The
      Panther
      Prints
      @*
      Entertainment
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      5,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BUZZCOCKS
     
     
      All
      Set
     
     
      (I.R.S./EMI)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Formed
      in
      Manchester,
      England
      in
      1976
      by
     
     
      Peter
      Shelley
      and
      Howard
      Devoto,
      The
      Buzzcocks
     
     
      have
      always
      been
      mentioned
      in
      the
      same
      breath
      as
      The
     
     
      Sex
      Pistols
      and
      The
      Clash
      when
      one
      talks
      about
      the
     
     
      early
      punk
      scene.
      The
      band
      has
      always
      been
      known
      for
     
     
      it’s
      fast
      and
      loud
      music
      with
      an
      emphasis
      on
      a
      hard
     
     
      driving
      guitar.
      When
      they
      began
      they
      were
      heavily
     
     
      influenced
      by
      The
      Beatles
      but
      wanted
      the
      increased
     
     
      energy
      that
      was
      found
      in
      such
      bands
      as
      Detroit’s
     
     
      infamous
      MCS
      and
      New
      York
      City’s
      living
      legends
     
     
      The
      Ramones.
     
    

    
     
      With
      their
      latest
      release
      A//
      Set,
      The
     
     
      Buzzcocks
      have
      no
      trouble
      sticking
      to
      their
      guns
      and
     
     
      doing
      what
      they
      do
      best;
      writing
      fast
      paced
      pop
      songs.
     
     
      The
      acceptance
      of
      such
      forms
      of
      music
      today
      in
      the
     
     
      mainstream
      may
      be
      just
      what
      The
      Buzzcocks
      have
      been
     
     
      looking
      for
      in
      terms
      of
      commercial
      success.
      Despite
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      their
      name
      is
      dropped
      by
      many
      important
     
     
      alternative
      bands
      of
      the
      past
      10
      years,
      from
      Husker
      Du
     
     
      to
      Nirvana,
      they
      have
      never
      been
      able
      to
      receive
      huge
     
     
      success.
     
    

    
     
      The
      power
      pop
      songs
      such
      as
      “Totally
      From
      The
     
     
      Heart”,
      “Give
      It
      To
      Me”
      and
      “Point
      Of
      No
      Return”
      all
     
     
      hold
      the
      common
      3
      chord
      formula
      ever
      present
      in
     
     
      modern
      day
      punk
      bands,
      but
      their
      sugar
      sweet
      vocals
     
     
      add
      to
      make
      it
      a
      little
      more
      tolerable.
      The
      songs
      may
     
     
      be
      good,
      but
      they
      are
      not
      great;
      although
      putting
     
     
      together
      13
      good
      songs
      is
      better
      than
      2
      great
      songs
      and
     
     
      10
      terrible
      songs
      for
      an
      album.
     
    

    
     
      One
      thing
      that
      is
      certainly
      missing
      from
      the
     
     
      mix
      that
      could
      have
      helped
      this
      album
      is
      the
      lyrics,
      they
     
     
      leave
      a
      lot
      to
      be
      desired
      as
      they
      are
      just
      a
      step
      up
      from
     
     
      the
      “Baby!
      Baby!”
      stuff
      that
      makes
      most
      people
      sick
     
     
      today.
      The
      recording
      could
      also
      be
      changed.
      If
      The
     
     
      Buzzcocks
      gave
      their
      guitar
      sound
      a
      little
      more
      punch
     
     
      from
      the
      low
      end
      it
      may
      have
      made
      the
      album
      less
     
     
      predictable
      and
      less
      monotonic.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      very
      few
      changes
      and
      variations
      during
     
     
      this
      entire
      album
      the
      listener
      may
      be
      tempted
      not
      to
     
     
      want
      listen
      anymore.
      Certainly
      Buzzcock
      fans
      will
      not
     
     
      be
      disappointed
      as
      it
      remains
      very
      much
      the
      same
     
     
      Buzzcock
      sound
      that
      most
      fans
      are
      familiar
      with.
      Not
     
     
      a
      great
      album,
      but
      still
      a
      good
      effort
      from
      a
      band
      which
     
     
      is
      better
      referred
      to
      as
      a
      punk
      institution.
      With
      The
      Sex
     
