no.4, Hope You Never, California, Walls no.3, Angel Dream no.2

Neurotic Outsiders Maverick/Warner. NA
Neurotic Outsiders

Steve Jones has been cranking along all these years since the Sex Pistols.

You've got to get your hands on this album he did that came out on MCA in 1989, produced by Ian Astbury that features a superb take on Bowie's "Suffragette City" and some blistering originals that would serve as the perfect companion to this album which is sort of Jones' just desserts.

I have mentioned repeatedly how lots of bands have copped Jones' original punk strum as part of their repertoire. Well, here on this album is the real shit, in case you missed that album in '89 or any of the Ramones stuff. This is punk guitar nonpareil.

The line up includes Power Station alum, John Taylor and the GNR rhythm lords, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. Collectively, these guys dispense the kind of hard driving punk you've come to expect from bands like the Ramones.

Internet Listening Pleasure: Nasty Ho, Angelina, Good News, Revolution, Union.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]