SEE Magazine
Issue #393: June 14, 2001
Copyright © 2001. All Rights Reserved

Music SPINS - CD REVIEWS by SEE Staff · Old 97’s · Satellite Rides · Elektra One killer track (King of All the World) and a veritable slew of the kind of country rock that made Jr. Gone Wild the best band in the damn country catapults these alt-country veterans ahead of the pack. There’s no resting on laurels here; the songwriting is assured and flexible, moving from strength to strength. From the mid-tempo Buick City Complex to the irresistible pull of Am I Too Late and Can’t Get A Line, the Old 97’s submit a deceptively casual mastery of pop/rock structures. Part of this lies in the off-handed charm of Rhett Miller’s singing voice, which manages to suggest wry befuddlement crossed with high humor, not unlike Howe Gelb or Paul Westerberg. The back cover suggests Sloan crossed with the Who, but one line says it all: "I got a book of poems you gotta see to believe." –Tom Murray · Chick Corea New Trio · Past, Present and Futures · Stretch/Concord Jazz The title itself is enough to make you wary – there’s just a touch of that flakiness about it that has shadowed pianist Corea throughout his career and has resulted in some of the godawfulest electro-jazz ever committed to magnetic tape. Now, to give credit where it’s owed, Corea has made some magnificent jazz recordings as leader and sideman, but vacuous jazz-pap is not outside his ken either. Some of Corea’s sappy tendencies are still in evidence in his new trio – what would you expect from compositions called Jitterbug Waltz and Cloud Candy? – but the man hasn’t lasted four decades just on the charity of listeners. He’s smart enough to complement his talents with great sidemen and it’s the bass of Avishai Cohen and the drums of Jeff Ballard that redeem his most saccharine moments and Past, Present and Futures. Tough, nimble playing from the rhythm section makes the most of Corea’s agility while adding a counterpoint to his cloying spells. The jittery Rhumba Flamenco and the opening Fingerprints are perfect examples of jaw-dropping unison play and thrilling solo sections spun out of not-surpassingly-memorable tunes. Maybe they should call the band the Ballard/Cohen Trio with special guest Chick Corea, so as not to put off any potential listeners. –Scott Lingley · Bran Van 3000 · Discosis · Virgin This is the album we’ve been waiting for, ever since their pre-millenium pop hit, Drinking In LA, rippled across borders and oceans. Having grabbed the ears of the world, BV3K had to go bigger and better – and they have. With a handful of the original music collective, Montreal's James DiSalvio has cut and pasted, paraphrased, and parodied through an entire album of hooky disco, catchy electro-pop, hip-hop, funk and almost everything else, but with more consistency and direction than on their debut, Glee. He introduces some impressive new members to his club, too: Youssou N'Dour, Momus, Emm Gryner, and Badar Ali Khan, amongst others. He even snagged Ric Ocasek to help out on production. If you've ever seen DiSalvio's boyish grin, then you have a fair idea of how this album sounds. And that's part of what makes this CD so charismatic – you can hear the performers' enjoyment in every track. Another part is the cleverness of the songsmith himself. Lyrically and musically, DiSalvio creates Canadiana with a global appeal. Discosis is going to take DiSalvio and company on another intercontinental ride, this time with the blessing of some big backers. –Mike Hogan · Llama Farmers · El Toppo · Beggars Banquet Records Why is it that British guitar bands, during interviews or in press releases, so often feel compelled to compare their sound to that of Hüsker Dü – it’s as if they hope that by saying it often enough, someone might just start to believe it. But that doesn't mean that you should. If judged against any Hüsker album, this is shite, mate. However, when held up against many of their label mates and countrymen, the Llama Farmers show that they know which distortion pedal they should be stepping on to add some ragged edges to their well-developed pop sensibilities. El Toppo contains a nice mix of jangly stuff, including songs similar to ones written by those nasty Gallagher boys, except much more interesting. In fact, there is a definite tracking pattern that intersects many of the best Brit-bands, starting with mid-80s Love and Rockets and continuing through the Charlatans UK and Oasis. In a parallel universe, maybe the kids (and critics) swoon over the Llama Farmers while Radiohead quietly goes about their business. –Dr. Sean Sanders · Cowboy Junkies · Open · Universal Oof! So this is some sort of "fuck you" to Geffen Records, who didn't do enough to promote Miles From Our Home? The Geffeners must be fucking in the streets in their sadness over not having to work this little number. Urgh! All the songs seem at least double the length they claim, awash as they are in ambient guitar noodling, rhythmic excursions, and ooooooh-soooooo mooooaaannny, breathless vocals. Argh! I thought I liked the Cowboy Junkies! Why then does Open sound like nothing other than a slow, cancerous death to me? –Craig Elliott

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