Music Reviews

Jon Brion recently grasped a long-overdue foothold in the eyes of the mainstream music-buying public with his instrumental score for Magnolia, but that is far from this artist’s first good effort.

Still not yet release by Atlantic, Brion’s solo debut Meaningless showcases his deft pop songwriting ability. Brion’s style made him a particularly good fit (and foil) for Jason Falkner when both were members of the one-album-wonder group The Grays. Brion tends to play more toward the acoustic, not-quite-so-elaborately-produced aesthetic, which is fine, but his best songs on Meaningless are the ones which are textured and multi-layered. “Gotta Start Somewhere”, appropriately enough, kicks things off. Other highlights include the Beatlesque “Walking Through Walls” (the best song I’ve heard this year) and the quirky “Her Ghost”.

Meaningless is still awaiting release by Atlantic’s Lava label (this review was written from listening to an advance copy), but it’ll be a worthwhile find. Connisseurs of pure pop music (the real thing in the tradition of Lennon, McCartney, Lynne and Rundgren, not the canned variety that passes for Top 40 fodder these days) should make the effort to find this one.

1. Gotta Start Somewhere (4:15)
2. I Believe She’s Lying (3:28)
3. Meaningless (3:24)
4. Ruin My Day (3:50)
5. Walking Through Walls (5:43)
6. Trouble (3:28)
7. Hook, Line And Sinker (4:26)
8. Dead To The World (2:24)
9. Her Ghost (4:10)
10. The Same Mistakes (1:59)
11. Voices (7:34)

Released by: Atlantic / Lava
Release date: never released (advance preview disc was sent out in 1999)
Total running time: 44:48

One of the Firesigns said it best in this CD’s liner notes when he noted that the Republican reign of the 1980s, along with the advent of yuppies and generally wide-spread consumer greed, was not the kind of atmosphere in which the Firesign Theatre could ever hope to flourish. He was absolutely right. The exact words used were anti-surrealist politics, and it’s certainly fitting. The Firesigns sounded hopelessly out of place as they grasped for an 80s perspective on things. Though they’re still amusing, the best material here are the musical interludes, not the sketch comedy, and even so, pieces such as the hard-rocking song “Violent Juvenile Freaks” and the hysterical swinging tune “Hey, Reagan” just aren’t up to the standards that I associate with the Firesigns. It was definitely time for a rest.

written by and starring Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman and Phil Proctor

1. The Bozos Song (5:46)
2. The Four Gobs (4:31)
3. The 8 Shoes (1:44)
4. In the Hot Tub (3:11)
5. Hey, Reagan (3:37)
6. In the War Zone (1:47)
7. Oh, Afghanistan (4:02)
8. In the Alley (1:35)
9. Violent Juvenile Freaks (4:22)
10. In the Hot Tub, Again (1:45)
11. This Bus Won’t Go To War (3:36)
12. Jimmy Carter (bonus track) (2:51)

Released by: Mobile Fidelity
Release date: 1980
Total running time: 38:47

This two-disc set of rarities, B-sides, unreleased cuts, soundtrack one-offs and live performances span the whole gamut of the membership of Split Enz over 18 years. From the earliest solo/side projects of former Enzers to recent works, Other Enz is, contrary to what one Amazon.com reviewer says, a very nice find for any Enz fanz or, for that matter, fans of Crowded House or either of the Finn Brothers. Billing it as nothing more than a Split Enz-centric collection almost limits this collection’s appeal too much. Highlights include some early Tim Finn solo tunes, two very hard-to-find Crowded House tunes (a cover of The Zombies’ “She’s Not There” from the soundtrack for The Crossing and a live performance of their well-loved cover of Hunters & Collectors’ “Throw Your Arms Around Me”), and vastly more obscure items such as solo singles by Noel Crombie, ex-bassist Malcolm Green, and founding guitarist Phil Judd. Offshoot bands such as Citizens’ Band, The Makers, and Schnell Fenster are also represented.

A couple of the tracks (The Swingers’ “A Certain Sound” and Tim Finn’s rough demo of “They Won’t Let My Girlfriend Talk To Me”) are sourced from recordings that have quite obviously seen better days…but does that really matter when there’s really no other way we’d ever hear them? Overall, Other Enz is very good listening, and sequenced in a logical progression through the years and various band members’ careers. One also gets a hint, from skimming through the musician credits for each track, how often the former Enzers reunite to collaborate on their latest projects.

Other Enz isn’t just for Split Enz fans. Give it a listen. Be prepared for the bizarre, the amusing, and the stuff that’s not quite ready for prime time. But also be prepared to find something you like.

Disc one
1. Split Enz: Shark Attack (2:54)
2. Split Enz: What’s The Matter With You (4:33)
3. The Mal Green Sound: Follow Me (2:40)
4. Noel Crombie: My Voice Keeps Changing On Me (2:49)
5. Phil Manzanera with Tim Finn: Slow Motion TV (3:13)
6. Citizen’s Band: The Ladder Song (5:09)
7. A Ripper Bunch Of Blokes: The Instrumental (6:40)
8. The Swingers: Certain Sound (3:30)
9. The Swingers: All Over Town (3:46)
10. The Swingers: Counting The Beat (3:00)
11. Phil Judd: Rendezvous (3:47)
12. Phil Judd: Dictionary Of Love (3:12)
13. Phil Judd: Forgiveness (2:05)
14. Tim Finn: They Won’t Let My Girlfriend Talk To ME (2:45)
15. Tim Finn: Home For My Heart (3:56)
16. Tim Finn & Philip Judd: Long Hard Road (4:09)
17. Tim Finn & Philip Judd: Precious Time (3:48)
18. Tim Finn & Philip Judd: Tai Chi (1:23)
19. Noel’s Cowards: Fingers Crossed (2:42)
20. Noel’s Cowards: Just Like You (2:32)
21. Noel’s Cowards: Cold Shoulder (2:34)
22. Tim Finn with The Herbs: Parihaka (4:08)

