September 1984 Vol. 2 No. 81
~A guide to CITR fm 102
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Five Billion
and ONE. DISCORDER September, 1984
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ALEXANDER
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669-1575 * DISCORDER September, 1984
DISCORDER is a monthly paper published by the Student Radio Society of
the University of British Columbia. DISCORDER provides a guide to CITR Radio,
which broadcasts throughout the Vancouver area at FM 101.9.
CITR transmits its 49-watt signal from Gage Towers on the UBC Campus. For
best reception be sure and have an antenna attached to your receiver. For those
of you with persistent reception problems, CITR is also available on FM cable
at 100.1 in Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond,
Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Marple Ridge and Mission.
DISCORDER is distributed throughout the Vancouver area. Enquiries about
advertising in DISCORDER or distributing free copies of DISCORDER at a new
location can be made by calling 228-3017. General CITR business enquiries or
information about renting the CITR Mobile Sound System is also available at
228-3017. The request line is 228-2487 or 228-CITR.
Vol. 2 No. 8
SUBSCRIBE
TO
$7.00
Per Year
Send your cheque or
money order to:
CITR
6138 SUB Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C.
V6T2A5
Table of Contents
Mission... Infiltrate
4
Photos
6
Letters to the Airhead 7
Black Uhuru
8
Sly and Robbie
10
Bunker Beat
12
Repo Man
13
Demo Derby
14
Program Guide
15-18
Record Reviews
20-24
Dave Holland
26
The Roving Ear
29
HARRY HERTSCHEG
DAVID BALL
AVAILABLE FREE AT THESE LOCATIONS
DOWNTOWN EAST SIDE GASTOWN
Layout
KAOS LAYOUT CO.
A&A Records & Tapes
A & B Sound - Car Stereo
Be-Bob Beatwear
Arts Club on Seymour
Black Market
Camouflage Clothing
Collector's R.P.M. Records
Highlife Records & Music
Kelly's Electronic World
Cabbages & Kinx Clothing
Deluxe Junk Clothing
Golden Era Clothing
Photography
BEV DAVIES
Check-It-Out Clothing
(Oakridge)
Pow-Wow Clothing
DAVE JACKLIN
Collector's R.P.M. Records
Memory Lane Records
Reptile Leather
Concert Box Offices
Neptoon Collectors' Records
Re-Runs Recycled Apparel
JIM MAIN
Duthie Books
Octupus Books East
The Savoy Nightclub
The Edge
F°451 Books
Faces
Roxy Theatre
Treacher Records
Vancouver East Cinema
Sissy Boy Clothing
Smilin' Buddha Cabaret
Video Inn
Contributors
E.R. DRUM
Kelly's Electronic World
Vancouver East Cultural
The Waterfront Corrall
KANDACE KERR
Luv-A-Fair Cabaret
Centre
ZZ...on Water
MIKEY CLUPPER
MacLeod's Books
Odyssey Imports
Western Front Lodge
ZZ..West
FIONA MACKAY
Railway Club
POINT GREY
GORD BADANIC
Towne Cinema
Unit/Pitt Gallery
KITSILANO
Bill Lewis Music
Dunbar Theatre
Duthie Books
KEVIN SMITH
Vancouver Ticket Centre
Black Swan Records
Frank's Records & Books
BITS OF BLACK TAPE
The Web Clothing
Broadway Records & Tapes
Deluxe Junk Clothing
University Pharmacy
Video Stop
MIKE DENNIS
WEST END
Hollywood Theatre
The Video Store
LARRY THIESSEN
The Bay Theatre
Benjamin's Cafe (on Davie)
Lifestream Natural Foods
Neptoon Collectors' Records
NORTH SHORE
KEN GILLIES
Benjamin's Cafe (on Denman)
Octopus Books
A&A Records & Tapes
STACEY FRUIN
Breeze Record Rentals
Ridge Theatre
(Park Royal)
Camfari Restaurant
Scorpio Records
Kelly's Electronic World
RICHARD PUTLER
Denman Market
The Side Door Pub
(Park Royal)
MR. DALE
Downtown Disc Distributors
Videomatica
Sam the Record Man
English Bay Book Co.
X-Settera Select Used
(Capilano)
IAN WARREN
Little Sister's Book & Art
Clothes
Deep Cove Bike Shop
MICHAEL SHEA
Emporium
Manhattan Books & Magazines
Melissa's Records & Tapes
Yesterdays Collectables
Zulu Records
RICHMOND
A&A Records & Tapes
Cubbyhole Books
Cover Art
IAN VERCHERE
DISCORDER is also distributed throughout the UBC campus and
Kelly's Electronic World
some of the other Lower Mainlanc
campuses, as well as various
(Lansdowne)
Paul's Music Sales & Rentals |
(juiiimuiiiiy ucliucb ciiiu vcuiuuuvei puuuo nuidiica. DISCORDER September, 1984
Your mission, should you
CODE NAME: ETHER MISSION
LOCATION: UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
DATE: September 2, 1984
R T I C 102 M F 100 E L B A C KKbobt
CHIEF:
Have successfully infiltrated the Student Radio Society of British Columbia, aka CITR FM. So far have raised few suspicions as to my
background and previous whereabouts. When asked I muttered a few
things about previous political activity with a punk band back east and
that seemed to keep people quiet for a short while.
I should clarify the intent behind Ether Mission. As I understand, I've
been sent in here to seek out and memorize the secret to alternative
radio success, so we can take the best ideas and ways of doing things
and apply them to to the dull, mundane world of commercial radio broadcasting. We want to learn new and exciting things—I know, just like a
Star Trek episode, right? To seek & explore new worlds, to boldly go where
no commercial radio has gone before...
CITR isn't just some university student haircut radio station, you know,
Chief. The station has been around, in various mutations, since 1937.
In that year, CITR was spinning the 'coolest tunes' in the cafeteria (I learned that kind of talk here, Chief) during lunches and after classes. From
there, various local stations carried programming produced by members
of the Student Radio Club. Music and variety programmes were carried
on CJOR, CKWX, and the CBC, among others. And the Big Guy's
favourite television host, Pierre Berton, used to work here.
September Hilites
Sept. 3
Sept. 4-5
Sept. 11
Sept. 14-15
Sept. 18-20
Animal Slaves
& Jazzmanian Devils
LA.'s Los Lobos
Work Party
Visible Targets
Corsage
The Savoy Nightclub
6 Powell Street, Gastown 687-0418
NEVER BEFORE RELEASED PHOTOS OF CITR
AUDIOPHILES PRODUCING EXCRETIVE
RADIO SOUNDS FOR VANCOUVERITES'
LISTENING PLEASURE.
In 1975 the station began to be carried on cable. What had been a
well guarded UBC secret was unleashed on the world—Radio for
Normal People! It spread by word of mouth. On April Fool's Day, 1982,
after a lot of hard work and heavy prayer, CITR FM became an audio
reality. Not to be outdone by merely broadcasting on FM, CITR threw
the switch on July 20 of this year, and lit up that little stereo signal light
on your home tuner. CITR now broadcasts in glorious stereo—the first
stereo song being that of Kate Bush (thought you'd like that, Chief).
So now I'm in the middle of what is regarded as the best and most
exciting university radio station in Canada. I was supposed to just hang
out, get a few ideas for us to use, and then split. But this place is
infectious.
Was very very easy to get on the inside. I just wandered in to their
offices on the second floor of the Student Union Building one afternoon.
I spoke with a woman named Kandace, who is the station manager, and
who is also the only paid staff person in the whole place. The entire
station—DJs, reporters, news and sports readers and writers, public affairs staff and others—are ALL volunteer! Over 250 of them! And for all
volunteers to be producing 147 hours of high quality programming weekly
is a real accomplishment. I think we in commercial radio can learn a
few things form this place.
When I spoke with Kandace she gave me the station tour, showed me
around the studios and offices and introduced me to a number of the
DJs and other programmers. I figured the best way to get good informa-
on was to get on the air, so I told her I wanted to be a DJ. She gave
ne a full training session in the use of the equipment, and then got me
) make a demo tape. From there the programme director, Fiona, listen-
j to the tape. She told me that my music was a bit poppy and my delivery
was too commercial, but that I should try again. Me? 20 years in radio
and I had to do my demo tape all over again? DISCORDER September, 1984
choose to accept it...
..infiltrate CITR
i trunk we have a lot to learn form this place, Chief. They do some
pretty inventive things with music and production departments. New
music, that you just don't hear anywhere else (mind you the James Last
section is sorely lacking). The place isn't perfect but for a lot of people
it's a damn sight better than the rest of the audio pickings on this planet.
It sure isn't boring radio—by any stretch of the imagination.
I like CITR a lot Chief, but I'm also a little lonely for my old job. I'm
not crazy about the Van Halen T-shirts I have to keep wearing, although
I think they're a little out of place for here. Maybe an Iggy T-shirt instead?
The tight black pants make me look fat and these pointed black shoes
are driving my feet crazy. The strawberry gunk I have to put in my hair
is almost gone, and I'd appreciate some more. At least it keeps the toupee
anchored. Please can I come back soon? I miss writing dog food
commercials.
FLATFEET
TO:
AT:
DATE:
FLATFEET:
ETHER MISSION
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
September 4, 1984
I did it, this time passing the grade. The next step to getting on air
was to sit in with a DJ during a shift. I sat in one afternoon with this
guy everybody called "The Beave." Good DJ. He showed me how the
on-air board ran, and then left me to do an hour or so of his show.
Sweat time, boss. I mis-cued, stumbled through my announcements
and called songs by their wrong name. I fumbled, blew intros to songs,
and even dropped the needle across a record (by somebody named
Wendy O Williams? I liked the cover so I played it).
But I did okay enough to get a Saturday morning slot (bad news: it
starts at 7:00 a.m.). So this week I go to it alone—any suggestions as
to what I should play?
Good work. Already I can see results from your work. Following your
communique my son and I checked out a copy of DISCORDER, the
monthly programme guide. I joined the station at a nominal cost of $25.00
for non-UBC students, and my student son joined for a mere $20.00. Good
deal. He might come down and get involved in programming. You can't
miss him. He wears nothing but his Residents T-shirt.
