EM Survey 4 (Part 02 of 19)

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

                Eclectic Music Survey #4 Results

Survey Posting                                      February 1990

Part 2 of 19 (Thru Azuma)

Laurie Anderson

     "Big Science" and "Mister Heartbreak" captivated me totally. I haven't
     been able to get into the new album, "Strange Angels", as much; it seems
     too lush, and I want it to be more percussive.
          - Ken Josenhans 13020KRJ@MSU.BitNet

     'How to make random noises and odd lyrics into beautiful music.' Our new
     correspondance course comes with a set of albums to further explain our
     views....
          - Wingerde van FJ fjvwing@cs.vu.nl

     Considering the fact that I listen to a lot of Kate Bush, Laurie
     Anderson's albums are often recommended to me. However, the stuff I've
     heard souns a little bit *too* weird for my tastes.
          - Valerie valerie@athena.mit.edu

     Exceptionally strange ... but very innovative and good.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Her _U.S.A. I - IV_ was her best. Very funny and very interesting.
     Everything else seems derivative of this.
          - John M. Relph relph@presto.ig.com

     Hope she doesn't get any more mainstream.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     I don't own any of her albums yet, but when I get rich, I'll by them
     all.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     I liked her intros for _Alive From Off Center_
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     I love the "Big Science" and the "Walking the Dog" single. She went
     downhill a bit after that - "Mr. Heartbreak" isn't quite as good.
     Haven't heard "Strange Angels".
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     I wanted you. I wanted you. Leave it to others for more.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com
     Interesting artist, but I can't stand more than about 10 minutes of her
     art.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

     Intriguing obscurist avantpop . . .
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     More mellowed lately, with less vocoding and unusual violin
     arrangements. If you can find the four-cassette recording of United
     States, get that. Now has Bobby McFerrin for some backup vocals on her
     new album.
          - Kevin Martin sigma@pawl.rpi.edu

     The woman who made avant-garde safe for the masses. Slyly witty and
     inventive in all aspects of recording and performing: instrumentation,
     structure, presentation.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Worth more as a performance artist than as a musician, IMHO. Some find
     her pretentious and boring; others, humorous and inventive.
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

Anderson Wakeman Bruford & Howe

     Their current (and only) album is excellent. I'm looking forward to
     their next album. They are very much like the old Yes that produced
     'Close to the Edge', 'Relayer', etc.
          - Frank J. Schima francis@pawl.rpi.edu

     Great stuff unless you make the mistake of listening to the words.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     Hasn't the record-buying public had enough of these dinosaurs?
          - Valerie valerie@athena.mit.edu

     Includes members of Yes from the old days (1973 to about 1976) excluding
     Chris Squire. Regardless of opinions from the previous survey, I like
     their music. The video for 'Brother of Mine' is pretty interesting.
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Live, they play great Yes music. I've heard that their album is a bit
     disco-ish, i.e. disappointing.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Only song of theirs I heard was "Brother of Mine". I liked the way it
     switched several times into different songs, so to speak. I'd like to
     know if their album is worth buying. I also thought the video for the
     above song was good, though it was confusing.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Rightful heirs to the name of "Yes". Intensely intellectualized rock
     with classical underpinnings.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU
     Sigh. Just when we thought we were free from New Age lyrics in popmusic.
          - Wingerde van FJ fjvwing@cs.vu.nl

     Superb use of 1980 hi-tech, electronic sound used within the progressive
     style of Yes.
          - TRM900@PSUVM.PSU.edu

Adam Ant

     Came to prominence during the 15 seconds of fame for "New Romantic"
     music. Tried on various adventurous roles: Indian, pirate, etc. His band
     featured heavy drumming and lost of whoops and such to add that
     "primitive" flavor.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Early 80's progressive. Clever videos.
          - David Caldwell macs!dfc@bikini.cis.ufl.edu

