Russell’s
      Shorts
     
     
      The
      Arrogant
      Worms
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Independent)
     
    

    
     
      The
      Arrogant
      Worms’
      second
      album
      is
      almost
     
     
      as
      amazing
      as
      their
      debut.
      Russell’s
      Shorts
     
     
      contains
      more
      of
      the
      Worms’
      rather
      offbeat
     
     
      humour.
      With
      songs
      suchas
      ‘‘
      William
      Shake-
     
     
      speare’s
      in
      My
      Cat’’,
      ‘“The
      Cannibal
      Song’’
     
     
      (about
      the
      torture
      of
      vegetables)
      and
      my
      per-
     
     
      sonal
      favourite,
      ‘“Rippy
      the
      Gator’’
      (who
      filled
     
     
      his
      time
      ‘‘ending
      children’s
      lives\
      down
      at
      the
     
     
      bottom
      of
      the
      swamp,
      swamp,
      swamp’’).
      The
     
     
      Arrogant
      Worms
      are
      a
      comic
      band
      of
      great
     
     
      talent
      and
      this
      album,
      like
      their
      self-titled
     
     
      debut,
      is
      well
      worth
      listening
      to
      as
      often
      as
     
     
      possible.
     
    

    
     
      (4.5)
     
    

    
     
      --
      CA.
      Schneider
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Throbbin’
      Hoods
     
     
      Ambush
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Raw
      Energy\A+M
      Records)
     
    

    
     
      This
      infected
      little
      release
      is
      one
      of
      the
      most
     
     
      consistent
      ablums
      I’ve
      ever
      heard.
      In
      other
     
     
      words,
      all
      the
      songs
      sound
      the
      same.
      The
     
     
      music
      is
      a
      terrible
      mish-mash
      of
      guitar-man-
     
     
      gled
      riffs
      that
      combine
      to
      make
      a
      bad
      imitation
     
     
      of
      the
      Red
      Hot
      Chili
      Peppers.
      The
      underlying
     
     
      vocals
      are
      an
      imitation
      of
      The
      Tragically
      Hip
     
     
      gone
      tragically
      wrong.
      The
      lead
      singer
      is
     
     
      almost
      completely
      monotonal.
      There’s
      no
      re-
     
     
      lief
      in
      the
      lyrics;
      they
      are
      the
      most
      inane
      lyrics
     
     
      this
      side
      of
      a
      Wierd
      Al
      food-worship
      tune,
      but
     
     
      without
      any
      humour.
      One
      song
      ("Tight
      White
     
     
      Dress")
      was
      a
      pathetic
      tune
      about
      a
      guy
      drink-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ovember
      8,
      1994
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      away
      his
      money
      and
      looking
      for
      women.
     
     
      Wonder
      why
      he
      doesn’t
      succeed?
      The
      best
      title
     
     
      (and
      worst
      song)
      is
      ‘‘Jesus
      Was
      an
      Alien.”’
     
    

    
     
      In
      fact,
      the
      most
      accomplished
      and
     
     
      original
      thing
      on
      the
      tape
      is
      the
      neat
      cover,
     
     
      which
      is
      great
      fun
      provided
      you
      take
      pleasure
     
     
      in
      seeing
      Errol
      Flynn
      impaled
      through
      the
     
     
      triceps
      with
      an
      arrow.
     
    

    
     
      On
      the
      up
      side,
      this
      stuff
      could
      be
     
     
      mistaken
      for
      good
      alternative
      music.
      If
      it
     
     
      becomes
      popular
      on
      college
      radio,
      it
      could
      lead
     
     
      to
      a
      second
      album.
      That
      hypothetical
      album
     
     
      might
      even
      be
      good.
      Who
      knows?
     
    

    
     
      (2.5)
     
     
      --Trent
      Drake
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jules
      Shear
     
     
      Healing
      Bones
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Island)
     
    

    
     
      Jules
      Shear
      is
      an
      artist
      who
      refuses
      to
      follow
     
     
      the
      album
      formula
      of
      three
      or
      four
      high
      quality
     
     
      songs
      mingled
      among
      a
      lot
      of
      low-grade
      filler.
     
     
      He
      is
      original
      enough
      to
      leave
      out
      the
      high
     
    
   
   
    
     
      quality
      songs.
      This
      is
      not
      a
      bad
      recording,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Think
      about
      it.
      a
      trip
      to
      Florida!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      is
      less
      interesting
      than
      an
      empty
      aquarium.
     
     
      The
      style
      is
      mediocre,
      commercial
      light
      rock,
     
     
      with
      just
      enough
      folk
      and
      country
      thrown
      in
      to
     
     
      make
      the
      album
      completely
      unbalanced.
      In
     
     
      short,
      don’t
      bother.
     
    

    
     
      (2.5)
     
    

    
     
      --
      Mike
      Beagan
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Adventures
      of
      Priscilla:
      Queen
     
     
      of
      the
      Desert
      (Soundtrack)
     
     
      Various
      Artists
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Island
      Records)
     
    

    
     
      Thisis
      avery
      eclecticcollection
      ofsongs.
      It
      has
     
     
      two
      or
      three
      different
      versions
      of
      each
      of
      the
     
     
      classics
      ‘‘I
      Will
      Survive’,
      “‘Shake
      Your
     
     
      Groove
      Thing’’
      and
      ‘‘ILove
      The
      Nightlife’’
      by
     
     
      the
      original
      artists.
      Throw
      in
      artists
      like
      Ce
      Ce
     
     
      Peniston
      and
      Vanessa
      Williams
      and
      you
      get
     
     
      the
      idea.
      You
      get
      ballads,
      some
      soft
      fluff,
      sing-
     
     
      at-the-top-of-your-lungs
      songs,
      and
      dance
     
     
      tunes.
      This
      CD
      has
      everything
      you
      could
      want.
     
     
      With
      a
      soundtrack
      like
      this
      I
      can’t
      wait
      to
      see
     
     
      the
      movie
      (which
      is
      at
      City
      Cinema
      later
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      month).
      Ifyou
      like
      seventies
      musicand
      remi,
     
     
      of
      seventies
      music
      along
      with
      some
      curr
     
     
      stuff,
      you
      could
      like
      this
      CD.
     
    

    
     
      (3)
     
    

    
     
      --
      Colleen
      Easter
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
          
     
     
           
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Megadeth
     
     
      Youthanasia
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Capitol/EMI)
     
    

    
     
      Dave
      Mustaine
      and
      friends
      have
      returned
     
     
      astonish
      us
      with...
      more
      ofthe
      same.
      Thisis
     
     
      ever-so-slightly
      more
      commercialized
      vers
     
     
      of
      the
      insanely
      outdated
      speed/thrash/gr
     
     
      metal
      that
      Megadeth
      has
      always
      played.
     
     
      ‘*crunch
      scream
      crunch’’
      formula
      of
      this
     
     
      lease
      will
      likely
      please
      the
      band’s
      alr
     
     
      devoted
      fans.
      For
      the
      rest
      of
      us,
      this
      is
      a
      se
     
     
      rate
      version
      of
      Metallica
      playing
      unorigi
     
     
      reheated,
      1980’s
      style
      metal.
      Irecommend
     
     
      album
      to
      previous
      Megadeth
      fans
      only.
     
     
      (3)
     
    

    
     
      --
      Mike
      Beagan