2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

(singke) #1

48 • UNCUT • JULY 2019


ARCHIVE


PRIMALSCREAM


Maximum Rock’n’Roll: The Singles
SONY
7/10
Unrepentantlyrockistveterans’
two-disc anthology
Giventhedevotionalfervour
withwhichPrimalScream
haveservedrock’n’roll’s
cause,it’seasytoforget
theystartedlifenotas
self-styledrebelsinthrallto
theStones,T.RexandNewYorkDolls,butas
C86devotees.It’sbeena longjourneyfrom
jangle-popB-side“VelocityGirl”to“100%Or
Nothing”,a NewOrdersimulacrumfeaturing
Haim,from2016.Andif this31-trackcareer
arcdemonstratesanything,it’stheband’s
chameleonicnous.Clearly,oneperson’s
zeitgeist-scentingadaptabilityis another’s
shamelessbandwagoneering,butallthese
singleshavea peculiarresonance:“We’re
here,now,”is theScream’smessage.So,
baggyacidpopis seenoffbytheevergreen
“Loaded”,“ComeTogether”and“Higher
ThanTheSun”trilogy;thegrislyyet
persistent“Rocks”serves1994’stroubled
GiveOutButDon’tGiveUpandthefine
“Kowalski”theirspeed-freakroad-movie
period,whilethreetracksmemorialisethe
millenniallyanxiousXTRMNTR. Elsewhere,
themandolin-brandishing“CountryGirl”and
“Dolls(SweetRock’n’Roll)”dubiouslyrepfor
theStonesandBowierespectively,but2008’s
“Uptown”successfullywranglesa kindof
defiantlyexhausted,soul-funkbanger.It’s
hardtoimagineanyScreamfannotowning
everyoneofthesetracksinsomeiteration,but
it’sa celebration.Andonlya churlwouldn’t
wantinonthat.
Extras:None.SHARON O’CONNELL

PRINCE
Originals WARNER BROS.
8/10
Thrilling,eye-openingsetofdemos
from the PurpleOne
Prince’sambitions
alwaysexceededthose
ofyouraveragepopstar.
A prodigioustalentand
inexorablydriventomake
musicallhours,healso
imaginedhimselfasa svengali,taking
protégésandgroupsunderhiswingand
writingforthem,too– inhisimperialphase,
acrossthefirsttwo-thirdsofthe’80s,this
wouldincludeSheilaE,TheTime,Vanity6,
AppoloniaandTheFamily.Atthesame
time,hiscareerintheascendant,Prince
wasbeingtappedtowriteforothersaswell


  • TheBangles,KennyRogersand,lateron,
    Martika.Originalscollects 15 ofPrince’s
    studiodemosfromoverthatperiod.If you’re
    a Princebootlegfreakyou’llknowmostofit
    already,butif notit’sa greatintroductionto
    hiswritingforoutsideproductions.Often,
    therealrevelationis howcloselyperformers
    hewtohisdemos– “ManicMonday”is given
    extrapopsheenbyTheBangles,butthe
    song’shappy-sad,psych-tintedmelancholy
    is alreadythere;SheilaE maygive“The
    GlamorousLife”hyperactiveenergy,but
    Prince’soriginalstillfloodsthesensorium
    withspeedyjoy.Occasionally,thingsgotvery
    fuckingweird:Vanity6’s“MakeUp”is Soft
    CellandCybotronrutting in a dark alleyway.
    Extras:None.
    JON DALE


AMERICAis hometoplenty
ofdistinctive,site-specific
musicfestivals– BurningMan,
Coachella,Lollapalooza– but
nonearequiteaslinkedto
theirhomeenvironmentasthe
NewOrleansJazz& HeritageFestival.Startedin
1970,“JazzFest”,asit’sknown,quicklystarted
topreserveartformsthatlookedasif theywere
goingintoextinction,makinguseofthecity’s
grandoldvenuesandoutdoorarenas.It’snot
immunetothepressuresofcommercialism–
recentheadlinershaveincludedBonJovi,The
Strokes,KidRockandFleetwoodMac– butthis
well-annotatedfive-discboxsetconcentrateson
themoredistinctivelyN’Awlins-ishperformers
who’veplayedthefestival’sbandstandsoverthe
past 50 years.
Eachdiscis broadlythemed– jazz,R&B,
gospel,zydeco,funk– but,intrueCrescent
Citystyle,thereis a hugeamountofoverlap.For
instance,DirtyDozenBrassBand’s“Blackbird
Special”,recordedin2004,startsasa pieceof
jitterypunkfunk,mutatesintoanuptempo
big-bandgroove,andendsingloriouschaos.
It’sa reminderthatthecityis bestknownas
thehomeofcollectiveimprovisation,where
everyonesolosatonce,andtherearesome
fineexamplesthroughoutthiscompby
theOriginalLibertyJazzBandanda
particularlyraucousPreservationHall
JazzBand.Thiscollectivechaosalso
imbuesothergenres:check out a 1976
recordingofTheZion
Harmonizershollering
throughtwogospel
classics,ora frenetic 1994
performancebyRaymond
MylesandtheGospel
SoulChildren.
DiscOneis themost
“traditional”selection,
featuringa tribalMardis
GrasIndianchantbythe
GoldenEagles,alongwith
recordingsof“BasinStreet
Blues”and“RoyalGarden
Blues” that both sound as

iftheywererecordedinthe1920s,andsome
finesessionsfromNewOrleansnativesDonald
HarrisonJr andTerenceBlanchard.
DiscTwoswitchesthefocustothecity’s
pleasinglyrough-edgedR&B:a furiouslyfunky
1974 recordingofProfessorLonghairseeshim
backedbyDrJohnandmembersofTheMeters,
whiletherearesomethrillingperformancesby
SnooksEaglin(a blindguitaristfromthecity)
andveteranbluesmanEarlKing.Elsewhere,
DrJohnemergesagaintoracethroughthecity’s
musicalhistoryina 2001medley,whileanother
CrescentCitylegend,gentlemancroonerAllen
Toussaint,cropsupseveraltimes:inanIrma
Thomasversionofhissong“RulerOfMyHeart”,
induetswithChampionJackDupreeandBonnie
Raitt,andperforminghisownanthem“YesWe
CanCan”in2009.
Thecollectiondoesincludea fairbitof
drearilycompetentpubblues,buteven
heretherearesomegloriousmoments.Van
MorrisonsoundalikeAndersOsborne’s“Back
OnDumaine”is a revelation,asis a joyously
unhinged 1976 trackbytheblindboogie-woogie
pianistHenryButler.Andthezydeconumbers
reallydomakeyouwanttobooka ticketto
Louisiana next April to hear more...JOHN LEWIS

VARIOUS ARTISTS


Jazz Fest: The NewOrleansJazz& Heritage Festival
SMITHSONIANFOLkWAYS

7/1 0

Crescent City’s finest chronicled across five discs

the specialist

Professor
Longhair, 1971

Irma Thomas

John MessInA, BURT sTeeL

Free download pdf