Open Collections

 100
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BOMBS DfconPER
In This Issue
Asia Pacific Festival.. .9
Paris Simons glances back at the meeting of East
and West under the sun in Vanier Park
Severed Heads... 10
Larry Thiessen, axe in hand, explores the world of Tom Ellard,
musical force behind Australia's Severed Heads
Chris Houston. .,12
Beyond the Church of the Fallen Elvis with Baby Jesus. By CD
In Every Issue
Airhead...^/
Letters from home and beyond
Behind the Dial...6
A new DISCORDER feature; a look at the poop you can't pick up on the radio
Program Guide. ..14
How to listen to the radio — in three easy lessons. A month
programming at a glance.
Vinyl Verdict 17
D.O.A., Guadalcanal Diary, David Thomas, Tupelo Chain Sex
Singles... 20
Round black things with holes in them
Roving Ear.. .22
This month from New Delhi
NANCY AND i
CliKff
filWT
Editor
Chris Dafoe
Contributors
Larry Thiessen, Mike Johal, Steve Robertson,
Paris Simons, Julia Steele, David Firman,
Kevin Smith, Patrick Carroll, CD,
AI Thurgood
Photos
Greg Nixon, Lincoln Clarkes
Jim Main
Cartoons
R. Filbrant, Susan Catherine,
Chris Pearson
Production Manager
Patrick Carroll
Layout
Patrick Carroll, Randy Iwata,
Janis MacKenzie Jim Main,
Chris Dafoe
Design
Harry Hertscheg
Typesetting
Dena Corby
Cover
Chris Houston by Lincoln Clarkes
Advertising
Harry Hertscheg 228-3017
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DISCORDER
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DISCORDER, c/o CITR Radio, 6138 SUB Blvd., Vancouver, B.C, V6T 2A5. Phone (604) 228-3017.
DISCORDER, a guide to CITR, is published monthly by the Student Radio Society of UBC. CITR/m 101.9 cable 100.1 broadcasts a 49-watt signal in stereo
throughout Vancouver from Gage Towers on the UBC campus. CITR is also available via cable in Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond,
Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Maple Ridge and Mission. DISCORDER circulates 12,000 free copies. To advertise in DISCORDER or to have copies
dropped off call 228-3017. Yearly subscriptions available in Canada, $9.00, outside Canada, $12.00. Send cheque or money order payable to DISCORDER. Unsolicited
manuscripts, photographs, cartoons and graphics are welcome but they can be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. DISCORDER
does not assume responsibility for unsolicited material. DISCORDER and CITR offices are located in Room 233 of the UBC Student Union Building. For CITR
Mobile Sound bookings and general inquiries call 228-3017. The Music Request line is 228-CITR. DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
July 1985
Yes, You Can
Dear Airhead:
Hello.
Please send me a copy.
Thanks,
Fritz Konad
Bad Oldesloe
West Germany
Dear Fritz:
Hello.
OK.
Notes from the Fossil
Dear Airhead:
I am perplexed!
I picked up the June issue of
DISCORDER and find, to my chagrin, no gratuitous slags levelled at
the FOXOIDS. What are we doing
wrong?
How many alternative radio
types does it take to screw in a light
bulb? The question is immaterial
as alternative radio types spend all
their money on expensive import
records and can't afford to pay their
B.C. Hydro tab.
How   many  alternative   radio
types does it take to jam a candle
into an empty muscatel bottle. . .
Best regards
Peter Taylor
Promotion Director
Sorry, Peter, it just isn't that much
fun anymore. Do you know that it
RHSAfc
ssssss^ss.sssssssssssss^
has been over six months since you
people last threatened us with a
lawsuit? C'mon, you've got to make
it worth our while. By the way, how
many CFOX DJs does it take to do
a radio show? The answer is two-
one to push the buttons and read
the cue cards and one to fire the
other if he dares to utter something
of even rudimentary intelligence.
PS. We'll take a speed-crazed ger-
bil over a candle in a bottle any day.
No Politics Please,
We're Punks
Dear Airhead,
I spent a lot of my afternoon on
June 5 listening to CITR. For the
most part it was enjoyable; some
of the music I heard I really liked
and some of the music I could've
done without. But one incident
dissuaded me from listening any
further that day. It was during the
PARTY WITH ME PUNKER show
(normally one of CITR's better pro-
c/o CITR Radio
6138 S.U.B. Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C.
V6T2A5
grams) where a guest DJ, referring
to himself as "Knob" began to run
off his political views on Gerry Hannah and the Squamish Five. He
played the old Subhumans' song
"Death Was Too Kind" and dedicated it to Hannah and the rest of the
Five as he wished to see them rot
the rest of their despicable lives in
prison. Knob rambled on about the
various evils of the urban guerillas
and then returned to the musical
format. Whether or not CITR or the
listening public agrees with views
like these is irrelevant.
Programs like PARTY WITH ME
PUNKER are not the outlets for
anyone's own political diatribes.
Aren't there other places for that,
INSIGHT, for example? People turn
on PARTY WITH ME PUNKER,
and most other radio shows, for the
music, and that's it.
We just don't need ignoramus'
like Knob tottering on soapboxes
and telling the public between
songs how things are. It's happened on a couple of occasions on
RMBU'T 6WCK LeATHBR \JBbjeTlAs)
0LISJQ5 9&KJ OOue &eFOK£ f
CITR before. I really hope it doesn't
happen again.
Thank you.
Yours truly
Steve Richards
(a listener of CITR for more than
five years)
The opinions of the cited broadcaster are his own and are not
necessarily those of CITR. We do
feel, however, that he is entitled to
express them, provided that they
are not of a slanderous nature.
Thank you for your letter. Keep
them coming.
More on Metal
Dear Airhead,
Re: Letter from Hanna K.
(June '85)
Why should "metal" be excluded from CITR's programming?
Shouldn't these bands be given
the same opportunity for airplay as
(for example) Go Four 3 or Husker
Du?
This new wave of metal that's
sweeping the world is something
new and intense; I haven't been so
charged up about something since
I first heard Minor Threat, SS
Decontrol or Die Kreuzen three
years ago (or D.O.A. five or six
years ago for that matter). Try taking a listen to something like Voi
Vod, Exodus, Destruction or Mega-
deth before condemning it—but
maybe metal just isn't cool.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could
break past all the labels of "rocker,"
"punk," "wavo," "mod," etc. (or
"fag," "commie," "anarchist," etc.).
Just be people and listen to music
for what it is, not its label. Oh well,
you're probably just a wimp who
likes Franki and thinks Tears For
Fears really care. Heck. . .ya' probably run out of gel once a week
too. . .
Hats off to Gerald and Ron.
Eric and the A.O.T. hosers
Surrey, B.C.
I just don't know about this. I mean,
can anybody remember the last
time they heard a headbanger use
a word like "nice"?! I didn't think
so...
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WRITEMARTOONISTS'ARTISTS
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YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
INFO:    THE EDITOR/DISCORDER
6138 SUB Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C V6T 2A5 Il   J^fltJULY 15TH • COMMODORE
LP OR
CASSETTE
Fables of the
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R.E.M.
IRS.
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LP OR
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MAIN CENTRE: RECORDS & TAPES 556 Seymour St. CAR CENTRE: TAPES 2696 E. Hastings St
ELECTRONIC WAREHOUSE: RECORDS & TAPES 732 S.W. Marine Drive DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
The Shindig album should be in
record stores by the end of the
month, featuring live tracks from
Rhythm Mission, Red Herring,
NG3, Nerve Tubes, Death Sentence, and My 3 Sons. Recorded
on Commercial Electronics1 Mobile
Studio (graciously donated for the
occasion), the record was engineered and produced by Andrew
Butler of Commercial Electronics
with help from the bands and Gord
Badanic. The tapes were run
through the magical electronic
gadgetry of Little Mountain Sound
and will be sent to England for
mastering in the hands of George
Peckham (nothing but the best).
The disc should make its formal
debut at the Record Release Party
July 29-30 at the Savoy.
Thanks go to: all those previously mentioned, and Anthony Seto of
Non-Fiction Graphics, Dave Jack-
lin, Marv Newland, Zulu-Bird Records, the Savoy, all the bands, and
all of you who came out and supported Shindig over the last year.
