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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
REVIEWS
Gig Reviews -
CD Reviews
DVD Review
NickCave & The Bad Seeds - The Road To
God Know’s Where/Live at The Paradiso.
 Running
times: Disc 1: 113 mins, Disc 2: 55 mins.
Disc 1 is a film by Uli M Schueppel made in 1990 covering a tour
by the band.
Made in black and white, it’s grainy, atmospheric, and more than a little
boring. Which I suppose is what touring is all about - arguments, hotel rooms,
interviews, travelling and snatches of live performances which will only be of
interest to the most obsessive Cave fan.
Live At The Paradiso on the other hand is a revelation, a colour
film of Nick in performance with The Bad Seeds that captures the essence of a
moody set from 1992 in which Nick gives his all.
Filmed somewhat haphazardly it is full of spontaneity and energy
and is utterly riveting. Cave’s mesmeric stage presence is central but The Bad
Seeds are on great form.
Extras include a film about the recording of a Wim Wenders
soundtrack and some fascinating Super 8 footage. A good-value package.
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Richard Ashcroft. Keys To The World.
 Richard
Ashcroft is a man on a mission. He is clearly desperate to shake off the ‘people
who bought Oasis also bought…’ tag but somehow has yet to find his own
elusive niche as a ‘serious musician’. However, it’s pleasing to report that
this, his third album, does take a few more steps in right direction. Armed with
a sympathetic co-producer in Chris Potter, a man who clearly knows that a lush
string arrangement can cover a multitude of sins, Ashcroft reels off a selection
of songs that both have instant commercial value yet continue to grow more
likeable
with repeated plays. Words Just Get In The Way and the single Break The Night
With Colour will be familiar to most and are clear stand-outs here, but the
opening track Why Not Nothing, with its slight hint of Rebel Rebel, and the
jaunty Music
Is Power show that all is certainly not doom and gloom in the Ashcroft
household. The ballad Sweet Brother Malcolm meanwhile, is classic Ashcroft, his
reedy vocals being swiftly overtaken by an orchestral arrangement sweet enough
to bring to mind Scott Walker in his heyday.
But it’s not all good. Ashcroft steers perilously close to pretentious nonsense
on the the title track and on the arduous Why Do Lovers?, while Cry Til The
Morning sounds just a little too much like a poor copy of All Along The
Watchtower.
But the album ends on a high with World Keeps Turning, on which our hero at his
most Dylanesque sings ‘I’ve money to spend…everything is right in my life’
which, in a nutshell, is pretty much message of this whole album. Richard
Ashcroft is back, happy and on his way to where he wants to be.
SINGLE REVIEWS BY MARTIN
SIRL:
Moodswings by Charlotte Church
In many ways Charlotte Church is the ultimate example of an artist who is only
as good as her material. One day the songs will run out and, despite her
illustrious pedigree, one suspects that people will be left wondering if her
voice really was that good after all. But for now she needn’t worry. If Miss
Church can continue to lay her hands on gems like this the short term future at
least is assured. A sweet piece of pop that frankly, well…swings along. And The
Gary Smith remix, with a more prominent guitar track offers an extra cutting
edge and provides a bonus for fans who might suspect that four singles from the
same album is perhaps one too many.
Sweet Thing by Indiana Gregg
Upbeat, country-tinged single from a trilingual singer-songwriter, currently
fresh from working with Kool And The Gang, who lists Phil Collins and gospel
music amongst her influences. Confused? Well you will be. Try locking Alanis
Morissette, Leanne Rhimes and Sheryl Crowe in the same room for a day or two and
the result would probably sound something like this. Fresh-faced inoffensive pop
from a fresh-faced inoffensive young lady.
Make Her Cry by The Marshals
There’s a little touch of the David Byrnes about this guitar-driven foot-tapper.
All the energy of early Undertones and clever lyrics combine for a sublime slice
of punk that fairly crackles out of your speakers and ends far too soon for this
listener. I hope there is a lot more to come from this young Irish trio because
Make Her Cry leaves one with a taste for more.
Raoul by The Automatic
Whoever he is, Raoul is obviously a deeply popular man as The Automatic
constantly tell us they’re planning to pay him a visit. But whether Raoul or
anyone else is ready for Kaiser Chiefs sound-alikes The Automatic is a doubtful.
Hailing from Cowbridge, which apparently is somewhere near Cardiff, The
Automatic share the same producer as the aforementioned Chiefs and the
similarities are obvious. But it would be a shame to tar them with that
particular brush because beneath the comparisons lurks a finely crafted pop song
that deserves, and which will surely receive airplay aplenty.
Killing Street by The Common Redstarts
The spirit of Motorhead lives on in this dark chunk of grunge rock. Three
minutes of edgy riffing of the kind fellow Scots the Jesus And Mary Chain made
their trademark all those years ago. The bonus track Angel-Eyed Friend is
completely
different but equally as good: an Oasis-style sing-along that doesn’t outstay
its welcome.
Back Again by Boy Kill Boy
A heap of energy and a riff borrowed from Eton Rifles fail to lift Back Again
beyond the mediocre. Boy Kill Boy may be mooted as being at the forefront of a
booming London scene but on this evidence they are little more than the latest
in a growing band of Franz Ferdinand copyists. Nine out of ten for effort; one
out of ten for originality.
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