April 1985, $1.95
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Creem Vol.16 No.11 April 1985, $1.95 |
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| Page 1 · Page 4 · Pages 20 & 21 · Pages 56 & 57 · Page 58 · Back cover |
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Front Cover EXCLUSIVE! THE JIMMY PAGE INTERVIEW! America's only Rock 'n'Roll Magazine CREEM DAVID LEE ROTH TOO COOL TO LIVE? BIG COUNTRY SCOTS ON THE ROCKS! BOY GEORGE DONUTS WITH DURAN! HALL & OATES BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS CREEM'S 1985 DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS THIS COVER INCLUDED! JOHN FOGERTY BYAN ADAMS DAVID BOWIE BOB DYLAN THE KINKS FOREIGNER MOODISTS MR. T |
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Page 3 (Contents) America's only Rock 'n'Roll Magazine CONTENTS FEATURES BIG COUNTRY'S HOEDOWN IN STEELTOWN 99 And A Half Bagpipes Just Won't Do scots taped by Jon Young...........20 DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES: A COUPLA WHITE GUYS SITTIN' AROUND TALKING Meet The Beatles! private, aye by Roy Trakin...........22 HEY THERE, GEORGIE BOY There's Another Georgie Deep Inside! a-bomb fears by Sylvie Simmons..........25 DAVID LEE ROTH: AND THE GLEEBY SHALL ROCK It's Slinky, It's Slinky, It's Fun For Girls And Boys! pre-madonna by Billy Altman..........28 THE JIMMY PAGE INTERVIEW PT.1 Page Onstage '85 does anyone remember laughter? by Chris Welch........32 CREEM'S 1985 DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Bink, The Sassy One, From Canada? Why? compiled by Rick Johnson......42 DEPARTMENTS 6 - MAIL 10 - THE CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE 13 - ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS 16 - CREEM'S PROFILES: JASON & THE SCORCHERS 17 - THE BEAT GOES ON Survivor, The Moodists, The Wind, Rhino Record Reissues, Gun Club 34 - BRYAN ADAMS CALENDAR AND POSTER 38 - ELEGANZA 40 - LETTER FROM BRITAIN 44 - CREEMEDIA Kinks Books Reviewed, David Bowie Books, Plus Drive-In Saturday! 47 - VIDEO VIDEO Dennis DeYoung, Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper and more! 49 - RECORDS John Fogerty's new LP, Ratt, Dylan, Everything But The Girl, Foreigner, Bryan Adams, REO, Eurythmics, Plus Rock-A-Rama! 57 - 45 REVELATIONS 64 - KISS & TELL 66 - BACKSTAGE Cover photo of David Lee Roth by Ross Marino; inset photo of Jimmy Page by Andre Csillag/Photofeatures. CREEM Magazine (ISSN 0011-1147) is published 12 times a year by CREEM Magazine, Inc., 210 S. Woodward, Birmingham, Ml 48011. Telephone: (313) 642-8833. Address all subscription, back issue and reader correspondence to 120 Brighton Rd., Clifton, NJ 07012, all other correspondence to P.O. Box P-1064, Birmingham, Ml 48012. Single copy price—$1.95. 1 year subscription—Surface mail: U.S. & Possessions—$16.00. All other countries—$20.00. 2 year subscription price—Surface mail: & Possessions—$28.00. All other 3 year subscription price—Surface mail: U.S. & Possessions—$35.OO. All Other countries—$47.00 Our editors cannot assume responsibility for contributions sent on speculation. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included with editorial contributions to facilitate their return Distribution: Curtis Circulation Co., West Caldwell, NJ 07006. records retailers, jobbers and all other stores not normally serviced by magazine wholesalers contact Linda St. Jean at CREEM. Advertising: National Advertising Inquiries—Linda St. Jean (313) 642-8833. ©Copyright 1985 CREEM Magazine, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. "Rock 'n' Roll News "The Beat Goes On," "Rewire Yourself," "Extension Chords," "From Britain," "CREEM Dreem, "Prime Time." "Drive-ln Saturday," "Stars Car," "Eleganza," "Kiss & Tell," "Benchpress," "Rock-a-Rama," "Backstage, "Video Video," "Media Cool," "45 Revelations," "CREEM Showcase" "Now Sounds New Stages" and "Rock-Shots" are trademarks Of CREEM Magazine, Inc., CREEM, Boy Howdy! and symbols Registered U.S. Patent Office. Second Class postage paid at Birmingham, Michigan and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to CREEM Magazine, 120 Brighton Rd.,Clifton NJ 07012. PRINTED IN U.S.A. |
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Page 16 BIG COUNTRY: HOEDOWN IN STEELTOWN by Jon Young Black & white pic of Stuart by Laurie Paladino; Colour pic of Big Country by Andre Csillag/Photofeatures. If you ask me, this business of sincerity in rock is getting out of hand. Today, for every Van Halen or ZZ Top that's dedicated to celebrating life's immediate (make that superficial) pleasures, there seems to be a Bruce Springsteen or a U2 insisting we take a thoughtful look beneath the surface for deeper meanings. Now it may well be true, as some philosopher once observed, that the unexamined life is not worth living. Who knows? Who cares? More important, does this sort of thing have a place in rock 'n' roll? The debate rages on. Among those calling for more relevance in music are the