Pet Shop Boys의 닐터넌트가 한때 음악평론가였다는 사실을 아시나요? 그가 썼던 비평 중 일부를 올립니다. 번역은 시간 되면 ....
C.O.D.: In The Bottle (Streetwave) The week's most modern dance sound. Juddering drums and electronics help on excellent song (by black poet-musician Gil Scott-Heron) to find that perfect beat while on the flip side Tyrone Brunson's "The Smurf" is cleverly weaved in and out of the mix. Mr Hip Hop himself, Man Parrish, had a hand in producing it and, needless to say, Dave Rimmer's had it on import for weeks.
WHAM!: Bad Boys (Innervision) George and Andrew's first non-rap outing is an exhilarating hymn to teenage rampage. Subject-wise it's "Young Guns" Part Two: the lads this time getting into trouble from their parents for hanging round with all sorts of unsuitable people. While the melody grabs the imagination and feet, the arrangement is disappointing with exactly the same sound as their previous singles. Still, Bad Boys stick together ...it'll be a hit in the gay clubs (and everywhere else for that matter).
AZTEC CAMERA: Walk Out To Winter (Rough Trade)
One of the outstanding songs from the "High Land, Hard Rain" LP that's been re-recorded by Tony Mansfield. The acoustic feel of the original has been replaced with a beefy, more conventional pop arrangement but the wistful spirit survives. Aztec Camera have, in other words, made a pop record and a jolly good one at that.
JOBOXERS: Just Got Lucky (RCA). The acceptable face of lad-ishness. Although I'm definitely not a member of the Boxers' Beat Club, I can't deny that this is one of the smartest, least self conscious pop records on view this week. Pounding along with a brace of hooks, it's got more than a touch of the Elvis Costello's to it. Got lucky? I just got happy.
SYLVESTER: Don't Go (London) A magnificent, haughty disco record. Sylvester shrieks with might and dignity over a galloping electronic backing, transcending its ultradisco cliches with the emotional conviction and urgency of his own performance.
CLASS ACTION: Weekend (Jive) Another New York disco record released here. It's one of those songs where the woman singer tells her man that, as he's a dead loss at giving her a good time, she's gonna find someone else who can. All of us listeners get a good time in the process, so who can blame her.
YAZOO: Nobody's Diary (Mute) A sad love-gone-sour song written by Alf. Strong on emotion and weak on melody but the combination of ringing synths and bluesy singing is still a winner.
MARY JANE GIRLS: Candy Man (Gordy) A bumpy, bleepy, zestful little electronic tune, ideal for inspiring aerobics, which was written, produced and arranged by Motown's saucy superstar, Rick James. It's nice for a man to have a hobby, isn't it?
RUPERT HINE: Living In Sin (A&M) Robert Palmer can be heard singing on this and it sounds as though it could have been a contender for his own new LP (On which Rupert Hine plays). It's bumpy and boring, reminiscent of one of those adverts for sunglasses you see on Channel 4. Best heard in a wine bar or at a Sunday lunchtime drinks 'do' with a crowd of young advertising executives in red-rimmed specs.
FANTASTIC SOMETHING:If She Doesn't Smile (Cherry Red) Half of me thinks this is a gem of acoustic pop, while the other half thinks I should pull myself together for liking something so wet. Whichever, it has a beautiful wistful melody, smoothly sung and harmonised while acoustic guitars jangle in true summer-of-love style. I love it and I was never a Simon And Garfunkel fan.
TOTO COELO: Milk From The Coconut (RadialChoice) Imagine The 'Quails trying to sound like Grace Jones. Impossible? Well, yes, they find it impossible but make a brave attempt at it here. The bin liners are definitely a thing of the past.
RONI GRIFFITH: Breaking My Heart (Vanguard )/THE FLIRTS: Passion ("0") The New York disco producer Bobby '0' likes to describe himself as a workaholic. These records, both written and produced by him, are two of the symptoms. Ms Griffith's is a little lacklustre: a 'GUs style tune floating over an array of clever clicking and planking percussion. The Flirts' however is a sturdy, steamy song hissed over a sawtoothed synthesiser. Highly recommended.
THE COCONUTS: Did You Have To Love Me Like You Did? (EMI America) COATI MUNDI: Como Esta Usted?
(Virgin) Two acts from the Kid Creole circus. I'm sure I'd enjoy The Coconuts single if could see them dancing to it. The song doesn't really stand up by itself even though it has all the hallmarks of an August Darnell production. Coati Mundi produces himself to better effect and if you want the latest slice of "Me No Pop I" salsa, here it is.
