CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
BLACK UHURU “Brutal” (RAS) Junior Reid ululates where Michael Rose sang, but the big loss is more crucial: politics, some rudimentary specificity. Up against the run of ridmic rhetoricians, though they do just fine. Both Reid and Duckie Simpson have a knack for rhetoric, and while Sly & Robbie might have pushed Simpson’s “Reggae With Me” out on the dancefloor where it belongs, this is their most pyrotechnic production yet—they’ve brought Babylon back home.
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
ROBERT CHRfStGAll
BLACK UHURU “Brutal”
(RAS)
Junior Reid ululates where Michael Rose sang, but the big loss is more crucial: politics, some rudimentary specificity. Up against the run of ridmic rhetoricians, though they do just fine. Both Reid and Duckie Simpson have a knack for rhetoric, and while Sly & Robbie might have pushed Simpson’s “Reggae With Me” out on the dancefloor where it belongs, this is their most pyrotechnic production yet—they’ve brought Babylon back home. B +
CHARLIE BURTON &
THE HICCUPS “I Heard That"
(Wild)
The Hiccups make with good old guitar, bass, and drums while Charlie fakes some rockabilly up front, and when it works it’s quite catchy in an utterly received sort of way. The conservatism isn’t annoying or boring because, although Charlie loves this music—cf. “One Man’s Trash”—he doesn’t give a damn for roots or form. He just wants to write some songs. I’m not sorry he doesn’t share my liberal respect for Vietnam and world hunger, and when he diddleybops through his parents’ coronaries I know why. Inspirational Verse: “Water’s? thick, but blbod is thicker/Daddy (mommy) had a bum, bum ticker.” B +
BUTTHOLE SURFERS “Rembrandt Pussyhorse”
(Touch & Go)