     Early 80's stuff was great. True new wave, not this stuff we hear today
     that they tell us is new wave. Hard to explain his music. "Stand and
     Deliver" is his best song IMHO. Wait, what about the ANTS? :-)
     Recommendations: _Prince Charming_
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     Great beat, nice catchy songs. His concerts are spoiled by girls
     flinging themselves at him.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     I enjoyed some of his stuff, "King of the Wild Frontier"etc., dressing
     up in pirate costumes, 2 drummers and silly lyrics. He started the
     short-lived "new Romantic" revival.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     I hear his music and its 1981 all over again.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     I think most people seem to forget that Adam (and Bow Wow Wow)
     influenced a lot of people with _Kings of the Wild Frontier_.
          - John M. Relph relph@presto.ig.com

     I wonder what Stuart Goddard is doing now. I remember when Adam and the
     Ants were the new craze at our school..1980 that was. And then they were
     even more successful in 1981. Why do these two years seem to be so good
     in terms of music? Chart music nowadays is just bland in comparison.
          - Stephen K Mulrine
          smulrine%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Where'd he disappear to anyway? (Nevermind, I saw a new 12" from him
     last week.) Love the Burundi beat on those old Ants discs . . .
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

Aphrodite's Child

     VanGellis's early group, supposedly weird synth stuff.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

Arkenstone & White

     Saw them in a free concert in a mall. Quite good. Music with a nice,
     happy feeling to it.
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     _Islands_ is great.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     They have just one album at present, on Narada Equinox, called "Island"
     (1989). The tracks all vary in musical flavour, and one gets the
     impression that the pair are exploring rhythms and harmonies indigenous
     to various Island nations - something not completely obvious from the
     track titles(!). The melodies are joyful and far from simplistic. The
     percussion and drumming is sensitive and meaningful. Most of the music
     is moderately upbeat. There are alot of instruments on this album, and
     the instrumentations chosen for each track are near perfect. Arkenstone
     was trained as a classical pianist for many years, and as a result knows
     his music/harmony very well. This is not a "meditation" album by any
     means. I recommend it highly!
          - Simon Lea csc458@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca

David Arkenstone

     Arkenstone has two albums at present. His solo project, "Valley In The
     Clouds" (1987) is mostly electronic. "Valley" is vastly different to
     "Island" (1989, Arkenstone with Andrew White). It is more sedate and
     repetative. But these are not necessarily flaws. The music remains
     interesting due to Arkenstones superb abilities as a composer and
     harmonist. There are a few standout tracks, such as "The Sun Girl",
     "Princess", and "Night Wind". As on "Island", Arkenstones
     instrumentations are "bang on", and a pleasure to listen to on "Valley".
     Arkenstone was trained as a classical pianist for many years, and as a
     result knows his music/harmony very well. I recommend "Valley In The
     Clouds" if you like the music of Vangelis, Bruce Mitchell, or any other
     "Eclectic" artist. I also recommend "Island" to anyone who likes
     instrumental music.
          - Simon Lea csc458@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca

     Fairly good synthesizer-laden New Age music, from what I've heard on the
     radio.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Haven't heard any particular album, just cuts off the radio, and from a
     mini concert. His stuff is quite happy.
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     _Valley in the Clouds_ was a little sleepy compared to _Islands_ by
     Arkenstone and White, I think that the collaboration does him good.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

Armando
     I can remember his Acid House productions. But now the London Dance
     Music scene is in search of new directions, after the Ska House fiasco.
          - Hussein Yahia hussein@bora.inria.fr

Joan Armatrading

     Back in 1980 when our album rock station (WNEW-FM) wasn't busy trying to
     compete with its classic rock competition they actually played her, "Me
     Myself I" was a good tune but not into her in general.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     Her first album(?) was fantastic, the one with "Down to Zero" on it. Her
     voice is deep, strong, husky. Don't know about much else.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Her third album ("Joan Armatrading") is a perennial favorite; I've never
     been able to get deeply into her other work.
          - Ken Josenhans 13020KRJ@MSU.BitNet

     She should get more credit than Tracy Chapman, but she's not always
     politically correct, and if there's one thing the music industry can't
     stand it's a talented black female folk/rocker who is NOT politically
     correct.
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

     Singer/songwriter known for deeply incisive, if sometimes oblique, tales
     of love and other emotions. Also can rock bigtime when the occasion
     demands.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

Arson Garden

     10000 maniacs-ish
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Art Ensemble Of Chicago

     lester bowies 7Ts radical free-form jazz groups. improv.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Art Of Noise