ELTON JOHN: I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues (Rocket) An old-fashioned, predictable weepie which is I guess why they called in Stevie Wonder to liven it up with his harmonica. I think Elton John ought to buck up his ideas: this isn't very inspired and I bet he knows it.
LANGUAGE: We're Celebrating (Stiff) Smart-arse white funk with a pompous vocal and a lot of corny wacka wacka guitar-playing. No reason for cracking open a bottle of fizz.
XTC: Great Fire (Virgin)
Eccentricity haunts the first XTC single in a long while, Starting off with a scratchy guitar and niggling alarm chime, a staunchly uplifting English pop tune soon establishes itself. After that it's uphill all the way, via a
psychedelic string arrangement too crashing finale. Impressively unfashionable.
HAZAN: Dreamer Devane (EMI) Nazia and Zoheb are Very Famous Indeed in India where this song was Number One for a staggering 13 months and singlehandedly created a kind of Indian disco music which hadn't existed before. For UK release the song has been rather fussily rerecorded by Sal Solo and, for the moment, Hazan seem to be more interesting as a phenomenon than as potential chart contenders.
HOT CHOCOLATE: What Kinda Boy You're Lookin' For (Girl) (RAK) I don't reckon this is up to the standard of "It Started With A Kiss" although it's another of Errol Brown's plucky love songs. Will it be yet another Hot Chocolate hit? I suppose that depends on what kinda record you're lookin' for.
BLUE ZOO: Forgive And Forget (Magnet) A tawdry mini-epic with Andy O desperately bawling a lot of words over a shabby stab at grandeur. All this and a free poster with every copy. A tragic waste of human resources.
CAVA CAVA: Burning Boy (Regard) You don't get a free poster with this one, which is more or less all that distinguishes it from the Blue Zoo single.
THE PALE FOUNTAINS:Palm Of My Hand (Virgin) The Fountains are in feisty form on their second Virgin release. A melancholy trumpet line leads into a positively rugged song by the Pale And Wan Ones' previous standards, Very un-Burt Bacharach. It is, however, somewhat let down by the thin and scratchy production for which Greg Walsh and ex-Associate Alan Rankine are credited.
INDEEP: When Boys Talk (Sound Of New York) Honestly! Men are only interested in one thing! That seems to be the complaint of Indeep's two girl singers and then Mike Clevland wades in with a throaty rap that confirms all their worst fears. It's all very reminiscent of "Last Night A DJ . . ." but still sounds like Indeep might have talked their way into the charts for a second stay.
C.O.D.: In The Bottle (Streetwave) The week's most modern dance sound. Juddering drums and electronics help on excellent song (by black poet-musician Gil Scott-Heron) to find that perfect beat while on the flip side Tyrone Brunson's "The Smurf" is cleverly weaved in and out of the mix. Mr Hip Hop himself, Man Parrish, had a hand in producing it and, needless to say, Dave Rimmer's had it on import for weeks.
WHAM!: Bad Boys (Innervision) George and Andrew's first non-rap outing is an exhilarating hymn to teenage rampage. Subject-wise it's "Young Guns" Part Two: the lads this time getting into trouble from their parents for hanging round with all sorts of unsuitable people. While the melody grabs the imagination and feet, the arrangement is disappointing with exactly the same sound as their previous singles. Still, Bad Boys stick together ...it'll be a hit in the gay clubs (and everywhere else for that matter).
AZTEC CAMERA: Walk Out To Winter (Rough Trade)
One of the outstanding songs from the "High Land, Hard Rain" LP that's been re-recorded by Tony Mansfield. The acoustic feel of the original has been replaced with a beefy, more conventional pop arrangement but the wistful spirit survives. Aztec Camera have, in other words, made a pop record and a jolly good one at that.
JOBOXERS: Just Got Lucky (RCA). The acceptable face of lad-ishness. Although I'm definitely not a member of the Boxers' Beat Club, I can't deny that this is one of the smartest, least self conscious pop records on view this week. Pounding along with a brace of hooks, it's got more than a touch of the Elvis Costello's to it. Got lucky? I just got happy.
SYLVESTER: Don't Go (London) A magnificent, haughty disco record. Sylvester shrieks with might and dignity over a galloping electronic backing, transcending its ultradisco cliches with the emotional conviction and urgency of his own performance.
CLASS ACTION: Weekend (Jive) Another New York disco record released here. It's one of those songs where the woman singer tells her man that, as he's a dead loss at giving her a good time, she's gonna find someone else who can. All of us listeners get a good time in the process, so who can blame her.
YAZOO: Nobody's Diary (Mute) A sad love-gone-sour song written by Alf. Strong on emotion and weak on melody but the combination of ringing synths and bluesy singing is still a winner.
