EM Survey 4 (Part 11 of 19)

[datta@vacs.uwp.wisc.edu (David Datta)]

                Eclectic Music Survey #4 Results

Survey Posting                                      February 1990

Part 11 of 19 (Thru Joan Jett & the Blackhearts)


Whitney Houston

     AARRGGHH!! Absolutely empty of content. Disproves the theory that all
     black people have soul.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     BLECCCH!!!!
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     Performs live better than on her albums, but she shouldn't be afraid of
     making an actual statement in her lyrics or her music.
          - Wingerde van FJ fjvwing@cs.vu.nl

     Perhaps the world's most boring top 40 singer. She has a great voice but
     has absolutely no idea what to do with it.
          - rmiller@sbcs.sunysb.edu

     Uhhhhh . . . yeah.
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

James Newton Howard
Robert Howard and Kim Mazelle

     The single "Wait" was a one-off. House. A brilliant track and a bigger
     hit than either of the two have had (or ever will have) independently.
     Robert Howard is Dr Robert of the Blow Monkeys. Trivia - originally Sam
     Brown was supposed to sing Kim's part. Daft lyrics - "Even though it's
     shallow I was shipwrecked on the shores of your loving".
          - Stephen K Mulrine
          smulrine%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     They decided to undergo the Dance Music test. "Wait" (through various
     remixes) is good but I don't like the other titles.
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

Steve Howe

     Exceptional guitarist most notably with Yes for many years. His
     inventive solo spots like "Mood for a day" & "The Clap" are constant
     live favourites. Solo album "The Steve Howe Album" is incredibly diverse
     & eclectic but his very individual style shines through.
          - Iain Smith & Jonathan Habrovitsky
          jhabrovi%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Former guitarist for Yes, Asia, GTR. If you can find his solo album _The
     Steve Howe Album_, it's highly recommended; it contains both somewhat
     Yes-like pieces of music and all acoustic-guitar excursions rather
     reminiscent of Michael Hedges.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Guitarist for Yes; Anderson, Bruford...; Asia. See comment for Billy
     Currie. Did some solo albums. I only have "Beginnings". Great guitarist,
     but can't sing very well.
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

Human League

     A reminder of the Good Old Days in the early 80s..."Empire State Human"
     was excellent..the album "Dare" is a classic..they've practically
     disappeared now though.
          - Stephen K Mulrine
          smulrine%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Good band. Better in the early 80's.
          - David Caldwell macs!dfc@bikini.cis.ufl.edu

     I know it's supposed to be trendier to like early, pre-Heaven 17 Human
     League, but I like their later material. 'Mirror Man' is great. Are they
     still around? I'm sure I remember hearing a Human League track where it
     was just the two girls singing and there was no Phil Oakey. Has he left?
          - Alan Crawford awrc%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     The dark haired girl was really cute, but I kept gettin her confused
     with that guy! Some good songs, some bad.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

Ashley Hutchings

     "The Godfather of English Folk-Rock," Hutchings was a founding member of
     Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, and the Albion Band, the three most
     successful groups in the genre. The Albion name became applied to
     whoever Hutchings was working with lately, so the albums under that name
     show a wide range of styles and quality; Carthage has reissued the best
     ones on LP. In the early 80's Hutchings & the Albions went into a
     tailspin, producing sappy original songs which I found difficult or
     impossible to stomach; however, he seems to have learned how to write
     decent songs, because the Albions' 1989 album "Give Me A Saddle, I'll
     Trade You A Car" was solid, if quirky.
          - Ken Josenhans 13020KRJ@MSU.BitNet

Husker Du

     Another band with two very different styles, though I've heard only one
     of them (the later stuff, I think). The band's two major influences,
     Hart and Mould, each gave a very different sound -- I like Mould's
     better because I think it's more developed and is more musical. Mould's
     style in what I've heard (off of _Warehouse Songs and Stories_) is much
     like what you hear off of his solo album. Definitely progressive.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     what a rock band hopes to be. serious engery with a purpose. never a
     compromise.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Ice Cube