In the exciting, high pressure
world of High Power, things are
plodding along. We won't bore you
with the bureaucratic finagling; suffice to say that things are moving.
No predictions, nor promises, but
we're hoping for the best.
The CRTC has informed us that
they are not accepting letters of
support for our application at this
time. If you wrote one, only to have
the Commission send it back, our
apologies—we jumped the gun.
Please send the letter to the station, and we will forward it to the
CRTC at the appropriate time.
And if you haven't written a letter and/or signed a petition, please,
please, please DO IT NOW. Tell us
what you like about CITR (we
adore flattery) and mention any
problems you might have receiving
the station.
All letters should be addressed
to:
CITR Radio
6138 SUB Blvd., UBC
Vancouver, B.C., V6T 2A5
ate the airwaves for 21/2 hours,
Tuesday July 30 as Gord Badanic
and Dale Wiese look back on the
West Coast underground scene
from 1976 to 1980. Remember your
first drunk, the first time you got
thrown out of a club, the first time
a 250-pound guy with a mohawk
launched himself off the stage and
landed on your girlfriend? Isn't
nostalgia fun?
^^
z
E
tl
CITR concert presentations this
month include:
•July 1 - Beverly Sisters at the
Luv-A-Fair
•July 13 - R.E.M. & Robin Hitchcock at the Commodore
•July 18 - Mutabaruka and the
High Times Players & Ini Kam-
oze at the Commodore
•July 22 - Tupelo Chain Sex & No
Fun at the Luv-A-Fair.
You are all, of course, expected
to be there.
•   ••••••
Mohawks,   surfboards,   skateboards, and loud noise will domin-
BREAKFAST SPECIAL $2.65
Open
Mon-Thurs    7 am - 10:30 pm
Friday   7 am - Midnight
Saturday    11 am - Midnight
Sunday    Noon - 8 pm
MIKE GRILL   Photo Exhibit starts July 7
820 HOWE STREET   6835122
In the Wide World of Sports,
CITR's Sphere-Poundin' Sandpigs
are enjoying unprecedented success on the Softball diamond. The
Pigs will take an 8-2 record (at
press time) into the Sea Festival
Media Softball Tournament. First
game is July 15 at Braemar Park
(27th and Laurel) against the CBC.
Can CITR take on the Mother
Corp. and win? Drop by and find
out.
1985 is International Year of the
Youth, and CITR has received funding for the production of a series
of radio documentaries on Youth
issues. The funding, from Canada
Employment and Immigration's
Challenge '85, allows us to employ
two people to produce 10 half-hour
documentaries on issues like unemployment, education, the peace
movement, music, and the media.
The show will be in the capable
hands of Jocelyn Samson and
Lynn Price, and can be heard
Thursday mornings at 10:30, starting July 5th.
Show topics for July include:
July 05: Unemployment and Youth
July 12: The Peace Movement
July 19: Entrepreneurs
July 26: Media Effects DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
inlv 29
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CLUB SODA - 1055 HOMER ST. |
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Mon
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TUPEUOC»MNSEX
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Arrive early for local music and videos
2 for 1 admission before 9:30 DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
$179.00
(limited time offer)
*>
custom
clothing ^^^affbfMIe
12-6 Thus, thru Sat. or by appointment OfitfitMtfS
STORE   NO.
875-1897
3520 Main St (at 19th)
LOOKING SHARP AT SLOPPY JOES
Sunglasses Reg. $20-$25 Special $7.50
Rhinestone Jewelry $4.95 - $19.95
50% Off Army Surplus Clothing,
Ladies Blouses, Ladies Dresses, Old House
Coats and Long French-style Coats.
Also featuring a fine selection
of Fedora, Boiler and Top Hats.
SLOPPY JOE'S
MUSEUM OF CLOTHES
ANTIQUE BOUTIQUE DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
Asia Pacific Festival
Worlds apart
brought together
JUNE 8 TO 14 VANCOUVER WAS THE
site for the first Asia Pacific Festival. As
a semi-annual celebration of the Pacific
Rim cultures, the event was a qualified
success. A gross generalization, perhaps. To be
more specific, there were several setups where
troupes from different distinct cultures played
music, acted, and danced. Already a problem:
the tents, stages, and auditoria were so unlike
the loose, shifting performance spaces many of
the artists are used to, they found a strange
distance between isolated performer and passive
outsider audience. Which is not to say that with
other arrangements we would behave like a
typical Asian crowd. "Funny, you don't look..."
But why make the separation more severe?
There must be some way without annoying the
Fire Marshall. The layout of the festival grounds,
however, scattered across the lawn at Vanier
Park, was beautifully done.
Several of the performances were of particular
interest. Saturday night I saw KALAMANDALAM,
the Indian Kathakali troupe. Kathakali is the
oldest pure form of dance drama left in the world.
Coming from the southern province of Kerala,
it has remained unchanged for centuries, with
techniques passed on from master to pupil/disciple. The entire preparation and performance
serve as a form of Hindu rite. Strict training of
actors begins in childhood and takes years. To
get ready for a single evening's play takes
six to eight hours. Costumes are elaborate, including huge jingling headdresses. The face
makeup of the lead/divine characters is incredible: parts of the face can be built up (with paste
and paper in the case of the collar-like chin); and
the final face colour given to announce the
character can be striking. The excerpt played on
Saturday featured a small episode from the
Mahabharata in which Bima, warrior/magician,
green-faced, is beseeched and agrees to help
free a village from terror and oppression by a
demon, red- and white-faced with fangs. The
high point of the evening was the ritualized battle
between the two.
The play, without words, was accompanied by
four musicians. All four played some form of percussion: a large drum played on one side with
the fingers, on the other with the open hand; a
drum played with two sticks; a hand-held gong;
a set of small cymbals. Two of the musicians
intermittently sang a narrative of the story as it
went along. It was difficult to believe such complex, exciting, and at times loud, rhythms could
be produced by four small Indian men. No amplification, no electronic rhythm boxes. The story
is not only told by the singers. Every stylized
movement of the dancers on stage conveys a
literal meaning. To raise the eyebrow and twist
the left hand just so translates directly into words.
The trained audience is being given a story they
already know well by two means on the stage.
For those of us who don't know the conventions
it was still exciting to experience something so
different. A full performance can go for many
hours, requiring incredible agility and dexterity
on the part of the actors. We were only given a
foretaste with a performance of eighty minutes.
Even the shorter length proved too much for
some in the audience. Which answered, I suppose, the question of why almost no troupe performed complete programs. Nobody here is
prepared to sit that long. Instead we get the
Reader's Digest version. It's not impatience, just
a culture travelling at a different speed. Mind you,
who of us could keep up to those drummers for
precision speed?
Tuesday afternoon there was an intriguing lecture/demonstration. Entitled "Rhythms of Asia,"
it featured the RAVI SHANKAR MUSIC CIRCLE,
the NINGXIA ART TROUPE, and the WIJA
SHADOW THEATRE'S gamelan orchestra. Intended to run only for an hour, it ran over two, which
was fine with me. Definitely our money's worth.
The quartet which made up the MUSIC CIRCLE are students, but damn good for students.
The place of the sitar, or suchlike plucked Indian
instrument, was taken by a modified electric
guitar. Tablas, a hammered dulcimer-like instrument, and a double reed traditional Indian wind
rounded out the quartet. They played a short
morning raga and a folk melody, both using improvisation on a theme. Besides introducing the
music and a very brief explanation of the time
signature, they just played. Very well.
NINGXIA ART TROUPE are a Chinese racial
minority arts showcase. Las Vegas meets village
folk theatre. In celebration of joyous comrade
peasants and joyous harvest, downriver from
joyous hydro-electric project. Sorry, but that's
what the intros were like. The musicians were
clearly skilled, but the genuine article doesn't
involve campy, cute versions of American folksongs. When playing their own pieces it sounded remarkably like a cross between Eastern European folk and a spaghetti Western soundtrack. But
played with vigour.
