Wednesday, 4/16/97 Soundbites
The London Suede "Coming Up" (Nude/Columbia) It’s about time!
British giants (the London) Suede have finally sent their U.K. hit
"Coming Up" to America after eight months of painful waiting (for
those of us not economically fortunate enough to afford the import
version, that is). But don’t worry, financially strapped Suede
fans! Not only do we get Suede’s most rockin’ and feel-good album
to date, but we also get another disc packed with live tracks,
multimedia videos and concert footage, sure to make those impatient
fans sorry. "Coming Up," a No. 1 album in Britain, is full of
soulful anthems and happy ditties that give further proof that
Suede can outdo and outlast their indie Britpop contemporaries. The
album’s first single, "Trash," is nothing less than pop brilliance,
with the extremely talented Brett Anderson singing his
disaffected-yet-happily-passionate musings ("But we’re trash, you
and me/ We’re the litter on the breeze/ We’re the lovers on the
streets"). The second single, "Beautiful Ones," is equally
infections, as Anderson beautifully wails to his outcast mates
("Shaved heads, rave heads/ On the pill/ Got too much time to kill/
Get into bands and gangs/ Oh, here they come, the beautiful ones").
"Lazy" is classic Suede, an easy-going number that reminds us of
all the times we happily sit around and watch the busy people pass
us by ("From the flats and the maisonettes/ They’re reminding us
there’s things to be done/ But you and me/ All we want to be is
lazy"). Suede remains in top form, cranking the ballads ("Saturday
Night," "By the Sea") a bit higher and perking up the glam-rock
songs ("Filmstar," "Picnic By the Motorway") throughout. Anderson
and company (with new guitarist Richard Oakes) avoid recreating the
glam-based darkness of their Mercury Prize-winning debut album or
dropping us into the ethereal dementia featured in their last
outing, "Dog Man Star." Instead, they manage to create a more
blissful aura that still never strays from that classic Suede
sound, coming off like a cross between the Smiths, T-Rex and Pulp.
And with the CD-ROM bonus (don’t worry, computer-phobes – you can
listen to it without a PC or Mac), we’re treated to live
performances of "Trash," "Beautiful Ones" and others, with
exclusive studio footage. Plus, audio-only versions of Suede
b-sides and album cuts are included. With the sights and sounds of
"Coming Up" certain to leave you smiling and singing along, it’s
safe to say that Suede has done us right. Mike Prevatt A- Serge
Gainsbourg, three compilation albums (Mercury) Best known for his
French pop releases in the late ’60s, Serge Gainsbourg remains a
well-known icon of the 20th century. Yet, younger audiences may be
unaware of his musical talents, and even the most well informed of
Gainsbourg fans may not know how to obtain his lesser-known
collaborations of previous years. For this reason, Mercury has
released three compilations of Gainsbourg’s work from the late ’50s
to the end of his popularity just before the ’70s. The first of
Mercury’s collection, titled "Couleur Cafe," includes mambo
selections, swingin’ big band numbers and percussional arrangements
that hearken to the days of cigarette-smoking, scooter-driving,
beret-wearing Frenchies. Such smooth bopping romps as "Mambo Miam
Miam (Mambo Yummy)" make for a fine, finger-snapping evening of
lounge club fun. Gainsbourg’s slippery voice slides over notes like
the sophisticated piano playing crooner that he is. A cha-cha beat
pervades in many of the album’s sway-inducing tracks, indulging the
Holly Golightly side of every party girl envious of Audrey
Hepburn’s persona in "Breakfast at Tiffany’s." The last few songs
on the compilation focus more on Gainsbourg’s poorly received days
of tribal, beat-influenced pieces. Yet, his suave French words
glide smoothly over the steady African drums to create a sound in
which the world may be more apt to appreciate in the current
musical climate of the ’90s. Chanting tribes and the laughter of
girls add to the album’s unique flair and make it a must-have for
any music collector lacking in ’60s European club music. Continuing
with his nonconformist style of music, Gainsbourg’s second Mercury
release is comprised entirely of his jazz recordings. While the
