Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Saturday, 11 Apr 1992 09:21:44 EDT
From: M.A. Murphy <MURPH@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: alt.music.alternative
Subject: Re: Bands and labels you may have never heard of...
 <92100.171822MURPH@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>

In article <92100.171822MURPH@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>, M.A. Murphy <MURPH@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> says:
>
>In article <1992Apr3.205356.1607@cmcl2.nyu.edu>, olsonr@acf3.nyu.edu (Ron the arboard Box) says:
>C
>>
>>I was going through my CD collection and decided to post some of these
>>groups to see if they strike any chords in people other than myself. A
>>
>I've heard of all but a couple of the groups you mentioned.  I have
>recordings by most of them.
>
>>Uncle Green - What an Experiment his Head Was
>>(DB Recs)
>>
>>The JayHawks - Blue Earth
>>(Twin Tone)
>>
>
>I have reviews of each of the above albums available if anyone's
>interested.

I have been asked to post these, so here they are.  I've included a
review of UG's 2nd album _You_ as well.  UG's major label debut
album (Atlantic Recs) should be out now.

========================================================================

                                       He's the Man
You                                    Time to Make Demands
Uncle Green                            Pass it By
Producer: Brendan O'Brien         T    Terrified
Engineer: Brendan O'Brien         R    Vulnerability
DB Records DB94                   A    At Least I've Got You
Released: 1989                    C    The Suspense is Killing Me
Total Time: 45:14                 K    Leave it Alone
Source - CD                       S    I Wonder Why
                                       A Word of Advice
Rating - ****                          You
                                       Permanent Love

   Just what  is it that  makes a recording  special?   What is  it that
allows old ideas to be presented along with new ones, and they all sound
fresh?

   Between the pop  hooks,  killer guitar riffs  and simple,  meaningful
lyrics of _You_, we must ask ourselves the above questions.   _You_ is a
special recording,  though  Uncle Green don't do anything  all that new,
unusual or radical.   Indeed,  these twelve tunes are rooted in the mid-
period Beatles and the band has similarities to the Smithereens, another
band heavily influenced by the Beatles.

   Again, what makes this so special?   Well,  attitude and material are
good things to point to on _You_.    The band's attitude can be observed
as a sum  of the parts -  ie the band has  taken care to provide  a fine
recording while still managing to put  across both feeling and warmth in
their performance.  Their material, while perhaps not 'classic', is much
better than average and there are several killer tracks here - "He's the
Man", "Pass it By", "At Least I've Got You", "You" and "Permanent Love".
Highly recommended!

========================================================================

                                       I Always Knew You'd Come to Me
What An Experiment His Head Was        I Don't Know (I Just Wish)
Uncle Green                            I Don't Wanna Know About it
Producer: Brendan O'Brien         T    I'm Goin' Down
Engineer: Brendan O'Brien         R    The Deal of a Lifetime
DB Records DB 99                  A    Like Today
Released: 1991                    C    Guilty Party
Total Time: 47:50                 K    By the Way (Not Even Then)
Source - CD (??D)                 S    Misfit Mouth
                                       Ephenus
Rating - ****                          I Won't Let it Drop
                                       Don't Fix it if it Works
                                       Jack A-Drum

   _What An  Experiment His  Head Was_  follows Uncle  Green's excellent
1989 album _You_,   which garnered critical praise and  solid airplay on
college radio.    _What An Experiment His  Head Was_ is a  collection of
rocking pop tunes,  similar in style  to some mid-period Beatles.  Track
two "I Don't Know (I Just Wish)" would have fit nicely on the _Revolver_
album, or even _Rubber Soul_ or _The Beatles_.  Though there are obvious
Beatles similarities and derivations,  what makes this another excellent
Uncle Green album is their own originality - their lyrics,  their ideas,
their musicianship. They manage to forge their own distinctive sound.

   Uncle Green don't do anything particularly fancy. Their approach is a
straight ahead rock attack - bass,  drums,  guitars,  vocals (they use a
mellotron on some of the tracks).  They  move easily from pop ("I Always
Knew  You'd Come  to Me")   to pop  psychedelia ("Like  Today")  and  an
occasional harder rocking tune ("I Don't Wanna Know About it").

   While there's a lot of subtle stylistic shifting going on here, there
is a sense of sameness on all 13 tracks. But if you're only listening to
Uncle Green for  their "sound" then you're missing  out.   Uncle Green's
lyrics are what really  drive this album.   Uncle Green don't  get up on
any soapboxes  and make  grandiose political  statements.  Their  lyrics
don't always make literal sense ("a blaze in the basement, it rise up an
artery/ You scramble the input to blend with the scenery/The blur of the
landscape,  the burst of a symphony/You spit up a phrase that results in
tragedy").  But the lyrics are well crafted  to the tunes and often make
subtle,   poignant  observations  ("Slipping  in  between  her  legs  he
decides/It's a good place to be, it's a great place to hide"). Sometimes
their lyrics just make  you ("In a desolate and dangerous  place/ With a
French poodle as your guide/Representing the human race") wonder . . .

========================================================================

Blue Earth
The Jayhawks                           Two Angels
Producers: Jim Rondinelli, Tom         She's Not Alone Anymore
           Herbers & The Jayhawks T    Will I Be Married
Engineers: Dale Goulett, Tom      R    Dead End Angel
           Herbers & Jeff Bjork   A    Commonplace Streets
Twin Tone TTR 89151-1             C    Ain't No End
Released: 1989                    K    Five Cups of Coffee
Total Time: 41:47                 S    The Baltimore Sun
Source - LP                            Red Firecracker
                                       Sioux City
Rating - ****                          I'm Still Dreaming, Now I'm Yours

   _Blue Earth_ will probably take a few  spins to really dig in and get
under your  skin.   When  it does,   this innocuous-seeming,   pleasant,
country/folk/rock album will surround you, engulf you, and start on that
intravenous feed.   Once inside,  it'll grab hold of some of those vital
organs (heart, lungs)  with tracks like "She's Not Alone Anymore",  "Red
Firecracker" and "Commonplace Streets".

   The Jayhawks cast a worldly, world-weary eye and perspective on life,
the universe and a  bowl of chili.   Tracks that capture  this feel most
effectively are "Dead  End Angel",  "Commonplace Streets"  and "Ain't No
End".   Lead vocalist  and chief songwriter Mark  Olson's slightly reedy
vocals and his seeming off-hand delivery emphasize the perspective.

   So,  what's this  distinctive band doing coming out  of the Minnesota
twin-cities tundra, more well known for their purples (Vikings & Prince)
or their "underground" rock (Replacements, Husker Du)?  Your guess is as
good as mine...  Perhaps they like the challenge of winning over a tough
audience.  The Jayhawks got their start playing local rock clubs.   They
were also instrumental in opening the eyes and ears of Minneapolis' West
Bank clubs, that were traditionally conservative and R&B-only,  in 1985.
Shortly after that  they released an eponymous debut  album on Bunkhouse
Records, which garnered them pockets of critical acclaim.

========================================================================
-------

                                            Murph

                                            Michael A. Murphy
                                            MURPH@MAINE.BITNET

If you do not understand my silence
you will not understand my words.