45 REVELATIONS

45 REVELATIONS

BY

KEN BARNES

No contest, no surrender. “War” by Bruce Springsteen is Single of the Month by acclamation. In the volatile cultural context of an empire in decline, when a disastrous past war is undergoing an Orwellian overhaul to turn it into a heroic prelude to a potentially disastrous new war, Bruce Springsteen’s insuring that hundreds of radio stations will be trumpeting “War/What is it good for?/Absolutely nothing” all winter deserves a curtain call.

Making the Edwin Starr/Whitfield-Strong classic his leadoff single isn’t really a courageous move: his career momentum wouldn’t suffer if it stiffed and everybody already knows his politics. But it is a responsible use of stardom in the highest sense. No one but Bruce Springsteen could induce 325 CHR and AOR stations to play “War” immediately upon release. And not many would try to pull off such a feat.

So even were “War” a passionless runthrough, it would merit top honors. It’s anything but—though it lacks the titanic impact of Starr’s vocal performance, Springsteen’s raw desperation and the E St. Band’s overdrive attack create a record of rare power.

Elsewhere in the Anthems For Our Age category, Huey Lewis & The News’ “Hip To Be Square” is probably the American watchword for the historical moment, but I prefer Hank Williams Jr. & Friends’ “Mind Your Own Business,” a Chuck Berry-meets-Western Swing slapshot at the nosy devout that rings as true now (maybe more) as it did when Hank’s father wrote it 35 years ago.

In the realm of just plain good records, there’s a ton this month. Edinburgh’s Shop Assistants disengage from the fey pop movement by turning their guitars up to stun on the ferocious “Looking Back.” From the same city, the amusingly-named Jesse Garon (Elvis Presley’s stillborn twin) & the Desperadoes turn in a fuzz-toned treatment of Blondie’s “Presence (Dear).” And completing an Edinburgh triple play, the Soup Dragons combine Ramonic harmonics with “Let’s Spend The Night Together” on the no-surfing-here “Hang Ten.”

Moving more toward the mainstream, Eurythmics’ “Thorn In My Side” is the closest Stewart and Lennox have come to their undervalued Tourists era, a cyclic Searchers guitar-jangling riff (a Tom Petty payback?) and girl group vocals.

Sabotaged by a misguided choice of leadoff single, Katrina & The Waves’ last album fizzled, and so, unless you were a dedicated fan or lived in Canada, you probably didn’t hear the sparkling double-sided pop-rock delight “Tears For Me”/ “Love That Boy.” The latter is the best evocation of early Blondie I can recall (with a dash of Buddy Holly for good measure—several good measures, in fact). The A-side flat-out evokes pop perfection (a minor masterpiece of a filtered guitar solo), but I still can’t figure out where the chorus’s riff stems from (solutions welcomed).

The eccentric Jazz Butcher surprises with an affecting ballad, "Angels,” then veers into Robyn Hitchcock territory on “Rebecca Wants Her Bike Back,” a snarling rocker complete with quotes from Thomas Hobbes. Naturally Mr. Hitchcock demands equal time, rocking quite accessibly (yet with a certain claustrophobic effect) on “If You Were A Priest.” The claustrophobic count increases on the spooky, nonLP “Crawling,” which poses the philosophical question, “You think you’ve got her/You’re such a lucky guy/But can you hold a fish?”

Furniture follows up the seductive “Brilliant Mind” with “Love Your Shoes,” a cheery little pop ditty with this inviting chorus: “We’re going to have the best time/Time of our worthless lives.” Words to keep on keeping on by.

Kim Wilde moves closer to Madonna World with an irresistibly serpentine synthpop-funk number, “Say You Really Want Me.” (Also worth noting is her U.K. single, a nice synthetic treatment of the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”) Fine Young Cannibals offer an oddly tormented version of the Buzzcocks’ musically uplifting/lyrically-depressing “Ever Fallen In Love.”