Keep up the good work. Stay where you are. Enclosed is a three-month
supply of that funny strawberry junk. What do you do with that stuff?
It smells weird. I hope there's good air conditioning in the place.
CHIEF
P.S. Your show was good last Monday. I heard you with the Beave. But
you should play more James Last. And Abba. DISCORDER September, 1984 DISCORDER September, 1984
c/o CITR Radio
.6138 S.U.B. Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C.
V6T 2A5
Dear Airhead:
What the hell is it with some of the DJs up
there? Over the last month I've noticed a rather
foolish trend on the part of your more imaginative
jocks with respect to the place some bands call
home, in particular, bands from Washington, D.C.
It seems that if some DJs aren't sure where
a band comes from, they simply rely on their
overactive grey matter for an answer. This results
in a number of amusing blunders, especially
when referring to bands from D.C. Examples: The
Velvet Monkeys ("They're a band from, uh, somewhere back east, maybe Boston"); The Urban
Verbs ("New York or L.A., I'm not sure which");
Insect Surfers ("A band out of California"); Black
Market Baby ("From L.A."); Slickee Boys
("From... uh... hmm... Minnesota"). I know the Slickee Boys.
Trust me, none of them has ever been to Minnesota.
I understand the need to deny that anything good comes
from Washington, D.C. Ron and Nancy live there. The Pentagon is just across the Potomac. It's hot and humid during
" the summer and most people who work their can't tie their
shoes without a grant from the Mobil Oil Corporation. I understand. Unfortunately, D.C.'s new music and hardcore scene is
a casualty. What can be done to halt the flow of these
humorous but sometimes annoying rumours? After all, I'm sure
CITR doesn't want its unsuspecting and unimaginative listeners
to get the impression that the only creative centres in Amerika
are located in New York, L.A., or Athens, GA.
Sincerely,
Jim Pfaus
Sorry, I guess we'll just have to try harder.
Dear DISCORDER,
I have developed an affliction whenever I see or hear the
abbreviation UBC, I get nauseous.
The association being that of, the lack of air to breath at
the King Sunny Ade and Black Uhuru concert. Not to mention lining up on wet grass, not being allowed to see the beginning of the concert, only pop and chips (er...sorry, no chips)
as refreshments and it being terribly crowed.
But, people said, King Sunny Ade was great. Was He? I left
during intermission for some relief from the heat and smoke,
only to be not permitted back into the place.
I suggest people don't support any further concerts out at
UBC; who the hell wants to go out there anyway.
It is enough that we support students with unlimited tax
dollars. If they are to use these monies in capitalistic ventures
then they should get it right. Somebody or bodies made a nice
little penny—3,800 people at sixteen bucks a pop. I demand
as a taxpayer and ticket buyer that a balance sheet of the concert be printed in the DISCORDER.
Come on students, demand it as well, it's your money—get
involved, CLEAN HOUSE.
Thank you
Nicholas Stocks
H® a J>
ssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Dear Airhead
Many thanks to the resourceful staff at DISC-
ORDER for creating the Demo Derby column.
It fills a gap in the Vancouver music press (press
void) by picking up where Alex Varty's column
Demo Listen' in the Georgia Straight left off.
However, the column's title is a misnomer. The
tapes submitted to you are not all exactly demos.
Bands like The Edsels, Trevor Jones and Family Plot would probably prefer to have their work
referred to and reviewed as a cassette release. By
calling them demos we feel you give the impression that they are something less than serious
attempts at putting out a final product.
Upon reading your review of Wendy Williams'
new album we got the impression you hated it
by the first sentence, and yet you managed to
use half a page to repeat what you first said and
slag anything like it. Turning the page we noticed you used exactly the same amount of space
to review nine cassettes!!
Local cult fave raves Emily and Kraftdinner
received two very positive sentences each. People releasing cassettes are usually doing so on
a tight budget. By giving them a backseat review
you aren't helping them much. If something is
being reviewed then it deserves to be, but I fail
to see the point in wasting space to hammer
home your opinion. If you won't change your
review policy, at lease change the name of the
column to Cassette Corner.
Yours truly (really)
Mark Chalecki
Sid Spencer
Dear Airhead:
Last Thursday night (August 2), at about 10
past 9,1 heard a taped announcement referring
to the operator on CITR as being "Overweight,
underproductive, egocentric, nicotine-addicted,
and beer-guzzling."
I have a lot of questions about "Radio Free
Point Grey>" all of which arise from this incident.
1) Exactly (or approximately) how many DJs on
CITR answer to this description? What is their
answer?
2) What is the inner cosmic significance of this
description? Was it uttered by the Lord on Thursday night, or by the operator himself/herself? (I
really couldn't tell the difference.)
3) Is this description subject to change, given
the recent decreasing intensions in and around
the Persian Gulf? A simple Yes or No answer
won't do.
Please answer all of my questions as soon as
possible. Otherwise, I shall be forced to pawn my
harpsichord.
Sincerely,
Spencer Sponge
P.S.: What is an "in joke"??
This is all an "in" joke, Spence, so let's get
together for coffee, OK?
Select U&ftJ
£ forties
M7HIN 4*h DISCORDER September, 1984
Bits of Black Tape takes
a bite out of Black Uhuru
I*.
m confused. What's a girl to do? Here I am, in the middle of three
thousand white reggae fans who are wishing that, just for one night they
could be black, dancing and pounding their way to the pulse of Black
Uhuru who, at this moment are singing some offensive song about abortion ("Woman was put on this earth to multiply, not to divide"). The music's
great, the words make me puke. What's a girl to do?
I'm on contract to Airhead, so here goes. I have real problems with
any cultural form that places its whole reason for being in some religious
or political framework. That carries the whole baggage of dictating how
to live and how to act according to the prevailing doctrine. Reggae does
it with rastafarianism. Punk does it, as does Van Halen and heavy metal
and jazz—you can't escape it. Some forms, like punk, at least have the
sense to offer some form of an alternative. At least punk tries to break
down the facade of a supreme individual, and attempts to get people
thinking and acting under their own direction, and not according to some
pre-determined notions.
Reggae, on the other hand, has the double burden of being great music
and, particularly if you're a woman, abhorrent religious and political notions. Rasta has come to replace the term reggae, and the music's image of a dope smoking dread used to sell both the music and the ideology.
Reggae has become big money for the musicians (rightly so) and a
political ideal for thousands of white kids who like to smoke dope and
need the comfort of a slightly alternative ideological framework in which
to do it. The refined, North American version of reggae gives them the
perfect opportunity to do so, and at the same time pump lots of money
into the music industry. A promoter couldn't ask for anything more.
Dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson describes the links between
reggae and rasta like this:
"The media and big record companies have tried to promote reggae around the image of Rasta. So often on an album cover you
see a dread smoking a big spliff and that has done a lot of harm,
because reggae is much wider than that. Rasta is a very important source of spirituality and creativity within reggae, but real
* Rasta music is drum music that is used for chanting and meditation. The music of Count Ossie is Rasta music—the music of Bob
Marley is Jamaican pop music."
Which is fine and good. It is a very powerful pop music, often with
lyrics urging people to fight oppression, racism, imperialism. Reggae
also expresses the anger of the poor, music for and from oppressed people, which can be a powerful motivating force. Yes, I am moved when
Marley sings Lively Up Yourself. Yes, I am moved to action When I hear
Linton Kwesi Johnson. Yes, I am moved when I listen to music from Zim-
bawbwe, Soweto, Nigeria.
I am not moved to action by the hip swivelling Tom Jones-ish antics
of Black Uhuru lead singer Michael Rose. Nor am I moved to action
. by the fact that while singer Puma is very prominent on stage, her voice
is lost in the mix. I could only distinguish her voice a few times during
the set. I am almost moved to laughter at the Eddie Van Halenish antics
of Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar. Yes they are superb musicians. But their Rock God posturing during their solos was in keeping
with the adulative respect the mainly white crowd offered them. The public
gets what the public wants.
I sensed a real distance between the band and the audience. While
everybody could sing along with the words and chant loudly when Michael
Rose urged them to do so, it never felt like the band and the crowd were
together on anything, except Simon Says (or in this case, Michael Says).
Michaelgsays, Stand Up. Obediently, the crowd stands up. Michael says
Sing This Line. The bell rings and the crowd opens its collective mouth.
Michael says enjoy this evening because you paid us enough money
to be here and it's good for you to support us. The crowd loved it. I kept
wondering throughout the entire evening: would these people be here
if it wasn't for that great attachment to dope that reggae offers? Would
these people like this music so much if they really understood the anger
and oppression that a lot of the music grew out of? Would they really
like to beblack for more than one night? Try to get a job? Walk down
the street as a black, and not white, with all that being black entails?
8
I'm still here in the middle of three thousand swaying white rasta/
reggae freaks, and I'm wondering: am I a cultural snob, imposing my
white North American lack of sensibilities on a music that I have no history
with, but I know that musically I enjoy? Who am I to judge? My relatives
were not torn from their homes and forced into slavery for my relatives.
I'm not hassled on the streets for not being the socially acceptable colour. So who am I to say that the music is any good?
That's not what I'm arguing at all. Rather, what I'm saying is that I find
reggae very exciting musically. For me, lyrics about women being good
for little else than bearing children, or putting one's faith in a god of any
sort are hardly progressive, no matter who sings them. I understand and
support the right of all people to reclaim and assert their cultural and
political independence. I can't support it if it goes no further than what
already exists. Change for the sake of change is useless.
So, I have to say that the music I heard from Black Uhuru was superb
reggae, probably some of the best I have heard to date. But given a
choice, I prefer the reggae—music and words—of Linton Kwesi Johnson
or Steel Pulse, two reggae artists who call for change through people's
action, change of a system that reinforces oppression and gender
stultification. Using music as a political motivator is powerful and exciting. Using music to enforce cultural oppression doesn't get anywhere
except straight to the promoter's pockets.
—Bits of Black Tape
PUMA JONES: What can a poor girl
do? 'Cept to sing in a reggae band. DISCORDER September, 1984
Knock, knock.
Go away, it's three o'clock in the
morning!
