CLIPS

CLIPS

This month’s Clips were written by Dave DiMartino and Ira Robbins.

TEST DEPARTMENT Program For Progress (Sony)

Like a John Coltrane solo in the middle of a Brahms concerto, Test Dept, rip through conventional notions of music and video with the subtlety of an elephant in heat. Turning the notion of concrete soundtrack music inside out, these adventurous British industrialists pound, hammer, drill and yell their way into audio transcendence, accompanied here by as ugly, violent and unsettling a collection of visual images as you’d hope to find this side of a splatter-film. The pieces range from enigmatic political references to factory settings shot and tinted to resemble Sergei Eisenstein’s socialist realism. There’s nary a melody in earshot, and nothing you’d intentionally want to look at, all of which means TD have hit their chosen target squarely. Like some idealized anti-MTV, Program For Progress is capable of inducing pain, anxiety, unhappiness and anger. Try it out on your kid brother/sister’s friends the next time they come over to play their Van Halen/ Tears For Fears records. Heavy metal, indeed! I.R.

THE CURE Staring At The Sea/

The Images (Elektra Entertainment)

: This band should be on the cover of this very magazine itself! And if 1986 won’t finally be the year of the Cure here in the States, 1987 and a brand new album should do the trick. Meanwhile, this 82-minute compilation finishes the consolidation of all the Cure’s work that their Standing On A Beach greatest hits LP started. It is tough, boss, bitchin’ and rockin’ and certified proof that Robert Smith and the boys have evolved like no other band either side of the ocean. Beginning with some very early rough footage, the tape features 17 Cure videos in a row, and is the proverbial collector’s dream. Most of the clips are directed by Tim Pope —who actually went and shot new ones for “Killing An Arab,” “Boys Don’t Cry” and a couple more —and are arty but unpretentious. The other videos are interesting as physical documents: Robert Smith has gone through more “looks” than David Bowie has records. Only complaint is the usual—my private visuals for the band’s Seventeen Seconds/ Faith material don’t always mesh with what’s on the screen. Big deal. Along with the Costello compilation, one of the best video treatments any band’s ever received. Perhaps you should purchase it. D.D.

JOAN ARMATRADING Track Record (A&M Video)

See Joan Armatrading discover her roots in the West Indies. Watch her point out the house—the room—she was born in, not only to its current residents but to the camera itself, and therefore us. Observe several clips from television interviews in which she explains why she does or does not play “black music,” and what the heck does it mean anyway. Notice as she writes songs in her various hotel rooms, plugged into tape recorder and rhythm machine. Behold as this marvelous compilation shows Joan from the very beginning of her career, when she was either the English Black Joni Mitchell or Elton John, nobody was sure which. Recognize this as a visual document sure to please even the most discerning of Joan Armatrading’s many, many fans. Behold the subtle transformation: from Joan Armatrading, sensitive folk-poet to Joan Armatrading, rockin’ hotmomma with plenty o’ time to kick the ass of anyone who won’t treat her the way she damn well deserves. Attempt to sing even one of her oddly bland, barely memorable melodies the second all 90 minutes of this tape is over. Think about why it’s impossible. Try not to be mean. D.D.

LUIS CARDENAS “Runaway” promotional video (Allied Artists)

Sure, this isn’t the place to review individual videos, but it came in the mail and it had to be watched: the guy’s a drummer. The video cost $500,000. $500,000\ The guy s a drummer! There’s nobody in his band but a bunch of dinosaurs! They all move like Gumby! The press kit has the letters “TM” after Luis Cardenas’s name;! Shucks, first Billy Joel, then Chicago, and now Luis Cardenas! The guy’s a drummer! He can’t sing! He tries to, but he can’t! $500,000\ It’s the only press kit I ever got with xeroxes of all the ads he’s ever run and no reviews at all! I can’t even pronounce his name! The guy’s a drummer! I wish / had $500,000! He didn’t even write the song! Del Shannon did! He’s even in it\ He plays a cop that tells Luis to shut up! He’s right! Maybe he got paid $499,999 to do it! Luis should get a new haircut! He should shut up! His dad’s first name must be Alliedi Never again! D.D.