     "Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise" was probably their best studio album.
     "Below the Waste" is disappointing, however.
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Art of Noise was begat by the Fairlight and other such sampling
     keyboards. Originally, the group concentrated on creating songs out of
     "found" noises. Surprisingly, much of their early works seem to stand
     the test of time; this is generally not true of music that is created
     just to highlight a new technology (i.e. "Popcorn" sounds tremendously
     dated). I believe this is because Art Of Noise have actual songwriting
     and performing talent. Unfortunately, their more recent works are heavy
     and lack the energy and innovation of the earlier albums.
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

     classic 80's technodweebs - "Who's Afraid Of..." is an absolute
     masterpiece but they've been turning into shit ever since.
          - Jon Drukman jsd@GAFFA.MIT.EDU

     Ha-HAAAA! Gods, bless them all. If only they'd stuck with Trevor Horn
     they'd still be producing miracles instead of merely interesting work.
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     I liked the 'Paranoimia' and 'Dragnet' singles. They've got an
     interesting sound, but I can't say I've been very keen on anything else
     I've heard by them.
          - Alan Crawford awrc%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Liked "Close to the Edit" for the sheer funkiness and because I like
     weird pan-flute effects (or whatever it is at the end). Haven't heard
     enough of them.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Nifty sounds. What happened to them?
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     These people are great!!!! They use sampled sounds to a very good use.
     They have mastered the art of using strange samples (car noises,
     footsteps) in music. My all time favorite by them has got to be all the
     versions of "Moments In Love". Their later stuff is quite a bit
     different than their earlier music, but it is all quite good and
     entertaining. Recommendations: _Who's Afraid of..._, _Best of_, _In No
     Sense, Nonsense_
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     Yuppie heaven
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

Arvo Part

     hungarian modern classical. voice, disonance, organ. brilliant
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Robert Ashley

     ( Perfect Lives/ Private Parts, Atalanta: Acts of God, other works;
     mostly on the Lovely Music label ) Cross a television script, Philip
     Glass, Laurie Anderson, stream-of-consci- ousness. Add great riffs on a
     cheesy organ ( Kimball? ) by "Blue" Gene Tyranny, and appearances by
     Peter Gordon and Jill Kroesen and others of the "downtown" scene. Throw
     in a few mottos. Now throw away this description and go *LISTEN* to this
     stuff. I don't do it justice. Quote: "Happy she is, the travelling
     salesmen say, but boogie- woogie she is not....She has learned that
     short ideas repeated massage the brain."
          - jim murphy  21329JM@MSU.BitNet
Asia

     '70s sludge-rock retreads. Really disgusting.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     After several listenings to the first album, the Howe and Palmer flavors
     can be heard influencing the music. Unfortunately, the quality of the
     latter albums seems to go by the wayside.
          - TRM900@PSUVM.PSU.edu

     Considered to be Top 40. "Asia" and "Alpha" were OK. Steve Howe wasn't
     on "Astra", and coincidentally, it was their worst album.
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

     First album is pretty good, the other two are okay. "Alpha" is better
     than "Astra" tho'. The albums are pretty much straight forward rock. My
     problem with Asia is that they didn't give Steve Howe anything to do.
     Where is he on the albums? He is such a great guitar player, but I think
     Geoff Downes and John Wetton wanted to steal the show. Recommendations:
     _Asia_
          - Steven Seidman sseidman@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (The MIDIman)

     Good band, Of three albums #1 was the best #3 was the worst!
          - David Caldwell macs!dfc@bikini.cis.ufl.edu

     Great logo, pity about the songs.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Hey, dinosaurs are really popular now, so why not a dinosaur band. I
     will admit a guilty pleasure in liking their stuff.
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     It sounded too good to be true, that Steve Howe from Yes, John Wetton
     from King Crimson, and (?) drummer were getting together......and it
     turned out to be commercial garbage!
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