This is your closet of anxieties
speaking...Open up!
WHO? GO AWAY..IT'S ONLY
THREE A.M.!!
Come on, open up. You know
who I am. Those little insecurities
in the back of your mind that pop
up and wake you in the middle of
the night. Like, "Did I really turn all
the lights off?" or "Did I really
erase that priceless TRex tape?".
GO AWAY!
Sorry—I'm here to ruin your
snooze. So what's your greatest
fear? Terminal acne? Nuclear war?
Running out of joi-gel?
No.
/ know—getting the date of a
Fleshtones concert wrong, and
showing up the day after the best
show the city has ever seen!
No.
Then what? Aah—being so un-
cool as not to know what the latest
music is—the latest bands.
That's the least of my worries.
I'm a CITR listener—and member.
A member! You're not even a
UBC student.
You don't have to be. Anybody
can join. $20.00 for UBC students,
$25.00 for everybody else.
So now you know all the latest
sounds?
Sure—plus I was trained in
radio production and on-air techniques. Next week I go on the air
as a DJ!
Oh—
So, no insecurities there. Sorry
to disappoint you.
Well, shit. I was so looking forward to an evening of fun. (pause)
Could I join CITR?
Well—
Honest, I just look like Ronald
Reagan to scare people. I really
am into the Buzzcocks.
Do the Republicans know that?
Not yet, but Nancy can't stand
them.
cm
MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION
NAME:
AGE:
ADDRESS:
POSTAL CODE:
PHONE:
ARE YOU A UBC STUDENT? Y N
UBC STUDENT NO.
INTERESTED IN PROGRAMMING?
*l DISCORDER September, 1984
Sly and Robbie play it cool
v9ly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare don't play favourites. "We will
work with anyone, whether they are famous or not," says Shakespeare.
"We will take up any challenge." For Dunbar and Shakespeare, the
essence of the challenge is the creation of the rhythm. Over the past
several years they have met that challenge in rather prolific fashion, working with everyone from Bob Dylan to theRolling Stones to Grace Jones
and Ian Dury. They have been so successful, in fact, that many artists
seek their help as much for prestige value as production talent. After
all, everyone has heard of Sly and Robbie. Right?
Not necessarily true. While you've probably heard at least one song
that grooves to a Sly and Robbie rhythm, you probably had no idea that
it was Shakespeare's bass undulating to a Dunbar drum beat: unless,
of course, you're one of those terminal cases who makes a life's work
out of memorizing album liner notes. Even if you are, it might be that
Shakespeare and Dunbar are just a couple of names that show up on
the back of a lot of records. So who are these guys and how did they
become such a big deal anyway?
Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar met in Kingston, Jamaica over
a decade ago. Dunbar recalls that at the time he was playing in a band
called Skin, Flesh and Bones. "Robbie was playing in another band
that played all the time in a club across the street from the club where
we always played. When I got a break I would go over to the other club
and jam and on his breaks Robbie would come over to our place." Eventually, the two got together on a more permanent basis and have formed an inseparable rhythm section ever since. They first came to prominence amongst North American reggae fans in 1976 when they began
working with ex-Wailer Peter Tosh. That association continued for four
years until, in 1980, Sly and Robbie parted ways with Tosh in order to
pursue projects in which they called their own shots. Asked if he and
Shakespeare might work with Tosh again at some point, Dunbar laughs.
"No, I don't think so."
Dunbar would never go as far as to utter a disparaging word about
Tosh though. Both he and Shakespeare are reluctant to state a preference
for working with one artist over another or even to profess a liking for
reggae music over other styles. "We love them all. Playing different styles
of music is like the changing of moods." These days, when they're in
the mood for reggae, they form the backbone of Black Uhuru, not only
To
playing drums and bass, but producing all the Uhuru albums to date.
Recently, some disturbing rumours had Sly and Robbie leaving Black
Uhuru. "It's a complicated story," says Dunbar. "Black Uhuru recently
hired a new manager, and Robbie and I aren't sure if we want to work
with him. We haven't really made up our minds what we want to do about
the situation. Right now, we are on tour with Black Uhuru, so that is all
we are thinking about."
Sly is quick to point out that, with or without Black Uhuru, he and Robbie are never at a loss for things to do. "We run a production company
in Kingston and we get most of the session work in Jamaica. If none
comes to us, we can make lots of work for ourselves. If we are not in
the mood for reggae we go to North America and work with someone
else."
Some reggae purists have criticized recent Shakespeare-Dunbar production work, particularly the newer Black Uhuru material, for straying
too far from the roots of reggae music. "We don't think of our work in
terms of roots. The roots will always be there. We are trying to cultivate
more of a crossover sound. Reggae, generally, does not get much radio
airplay and that is something we would like to change. We aren't selling
out, we are trying to export the Jamaican sound and I think the Jamaican
people are proud of our success in North America."
The relationship between reggae music and the Rastafarian religion
tends to confuse many North Americans. Many people believe that reggae music is an expression of rastafari which, of course, is often the case.
Shakespeare and Dunbar, however, hold no such assumption.
"Music and rasta each have their own place," asserts Shakespeare,
"because they are two different things." On the whole they seem reticent about the subject. \
What the future holds for Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare is
uncertain. As producers, they'vebeen called the successors to Nile
Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. When asked who they would like to
work with in the future they pause, and Dunbar shrugs, Stevie Wonder,
Michael Jackson; maybe Paul McCartney or Quincy Jones." Says Robbie, "Who we work with is not as important as continuing to create new
phrases within the rhythm." Maybe, then, an experimental foray into the
mega-mainstream is a logical step for Sly and Robbie. It could very well
present their biggest challenge.
—Mikey Clupper DISCORDER September, 1984
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11 DISCORDER September, 1984
BUNKER BEAT
"Top 10 post-nuclear records to maintain your sanity in a bunker"
Imagine that through some incredibly unfortunate set of circumstances,
when the bomb drops, you end up stuck in a fallout bunker with a bunch
of clean-cut youth. You know, they go to UBC on student loans, live at
home with their parents and vote Socred, wear name pants from Eaton's
and like to see films like Terms of Endearment. Anyhow, through some
miracle, you happened to have your ten fave albums under your arm
as you leapt to safety into your shelter. What 10 records would you like
most to have with you to combat the anticipated 15 boring years of enforced confinement and radioactive inbreeding?
CITR FM invites you to send in your list of 10 Bunker Beat discs, with
the most imaginative/intelligent responses being published in next
month's issue of Discorder. Send all submissions to:
Bunker Beat
c/o DISCORDER/CITR FM
6138 SUB Boulevard
UBC
Vancouver, B.C.
V6T2A5
To start off the Bunker Beat feature, we asked our own president, Gordon Badanic, to choose his top ten discs of all time for post-nuclear
underground enjoyment.
1. Vancouver Complication. The first and finest compilation LP of the
local music scene. Terrific music by DOA, Pointed Sticks,
Subhumans, Dishrags, etc., etc. This record can change your life.
2. Singles Going Steady—The Buzzcocks. This choice is cheating
a little, because the disc is a collection of Buzzcocks singles. My
favourite songs by my favourite band, with more hooks and riffs on
this record than can be found in the entire free world.
3. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables—Dead Kennedys. The long,
play debut of San Francisco's best (but only marginally ahead of
the Avengers). The way Jello attacks the subjects of the songs, it
is definitely not shoot the fish in the barrel. Not a weak cut. If you
can't skateboard to this, you can't skateboard.
4. All Mod Cons—The Jam. By far the best album the Jam ever released. Although the songs aren't entirely relevant to life in North
America, the band's energy, style and commitment can be appropriate. Great slashing guitar, pounding drums and melodies. For
new listeners a great introduction to a band that used to mean
something.
5. Can't Stand the Rezillos—The Rezillos. This is the document of
one of the craziest bands to ever emerge from the depths of the Scottish moors. Remarkably accomplished playing, unintelligibly fast singing and guitar that makes you want to give up learning yourself. How
can you go wrong with songs like Flying Saucer Attack and My Baby
Does Good Sculptures?
6. Meet the Residents—The Residents. When this record came out,
it incensed the Beatles record company and fans (the band loved
it). It has an immediately identifiable sound that is unlike anything
else on earth. (It's just plain weird.) The Residents all dressed up
(with carrot in hand), but at this point, nowhere to go: just wonderful doodling.
7. inflammable Material—Stiff Little Fingers. SLF at their white-
hottest. After their first two singles blew away the UK in 1978, this
LP served as a strong follow-up that solidified the band's reputation
as one of the best new punk bands (from Belfast) in the tradition
of the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
8. The Slider—T Rex. Glam rock at its most honest. This album rolls
along with classics like Metal Guru, and Telegram Sam. Mark
Solan's guitar work was never better.
9. The Undertones—The Undertones. This debut LP by Derry Irelads,
best proponents of guiless pop, themselves classic, is simply great.
If you don't like the Undertones, you obviously haven't heard them.
If you hate them, you're an ugly person and your mother dresses
you funny (says Gidget). Teen angst.
10. Rocket to Russia—The Ramones. Dis album is great! The Ramones
at their zenith. Thrashy, fast, lotsa guitars. Stupidity at its best.
Being an old record collector (many will vouch that I have one of the
most extensive collections of K-Tels packages and bad records in the
Lower Mainland) there are another 1000 or so discs I would need to live
for 15 years, from Howlin Wolf to Public image to the Hardy Boys, and
from the Sonics to DOA to...
—Dr. Strangelove
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12 DISCORDER September, 1984
Only in America, you say!
1 Watch out for REPO MAN i
Every' so often a film comes along that
^changes the way you comb your hair, the way
I you lift a beer bottle, the way you pet your cat.
REPO MAN is not necessarily that film, but it is
| a swell time. We're talking cult classic here, right
up there with Alligator, Death Race 2000, and,
I yes, the entire Godzilla series, Mothra and all.
"What is REPO MAN all about?" a friend asks.
|-| swallow—hard. It's not an easy question to
answer. Otto is fired from his job as a supermarket ticketer the same day his womanfriend
finds another lover (to the sound of Black Flag,
no less). While wandering in a daze from the
I evening's events, he is conned into stealing a car
| for repo (short for repossession) man Bud—a car
that the owner has missed a few payments on.
i When offered full time employment as a paid car
| thief, Otto turns it down.