Disc two
1. Schnell Fenster: Whisper (3:42)
2. Schnell Fenster: OK Alright A Huh Oh Yeah (3:56)
3. The Makers: New Kind Of Blue (4:07)
4. The Makers: Horizon (3:33)
5. Tim Finn: Desert Chord / With You I’m Alive (4:54)
6. Tim Finn: Charlie (4:29)
7. Tim Finn: Six Months In A Leaky Boat (2:53)
8. Tim Finn with Richard Thompson: Persuasion (4:40)
9. Crowded House with Roger McGuinn: Mr. Tambourine Man (2:17)
10. Crowded House with Roger McGuinn: Eight Miles High (4:57)
11. Crowded House: She’s Not There (2:38)
12. Crowded House: Throw Your Arms Around Me (3:52)
13. Crowded House: One Step Ahead (3:50)
14. Crowded House: History Never Repeats (3:32)
15. Finn Brothers: Weather With You demo (3:07)
16. Finn Brothers: Mary Of The South Seas (5:07)
17. Yothu Yindi with Neil Finn: Dots On The Shells (3:17)
18. Eddie Rayner: Sacrè Bleu (6:14)
19. Largest Living Things: My Time Is Now (5:27)

Released by: Raven
Release date: 1999
Disc one total running time: 76:34
Disc two total running time: 77:07

This is an excellent addition to your collection if you’ve never experienced the Firesign Theatre before, and is also, for those of us who are familiar with the foursome’s goofy repertoire, it’s handy in that it offers up some of their best and most famous material in convenient bite-sized chunks (as opposed to many of the albums being divided up only by their original vinyl “sides”), though even with the more discrete tracks, some of the material doesn’t work without six or seven minutes to play out. If you have no idea what in the world Firesign Theatre is about, I urge you to check this album out first, and then Dear Friends. You won’t be sorry… you’ll be silly!

written by and starring Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman and Phil Proctor

Disc One:
1. Temporarily Humbolt County (9:14)
2. Beat the Reaper! (2:53)
3. I Was a Cock-Teaser for Roosterama! (3:05)
4. Ralph Spoilsport Motors (7:05)
5. The American Pageant (9:07)
6. The Chinchilla Show (2:38)
7. The Further Adventures of Nick Danger (28:06)
8. Stab from the Past (1:16)
9. Ersatz Bros. Coffee (0:47)
10. High School Madness! (6:48)
11. Napalmolive (0:52)
12. Shoes for Industry! (0:29)
13. Great Unclaimed Melodies! (2:26)
14. Station Break (2:14)

Disc Two:
1. Forward Into The Past (6:03)
2. The Holygram’s Song (Back from the Shadows Again) (1:49)
3. The Breaking of the President (6:16)
4. Deputy Dan Has No Friends (2:27)
5. La Bomba Shelter (1:10)
6. Young Guy, Motor Detective (8:02)
7. Toad Away (3:18)
8. Not Quite the Solution He Expected (8:37)
9. Bear Whiz Beer (0:30)
10. Happy Hour News (2:51)
11. The Golden Hind (4:34)
12. The Army Training Film (3:17)
13. Police Street (14:53)
14. Communist Love Song (4:02)
15. C’mon Jesus (3:40)
16. Nasi Goring (2:51)
17. Give Up This Day (2:01)

Even though Jeff Lynne is a bit of a recluse, his prominence during the rise of the Electric Light Orchestra in the 1970s often obscured the memory of the band’s other original co-founder, ex-Move multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood. But ask anyone for an example of Roy Wood’s work and you’ll likely draw a blank. Exotic Mixture redresses that imbalance nicely.

Spanning from Wood’s first solo album, 1973’s Boulders, on through various configurations of his bands – Wizzard, Wizzo, and the Helicopters – Exotic Mixture combines a selection of excellent (and occasionally weird) singles, along with much rarer (and occasionally even weirder) B-sides from those singles. I must admit to liking some of the B-sides better! The very catchy instrumentals “The Premium Bond Theme” and “Music To Commit Suicide By” (!) are still stuck in my head, in fact. Wood’s true skill is as a synthesist, gathering together the best elements of British pop into one style which can truly be called his own. There are plenty of unconventional chord progressions and instruments that draw comparisons to the Beatles, but the voice and the songwriting are most certainly Roy Wood.

Many of Woody’s albums are out of print, so this 2-CD collection is a real treasure trove of music that most of us in the States have never heard. I strongly recommend trying to get your hands on a copy now before this set vanishes from Repertoire’s catalogue.

Disc one
1. When Gran’ma Plays The Banjo (3:13)
2. Wake Up (3:49)
3. Nancy Sing Me A Song (3:28)
4. Dear Elaine (4:09)
5. Songs Of Praise (4:41)
6. Going Down The Road (3:03)
7. The Premium Bond Theme (4:26)
8. Forever (4:19)
9. Music To Commit Suicide By (2:48)
10. Oh What A Shame (3:53)
11. Bengal Jim (2:15)
12. Look Through The Eyes Of A Fool (2:56)
13. Strider (2:52)
14. Mustard (1:28)
15. Indiana Rainbow (3:02)
16. The Thing Is This (5:43)
17. Any Old Time Will Do (4:15)
18. The Rain Came Down On Everything (5:22)
19. The Stroll (5:22)
20. Saxmaniacs (3:05)