WIJA's gamelan orchestra began by playing,
the prelude to a long piece. In place of the central major development one of the players gave
a detailed explanation of the instruments and
their function within the whole. At each stage we
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were given musical illustrations until all the layers
were in place. The web of sound was shown to
be surprisingly simple in any of its components,
but all combined the sound is dizzying (hear it
on the latest WOMAD release). This ensemble
is used to accompany both the Balinese shadow
theatre and the various forms of dance. All these
forms of expression, including the music, hold
religious and/or mystic importance. But from what
I saw, the music was the most consistently
exciting Balinese form displayed at the Festival.
Other performers were also very good. Some
were not. Much depended on what people
wanted. As a purist of sorts, I wasn't entirely
satisfied. As a non-purist I hope some people can
integrate what they saw into what they do, music
or theatre.
Still, where and when will we be able to see
such a range of cultures performing in the neighbourhood again. (A number of shows were taped
by CITR's intrepids, so if you missed out, we may
at least help you hear what yog missed seeing.)
—Paris Simons DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
July 1985
Tom Ellard
emu iiijiiicmi
On Thursday, June 6 Australia's Severed Heads performed at the Luv-A-Fair in Vancouver.
The previous day, CITR's Larry Thiessen interviewed Tom Ellard, the main musical force
behind this band. Following are some of his impressions from the concert itself and
from the interview (which will be broadcast in its entirety during July — check the
DISCORDER Program Guide for details).
AWARENESS IS THE FIRST THING. TOM ELLARD SEEMS TO
be constantly watching everything and everybody, listening,
gauging, sampling. Information of every imaginable type is
being examined. It's not shifty-eyed or nosy—he's just very conscious of his environment. That environment isn't particularly hot-house
or elevated. Rather, it's quite ordinary—a bit like sitting in front of the
tube with a bottle of port and recording three hours of voices (which he
does). He also hears as well as listens—if it's possible to make that
distinction. The quality of a radio announcer's voice, the harmonics of
South Pacific Island chants meshing with pre-organized pitches, percussive hand movements, any number of simultaneous noises... they're
things we can all listen to but never take the trouble to preserve (which
he also does).
Preserving the sounds is probably the easiest part. Ellard's approach
to the creation of his music is far less concerned with gadgetry than the
finished product might suggest. Tapes, loops, delays, splicing, mixing,
etc. are relatively accessible operations in comparison with the use of
$40,000 Fairlights and things of that ilk, which he freely admits to shunning. He prefers to have direct control over his sounds—the hands-on
treatment as opposed to letting the hardware do the work. Early recordings use very little else beyond an eignt-track tape deck, pernaps a
keyboard, a mixer and a few cassettes. The results are imperfect and
consequently more human. He relates the ironic story of certain bands
spending wads of money to buy drum machines which can be programmed to make mistakes. My own impression of much of the sophisticated
technology available now is that its potential usefulness is largely dependent upon how long it takes to learn how to use it. Ellard goes further-
suggesting that no one nas reached the point yet where that technology
is controlled by the musician rather than the other way around.
Irreverance is there too. Ellard's perception of the music industry, his
own music and probably the world in general is tempered by his belief
that there should be no sacred cows. That's why he can laugh at radio
announcers who splice, reverse and otherwise mutilate his recordings.
It's why he can regard the whole process of trying to perfom live as
ludicrous but necesary—even desirable as a means to an end. It provides justification (should any be needed) for a form of musical piracy
utilized by anyone (even in the big-league) who works with tapes. Dreadful
B-sides of old dance singles can supply thousand-dollar drum machine
tracks. Electronic sounds from the rarified atmosphere of early classical
non-acoustic music are freely butchered and re-assembled to form
something which can appeal to a crowded dance floor. The irony is not
only inescapable, it is for him a joke that is freely shared. Ask him about
any track on any Severed Heads album and he'll recite a litany of sources
which are at once pedestrian, honest, outrageous and utterly brilliant
in their simplicity. Early releases even had manuals explaining exactly
what was done to effect the end result.
Realism is a major part of Ellard's own view of his music. He believes
that it's possible to release a single with a dance hit on one side and
"something else" on the other. He understands that while popularity and
radical innovation are almost mutally self-exclusive, it is necessary to
juggle both in order to continue creating either. It occasionally puts him
in the maddening position of being expected to justify the "pop" material
to "those-who-remember-the-good-old-days-before-the-sell-out" while trying to present less danceable material to a crowd who have likely heard
one or two songs at best and those only through a vapid, smoky, noisy,
alcoholic stupor.
If we sometimes feel a little isolated in Vancouver, think how frustrating
it must be for musicians in Australia. The sheer logistics of taking a band
from down under to the U.K. or North America involve far more effort
and money that we might ever realize. For Tom Ellard, I think the experience of going to England was a valuable one. He now seems convinced that while his own music is not becoming more mainstream per se,
there may be a place in mainstream music for Severed Heads. It would
be most gratifying, for me at least, if he is proven right—because mainstream music badly needs a new direction. This is an attitude Tom Ellard
shares. The difference now seems to be that earlier interviews I've read
convey the impression that he feels very cynical about the state of music
world-wide, whereas he now seems convinced that it might be possible
to change it.
Listening to him explain all this, I felt that what he was trying to tell
me was that anybody can do this stuff. Maybe so, Tom, but not with the
human-ness of Severed Heads. I would have paid $7.50 the next day just
to listen to him talk.
THE CONCERT
ART CAN PROBABLY BE CONSIDERED ART SO LONG AS
creative energy of some sort is expended in bringing it about.
The amount or type, or even the motive, for this creativity are
all qualitative judgements and their misuse should be avoided.
Anyway, art forms, and tastes, vary. On some occasions, art forms get
together, have a lot of fun and something great and magical happens.
I hope most people would agree, however, that magical events are less
likely to occur when art forms interfere with one another. Visual art was
in abundance. Two screens on stage, video monitors in corners, etc. One
video screen (the left) was pre-programmed; the other was manipulated
by means of a video synthesizer. I couldn't see the left one for hair and !
regrettably confess to not understanding the right. To be fair certain
obvious problems should be mentioned. Electrical currents in Austrialia
and U.K. differ from North America. Most of the equipment had to
undergo major surgery for two days before the concert. There were also
several other artistic intrusions which I feel compelled to mention.
Dear Person-With-The-Platform-Hair:
I really appreciated, the effort, time and money which went into
creating your look for June 6. Art, as I said, takes many forms and
I truly thought you looked great. It was, however, Severed Heads' gig-
not yours—and in purely practical terms, I feel that standing at the
very front of the stage with the rest of the Joi-Gel Jungle represented
for lots of us an unneeded distraction. Please don't do it again No
that's wrong. By all means do it again-keeping in mind that any art
should be be appreciated on its own terms—not at the expense of
others. Yours truly...
Dear Fashionable-Group-Who-Waited-Until-The-Concert-Started-And-
Then-Rudely-Shoved-And-Elbowed-Their-Way-To-The-Front:
Couldn't this disgusting activity be relegated to the back-burner of
de rigeur deportment along with slam-dancing, black garb and
camouflage gear? I find myself wondering in these difficult economic
times why so many people would pay good money simply to make
their petty statements of fasion, act rude at a venue which was
uncrowded enough to make it unnecessary and generally become
nuisances for the minority who were genuinely interested in what was
going on. Yours truly...
While their approach to the concert was decidedly utilitarian, this
should not have come as the surprise it seemed. Tapes, after all, are tapes
You cannot record, splice, delay, reverse and otherwise alter what are
primarily physical sounds on stage. Tom Ellard works directly with his
sounds, without what he would no doubt regard as the interference of
Fairlights and other technology which is still too expensive. When a show
like his is presented, tapes represent everything that cannot be realistically handled by the performers on stage. Tom Ellard made a brave
effort. He knows how to use his voice and worked whatever equipment
he was using with admirable facility. The same "awareness" he exhibited
the previous day was in evidence. He gauged the initial mood of the
audience (burnt out by the time I got there) and watched it closely the
whole time. Only occasionally did his frustration show through.
Dear Person-With-The-Microphone-At-The-End-Of-The-Concert:
Tom Ellard freely admits to snatching musical ideas from everywhere
and manipulating them to his own ends. Everywhere includes old
Human League drum tracks (you might have had a more stimulating
time at home listening to them) and bits of Karlheinz Stockhausen.