He heads home to ask Dad to pay his way to
Europe, only to find that his parents have given
all their money to TV evangelist Reverend Larry,
to buy bibles to send to El Salvador. A trip to the
unemployment office convinces Otto that life as
a wage slave is pointless, so he returns to the
repo yard to begin his apprenticeship.
That's the easy part. REPO MAN is also about:
a nuclear scientist driving around the United
States with his creation, the neutron bomb, in the
trunk of his car: about alien (read ET.) bodies
being smuggled about and a chase by a blonder
than blond version of the C.I.A., who sports a
Michael Jackson sparkled glove over a metal
hand: about the rival repo Rodrigues Brothers:
and, more than anything else, about being out
of work with no future in Los Angeles, and the
quintessence of being American.
REPO MAN is one of the most definitive
American films to date. Only in America could
institutionalized car theft become the basis for
a feature film. Only in America could a family give
its entire life savings to a smarmy TV evangelist
in order to make it onto Reverend Larry's Honor
Roll of the Chariots of Fire: it's especially poignant if the parents of that family are the 1960's
liberal hippies, all dressed up for the 1980s but
with nowhere to go. Only in America could a crazed nuclear scientist drive around the country in
a 64 Chevy Malibu with his creation in the trunk
of his car, vapourizing curious cops and peering punks. Only in America could Leila, who is
chasing the alien bodies, declare that the photos
of the dead aliens were about to appear in major newspapers—only to have them show up on
the front page of the National Enquirer, ONLY in
America could the final shootout be staged in an
all night corner grocery, complete with racks of
alcohol, shelves of Food and Drink (appropriately
labelled), lots of gunshots and gurgled blood, and
the Jimmy Cagneyesque final words of Duke, one
of the three store-robbing punks, proclaiming that
he knew society made him what he is (was).
And only in the depths of Reaganian Americana could the main object of a repo man's
desire be that most visible and prized of North
American status symbofs—the car.
Not only does REPO MAN attack American
"REPO MAN" p. 25
13 DISCORDER September, 1984
J inally, CITR's Battle of the Bands bears fruit: with the 24 hours of
recording time they won last year, Bolero Lava have released their debut
12" single Inevitable b/w Click of the Clock. To those of you familiar with
the pulsing beat that the band creates, there may be a slight surprise
at the heavy dance oriented production of the record. Slick harmonies
and prominent rhythms stand out more than a live gig situation. For those
of you unfamiliar with Bolero Lava this record is a wonderful introduction to their sound: immediately catchy hooks with a heavy pop feel.
Soldiers of Sport have a 2-song demo tape. Broadcast and Sound of
Soul show strong songwriting and performing ability. Broadcast is a
rockier, upbeat tune that, barring the amount of guitar distortion and vocal
tone, sound a good bit jike early Generation X. Sound of Soul is a slower,
almost (god-forbid) ballad-like number that is very good. Hopefully, these
two songs will crop up on vinyl in the not-too-distant future.
Imagine Boris Karloff doing his John Lydon impersonation (or vice versa). Now imagine a truly thrashy band (farfisa organ included) chugging away behind this mad front man, who is aided only by his crazed
mohawked sidekick backing vocalist, in his attempts to do true justice
to everything the Monkees ever recorded. These are the Flunkees, and
they are just awesome!!! Their demo tape of Pleasant Valley Sunday is
anything a good pop tune should be: loud, fast and very energetic.
Well I suppose this review is a little late, but Art Bergmann's new band
Poisoned has their 10-song tape released as a cassette-only item that
is selling very briskly indeed. My only concern for the band is that with
the sudden onslaught of local coverage (major articles in the Sun, the
Province, and Vancouver Magazine) as well as all those rave reviews
(DISCORDER, June 1984) and all the local gigs Poisoned is doing, I'm
afraid the band will burn out its following (if Poisoned doesn't burn itself
out first). How many times can you see this band (even if they are great)?
All this aside, the cassette release is very good: good sound quality, lively
playing and excellent songwriting. Buy this tape.
Two new songs from Emily this month (via the MoDaMu record label):
Moments of Glory and He Calls My Name are both more of the same,
if you're at all familiar with her material. With her live performances
becoming consistent now, including a live broadcast from our studios
in August, hopefully Emily will come to the attention of more people.
UPDATES:
Bill of Rights will be going into the studio soon to record six songs,
hopefully to be released on a 12" disc.
House of Commons has come to a temporary halt for roughly half a
year, as Jim, the drummer, will be out of the country.
Go Four Three hopes to have a six-song EP out by October.
A demo tape which has done fairly well here at CITR has just been released by the newly established Luv-A-Fair record label. Yes, the disco is
branching out. Fabulon's 2 songs Life on an Island and Young Hearts
Burning have just come out on a shocking blue 12" slab of vinyl.
—Big Dummy
COLLECTORS R.P.M. SEZ: SUPPORT YOUR SCENE
FABULON
"Life on an Island"
ONLY
$3.99
EACH
BOLERO LAVA
"Bolero Lava"
OTHER SPECIALS
Bill of Rights—3 Song EP
Fun with Numbers/The Promises
Moev—Toulyeu
NoMeansNo—Mama
$1.49
$1.75
$4.99
$7.99
LOCAL FANZINES AVAILABLE
MEAT CAFE'THE WORLD*ISSUE
Downtown Store
456 Seymour
•SKf* COLLECTORS RPM
South Vancouver
4470 Main St.
Vancouver, B.C.
876-8321
14 DISCORDER September, 1984
PROGRAM GUIDE
rA guide to CITR fm 102
NEW RELEASES
The following is a list of artists with current
releases (singles, extended plays, albums,
cassettes, demo tapes) that received significant
airplay during the month of August.
OBIT: We wish Jason Grant a fond farewell and
many happy returns during his stay in
Toronto. With him has gone the concept
of the "top 50" most played artists. We
think it proved its point. We hope this list
will give pur listeners a better idea of what
new and enervating bits of noise are
available for their aural pleasure.
NOTE: BOLDFACE denotes local artists.
Actionauts
jAnd Also the Trees
|APB
Archer, Peter
Associates
Big Red Truck
Black, Pauline
Black Uhuru
Bolero Lava
Captain Sensible
Chrome
Costello, Elvis
Courage of Lassie
Czukay, Holger
Damned
Der Mittlegang
Depeche Mode
Discharge
East Bay Ray
Everything but the
Girl
Family Plot
Five Year Plan
Forgotton Rebels
400 Blows
Frames Per Second
Frank Chickens
Frankie Goes to
Hollywood
Go-Betweens
GOrl, Robert
Gun Club
Isaccs, Gregory
Jazz Butcher
Joolz
Kaye, Lenny
Konk
King Sunny Ade
Ledernacken
Leer, Thomas
Leroi Borthers
Linkmen
Lowe, Nick
Lyres
March Violets
Masakela, Hugh
Mike Club
Mighty Wah
Minimal Compact
Moev
New Order
NoMeansNo
No News
1000 Mexicans
Pale Fountains
PIL
Plasticland
Poisoned
Ponce, Daniel
Psychedelic Furs
Quantum Leap
Quine & Maher
Rain Parade
Rank & File
R.E.M.
Red Dress
Red Guitars
Red Masque
Reed, Lou
Robinson, Tom
Rockin' Edsels
Roedelius
Romeo Void
Screaming Blue
Messiahs
Section 25
Shriekback
Siberry, Jane
Sid Presley
Experience
Sister of Mercy
Skeleton Crew
Special AKA
Square, Lester
Sylvian, David
10,000 Maniacs
The Fall
The Room
The Smiths
The Tempest
Thelonious Monk
Tirez Tirez
Truth
Tse Tse Force
Twanghounds
23 Skidoo
Ulmer, James
Blood
U-Men
Van Tieghem, David
Verlaine, Tom
Violent Femmes
Wild Flowers
Working Week
X-Mal Deutschland
Yano, Hiroshi
CABLE 100
Buy your CITR T-shirt
Only $7.50
500 from every sale goes to
purchase new eyeballs for
defaced movie stars.
HOW TO IMPROVE RECEPTION
Because CITR is a low power FM radio station, many of our listeners
have difficulty properly picking up our signal. One of the easiest ways
to get better radio reception is by hooking your stereo up to your TV cable
wire. CITR is available on cable FM at 100, in addition to the regular
radio FM at 102. To hook up cable, you need to "jump" wire from the
antennae/cgble terminals on the back of the TV, across to the "300 ohm
balanced FM" terminals on the back of your stereo.
Doing this yourself will piss off the cable company, because it's illegal,
so maybe you should pay them 10 dollars a month for that bit of wire.
Remember: home taping is also illegal.
if
r
BUY
&
SELL
1&Ws.
;sa'S\»s.
RECORDS & TAPES
NEW
&
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*> IMPORT RECORDS
INTERNATIONAL, ROCK,
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SOUNDTRACKS
OVER 1000
MANY OUT OF PRINT
PICTURE DISCS
PROBABLY THE LARGEST
SELECTION IN CANADA
«•
687-5939
7 Days A Week—
MELISSA'S RECORDS & TAPES LTD.
1152 Robson (At Bute)
4£* USED RECORDS
WE PAY CASH FOR
YOUR OLD ALBUMS
*£» CASSETTE TAPES
^■^ A VERY LARGE
CLASSICAL SELECTION
*"% SPECIAL ORDERS
""" *" WE SPECIALIZE IN
YOUR REQUEST
w\
%^%%%%%^o%i>%%%>%%%W
15 DISCORDER September, 1984
UBC RADIO
in
imf
•
>*
DO
y*
SUN MON
TUES
WED
THUR
FRI SAT
9AM PUBLIC AFFAIRS-
-WAKE UP REPORT WITH NEWS, SPORTS AND WEATHER-
I I 1
-GENERIC REVIEW— GENERIC REVIEW
-PUBLIC AFFAIRS-
-PUBLIC AFFAIRS 9AM
MUSIC
OF OUR ioam
TIME
r.lTR INftlfiHT EDITORIAL-
.CITR INSIGHT EDITORIAL.