Disc two
1. Jubilee (6:05)
2. I Never Believed In Love (3:38)
3. Inside My Life (4:49)
4. Dancing At The Rainbow’s End (3:36)
5. Waiting At The Door (4:24)
6. (We’re) On The Road Again (3:47)
7. Rock City (4:08)
8. Givin’ Your Heart Away (3:51)
9. Green Glass Windows (3:47)
10. The Driving Song (3:34)
11. It’s Not Easy (2:44)
12. Moonriser (4:07)
13. We Are The Boys (Who Make All The Noise) (6:42)
14. Rockin’ On The Stage (3:43)
15. Under Fire (4:23)
16. On Top Of The World (3:27)
17. Sing Out The Old – Bring In The New (3:44)
18. Raining In The City (4:17)
19. One-Two-Three (3:02)

Released by: Repertoire
Release date: 1999
Disc one total running time: 74:18
Disc two total running time: 77:57

Having waited three seasons to release a soundtrack album from Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, one would imagine that the end results would be something a little more varied and impressive than it is. Don’t get me wrong: I really do like the music from this show. The music is, in fact, the only thing I do like about the show anymore (the Boone-to-Kincaid transition instilled a total loss of any interest in the series on my part). The theme music is a gorgeous combination of unearthly-sounding exotic instrumentation, an ethereal wordless vocal, modern percussion, and a hint of an orchestral presence. The theme is worth the price of admission in and of itself. But the 23 tracks between the opening and closing titles on the Earth: Final Conflict soundtrack are a slight disappointment.

Again, I’m not criticizing the music itself here. It’s all very sensitively and wonderfully performed, but it has a knack of sounding the same throughout the entire album. There is a strong and obvious Titanic influence on the whole product, with wistful Ulliean pipes – or a close synthesized approximation – stating the show’s theme again and again in various near-mournful interpretations. Despite the fact that Earth: Final Conflict has action scenes, and sometimes very good action scenes at that, there is little action music on the soundtrack. The whole CD leans heavily in the direction of ethereal, but the result is a collection that is more likely to put listeners to sleep than invigorate them.

This might be a loss to soundtrack fans, but there is an upside – the E:FC soundtrack will be a great find for new age music fans and those who are looking for something relaxing to listen to. A better balance could have been struck in the music, but it’s almost worth it simply to have the theme music.

1. Main Title (0:53)
2. The Secret of Strandhill / Redemption (5:50)
3. Old Flame (1:27)
4. Defector (3:59)
5. Decision (1:27)
6. Float Like A Butterfly (0:55)
7. Sandoval’s Run (2:02)
8. Bliss (2:24)
9. If You Could Read My Mind (1:42)
10. Lilli (1:53)
11. Law And Order (2:11)
12. Atavus (2:00)
13. Between Heaven and Hell (0:57)
14. Sleepers (2:57)
15. Dimensions (2:23)
16. Moonscape (4:34)
17. Isabel (0:55)
18. The Gauntlet (1:24)
19. Second Chances (4:45)
20. One Man’s Castle (1:22)
21. Payback (1:35)
22. Truth (4:16)
23. Dèjà Vu (0:54)
24. Crossfire (3:08)
25. Volunteers / End Credits (1:54)

Released by: Sonic Images
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 58:00

I’ve been enjoying the hell out of the new double DVD release of James Cameron’s 1989 underwater opus, and that prompted me to dig out my CD of the soundtrack. With other major films such as Roger Rabbit and Contact to his credit, Alan Silvestri is hardly an obscure composer. But The Abyss may be one of his most under-appreciated scores. The opening notes, which accompany the otherwise credit-less opening title of the film, proclaim the main choral figure of the entire score, an inspirational wall of voices that sounds appealingly like a hymn that should already belong to the classic musical canon, but doesn’t. This brief statement quickly gives way to a sustained burst of military snare drums, shattering the moment of wonder as the story begins. The next few tracks take place much further into the movie, as Michael Biehn’s character leads Ed Harris and his civilian divers on a recovery mission into a wrecked nuclear sub. The music takes on foreboding and mysterious atmospheres in turn as the threat of Beihn’s paranoid Navy SEAL character grows, and as the presence of the undersea beings becomes more evident with time. “The Fight” is much more percussive and electronic, and the relentless “Sub Battle” track leads into two of Silvestri’s best works ever: “Lindsey Drowns” and “Resurrection”. Those who have seen the movie will no doubt remember exactly what scenes this music covers.

If there are but two drawbacks to the CD release of The Abyss soundtrack, they are that Varese Sarabande is notorious for cutting corners and producing very short-duration releases that take up only a little over half the storage capacity of a compact disc (this one runs a mere 47:02, thirty minutes less than a CD’s maximum storage), and that the CD was pressed three years before the Special Edition, which contained many extended and missing scenes that Silvestri rescored. I’m hoping that, as with other scores such as Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Superman, The Abyss may see a more complete re-release of its score, perhaps prompted by the DVD release. But realistically, I’m not expecting this, since The Abyss has enjoyed cult success, but not a critical mass of public appeal. It’s a pity the DVD doesn’t contain an isolated score track – the CD will simply have to do. But for what’s there, it’s definitely worth a listen.

1. Main Title (1:31)
2. Search The Montana (1:56)
3. The Crane (2:00)
4. The Manta Ship (6:23)
5. The Pseudopod (5:37)
6. The Fight (1:46)
7. Sub Battle (3:18)
8. Lindsey Drowns (4:43)
9. Resurrection (1:59)
10. Bud’s Big Dive (6:09)
11. Bud On The Ledge (3:14)
12. Back On The Air (1:40)
13. Finale (6:46)

Released by: Varese Sarabande
Release date: 1989
Total running time: 47:02

One of the best albums this listener’s ever heard. The idea behind Wood’s Boulders is much the same as the premise of Todd Rundgren’s A Capella – that one person is responsible for every sound on the album. Wood manages to turn out an incredible body of work with this limitation in mind, including the haunting “Dear Elaine”, with more tracks of overdubbed cellos than I can pick out providing an appropriately baroque backing to the heart-wrenching lyrics – Wood’s vocal range is unbelievable. The one irritation is the occasional silliness Wood had to stoop to in order to get lower or higher voices for his backing vocals than even he is capable of reaching – the “choral” group heard in the background of “Songs of Praise” sounds like a few normal voices along with Jabba the Hutt and a treeful of chipmunks. On the other hand, the same trick works wonders on “Miss Clarke And The Computer”. All in all, very highly recommended…but sadly, very hard to find.