     
      Pistols
      touring
      again,
      we
      may
      see
      some
      other
      punk
     
     
      bands
      deciding
      to
      try
      to
      cash
      in
      on
      the
      fact
      that
      punk
      has
     
     
      finally
      broke
      into
      the
      mainstream.
      The
      Buzzcocks
     
     
      deserve
      some
      credit
      for
      the
      length
      of
      time
      that
      they
     
     
      have
      been
      around
      though,
      so
      don’t
      hold
      timing
      against
     
     
      them.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Jon
      Spencer
      Blues
      Explosion
     
     
      Now
      I
      Got
      Worry
     
     
      Matador/Capital
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Listen
      to
      this
      on
      Loud.
      The
      screams
      at
      the
     
     
      beginning
      of
      the
      track
      one,
      "Skunk"
      can
      scarcely
      be
     
     
      appreciated
      without
      hearing
      it
      at
      full
      volume.
      This
     
     
      Blues
      Explosion
      is
      not
      the
      blues
      you
      have
      heard
      before.
     
     
      Judah
      Bauer
      (guitar,
      vocals),
      Russel
      Simins
      (drums)
     
     
      and
      Jon
      Spencer
      (vocals,
      guitar)
      do
      not
      just
      play
      ihe
     
     
      blues
      --
      they
      blow
      them
      to
      smithereens.
      The
      Blues
     
     
      Explosion
      offers
      up
      16
      tracks
      of
      blues
      and
      chaos
      on
     
     
      Now
      I
      Got
      Worry,
      their
      fifth
      long-playing
      heavy
      since
     
     
      1992.
      The
      sounds
      are
      quite
      comparable
      to
      the
      latest
     
     
      work
      by
      Beck,
      while
      remaining
      quite
      distinctive
      at
      the
     
     
      same
      time.
      The
      basics
      of
      true
      roots
      blues
      are
      easily
     
     
      detected,
      but
      the
      infusion
      of
      Spencer's
      punk
      roots
     
     
      creates
      something
      extraordinarily
      primal.
      "2Kindsa
     
     
      Love,"
      the
      first
      single,
      and
      "Identify"
      are
      two
      examples
     
     
      of
      good,
      hard
      organized
      noise.
      Listen
      to
      this
      after
     
     
      you've
      finished
      midterms
      to
      rid
      yourself
      of
      burdens
     
     
      and
      get
      connected
      to
      your
      soul.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Reng:
      9%
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      SuperPhunk
     
    
   
   
    
     
      John
      Parish
      and
      Polly
     
     
      Jean
      Harvey
     
    

    
     
      Dance
      Hall
      at
      Louse
     
     
      Point
      :
     
    

    
     
      Island
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Somehow,
      Polly
     
     
      Jean
      Harvey
      never
      makes
     
     
      the
      auditioning
      of
      her
      work
     
     
      a
      light-hearted
      one.
      This
     
     
      album
      is
      no
      different.
      All
     
     
      words
      on
      this
      collection
     
     
      of
      12
      songs
      were
      written
     
     
      and
      sung
      by
      Polly
      Jean
     
     
      (with
      the
      exception
      of
     
     
      track
      10),
      while
      all
      music
     
     
      was
      written
      and
      played
      by
     
     
      John
      Parish.
      PJ
      Harvey
     
     
      has
      never
      been
      one
      to
     
     
      present
      fluffy
      pop.
      Again,
     
     
      she
      uses
      her
      beautiful
     
     
      voice,
      which
      moves
      from
     
     
      powerful
      and
      dynamic
      to
     
     
      thin
      and
      frail,
      to
      create
      an
     
     
      atmosphere
      that
     
     
      transcends
      the
      lyrics.
      The
     
     
      music
      itself
      flies
      about
      the
     
     
      spectrum
      with
      lush
     
     
      orchestrations,
      stripped
     
     
      down,
      edgy
      guitar
      work,
     
     
      and
      funeralesque
      organs.
     
     
      "Taut"
      is
      like
      nothing
      I'd
     
     
      ever
      heard
      experienced
     
     
      before,
      conveying
      a
     
     
      complete
      and
      whole
     
     
      despair
      that
      disturbs,
     
     
      defying
      description.
      The
     
     
      final
      track,
      "Lost
      Fun
     
     
      Zone"
      is
      worthy
      of
      the
     
     
      repeat
      button,
      albeit
      the
     
     
      shortest
      song
      of
      the
      album.
     
     
      This
      LP
      is
      but
      another
     
     
      wonderful
      gift
      to
      listeners
     
     
      from
      a
      voice
      that
      which
     
     
      has
      no
      equal.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rating:
      REE