     From NWA. Very good.
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

Ice-T

     Good Rap from NYC.
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

     A rapper with a hard, dangerous edge; for hard-core rap fans only.
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

     Whatta guy to put on Oprah Winfrey!!! The dead kennedys (jello biafra?
     Bianca jaffrey?) guy was better.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

IdeoLA

     Often spelled "iDEoLA" this is a one-man group, that man being Mark
     Heard. The only album I know of by this "group" is called _Tribal Opera_
     (1988?) and is worth picking up. Heard has recorded in the past with a
     mostly acoustic pop sound, I think, and created IdeoLA to accomodate a
     stylistic change. _Tribal Opera_ is slickly produced and contains some
     eccentric and provocative lyrics and rock. My favorite song from the
     album, "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" was recently covered by Olivia
     Newton-John, I think. (Oh well, you can't win them all.) From what I
     understand, IdeoLA has broken up, so to speak, and Heard is forming a
     real band, a.k.a. The Mark Heard Band.
          - Robbie Davis rdavis@en.ecn.purdue.edu

Iggy Pop

     Possibly brain-damaged singer once known for masochistic stage act. Has
     cooled out some, but is still uglier than Jagger. "Lust for Life" song
     and album are priceless rock.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Incantation

     "Cacharpaya" got to number 12 in the UK in 1982..Wind pipes of the
     Andes. Pleasant enough in small doses.
          - Stephen K Mulrine
          smulrine%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

Incorporated Thang Band

     george clinton produced contemporary funk.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Information Society

     One dance band that I like!
          - David Caldwell macs!dfc@bikini.cis.ufl.edu

     What I've heard sounds very like the Human League. Does all their
     material sound like this? If so, I'll have to buy some, since the Human
     League don't seem to be releasing much these days..
          - Alan Crawford awrc%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

Interior

     I bought their first album, because of the song "Hot Beach". I was
     extremely disappointed with the rest of the music. I seriously think the
     rest of the music is quite poor and lacking in a lot of ways. I am very
     curious to hear their second album, and see if it's any better.
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

INXS

     I especially like their album Kick.
          - Marylynn Orzeckowski discg1!istda11@bpa.bell-atl.com

Iron Maiden

     Forget anything after "Number of the Beast" as they become
     self-plagiarising and seem content to rest on old laurels. First three
     albums are essential.
          - Iain Smith & Jonathan Habrovitsky
          jhabrovi%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Good heavy metal.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

Chris Isaak

     Chris Isaak is an amalgam of the fifties and the 80s-90s. Many people
     have compared him to Elvis, and his style and voice certainly reflect
     the Elvis influence. But one senses that he's not just a one-trick-pony;
     he has a sense of what music has come to in recent times. He is
     absolutely not to be missed live; his stage banter is marvelous and he
     has better comic timing than most comedians.
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

     His lp a couple years back was neat. The one in 89 was disappointing,
     almost easy listening.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     Strangely dark rockabilly revivalist. Stretches the genre past simple
     I-IV-V progressions and 4/4 time. Looks really cool in his blonde
     pompadour.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Isley Brothers

     do-wop funk.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

David J

     mostly acoustic songs by the love & rockets (& bauhaus) bass player.
     very enjoyable.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Joe Jackson

     I *love* the live album.
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

Jackson 5

     the best band of all time. to hear 8 year old michael tell a woman to
     "show me what you can do" is worth any price.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

James

     intelligence in songwriting. tight, talented. in a word: buy.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

James Kirk

     ex orange juice guitarist tries his hand. his best tune is still
     _felicity_.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Jam

     what a guitar-based pop band hopes to be. they ruled the british charts
     for 4 years and then disbanded while still on top and in their early
     twenties. then paul went onto form the style council.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

