45 REVELATIONS

45 REVELATIONS

Finally! “Rain On The Scarecrow” is a single. I try to avoid mentioning LP tracks, to preserve the ideological purity of one of the country’s last surviving singles columns, but four months ago I felt impelled to dub this John Cougar Mellencamp cut the best non-single of 1985. Now it could end up the best single of 1986.

Besides being the best evocation of the American farmer’s plight rock has spawned, it’s a masterful production: the relentless riffing, death-rattle tambourines, and the final clangorous knell of bells add up to a desperate, no-way-out, almost unbearably intense atmosphere. Rock with true power. I’m told the flip will be the Left Banke’s “Pretty Ballerina” (just have a one-sided promotional copy right now)—a fascinating prospect in its own right.

Surprisingly, Madonna is back with a ballad, but whereas “Crazy For You” employed disappointingly ordinary schlock tactics, “Live To Tell” is delicately shaded with minor melancholy: the pseudo-oriental touches are tastefully deployed, and the bridge reminds me of Tim Hardin (of all people).

Alisha is sometimes promoted as “Baby Madonna,” and while spme of her records are drab dance-pop, “Stargazing” lives up to the hype, with the attractive combination of dance production and rich pop melody that worked so well for Madonna.

Fresh from its success with the Force MDs, New York rap/hiphop specialists Tommy Boy Records make a further foray into pop with “One Way Love” by TKA, a streetdancer instrumental frame cushioned with lush harmonies.

I was hoping for something good from exChicster Bernard Edwards producing the Triplets (I hope for something good from every Edwards or Rodgers production, and am usually—but not always—rewarded). The second single, “Boys,” scores with a yearning, classic girl group feel united with a rock foundation. Speaking of rock foundations, I should put in a belated good word for Sly Fox’s astounding “Let’s Go All The Way,” the beatbox “I Am The Walrus.”

Eddie Rabbitt is better known for his pseudo-rockabilly material (which is pretty slick pseudo-rockabilly), but even better are his occasional Buddy Hollyesque pop-country numbers, like “You Can’t Run From Love” a few years back. “Repetitive Regret” is the best thing he’s done in this vein, instantly captivating and a better pop tune than practically anything on the CHR charts.

■ After Steve Wariner went to MCA and hit the heights with the beautiful “Some Fools Never Learn,” RCA went vault-scouring and unearthed “You Make It Feel So Right,” a tougher-than-tough contemporary rockabilly duet, with Carol Chase gritting it out just like the wonderful Carlene Carter.

BY KEN BARNES

Suzanne Vega gets a taut rock backing on the Arthur Baker-coproduced “Left Of Center,” and it pushes her, somewhat colorless vocals and all, into her best record yet. But for song I still favor “Small Blue Thing,” which you can get a haunting live version of on the British “Marlene On The Wall” single.

Glasgow’s Fruits Of Passion sound like a pop Lone Justice on “Love’s Glory,” and Sharon Dunleavy is a singer to listen for. On “Turn To fjThe Sky,” the March Violets appear to have crossed Katrina & The Waves with Siouxsie & The Banshees, a curious hybrid worth harvesting.

Pete Townshend’s “White City Fighting,” flip side of “Secondhand Love,” has a gorgeous guitar intro and, in general, is his best song in some time (never could stand “Face The Face”).

The neo-garage rock Swedish invasion continues in full force. “Baby Come On” by Shoutiess storms out of the speakers with a roar most weedy ’60s revivalists would pawn their Voxx amps to match. (Rainbow Music, Hostvagen 5, 171 40 Solna, Sweden, or your local importer or mail order dealer with taste.)

The Pushtwangers provide a similarly satisfying crunch on “Love For Everyone,” even adding horns and other impure pop touches to create some truly loud pop. An unidentified female vocalist turns in an affecting downcast performance on the flip, “Why Are You Treating Me So Bad.” (Amigo Musik, Box 6058,102 31 Stockholm, Sweden.)

In a similarly depressed mood, the Watermelon Men revive Terry Knight & The Pack’s doleful “I’ve Been Told” on the flip of “Seven Years,” a sterling track from their LP. (c/o Dutch East India Trading Co., PO Box 570, Rockville Center, New York 11571-0570.)

The Saints were one of Australia’s first punk groups nine years ago or so, and have persevered, evolving into stirringly orchestrated guitar-chiming numbers like “Just Like Fire Would” (“I burn up”). Samurai Trash push the right sprightly pop buttons on “Tell Me,” considerably reminiscent of the best Mental As Anything material.

Looking at “Ethiopian Jokes” by Smokin’ Dave & The Premo Dopes, you’d expect something sophomoric and truly tasteless. Instead you get a passionate folk ballad decrying the obscenity of the title subject. Goes to show you can’t judge a record by the cover (or the cover letter, which threatened, “Review our single or we’ll make another one”). (Smokin’ Dave, University Station, PO Box 8190, Knoxville, TN 37996-4800.)

An enigmatic farewell single, Thee Precisions’ “Put Me In The Dungeon” is the first rock record incorporating jazz-styled free blowing that’s appealed to me, notorious non-jazz fan that I am, since Captain Beefheart or something. A compelling riff structure and forceful emotion make the difference. (Revelation 21:8 Records, c/o Rhino [the record store, not the label], 1720 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024.) And another L.A. band, the Real Impossibles, contribute four solid-as-rock numbers on the consistently enjoyable 4X4 EP, produced by ex-Plimsoul Peter Case. (F.K.A.D. Records, 6050 Canterbury, G228, Culver City, CA 90230.)

And, if you can stand one more address, I’m reachable at 1930 Century Park West, 5th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Late flash: a former, highly elusive Single of the Month, “Closer To Your Heart” by Clannad, is now an American 45. It’s still a stunner.