1. Songs Of Praise (4:40)
2. Wake Up (3:19)
3. Rock Down Low (3:52)
4. Nancy Sing Me A Song (3:28)
5. Dear Elaine (4:09)
6. All The Way Over The Hill / The Irish Loafer and His Hen (4:49)
7. Miss Clarke and the Computer (4:20)
8. When Gran’ma Plays The Banjo (3:13)
9. Rock Medley (7:31)
   (Rockin’ Shoes / She’s Too Good For Me / Locomotive)

Released by: EMI
Release date: 1973
Total running time: 39:21

This was my first real exposure to Firesign Theatre, and it’s still my favorite. In a way, though, it is a very misleading first date with these clowns, as it is a Pythonesque collection of improvised sketch comedy rather than the longform, very concentrated scripted comedy which is more common for the Firesigns. But if nothing else, Dear Friends demonstrates that the fellows may have missed their calling – their improvisational skills are to the fore on this album, and the shortness of the chunks of material is welcome. I can’t speak highly enough for this wonderful morsel of insanity.

written by and starring Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, Phil Proctor and David Ossman

1. Toad Away (3:20)
2. Sodom and Jubilee (3:15)
3. Freezing Mr. Foster (2:38)
4. I Was a Cock-Teaser for Roosterama! (3:05)
5. Deputy Dan Has No Friends (2:28)
6. The Someday Funnies (1:56)
7. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Inquisition (1:40)
8. The T.B. Guide (5:54)
9. 40 Great Unclaimed Melodies! (2:27)
10. The Chinchilla Show (2:39)
11. Live from the Senate Bar (if you call that living!) (2:55)
12. Minority Street (1:11)
13. Dr. Whiplash (3:24)
14. Echo Poem (2:02)
15. The Small Animal Administration (1:54)
16. The Giant Toad (1:04)
17. The T.V. Glide (3:34)
18. Balliol Bros. (0:45)
19. Poop’s Principles (2:29)
20. International Youth-Sex on Parade (1:40)
21. Brickbreaking (2:04)
22. Coal! (3:03)
23. Duke of Madness Motors (1:24)
24. Mark Time! (3:54)
25. Driving for Dopers (4:31)
26. Praise the Hoove! (2:23)
27. Bob’s Brazerko Lounge (0:59)
28. $100.00 Ben (3:21)
29. Sleep… (1:09)

Released by: Mobile Fidelity
Release date: 1971
Total running time: 73:08

This absurdly complete six-CD box set is the ideal gift for any Pythonaholics like myself who have everything else. Anyone who’s that far gone might have everything in this collection anyway, but then again you never know. For the first time on CD that I can recall, this box includes the soundtrack albums from The Meaning of Life (my favorite Python feature) and The Life of Brian, as well as lots of other material that has been available on disc for a long time. It also includes the Holy Grail soundtrack and the complete sketch albums Another Monty Python Record, Monty Python’s Previous Record, Live at Drury Lane, Monty Pyhton’s Matching Tie & Handkerchief and Contractual Obligation Album. However, if you do happen to have any previous CD compilation albums such as The Final Rip-Off or Instant Record Collection, you may wish to hang on to them even if you get this set. All of the albums in the box are broken down only by their vinyl “sides” – track 1 is side one, track 2 is side two, track 3 is side one of the next album…so on. I wish these wonderful pillars of silliness could’ve been broken down into some individual cues.

written by John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin

Disc One:
1. Another Monty Python Record – side one (25:51)
2. Another Monty Python Record – side two (27:56)
3. Monty Python’s Previous Record – side one (25:54)

Disc Two:
1. Monty Python’s Previous Record – side two (20:03)
2. Matching Tie and Handkerchief – side one (21:21)
3. Matching Tie and Handkerchief – side two (19:55)

Disc Three:
1. Live at Drury Lane – side one (32:07)
2. Live at Drury Lane – side two (29:38)

Disc Four:
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail – side one (23:25)
2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail – side two (23:49)
3. Contractual Obligation Album – side one (19:22)

Disc Five:
1. Contractual Obligation Album – side two (25:34)
2. Life of Brian – side one (25:13)
3. Life of Brian – side two (26:47)

Disc Six:
1. The Meaning of Life – side one (25:21)
2. The Meaning of Life – side two (27:54)

Released by: Virgin
Release date: 1995
Disc one total running time: 79:11
Disc two total running time: 61:21
Disc three total running time: 61:47
Disc four total running time: 66:38
Disc five total running time: 77:36
Disc six total running time: 53:17

Jars of Clay have always impressed me with their sound, and this album sees them venturing even further afield with their always admirable production values. Kicking off with “Goodbye, Goodnight”, If I Left The Zoo almost sounds like Jellyfish’s Spilt Milk in style (if not necessarily in content). The band vastly widens its spectrum of different vocal styles (a black southern gospel choir backing up on “I’m Alright”), instruments (“Goodbye, Goodnight”‘s banjo, among other things), and various effects and filters which can make the band sound post-modern one second and 70’s-retro the next. If I’m not mistaken, I think the lyrics are growing more complex and mature as well. The better songs include the aforementioned first track, “No One Loves Me Like You”, “Can’t Erase It”, and “Collide”.