MORNING "REPORT'WITH NEWS, SPORTS AND 'WEATHER
— NEWS—NOON
SUNDAY
BRUNCH
-1PM-
- LUNCH REPORT WITH NEWS, SPORTS AND WEATHER
FOLK
ham INTERNATIONAL
NOON-NEWS—
I AFRICAN
I SHOW
THE
ROCKERS 2PM
SHOW
THE
SUNDAY 4pm
AFTER
NOON
SHOW
-SPORTS-
-SPORTS-
-GENERIC REVIEW-
4PM jHE
-J PLAYLIST
L SHOW
GENERIC REVIEW-
SUNDAY 6^L
MAGAZINE
-DINNER REPORT WITH NEWS, SPORTS AND WEATHER -
VOICE OF 7pm
FREEDOM
r~
CITR INSIGHT EDITORIAL"
-CITR INSIGHT EDITORIAL
[SATURDAY
9
Ml
SUNDAY
NIGHT
LIVE
HIGH
PROFILE
FAST 10.PM ^ZZ
FORWARD I SHOW
, 11PM ——
FINAL I FINAL
VINYL VINYL
FAST
FORWARD
- MIDNIGHT-
JAZZ
SHOW
HIGH
PROFILE
FINAL
VINYL
HIGH
PROFILE
FINAL
VINYL
HIGH
PROFILE
MEL
BREWER
PRESENTS
7PM
PROPER
IGANDER
-8PM
HIGH HIGH
PROFILE | PROFILE
9PM
-11PM-
FINAL FINAL
VINYL I VINYL
———— MIDNIGHT
CITR broadcasts daily at 102 FM an<
100 cable FM. from 7 AM until 4 AM
16 DISCORDER September, 1984
PROGRAM GUIDE
H guide to CITR fm 102
African Show (Wednesday 9:30pm-12 am)
A programme featuring African music and
culture. Everyweek, with news, current events
and local African music and local music events.
Folk International (Saturday 10 am-12 noon)
Folk music from around the world. Tune in on the
first and last Saturday of each month for traditional Canadian folk music, or for African music
listen to the second and third Saturday of the
month.
Slazz Snow (Monday 9 pm-1 am)
Hni evening of varied classical and contemporary
jazz and fusion with Fiona Mackay, Gavin Walker,
Bfehelley Freedman or Bob Kerr.
Midshow (Wednesday 12 am-1 am)
This show is a potpourri of poetry, music, and
intriguing monologue.
Music Of Our Time (Sunday 8 am-12 pm)
Music of the 20th Century in the classical tradition. Hosted by Ken Jackson.
Playlist Show (Saturday 3 pm-6 pm)
■fee countdown of CITR's weekly top 40 singles
and albums, featuring new additions to the
- Playlist. Listen for Vijay Sondhi or Michael Shea.
Rockers (Sunday 1 pm-3 pm)
The latest and best in toasting, joking rockers,
dub and straight forward reggae. Hosted by
George Barrett.
Fast Forward (Sunday 9 pm-1 am)
The latest in the exciting and vibrant world of experimental, independent, minimalist, electronic,
avante garde stuff.
Voice of Freedom (Sunday 6:30 pm-7:30 pm)
Satirical broadcast from a mythical radio station
on a secluded American military base (Diego
Garcia) where all the records are twelve years
out of date.
REGULAR
[PROGRAMS
Sunday Brunch (Sunday 12 pm-1 pm)
Readings of poetry, literature and prose
presented by Paris Simons.
CABLE 100
Final Vinyl (Nightly at 11 pm)
High Profile
(Monday through Saturday at 8 pm)
Spotlighting one artist's music and career. Refer
to High Profile listing for artists.
Sunday Night Live (Sunday 8 pm)
Rare live recordings of noted local and international artists.
Generic Review
(Weekdays at 8:35 am and 5:35 pm. Also on
Saturday and Sunday Magazine)
A critique of local entertainment, plays, movies,
and exhibits.
Insight (Weekdays 9:43 am and 6:13 pm)
An editorial comment on current issues open to
the community.
News and Sports (Weekdays)
Local, national, and international news and
sports. News and sports reports at 8 am, 10 am,
1 pm, and 6 pm. Newsbreak and Sportsbreak
at 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, regular newscasts air at 12:00 noon
Saturday and Sunday Magazine
(Saturday & Sunday at 6 pm)
Weekend magazine shows presenting special
news, sports and entertainment features.
Public Affairs (Weekdays 9 am).
A people's forum for local interests and issues.
Proper Gander
(Saturday 6:30 pm-9:30 pm)
Everything but a well-dressed goose.
Advertise in
228-3017
teSiS" b' r^3X %*it '• on Wolf,
U»74- W. Corkvs^G^ivhS'&r
Wild,vveipdt KwdeHfw/ vjnjfoge cbynirq ».
Sfoes 'j«w<?//ry %oc guys «jnd S^'s,, &,;,
\ZMM off »*'*>" fawfti&T-er&t
ZJ DISCORDER September, 1984
PROGRAM GUIDE
?A guide to CITR fm 102
CABLE 100
SEPTEMBER
HIGH
PROFILES
High Profiles are 45 minute documentary style
music specials, encompassing individual
bands, musical movements and styles and
scenes around the world. High Profiles include biographical material, histories,
discographies and a good sampling of music.
High Profile can be heard Monday through
Saturday evenings at 8:00.
Starting in October CITR will be expanding the
daily 8:00 p.m. special so that we will not only be providing High Profiles, but also interviews and specials. As well, keep tuned to
CITR for for first official radio game show,
coming on Thursdays in October.
Sat
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
Sat
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
Sat
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
Sat
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
Sat
1 The Door and The Window
3 Joe Ely
4 The Fastbacks
5 Gang of 4
6 Wire
7 XTC
8 Jesus lives?
10 The Meters
11 The Bangles
12 Peter Gabriel
13 Aztec Camera
14 Supremes
15 Mi key Dread
17 Detroit au-go-go
Motor City Soul Stompin'
Neglected Monkees
Buddy Holly, part one
Husker Du
Klaus Nomi
The Teardrop Explodes-Rarities
Easybeats
25 An Evangelical Evening of
messages from the Alternative
Tentacles Divine Light Mission.
26 Buddy Holly, part two
27 Flipper
Tracy Thorn
29 The 80's Liverpool Sound
FINAL VINYL
********
Nightly at 11 p.m.
*******
New and neglected albums played in their
entirety.
Monday - Jazz Album
Tuesday & Wednesday - New Playlist Album
Thursday- Mel Brewer Presents
Weekly showcase of local artists. Highlights include interviews, new releases, demo tapes and
plenty of juicy gossip.
Friday - Mixing, Matching, Blending,
Scratching ALBUMS
Saturday - CITR #1 Playlist LP
Sunday - Neglected LP with Mark Mushet
HOME TAPING IS
KILLING MUSIC
AND IT'S ILLEGAL
HOME TAPING IS
KILLING MUSIC
AND IT'S ILLEGAL
Sept. 10
Procedures for Approval
Laughing Academy
Sept. 17
Sudden Impact
5 Year Plan
Sept. 24
Fun With Numbers
Beau Monde
Watch the winners
battle it out on
Monday October 1 DISCORDER September, 1984
0
MINUS ZERO
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WORKS
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SEPTEMBER!
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OPEN 7 DAYS/WEEK 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
19 DISCORDER September, 1984
THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
FREDERIC
WOOD 1984/85
THEATRE SEASON
LOOK BACK IN ANGER
By John Osborne
September 19-29
TWELFTH NIGHT
by William Shakespeare
November 7-17
THE IMAGINARY INVALID
byMoliere
January 16-26
HAPPY END
A musical
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht
March 6-16
SEASON SUBSCRIPTION PRICES
REGULAR $21.00
STUDENT & SENIORS $13.00
BOX OFFICE
228-2678
TRAGIC MULATTO MIA.
Judo for the Blind Murder in a Foreign Place/
RIDGE
THEATRE
16th & Arbutus
TheBestis?Movies
$2.00 Tuesdays
CAPPUCCINO BAR
HAVE FUN AT THE
PEOPLES THEATRE
ONE HOUR MONEY BACK
GUARANTEE
738-5212
In a month when the Republicans overwhelmingly nominated Ronald Reagan to run for a
second term as Head Cowboy, when Brian Mul-
roney headed the country towards National
Social Creditism, B.C. Style, when Exploit 86
slithered towards completion, and where the L.A.
Olympics manifested some of the best examples
of patriotic masturbation ever exhibited in the
"free" world, it was more than comforting to
receive two of the latest emissions from the Alternative Tentacles Divine Light Mision. Jello
Biafra and the boys have been busy producing
new albums, and two of them made their way to
my turntable this month. Aaah, the comfort of
angry music.
Both Murder in a Foreign Place from M.I. A. and
Judo for the Blind from Tragic Mulatto assured
me that yes, there ARE other people in the world
who think like me, and who believe that music
is a good way to get those messages across to
those of us who feel lost in the conservative
wasteland.
III!
tttiwnmimmw
I'm not familiar with either band, but I am more
than intimate with the label, Alternative Tentacles.
Several years ago I bought an album (albeit for
the cover and the name of the band) called Fresh
Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. The Dead Kennedys
knocked the shit out of me with the power of the
music. Subsequent Alternative Tentacles releases, such as more D.K.s and a superb compilation called Let Them Eat Jellybeans, made their
way regularly to my turntable. The two latest
releases have joined that audio cavalcade.
Tragic Mulatto could easily be discarded for
the cover alone. Christ having a shit while a
woman lies in a nearby bathtub, pouring water
on her genitals. Right. Does it have any connection with the music?
Who cares. Judo for the Blind reminds me of
Rip Rig and Panic and The Pop Group, in the
anarchic use of wild sound, jazz and funk
rhythm. Need a label? Okay—mutant punk funk.
Produced by D.K.'s bass player Klaus Flouride,
Tragic Mulatto is the perfect antidote to hours of
MTV pap.
