Madonna personalizes tracks
MADONNA From Page 6
ual Madonna. The intense rhythm and
tunkv beat mix with Madonna singing
about the joys of family life in the
postmodern age.
’ When I look back on all the mis
cry/And all the heartache that they
brought to mc/I wouldn’t change it for
another chance/’Cause blood is
thicker than any other circumstance,”
sings Madonna, seemingly at peace
with her estranged family at last.
Against a classical guitar and
trumpet, Madonna once again dons
her mantilla on ‘‘Spanish Eyes” to
tell the story of a young girl waiting
for her matador lover to return. Vo
cally, ‘‘Spanish Eyes” is one of the
best tracks, as Madonna smoothly
protests the futility of blood sports and
machismo.
The album’s last track, “Act of
Contrition, ’ is a short instrumental
piece. Madonna eerily whispers
“Hail Mary’’ beside an ovcrsampled
choir while a guitar screeches apoca
lyptically in the background. The re
sult is a New Age Prince-like elec
tronic absolution.
“Like a Prayer” is not an easy
album to sum up. Songs like the title
track and “Cherish” are the kind of
pop traditionally linked with Ma
donna. Yet the album isn’t as easily
accessible as, say, “Like a Virgin” or
“True Blue.”
Either “Like a Prayer” is going to
have two or three hits and a lot of dis
appointed buyers, or it’s going to be
what lifts Madonna above poppy/
boppy music completely.
Animotion makes their return, with
a monotonous feeling of mediocrity
By Lisa Donovan
Senior Reporter
Animotion
Animotion
Polydor
Animotion has returned with some
new band members, a new album and
what band members like to call, a new
sound, but its not much different from
what’s already on the radio.
albums-:
The various stories about the trials
and tribulations of love are put to
digital melody. One would think with
all the technological advances, there
would be more avenues for creativity.
But Animotion drives over the bend of
mediocrity.
The first song “Room to Move” is
one of the songs from the motion
picture, “My Stepmother is an
Alien.”
A typical movie song, “Room to
Move” combines a repetitive beat
with simple lyrics, about a lover who
is asking her partner for some lime
apart.
It definitely screams Top 40.
There’s no denying, “Room to
Move” contains a fun disco beat that
will surely be devoured by local radio
stations.
Although it seemed promising in
“Room to Move,” newcomer Cyn
thia Rhodes’ voice really sounds
amateurish in “Calling it Love.’’ She
whines out the song about a woman
who claims she needs the security of a
relationship, but is bored with the
whole thing.
“Calling it lovc/Causc I’m too
scared to say/lct’s call it a day.”
The message is clear, but Rhodes’
voice isn’t. Her noticeable lacking
vibrato makes this song difficult to
stomach. To add to this, the undaring
and rather boring contr ibution by yet
another newcomer, Don Kirkpatrick,
guitar contribution in “Calling it
Love” may move listeners to call this
one bad.
Thenexteut,“Ground0” ...well,
the name says it all.
“Message of Love” is yet another
yawner. This slow song is nothing but
just that, slow. The slory/pocm is
geared more to the junior high, early
high school audience. It is basically
the story of how a middle-aged man
will capture the heart of the woman he
loves, even ifjic doesn’t know her.
“Send It Over,” the final cut on
side A is really the only song that
sounds like old Animolion. The writh
ing sound of the keyboards gives it
just a tinge of the group’s 1984 debut
single “Obsession.”
As for Side B, the creators of this
album should have done everyone a
favor and ended with side A.
“Do Like I Do,” sung by originals
Greg Smith (keyboards) and Don
Kirkpatrick (guitars) sounds like John
Parr. This annoying piece of drivel is
three minutes and 42 seconds too
long.
The fast grooving sound of “Best
Mistake” is yet another mistake that
adds to this less than mediocre LP.
“House of Love” commences
with an unusual mystical keyboard
manipulation, but the letdown once
again comes with the lyrics and ac
companiment.
“The Way Into Your Heart” is the
story of a woman who tries to con
vince her untrusting lover that she
doesn’t want his material goods, she
just wants to know the way to his
heart.
And no neo-disco group could
complete a cheesy album without a
Hollywood remix. No less than a
remix of “Room to Move.” Members
finished with what they started, but
undeniably, the album “Animotion”
didn’t have much to start with.
This trendy new LP, hopefully
won’t merit much airplay on even the
worst Top 40 stations.
The best advice to consumers:
Don’t buy the album.
The best advice to Animotion:
Perhaps next lime, Animotion should
seek out some real musicians -- not
musician wanna-be’s.