1. Goodbye, Goodnight (2:53)
2. Unforgetful You (3:21)
3. Collide (4:46)
4. No One Loves Me Like You (3:49)
5. Famous Last Words (3:27)
6. Sad Clown (4:27)
7. Hand (3:37)
8. I’m Alright (3:40)
9. Grace (4:31)
10. Can’t Erase It (3:35)
11. River Constantine (4:50)

Released by: Essential
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 42:58

Over the years, any band can accumulate enough B-sides and unreleased tracks to fill an entire CD, but Crowded House is a special case. Not only do they have a catalogue of rarities, but unreleased material which basically comprises a lost, never-released album.

In 1989, Neil Finn and his bandmates were struggling with material for the upcoming album which would become known as Woodface. Though they had an album’s worth of material, Capitol Records didn’t feel there was a viable single that could justify the album’s existence. At the same time, Neil was working on a Finn Brothers project with Tim Finn, and the situation was the exact opposite – there was no label pressure (truth be told, they didn’t even have a label for their side project), and yet the songs flowed prolifically and sounded great. Wanting to use some of the Finn Brothers songs on the next Crowded House album, Neil invited Tim to join the band full-time, which he did for about a year. Two thirds of Woodface were replaced with new material from what would have been the Finn Brothers repertoire, and those scrapped songs went unheard in the studio, until the release of Afterglow. While the Finn Brothers material is easily the superior music, most of the abandoned Woodface tracks were at least up to the standards of the band’s first album.

Other gems include a demo of “Lester”, Neil Finn’s ode to his dog upon a near-fatal run-in with a car, and two songs from the Together Alone sessions. “Recurring Dream” finally comes in from the cold in this collection as well, a very early song including original fourth band member Craig Hooper which dates back before the first album; the song had previously been available only as a B-side on an import single, or on the obscure Rikky & Pete soundtrack CD which was comprised of material from numerous Split Enz alumni.

The most striking lost gem on Afterglow is a track called “Help Is Coming”, featuring the Neil Finn/Nick Seymour/Mark Hart/Peter Jones lineup that toured following Paul Hester’s departure from the drummer’s seat. This song would have been on the fifth album that never materialized; in the place of that album, Capitol released Recurring Dream, a decent greatest hits compilation with three new tracks that included Hester. “Help Is Coming” made me wish that one album had been squeezed out of that new lineup.

1. I Am In Love (4:38)
2. Sacred Cow (3:37)
3. We Can Touch (3:47)
4. Help Is Coming (4:49)
5. I Love You, Dawn (3:39)
6. Dr. Livingstone (3:57)
7. My Telly’s Gone Bung (3:14)
8. Private Universe (4:09)
9. Lester (2:18)
10. Anyone Can Tell (3:37)
11. Recurring Dream (3:24)
12. Left Hand (2:58)
13. Time Immemorial (4:07)

Released by: Capitol
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 47:12

Long-delayed and eagerly awaited by a small but loyal audience, the soundtrack from UPN’s Seven Days has finally arrived. Admittedly, since the UPN brass interfered with the show and mandated plots that slavishly copycat hit movies from the past 10 years, I’m more a fan of the music than of the series itself. The CD contains the scores of three episodes, the early (and rather good) Vows and Come Again? and the first season’s finale, EBEs. And of course, the album includes the outstanding opening theme for the show, both with and without the introductory dialogue. The main titles alone are worth the price of admission, with a relentless snare drum that leaps back and forth between a hip-hop beat and a military cadence. The music itself isn’t bad, given that Seven Days is done entirely on synths – but the percussion impresses me more than the music itself. The beat leaps into hyperactive speeds at some points, almost demanding that one get up and dance. EBEs is the exception, embracing a more low-key, menacing, almost Berman-era Star Trek approach. If you’re a fan of the show or want to hear some amazing beats, this is a good album to pick up.

1. Main Title (with dialogue) (0:50)
   Music from the episode Vows:
2. Teaser (0:46)
3. Robbery Goes Bad (2:50)
4. Who Is Clary? (0:48)
5. Parker Meets Clary (0:18)
6. Backstep (2:10)
7. Clary Dies (2:29)
8. Clary’s Funeral (1:20)
9. Frank’s Gone (1:02)
10. Frank Tries To Go Back (1:40)
11. Suit Up (1:42)
12. Let’s Do It Again (1:16)
13. The Wedding (1:21)
14. Trailer (0:47)
    Music from the episode Come Again?:
15. Never Never Land (0:20)
16. Sobering Thought (3:33)
17. Chase (1:59)
18. This Is Elise (1:56)
19. The Big Fight (3:39)
20. I Need A Valium (1:12)
21. Saving Axelrod (1:44)
22. Time Loop From Hell (3:52)
23. One More Time (1:46)
24. Mouth Shut (0:50)
    Music from the episode EBEs:
25. Walt Landis / Alien Vengeance (4:49)
26. Checkmate / Olga Looks For Clues / Backstep / Fruit Basket / Code Black / Mentnor Peeps / Peculiar Nature / Test Pilot (8:54)
27. You Owe Me This / Citizen X / On The Move (6:01)
28. Mutant Babies (2:40)
29. Wide Open / My Daughter / New Start (4:12)
30. End Title (0:50)

Released by: GNP/Crescendo
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 66:44