Strident cries of song-theft at the end of the concert are therefore not
only strikingly tasteless, but go further than anything imaginable in
broadcasting to everyone the fact that the human capacity for ignorance
is limitless. Yours truly...
Perhaps the most telling point of the whole evening for me was the
reaction of the people I accompanied. Many of them knew very little
Severed Heads material and they enjoyed the music immensely. As far
as the music itself went, I probably represent a small minority who had
a really good time. The high-minded who felt let down for want of something less "boppy" might do well to remember the venue—Luv-A-Fair—not
La Galeria Esoterica.
Others would have done well to recall that it was Severed Heads
playing—not the Ike & Tina Turner Revue (if the analogy is dated, so's
the musical attitude). Music aside, I think it is necessary for both Severed
Heads and the audience (in Vancouver, at least) to do a few things. Raising the video screens, adding a few personnel on stage for the sake of
being able to do more on stage and generally catering to the not entirely unreasonable public demand for dumb, schlocky but slick public
appearances might help the Severed Heads. My suggestions for audiences at this point involve the use of nuclear weapons. Behaviour is a
science—not an art form.
Nettwerk and Odyssey (and promoters in general) should be encouraged to take chances. No one else does. We all learned from the
experience.
—Larry Thiessen DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
Beyond
religion
Baby Jesus speaks
"...An' when you have trouble in your life," he says in an accent
that comes from somewhere between Tupelo and Mississauga,
"when you have trouble in your life, I want you to look to
our savior. And eat a cheeseburger everyday! I want you to
look to the man who owned the first home video recorder!
A nd what did he use it for, I hear ya askin' brothers and sisters?
What did he use it for? To film teenage girls wearing only white
panties wrestling... Lemme hear ya say Yeah! And I want you
to get your welfare drug card... Don't take illegal drugs... You
can all have your own Doctor Nick! Yay brothers and sisters..."
THE SPEAKER IN CASE YOU WERE
wondering, is not Jimmy Swaggart,
Jerry Lee Lewis' Bible-thwacking and
brimstone-raking cousin. Not Ernest
Angley, not Oral Roberts. No, the speaker is
Christopher 'Baby Jesus' Houston, former
Forgotten Rebel, late of the Dave Howard Singers, currently the combined minister, choir, and
collection plate-bearer for the Church of the
Fallen Elvis.
Every Monday night for the last six months
Houston held the stage of the Beverly Tavern in
Toronto with the Church. Now, he's taken the
show on the road, visiting Vancouver to play with
his band (who double as the Rock Angels) and
to spread the gospel.
"Actually, I'm -trying to put the Elvis thing
behind me. It's probably not a good idea to base
your career on someone else like that," says
Houston, suddenly serious. When he takes off
his sunglasses he looks more like Howdy Doody
than the Big Guy.
Still, the Church of the Fallen Elvis goes over
well, and Houston patiently goes into the schtick
when requested.
Chris Houston was born 23 years ago in Toronto, and grew up in Hogtown, Hamilton, and Windsor. Introduced to rock and roll by that great one-
eyed beast ("There was this really awful show
called 'Lickin' Stick', after I saw that I had to get
a guitar"), he toiled on the fringes until punk hit
in 1977.
"I used to hang around guitar stores, and fix
guitars, 'cause I never thought I was talented
enough to play," he says. "Then in about '77 I
got into a couple of punk bands, Middle Class,
and then Rich and Bored." These led to Houston
joining the Forgotten Rebels, and appearing on
>>'; *v t^
In Love with the System LP, to which he contributed "Elvis is Dead," "Rich and Bored" and
the classic teen/junk anthem "Surfin' on Heroin."
After splitting with that band for what he
describes as personality differences, Houston
formed a rockabilly band, the One-Eyed Jacks,
that played around Toronto for a couple of years.
The disolution of that band left Houston on his
own.
After a stint playing solo four-string bass ("it
would empty full rooms over the course of a
night"), solo six-string bass ("that worked a little better"), and a stint accompanying Dave
Howard and the Dave Howard Singers, Houston
put together his current band which, in addition
to the members of the Rock Angels, features the
talents of trumpeter Herby Spanier and guitarist
Jack DeKaiser.
And the Church of the Fallen Elvis?
"That started about three years ago, when a
couple of friends and I used to sit around this
studio space called the Ministry of Love and
smoke hash. One of the guys started collecting
all this weird Elvis stuff—Elvis garbage cans,
Elvis bowling ball covers... And then one day he
brought in Albert Goldman's biography of Elvis.
I was amazed. There were about three things on
every page that made you say 'Oh my God.' It's
a three-hundred page book, so that's about nine-
hundred 'Oh my Gods', probably a thousand if
you average it out."
Shortly thereafter, there was an Elvis Festival,
with "psychedelic bands who couldn't play Elvis
if their lives depended on it" covering the songs
of Tupelo's favourite son. This led to the tradition of Elvis Mondays at the Beverly in Toronto.
Houston took over the show from the previous
occupants, Groovy Religion, six months ago to
preach the gospel of the Church of the Fallen
EJvis.
He explains the Church as a result of a fascin- DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
ation with "the absolute best and the absolute
worst. So often the really awful things have a lot
in common with the really great things—Elvis
was like that. He was a great singer and yet he
developed all these revolting habits. He managed
to pack both extremes into the same life."
While Houston continues to do his Church of
the Fallen Elvis as part of his live show, he obviously prefers to talk about the other aspects
of his new band.
"Herby Spanier is an amazing guy. He's played
with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Liberace,
and he's wilder than all of us put together. And
"I'd like to still be able to
make interesting music when
Fm 50, without being some
doddering old fart playing
nostalgia concerts!'
he's 57," says Houston. "He played with Paul Bley
when he was starting out the free jazz thing. And
Jack (DeKaiser) has played with John Hammond,
and Otis Rush. Working with Herby and Jack has
given me an understanding of the tradition of
music, of doing it for a life."
The sense of tradition has made itself apparent
in Houston's music, an often uneasy marriage
of rockabilly, rock rhythms, free jazz improvisation and punk vitriol. It's a sometimes messy attempt to turn fusion on its head and give it a good
kick in the face. When the various styles of music
meld, the sound has a power and edge to it that
is both chilling and invigorating. When they don't
it's time to wince.
Houston's willing to give it time to gel. He's
moved away from the anyone-can-play attitude
of his punk roots and now sees music as a career.
"I'm operating on a ten-year plan, and I guess
I always will be. I'd still like to be able to make
interesting music when I'm 50, without being
some doddering old fart playing nostalgia concerts. The world's full of musicians waiting for
that one break after twenty or thirty years. But
the point is that they are still doing it, still making interesting music."
The skeptical among you might point out that
Houston is still young, and that it's not too late
to find a nice secure position in insurance sales
or plastics. He has, however, armed himself well
for the long haul. He has a realistic view of life
as a musician ("You've got to treat it like any job,
you've got to work at it twelve hours a day. And
that means taking care of the business end as
well as creating"), he has a healthy cynicsm
about the music industry ("There are a lot of
human pigs in the business. Most of them don't
know anything beyond moving units"), and
seems intelligent and perisistent enough to keep
at it. While no virtuoso, he's a competent musician and, as is demonstrated by his band, he has
the ability to bring together other talented people.
Chris Houston and his band are set to appear
at the Savoy some time in August. Houston
hopes to have Spanier and DeKaiser, who could
not make the trip this time, along with him. And,
of course, The Church of the Fallen Elvis will be
there, at least for the time being.
Could be interesting.
Say Yeah Brothers and Sisters!
—CD DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
R    R    O    G    R    /K    M
WEEKDAY PROGRAMMING
REGULAR WEEKDAY FEATURES
7:30 am    Sign-On
8:00 am    Wake Up Report
News, sports, and weather
10:00 am Breakfast Report
News, sports and weather followed
by Generic Review and Insight
1:00 pm    Lunch Report
News, sports and weather
4:30 pm    Afternoon Sportsbreak
6:00 pm    Dinner Magazine -
Dinner Report
News, Sports and weather followed
by Generic Review, Insight, and a
Daily Feature.
