The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, December 7, 1984 Page: 11 of 20
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WRESHER FINE ARTS
The Most Noted Records of 1984
Hyaena
The Thorn
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Geffenl Wonderland
Both Hycena and The Thorn are
excellent recordings. Siouxsie and
the Banshees produce a rich, full-
bodied sound that can be airy or
weighty or both. Hyaena was
released during the summer and
includes their surprisingly endearing
version of the Beatles' "Dear
Prudence." Other songs include
"Dazzle," an energetic and sparkling
song, and the sharply punctuated
"Swimming Horses," although all of
them are worthwhile.
The Thorn came out in October,
on the heels of Hyaena. It is,
notwithstanding its promptness, a
stunning EP. The first song,
"Overland," is a thrilling, stormy
number. The others are also good
and are variously slower, lighter, or
heavier. I have high expectations for
the next record by Siouxsie and
company.
Junk Culture
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Virgin
Although Junk Culture is not as
brilliant as its predecessor. Dazzle
Ships, it is pleasant nevertheless.
Ignoring "Tesla Girls," "Locomo-
tion," and possibly "White Trash,"
all of which shamelessly dive into the
pit of techno-pop, this album shows
the talent that O.M.D. have to make
enthralling and refined music. My
favorites are "Love and Violence"
and "Talking Loud and Clear," but
the remaining ones should not be
overlooked. Trustfully O.M.D. will
catch themselves on forthcoming
releases and match their previous
creativity.
Autistic Savrfnt
The Visible Targets
Park Avenue
Actually Autistic Savdnt came out
in late 1983, but it still deserves much
attention. The Visible Targets put a
lot of effort into their music, and out
of it come some rather impressive
songs. The title track is upbeat and
sharply crafted and features strong
vocals, like the last song, "Candid
Affection." It differs quite a bit from
the following one, "I Walk a Fine
Line," a more relaxed, reggae-
influenced song. The one after that,
"Life in the Twilite Zone," which was
released earlier as a single, is quieter
but very awake. "The Cure" is also
quiet, but its feeling is more one of
chagrin. On the whole, it is creative
and engaging music.
Mister Heartbreak
Laurie Anderson
Warner Bros.
Mister Heartbreak is the most
palatable work that Laurie
Anderson has done. Peter Gabriel
worked with her on this album, a fact
most obvious in the song "Excellent
Birds." She tends toward the long
and the involved, of course, but here
she more easily sustains the interest.
"Sharkey's Day," in particular, is
somewhat lengthy yet very
interesting and enjoyable. Her music
requires thought and is not meant to
pass by too quickly.
Ocean Rain
Echo and the Bunnymen
Sire/Korova
Ocean Rain was popular but not
that remarkable. "The Killing
Moon" would be the best known
selection, and it actually is a very
good song; the instrumentation is
full, and the melody is capturing. But
otherwise the album is not terribly
inspired, but good enough if you like
Echo and the Bunnymen.
by John Knapp
Difford and Tilbrook
A&M
The first production by Chris
Difford and Glenn Tilbrook on their
own was a true disappointment. It is
largely prefabricated with an
incessant beat and predictable
harmonies. The only really
interesting song is "Man for all
Seasons" because of its loose key
structure, but it doesn't make up for
the rest of the album. I'd much rather
hear an old Squeeze album anytime.
Tonight
David Bowie
E.M.I. America
Another disappointment Tonight
was. It is "disunified and listless," as
Valerie Rohy wrote, and it seems to
have been a careless and
unimaginative follow-up to Let's
Dance. David Bowie has apparently
become musically complacent. Oh
well.
Shout
Devo
Warner Bros.
Shout musically resembles Oh,
No!it's Devo. As the group has relied
more and more on synthetic sounds,
so has their music gone, from
unconventional to technical. One
song on this record that must be
noted, however, is their strange and
rather fun remake of Jimi Hendrix's
"Are You Experienced?" "Not
necessarily beautiful," the lyrics now
read, "but mutated!"
Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise
The Art of Noise
Island
The text on the back of the cover
states, "The Art of Noise suddenly...
snapped." And it's true. They're
mad. And the music on this record is
mad, but fun. It took a lot of
tinkering with odd sounds and ideas
to produce this meandering silliness,
but it's not mindless, just
entertaining.
Stand Your Ground
Juluka
Warner Bros.
Juluka are from South Africa.
They write songs about the
industrialization af Africa, about the
loss of African ways of life, and
about apartheid. Their government
is not loo happy about their
existence, either. Their music is very
refined and precisely performed.
Excellent musicians they are, but
unfortunately they do not get the
attention that they deserve. Their
music is an intriguing blend of
progressive rock and traditional
African elements, most notably
vocal harmonies and a few African
instruments. Generally, though, it is
quite acceptable to Western tastes.
Stand Your Ground is their second
album, following Scatterlings of
1982.
Tocsin
Xmal Deutschland
4AD
Xmal Deutschland create an
excellent, dark, rich music that
resembles that of Siouxsie and the
Banshees to some extent, but which
is usually more dense and fluid. This
texture is elaborated in different
ways, from the sensual feel of
"Mondlicht," to the anguish of "Tag
fuer Tag,"to the relaxedness of
"Nachtschatten." Tocsin is
capti vatingly tenebrous, and
definitely substantial.
Mirror Moves
The Psychedelic Furs
Columbia
Mirror Moves is unfortunately
mainstream. In fact, it is
intentionally mainstream, a bad
decision on the part of the
Psychedelic Furs. The record is not
all worthless, but it is a far cry from
the incredible creativity of their first
album. Their basic sound is still
discernable, which is good, and the
lyrics are not at all trite, but the
commercial gloss of the musical
backdrops really flattens the impact
of their songs. I hope that "it's just a
phase."
Stop Making Sense
The Talking Heads
Sire
Stop Making Sense is the
soundtrack to a film of the Talking
Heads, scheduled for imminent
release. The film is about the image
of the Talking Heads on stage, and
the album consequently comprises
many live versions of previously
released songs. These are generally
very good live performances, and the
record would be worthwhile to
anyone who likes the Talking Heads.
The movie itself has received
excellent marks.
Reckoning
R.E.M.
/. R.S.
R.E.M. have not changed much,
really. Their lead singer has become
shaggier, but their music still has
their distinctive sound. Reckoning.
their second album, includes the well
known "So. Central Rain"and many
other songs that sound a lot like it.
Even though they are, of course,
technically different, there is an
unchanging structure underneath
them that can make them a bit tiring.
The Unforgettable Fire
U2
Island
U2 haven't changed much, either,
but their fourth album. The
Unforgettable Fire, is more blatantly
formulaic than Reckoning. It was
produced by Brian Eno, but
somehow that did not make it much
different from the three produced by
Steve Lillywhite. There is just as
much of The Edge's guitarwork as
before, despite claims to the
contrary, and Bono still sings like
Bono. "A Sort of Homecoming" and
"Pride (in the Name of Love)" stand
out some, but the record is not
unforgettable.
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The Rice Thresher, December 7, 1984, page 11
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Havlak, Paul. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, December 7, 1984, newspaper, December 7, 1984; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245577/m1/11/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.