musician enjoyed playing jazz until his death in ’91, the bulk of
his offerings met the grooves of LPs in the last part of the ’50s
and early ’60s. Again, while not appreciated as serious art in
their own time, the gentle notes and jaunty beats make for sly
numbers in their current form. Such short, goofy selections as
"Requiem pour un Twisteur (Requiem for a Twist Dancer )" really
strike a snaky chord when eased out of Gainsbourg’s mellifluous
tongue. Unlike many heavier jazz ensembles, such as the soulful
trumpet wailings of Miles Davis or the brassy big band sound of
Maynard Ferguson and Big Bop Neuveau, Gainsbourg’s slender notes
feel slick and assured. The term "cool cat" never was more
applicable to any one artist. It would be impossible not to score
with that special someone while playing his pieces, like "Black
Trombone," suavely in the background of a low-lit room while
slinking in a smoking jacket and heels on a bean bag with a martini
in one hand and a Sherman extra-long in the other. But before
anyone gets too comfortable, the third release of Gainsbourg’s
really takes the cake. This collection, "Comic Strip," pools
together the wispy French pop songs Gainsbourg’s fame and fortune
depended upon. And, though the other two albums manage to slink
around the room, "Comic Strip" liquifies the entire ambiance so
that the world becomes a calm, tranquil ocean of lapping waves. The
album’s second tune, "Bonnie and Clyde," includes the vocals of
French film starlet Brigitte Bardot, from back in the day when no
sex symbol was sexier. Mixing her sensual voice with the always
alluring Gainsbourg, a strange, otherworldly ecstatic call to the
orchestrated background of cloud-like riffs sends the music to
another plane. Even though the only English words recall the
notorious Bonnie and Clyde, the French utterings place a soothing
spin on the song’s entire meaning, whatever that may be. Also
clever is Bardot and Gainsbourg’s title track "Comic Strip," which
involves a tango-like piano melody, along with the words "She Bang
Pop Pow Whiz!" strewn throughout the song with cartoon-like zeal.
Many tunes seem to want listeners to don go-go boots and headbands,
tossing hair boppily from side to side. For instance, "Docteur
Jekyll et Monsieur Hyde" includes a harmonica and keyboard in the
background which spin into a Laugh-In-style frenzy when the blunt
chorus "Dr. Jekyll" lets loose from the untrained mouths of various
singers. Whip out that lounge suit, this cat’s tight! Though many
labels go over the top in releasing box sets of artists whose work
already seems easily accessible enough, Mercury provides the right
amount of music with Gainsbourg’s three-album series. Each disc
includes roughly 20 slickly recorded pieces, all of which were
worth drudging up from the annals of music history. If nothing
else, perhaps the revival of this intriguing musician will turn a
new generation of fans on to the sounds of Serge’s unpredictable
style. Vanessa VanderZanden A Warren G "Take a Look Over Your
Shoulder" (Def Jam) Warren G’s second album is an incredibly
consistent, enjoyable 48 minutes of funky, danceable,
radio-friendly ear candy. Far too many rap albums contain two or
three singles and a lot of filler. Warren G’s sophomore release,
like his debut, is relatively short (many albums today clock in
close to 60 minutes), but there isn’t one throwaway track on it.
Almost any of the album’s 13 songs could become big radio hits.
Warren G has a laid-back rapping style that he combines with very
tightly produced beats and melodic background tracks. He has
interpolated material such as Bob Marley’s "I Shot the Sherrif,"
Prince’s "Darling Nikki," and many R&B cuts. Unlike many of his
peers, Warren G avoids the "gangsta rap" label by making almost no
references to violence, although getting high is often a minor
theme. In addition, unlike many songs written by Ice Cube or the
late Tupac Shakur, Warren G never gets too far into social
commentary. He sticks to writing and producing great-sounding songs
that that will be equally welcomed by dance clubs, radio stations
and record buyers. The album has been released in both "Parental
Advisory" and "clean" versions, though only three or four songs are
affected. Jeff Hilger A- Soundbites runs Mondays and
Wednesdays.