Newspaper Page Text
NEW ORLEANS KLEZMER
ALLSTARS
Fresh Out The Past
Shanachie
Like any religious faith. Judaism
can be a load of fun in the proper con
text. Just as Nick Cave. Bobby Conn
and Daniel Danielson utilize the pas
sionate and surreal extremes of evangel
ical Christianity to cathartic and comic
effect. The New Orleans Klezmer Allstars
take the Zionistic frenzy of their forefa
thers and spike it with a tangible sense
ot humor, making their latest platter
Fresh Out The Past an irresistible
shindig for all creeds
True. Klezmer fever has already pro
duced a wealth ot insanely addictive
lazz-fusion. most of it under the wide
umbrella of New York's Knitting Factory
(Peep. Paradox Trio, Hasidic New Wave,
etc., etc ). In contrast to those acts' grim,
aggressive, decidedly Big Apple
approach, The NOKA are looser and
more inclined to swing rather than con
found This outfit is more interested in
provoking belly laughs and the mashed
potato (It's the only dance I can do. OK?)
than ancestral nightmares
Not that the Allstars have scrawled
blasphemic images of quivering thighs
and asses on every page of the Old
Testament. Tunes like “The Unholy
Chazir" pay due respect to the elegant
beauty of their heritage, invoking Tom
Waits' decidedly Klezmer-influenced
“Just Another Sucker On The Vine.’
They've got that swing, but they've also
got range. Come for the novelty value,
stay for the liveliest, most enlightening
party this side of Beau Jocque. (13
Laight St.. 6th Floor. NY. NY 10013)
Emerson Dameron
JIMMY PAGE & THE BLACK
CROWES
Live At The Greek
Musicmaker com
When people mention influences of
the Black Crowes, names that usually
surface include The Faces, Humble Pie
and the Rolling Stones. But in truth, the
heavy blues-rock sound of Led Zeppelin
has always figured into the Crowes
sound as well
So perhaps the concert pairing last
fall of the Black Crowes as the backing
band for former Zeppelin guitarist
Jimmy Page wasn’t as odd as it might at
first seem The new double disc set.
Live At The Greek, documents the recent
Los Angeles shows and otters evidence
why Page and the Crowes took their
evening of Led Zeppelin songs and
classic blues and ‘60s rock covers on
the road this summer for a full American
tour
The biggest virtue ot the album is in
the song selection, as Page and the
Crowes avoid many ot the obvious
Zeppelin songs in favor ot some ot the
band's best lesser known gems—
including the concise rocker. “Sick
Again,* dramatic epics like “Ten Year;,
Gone’ and “In My Time Of Dying" and
“Out On The Tiles." which in this selling
is paired into a medley with “Whole
Lotta Love."
The covers of blues and rock chest
nuts like “Shake Your Money Maker,’
“Sloppy Drunk" and “Oh Well’ are also
a kick.
In fact, the main flaws of this set are
purely technical. As a vocalist, the Black
Crowes' singer Chris Robinson isn't
quite the equal of Robert Plant
Occasionally he tails to reach Plant's
soaring high notes that fans will
remember from the Led Zeppelin studio
recordings. But what Robinson may lack
in technique, he makes up for with
energy and passion
As musicians, the members of the
Black Cro^s show a similai zest The
group provides solid support for Page,
as the guitarist unfurls ’he classic ritfs
and solos that helped lift Zeppelin to
legendary status. And with their two
guitarists and a keyboardist to go with
Page, the Crowes are able to flesh out
the songs in a way that was never pos
sible in Zeppelin's live format of one
guitar, drums and either bass or key
board.
To be sure. Live At The Greek isn't
what one would call a vital record. It's
doubtlul any Zeppelin fan would favor
these versions to concert performances
by Zeppelin themselves or even Plant
and Page on their recent tours Still, the
feel-good vibe of the show is unmistak
able. and it makes Live At The Greek a
highly enjoyable trip down the Zeppelin
memory lane.
Alan Scully
ERIC ALEXANDRAS
I. V Catatonia
Y&T
As interesting as some of this col
lage o' oOund is. it's really not anything
you haven't heard before, sometimes
even down the street. What's impressive
is that it comes from one person.
Alexandrakis was diagnosed with
Hodgkin's Disease close to two years
ago and set about pu”ing his recovery
experience to music using a li tends
four-track along with any instrument
and simply anything that would make a
noise he could find. Out of the 22 tracks
here, there are a few actual songs, inter
spersed amongst various collections ol
found and processed sound, including
his mother nagging him to take his daily
truckload of vitamins
It’s all very easy to ignore unfortu
nately, as one waits lor the album to
wake up again. Apart from more recent
forays into experimental sounds, the
album's closest cousin would be
Burning Blue Soul by Matt Johnson
before he started calling himself The
The. It's the sound of a man putting
every idea he has down onto tape
without caring whether it’s convention
ally pleasing or fully formed This
approach can yield some great
moments, but far too often it simpiy
slides by. There is no doubt that
Alexandrakis has talent and initiative;
the album sounds remarkably clear and
polished tor a tour-track production,
and he has a good ear for melody and
interesting compositions when he uses
it. As it stands. I V Catatoniac overkill:
a respectable effort, but not quite as
original as one would hope, and a bit
too drowsy. Fascinating things will
probably come out ol this artist as he
hones his voice and ideas. He's got a
good start (3745 Sunset Dr.. Ste 220,
Miami, FL 33173)
Jay Nagy
TOM RUSH
The Very Best Of Tom Rush; No
Regrets
Columbia/Legacy
If you have a taste for the music of
wha; we call the “folk" era. meaning tra-
ditionalfy-mspired music found mostly
in Eastern urban settings like New York
or Boston during the early 1960s, then
you know about and probably appre
ciate Tom Rush (wi.o started out playing
in Cambridge. MA) He is distinguished
by his warm, rich baritone voice,
impressive guitar stylings, and a knack
tor discovering songs and songwriters
belore anybody else has heard of them
(a service he performed in the late
1960s tor Joni Mitchell. Jackson
Browne, and James Taylor and for Bruce
Cockbum in the early 70s).