earnest lads of Big Country, the half-Scottish, half-British band that made a mighty splash upon these shores in '83 with The Crossing. Led by Stuart Adamson, a veteran of punk-era pioneers the Skids, the bonny boys found Top 20 favor with a robust brew of imitation-bagpipe guitars, booming vocals, and rousing, anthemic tunes that had all the spirit and subtlety of a John Phillip Sousa march. Thanks to ditties like 'Harvest Home" and "Fields Of Fire,' Adamson (guitar), fellow Scotsman Bruce Watson (guitar), and Londoners Tony Butler (bass) and Mark Brzezicki (drums) became a hot ticket with folks who liked their fun served up at blast-furnace intensity. Whether anyone cared that Adamson's lyrics examined such burning issues as the Falklands war has yet to be determined. When a debut LP goes gold, the sensible commercial thing to do is follow it up with more of the same. And so it is that Big Country has returned with unsurprising seconds in the form of Steeltown, a new bundle of hearty highland strains for fans of The Crossing. To tout the virtues of said platter, PolyGram has imported Adamson and Watson to its New York headquarters for a round of meet the press. When your trusty reporter encounters Stu 'n' Bru, they're in the midst of a grueling marathon session of interview roulette, which makes their stainless good manners all the more impressive; their mums and dads can be proud. On the other hand, this constant courtesy does permit them to evade ticklish questions like a master politician, so maybe it's more a matter of good strategy than good breeding. Whatever. (Let the record show that Bruce Watson is present for the entire conversation. However, he says little, repeatedly deferring to his mate, and when he does talk, it's in an impenetrable Scottish brogue that makes Adamson seem practically American by comparison. Out of Watson's mouth, "I can't do it" becomes "Oie kigna doeiw aieat," and so forth. Many times during our chat, he cheerfully says something along the lines of "lgdinga tewmch giddoo," whereupon I nod and smile idiotically, totally at a loss. Rest assured, though, that the following quotes are all accurate, having been verified by a licensed linguist.) Polite but forthright, Stuart Adamson begins by announcing that he's bursting with pride over Steeltown. "I think it's a harder, leaner, and tougher album than The Crossing. The songs are stronger and more straightforward, with less use of a metaphor and less romanticism." Why the change? "Possibly because we've done so much touring in the last two years. It's given me the sense that it's possible to write about specific things you see going on in one area and they will connect with people in another place. The fact that the same feelings exist throughout the Western world has been a real eye-opener for me." Adamson is quick to add that traveling hasn't changed his basic attitudes one iota. "Not at all! If anything, it's strengthened them. I get more pissed off about things than I used to, but rather than write 'Kill the bastards,' I try to take a situation and illustrate it, expand on it a bit." What pisses Stu off is the way ordinary people get worked over by the powers that be. For example, Steeltown's leadoff track, "Flame Of The West," is an examination of "how "There's a sense of fun about us - we don't go around in monks shrouds." - Stuart Adamson" right-wing and dictatorial Western politics are becoming, whether you're talking about Germany, Great Britain, or America, and how we're governed by big business and economic considerations, rather than by caring for people. "'Where The Rose Is Sown' is about someone who's called up to fight in a war. He doesn't understand what's going on and becomes confused." Hence the lyrics "I know it's right/The good fight/I'm on my way/Why do I pray?" He continues, "That song links up with the one after it, 'Come Back To Me.' One looks at things from the young guy's point of view and the other one shows a pregnant wife who's waiting for him to return from the war." Adamson's tragic scenario finds the young soldier... TURN TO PAGE 58 |
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Pages 56 & 57 45 Revelations by Ken Barnes It's the April '85 issue of CREEM, so what better time to indulge myself with a recap of the best singles of '84? (Actually, thanks to advanced production and distribution techniques, my deadline for this column is December 28, 1984, so it is the right time for me to indulge myself.) Below are my top 45s for the past year. They're unranked, but each comes with a capsule comment reminding you why it (the record, not the comment) should be clasped to your collection. BRYAN ADAMS - "Run To You": Probably 1984's best mainstream rocker; dazzling production and hooks enough for three hits. DEBORAH ALLEN - "I've Been Wrong Before": Proof that the best rock 'n' roll is often found in country these days. ASSEMBLY - "Never Never": synth pop's finest minutes this year, thanks