The Jams

     I assume you mean the Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu here - they were a
     scottish hip hop group (yes!) and they were hilarious. Unfortunately,
     they got into trouble over their sampling practices and they've since
     dissolved. They came back to life recently as The KLF which doesn't do
     the sampling/rap stuff as much, unfortunately. Their is a greatest hits
     album available in America now. Their first (and best) album has been
     deleted due to the long samples of ABBA...
          - Jon Drukman jsd@GAFFA.MIT.EDU

     You mean the Jam? If so, leading mod revivalist band revved up to punk
     speed and attitude while retaining some semblance of lyricism. At least
     one excellent album, "Sound Affects" (sic).
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     _Doctorin' the Tardis_
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

Jean Michel Jarre

     Another of my favorite electronic musicians. He really takes his
     equipment to it's limits. _Zoolook_ shows how he can use samples to
     create great music, while _Oxygene_ is more analog synths, and shows
     what fantastic music he can create with this much older technology. He
     has several live albums as well, with the China Concerts being the best.
     Recommendations: _Oxygene_, _Zoolook_
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     Anything up to 'Zoolook' and bits of 'Rendezvous' are great. Anything
     after this is, well, um, er. Listen to 'Jarre Live' or 'Revolutions' to
     see what I mean. He's been really disappointing recently.
          - Alan Crawford awrc%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Edgecutting guy but he burned out bad after ZOOLOOK. Thinks he's some
     sort of pop god now, and I guess the number of people at his concerts
     bears that out somehow but I have no idea why. Destined to be the next
     Liberace if he doesn't shape up REAL SOON NOW...
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     French synthesizer player. Has done some of the best work in the
     synth-music realm, with his early albums like _Equinoxe_, _Magnetic
     Fields_, etc. _Zoolook_ was also an interesting album, with its bizarre
     little bits of taped vocals popping up here and there throughout the
     piece. His more recent work hasn't been as interesting, though.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     GOD. What Tangerine Dream aspires to be.(I'm gonna get killed for that
     one, but that's how I feel) His earlier albums tend to be simpler in
     comparison to his later works, but if you look at them as a natural
     evolution of sounds, then it all makes sense.
          - Chris Chavez ccmchris@pollux.ucdavis.edu

     Great synthesist, but I think he made more live and best-of albums of
     his studio album material than actual studio albums.
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Oxygene is a work of art. Bose Speakers used to use part of it for their
     radio ads. Equinoxe is neat too. My first CD.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     Oxygene, Equinoxe & Magnetic Fields are excellent. Some people didn't
     seem to like his experimental album Zoolook, however I thought it was
     innovative. Rendez-vous was ok, and his last album, Revolutions was
     awful. Don't buy any of his live albums except for The Concerts in
     China.
          - Iain Smith & Jonathan Habrovitsky
          jhabrovi%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     _Oxygene_ was all right.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

John Jarvis
     One of my favorites! Has threee albums. Whatever Works is his most
     recent (As far as I know) and contains the song "Paul Wants a Pig" It is
     definitely interesting. (I am listening to it as I type!)
          - David Caldwell macs!dfc@bikini.cis.ufl.edu

Jazz Butcher

     do i like the jazz butcher? by my count, the most consistently improving
     and transmorgrafying band of the 8Ts. pat fish is one witty gentleman.
     buy all of his records and chat with him the next time he comes over.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Jefferson Airplane

     As far as my corner of the world was concerned, JA WAS the San Fransico
     psychedelic music scene.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

     Founding members of the San Francisco psychedelic sound. Lots of garbled
     new-worldism and plenty of acid anthems. Birthed Hot Tuna, Jefferson
     Starship, Starship, and finally, Jefferson Airplane.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Good stuff, but then they changed their name
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     I'm still holding out against the new one. Second best band ever to come
     out of the USA.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Remember them for a couple epochal songs. Otherwise a decent band.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

