x
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Morrison’s
      always
      had
      a
      penchant
      for
     
     
      ather
      schmaltzy
      atmospherics,
      but
      now
      his
     
     
      ice
      doesn’t
      -or
      can’t-
      cut
      a
      swath
     
    
   
   
    
     
      second
      album
      is
      finally
      out.
      His
      first,
      which
     
     
      had
      many
      beautiful
      slower
      songs
      while
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hrough
      all
      that
      goo.
      Get
      rid
      of
      the
     
     
      ynthesizers
      and
      faceless
      back-up
      singers
     
     
      nd
      all
      that
      other
      sonic
      blubber
      and
      just
     
     
      ng
      it,
      Van;
      that
      voice
      is
      the
      most
      potent
     
     
      istrument
      I’ve
      ever
      heard.
      I’m
      not
      saying
     
     
      us
      album
      is
      lousy,
      it’s
      not.
      If
      you
      like
      his
     
     
      ewer
      music,
      you'll
      like
      this.
      I
      suggest
      if
     
     
      gu
      like
      his
      newer
      stuff
      to
      check
      out
     
     
      loondance,
      the
      most
      accessible
      of
      his
     
     
      assic
      albums.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ne
      latest
      from
      Rickie
      Lee
      Jones
      (she
      is
     
     
      it
      country,
      by
      the
      way)
      is
      her
      fifth
      album
     
     
      twelve
      years
      (slow
      down,
      girl!).
      It’s
      also
     
     
      T
      worst.
      Rickie,
      Rickie,
      Rickie...
      why
      are
     
     
      u
      such
      a
      flake?
      Pop,
      Pop
      is
      a
      collection
     
     
      jazzy
      covers
      that
      can
      be
      thrown
      in
      the
     
     
      set
      with
      Pin-Ups,
      Almost
      Blue,
      and
     
     
      ick
      n’
      Roll.
      The
      material
      on
      this
      album
     
     
      esses
      the
      more
      annoying
      qualities
      of
      her
     
     
      ice
      Over
      accompaniment
      that
      consists
     
     
      nost
      exclusively
      of
      a
      stand-up
      bass
      and
     
     
      justic
      guitar.
      I’ve
      always
      found
      her
     
     
      fred,
      girlish
      vocals
      wildly
      emotional,
      but
     
     
      €
      they’re
      merely
      irritating.
      Most
      of
      this
     
     
      sic
      doesn’t
      manage
      to
      convey
      any
      kind
     
     
      feeling
      whatsoever.
      The
      only
      decent
     
     
      $
      arrive
      ten
      (!)
      songs
      in
      with
      “Love
     
     
      syard,"
      which
      features
      Rickie’s
      layered
     
     
      als
      to
      typically
      beautiful
      affect,
      and
      the
     
     
      ‘Kk
      "Comin’
      Back
      to
      Me,"
      one
      of
      the
      few
     
     
      gs
      here
      which
      doesn’t
      sound
      like
      she’s
     
     
      ing
      with
      a
      big
      grin
      on
      her
      face.
      There
     
    

    
     
      other
      moments
      when
      the
      simple
     
     
      odies
      are
      momentarily
      touching,
      but
     
     
      then
      revert
      back
      to
      the
      hamminess
     
     
      sinks
      this
      album.
      Doesn’t
      it
      piss
      you
     
     
      hen
      you
      buy
      something,
      and
      after
      you
     
     
      n
      to
      it
      once
      you
      know
      it’ll
      never
      see
     
     
      light
      of
      day
      again?
      Rickie,
      Rickie,
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee
     
     
      -
     
     
      |)
     
     
      &
     
     
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ok
      a
      while
      but
      Robbie
      Robertson’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
     
     
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      throw-aways
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mere
      up-tempo
      ones
      tended
      to
      be
     
     
      (although
      pretty
      good
     
     
      throw-aways),
      was
      one
      of
      the
      best
      albums
     
     
      of
      that
      year,
      and
      so
      is
      this
      one.
     
     
      Robertson’s
      always
      had
      a
      gift
      for
      melody,
     
     
      and
      that
      gift
      is
      here
      in
      abundance
      on
      an
     
     
      album
      which
      is
      even
      more
      solid
      than
      his
     
     
      first.
      Robbie’s
      voice,
      a
      gruff,
      monotone
     
     
      (think
      of
      Leonard
      Cohen
      or
      Lou
      Reed
     
     
      and
      you're
      on
      the
      right
      track),
      is
      even
     
     
      "worse"
      than
      it
      was
      on
      his
      debut,
      but
      it
     
     
      works;
      it
      conveys
      emotion,
      which
      is
      what
     
     
      music
      is
      all
      about,
      right?
      What
      makes
      this
     
     
      music
      so
      beautiful
      is
      the
      way
      it
      struggles
     
     
      towards
      transcendance
      yet
      never
      quite
     
     
      attains
      it,
      creating
      a
      heart-rendingly
     
     
      painful
      tension.
      Standouts
      include
      "Soap
     
     
      Box
      Preacher,"
      which
      has
      Neil
      Young
      on
     
     
      back-up
      vocals,
      and
      "Sign
      of
      the
      Rainbow,"
     
     
      which
      features
      the
      gorgeous
      voice
      of
     
     
      Aaron
      Neville
      (now
      there’s
      a
      matcn
      made
     
     
      in
      heaven).
      Lyrically
      Robbie
      deals
      with
     
     
      “fast
      living,
      hot
      music,
      and
      mooaburnt
     
     
      nights."
      Yeah,
      anyway,
      who
      cares
      what
      he’s
     
     
      talking
      about;
      the
      music
      speaks
      for
      itself.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      I
      first
      listened
      to
      this
      album
      I
      was
     
     
      frustrated
      by
      thinking
      about
      what
      the
     
     
      Band,
      Robertson’s
      old
      group,
      could
      have
     
     
      done
      with
      this
      calibre
      of
      material.
      While
     
     
      it’s
      still
      true
      that
      Robbie’s
      feeble
      pipes
     
     
      keep
      this
      album
      closer
      to
      the
      ground
      than
     
     
      it
      could
      have
      been,
      the
      songs
      are
      truly
     
     
      great,
      and
      even
      without
      a
      great
      singer
      -like
     
     
      Richard
      Manuel,
      Rick
      Danko,
      or
      Levon
     
    
   
   
    
     
      '
      Helm-
      Robbie
      Robertson
      can
      stil]
      take
     
    
   
   
    
     
      your
      breath
      away.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      out
      of
      three
      from
      these
      artists?
      Not
     
     
      too
      impressive.
      Nonetheless
      check
      out
     
     
      Storyville.
      It’s
      pretty
      inspiring
      stuff
      and
      my
     
     
      pick
      for
      the
      best
      album
      of
      1991
      so
      far.
     
     
      Well,
      coming
      up
      next
      week
      I’ve
      got
      that
     
     
      little
      purple
      guy,
      Prince.
      See
      ya
      then.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kirby
      Ferguson
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      17,
      1991
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page