A pair of good German releases, especially the Beatitudes’ “Catch Up (With You),” best adaptation of Solomon Burke’s “Everybody Needs To Somebody to Love” riff since the Small Faces’ “Whatcha Gonna Do About It,” all exuberant horns and guitars and warm female vocals. Labelmates the Subtones perform an artless, moddish version of a great overlooked song, “Circles” by the Who. (Buro Records, Markische Str. 16, D-4000, Dusseldorf-12, West Germany.)

From Australia, the Huxton Creepers continue to improve by creeps and bounds; “I Will Persuade You” is a rock anthem in the making (with a good punky flip, “I’ve Been Around,” as well).

The Johnnys still dress like cowpunks but on “Bleeding Heart” move toward solid rock and mitigate the obvious comparisons to the Hoodoo Gurus by at least matching that fine band on its own terrain.

Ups & Downs graduate from Australian indie ranks to a major label with no ill effects. “The Living £ind” is from the land of a thousand guitars, rock on the grand scale, while “Painted Sad” is a more than solid contender in the U2 class.

Speaking of boxing metaphors, John Kennedy’s Love Gone Wrong grapples with dense pugilistic images for 15 rounds of “You Brought It All Back To Me”; the most illuminating is “When I struck you I met my match.” It’s set to a lovely little ¾ ballad and reminds me of Elvis Costello’s more convoluted Imperial Bedroom numbers.

Back when the Clique recorded “Superman” in 1969, it was clearly an attempt to capture the goofily surreal flavor of the first three albums by the Bee Gees.

Now it’s R.E.M.’s new single, a highly reverent version and, by general cognoscenti consensus, the hippest thing around. The problem in connecting the dots is to find more than half a dozen of those ultrahip R.E.M. fans who feel anything but utter loathing for the Bee Gees. Like, irony.

The Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” sounds like George Thorogood meets the Blasters, with a dash of Dylan and even a bit of Glenn Miller atop the prime-cut boogie.

Independently speaking, female quartet the Clams charm immensely on “What’s Wrong With This Picture?” (Susstones Records, PO Box 6425, Minneapolis, MN 55406); while the Rubber Thongs’ faithful version of Bobby Fuller’s great “Never To Be Forgotten” enthralls as well (Zen Electric Records, PO Box 380323, Miami, FL 33238.) (PO Box 380323?? Why are there so many PO Boxes in Miam—never mind.)

Gail Davies & Wild Choir continue to make some of the best crossover countryrock that doesn’t cross over; “Heart To Heart” tugs on the heartstrings with consummate skill. Tanya Tucker is into vengeful reincarnation on “I’ll Come Back As Another Woman,” set to a haunting minor-key melody. Newcomer (third single) Patty Loveless rocks out raucously on “Wicked Ways.” And Iddie Babbitt sets horns to a throbbing Bo Diddley beat on “Gotta Have You.” Once again, if it’s classic rock ’n’ roll you’re looking for, modern country’s where to find it.

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“Don’t Let Me Be The One” is a disappointingly ordinary Nu Shoos single, but the flip, “Secret Message,” is a sterling example of their sinuous (and sinusoidal) dance-pop.

Roady For The World’s “Love You Down” isn’t the first time they’ve sounded like Prince, but the lisping mild-funk of “Digital Display” and “Oh Sheila” has given way to a very pretty ballad that harks back to earlier Prince, or (even more) to the “Tender Love”/“Human” side of Jam/Lewis.

“The Rain” by Oran Mulce” Jones was such a great record musically that I gave it a rave here before I even heard that essenceof-chill rap. “Curiosity” can’t match it, but the same combination of wistful falsetto song and vicious rap is present, and the “I want you to get curious about mass transit” line is a killer.

What? No Madonna single this month? How do they expect me to finish a column? Fortunately, there is the first Madonna production, a collaboration (writing too) with Stephen Bray on “Each Time You Break My Heart” by British model Nick Kamen. Is it great? Get real. This is Madonna, the reigning pop goddess of the ’80s, at the controls, and this record has her magical mixture of irresistible dance rhythm and delicate pop melodic touches. We’re talking borderline genius here, I must say.