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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1990)
Short-haired gals and more Baring soul, heart and not a few frayed nerves . . . B Y D_R^ T A N T A L U S t’s been two years since “old baldy” released her last record and played at Starry Night in downtown Portland. With a new haircut (a fuzztop) and a new record, / Do Not Want What 1 Haven't Got, Sinead O ’Connor is back to cut another swath through the land of rock V roll. When Sinead (still pronounced Shin-ade) first appeared on the pop horizon a couple of years ago, there were some who grumbled that her shaven pate was a mere attention grabber, another gimmick meant to pave the way to I ★ Tenth Season 1989-90 THE PORTLAND GAT M IN'S CHORUS David York, Conductor OLD NEW FRIENDS Saturday, 8 p.m. June 23rd Sunday, 7 p.m. stardom. There are those who still make the same claims about her new “do.” Whenever such negative thoughts are expressed. Nurse Consuelo simply turns up the volume and drowns them out. The perception here is that O ’Connor simply doesn’t give a rip about her appearance or, more precisely, what others think about it. That is always a healthy sign for a rocker, today’s equivalent of the classic rebel. The gap between her style and that of a more traditional female rock star — say, Joan Jett — is measured in light years. O ’Connor bares her soul, her heart and not a few frayed nerve endings in her quest for truth, beauty, and er, Grecian urns. This up front approach is revealed in songs like "The Emperor’s New Clothes,” in which she insists that her search for the truth outweighs other important considerations. Such an approach could be unduly abrasive, but Sinead puts across her thoughts with a sincerity which is hard to mock. This search for the truth kicks off the June 24th , 1990 Intermediate Theatre Portland Center fo r the Performing A rts album with “Feel So Different” and continues with “Black Boys On Mopeds,” a scathing indictment of Thalcherite England: “England’s not the mythical land of Madame George and roses/ It’s the home of police who kill black boys on mopeds.” Her artistry allows her to convey such sentiments, not with rancor, but only sadness, as if she’s been chosen to tell this unfortunate tale so that others need not. Among the many highlights of the album is her version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Stripped to its essentials by her bare bones performance, the song conjures up an affection for a former lover, at once sad and heavy with the knowledge that it can never be. For once, the video of this song adds to its emotional weight by focusing intently on her face and eyes. Those who heard O ’Connor’s fust album may be surprised to find how different this one really feels. Gone are the excesses that made the first record a joy and a distraction. In their place are solid works of art, well- crafted and well-performed. Another short-haired gal (no, not K.D. Lang) releasing a new album is Michelle Shocked, the folkie who is so PC that it’s almost a crime. On Captain Swing she adds depth to her basic sound by including horns and percussion to achieve a slightly different mood and more of a rollicky feel to the music. The result is at least as consistent as her last effort, which is goo, but it breaks no new ground and places “Our Lady of the Immaculate Perceptions” back onto square one. Another artist mining the same vein is England’s Nick Lowe, who for the past fifteen years has been cranking out “pub-rock” with the best of them. With Party o f One, Lowe reunites with former bandmate Dave Edmunds to recreate the style he either loves or can’t leave. It’s an engaging style, especially when he scores a direct hit with “All Men Are Liars,” where both lyrics and music soar. "Liars” NO ELEAS The Coffee Merchants The finest imported coffee beans, teas, chocolates, and beverage brewing accessories. FEA TU RIN G AND A Premier New Work By BRYA N JO H A N S E N Hi lOI ANNIVERSARY P O R T I. A N D GAY MI N S CHORUS T ♦ THE BROADWAY COFFEE M ERCHANT 1637 N E Broadway • 284 9203 ♦ for Fleas® Powder is the unique alternative to liquid pesticides and foggers. One professional application guarantees a flea free home for one year. Ask your Veterinarian ♦ TH O M A S LA UD ERD A LE, Piano TH E PO R TLA N D LESBIA N C HO IR, Special Guests condemns the other members of his sex as knaves incapable of telling the truth in matters of love. He effectively parodies Rick Astley (rhymes with ghastly) and other teen idols portraying endless fidelity and honesty. Another felicitous combination of words, rhythm and melody is “ Refrigerator White,” in which Lowe attempts to thaw his date. However, some songs simply chum in place. Worse yet, other tunes (“Rocky Road”) use borrowed riffs and music with the intelligence quotient of cotton candy. Dr. Tantalus suspects that Nick is simply borrowing from himself, which only goes to show you how long Lowe has worked in the same narrow genre. Nurse Consuelo has been getting her kicks this year from dance singles rather than entire records. She insists that the Doctor give the B-52’s “Roam” honorable mention, finding the longer version to that found on the album. When reminded by her surgical partner that “Love Shack” was a better tune, she simply smiled, agreed, and kept on dancing. Another of her favorites is Electronic’s “Getting Away With It...” Performed by members of the Pet Shop Boys, New Order and The Smiths, the song is a good display of clever hooks and good decent lyrics. The style is still derivative Pet Shop Boys, however, and Nurse Consuelo thinks Neil Tennant is trying too hard to write hits. It’s a nit-picking comment, but when she’s right, she’s right. Finally, our favorite missionary to the musically impaired, Nurse Consuelo, has confessed that she harbors a Madonna fixation. This is equivalent to the Joy of Cooking kitchen admitting that it gets its recipes from fast food chains. Yet her itch was recently scratched by the release of “Vogue,” the perfect vehicle for self- conscious posing. Fortunately, Madonna is able to work past her hype to deliver the goods when the beat’s on the line. “Vogue” manages to convey its simple message (it’s fun to lose yourself in the dance) in a sophisticated way, which is about all you can expect from the dance scene anyway. Be it for quality or fun, and the two are not mutually exclusive, it’s time to stop reading the column and pump up the jam. ▼ 1 YEAR GUARANTEE 252-FLEA (3532) THE HAW THORNE COFFEE M ERCHANT 3562 S E Hawthorne • 2.301222 ♦ TH E HILLSDA LE COFFEE M ERCHANT Hillsdale Shopping Center • 244 4822 Club P o r t l a n d 303 SW 12th 2 2 7 -9 9 9 2 Interpreted for the hearing impaired Tickets S8, $12, $15 of the box office 248 4496 Moil orders to PGMC, PO Box 3223, Portland OR 97208 just out ▼ 2 6 T June 1990 Fre e C o n d o m s (courtesy o f C A P )