‘Strange kind of love’ lacks character despite talent
B> Kelly Anders
Suit Reporter
Love and Monev
Strange Kind ol Love
Mercury
Members of the pop group Love
anil Money arc undoubtedly accom
plished musicians. Their artistic capa
bilities. however, are questionable.
albfuit-^
Love and Money consists of James
Grant on electric and acoustic guitars
and lead vocals, Bobby Paterson on
bass guitar, Paul McGecchan on key
boards and piano Tcff Porcaro on
drums, Ronnie Goouman on percus
sion, Paul “Smilemaker” Griffin on
clavinci, Don Brooks on harmonica
and Dave Tofani, Ronnie Cuber,
Dave Bargeron and Lou Sollof on
horns.
Whew! What a list. One would
think that with all that variety their
album, “Strange Kind of Love,”
would really cook. But no.
The old saying “too many cooks
spoil the pot” really applies in this
ease. Various styles arc mixed and
mismatched and very few of the styles
blend well, if at all.
All the songs arc well-executed but
they’re so safe and bland. They sound
pleasant but they lack life.
“Halleluiah Man” opens the al
bum. It has an R & B sound reminis
cent of that of British pop group Curi
osity Killed the Cat (without the
charm and personality).
Come to think of it that’s another
problem with this group — they sound
too much like everyone else and not
enough like themselves, whatever
that sound is.
“Shape of Things To Come” fol
lows. It’s another pretty good mid
tempo pop tunc. It really possesses no
characteristics that make it stand out
in any way, except for a Santana
sounding guitar solo.
One of the best songs on the album
is “Jocelyn Square,” an easy-listen
ing mid-tempo song. It’s blah, but
pleasant-sounding. Grant even shows
some signs of life, varying some notes
from those used in other songs on the
album.
Yet another pleasant surprise is the
side two opener, “Walk the Last
Mile.’’ It’s a mellow rock song that
possesses some pretty decent vocals,
bass, keyboard sounds and even some
folksy guitar licks. Should anyone
decide to buy the album, this song is
the only reason to do so.
“Razorsedge” is a techno
rocker’s dream. The catchy beat and
complex rhythm actually incite finger
tapping. Hark, is there actually a
dance tunc on this thing? Admittedly,
yes. This album docs have its mo
ments.
There’s Spanish-style guitar ga
lore on one of the last cuts, “Inflam
mable,” but it’s wasted. The mem
bers don’t incorporate it for any artis
tic reason. It’s just there, seemingly
thrown in for variety’s sake.
Members of Love and Money
should rename their group “Love of
Money” because this dull ensemble
sure seems to be making ‘‘music’’ for
the pocket’s sake rather than for art’s
sake.
In the technical sense they’re quite
good. Maybe they should all give up
on the group idea and become studio
musicians.
Album mixes moral messages with solid rock
By Tom Koperski
Staff Reporter
Tesla
“ I he Great Radio Controversy”
Geffin Records
Tesla’s “The Great Radio Contro
versy*’ is bound to cause controversy
in ihc unscrupulous radio business
uorld because of its moralistic mes
sage.
i he title comes from the group’s
first album, ‘‘Mechanical Reso
nance.’’ The first album’s message
saul businesses in this world are as
cold as machines and have no feelings
- including the radio industry, which
was portrayed as evil money-hungry
businessmen.
The new album portrays different
things in the world as evil and says
that having morals is the only way to
combat them.
The five-member New York
based group is starling to make a name
with its excellent guitars, drums and
live presentation. The group has
opened up for big acts like Def Lep
pard, David Lee Roth, Night Ranger
and Alice Cooper.
Tesla’s latest video, “Heaven’s
Trail (No Way Out),’’ is about a man
who lives in a world of evil. His only
escape is to take the path of good.
The listener is led through this
story by well-executed electric guitar
riffs in the background which come to
a climax when the man finds his es
cape route.
The musicianship and message
makes this the best song on the album.
The video has received a lot of MTV
prime air time.
“Be A Man” effectively uses gui
tar solos and vocals. The singer says
fancy clothes and money do not make
a man; it takes giving constant love
and understanding to his family. A
man should also “always give a help
ing hand,’ ’ to someone in need. A nice
sentiment, but only a sentiment in
today's world.
“Did It For The Money,” talks of
people giving into the temptation of
inoncy/evil and the means in which
:hey go about to get it, such as prosti
i
union and stealing. The song is en
hanced by the mixture of guitars and
drums in a series of peaks and lulls.
“Love Song,” from Side B, uses
acoustic guitar in the beginning to
portray a relationship and breakup.
Then, an electric guitar takes over to
represent the two people thinking
about what has happened. The two
guitars combine in the end to say,
“Love will find a way,” and the two
people will reunite. An excellent
combination of music and vocals
makes this the best song on Side B.
Overall, the album is solid hard
rock, and the band shows expert musi
cianship and well-written lyrics that
arc in touch with today’s world.
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