After the fiasco that was the non-release of Ron Jones’ Starfleet Academy CD by Sonic Images, Interplay Software decided to cut out the middle man and distribute the music directly. That’s right – this review doesn’t cover an actual CD release, but a collection of MP3 files made available to the public by Jones and Interplay Software. Starfleet Command, a new, flashy rebirth for the Starfleet Battles tactical role playing game, is due for release soon, and in addition to a limited demo version of the game, Interplay has released the music. Jones kicks this new Star Trek game score off with Alexander Courage’s signature fanfare, but after that, wastes no time diving into his own action-packed style. Perhaps my bittersweet feelings about this score come from the fact that, if Jones was still working for Paramount, this is what Star Trek’s television productions could sound like today: active, exciting, and multi-layered. There are some nice Trek scores on TV these days – Dennis McCarthy’s music for the DS9 finale was no slouch – but Ron Jones, who earned the fans’ favor with the pivotal 1990 Best Of Both Worlds two-parter (which probably cemented the future of the Trek TV franchise more than anything else), has the most distinctive sound of all the neo-Trek composers who have scored the various new series. Furthermore, Jones has some surprises with his Klingon and Romulan themes from the game, not parroting previous themes (even his own). He also introduces new themes for the Gorn and other races. So go download the files from Interplay’s FTP site and judge for yourself…is this what Star Trek should sound like today?

1. Intro Movie (0:52)
2. Federation Menu Screen (2:07)
3. Federation Mission Failure (1:08)
4. Gorn Menu Screen (2:09)
5. Gorn Mission Success (1:08)
6. Hydran Menu Screen (2:09)
7. Hydran Mission Success (1:08)
8. Klingon Menu Screen (2:09)
9. Lyran Menu Screen (2:06)
10. Lyran Mission Failure (1:07)
11. Romulan Menu Screen (2:09)

Editor’s note: Interplay has since closed its doors, and took down the FTP site with this music.

Released by: Interplay Productions
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 18:12

Originally offered as a bonus CD available only to readers of Babylon 5 Magazine who buy two other titles from Sonic Images (yeah, I’m just enough of a hardcore fan to have actually broken down and done this), this third season gem is probably best remembered – at least in a musical sense – because of the nearly-creepy scene in which Refa, Londo’s murderous political adversary, dies at the hands of a pack of Narns while the strains of an old-fashioned gospel song (being sung simultaneously in a church service aboard Babylon 5) joyously extolls the horrible fate awaiting sinners who don’t repent. Much of the music from the episode itself is just a wee bit forgettable (though there are some unique cues that didn’t appear before or after this episode), and I imagine most people who, like myself, go through the convoluted process of getting this title are probably biting just for the catchy gospel tune.

1. Teaser (3:17)
   • The Status Quo (1:34)
   • Londo’s Plan (0:13)
2. Act One (4:52)
   • Arrival of the Delegations (1:44)
   • Dinner Plans (0:56)
   • Londo Threatens Vir (0:49)
   • Taking Meetings (1:30)
3. Act Two (3:25)
   • Londo’s Promise (1:23)
   • G’Kar’s Request / Vir Kidnapped (2:13)
4. Act Three (4:21)
   • Church Meeting Plan (0:20)
   • Vir Gets Scanned (1:30)
   • Dexter’s Story / Narn Homeworld (1:54)
   • Refa Prepares The Attack (0:38)
5. Act Four (9:32)
   • Refa Is Trapped (7:35)
   • No Hiding Place (1:32)
   • Refa’s End (0:23)
6. Act Five (2:30)
   • The New Fleet (1:53)
   • End Title (0:37)

Released by: Sonic Images
Release date: 1998
Total running time: 27:59

This surprising entry from another member of the cast of Babylon 5 is impossible to pin down. One moment, the backing tracks are thumping club music, and a few minutes later, the music takes on an austere, hymnal tone. And on the next song, we’re treated to a dreamy heavy-music, light-voice tune along the lines of Julee Cruise’s style. No two songs are alike. Highlights include the exotic-sounding Izawe, the aforementioned Julee Cruise-esque “Two Tickets To Anywhere”, the amusing rap “Not Your Way”, and the unique multilingual “Children’s Song”. My one complaint: “Dreaming”, which opens and closes the album, is far too long and repetitive, though if I had to listen to one version or the other, it would be the closing version, over which Mira delivers a rapid-fire succession of her “favorite thingz” (the track’s subtitle). The songs jump in and out of several languages, including English and Mira’s native Yugoslavian, and many of the tunes have a distinctly exotic feel. I’ll say this: Claudia Christian can sing about threesomes all she likes, but Mira Furlan’s voice is much sexier, and she’s singing about mice and squirrels.

The album also has a PC-compatible multimedia component, in which we supposedly get to look at the “movies that have never been made” in the form of short music videos.

1. Dreaming (5:20)
2. Izawe (3:09)
3. Feo Bajondo (5:29)
4. Travelling (3:28)
5. Not Your Way (3:28)
6. The Sea More (1:17)
7. 17 Names of Marduk (5:08)
8. The Children’s Song (3:43)
9. Ugom (2:36)
10. Fear of Love (3:25)
11. Dreaming (My Favorite Thingz) (5:15)

Released by: Infinite Visions
Release date: 1998
Total running time: 40:01

In quite a few ways, Sting has never in my mind surpassed his debut solo album. This very interesting synthesis of his mid-’80s Police style (which is to say, more mainstream and less of the endearingly outlandish style of the Police) and modern jazz is truly unique, and even Sting himself has never quite topped it. Most everyone will remember “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” and “Fortress Around Your Heart” from this album, and the somewhat less successful single “Love Is The Seventh Wave”, but the album also contains the Anne Rice-inspired “Moon Over Bourbon Street”, “We Work The Black Seam”, and “Russians”, some of the best things Sting has ever done in or outside of the Police. I suppose he couldn’t have stuck to this style for fear of being accused of getting lazy, but so much of the follow-up albums Nothing Like The Sun and The Soul Cages failed to live up to the incredibly high standard of Sting’s solo debut, I can barely listen to his later work… well, maybe with one exception.

