ROCK • A • RAMA

ALBERT AYLER - Vibrations (Arista Freedom) :: You may think that if you've heard one Ayler album you've heard them all (and you may be right) but this Sept. "64 session, previously unreleased in the States and featuring Sonny Murray on drums, Gary Peacock on bass, and Don Cherry on trumpet (adding dimensions to the music, that Albert's brother Donald never reached), has some Ayler improvs which are, by his standards, almost languid. Also the album features Ayler's most apocalyptic composition "Holy Spirit" as well as a piece called "Mothers" being played on a Theramin. As is often the case on A.A. albums the recording quality is only slightly better than fair. It's as tho the various studios were never adequate to the task of capturing his rapacious tones.

R.C.W.

KRAFTWERK - Rail & Florian (Vertigo import—available from Jem) :: Finally figured out Kraftwerk's secret which sets them apart from all the other synthesizer bands: they know how to make their sterile equipment resonate with funky riffs ("Kristallo") and crystalline progressions that arb as catchy as all good pop music, even if ("Tanzmusik") they do at times sound like an electric typewriter jamming with a metronome— or maybe one of those electric chacha hpme organs—while several thousand tubes of TjcTacs spill across the floor. They have also listened to Terry Riley, which is encouraging, and their, slow oscillations that pass for pastorale ("Tongebirge") are almost as lovely as they are elementary. This is pre^"Autobahn," and you don't even miss the vocals at all. You may think I'm kidding, but I'm not: this stuff is great.

L.B.

TANGERINE DREAM - Alpha Centauri (PDU import) and Electronic Meditation (Ohr import—both available from Jem) :: What were the Tapgs up to before they hit their own inimitable note of submarine murk with Phaedra and Rubycon? Wallowing interminably in simpleton psychedelia like all the other lame bands in Germany, that's what. It says right here that "this album is dedicated to all people who feel obliged to space," and if "the music material in this album was felt [emphasis mine] by Tangerine Dream," then it's no wonder that the "burning brain... becomes creative and thereby bumps into walls." My god—they've actually grown!

L.B.

ENO - "The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)"/"TlI Come Running (To Tie Your Shoes"*; BRYAN FERRY - "You Go To My Head" / "Remake /Remodel" (Both Island imports—available from Jem) ;; Eno's music has been consistently imaginative; noW he proves that his approach can be fun in a way that's solidly rooted in tradition, if you wish,,or at any rate not at all "difficult" or outre. Of course, once you listen a bit deeper, you hear the usual rhythmic and textural twists, but the boy's always been a great yodeler (check Tiger Mountain's "Mother Whale Eyeless"), and he surpasses himself in the finest oldie update all year. Flip's cool too. Bryan's newest sounds like the backing was taken off a blaxploitation soundtrack (even more pathetic if he is reacting to Bowie); he sings like he's running out of.breath, and even the vibrato is pallid. He'd bomb at a supperclub in Hamtramck. but who can feel sorry for him?

L.B.

LOU REED - Metal Machine Music (RCA) :: At last: the Original Soundtrack from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

C.S.

DR. HAJIME MUROOKA - Lullaby From The Womb (Capitol) :: If the MC5 had been serious about promoting revolution, they should have released albums like this one. Side one knocks infants out without a whimper while side two pacifies adults; get this into every home in America and we can riot, burn, and plunder at will.

M.D.

NEIL YOUNG - Tonight's The Night (Warner Bros.) :: The envelope, please. The winner in the category of Most Wasted Boy Alive is Neil Young! Lou's face remains impassive but his fist shatters his water glass. Tiny Tim giggles and pisses on htmself. Iggy pisses on passersby. Neil stumbles to his feet, upsetting a paper bag containing baggies of green vegetal matter, and moves slowly to the podium. "I-I wanna th-thank all my friends," he stammers, his lower lip trembling violently, "who couldn't be h-here tonight because they're out on the mainline..." He drifts away from the podium, still holding the microphone. Alan attempts to reason with Nei|, then breaks three of his tibs while taking the microphone away from him. Patti screams, "Let that poet alone!" and lets Alan have it right between the eyes with a flame thrower. Eric streaks by, stopping only to riddle the audience with sub-machinegun fire. Raising himself on one elbow, Neil surveys the damage and begins to whimper, "Guess I'll roll another number for the road." "Take!" shouts Paul, authoritatively. Andy relaxes, looks around hesitantly, smiles.

M.D.

LARRY FAST • Synergy: Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra (Passport) :: Synthesized music , so emotional, so deep with feeling, so painfully'beautiful and regal that every note should be hanging in the Louvre in Paris. Everything that Wakeman wants to be but hasn't got enough sensitivity or class himself to pull off. The best.

J.M.

ANDRE PREVIN - RoUerbaU (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (United Artists):: In the not-so-distant future there may not be any wars, but you can bet your bippy that there will still be crappy soundtrack albums like this ending up in the99centbin.

J.M.

CAMEL • The Snow Goose (Janus):: Guaranteed to give fans of Yes and ELP orgasms which means it's probably great to ball to although I wouldn't know.

B.C.

OMEGA (Passport) :: So far, the final word in Hungarian rock bands. Damn fine guitarist who soars high above a chugging rhythm section. These Commies will be a threat.

A. J'.W.

(This month's Rock-A-Ramas were written by Richard C. Walls, Lester Bangs, Charley Starkweather, Michael Davis, Jeffrey Morgan, Brad Chase and A. J. Wright). •