Tom Rush recordings have not been
easy to come by lately. Without a major
label contract, he was recording for an
obscure New Hampshire label until his
recent move from his home state to
Wyoming. So a career-spanning compi
lation of his songs augmented by a
great new tune (“River Song“) has to be
good news. And there is much to like in
Columbia/Legacy’s The Very Best of
Tom Rush: No Regrets, including the
generous (around 77 minutes) amount
of material, with The Columbia record
ings enjoying pride of place.
Here’s the problem: With the excep
tion of his excellent self-titled first
album for that label, Push did not do l«s
greatest work for the Columbia label.
Both his earlier Elektra recordings and
the home-produced New Hampshire
stuff on Night Light Records provide
stronger performances and better
playing. Too much of the Columbia era
(circa 1970-1974) gets lost in the
shuffle of the tiresome, then-fashion
able. ccwboy-hippie-country rock epito
mized by the nauseating Eagles. But
what are you gonna do when it’s
Columbia who is willing to put your
name back before the public?
One thing you do. apparently, is
almost totally ignore your greatest
album ever, your last for Elektra I refer
to The Circle Game, a transcendent
record remembered for the
Jom/Jackson/James songs, but
including also Tom Rush's wonderful
song "No Regrets." a haunting instru
mental guitar meditation called
“Rockport Sunday" and superb arrange
ments throughout The new compilation
includes only Mitchell's “Urge For
Going,’ which Elektra released (in dif
ferent form) as a single long before the
album came out in 1968. The next track
on the disc is “No Regrets.’ but it is the
vastly inferior 1974 version from the last
Columbia album. And the press flyer
even claims Rush wrote the song in that
year! Maybe the fact that The Circle
Gamez till sells steadily in Elektra’s mid
price list precluded using more malefic!
from it. but since earlier Elektra albums
are well-represented in The Very Best.
the problem can’t be one between the
two record companies It must be an
attempt to give the Columbia years a
higher profile, easier to do if you ignore
the best Elektra album.
Back to the good news The singer’s
bluesy early phase is well documented
(“San Francisco Bay Blues.’ “Panama
Lirrted") on this collection Nearly all
the best songs from the great 1966
album Take A Little Walk With Me (e g
“Galveston Flood.’ “Joshua Gone
Barbados’) are here, pius two tine
songs from the first Columbia album
(’Lost My Drivin' Wheel.’ “Child’s
Song’). The last three tracks bring
things to a close in fine st,le These
include ’The Dreamer." one ol the best
songs Rush himself has written, and a
beautiful cover of Jackson Browne's
“Jamaica, Say You Will,’ both from the
Night Light catalog. The playing on “The
Dreamer’ by New Hampshire pals Robin
Batteau and David Buskin is superb.
And the impressive, newly-penned
’River Song,’ assisted by Shawn
Colvin, winds things up. (550 Madison
Ave.. 17th Floor. NY. NY 10022)
Jim Winders
MODEST MOUSE
The Moon And Antarctica
Epic
So. the long awaited follow-up to
The Lonesome Crowded West has
finally arrived, and the biggest question
still floats: does The Moon And
Antarctica deliver that chaotic surge of
electricity of previous Modest Mouse
work?
All the talk is that The Moon is
more “mature and focused." than pre
vious releases on Up! Records. Putting
words like that on the shelf, this album
definitely deliver;, another dose of
insani’y with rock as the vehicle.
The main themes revolve around
the universe, stars and planets, with a
dark focus on death and the personal
relationships that let one down On this
endeavor into singer-guitarist Isaac
Brock's head, a little sister is taken away
FLAGPOLE MUSIC DIRECTORY
Flagpole's Music Directory provides effective, affordable advertising to studios, labels, bands, instructors and everything else musical!
w
FLf
W D«r
POLE
otr
web design
photography
graphic design
www.old-black-crow.com
706. 549.65 8.'6
INSANELY
AFFORDABLE
CD DUPLICATION
IN ATHENS!
MEALTIME BROWN
(706) 169-9014
ELIXIR MASTERIHG
•Now offering vinyl & CD Mastering
1 -Inquire about special vinyl 1 plate
tf discounts for Dl s
2 706-546-0602 ELUUR@NEG1A.NET
A 1 week ad will cost S18 per column inch.
A 4 week ad will cost 515 per column inch, per week.
An 8 week ad will cost $13 per column inch, per week.
A 13 week ad will cost $11 per column inch, per week.
A 26 week ad will cost $9 per column inch, per week.
To reserve your ad space call 706-549-0301
Deadline: Friday@2:00pm
Bull
pMOON
Place Your Ad in
Flagpole’s Weekly
Music Directory
and Get a
A thens ’ most affordable
; 2-inch Analog 24 track
5PECIAL RATES AFTER 10F'M
769-4 70O
Classified
Every Week
Your Ad Runs.
rptana
kn.fir-r 4,
f*-i» t!*y con*
,'m outtj h*n
wwmfpgpvia.c'jin
J5 i\y?j fd'jome tiring
sv y/nj^iijj 7
m FLAGPOLE AUGUST 16, 2000