a rational happy review

[a squeaking head on a pleasure box <REWOICC%ERENJ.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>]

well, at least a semi-rational one. after speaking to vickie a few nights
ago, she offered to lend me her extra copies of _rhodes vol.1_ and _war-
paint_ (on the condition that i write about what i thought of them of
course) so ... i am.

first: i don't know what i was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what is
on those tapes. from all the posts that people had been making, somehow
it had gotten into my head that what happy rhodes was doing was something
phenomenally different or completely innovative. as larry spence pointed
out, nobody ever really pinned down a style or description - merely just
words about her songwriting and lyrical abilities. so, when i popped in
_rhodes vol.1_ and heard some rather simple, if effective, and melancholy
synthesizer-based tunes, i was a bit taken a back. so, musically, i was
not terribly impressed.

her voice though struck me as interesting. it is a deep voice that avoids
being husky like many other female singers. just for comparison purposes,
it reminded me most of the singer (what is her name?) from skinnerbox.
and as vickie noted, her high register does share a striking resemblance
to KaTe's (this becomes very apparant on _warpaint_ where her background
vox are often sung in a high pitch - i know that my head snapped about the
first time that i heard one of those vocal snippets - much in the same way
that my head snapped when i first heard roy harper's "once" without knowing
that KaTe sang backup on it).

after listening to _vol.1_, i took a nap. :) when i woke up, i popped
_warpaint_ in. as one might expect, with three albums in between them, there
are some stylistic differences, but the main thrust of her sound is still
basically the same: melancholy, quiet and darkish synthisizer-based pop.
however, there is something about _warpaint_ that the earlier work seems
to lack, for i've gone back to it about three times in the past twenty
four hours. (not counting the kukl/sugarcubes spree somewhere in there
last night :) _warpaint_ is much more mature, and much more listenable
and much more lasting i think. chances are, i'll be ordering this cd
sometime soon.

summary: happy rhodes' work is decent. better than most stuff that we see
the major labels stuffing in our faces. i don't agree with the claims that
she is fantastic and incredible - ceratinly enjoyable and after i listen
to the lyrics more, i'll probably get more in tune with her music, but i
don't feel that she is doing anything musically innovative (but then, that
might just be sour grapes after *thinking* that she was innovative based
on posts from the happy-go-lucky crowd on the list). the jury is still
out with regards to the lyrics, though i half-suspect they'll win me over.

incidentially, i also picked up _ophelia's shadow_ a few days ago and must
agree completely with the others with regards to the music: it is *wonder-
ful*. about toyah's singing though, i think i am a bit more tolerant. there
are a few tracks when it just doesn't work, but i generally liked it. and i
certainly do not see her as a KaTe-wannabee as others have decried her.
--
woj   zengineer/dj for hire/goofball      "one of the band told me last
work: rewoicc@erenj.bitnet                 night that music was all that
play: woiccare@pebbles.sct.clarkson.edu    he's got in his life" -KT
 - society of dark birds: fegmaniax-request@pebbles.sct.clarkson.edu -