to wonderful tune and Feargal Sharkey vocal. BANARAMA - "Cruel Summer": On the list for the second straight year, this year it became America's Song of the Summer. BANARAMA - "Hot Line To Heaven" Dreamiest anti-drug song of the year. BANARAMA - "Robert De Niro's Waiting": Dreamiest renunciation of the male species. BANARAMA - "Rough Justice": Dreamiest antiestablishmentarian rant. BANGLES - "Going Down To Liverpool": Most inspired cover (of Katrina & The Waves) in 1984. BANGLES - "Hero Takes A Fall": Magnificent radio presence; admirable vocals. BIFF BANG POW - "The Chocolate Elephant Man" Whimsical U.K. resuscitated art-pop folk-rock. BIG COUNTRY - "Wonderland": My favorite of a solid set of singles, thanks to a standout rhythm track. BRONSKI BEAT - "Smalltown Boy": Out here now, and still haunting; only one of theirs that's holding up under repeated hearings, though. JACQUI BROOKES - "Without Your Love": Swirling synthesizer pop. ELLY BROWN - "Hang Up": New (December) pop hiphop stunner. TOM BROWNE GARRETT - "Secret Fantasy": Even a better "Juicy Fruit" revamp than Mtume's own. JENNY BURTON - "Remember What You Like": Early '84's pop hiphop standout. CHANGE - "Change Of Heart": One of many Jimmy Jam/ Terry Lewis black pop production showcases. CLAY ALLISON - "Fell From The Sun": Folk ballad with howling feedback - an unearthly delight. BRUCE COCKBURN - "Lovers In A Dangerous Time". Terrific mainstream rocker; should've been a hit. COCTEAU TWINS - "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops": Beyond ethereal; like an overdose of ether, in fact. LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS - "Perfect Skin": Debut of the year, instant classic—U.S. release likely by the time you read this. LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS - "Rattlesnakes": A warm wash of seductive sentimentality. COLOR ME GONE - "Lose Control": Fabulous folk-rocker. JULIAN COPE - "The Greatness And Perfection Of Love": Reasonably straight pop from a heavy mental hero. ELVIS COSTELLO - "Withered And Died": Flipside Elvis down a bleaker street than ever, courtesy of Richard Thompson. GAIL DAVIES - "Jagged Edge Of A Broken Heart": Country chorus of the year; spine-tingling. dB'S - "Love Is For Lovers": Excellent pop- rock and not quirky. DROOGS - "Change Is Gonna Come": Ghost-of-the-Yardbirds guitar and a neat tune too. EURYTHMICS - "Who's That Girl": A 1983 U.K. release, but a welcome hit here; the "Suspicion" of 1984. EVERLY BROTHERS - "On The Wings Of A Nightingale": A song and production to match their harmony. FACE TO FACE - "10-9-8": Hiphop production meets pop-rock...compatibly. FICTION FACTORY - "(Feel Like) Heaven": Lush neoSpector production with concealed Irony. FLOY JOY - "Until You Come Back To Me": Gorgeous soul ballad. "Virgins of the world unite!" GENERAL PUBLIC - "Tenderness": well-deserved hit; the year's catchiest. GO-GO'S - "Turn To You": Representative ir resistible rocker. HALL & OATES - "Out Of Touch": Their melodic mastery held up remarkably well for a #1 record. HOODOO GURUS - "I Want You Back": Unfairly neglected Australian pop wizardry. HUSKER DU - "Eight Miles High": Roaring remake that somehow preserves the mystery. Record Keeps Spinning INDEEP - "The Record Keeps Spinning": "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life" Pt. XI, but wondrous once again. ISLEY, JASPER, ISLEY - "Look The Other Way": Fascinating black pop experiment. KC - "Give It Up": Might belong to '83, but infectious enough to carry over into '84. NIK KERSHAW - "Wouldn't It Be Good": Scorned in the U.K., not quite a hit here, but an enthralling record anyway. EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING - "Teenager": Cute Andre Cymone-produced girl group throwback. KOOL & THE GANG - "Tonight": Their most rock influenced in a long string of fine singles. CYNDI LAUPER - "Money Changes Everything": Finally a single, an underground classic adroitly exhumed. CYNDI LAUPER - "Time After Time". Beautiful ballad and my choice for Grammy marbles. LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS - "Gargoyle": Stevie Nicks meets Lou Reed (already happened on Fleetwood Mac's "Angel" but this is a tantalizing reintroduction by a new Australian group). MADONNA - "Lucky Star": Rarely have a hard R&B track and a yearning pop melody been so expertly combined. TEENA MARIE - "Lovegirl": May become her first pop hit, and is more spellbinding than ever on the radio. CHRISTINE McVIE - "I'm The One". Would've loved this tough little sleeper to've become a hit. MTUME - "C.O.D.": "Juicy Fruit" variation collects on delivery. MIKE OLDFIELD w/MAGGIE REILLY - "To France": Sprightly modernized traditional folk-rock. POOR HOWARD - "Maybe Tomorrow": Stirring new U.K. guitar pop in Crenshaw melancholy/lively vein. PRETENDERS - "Middle Of The Road": Relentless rocker with snarl to spare. PRINCE - "When Doves Cry": Inescapable airwave dominator of profound depth. PYROMANIACS - "How Does It Feel": Explosive modern garage-rocker from Sweden. RAINY DAY FEAT. SUSANNA HOFFS - "I'll Keep It With Mine": Exquisite vocal by Bangles singer on folky Dylan-via-Nico chestnut. RED ROCKERS - "Eve Of Destruction": Astonishing transformation of folk-rock rant to melodic guitar pop. REFLECTIONS - "Searching": Affecting U.K. Spector-style ballad. R.E.M. - "So. Central Rain": America's best band, with a chorus you can sing along with (sorry). REVOLVING PAINT DREAM - "Flowers In The Sky": U.K. neopsychedelic nerve-tingler. JOHNNY RIVERS - "Heartbreak Love": Jittery modern pop, unjustly overlooked. SMOKEY ROBINSON - "And I Don't Love TURN TO PAGE 62 |
