33 EDITED BY TIM NICHOLSON PAUL HAIG THE COWBOY JUNKIES 'Chain' 'The Trinity Session' COOKING VINYL Paul Haig is an enigma, an anomoly. Roots label Cooking Vinyl do many He doesn't really fit in, he never has. wonderful things but are particularly He's been playing the type of Euro- good at raw recordings. Michelle synthi-pop to be found on this LP for Shocked's first LP was recorded or HOLLY JOHNSON several years to asmall but loyal aSony Walkman in afield, and this 'Blast' following. Now he's back with a LP by Canadians the Cowboy vengeance for another stab at the Junkies was made with one The return of Holly Johnson has floored many pop pickers, who couldn't imagine charts, and the hearts, of the nation. microphone, £200 and asingle 14- what the cute little boss-eyed Liverpudlian had to offer the world aside from an The first track, 'Something Good', hour day in the Church of the Holy over-ambitious voice and anice line in rubber cycling shorts. 'Blast', featuring the is agreat pop song, pure and simple, Trinity in Toronto. joyous 45s 'Love Train' and 'Americanos', proves Holly has a perfect grasp on the and should have been the hit he These beautifully simple and components that go to make the very best pop music. deserves. The second is a strong, resonant acoustics give extra power 'Blast' blasts off with atake-no-prisoners, Green epic entitled 'Atomic City', in soulful ballad called 'True Blue' (Blue, (as if it's needed) to the pure and which Holly bemoans the loss of the ozone layer in exchange for money and incidentally, appears to be Paul's fave cool emotion of singer Margo 'process'. A bombastic and rather pompous entrance, but probably a blessing that colour. In fact, Ithink it's his fave Timmins, who, in the quietest way, it wasn't used as some kind of climactic closer. 'Atomic City' raises an iron word). Track three, then, is areal totally dominates this record. It curtain on nine flashy, funny, good-natured pop songs that have sunlight shining disappointment, avery old-fashioned includes both their own songs and out of every orifice. 'Heaven's Here' is aglistening fountain of loveliness and, sounding electro -bop called what have been described as "epic following on from the glittery suit of 'Americanos' and the beach towels of 'Deep 'Communication'. A couple of the minimalist covers" — the songs are In Love', 'SUCCESS.' pokes two fingers in the eyes of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and other tracks are also just too obvious massively powerful, but use the their 'Sex, Fun, Failure' formula. and not modern enough. But it's sparsest of arrangements. Lou Reed Side two pulls out of the sidings with 'Love Train', acelebratory love song that worth a little suffering because, by described their cover of his song, boasts the broadest smile ever to grace the charts. 'Got It Made' slips up another side two, he's back on form with 'Sweet Jane' as "the most authentic gear to become the obvious choice for the next single (along with most of this some more powerful pop. version I've ever heard". LP, to be honest), then back down into second for 'Love Will Come', aslowie The nasal voice, European feel and An album to stop you in your with an itchy accelerator foot. 'Perfume', which follows, is aclever stab at funky deceptively simple song construction tracks.BIIRR Roger Pebody brass, which is less '1999' than it is 'Sussudio', but then Holly is more Phil Collins are what make the Haig sound than he is Prince. distinctive and, for better or for CRIME AND THE CITY The laconic, graceful 'Feel Good' puts 'Blast' to bed, continuing the album's worse, mark him out as aman on his SOLUTION recurring in-love-with-love theme. As the song fades, the urge is to go back to own. Haig is an individual, an acquired 'The Bride Ship' the beginning for a re-run of arecord that likes itself as much as it likes you. A taste. Get this record and get to blast is indeed what it is. MIMI Tim Nicholson know him well. Mann Chris Crime And The City Solution (crap Mellor name, kiddoes) make pretty epic records, but the Alarm, U2 and moods that knit together to tell the this coming. House music you can't story of his life from quizzical child to Simple Minds they surely ain't. dance to. House music for the CD cynical adult. generation. New Age house. 