4:00 am    Sign-Off
WEEKDAY HIGHLIGHTS
Mondays
Monday Morning Magazine
7:30-10:30 am
Esi Zamis and production assistant Patrice
Leslie bring you a weekly dose of rush hour
culture.
The Jazz Show
9:00 pm-1.00 am
Vancouver's longest-running prime-time jazz
program, featuring all the classic players, the
occasional interview, and local music news.
Hosted by the ever-suave Gavin Walker. Listen
for 11:00 features.
01 July Sonny Rollins in Sweden.
08 July        Cecil Taylor..."Conquistador:'
15 July        The Benny Coodman Carnegie
Hall Jazz Concert (Jan. 16, 1938).
22 July        Charles Mingus.
29 July        John Coltrane. A Love Supreme.
Tuesdays
Morning Magazine
10:00-11:00 am
Diane Brownstein gives you an hour of Public
Affairs programming to drink coffee by.
Power Chord
5:00-6:00 pm
Vancouver's only true metal show, featuring
the underground alternative to mainstream
metal: local demo tapes, imports and other
rarities, plus album give-aways.
Play Loud
Late night 1:00 am-4 am
Where no distinction is made between art
and garbage. Headphone listening is strongly
recommended. Aural surgeon: Larry Thiessen.
02 July Music and conversation with Tom
Ellard of Australia's Severed Heads.
09 July An examination of what the various
members of Wire have done
independently.
16 July Richard H. Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire.
23 July At least three seconds of anything
and everything you've danced to in
the last 5 years. It will never be the
same!
30 July The morbid, outrageous and. often
irredeemably difficult work of Psychic
TV.
Wednesdays
Morning Magazine
10:00-10:30 am (alternate weeks)
A hard-hitting, special show that includes
news, sports, and features by "Franco" Janusz.
Party With Me, Punker!
4:35-6:00 pm
85 glorious minutes of exclusive punk and
hardcore music, tasty tidbits of info, and nifty
live cuts with the irrepressible Mike Dennis.
03 July Surprise guest host
10 July The Replacements live
17 July Eastern Canadian bands
24 July Dead Kennedys live
31 July Vancouver Hardcore live Part I:
House of Commons, Bill of Rights,
D.O.A. and more.
Just Like Women
6:20-7:30 pm
Anne Pollock hosts this magazine show on
women's issues of all kinds.
The Knight After
Late night 1:00-4:00 am
Music to clobber Yuppies by. This show will
really mess up your hair!
Thursdays
Rude Awakening
7:30-10:30 am
Dance, surf, or just plain rock yourself out of
bed with all kinds of loud music and brutal
mixes. With host Janis McKenzie.
Over the Wall with Nob
3:00-6:00 pm (alternating Thursdays and
Fridays)
All sorts of guitar junk. No whiffs of arty
pretension here. Odd interviews, strange
guests, scatter-brained editorials and
diatribes.
Top of the Bops
8:00-9:00 pm
Top of the Bops approaches rock'n'roll from
the broader perspective of its roots in country, country swing and rockabilly as well as
R&B, jump blues and doo wop.
Mel Brewer Presents
11:00 pm-midnight
Jason Grant joins everyone's favourite station
member to give you the latest on the local
scene.
Fridays
Youth Focus
10:30-11:00 am
A brand new magazine show starting July 5th
Over the Wall Show - Part I
11:00-1:00 pm
With your host Brian Maitland, featurig a
cross section of the latest from the L.A.
psychedelic scene to the hottest polka tunes.
Music to do your housework by.
Over the Wall with Nob
3:00-6:00 pm (alternating Thursdays and
Fridays)
See Thursday listing.
Friday Night Fetish
6:20-9:00 pm (alternate weeks)
Life after Life After Bed, with host Garnet
and friends, maybe even Phone Fun. Don't
miss it for anything!
The Big Show
9:00 pm-midnight
Why pay money to get into a nightclub on a
Friday night? If Big Al and Big Mick can't get
you dancing, no one can.
The Visiting Penguin Show
1:00 am-4:00 am (late night)
Now every week, hosted by Steve Gibson
and Andreas Kitsmann.
05 July Music with women in the leading
role
12 July Interview with Burning Giraffes
(formerly Esprit d'cor)
19 July Ethnic and New World Music
26 July Interview with Twenty-four-gone.
ti DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
U I D
WEEKEND PROGRAMMING
REGULAR WEEKEND FEATURES
7:30 am    Sign-On (Saturdays)
8:00 am    Sign-On (Sundays)
Noon        Brunch Report
News, sports and weather
6:00 pm    Saturday/Sunday Magazine
News, sports and weather plus
Generic Review, analysis of current affairs and special features.
4:00 am    Sign-Off
WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS
Saturdays
The Altered Alternative Show
7:30-10:30 am
Jennifer and Todd bring you Grated interviews with local luminaries, man-in-the-street
opinions and lots of requests.
The Folk Show
10:30 am-noon
Everything from traditional to the most
contemporary folk music.
Playlist Show
Noon-4:00 pm
CITR's music directors bring you a taste of
the newest and hottest releases from around
the city, the country, and the world. Listen
for new arrivals at the station as well as the
countdown of CITR's top 40 demos, singles,
EPs and LPs.
The African Show
4:00-6:00 pm
A program featuring African music and
culture with hosts Todd Langmuir, Patrick
Onukwulu and Dido. Tune in for the latest
news from Africa, plus special features at
5:00 pm
Propaganda!
6:30-9:30 pm
An eclectic mix of interviews, reviews, music,
humour, Today in History, High Profile, and
other features with Mike Johal.
Pajama Party
9:30 pm-1:00 am
Your hosts Mike Mines and Robin Razzell
present everything from ambient music for
snoozing to upbeat tunes for popcorn and
pillow fights. At 11 pm-CITR's #1 Playlist
Album.
Tunes 'R'Us/Music From the Tarpits
Late night 1:00-4:00 am
Lots of music, a little chit-chat and loads of
fun. Listen for Handyman Bob, Groove Jum-
pin, and the first Saturday of every month,
Music From the Tarpits—aural dinosaurs
courtesy of the Knight After, Random
Cacophony, and Tunes 'R' Us.
Sundays
Music of Our Time
8:00 am-noon
20th Century music in the classical tradition
in all styles, media, and nationalities, with
hosts Lynn Price and Bill Hobden.
07 July Karlheinz Stockhausen-pioneer of
Electric music
14 July Russian and Soviet Composers
21 July Student composers of UBC out of
the academe onto the radio
28 July Krzysztof Penderecki—Polish Composer exploring new timbres
Rockers Show
Moon 3:00 pm
The best in reggae with host George Family
Man Barrett, Jerry the Special Selector, the
Major Operator and Collin the Prentice.
07 July        Rocksteady Stylee
14 July        Sugar Minott Experience
21 July Prince Far-I and various artists
28 July        Bunny Wailer solo
Soul Galore
3:00-4:30 pm
Focusing on Black-American popular music of
this century, this program takes you from the
birth of the blues through doo-wop, soul and
funk, from Massachusetts to California and
everywhere in between.
07 July\       Sounds from Philadelphia
14 July        The "Little" People
21 July Memphis Part II—The Stax Sound
28 July        The Finest of the 1970s
The Shaded Grey Area
4:30-6:00 pm
Simply devoted to providing standard CITR
fare (if such a thing exists) on a day otherwise devoted to specialty programming. Tyler
Cutforth rotates the grooves and/or magnetic
bits and takes requests.
Neither Here Nor There
6:30-8:00 pm
Relevance? What relevance? Music, interviews,
comedy, and readings of prose and poetry
with hosts Chris Dafoe and Paris Simons.
This month's readings include:
07 July Elizabeth Smart
14 July        Wayne Holder
21 July        Michael Ondaatje
28 July David Watmough
Sunday Night Live
8:00-9:00 pm
Jacques presents your favourite vinyl heroes
captured on tape in their truest element—the
live performance.
Fast Forward
9:00 pm-1:00 am
This month's programming on Fast Forward
will be somewhat less rigid in the wake of
the Security project. Future listener participation theme shows will be announced. Thanks
to all who took part with special thanks to
Greg Nixon, Chris and Cosey, Tom Ellard, and
the people at Brave New Waves. Success!
