9
Daily Nebraskan
Fun Coy Three, . .
Continued from Pace 8
For hicks further musicological information ska
isn't all that much like reggae. It's got that back-beat
syncopation, but is more primitive, festive, a goof It's
restless, not resigned. You can dance and dress to it like
a thrift-shop square, a member of the masses, not some
laid-back, beachside Utopian.
!CSnq,u-,taVr ,vcs and pu1chy Punctuation make ska
and FB3 ideal for Byrne to reline to an essence. The son
"lhe Pressure of Life (Takes Weight Off the Body)"
shows a Bowie-like purity, while "Things We Do" and
"Well Fancy That!", with their moving cello ana piano
bridges, are as good an Anglic ballad as the Jam's or the
Boomtown Rats'. But, always, the palpitating pulse and
the rabble-rousing spirit are lifoblood ska.
FB3 wrote nine of Waiting's 10 fine songs. The 10th
is no less interesting - the Go-Gos' "Our Lips Are
Sealed." slowed waaay down and syncopated, the original
licks translated to piano, Byrne's strumming sub-surface
tension, the backing vocals pressed to chants. The initial
effect is humor - especially when they loiter through the
impassioned passages. But the later effect of the masterly
dissection is appreciation for the ditty's persistent vitality.
You'll just have to hear it.
- David Wood
Pre-Cat Rockats
make mini-'Move'
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Make That Move
The Rockats
RCA
On the surface, this group may appear to be nothing
more than another Stray (Copy)Cat. However, in reality,
they have been around longer than the Stray Cats. In
fact, their last album, Live at the Ritz, was released
months before the Cats' first British LP came out. But,
since the Stray Cats were the first one on the charts, they
are seen as the prototype, and thus, everyone else imitates.
Which is a shame because, despite their similarities to
the other group, the Rockats are unique ensemble with
quite a bit to offer. Their newest effort, Make Tliat
Move, a mini-LP featuring six selections, bears this fact
out.
Side one is an attempt to bring rockabilly into the
'80s. A synthesizer, electric bass and full drum set can be
heard here, something considered taboo by most modern
rockabilly groups. Additionally, the songs are quite
wordy, rather than the usual repetitive, instrumental
dominated rockabilly fare. Also, there is gratefully not
one shout of "Go, cat, go" here.
The second side is more in the mainstream of rock
abilly music. It kicks off with the group's up-tempo
anthem, "Go Cat Wild" (which also preceded the Stray
Cats' "Strut" by a few years) and the ensuing songs
maintain the frantic pace. However, even these songs
sound different than most music in this genre. The
Rockats have chosen to do what previously few of their
contemporaries have even dreamed of - taking the
concept of rockabilly music one step further. This,
then, is what makes this group exciting to listen to.
This might be an appropriate moment to speak to
the question of the mini-LP, which is becoming more
and more common in record stores these days. Most
artists don't know how to approach this medium. Mini
LPs are too long to merely be passed off as singles, yet too
short for a full-blown album. The proper way to approach
this format would seem to be a to view it as a sampler,
a chance for new developing groups to get the vital feed
back gained only by a commercial release, without the
same commitment implicit in releasing a full-length
album.
The Rockats seem perfectly suited for this shorter
format. While they are not new, they are still in the
process of developing. Their past efforts have lacked the
pizzazz to sustain two entire sides, but here they seem
to have the freedom to do the number of songs they are
able to - no more, no less.
-Mike Frost
Bananarama album ideal
for summer cruisin'
Deep Sea Skiving
Bananarama
London (Polygram)
Just in time for summer cruisin' with the top down,
Bananarama's debut album has a great chance to become
this year's Beauty and the Beat. They deserve it. They
are better than the Go-Go's.
Bananarama is comprised of three female vocalists
(Sarah Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward)
who use various studio musicians for a backup band.
Paul Cook (ex-Sex Pistol) "discovered" them in 1982
after hearing their harmonies sift through his rehearsal
studio ceiling. He co-produced their First single, a swahili
chant called "Aie A Mvvana" that caught the British
press' fancy and the attention of the Fun Boy Three.
After a profitable symbiotic period with FB3 and the
Jam's Paul Weller, Bananarama had sufficiently ripened
for Deep Sea Skiving, their first long playing effort.
Bananarama has no fear of doing cover material.
Their st single contained the 1965 Velvelettes hit
"Really Sayin' Something" (also present on Skiving)
and their appearance on the Party Party soundtrack was
a cheery remake of the Sex Pistol's "No Future." On
Deep Sea Skiving they also re-do the Steam hit "Na Na
Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye."
My favorite cuts on the album are "Shy Boy," with
it's shoobee-doobee-do-wop feel (common on Skiving),
"Hey Young London," a Bo Diddley riff-alike, and sync
discopated "Doctor Love."
Deep Sea Skiving is strictly out for fun. Overall, the
album may not be as immediately accessible as (their
most obvious comparison) the Go-Go's, but it holds
more staying power. The use of African rhythms behind
the female chorus is Bananarama's trademark. This move
reduces the potential for overt "cuteness" that a song
like "Our Lips Are Sealed" might have. Deep Sea Skiving's
10 tunes are catchy, sexy and easy on the ears and brain.
H
Lit , rtt " -" k
Don't look for a deeper meaning in a Bananarama lyric.
As they put it, the trio took their fruity moniker be
cause "we just wanted a silly name that expressed enjoy
ment and lightheadedness."
Dedicated antiseriousness is just the ticket for a
summertime hit. Unless the sadly missed Tom Tom
Club resurfaces soon, Bananarama could be the pop
dance group you remember most from the summer of
'83. If it ever stops snowing, put the top down and
crank 'em up.
- Billy Shaffer
So says the VA...
Contact nearest VA office (Check your,
phone book) 01 a local veterans group.
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