18. puaner oF THE, ARTS../, DECEMBER 1995 Peter Laughner Take The Guitar Player For A Ride (Tim/Kerr Records) This CD compilse the works of a man from Clevelandwho died at the age of 25. In his brief time, he formed a whole bunch of bands, the most notable of which was Rocket From the Tombs which later evolved into Pere Ubu. He also was instru- mental in ensuring that Cleveland and Akron bands like Devo, the Electric Eels, Mirrors, and the Dead Boys played a part in the burgeoning American New Wave movement rather than being completely overshadowed by the higher profile New York scene (Television, Patti Smith, Blondie, etc.). The details of this cultural movement are quite well collected in a book called From the Velvets to the Voidods by Clinton Heylin who also wrote the notes for this CD. ie Laughner unfortunately is someone who could easily slip between the cracks of culture if it weren't for the dogged efforts of supporters and friends who knew how talented he was. For my part, | had never actually heard any of his music performed by him before | heard this CD but | had, from liner notes and interviews of other people | admire, heard all about how great he was and what a waste his death was. The only musician whose pre- mature death reminds me of Laughner’s is Nick Drake and, in fact, so does their music resemble each other's. Like Drake, Laughner sings of dashed hopes and tiny fragments of beauty which remain beyond his reach. Look for a hilarious version of Life Stinks, a song which showed up on the first Pere Ubu record in 1978 in which Laughner laments his paralyzed state: Life stinks! | need a drink! | like the Kinks! Life stinks! -TD Various Artists Triple Scoop Let not title fool you, Various Triple Scoop is not a tape about how to prepare and serve your favorite ice-cream. It is about today’s big bands, and their hits. Have you ever been to a salad bar, and have had good time, and came back for more. Now that was the feeling | had when | popped the tape into a deck | started to listen to this Various Artist tape. The selection is great, starting with Blur to a Greasy Granny. Blur's piece, is from their album The Great Escape, and is another quirky melody, and is great, and that's why they are the biggest band in England, (world?). The next hit is from Toronto's rockers known as 13 Engines. The influence of Neil Young's Crazy Horse is present. Follow that is Radiohead's Just, which by the way also has a cool video. P is just P, or more. More that's for sure, especially with the vocal provided from the Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes, and Johny “give me a action flick role, | am not the Cry Baby anymore" Deep, and Bill Carter the guitar, and Sal Jenco on the drums. Their mixture of some reggae, electric blues, and country works well. “/‘ve got crush on Wendy Mesley’ is one of those song line that will stick in your head for a while, and you will have hard time getting rid- off it. It's corky too, that for sure believe me. Menthols is described by many as “a great band that will never play on the radio,” and that may be true, when you check the lyrics (PARENT ADVISORY in EFFECT). The Tea Party is an odyssey of musical experimentation. Also there is Verve, described by many as the spacey groove, with the touch of atmospheric rock. The power of their hypnotic guitar and organs really get under skin, and is there for some time. On the tape there is Richard Ashcroft with his dramatic vocals, and that's bonus for sure. The presence of the Wooden Stars is obvious and a bit overwhelming. As | have men- tioned, and | believe many times in this review the selection on this tape is great, makes a nice treat for yourself after | hard working day in studio, and/or as a nice gift for your special someone. Pick it up, and let it roll, and enjoy. P.S. too bad it is not on the reel, so you can play it on the 4 track, like Mia Wallace. -Zoran Drazelj Wandering Lucy Really Truly (7" single) (K Records) Four songs: one about a self-questioned love relationship; one describes life passing you by, wondering what it would be like if you had a job that would get you out of the house; two instrumentals that sound like the others without vocals. Vancouver's Lucy provides us with stripped-down beat-box drumming, clean electric guitar, and melancholy-sweet vocals. The bare amateur studio sound is gaining popularity and I'm losing interest. JL Menswe@r Nuisance (London) Check out the cyber-tv-entertainment- appliance on the cover. It looks like an industrial designer's wet dream—so slick, yet so functional. Ok, now see how this “next generation Sony" is set beside a series of coloured stripes down the spine of the case. Remind you of anything? How about the World Studios’ logo (as in Peter Gabriel). Here's where the fun begins. Look at the way they spell their name; Menswe@r have cleverly substituted the a for an @. Where have | seen this before? Hmm ..maybe ...EVERYWHERE. You getting it? All right, crack open the case and pull out the booklet. What do we find ? A fold out vanity photo strip of contem- plative and confrontational rockstar mugshots. Not very original, not very interesting, not even that nice to look at. | haven't got around to listening to the music yet, | hear they sound like Material Issue with no production value. Figures. -Dan Vogel photo: Sophie Hackett Pere Ubu in 1995 photo: J Lander Live The Rentals Sometime in November Starfish Room Their live show is way better than their album. In concert, The Rentals have the presence and sheer volume required to take their 70's-new-wave-cum-90's-alter- no-rock to the point where you still want more, even after one hour when the singer says, “this is our last song, ‘cause we don't know any more." Rental songs are laden with monophonic Moog synth riffs layered over a guitar's deep chainsaw growl. The downfall of their