Of special note will be the radio premier of
Paul Dolden's epic new electro acoustic
piece, "Veils." It will be half an hour of pure
textural transformation! This will be on the
July 21st edition of Fast Forward at 10 pm.
Also, for you regular listeners, listen for the
Fine Tendons series of tape/poetry works by
Clemens Rettich as well as new music from
the members of Hextremities. July will also
be a month of many, amny radio premiers of
work from abroad and outstanding local stuff
as well.
The Early Music Show
Late night 1:00-4:00 am
Join host Ken Jackson for music from the
Renaissance and Baroque periods, presented
at an appropriately early hour.
01 July        "A Feather on the Breath of
God—Hymns and sequences by
the Abbess Hildegard of Bingham
(12th Century)
08 July        W.A. Mozart "Requiem-
Reconstructed version by the
Academy of Ancient Music
15 July        The music of Guillame De
Mauchat
22 July        Monteverdi's "Vespers"
29 July        J.S. Bach-Leipzig Chorales" Pt. I
—and lots more..
SPECIAL FEATURES
High Profiles
Every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 pm.
Here are this months High Profiles for...
Tuesdays
02 July        The Moberleys
09 July        R.E.M.
23 July        The Bobby Fuller Four
30 July        Vancouver-L.A. 1976-1980
A special 2'i hour show
(6:30-9:00 pm) on the West Coast
underground scene, taking a comprehensive look at the first five
years of Pacific Punk.
Fridays
05 July        Fat Men
12 July        Women Who Think They're Sexy
19 July        Songs to Cycle to
26 July        Grab Bag
Final Vinyl
Most nights at 11:00 pm
Hear an album played in its entirety.
Saturdays    CITR's *1 Playlist album. DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
3^
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Vinyl
Verdict
DOA
Let's Wreck the Party
Alternative Tenticles (USA)
AFTER LISTENING TO THIS RECORD I
have come to the conclusion that DOA is like
Coca-Cola. The people who like DOA, myself included, do so because of what they are (or were),
a marvelously loud, trashy, combination of
sound, fury, and political conviction. Unfortunately we, like Coke drinkers, are now saddled with
something none of us asked for. (They got a lousy
Pepsi copy, we got what sounds dangerously like
a lame heavy metal band.) Why has this happened? It appears that DOA, like the Coca-Cola Co.,
are trying to "crossover" to greener pastures,
"crossover" being the process whereby a musical act, which had been relegated to one of the
sub-categories of popular music (i.e. Croation
Electro-Funk) attempts to enter the wide world
of the Top 40, thereby gaining fame, fortune (and
riches?) and living happily ever after, secure in
the knowledge that the labels which once applied
no longer fit.
DOA, until now relegated to the "punk rock"
sub-category, have attempted to do this by hiring one Brian "Too Loud" MacLeod (one hopes
he didn't choose the nickname himself) to produce their latest release. Mr. MacLeod, a former
figure skater, member of Chilliwack, present
leader of the (are-they-or-aren't-they-together-
anymore) hard-rockin', head-bangin', ass-kickin'
Headpins (loved by Trans-Am owners across
North America), has done his job quite admirably. He's taken the patented DOA musical
assault of guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and
politically correct thoughts and made it squeaky
clean.
As a result one can now pick out previously
overwhelmed musical subtleties, adding a new
dimension to the DOA sound. You can now tell
what they're singing about.,
Previously one had to try and decipher the
chorus, look at the title of the song, and try to
extrapolate from that what the song was about.
Now we're confronted with the wit, wisdom, and
humour of DOA in all its DOLBYed, well-mixed
glory (and if that isn't enough, they've enclosed
a lyric sheet). Unfortunately on this record the
wit Jsn't very witty, the wisdom is doubtful, and
the humour is almost non-existent (with the
exception being a cover of "Singing in the Rain"
that Gene Kelly wouldn't recognize if it was force-
fed to him through his nose). Which brings us
to why this record just doesn't make it.
It's not necessarily because DOA is trying to
reach a wider audience, nor is it because DOA
cleaned up sounds like a heavy metal band sans
the moronic outlook on life—it's because they're
taking themselves so damned seriously.
Interviews with the band have shown Joey,
Dave, Wimpy, and Dimwit to be possessors of
good-humouredly anti-establishment minds.
Here, however, the band seems to have decided
to address all the world's problems with a serious-minded tenacity which makes itself boringly
evident by a simple glance at the song titles (i.e.
"No Way Out," "Shout Out," "Our World," etc.).
Taken as a whole, the album seems to be an attempt to tackle all of society's evils on one 12-inch
disk. Be it racism ("Race Riot"), the dangers of
religious extremism ("Dance of Death") or the
trampled rights of minorities ("The Warrior Ain't
No More"), this album aspires to address it. It's
not, therefore, too surprising that without a solid
dose of humour to leaven it (the aforementioned
Hollywood classic aside) this album almost sinks
under its good intentions.
Taken individually some of these songs are
quite good. The all-out, speed-crazed "Race
Riot" is a reminder of past glories and "Dance
of Death" shows the band trying to experiment
with their song style. However, as a package this
record isn't helped by songs like the extraordinarily lame "Dangerman" (which sounds much
better on 45 RPM), "Shout Out," with its embarrassing back-up vocals, or the dangerously token
"The Warrior Ain't No More."
So why is this record like this? The idea behind
it may carry some of the blame—who does the
band expect to "crossover" to? With their all-out
balls-to-the-wall brain-damaging sonic-assault
style of playing they certainly aren't going to appeal to the average Top 40 listener in search of
Hall & Oats, Duran Duran, Prince, Wham! or any
of their musical clones. So who's left? The head-
bangers in Lynn Valley? I'm really not sure what's
happened—they've run their songs through Mr.
MacLeod's musical car wash (cleaned and polished outside, a light vacuuming inside) and
emerged an uninspiringly serious drag.
—Pat Carroll
Guadalcanal Diary
Walking in the Shadow
of the Big Man
Db Records (US)
AMONG CERTAIN CIRCLES OF PEOPLE
it is currently vogue to exhibit abhorrence
towards the United States. Viewing it as a nation made up of red-necked, war-mongering
facists led by a rapidly deteriorating Altzhiemers'
victim, who has one finger curled around the trigger of world destruction, and who makes Darth
Vader look like Mother Theresa.
I, however, do not circulate among these people, nor do I subscribe to their views. Because
I like America, I think it's great. Any nation that
could produce the tallboy six-pack, the cheeseburger, the fin-tailed Cadillac, the 7-Eleven (more
than an institution, a way of life according to
Black Flag's Henry Rollins) and Miami Vice, is
all right in my books. Another thing I like about
America is that it has the ability to continually
re-examine itself, a procedure similar to orangutans picking at each other's fur for mites. This
self-scrutiny has let the Me generation to decide
to become nuclear familied yuppies, and has
also convinced the American public, with a little help from Chuck Norris and Sly Stallone, that
the U.S. may have actually won the Vietnam war.
Of a more beneficial nature, this self-scrutiny has
led America to go back to the basics musically.
Doffing the synthesizers, gelled hair, and 'weirder
than yours are' clothes, and exchanging them
for faded Levis, broken-in Keds, and the stock
acoustic guitar, bass and drum kit setup.
What I am referring to, is Arrferica's new music DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
July 1985
Renaissance, which features such bands as: The
Blasters, Jason and the Scorchers, Los Lobos,
Violent Femmes, and R.E.M. to name but a few.
Entering on to this new musical scene are
Athens, Georgia newcomers Guadalcanal Diary,
whose first LP Walking in the Shadow of the Big
Man, is receiving substantial publicity. And is this
attention deserved? Does Jack Daniels make
bourbon? This album is so hot you could barbecue T-bones on it. Well, maybe not. But lead
singer/guitarist Muarry Attaway and his quartet
produce such powerful big sound guitar and
vocals, that some cuts, like "Trail of Fears" and
"Watusi Rodeo," should be registered with the
FBI. Also meritorious is the instrumental "Gilbert
Takes the Wheel," and the countryish "Ghost on
the Road."