With lyrics like "/ hate people with noses like
Jhat/and i hate young couples that drive shiny
Honda Civics/is there somehting wrong with me/
no/then stop my hand" while the music wails wild
saxaphone and heavy guitar riffs, you know you
have not wandered onto some obscure Bryan
Adams release.
i^awAKMasNRai
M.I.A., on the other turntable, is what a co-hort
of mine would describe as dinosaur music. You
know, that standard angry young punk thrashing
guitars, screaming lyrics and pounding drums.
Well, fuck him because it's good.
Murder in a Foreign Place is like a lower case
DOA meeting a jazz and blues band. The title
track is a catchy blues song that could become
a hit at CIA/United States Marines get-togethers
—a good dance song except for the lyrics: "Wfe
swing to the left/We swing to the right/but when
our money's at stake/we're gonna fight fioht
fight." Chile, 1974, anyone? ' '
I like the anger of the lyrics, the mix of good
punk thrash and rock and blues hooks. The Deac
Kennedy's influence is predominant in songs like
Reality is Killing Me and There is no Love. Gooc
hardcore. These guys could be great live
I recommend both of these, but if I had to state
a preference (knowing the price of these thinqs
after all) I'd say go for the Tragic Mulatto Of the
two, Judo for the Blind is the more exciting and
experimental musically. Give them both a spin
if you can afford it. When you're faced with Bill
Bennett and his 5-year plan, an unrestrainable
secret police force and four more years of the
wild wild west in the White House, any glimmers
in the darkness can be taken as beacons Be
'sides, once you listen to the two albums you can
always round out the mood with a rousin'q chorus
of California UberAlles. Jello and the DeadI Ken
nedys would appreciate the sentiment.
-Bits of Black Tape
20 DISCORDER September, 1984
—wm-
xuAh
BRENDAN: What's that you're listening to?
TRACY: Oh, it's the new album by X Mal
Deutschland, It's called Tocsin.
B: Exzema who?
T: X Mal Deutschland.
B: What does that mean?*
T: Well if you want the strict dictionary definition, "X" means an uncalculable influence
or factor, "Mal" means bad, ill wrong and
"Deutschland" means Germany.
So that makes them the uncalculably bad influence of German.
Some people might call them that. The
album's title means a bell rung as an alarm
or signal.
Hmmm, well the singer does sound a bit like
those four-minute warning sirens.
T: True, but not as much as she did on their first
album.
B: Oh yeah, iwhat was that album like?
T: Pretty dirgy, they seemed to spend most of
their time looking back from where they had
come from rather than where they were
going.
B: Far out.
T: This album's quite an improvement.
B: This one still sounds pretty dirgy to me.
T: But you've only heard it once, listen to it a
—few times and things begin to take shape,
the songs become more distinctive and you
start to find interesting little bits and pieces.
B: Any good guitar solos?
T: No chance. There are no virtuoso performances from this group. Everything is driven
by the rhythm section, the guitar and key- |
B:
B:
JND
boards take on more of a backstage role.
That's not to say that they just add embellishment to the drums and bass, everyone
plays an important part but some parts predominate, and this is reflected in the production and gives them their obstreporous
overall sound.
B: It sounds pretty calculated.
T: Well, that's just German nature for you. At
least it's not contrived, and it's quite refreshing to find a group where the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts. But if they can
refrain from relying so heavily on their obvious influences then their third album could
be very interesting. If they don't then they are
in danger of falling into that morass where
groups translate originality as the act of stealing the ideas of others, rearranging them and
presenting them as their own.
B: Don't you get the feeling that you're hearing
a 40-minute medley of songs by every group
from Joy Division to U2?
T: Well, I don't think it's quite that blatent, but,
as I said, they undoubtedly have strong
influences.
B: And what about those vocals?
T: Well I expect her Mother and Father are very
proud of her.
B: It's not so bad when she isn't wailing her
head off, like on Xmas in Australia.
T: But that's an instrumental track anyway.
B: Oh that's why she sounds so good.
T: Maybe Neville Shute was right after all.
TRACY'S DAD: Right kids, now don't panic, but
we've got to get into the fall-out shelter, and
''quick!
T: It's okay, Dad, it's only the record player.
—Richard Putler
*5S£
RECORD
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(At Denman)
689-5027
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21 DISCORDER September, 1984
This Ain't Hollywood
An album that begins with a Garry Glitter song
may not seem too promising, but it's all part of
the Forgotten Rebels' attack on opportunism
and people's bloated sense of self-worth. This
is combined with special attention given to the
'Hollywood' and 'Rock Star' mentalities and all
their trappings. Oh, right, the attack on the 'Rock
Star' mentality, punk rock, circa 1977? Well, yes,
but unfortunately the situation that punk lashed
out against still exists, and that reality calls for
some kind of reaction.
The Forgotten Rebels have put togetner an
album of straight ahead r & r spiced with sarcastic, humourous and sometimes insightful
lyrics. This Ain't Hollywood is, to the best of my
knowledge, the second LP from this Toronto
band. "Hollywood" follows in the traditions of
caustic humour and hard edged rock and roll of
their debut LP In Love with the System, although
this LP is more focused both musically and
thematically.
With only a couple of deviations, the album
generally remains true to its theme but, in the
process, some of the parts suffer at the expense
of the concept. The songs fall into two basic
categories of lyric quality—a weak one-liner or
a fully developed song. Tell Me You Love Me (a
song that uses all the cliches but throws in the
line 'My love ain't no cliche', get it?), It Won't Be
Long and the Pomus-Shuman tune Save The
Last Dance for Me all fit the weak one-liner
category. Fortunately, these songs are disappointing only in comparison with the more fully realized songs on the album.
The album has a number of first-class tunes
that make it a success, such as the excellent
workout of the old Barry McGuire hit, Eve Of
Destruction, The Me Generation, and England
Keep Yer Stars. If for nothing else, the Rebels
should be remembered for the instant classic,
Surfin' On Heroin; a song about Frankie, the sand
and smack. The tune-works because it avoids
being a throwaway due to lyrics like, "Got my kid
brother hooked yesterday/Pimping him pays for
my habit today." Ill
The listener recalls other bands upon hearing
the Rebels but their sound and songs are unique enough to give them their own identity and
to invalidate too strident comparisons. The production of Bob Bryden suits the Rebels because
it lets their energy and edge come through,
which is so important with this type of music.
Even the lamer tracks are propelled along by the
Rebels' 'catchy' melodies and energetic playing.
Despite the weaknesses, for a Canadian band
these guys are pretty good; they deliver forceful
songs that condemn without seeming self-
righteous due to some sharp doses of humour.
The idea's not original but its adaption by the
Forgotten Rebels makes for a worthwhile result.
England, keep yer stars.
—Kevin Smith I
WHAT'S NEW?
£
MONDAY
SEPTEMBEI
1255 W. PENDER
22 DAVID SYLVIAN
Brilliant Trees
Since 1977 we have watched as David Sylvian
took the group Japan from a blues/punk/jazz
sound with a strong sense of discipline and a
feeling for untreated raw vocals, through additional synthetics, more and more discipline and
funk, less and less punk and ultimately into the
realms of a resurrected disco beat with highly
mannered vocals. All this took place ages before
anyone else was trying it, much less cashing in
on its eventual popularity. While it always remained inventive, by the time Japan's final album, Tin
Drum appeared, the group had lost its body. The
sound was almost a self-fulfilling prophecy of
clangy, clattery quasi-Oriental noise with no foundation and a preoccupation for unmelodic vocal
lines which, while weaving interesting counterpoints, were often too 'artificial to enjoy.
Sylvian's later single, Bamboo Music/Bamboo
House, featuring Riuichi Sakamoto, was an extension of this sound. It was original, but lacked
any soul. It was greenhouse music.
With the realease of Forbidden Colours (also
done with Sakamoto) Sylvian's former romanticism and seriousness of purpose resurfaced. It
was and is a surprisingly exquisite single.
Brilliant Trees, Sylvian's latest effort, follows a
natural sequence. It is, quite simply, one of the
best albums to appear this year. The list of personnel reads like a who's who of contemporary
semi-pop: Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell, Riuichi
Sakamoto, Richard Barbie ri... All these people
have made major contributions to today's music
THE NOT
What's The Reason
Once in a while a real gem of a record by some
unknown band shows up in the new records section at CITR. The Not's What's The Reason is
one of those records. The record is good; damn
good, and it's kind of nice to know relatively
unheard of bands are still popping up from time
to time replenishing the proverbial "fountain of
alluring new sounds," keeping one addicted to
the underground music scene.
This record is the debut release by this Boston
area three-piece. Production is by Boston legend
scene and yet all their efforts on this album work
so well together with Sylvian that one wonders
why nobody thought of it before. Moreover, the
music is mature. It is original, captivating, singable, but above all, it is modest. Nothing screams
for attention. Even relatively up songs like Pulling Punches or Red Guitar have a subdued,
almost cynical romantic quality which preserves
them from becoming irritating or tiresome. Cuts
like Nostalgia or Backwaters, on the other hand,
present a free-floating yet beautifully structured
ambience. It is possible to hear vestiges of the
old Japan, but they are grown-up, more natural
sounds. Sylvian has lost a lot of his vocal affectation (like maybe he's smoked a lot of strong
cigarettes) and although a faintly eastern flavour
pervades, the lid has been put on what used to
be superficially exotic effects. This is music which
is eminently listenable. Buy it and savour it.
—Larry Thiessen
DISCORDER September, 1984
Richard Parsons, who has done an exceptionally fine job, yielding a clean sound but still managing to transfix to vinyl the high level of energy
the band creates live (the band played in Vancouver in July and unquestionably rip live). The
Not's music is aggressive, melodic pop with a
high degree of intensity and emotion to it. These
guys aren't mods by a long shot, but their sound
does remind me very much of the early Jam. A
strong contributing factor to this is that lead
singer Tommy Lamont's vocals have the same
deep, powerful quality to them as the Jam's Paul
Weller.
