Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 71

pi I CihirJiii Aucnict 111 lOOT 34D The Detroit News Saturday, August 16, 1997 Recordings Rock and Pop Luna Pup Tent (Elektra) Guide to ratings: No stars: Horrid Substandard kit: Acceptable Worthwhile Splendid gets stuck in a few countryfolk ruts (the back-to-back "Beggar's Bliss" and "Tracy I Love but there are plenty of odd pop treasures (the wistful title tune and the aforementioned "IHOP," for starters) to make up for them, it-kit (Listening codes 0951) Michael Mehle, Scripps Howard News Service XTC Upsy Daisy Assortment (Geffen Records) So you've been meaning to buy an XTC record but 20 years have slipped by and you haven't been able to decide? Waffle no more. Upsy Daisy Assortment recaps the last two decades by the thinking fan's pop band. Subtitled "The Sweetest Hits," the new disc contains 19 runes from the n-record XTC discography, skipping White Music, Go 2 and Rag And Bone Buffet. Bom at the height of the London punk explosion in 1977, XTC has followed its own path. While the punks bashed heads with their message, XTC used word play, imagery and pop hooks (Beatles-like at times) to make their points.

Then there was singer-songwriter Andy Partridge's hatred of tour and his sense of humor is as sharp as his rhythms and timing. He's better known for writing songs covered by other famous artists, but he's an impressive performer in his own right, singing sad or silly tunes based on his observations of humanity. Using his own descriptive prose, Little Head's "recorded-live-not-dubbed" songs are, in turns, "snaky," "primitive" or "not terribly educated in terms of style." "My Sweet Girl" is seductive and loving, a direct contrast to the scornful, bluesy title piece. Perhaps most fun of all is "Woman Sawed In Half," a tribute to Maureen McGovern's treacly "Torn Between Two Lovers kkk Rebekah Scott Toledo Blade Earth, Wind and Fire In the Name of Love The veteran band shows it still has an edge to its funk on its first album in four years. The bouncy, horn-driven "Rock It" and "Revolution" feature characteristic chants and harmonies, while the mellow grooves of and "When Love Goes Wrong" showcase Phillip Bailey's still-brilliant falsetto, kk'i Steve Jones USA Today ing.

The band quit in the early "80s, performing in public only on a 1989 radio station tour and appearance on Late Night With David Letterman. Along the way, XTC has proved a durable source of social commentary Street," "The Ballad of Peter and sweet love songs "The Mayor of Upsy Daisy Assortment provides an eclectic overview the casual fan or experimental listener will find satisfactory. More appreciative fans probably would go deeper into the rich menu for a greatest hits collection, -kit James Reindl Associated Press Mansun Attack of the Grey Lantern (Epic) In the U.K., where singles still serve a vital need in the marketplace, rock quartet Mansun garnered so much acclaim for its first batch of EPs that it won the coveted Brit Award for best band even before this album its debut had shipped. Fortunately, the full-length release lives up to its weighty expectations, thanks to Mansun mastermind Paul Draper's inspired songwriting and strong, crystalline voice and the band's penchant for musically inspired arrangements. Highlights include the string-soaked "The Chad Who Loved "Naked the cleverly titled "Mansun's Only Love the snide, Beatle-esque and lead single "Wide Open Space," which is making a strong showing on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

A band that melds orchestral music and psychedelic rock without succumbing to the pretensions of either, kkk Billboard JohnHiatt Little Head (Capitol) John Hiatt writes all his rock, country, blues and songs in motel rooms while on concert tours, Leave it to Luna to start off an alburn with a paean to the International House of Pancakes. It's a tip-off to the light touch that runs throughout the quartet's fourth album, Pup Tent, a rich and varied sonic collection that shines with quirky songwriting and a rewarding melange of sounds. Xylophone, trumpet and vocals recorded through the microphone in a toy robot are just a small part of Luna's arsenal, which is used with frighteningly pleasant effect. Luna HIIHIHJMIMJJJIJDUH 11111,11, I WJUH. I If M07M7H if'" i -i-C A SpecialHomestyle Feature 1 1 JtmM Miti Superior Awning Security Rolling Shutter 810-749-7315 Retractable Fabric Awnings (No Protect yourself from the sun's rays Easy operation Manual or Motorized 5-year warranty excellent quality Retractable Self Storing (We wen? tie Isf Mcftgan) We customize A manufacture (ram fited alurrwun sscunty srtenor shuBsn locaffy PiTrrrwiB, 'mm poles it rolls) (3D SAVE Much (ess tficm replacing Solid Oak, Maple, Cherry Hundreds of Styles Colors Guaranteed Quality References in your neighborhood FREE ESTIMATES (313) 421-8151, (810) 75UM3 Weststde or Eastj.de i 1 PATIO FURNITURE FACTORY OUTLET KB OF OBI CLEARANCE Tuop60OFF While Supply Lasts Largest Display of Major Brand Names In S.B.

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