music in the Studio is that almost every song follows the same formula to the point where lis- tening to an album becomes a chore after the third super-catchy, happy pop riff. But it woks live, and that counts for a lot. Oh ya, The Rentals are made up of the bassist from Weezer and a fluctuating lineup of accompaniment including members of That Dog. -Jonathan Lander Belly / Catherine Wheel November 2 Commadore Ballroom Earlier this spring | had an ongoing dis- agreement with a friend concerning who was better live, Tanya Donelly and her band Belly or her stepsister Kirsten Hersh and her band, Throwing Muses. After November 2, I'm more than convinced that Belly absolutely rocks. From the opening song, Now They'll Sleep, the play- ful antics of Ms. Donelly and the equally haggish attitude of Gail Greenwood never ceased. (The latter mimicking the whole rock strut persona.) The way these two women worked off each other and addressed the audience made the show something really personable. At one point, during "Seal My Fate,” quickly followed by "Feed the Tree,” audience and band gave the illusion of feeding off each other's energy. Everyone seemed to have connect- ed and Belly carried this through to the end via their sensitive accoustic set and two new songs, Lilith and Spaceman. The show climaxed with an encore laden with a guitar version of Low Red Moon, where the vocalist of the Catherine Wheel joined them on stage. As for Catherine Wheel, | will have to go against the grain by saying they were truly lifeless, with the singer mumbling into the microphone. -W. Sean Eliuk Pere Ubu October 27 Starfish Room “One Person's Nightmare is Another Person's Funny Story..." In September of 1975, Cleveland saw the birth of probably its most enduring source of pride. A rock band called Pere Ubu was formed from the ashes of a band called Rocket From the Tombs and a couple of personalities whose seemingly opposed natures (art vs. rock) co-mingled to better culture and the lives of us all as a result. Pere Ubu rose out of the first batch of bands who would be called the New Wave, a direct step forward from the Detroit sound of Stooges and MC5 and the attitucinal stance of the New York Dolls (all of whom owe their forebearance to the quintessential punk band, the Velvet Underground). The only other rock band that | can think of who can claim a similar duration to Pere Ubu as well as such an unflagging commitment to its original punk/art/music principles is Manchester, England's The Fall. To merely survive is one thing. Lou Reed is still making records despite his yearly decline in promise. But to so relentlessly uphold a commitment to the use of rock music as a serious and uplift- ing art form is as rare as a ray of hope from the surviving Beatles. On October 27th, Pere Ubu played in Vancouver on the heels of their twentieth anniversary and a new release entitled “Raygun Suitcase” The show was com- prised of lots of new material but also featured older material done in their usual devastatingly satisfying way. Repeated audience cries for standards such as “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” and "Final Solution” (works which David Thomas, singer and ring leader, has dismissed as “teen angst”) went unanswered but were met instead with more substan- tial anthems such as “Heart of Darkness” and “Street Waves” as well as songs from their great but elu- sive record "The Art of Walking.” The only thing they missed was my favourite song "Busman’s Honeymoon” from 1988's terrific "The Tenement Year" album. In some respect, what Ubu has over their contemporaries is not just a startling talent for expressing the rawest ideals put forward by punk rock but also a clear love for music as a fine art form. Unfortunately, competence was unfash- ionable in the move to declaim the corpu- lence of prog stadium rock (eg. Yes, ELP, Gentle Giant, ad nauseum) that was then dominating music critics’ praise. Rather than being an organic growth, the New Wave was mostly a reaction. Therefore, very few bands made it past the stage where they were no longer simply react- ing and making the same point again and again, but were building the new music that deserved to be made. One had the option, at their Starfish Room concert, of purchasing a Pere Ubu t-shirt which proclaimed “The 30 Seconds That Lasted 20 Years.” In fact, seeing Pere Ubu play now probably is a lot like walk- ing around in Hiroshima twenty years after the bomb dropped; things have out- wardly become normal but the unnerving knowledge of the previous event makes relaxation impossible. As for their new record, one would think after reading this review that Pere Ubu must surely be the greatest group of all time. Then one might run out and pur- chase "Ray Gun Suitcase,” listen to it and 1B. rar oF na asf, pecnace 1995 Peter Laughner Take The Guitar Payer For A Ride (Tinker Records) This CO compte the woes of 2 man from Cleland ded at the age of 25. In is brie ime, he formed a whale bunch of ands, the most notable of which was Racket From the Tombs which ater ‘flied int Pere Ubu He also was instr metal in ensuing that Cleveland and ‘Ain bands ke Dev, the Bec El, Mir, and the Dead Boys played part inthe burgeoning American New Wave movement rather han being completly ‘overshadowed by the higher profile New “ork scene Television, Pt Smith, Blonde, ec) The deta of hs cultural ‘movement are quit wel olected in 9 book called From the Vets to he \eldods by Clinton Helin who aso wrote the notes for this CD. [Gage unfortunately is someone ho coud eas sip between the cracks Of ealture iit werent for the dogged ‘ffs of supporters and ends who new how talented he was. For my par had never actualy heard any of Ms music performed by him before ear this CO but hag, fom ine notes and interviews of ther people | admire, head al about how great he was and what waste his