1. If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free (4:14)
2. Love Is The Seventh Wave (3:30)
3. Russians (3:57)
4. Children’s Crusade (5:00)
5. Shadows in the Rain (4:56)
6. We Work The Black Seam (5:40)
7. Consider Me Gone (4:21)
8. The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1:15)
9. Moon Over Bourbon Street (3:59)
10. Fortress Around Your Heart (4:48)

Released by: A&M
Release date: 1985
Total running time: 41:40

For an episode that led into the final chapters of the series’ Shadow War cycle, as well as an episode that saw the assassination of the mad Centauri Emperor Cartagia, The Long Night has a surprisingly subdued musical score. Subdued isn’t necessarily bad, though – instead of playing up the drama of the moment, Chris Franke seems to be concentrating more on playing out the implications. Like the music, these events will stretch out quite a bit longer than anyone expects. Some of the better tracks here include the solitary drum beat heard as the horribly beaten G’Kar is paraded through the streets of Narn en route to his execution, and the pounding cue heard as he breaks free of his chains, creating a distracting spectacle that will allow Londo to rid the Centauri of their megalomaniacal ruler…well, almost. More than that would be telling. The music accompanying the scenes set aboard Babylon 5, especially Sheridan’s surprising briefing for a Ranger named Erricson and the final scene of the episode, is also worth a listen, dovetailing nicely into Into The Fire.

1. Giants in the Playground / Conspiracy / Main Title (4:27)
2. Couch Conversation / A Soldier’s Promise / The "Throne Room" / The
   Plot / Subjective Humor (4:57)
3. Cartagian Justice / Cartagia Murdered (3:20)
4. Londo, Prime Minister / Planet Killer At Work / Vir’s Good Heart (5:31)
5. Anticipation of Natives / Explaining the Mission / Erikson’s Special
   Mission (3:44)
6. Narn Celebration / What G’Kar Endured / Sheridan’s Poem / End Title (3:35)

Released by: Sonic Images
Release date: 1998
Total running time: 24:32

Here it is at least, 30 years after the fact – the Repertoire Records digitally remastered CD release of the first Move album – plus 16 bonus tracks (if only there were that many ELO holy grails to be found…!).
While I won’t deny that ELO might not have found its commercial voice with a two-headed monster (Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood) at the steering wheel, trying to go in two directions at the same time, never underestimate Roy Wood, especially not as a songwriter and arranger. He had the novel idea of quoting classical music in pop songs, and occasionally boosting the band’s sound with string players, some three years before the name Electric Light Orchestra ever appeared on a record spine. Some of the Move’s best songs (or my personal favorites, at least) – “Mist On A Monday Morning”, “The Girl Outside”, “Cherry Blossom Clinic” (the very Beatlesque short original version, not “Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited”, which is mistakenly labeled as the original on many budget compilation CDs) – sound like nothing so much as the embryonic sound of ELO. In fact, due to the fact that the Move had a little bit of financial backing, as opposed to the untested waters forged by the first ELO record, some of the string sounds are more lush than anything ELO did until Eldorado. And, though it isn’t a string-laden classic, ladies and gentlemen, you haven’t heard it all until you’ve heard Mr. Bev Bevan croon “Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart” – even “Ben Crawley Steel Company” pales next to this timeless recording. How Bev never got started on a solo career as a vocalist, I’ll never know!

1. Yellow Rainbow (2:34)
2. Kilroy Was Here (2:43)
3. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree (3:00)
4. Weekend (1:46)
5. Walk Upon The Water (3:22)
6. Flowers In The Rain (2:21)
7. Hey Grandma (3:10)
8. Useless Information (2:56)
9. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (2:48)
10. The Girl Outside (2:54)
11. Fire Brigade (2:22)
12. Mist On A Monday Morning (2:30)
13. Cherry Blossom Clinic – original (2:30)
14. Night of Fear (2:15)
15. Disturbance (2:47)
16. I Can Hear The Grass Grow (3:06)
17. Wave Your Flag and Stop the Train (2:56)
18. Vote For Me (2:48)
19. Disturbance – alternate mix (2:00)
20. Fire Brigade – alternate mix (2:17)
21. Second Class (She’s Too Good For You) – Roy Wood instrumental(2:05)
22. Cherry Blossom Clinic – different take (2:52)
23. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree / stereo (2:57 – stereo mix)
24. Weekend / stereo (1:46 – stereo mix)
25. Flowers In The Rain / stereo (2:28 – stereo mix)
26. Useless Information / stereo (2:56 – stereo mix)
27. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart / stereo (2:49 – stereo mix)
28. The Girl Outside / stereo (2:53 – stereo mix)
29. Walk Upon The Water / stereo (3:22 – stereo mix)

Released by: Repertoire
Release date: 1968 (remastered edition released in 1998)
Total running time: 78:18

I’m sure some out there are already screaming, “Why Pac-Man Fever?!?” But in case you hadn’t guessed from the nearly-daily dose of updates to Phosphor Dot Fossils, I grew up with classic video games, and so it’s no surprise that I was a Buckner & Garcia fan when they released the original Pac-Man Fever, back when I was something like ten years old. And naturally, when the “Do The Donkey Kong” duo resurfaced this spring and announced a CD reissue of the album, I was more than happy to put myself on the list for a copy. And though this CD has caused a minor firestorm of controversy in that dedicated subset of video gamers who were also around to hear the original LP, I’m mostly happy with it…with only one major exception.

Granted, Pac-Man Fever isn’t art rock, so I can’t very well go and analyze this album with the same set of criteria that I’d use for Peter Gabriel, a John Williams soundtrack, or Ben Folds Five. Pac-Man Fever is a shameless cash-in on the same level as Ren & Stimpy’s You Eediot, and its chief stock in trade where I am concerned is nostalgia.