Marshall Jefferson

     Aknowledged as the "Best US Dance Music Producer" according to DMC 1989
     awards.
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

Jesus And Mary Chain

     great chaotic psychedelia!! blazing art-noise!! feedback is wonderful!!
     get any of their albums!! darklands is not as good as the rest.
          - joel metz mantis@ucscb.UCSC.EDU

     I like to think of them as the Smiths with feedback. I really like
     "April Sky" from _Darklands_. However, it's hard to listen to a Jesus
     And Mary Chain album from beginning to end (esp. _Psychocandy_) because
     the buzzing gets on one's nerves.
          - Valerie valerie@athena.mit.edu

     Not bad, but over-hyped.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     The last great band to come out of Scotland. ZZ Top meets Marc Bolan.
          - Hans Huttel  hans%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     The one song I heard by them was great.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     Two Scottish brothers in 1982 decided they could become a band. So they
     did, playing lousy clubs in Europe, wearing only clothes that were
     either black or covered with offensive words (to some), and never
     removing the sunglasses because supposedly sunlight in their eyes would
     induce a violent reaction with the 35% LSD content of their bodies. Had
     a "live" album entitled "S.E.X" then the successful "Psychocandy" then
     the hit British single "Some Candy Talking" then "Darklands," which saw
     the virtual disappearance of their heavy feedback sound and the
     development of lyrics with some meaning. Then "Barbed Wire Kisses," a
     collection which actually offered "Upside Down," their first and rare 7"
     release. Now "Automatic," which, although it offers some good music, a
     couple of new rhythms (for them, anyway), and a unity of sound, doesn't
     please many of their earlier fans. The video for "Blues from a gun"
     actually has groupies in it, a drummer (they gave up their drummer for
     the Darklands tour, angering many fans) who isn't playing, and Jim (?)
     isn't even wearing sunglasses. Anyone know any concert info on these
     folks?
          - Kevin Martin sigma@pawl.rpi.edu

Jethro Tull

     anyone figured out what G__R suggests? Must be something british. Guess
     where I first heard them? On a top 40 station! yes, WKBW in Buffalo NY
     had a radio version with "edits".
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     At their peak, they're one of my favorite bands. I haven't heard much of
     their newer music, but I'm not very optimistic about it. I don't mean to
     belittle them, they have many great songs.
          - Frank J. Schima francis@pawl.rpi.edu

     Classic rock the way it should be, with Anderson's own wonderful style
     of flute playing. My favorite album of theirs is probably _A_, but
     that's because I'm also a confirmed Jobson fanatic as well.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Good, though I don't quite know how to classify him (perhaps, the dot
     product of Jazz and Metal??)
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Great music for 16-19 year old guys. I loved 'em when I was that age. If
     you are over 30 and still love 'em, grow up!!
          - Ken Josenhans 13020KRJ@MSU.BitNet

     MTV thinks they're heavy metal! He invented a seed drill. Gave Marillian
     their start, so I can forgive them the last two albums.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     See Ian Anderson.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Some good sacreligious songs...
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     Thousands of albums and you'd have to be a complete addict to buy them
     all. Content yourself with "Aqualung" & "Thick as a Brick"; and "Crest
     of a Knave" for an excellent example of post-Brothers in Arms heavy
     rock.
          - Iain Smith & Jonathan Habrovitsky
          jhabrovi%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Very good band. Great on tour. And how many other rock bands have a
     flute as their main instrument?
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

     Inspired Weird Al's classic: I Love Rocky Road.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

     Joan Jett wears too much black leather, and "I hate myself for loving
     you" sounds like a line from _Fatal Attraction_.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Rockingest woman on the scene. Owes a lot to punk's fury, but also has
     one foot firmly in AM radio rock. Don't fuck with her.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU
--
-Dave 	datta@vacs.uwp.wisc.edu
	....uwm!uwpvacs!datta
	uwpvacs.UUCP!datta@cs.wisc.edu