Hi, me again ... Show 'n' Tell Time:

[J. Peter Alfke <alfke@csvax.caltech.edu>]

Funny how infrequently I'm reading my mail now that I don't have a terminal
in my room anymore (definitely one of Tech's better moves -- putting Ethernet
plugs in the dorm hallways).  Anyway:

"Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares"  (4AD CAD603)

A collection of Bulgarian folk music, recorded some years back by a Frenchman
and just re-issued by Ivo of 4AD who, as we know, has a tendency to become
entranced by unusual female voices (Liz Fraser, Lisa Gerrard...).  The music
on this record is performed by choirs of young women, with occasional
orchestral accompaniment.  The liner notes explain why Bulgarian folk music
evolved the way it did, Ottoman invasions, repression and the like, but
the music is certainly not yer average Western-type folk music; it actually
reminds me a lot of Indian (India-Indian) music.  There are lots of odd
tonalities and harmonies; the notes point out that one woman holds the
dominant note while the others weave harmonies around it, coming very close
to that note without hitting it.  It's very easy to make comparisons to
the Cocteau Twins, but they really aren't similar enough for such compari-
sons to be valid or useful.  This is very different from any other music
I own, and very beautiful.  Listen to it.

Cabaret Voltaire "The Drain Train"  (Caroline Records)

A-side, one song, 45rpm; B-side, two songs, 33rpm (thanks guys).  Plus,
the specially-marked packages have a free disc which contains two more
mixes of the A-side song.  (Had I still a terminal in my room, I could
give titles, but I don't, boo hoo.)  CV are pretty much past their prime,
but their stuff's still fun to listen to if I don't take it too seriously.
Slap the needle down and groove to the beat-beat of the synthetic tom-toms
for a while -- wasn't that refreshing?  Now play the remixes; hey, it's
the same song but different, kinda like the same song continuing and doing
some more stuff.  There's a dub mix, interestingly enough because the
song has no bass (which is always my favorite part of a dubububub).  The
B-side songs are actually better, moodier and evocative-ier.  Summary?
Overall this is nice ambient industrial music, good stuff to read J. G.
Ballard to, or put in your Walkman while you tour a dry-ice factory.  
I get this feeling that Kirk and Mallinder recorded everything
from "Drinking Gasoline" to here in one day, so maybe when that runs out
they'll release something more challenging.  Until then, thud thud thud
squawk thud thud ...

The Smiths "The Queen Is Dead"  (Sire)

No review yet.  It's taken me many listenings to get to like each of the
Smiths' albums, and this is no exception.  After one listening, it sounds
good, but a disappointment; but then so did all the others for a few
months.  I never believed the Smiths to be God (how can they be God if
you can understand the lyrics? :-) ), but they're *damn* good, and this
album will most likely strike me as *damn* good in a while.


I'm intrigued by the Art Barbeque album somebody here mentioned, but can't
find it.  And all the Sonic Youth I can find is EVOL and the album with the
centerfold (xeroxed*) on the cover.  What should I get?

And oh yeah: Pere Ubu's "Song of the Bailing Man" is just too way.

						--Peter Alfke
						  alfke@csvax.caltech.edu
"Stormy weather
 It might get better
 In a week or a wink of an eye"

*"Xerox" is a trademark of a company I used to get paid by.