ROCK 'N' RAMA

ROCK 'N' RAMA

This month's Rock-A-Ramas were written by Michael Davis, John Morthland, Richard Riegel, Richard C. Walls and Craig Zeller.

WILLIE ALEXANDER & THE CONFESSIONS—A Girl Like You (New Rose import):: Willie Loco, lest you forget, was an early trailblazer in the indie 45 field ("Mass Ave" b/w "Kerouac") as well as a spearhead figure in the whole Bosstown new wave/punk upheaval of '76-77. Over the years he's taken his fair share of knocks and, outside of Beantown, the boosts have been few and far between. A Girl Like You does have its flaws (like a weak second side and shaky covers of Otis and Jerry Lee), but the title cut and "Oh Daddy Oh" indisputably prove that he hasn't lost his ga-ga grip on life. Good to hear that Willie's still got some of the ol' boom-boom left in him. C.Z.

JOHN WARREN—Advance Warning (Condor):: Not just one guy, but Mr. Warren as lead mouthpiece for a whole bunch of slick older Boston hippies, out to make a heavee-statement concept album about nuke proliferation and the resultant holocausts. Worthy sentiments for sure, but Wanen's squealy proto-Rindy Ross vocals and the band's Styx-like bloato lyric sensitivity are hardly the stuff peace marches are made of. And those Dooboid backup vokes merely invite firststrike capabilities around this household. Plus a rather sinisterly pedophiliac (?) cover photo, for that final touch of scrambled brains. If you're still interested, try Condor at Box 955, Brookline, MA 02146 R.R.

ATTACK OF THE KILLER B's Vol. 1—Various Artists (Warner Bros.):: This round-up collection of 45 flipsides is well worth checking out if only for the Ramones' "Babysitter" and T-Bone Burnett's smoldering "Amnesia and Jealousy (Oh Lana)." But there's also the original version of T-Heads' "Love Goes To A Building On Fire," a surf's-up Pretenders instrumental, and Marshall Crenshaw live from his living room. They even had the good sense to put Laurie Anderson at the end so you can stop the record early without any regrets. So where's Vol. 2? C.Z.

GOTHIC HUT (Posh Boy):: These humanoids are so painfully serious in their lust for ART-viapop that they'd probably describe their "songs" as "guitar-strum drone modules" if I'd let 'em. Hey, lighten up, guys! There are some interesting moments on here, both in the random-association lyric dept, and in the metal-parody fuzzstrums, but every time you get something good going, you chop the song off, just like that. Doncha know premature ejaculation can be successfully treated these days? A few more therapy sessions, and even the Residents won't have to wear those bags over their heads anymore. R.R.

THE QUINTET-Jazz At Massey Hall (Debut):: Fantasy has just reissued 30 more records in its Original Jazz Classic series, bringing the total now to 70 and those of you who can't afford to buy all of 'em (ha ha) should still consider buying this legendary summit meeting (Charlie Parker, alto sax; Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet; Bud Powell, piano; Charlie Mingus, bass; Max Roach, drums) recorded live in Toronto in '53. Of course, all the legendary names in the world don't mean diddley if the music ain't hot, but it is, and better recorded than you might expect. Also you get the original cover so's you can feel like a seedy pseudo-intellectual beatnik type— the front is done in snapshot verite while the doomy romantic liner notes don't leave any room for the song listings. Pretty darn hep. R.C.W. DOUG SAHM WITH AUGIE MEYERS: The "West Side" Sound Rolls Again (Teardrop):: This set of south Texas standards (only one original here) is one-take loose unto the point of sloppiness in that idiosyncratic way only Doug Sahm can get away with. He appears to be improvising forgotten lyrics half the time, and some songs whiz by in two minutes without so much as an instrumental break. But Doug sings with more feeling than he's shown in some time (especially on the ballads), Augie's "Peace Of Mind" cover of Roy Orbison is a small gem, and the San Antonio "brown beatnik" horn section (Louis Bustos, Charley McBurney, Rocky Morales) is in fine form. Not for everybody, then, but Sahm fans won't want to miss it. (P.O. Box 7505, San Antonio, TX 78207) J.M.

ALBERT KING—San Francisco '83 (Fantasy):: You could mention Muddy Waters's passing or Stevie Ray Vaughan's recent ascendance as reasons for nabbing this new set by the venerable blues veteran but whatever the reasons may be, when you lay the needle down, you'll hear the blues and nothing else. King's in goodnatured voice, edgy guitar—yeah, he's still got the edge when he needs it—and the band is right there. And if you still think the blues aren't what's happening in the '80s, check out his version of "I Found Love In The Food Stamp Line."M.D. JACK DE JOHNETTES SPECIAL EDITION—Inflation Blues (ECM):: As usual DeJohnette and co. serve up a varied program of original DeJohnette compositions: two modern, moody cookers ("Starburst" and "Slowdown" highlighting trumpeter Baikida Carroll and reed man Chico Freeman; a more upbeat piece ("Ebony") featuring DeJohnette's Ellingtonian arrangement and his seamless overdubbing of drums and piano; a free-form calypso percussion number ("The Islands"); and the title cut, a social protest reggae song sung convincingly by DeJohnette. The usual impeccable ECM production values render the whole thing a little too slick for my taste, but then whadda I know? Fun for the whole family. R.C.W.