MARY JANE GIRLS: Candy Man (Gordy) A bumpy, bleepy, zestful little electronic tune, ideal for inspiring aerobics, which was written, produced and arranged by Motown's saucy superstar, Rick James. It's nice for a man to have a hobby, isn't it?
RUPERT HINE: Living In Sin (A&M) Robert Palmer can be heard singing on this and it sounds as though it could have been a contender for his own new LP (On which Rupert Hine plays). It's bumpy and boring, reminiscent of one of those adverts for sunglasses you see on Channel 4. Best heard in a wine bar or at a Sunday lunchtime drinks 'do' with a crowd of young advertising executives in red-rimmed specs.
FANTASTIC SOMETHING:If She Doesn't Smile (Cherry Red) Half of me thinks this is a gem of acoustic pop, while the other half thinks I should pull myself together for liking something so wet. Whichever, it has a beautiful wistful melody, smoothly sung and harmonised while acoustic guitars jangle in true summer-of-love style. I love it and I was never a Simon And Garfunkel fan.
TOTO COELO: Milk From The Coconut (RadialChoice) Imagine The 'Quails trying to sound like Grace Jones. Impossible? Well, yes, they find it impossible but make a brave attempt at it here. The bin liners are definitely a thing of the past.
RONI GRIFFITH: Breaking My Heart (Vanguard )/THE FLIRTS: Passion ("0") The New York disco producer Bobby '0' likes to describe himself as a workaholic. These records, both written and produced by him, are two of the symptoms. Ms Griffith's is a little lacklustre: a 'GUs style tune floating over an array of clever clicking and planking percussion. The Flirts' however is a sturdy, steamy song hissed over a sawtoothed synthesiser. Highly recommended.
THE COCONUTS: Did You Have To Love Me Like You Did? (EMI America) COATI MUNDI: Como Esta Usted?
(Virgin) Two acts from the Kid Creole circus. I'm sure I'd enjoy The Coconuts single if could see them dancing to it. The song doesn't really stand up by itself even though it has all the hallmarks of an August Darnell production. Coati Mundi produces himself to better effect and if you want the latest slice of "Me No Pop I" salsa, here it is.
ELTON JOHN: I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues (Rocket) An old-fashioned, predictable weepie which is I guess why they called in Stevie Wonder to liven it up with his harmonica. I think Elton John ought to buck up his ideas: this isn't very inspired and I bet he knows it.
LANGUAGE: We're Celebrating (Stiff) Smart-arse white funk with a pompous vocal and a lot of corny wacka wacka guitar-playing. No reason for cracking open a bottle of fizz.
XTC: Great Fire (Virgin)
Eccentricity haunts the first XTC single in a long while, Starting off with a scratchy guitar and niggling alarm chime, a staunchly uplifting English pop tune soon establishes itself. After that it's uphill all the way, via a
psychedelic string arrangement too crashing finale. Impressively unfashionable.
HAZAN: Dreamer Devane (EMI) Nazia and Zoheb are Very Famous Indeed in India where this song was Number One for a staggering 13 months and singlehandedly created a kind of Indian disco music which hadn't existed before. For UK release the song has been rather fussily rerecorded by Sal Solo and, for the moment, Hazan seem to be more interesting as a phenomenon than as potential chart contenders.
HOT CHOCOLATE: What Kinda Boy You're Lookin' For (Girl) (RAK) I don't reckon this is up to the standard of "It Started With A Kiss" although it's another of Errol Brown's plucky love songs. Will it be yet another Hot Chocolate hit? I suppose that depends on what kinda record you're lookin' for.
BLUE ZOO: Forgive And Forget (Magnet) A tawdry mini-epic with Andy O desperately bawling a lot of words over a shabby stab at grandeur. All this and a free poster with every copy. A tragic waste of human resources.
CAVA CAVA: Burning Boy (Regard) You don't get a free poster with this one, which is more or less all that distinguishes it from the Blue Zoo single.
THE PALE FOUNTAINS:Palm Of My Hand (Virgin) The Fountains are in feisty form on their second Virgin release. A melancholy trumpet line leads into a positively rugged song by the Pale And Wan Ones' previous standards, Very un-Burt Bacharach. It is, however, somewhat let down by the thin and scratchy production for which Greg Walsh and ex-Associate Alan Rankine are credited.
INDEEP: When Boys Talk (Sound Of New York) Honestly! Men are only interested in one thing! That seems to be the complaint of Indeep's two girl singers and then Mike Clevland wades in with a throaty rap that confirms all their worst fears. It's all very reminiscent of "Last Night A DJ . . ." but still sounds like Indeep might have talked their way into the charts for a second stay.
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