Of the six songs on this disc by far side one
contains the strongest material. In Trouble and
Public Mutiny are especially fine tunes; melodic,
original, and high-energy. The guitar sound is
superbly clean, something a few punk bands
could use to their advantage. The tempo is quite
similar to most punk bands, but The Not's sound
here is so much cleaner it really makes the difference in listening tolerance. New Rules OK is
quite a decent song as well, but a notch below
the aforementioned two. Great, harmonized
backup vocals, though. Side two's songs are
simply not as catchy as the first side, but this may
be due to my personal penchant for intense, high-
energy music as well.
The band's members seem to be quite close
in musical ability, meshing nicely to form an
even, well-balanced sound. The members are all
young dudes, either in, or barely out of their
teens. Playing their cards right, this band could
go a long way; they definitely have the creativity if this record is any indication. If not...one can
always go back to that proverbial fountain.
—Mike Dennis
23 DISCORDER September, 1984
There's an overriding psychosis which coils
and sinews its way through this latesfforay by
Los Angeles' Gun Club. This is music which conjures up an atmosphere of pain, despair and
anguish and should come equipped with explicit
instructions warning off anyone who is apt to suffer from any avenue of depression. Through the
ten or so songs which make up this album, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and the rest of the band lead
the listener on a spiralling journey into a claustrophobic world engendered with filth, murder
and life on the seamier side of the U.S. of A.
The ear recoils from the pummeling groan of
Kid Congo Powers guitar, sounding much the
same as a Black and Decker power saw as it propels the majority of the songs through paces,
chord changes and distorted pyrotechnics, der-
221 Carrall St. 683-0080
Recycled appare 1 for
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THE GUN CLUB
The Las Vegas Story
ivative of Sixties garage band antics. Powers,
who formerly played with the Cramps, handles
all the lead guitar runs save for the occasional
solo delegated to Pierce and/or Mustang Dave
Alvin, guitarist with the Blasters and former
Slash Records label mate. The only instance
when this assault actually lets up is at the start
of side two, where a jazzy, though somewhat
distorted guitar and piano, coalesce on the instrumental, The Master Plan and then segue into My Man Is Gone Now. This latter piece is
a composition co-written by George and Ira
Gershwin. It is particularly haunting, with a texture evocative of smoke-filled back rooms.
Throughout, it is the vivid imagery of Pierce's
lyrics and the calculated drive of Kid Congo's
guitar, which redeem this record when the vocals
begin to grate on the listener's ear.
As an additional footnote to the album is the
inclusion of the lyric sheet of the dates and
locales in which each 6f the original songs were
composed. Locations range from Miami to Los
Angeles to New York to "Somewhere Over The
Pacific" and the differences in style and concept
of each of the songs becomes apparent when
a reference such as this is consulted.
With such an unabashed obsession with strangers, beasts and corruption, as personified by
the appropo cover photo of Las Vegas and album
title, I think I can even put aside the fact that for
some questionable reason the record has been
dedicated to Debbie Harry, she of Blondie
infamy.
By no means is this album great art, Rock and
Roll or anything for that matter, what it is though
is an uban overview of life in the 1980s as seen
through the twisted eye of The Gun Club.
—Ken Gillies I
CHROME
Into The Eyes of the
Zombie King
Into the Eyes of The Zombie King is the rather
lengthy title of the latest album from the veteran
sci-fi rock band Chrome. It's been a while in
coming: their last LP, Third From the Sun, came
out almost three years ago on Don't Fall Off The
Mountain Records. Now Chrome is down to one
original member, the founder Damon Edge; he's
taken off to Rennes, France, hooked up with a
few of the local musicians, and their new collaboration has just been released on the French
label Mosquito Records.
Frankly, it wasn't worth the wait. Taking into
account the earlier Chrome albums, this album
is somewhat mediocre and disappointing. Stylistically, it is easily recognizable as Damon Edge
and Chrome, but this time the feel is gone. The
very substance of Chrome's older music, the imagery that pervaded their earlier songs, is conspicuously absent on Into the Eyes of the Zombe
King. All that's left is a collection of half-assed
(some may call it "minimal") futuristic sci-fi dance
tunes.
Maybe Damon can't communicate what he
wants in the music to his new French sidemen
because he can't speak the language (it's very
hard to explain the music of Chrome anyway). |
This is unfortunate because his band, especially Remy Devilla on guitars and overlays and I
Patrick Imbert on electronic drums and rotos
show themselves off to be very capable musicians. Perhaps because of the break between
albums Damon has lost that edge in songwriting
that he once had.
Hard-core Chrome fans should still find much I
merit in this record. Damon Edge's new French
recruits duplicate the old Chrome sound very
faithfully while adding some interesting noises
of their own. Remy Devilla's huge, symphonic
guitar sound coupled with Fabienne Shine's
dreamy background vocals on 7r/p the Switch
make that song perfect for setting the mood at
your next mega-trendy party. The trouble is, all
the songs, rolling along in a groove driven by
Renaud Thorez' harmonized bass guitar,
become repetitive after a couple of minutes and
end up going nowhere. The musicians are content to play along for five minutes in the same |
way they started off the song, without much variation. And there's no consolation in the lyrics I
because the vocals are treated so heavily that
they are almost indecipherable.
Chrome's songs used to conjure up images
of landing on stange menacing planets or of
watching futuristic gangs roam the streets
beating the shit out of people as in A Clockwork
Orange. But now it seems the spark that created
these images on albums like Half Machine Lip
Moves or Blood on the Moon is missing. Is it that
the limitations of Damon Edge's style have
caught up with him? Or else maybe all that is
needed is to iron out those wrinkles that come
with the unfamiliarity of the new creative surroundings (France) and the new musicians Who
knows? Only time will tell.
—Mr. Dale
24 DISCORDER September, 1984
EPO MA
cont. from p. 13
consumerism, it also attacks the mentality that
breeds war and builds weapons. The nuclear
scientist bemoans the immorality of creating
weapons of mass murder and, in the next breath,
delights in announcing that following his lobot-
omy his work was much easier to deal with.
Television screens blare out newscasts reporting
everything form car crashes to the use of chemical warfare on Central Americans. A central
figure in the film is TV evangelist Reverend Larry,
who appears for most of the film on a television
screen—except when he tries to exorcise the
scientist's 64 Malibu and the car responds by setting his bible on fire.
I'm giving too much away.
REPO MAN is produced by Michael Nesmith
(right. He was the Monkee with the touque.), who
is well known for his video production work, particularly in rock videos. The film has been released on both Beta and VHS for home video consumption—nd is also scheduled to be shown at
the Studio Cinema (formerly the Towne), on
Granville Street, beginning September 14. The
difference between seeing REPO MAN in video
and on the theatre screen is phenomenal: on the
home box you miss so much. The movie seems
a lot funnier when you see it in a theatre. There
are a lot of visual gags in REPO MAN which you
quite honestly miss when you see it at home on
a television screen. And the impact of cetain
scenes is lost on the tube. The opening cuts are
some of the nicest editing and camera work I've
ever seen, but on the television screen it's lost.
See it at the Studio if you can.
The storyline is well offset by the music. Iggy
Pop has written a pulsing title track, and other
music throughout the film is provided by a number of bands, including Suicidal Tendencies,
Black Flag and the Circle Jerks. And yes, Vancouver band fanatics, that really is Chuck
Biscuits in a gold lame jacket in the nightclub
scene—a nightclub owned, in the film, by
Rodney Bingenheimer. There's good salsa
music pouring out of the convertibles, and one
great guitar rhythm line that runs through the
whole film. It alone expresses the twanginess of
life in L.A.
Does REPO MAN have politics? Does it present women in a realistic light? Are there lots of
cars and squealing tires? Will you like it? Yes to
all the above and more. See this movie. Buy this
record. The Studio offers a student rate—with
any student card—of $3.50, and has bargain
matinees of $2.00 on Saturday and Sunday.
REPO MAN is bound to be more important to
you than college without a degree. It's fun.
—Kandace Kerr
C »'';" Radio for the vorld.
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25 DISCORDER September, 1984
1895 VENABLES
THE VECC AND VFMF PRESENT
THE LEGENDARY POWERHOUSE OF FOLK AND BLUES
TAJ MAHAL
ONE NIGHT ONLY IN AN INTIMATE CONCERT
SETTING
"Mahal's not just a walking history book on rural blues — he's
a delight." (Los Angeles Times)
"Hear him whenever you can!" (Village Voice)
SEPTEMBER 7, 8:30 PM
TIX: $10
Reservations: 254-9578
Advance tix: Black Swan Records, Octopus
East, Folk Music Festival
The VECC presents
POISONED
is BACK
with his new pop music band, POISONED!
Infectious, upbeat, energetic — in concert at the Cultch
"... the most talented man in Vancouver rock 'n' roll."
(Vancouver Magazine)
'' Music with intelligence, passion and the guts to show it all."
(Georgia Straight)
SEPTEMBER 21 & 22, 8:30 PM
TIX: $5
Reservations: 254-9578
THE VECC AND VFMF PRESENT
FERRON
A VOICE FULL OF VISION
"So many messages and so much mirth... wrapped in
a dynamic musical package." (Boston Globe)
"FERRON is a fountain of brilliant song-writing." (Valley
Women's Voice)
With special guests, WE THREE, Seattle's uproarious, delightful acapella trio.
SEPTEMBER 25 - 29, 8:30 PM
TIX: $8 TUES-THURS/$9 FRI & SAT
Reservations: 254-9578
Advance tix: Black Swan Records, Octopus
East, Folk Music Festival
FOR RESERVATIONS & INFO:
CALL THE VECC BOX OFFICE— 254-9578
26
V,
ancouver jazz fans are always excited when top-notch musicians
come to town to play the music they love the most. But it's probably not
all that often that the musicians themselves are as excited about what's
happening on stage. The Dave Holland Quintet—Holland on bass,
Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Steve Coleman on alto
sax and clarinet, Julian Priester on trombone and Smitty Smith on
drums—came to Vancouver August 14th and 15th to play some of the
most vital, dynamic music this town has seen in a long time. The quintet
has been an ongoing project of Holland's for the past two years; he's
spent the majority of that time creating a focus and developing music
for the band. The first taste of the band's work on vinyl is Jumpin' In,
recorded last November for the ECM label. With Smith just recently
replacing SteVe Ellington on drums, the quintet has been consolidated,
and its future is sure to be bright, with a new album planned after an
upcoming English tour.