Why the aforementioned controversy? This CD doesn’t contain the original recordings. To some purists, this is heresy, and I do see – to a certain extent – where they’re coming from. But CBS Records, the label which issued the original Pac-Man Fever LP, refused to part with the 1982 master recordings, so Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia had to start from scratch. But to their credit, this is about as close as I’ve ever heard a from-the-ground-up re-recording get to an original recording. After all, we’re talking about the same guys – it’s not as if someone else popped out of nowhere and did their own version of the entire album (though some of the more ardent purists have argued that that’s exactly what it sounds like). I’ll put it this way – this about as close to the original Pac-Man Fever as Roy Orbison’s 1987 re-recordings of his greatest hits were to their source material. We’ll see how the purists do with Prince’s upcoming rehash of his entire Warner Bros. catalog. For my money, Buckner & Garcia did okay.

Some songs, notably “Mouse Trap”, “Goin’ Berzerk” and “Hyperspace”, have been updated quite a bit, while others – namely “Pac-Man Fever” itself and “Froggy’s Lament” – are very, very, very close to the originals. The biggest disappointment is more of a quality control issue than a musical one: it sounds like the tape of “Do The Donkey Kong” was damaged prior to mastering the disc, since its speed is unsteady and it has a certain amount of staticky noise on the CD. Granted, compared to the original 1982 sessions, the new Pac-Man Fever CD is probably just a few steps removed from a home recording, but considering how many hundreds or even thousands of now grown-up (and thus much more discriminating) fans were lined up for the new Pac-Man Fever, I’m astonished that a recording that was quite so obviously damaged was allowed to make the cut.

My favorite songs remain, to this day, “Pac-Man Fever”, “Froggy’s Lament”, and most especially “Mouse Trap” (which, ironically, is perhaps my least favorite of all the games which inspired the eight songs on the album). I’m also partial to the Donkey Kong tune, but this reissue’s version of it is all but unlistenable. Other than that one problematic track, I’m happy to welcome this aural chunk of my childhood back from vinyl obscurity

1. Pac-Man Fever (3:56)
2. Froggy’s Lament (3:27)
3. Ode To A Centipede (5:37)
4. Do The Donkey Kong (4:32)
5. Hyperspace (4:15)
6. The Defender (4:09)
7. Mouse Trap (4:08)
8. Goin’ Berzerk (4:23)

Released by: Radio Music Network
Release date: 1982 (re-recorded and reissued in 1999)
Total running time: 31:30

How could Me First and the Gimme Gimmes possibly top their hilarious punk-rock butchering of numerous well-deserving adult contemporary hits? Try showtunes on for size! In this woefully short collection of satirical (and yet somehow musically valid) covers, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes take on numerous well-known gems from stage and screen musicals. Everything from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (“Science Fiction Double Feature”) to The Muppet Movie (“The Rainbow Connection”) is represented, with Annie, Porgy and Bess, The Wizard Of Oz, and Phantom of the Opera thrown in for good measure. The style is just like Have A Ball – good musicianship and irreverence mixed together, on speed. On Phantom of the Opera, the guys even call in a female backup singer to do a little bit of operatic warbling as they continue to thrash out the music as wildly as they can. As with Have A Ball, I strongly recommend this album if for no other reason than its comedic value alone, but one really must be in the right frame of mind for it!

1. Over The Rainbow (1:31)
2. Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina (2:30)
3. Science Fiction Double Feature (2:34)
4. Summertime (2:10)
5. Favorite Things (1:52)
6. Rainbow Connection (2:18)
7. Phantom of the Opera song (1:45)
8. I Sing the Body Electric (1:43)
9. It’s Raining On Prom Night (2:57)
10. Tomorrow (1:31)
11. What I Did For Love (1:46)
12. Stepping Out (3:22)

Released by: Fat Wreck Chords
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 26:02

Easily the weird one’s best effort in many years, this masterpiece’s main selling point for most will be “The Saga Begins”, a more-or-less straightforward (but still funny!) retelling of Star Wars Episode I to the tune of Don McLean’s “American Pie”. But I’m in love with “Polka Power!”, a polka-ized medley of the past three years’ biggest pop hits (on speed). It seems like the past three years have produced more than their share of flash-in-the-pan smash hits which truly sound silly if one thinks about it for more than ten seconds. “Polka Power!” single-handedly takes on the Spice Girls, Chumbawamba, Hanson, the Backstreet Boys, Marilyn Manson, Madonna, and the Beastie Boys, among others. Other parodies include a commentary on Jerry Springer (sung to the tune of Barenaked Ladies’ “One Week”), Grapefruit Diet (another trademark Weird Al “fat” song to the tune of Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ “Zoot Suit Riot”), and “Pretty Fly For a Rabbi” (to the tune of “Pretty Fly For A White Guy”). And Weird Al parodies the style, if not any specific song, of Nine Inch Nails in a tune called “Germs”. But the best original tune is the 11+ minute rambling rock extravaganza called “Albuquerque”. I don’t know if the song was improvised, or if Weird Al actually set out to write a number that would take one-sixth of an hour out of your life, but it’s quite entertaining, to put it mildly!

1. The Saga Begins (5:27)
2. My Baby’s In Love With Eddie Vedder (3:25)
3. Pretty Fly For A Rabbi (3:02)
4. The Weird Al Show Theme (1:13)
5. Jerry Springer (2:46)
6. Germs (4:35)
7. Polka Power! (4:21)
8. Your Horoscope for Today (3:59)
9. It’s All About the Pentiums (3:34)
10. Truck Drivin’ Song (2:27)
11. Grapefruit Diet (3:30)
12. Albuquerque (11:22)

Released by: Volcano
Release date: 1999
Total running time: 47:48