But all these cuts pale in comparison to
Guadalcanal Diary's version of the old folk tune
"Kumbayah." These boys inject so much power,
purpose and meaning into this song, that it
should make even the trendiest wavers desire to
trade in their spikey shoes for a pair of well-worn
Tony Lamas. Guadalcanal Diary takes "Kumbayah" and transforms it from a song suited for Cub
Scouts sitting around a campfire, to one tailor-
made for grizzled, chain-smoking marines preparing to assault Pork Chop Hill.
I like "Kumbayah," Guadalcanal Diary, and I
like Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man. I like
it a lot. And if Athens, Georgia continues to produce bands like R.E.M. and Guadalcanal Diary,
then it is destined to be held in the same regard
by historians in the future as its namesake in
Greece is now.
—Jerome Broadway
David Thomas
More Places Forever
Rough Trade
AS FRONTMAN FOR PERE UBU, ONE OF
the more important bands to come out of
Middle America in the 1970s, David Thomas may
have seemed more dominant a force than he truly was; a man of unavoidable stature, poetic-
humourous lyrics and a unique voice, he tended
to be the focus of any project blessed by his
presence. With the departure (and death) of co-
founder Peter Laughner, and then, gradually,
most of the other early band members, Thomas
became Pere Ubu. Ubu's albums evolved into
music that was more declaratively 'art-rock' and
less racous than earlier, industrial-influenced
releases, and whose themes tended to focus
upon the seemingly mundane elements of everyday life and nature, with animals and the sea being common subjects.
That Thomas has left behind the chaotic, industrial sounds of early Pere Ubu is evidenced
by this third solo LP, More Places Forever. The
album continues in the vein of the later Ubu LPs
and the vocalist's first two solo ventures, but also
offers something new. Thomas has utilized a progression of quality musicians on his solo albums,
and once again, on this new release, musical
backing is provided by some first-class talent.
Chris Cutler (Henry Cow, Art Bears) returns on
drums, and former Ubu mate Tony Maimone
(now in Home and Garden) supplies adept bass
playing and piano. The emergent delight of the
album, however, is Lindsay Cooper, who plays
piano and organ, as well as an assortment of
horns. Cooper manages to make any instrument
she plays, even basoon or oboe, an integral part
of the music. Her horn playing is exquisite
throughout, ranging from funny little snippets to
slow moody pieces. Thomas is the definite leader
on this album, but Cooper and the others are not
mere backing musicians, a key factor in the
album's success.
The songs of More Places Forever are a testament to the humour and poetic sensibilities of
David Thomas. "Through The Magnifying Glass"
illustrates the nature of his music. A funny, seemingly simple song dealing with the old ant and
grasshopper fable, "Magnifying Glass" encourages the listener to investigate with hints that the
song is more than the subject matter would suggest. "Song of the Bailing Man" documents
Harry's attempt to bail out the ocean.
/ cannot bail out the ocean.
I cannot empty the sea.
This work only lends itself to airs of nobility.
At first very determined, Harry comes to realize
the impossibility of his task. Is this a tale about
the futility of life, or is it somehow linked to DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
Thomas's religious beliefs as a Johovah's Witness? Musically and lyrically, each track on More
Places Forever intrigues and challenges the
listener.
Despite the contributions of Cutler, Miamone
and Cooper, the heart and soul of this LP is David
Thomas. The big man continues to produce
humourous, unpretentious, and decidedly different music, which makes More Places Forever
a very worthwhile album.
—Kevin Smith
Tupelo Chain Sex
TUPELO
TUpelo Chain Sex
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING. I MEAN I'VE
heard of crossing social and musical boundaries, but there has to be a limit somewhere.
After all, punks are punkers, country boys wear
pointed shoes and the hippies are all dead.
Someone must have moved a couple of freeway
signs in L.A. because somehow they managed
to get a bunch of the above out of their local
clique hangouts and into the studio—together.
Yeh, there they all are: Limey Dave—expatriate British punk, Tupelo Joe—country boy complete with accordion and mandolin, Willie Dred
—looks like he's playing hookie from junior high
to beat the skins. And then there's Stumuk whose
waistline stretches from the summer of acid to
the winter of Star Wars, and Sugarcane Harris,
older than Stumuk and blacker than all of them.
And Kevin Eleven with a Slurpee balanced neatly
on his bass. I've heard of the melting pot but
there is a difference between cultural cross-
pollination and what happens when a 50-mega-
ton bomb goes off in a crowded hot tub.
The lyrics are free form and bitterly satiric.
They're about the people of America; doctors,
gamblers, drug pushers, Ronnie Rayguns. And
they're whispered, spoken and screamed in pure
punk poetic style. But the music is set up in
almost absolute counterpoint. Tight and restrained. And ranging through a broad musical spectrum. Surfers will perk up at the first chords of
"Doctor Nightcall," rock and rollers will bop at
"The Dream" and Husker Du fans will retrieve
their eyeballs from the backs of their skulls when
they hear the rewrite of Leonard Bernstein's
classic from West Side Story, "America." Hell,
there's even something for the kids called
"Champion the Wonder Horse."
And all the time against the sweet sounds of
the violin and saxophone, and allied with the
steady complex rhythms of the mandolin, guitars
and drums, there is that grating voice and grinding lyrics.
I like it, I like it all. Some bands cross musical
boundaries only in interviews. These guys have
done it on vinyl. Musical variety and lyrical substance, vamp and social conscience. But only
in California you say...
—David Firman
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July 1985
YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS - Doin' That One
I should mention that this song is actually the
flip side of their new single. Side A has a re-done
version of the Young Fresh Fellow theme song.
To be blunt, this is a great single. Tell your friends,
request it on the radio and buy it before the scant
one-thousand hand-coloured copies are sold.
The sound is rough, raw and ragged as only a
band of the psychedelic garage genre can produce. Besides being a wonderful song, the
Young Fresh Fellows have taken it upon themselves to include at the beginning and the end
of "Doin' That One" sound splices of my all-time
favourite TV show: Superman. So you get a great
song and TV dialogue for the price of a single.
I say that it's an opportunity not to be missed.
TALKING HEADS - Give Me Back My Name
Rather a depressing song for the Talking
Heads, but still a great song. In fact I really like
this single. It's full of interesting hooks unmistakable of the Talking Heads and wonderful lyrics.
"There's a word for it
Words don't mean a thing
there's a name for it
names make all the difference in the world
some things can never be spoken
some things cannot be pronounced
that word does not exist in any language
it will never be uttered by a human mouth"
Then they go on to sing about how something
has been changed in their lives and how it must
be returned. Pretty sad stuff; but, never pessimistic. The Talking Heads always come up with
surprises which are never disappointing.
THE DAMNED - Edward The Bear
I feel that either I'm missing something or else
the title of this song has absolutely nothing to
do with anything. It's a good single of the sixties' genre and probably will go over well in the
clubs. Old Damned fans may find it a bit hard
to swallow; it's pretty slick to say the least. In fact
after hearing this song a few times, the word
'clean' came to mind. Squeeky clean no less.
Rather surprising from a band with such a dirty
(?) past.
GOLDEN PALOMINOS - Omaha
Like the colour—wimpy.
PORTION CONTROL - The Great Divide
The deep gutteral yelps of what sounds like
a dog in heat, coupled with a funky electronic
disco beat at a club where the bass is turned
"Wwwaay Up", should get the hair-spray/leather
set on the dance floor. This song is about five
minutes too long. I would file it away under the
heading "Once hip, died a painful death."
SHRIEKBACK - Nemesis
Gothic Disco best describes Shriekback's
latest release. The video is sure to be a visual
extravaganza. What with lyrics like:
"No one move a muscle as the dead come
home"
or
"Greeks and Cannibals
prehistoric animals
big black Nemesis
(something or other) Genesis"
I don't know about you, but after listening to
a whole song of lyrics similar to the above, I've
got the word "BIBLICAL EPIC" flashing neon in
my mind's eye. I'm waiting to see the video with
baited breath, maybe I'll like the song better.