For the 36-year-old Holland, the formation of this group has been the
fulfillment of a dream. Since coming to America and the jazz forefront
with Miles Davis in 1968, Holland had recorded only one album as leader
of a group. It had always been his goal to work with a band solidly
based in the jazz tradition, creating music that is a continuity of the tradition, not an offshoot of it. He believed that he would have the musical
maturity to lead such a group when he reached his mid-30s. From all
indications, on stage and in his personal attitudes toward the music, it's
clear that his time has come.
"I think people are ready to hear
something direct..."
Dave Holland began his musical career in his native England, studying at the Guildhall School of Music. In 1968, his abilities were great
enough to impress Miles Davis, who saw the young bassist at a London
club. Miles brought him into the band that recorded some of the most
important records of the late 60s, Filles de Kilimanjaro, In a Silent Way
and Bitches Brew. Holland then moved on to form the group Circle with
three musicians whose names have become familiar to those interested
in the avant-garde side of the music: Barry Altschul, Anthony Braxton
and Chick Corea. At the time Circle disbanded Holland was 24 or 25.
He felt the need to make a statement in acoustic form, closer to the tradition than the jazz-rock fusion that proliferated in those days. Under his
own leadership he made Conference of the Birds in 1972 with Altschul,
Braxton and Sam Rivers, reworking Circle pieces and adding new compositions. But despite the impetus to work in the acoustic sphere, Holland
felt that he didn't want to form a band on a long-standing basis at that
point in his life; he needed further apprenticeship in the music and a
more firm grasp of the directions in which he would take a group of his
own.
He returned to work in the ensembles of Altschul, Braxton and Rivers
among others, forming his largest relationship with Sam Rivers. With
Sam he was able to explore all facets of jazz-playing—traditional, swing,
blues and vamp music as well as avant-garde ideas. From 1976 onwards
Dave played periodically in a solo context as well, on both bass and cello.
Out of this period came 1977's solo bass recording, Emerald Tears.
1981 was a crucial year in Holland's life; he was taken very seriously
ill and spent a long time in hospital. He was given a room where he could
play the cello and recorded the solo Life Cycle, an album that to him
marked a rebirth. He began to look seriously at the possibility of forming a quintet: by the time of his solo concert in Vancouver in late 1982,
the seeds were firmly planted.
The musicians he called upon to make up the group are all well versed in the jazz tradition and have made their mark there, bringing their
well-formed ideas into new music. Kenny Wheeler is originally from St.
Catharine's, Ontario, but moved to Britain at a young age. He had worked with Dave as far back as 1966, but has since been involved in many
diverse musical projects in England and Europe as well as recording DISCORDER September, 1984
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
under his own name for ECM. Julian Priester has been trombonist for
everybody from Bo Diddley to Sun Ra since entering the music field in
the 1950s; Dave had respected his teaching and performing ability since
working with him at Seattle's Cornish Institute. Steve Coleman is a young
New York reeds player who Holland met up with when he was playing
first alto saxophone in Sam Rivers' big band. The final key to the group
is Marvin "Smitty" Smith, the most recent entry into the band. Smith
has only appeared on record twice, on recent albums by Branford
Marsalis and Donald Harrison/Terence Blanchard, but his strong musical
concepts and maturity belie his young age (he's just 23).
"Rhythm is one of the most
communicative aspects of music..."
Holland has always been known for his well-organized, focused compositions that leave plenty of room for improvisation; his aim with his
own group is not to assign each player a predetermined role, but to allow
them to be uninhibited in their playing. He looks to Duke Ellington as
an example for his writing, someone who wrote with both structure and
freedom in mind. Ellington always wrote specifically for members of his
band, yet within the fully structured compositions each player had the
freedom to expand. Holland allows each member of his quintet abundant solo space; with such talent in the group, they are more than capable
of living up to the responsibilities that Dave's compositions give them.
Integral to such a style of playing are two concepts: rhythmic and harmonic freedom. Holland feels that "rhythm is one of the most communicative aspects of music," and one of the things the band is concentrating on is exploring the entire rhythmic vocabulary of music. Not
only does the band seek to work in different time signatures, but to find
new ways of playing in different times. You may have noticed that the
quintet has no piano; in jazz the piano is used to set down chords, and
Dave feels that the three horn/no piano lineup, as well as giving the band
a unique sound, enjoys greater harmonic freedom. Holland hasn't ru
ed out working with piano (in fact, he plans to record with one in a trio
setting), but as yet he hasn't found a player who can use voices and
rhythmic aspects in a non-constricting way, along the lines of Thelonius||
Monk, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum and Jaki Byard.
Equally important to Holland's music is the memory of Charles Mingus
to whom Jumpin' In is dedicated. Holland sees Mingus' work as a con
tinuation of the Ellington tradition, both in his unique, developed com
positions and as leader of a free-wheeling, loose ensemble. But Holland's
admiration for the man goes beyond Mingus' musical statements. To
Holland Mingus was a paradigm of creative strength, individuality and
perseverance despite opposition. His music also had a tremendous con
nection to life, so much so that it was an expression of his life, all the
way to the day he died.
Hearing the Dave Holland Quintet live you can really feel the versatility
and the respect for tradition that this band values, as well as the innova
tions that they are trying to make. The rhythmic variety is there—from
swing to free form to calypso to funk. The improvisational freedom is
there: according to Kenny Wheeler about 65% of their sets were improvised. And certainly the ability to communicate with an audience was pre
sent. Holland sums up very well just where his music stands; "I think
people are ready to hear something direct in the music, rhythmically and
melodically, popular without being contrived or commercial." The Dave
Holland Quintet is ready and willing to give people just that.
—Fiona MacKay
& Gavin Walke
m
$1.49 DAY
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27 DISCORDER September, 1984
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28 DISCORDER September, 1984
THE ROVING EAR
I n this, the initial installment of Roving Ear, we'll take a musical journey
to wonderous and exotic locations, the likes of which are rarely covered
in our humble publication.
Aaah, the benefits of expansion...
Dateline: Edmonton: Say what? Yes, the great white boredom is being thawed and gradually heated by a crop of bands the quality of which
is unprecedented in the Alberta capital.
Leading the pack in originality are Jerry Jerry and the Sons of
Rhythm Orchestra. Led by the corrosive wit of Jerry Slag, once billed
as the Merv Griffin of Soul, the Sons of Rhythm deliver an engaging
cross between the Billy Graham crusade and a drunken Dick Dale and
the Deltones. Set your dial to 102 FM to catch their CJSR (University
of Alberta) chart topper, Gospel Surfer, a rollicking instrumental sure to
loosen the most pious of bible belts.
Further evidence of musical life on the tundra can be found on the
Edmonton compilation LP It Came from Inner Space. Available for approximately a year, it shows the germination of a scene that has since
produced the excellent Jr. Gone Wild, who rocked the Railway Club last
May.
Jr. Gone Wild's brand of vocal heavy, guitar-laced power pop seemed
like a tonic to local fans that have gone without a Pointed Sticks or
Scissors for far too long now.
Welcome relief may be on the way in the form of Jr. Gone Wild's Mike
Sinatra (vocals, guitar) and Kim Upright (drums, backing vocals) who
are, at this very moment, reforming Jr. Gone Wild in preparation for a
planned move to our humble city by November (give us your tuneful,
your creative, your unemployed...) The EAR can't wait.
Edmonton also sports a fine hardcore assembly known as S.N.F.U.,
whose fab Womanizer (also a CJSR #1) can be found on the Something
to Believe In compilation from the Better Youth Organization. This is
a better than average release comprized of 8 Canadian (DOA covers
the Rude Norton classic Tits on the Beach) and 8 American bands.
South of the Border...
Seattle's up and coming club act, the Bombardiers, appears ready
to fill the void in their fair city's bar scene, created by the demise of
stalwarts like the Heats, and the highly overrated Cowboys. The EAR
doesn't often enjoy unabashed club rockers, but the Bombardiers have
an element of class that sets them apart. Their new release Search and
Enjoy is a six-song EP which highlights their best elements, like solid
drums from ex-Fastback Richard Stuvernde, but also reveals some rather
embarrassing "state of the world" lyrics in Street Walking Man and Rich
Man. Still, I'd rather be somewhat embarrassed than made violently ill
by the likes of Go Crazy from the Villains.
The Fastbacks also have a new tape ready for October-November
release. This 4-song self-produced effort is better recorded and rocks
harder than the two-year-old Five Favourites EP, but lacks the immediate
hit impact of an In America. Still, it should do very well. Watch for the
Fastbacks at the Railway Club in September.
On the Homefront... MP^
No Fun, who must, surely be the most enigmatic band in the Lower
Mainland (sorry, Enigmas) are back in earshot with a dynamite new collection of tunes they like to call Snivel. Now this is no ordinary demo.
The 35 songs come together on 2 sixty-minute cassettes in 4 distinct
programmes, each with it's own subtitle. At tlm point my favourite cuts
are the Dogs Are Smart programme (side one), which cuts with the tuneful
I'm not taking Suzy to the Be-In and provides other gems like Twisted
Brain, Direction, and the sublime Oh, to be on Heroin. These are only
a small portion of the great songs found on Snivel's four sides, all of which
are perfect or near perfect rock n roll/Listening to this tape is a real inspiration to budding basement rockers and qualifies David M. and Paul
Leahy as members of the Sub-Genius, at least.
While on the subject of demos, Art Bergmann's Poisoned continues;;
to be in ultra high demand. As you read this, the second edition should
be in stores, and in greater quantities at last. This is, of course, a must
have item, sure to become a Vancouver classic. Rarely has Roving Ear
heard so much honest emotion in any performance, let alone our own
somewhat sterile scene.
That's all the EAR this month, so until next time, Keep Listening!
Next month in Roving Ear: TEXAS, via the overland route!
WITH SPECIAL eUEST^.
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29 DISCORDER September, 1984
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Discorder
Discorder CITR-FM (Radio station : Vancouver, B.C.) Sep 1, 1984
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