     Most people find Asia to be the son of Satan, the first supergroup to
     really prove that talented artists will always eventually sell out and
     wind up performing arena rock. In actual fact, John Wetton was the true
     source of evil, and as the unspoken leader, he controlled the group's
     direction. Close studies of Wetton's solo album versus Steve Howe's solo
     albums bear this out. As a member of Asia, Howe's guitar work had a lot
     of energy on the first album, but he lost interest in the group by the
     second album, perhpas because of Wetton's heavy-handedness. By the end
     of their second tour, personnel changes made it difficult to know who
     was really in the group, and by the time they released their third
     album, no-one really cared anymore.
          - Anton C Shepps (Tony)
          rochester!moscom!telesci!ashepps%ll-xn.UUCP@cs.wisc.edu

     OK, they were heavily hyped and force-fed down everybody's throats by
     the radio stations. They were still pretty darn good, at least before
     Steve Howe split.
          - Richard Caley rjc%cstr.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Superflop.
          - John Gateley gateley@m2.csc.ti.com

     used to like them a lot, but perhaps it was just the heat of the moment.
     Oh well, only time will tell.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

Asleep At The Wheel

     Country Swing, et al, in a big band setting. Lots of humor in song
     selections as well as killer licks.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     I like their song "the letter that Johnny Walker Read" back when I was
     into country in '`75.
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

     leaves me....
          - Russ Levreault RLEVREAULT@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

     They did a great live set here 15 years ago. Great acid-bluegrass.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

Associates

     One of the best 'new romantic' groups to emerge in the early eighties,
     they split up before they could become really successful. They reformed
     with a new line-up but didn't get anywhere. Lead singer Billy Mackenzie
     has a fantastic voice with an enormous range. He's since worked with
     Yello on a couple of albums as a backing singer and is, I believe,
     currently recording a joint effort with them.
          - Alan Crawford awrc%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

Rick Astley

     Best move he made for boosting his ,up to now non-existent, credibilty
     was leaving the PWL-stable. Wonder what he will do without Stock ,Aitken
     & Waterman.
          - Wingerde van FJ fjvwing@cs.vu.nl

     Fortunately no-one knows what has happened to Rick Astley lately.
          - Hans Huttel  hans%lfcs.edinburgh.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK

     Good voice but his songs need to go. He and Harry Connick Jr. might make
     a good team though.
          - Chris Chavez ccmchris@pollux.ucdavis.edu

     Has sunk into obscurity. Jason Donovan has taken over for him
     completely. In fact, Jase's first single, "Too Many Broken Hearts" was
     written for Astley who didn't like it.
          - Stephen K Mulrine
          smulrine%computer-science.strathclyde.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK
     His voice doesn't match his body.
          - Bill White bwhite@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

     Pantywaist.
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     Pop fluff at it's fluffiest. I tend to discredit artists that become
     successful by other people's talents (i.e. those people that write all
     his music, I forgot their names). A comedian that I once saw on MTV (I
     forget his name, too) put it best: (sung to the tune of "Never Gonna
     Give You Up") "Haven't reached puberty Everyone makes fun of me Big
     black voice In the body of Howdy Doody"
          - Valerie valerie@athena.mit.edu

     Z-100 had a good parody of him to the tune of one of his songs saying
     "all my songs sound the same".
          - Paul Mount prm@whutt.att.com

Aswad & Sly And Robbie

     Their classic "3 babylon" is on some early reggae compilations. A good
     classic reggae sound.
          - Chris Koenigsberg ckk+@andrew.cmu.edu

Dan Aykroyd

     "This is a city of criiiiiiiime . . . "
          - Lazlo Nibble lazlo@ariel.unm.edu

     A Blues Brother... supposedly, his movies during 1980 were the highest
     grossing of any other actor, save Harrison Ford.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

     Passable whiteboy emulation of Delta/Chicago blues.
          - sco!martyst@ucscc.UCSC.EDU

     Very good on the Blues Brothers soundtrack.
          - Christopher Waldemar Bochna cb2w+@andrew.cmu.edu

Aztec Camera

     first wave of scotch 8Ts pop. _oblivious_ is still a great tune, the
     latest release _love_ is less great.
          - del Amitri del@ab.ecn.purdue.edu

Azuma

     Great remake of Montego Bay with a superb video.
          - Paul Maclauchlan moore!paul@uunet.UU.NET

--
-Dave 	datta@vacs.uwp.wisc.edu
	....uwm!uwpvacs!datta
	uwpvacs.UUCP!datta@cs.wisc.edu