'The Bride Ship' (neat title), with Mr Fingers is Larry Heard, BEE GEES its massive, timeless soundscapes and His first LP of new songs since '86's dubious 'Big World', 'Blaze Of Glory' moving force behind Chicago's 'One' allusions to the sea ("I'm asinging is typical Jackson — all jazz-tinged Fingers Inc, and his signs were man, I'm asinking man" on 'The That tub-thumping drumbeat that ran Dangling Man' being the best) is fairly Sixties brass, string-swamped already there on the group's through 'You Win Again', makes a stirring stuff. Take agander at the sentimentality and glimpses of pub 'Another Side' LP from last year, resurgence on this LP's opening track, rock theatrics — but done with a looped mood tracks tucked cover, featuring Thomas Cole's 'Ordinary Lives'. It's worth 'Course Of Empire — Destruction', greater confidence and richness. between Robert Owens' deep mentioning, because without it the and you already have an inkling of From the rock of the opener, singing. This double goes further. A song would fit quite snugly into the 'Tomorrow's World', we travel what's to come. lot further. 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack. In through the northern soul and Stax Revamped earlier tracks 'Bye Bye' On 'Keepsake' there's astorm other words, the Gibbs' songwriting exuberance of 'Me And You (Against brewing, Bronwyn Adams' violin a and 'Mystery Of Love' set the scene approach hasn't altered much over The World)' and 'Down To London', hint of melancholia that slides beneath of mellow tones and textures, warm the decade. That said, the title track complete with tambourine and soaring Simon Bonney's anguished anxiety basslines and freeform keyboard is excellent! This is where, rather than backing vocals. Things turn sombre work reminiscent of the most attacks. 'Free World' and 'New trying to evoke 'modernity' by jacking and atmospheric for 'Sentimental unhinged modern jazz. 'The Juice' World' offer some kind of storyline, the drum sound up, the brothers Thing', where Jackson's classical carries on the disjointed rhythm of tieing some hope (of a 'land of milk training creates an orchestrated jewel 'Washing Machine', an early acid actually get down, get a little bit of and honey') to the air of despair but funk between their toes. more at home on asoundtrack. 'Evil it remains as dark, as bristling, as blueprint included here alongside Empire' plays host to some political the evergreen mellow house classic The ballad 'Bodyguard' is crafted in thunderstruck as ever. As near to reflections, meandering acoustic 'Can You Feel It'. This is the real the manner of alot of modern 'white devastating as they've ever been. soul', amere reminder that it was the guitars and nimble congas before ••U/4 Tony Beard deep house, and it's all untouched Bee Gees that did this sort of thing Jackson enters the Eighties with the by human voice. Yet among the first, and the other real stand-out JOE JACKSON plodding dance splendour and sampled obvious new age references of track is side two's 'Wish You Were 'Blaze Of Glory' voices of 'Discipline'. 'Stars', 'Waterfalls' and 'Beyond The Here'. This is aclassic mid-tempo 'Blaze Of Glory' is Jackson back to Clouds' there's aschizophrenic number in the tradition of 'How I'd always thought leaving the Jackson his adventurous and ambitious force at work which can also Deep Is Your Love'. Five was a bad career move, but Joe's best. BNB• Kevin Murphy produce titles like 'Slam Dance' and In between the goodies, or course, gone and proved me wrong once 'Let's Dance All Night'. is more padding than you'd find on an again. 'Amnesia' is the logical step MFI sofa. But it'll take more than a More than ten years after the MR FINGERS onwards, not sideways, from acid. few duff fillers to rid our screens of endearing eccentricity of 'Is She Really 'Amnesia' It's remarkable and these grinning goons. 11133 David Going Out With Him' Jackson's JACK I1-tA •JJ irresistible.3311.1 Phil Giles compiled another diverse collection of We ought, 1suppose, to have seen Cheeseman .