Music Reviews by Glenn Ricci

March 15, 1995

Whip Smart / Liz Phair / Atlantic

In this fine follow-up to her epic debut, Exile in Guyville, our fair lady again demonstrates her impressive songwriting prowess. This fourteen-song set leads the listener on a rocky ride through Phair's relationships, road trips, daydreams, attitudes and snide observations. While the production is slightly more layered and polished than Guyville, it is hardly a glossy sell-out. Likewise, Phair has not compromised one ounce of her artistry to her increased exposure. She's still not afraid to let loose the occasional f-word, or to turn away from traditional pop song formats. And she never seems to have the need to stuff a song or an idea down our throats. Even when she's crude, she's subtle.

It would be too simple to just call this guitar rock. Phair has a way of taking a few chords, surrounding you with a three-minute song and leaving you feeling as if you've heard a lifetime. Whether it's a mesmerizing, heartwrenching dirge like "Nashville" or the wawa rock of "Supernova," you'll have to admit that you've felt something.

Turbulent Indigo / Joni Mitchell / Reprise

As it seems mandatory to compare every new effort of this still viable artist to her earlier work, I have to say that this album is unlikely to evoke nostalgic memories of 1971's Blue, as some critics have suggested. There are a few too many keyboards in the mix to smooth over the tinny edges of Mitchell's acoustic guitar work. Instead, what the listener will find is that Mitchell's unique chord constructions, unrestricted melodies, and vivid lyrics are still in excellent form. While she may not have the stratospheric vocal range she once did, her harmonies and phrasings always hit their mark. This is potentially a fine album for getting cuddly with your significant other, if you can ignore the vicious and poignant lyrics about how "Sex Kills" or about wife beating in "Not to Blame." With lines like "Your charitable acts/ seemed out of place/ with the beauty/ with your fist marks on her face," Mitchell shows herself to be more cynical, more direct and more relevant than ever.

VROOM / King Crimson / Crimson Music/BMG/Fugi Pacific

This is just a little 31-minute teaser (recorded during a short rehearsal session in May '94) for an album to be released in summer of '95. If the idea of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, and Bill Bruford et al. jamming their guts out starts your musical tastebuds atingling, then this is a must-buy. If the above names don't ring a bell, then you'd better try an earlier release from this avant-garde super group (1981's Discipline is a great starting place). Adrian Belew sings (wails, actually) a couple songs and the rest are instrumentals performed by this unique "double trio" incarnation of Mr. Fripp's everchanging band.

Mamouna / Bryan Ferry / Virgin

With the number of instrumental layerings for each song easily in the double digits, songwriter/producer/performer Ferry demonstrates on this album that "easy listening" does not have to mean "deadly boring." This work most closely resembles the mellow richness and depth of Robbie Robertson's Storyville, with the gravel of Robertson's voice replaced by Ferry's nearly angelic tones. While it is easy to generate clutter with so many instruments, Ferry manages to carve out a lovely piece of aural space for each sound that peppers his elegant arrangements. This one gets high marks for romantic and atmospheric mood-music.

John Henry / They Might Be Giants / Elektra

Even though it was released four months ago, not a whole lot of noise has been made about this album yet. This is unfortunate because John Henry is TMBG's most coherent, venturesome and consistently entertaining album to date. Heard here for the first time with a full band, TMBG re-establish themselves as a musical force to be reckoned with. If you are a TMBG fan and do not have this one yet, shame on you. If you are a fan of intelligent, quirky and often hilarious rock & roll and have yet to check out TMBG, it is time to give the silliest of bands a serious listen.

- Glenn Ricci