CLINTON ST. QUARTERLY le a p in l i z a r d s , i t ’s . . By Michael W. Adelsheim Every few years, the rock ’n’ roll public is faced with an especially charismatic young vocalist whose rhythm and blues inflections — either vocal or physical — shock some and thrill others. Often this young artist becomes a dominant force in music. Of course, the first such rock ’n’ roll singer was Elvis Presley, and, with four or five others, Presley stands as the rock ’n’ roll archetype. The British Invasion of the early ’60’s soon divided into the pop side (exemplified by the Beatles), and the r ’n’ b side (enter the Rolling Stones). Of the British r *n’ b movement, Van Morrison, the lead singer of a band called Them, was another primary vocalist. Parenthetically, Bob Dylan came along to influence both the pop and the r ’n ’ b camps of popular music, but his sound was closer to that of the Stones. Suddenly, a lot of teenage white boys began developing their own growls, howls, and screams; voice training was out. Somehow, these r ’n’ b-rooted singers keep appearing, seeming to be totally out of sync with any other trend in rock. While recently gaining critical favor, performers of this ilk have been denied inclusion in either the “ New Wave” or “ Punk” camps in spite of the fact that they too utilize basic rock ’n ’ roll forms. No one has yet advanced a definitive phrase to label these artists even though there are lots of them around. So, let me suggest the term, “ Angry Young Men” . I t’s a phrase that’s short and familiar, and every word fits these artists’ intentions and pretensions. Use of this definition might allow some folkies to sneak in (disguised as Dylan followers possibly), but that’s no big deal. We’re talking about rock ’n’ roll. There are four archetypal stylists — prime movers if you will — for this new-found genre: the aforementioned Dylan, Jagger, and Morrison, with Bruce Springsteen joining them by force of his personality. Among current artists, Elvis Costello and Joe Strummer of The Clash have the most hope of meeting these four at the top. Since the beginning of the Eighties, several important albums by Angry Young Men have been released. Below, these albums are rated in the manner of Robert Christgau, famous columnist for the Village Voice whose “ Consum er’s Gu ide” is necessary reading for anyone seriously interested in the breadth of today’s music. Like Christgau, this writer has given each album a letter grade from D- (unredeemable trash) to A + (music nirvana). (Any album in the C range and below is best bought only by friends and relatives of the artist.) Unlike Christgau, I don’t dock a record points for brevity since if a record feels whole, it’s long enough. (The new Stones and Dylan albums which are still unreleased are not included here.) Elvis Costello and the Attractions Get Happy! Columbia Records JC 36347 Elvis Costello, easily the angriest of these young men, is rock’s true successor to the amphetamine fueled putdowns of Dylan’s electric period. With his emotions dominated by insecurities, Costello has chosen an artistic stance to fit, with his “ love” songs evincing neither love for another nor for himself. But this is no simple case of white, male mysogyny; Elvis hates men as much as he hates women. Luckily, as was the case with Dylan, one can stand clear of the blast, and plumb Costello’s lyrics for words of wisdom. Or one can ignore “ meaning” , and simply dig the beat. Elvis and company often rock as hard as the purest punkers, but are unafraid of variety — even country roots show through a time or two. The voice can be as hard as a gangster, or as adenoidal as a teenage loser. Produced again by Nick Lowe, Get Happy!! contains twenty songs fitted to one piece of vinyl, which is a bit too much. Really, none of Costello’s new work matches the diabolical power of his previous stuff, and on American vinyl especially, the production is murky. A very good, consistent record by an artist whose failures rank higher than most people’s successes. AThe J. Geiis Band Love Stinks EMI-American SOO17016 The J. Geiis Band was once supposed to become the next Rolling Stones (which is what critics call any blues and r ’n* b purist band that slowly turns pop), even getting some Top 40 AM radio action from their fourth album. Despite the premium on a lead vocalist who can make the gossip columns and still cut loose with an impressive scream (Peter Wolf), and despite the presence of a genuine harmonica hero (Magic Dick), the J. Geiis Band had seemed to settle into middle aged obscurity. Love Stinks, a blend of old r ’n’ b with various pop influences, has provided Geiis with an upsurge to get excited about, with a monster rockdisco cut, “ Come Back” , leading the way. In addition, the teenage desire of “ Just Can’t Wait” and the coy boogie woogie tune, “ Till The Walls Come Tumblin’ Down” show the surprisingly varied ends of their vocal spectrum. And the long bluesy, “ Tryin’ Not To Think About It” proves they haven’t forgotten. B + Their versatility of styles is very well held together by J. Geils-ness. Ian Hunter Welcome To The Club Chrysalis CH21269 Hunter, a longtime Dylanesque rocker from the English side of the Atlantic, has worked as checkered a career as anyone. Three years after their first record, the Hunter-led Mott The Hoople had to be saved from breaking up by David Bowie (in 1972, he gave them a song). Then the band lost Mick Ralphs, and that was the beginning of the end. Same hard luck in a solo career. Fittingly, this period saw Hunter forming a partnership with another musician whose career was touched by Bowie, guitarist Mick Ronson. Together, Hunter and Ronson have fashioned an earnest and thoughtful brand of rock ’n’ roll, as found in last year’s comeback, You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic. This particular document was recorded at the end of the ensuing tour, but unfortunately, its performances are flat and merely competent even though the material represents most of the high points of Hunter’s work. But side four was recorded live in a studio, and what a difference! “ We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” , an incendiary rocker with guest vocals by Ellen Foley, and “ Man ‘o’ War” , a cheerily raucous brag, provide the new material the rest of the album needed. This writer’s point of view was warped by a record collection containing the original versions of Hunter’s work, but it’s doubtful that The Future Is Now $1.00 OFF till September 1 on ALL regularly priced records (w ith this coupon) LONGHAIR "V X T OPEN TIL MIDNIGHT 40 Collages by Kim Honer
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