—Julia
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733-3146 DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
CITR TOP 20 SINGLES
ARTIST
TITLE
LABEL
1   STANRIDGWAY
The Big Heat
ILLEGAL (UK)
2   BRILLIANT ORANGE
Happy Man
"DEMO"
3   FIVE YEAR PLAN
At The Beach
"DEMO"
4  THETRIFFIDS
Bright Lights Big City
CARTEL
5  GOLDEN PALOMINOS
Omaha
CELLULOID (US)
6   LESCALAMITES
Pas La Peine
NEW ROSE (FR)
7   LOSTDURANGOS
Living Nowadays
"DEMO"
8   THE ART OF NOISE
Moments in Love
ISLAND
9   THE DAMNED
Grimly Fiendish
MCA (US)
10   PROPOGANDA
Duel
ZTT(UK)
11   THEFLUNKEES
Let's Dance On
"DEMO**
12   MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG
The Green Fields of..
IMP (UK)
13   EINSTURZENDE NEUBATEN
Yu-Gung
SOB (UK)
14   DEPECHEMODE
Shake the Disease
MUTE (UK)
15  SALEM 66
Across the Sea
HOMESTEAD (US)
16   LLOYD COLE & THE
COMMOTIONS
Glory
POLYDOR (BRD)
17  TALKING HEADS
The Lady Don't Mind
EMI (UK)
18  COIL
Panic
KELVIN.422(UK)
19   LOVE & ROCKETS
Ball of Confusion
BEGRS.BOT(UK)
20  JAH WOBBLE & OLLIE MARLAND
Love Mystery
ISLAND (UK)
CITR TOP 20 ALBUMS
ARTIST
TITLE
LABEL
1   TUXEDOMOON
Holy Wars
CRAMBOY(HOL)
2  GAME THEORY
Real Night Time
ENIGMA (US)
3   ANIMAL SLAVES
Dog Eat Dog
MODAMO
4  GUADALCANAL DIARY
Walking in the Shadow-
DB(US)
5   D.O.A.
Let's Wreck the Party
FRINGE
6   DAVID THOMAS & THE
PEDESTRIANS
More Places Forever
TWINTONE (US)
7  THE THREE O'CLOCK
Arrive Without Travelling
I.R.S.
8  BILLY BRAGG
Life's A Riot
POLYGRAM
9   SEVERED HEADS
City Slab Horror
INK (UK)
10   SKELETAL FAMILY
Futile Combat
REDRHINO (FR)
11   BIG GUITARS FROM TEXAS
Trash, Twang & Thunder
JUNGLE (US)
12   POISONED
Poisoned EP
EAST RAY
13  JEFFREY LEE PIERCE
Wildweed
STATIK (UK)
14  ENIGMAS
Strangely Wild
ZULU
15  GO FOUR 3
Go Four 3 EP
ZULU
16  FRIGHTWIG
Cat Farm Faboo
SUBTERR (US)
17   NINA HAGEN
In Ekstasy
CBS
18  BEAT FARMERS .
Tales of the New West
WEA
19   EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL
Love Not Money
WEA
20   LEDERNACKEN
Double Album
STRIKEBACK (UK)
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Used
Also available at libraries, community centres, UBC and other campuses. DISCORDER     A Guide to CITR fm 102 cable 100
July 1985
The Roving Ear K i
. . . this month from New Delhi
SUDDENLY, HIP HONKIES ARE INTO
India. Nearly forty years after the British
imperialists were forced to leave with
their tails between their legs and nearly
two decades after the first wave of truth-seeking
middle-class whi'e youth booked the first available flying carpet to New Delhi, the Western
world's cycle of exploitable commercial prophets
rolls back into the embarrassingly misnamed
"Jewel in the Crown."
The real hip ones, the ones with money, the
ones who can afford to actually go to India will
be fortunate enough to escape any drastic indications of the fact that New Delhi is not a happy
capital. Violent and bloody social and political
upheavals have left a certain tension in the air.
By comparison, B.C.'s troubles are merely petty
squabbles at a chimps' tea party. Where Indians
get involved in their politics, British Columbians
come across like extras from Dawn of the Dead.
Fear not, culture buffs, there's still a plethora
of sounds in New Delhi for your roving ear.
However, first things first: NEW DELHI HAS NO
UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE. Anyone
caught wearing lots of black stuff and sporting
a Van der Graff generator hairdo is liable to be
called a hippy (!), and subject to much ridicule.
Those whose bodily functions have not become
paralyzed at this revelation can read on and
discover that the big thing amongst middle-class
New Delhi youth is, in fact, disco.
Yes, disco.
There isn't really a big market in imported
records, so the irrepressible Indians make their
own, complete with monotonous rhythms, guitar
and synthesizer melodies, and the classic high-
pitched caterwauling of the women singers.
Serious intentions—but hysterically funny. For
about forty rupees ($4) you can pick up the latest
disco sounds by such fave raves as Babla and
Kanchan. They don't really do many live gigs,
especially outside. Most of the concert halls in
New Delhi feature more traditional song and
dance. Well worth watching.
If, however, you feel like getting down on the
floor and shaking your thing (in India they call
it dancing), don't bother looking for any discotheques or nightclubs as such in New Delhi. The
nearest thing is the disco night they have at some
of the major hotels like the Ashok and Mavrya.
Sheraton in Chanakyapuri district. However, with
all things Western becoming highly fashionable
in the big cities, finding nightclubs will become
far easier as time goes on.
India has the largest film industry in the world.
Movies are one of the few areas of entertainment
available at an affortable price to the masses,
who consequently flock to the cinemas like mos-
quitos to a foreigner. The acting, ahem, is melodramatic, to say the least, and the plots are
formula song and dance romantic sob stories.
Sheer escapism—which, to be fair, is probably
the whole point. There are plenty of cinemas dotted around the city and you really should attend
at lease one of the current releases, either to
observe the absorption of the Indians or just to
say that you did.
For the visitor, merely being in New Delhi is
sheer entertainment. Like the rest of India, with
its teeming masses of humanity, it's an ongoing
carnival. All your senses, not to mention your
nerves, will be challenged by a barrage of noises,
smells, tastes, sights, and people. There is a brief
respite during the wee hours and then, at daybreak, it starts again: animated conversations,
traders and customers haggling over prices, the
roar of heavy city traffic which includes cycle-
rickshaws, horse-drawn carts, and hundreds of
three-wheeler taxi-scooters, honking horns at
ambling pedestrians or a cow calmly chewing the
cud in the middle of a major road.
In such confusion, New Delhi residents have
little time for local architecture, some of the most
breathtaking in the world, much of it owing to the
Mongol invaders whose dynasty ruled for the
better part of two hundred and fifty years. Go
through the Delhi Gate on Mathura Road and
you're in Old Delhi, where, just off Chitli Buzar,
you can see India's largest mosque, the Jama
Majid. White marble and red sandstone support
a huge, typically Mogul onion-shaped dome.
Across the road is the stupendous Red Fort, a
seventeenth-century military palace whose dimensions can only be related by the number of
football fields you could get inside it.
Go back the other way through India Gate on
Rajpath and you'll end up in awe of the Rash-
trupati Bharan, the Presidential palace. Set in
330 acres, its style has both Islamic and Buddhist influences. A short walk towards Connaught i
Place, the commercial hub of the city, brings you '
to the parliament buildings, sort of low-rise versions of a Roman coliseum.
According to Fodor's Guide to India, there are
about a thousand historic movements representative of the "Seven Cities of New Delhi." Just
one word of caution when asking directions: an
Indian is usually far too embarrassed to tell you
that s/he doesn't know the way and will, therefore,
point in the direction that sounds the best to
her/him. Ask several people...
It would be unfair to tease the reader with an
example of the low cost of clothes and most other
things in New Delhi—but I will anyway: I bought
a made-to-measure long Nehru-style frock coat
for 400 rupees—$40. It's a shopper's paradise.
Scour the Cottage Industries, tiny little shops all
squeezed in on the Janpath, as well as the
claustrophobic mess of shops across from the
New Delhi Railway Station on Chelmsford Road.
For dirt-cheap accommodation try the Youth
Hostel on Nayaya Marg in Chanakyapuri or the
Ringo Guest House in the heart of the city near
Connaught Place—they'll do you for the astronomical sum of 15-20 rupees ($1.50-2.00) per
night for a bed.
India's one hell of a place—in more ways than
two. It's well worth a visit. Don't be content with
all things Indian while sitting here in Vancouver.
Go there. Be hip.
—Mike Johal
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