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Page 58 BIG COUNTRY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 Going home in a box. The title cut is not the tale of one of Springsteen's New Jersey factory towns, though there's a similar feel. Adamson says it was inspired by the plight of an English town called Corby "that had a brand-new steel mill. People were encouraged to go and work there with the promise they'd have jobs for years and years. Then, about two years ago, the government decided to shut the mill down, leaving all these itinerant workers and their families in the shit. They're all unemployed now, which is very sad. Brave new world!" he laughs ruefully. What's the solution to such a sorrowful situation? Don't ask Adamson. "I don't have answers. I'll leave those to the politicians. I'm only talking about things I see happening, trying to give people something to take away and think about." Golly gee, isn't that awfully bleak fare to be offering? "Of course, but there's a sense of love and faith as well. My songs aren't bleak to the point of all hope being cast out." By way of illustration, he points to "East Of Eden, Which describes "the search for hope and a belief in something, anything, no matter where it comes from." Somewhere, lines like "I found that hope and a lucky card/Were all I had to walk with me" don't strike me as sufficient cause for optimism. Curious to test the limits of Adamson's civility, I dare to compare Big Country with Springsteen. Some artists find it profoundly irritating to be likened to another—they're original, y'know—but he answers evenly, "I really admire Bruce Springsteen's attitude. He's a hard-working musician who writes about what he sees going on, and that's something more groups should do. If rock music is ever going to be important, it's got to be a working part of the environment it comes from, like folk music. Folk music talks about and for people. So maybe Springsteen draws from American rock and country music the way we do from British folk music." Given Adamson's sober outlook, it's no surprise to find that he frowns on light entertainment like Duran Duran. "It's OK," he comments, without much enthusiasm, "but don't expect me to go out and buy it. Music is something I care deeply about. If I treated it like fluff, I'd be treating my life like fluff, which is something I don't want to do. I'm serious about my life! I've got a wife and a son! I'm not pissin' about!" But isn't it possible to become too serious? Didn't that prove to be the ruination of the Clash? "They got into making big sweeping statements and claims they couldn't possibly live up to. All we do is reflect the people we live among. There's a sense of fun about us — we don't go around in monk's shrouds." In fact, they're wearing Big Country t-shirts at the interview. Isn't that cute? "We also get told some great jokes." Any that are repeatable? "No!" Watson notes that on one track he plays slide guitar for the first time, while elsewhere he strungs his axe to mimic a mandolin, another personal first. Speaking of guitars, it's time for the question no Big Country interview would be complete without. "If it's anything to do with bagpipes," ex-claims Adamson, a mock frown creasing his face, "bagpipes from Hell!" You guessed it: "Why the fake bagpipe sound? He denies they're imitating in the first place, observing, "The sound of Big Country has more to do with the melodies Bruce and I play than with the guitars themselves. If we played 'Johnny B. Goode' it wouldn't sound like 'Johnny B. Goode' on the bagpipes." By the same token, he (and Watson) are eager to point out that they aren't particularly good guitarists in a technical sense. "If you're talking about us as musicians, we'd rate about a two or three on a ten scale. I know of at least five guys in my home town who are better than me." Watson: "I don't even know the names of half the chords. I just make things up." Adamson: "What we are good at is innovating." There's no reason to doubt Adamson's sincerity when he assesses his limitations, but it's telling that he feels the need to make the point. Suppose he were a bona fide axe whiz. Would he admit it? Nope, the poor guy would likely be so embarrassed by the idea of superiority that he'd lie and claim to be mediocre. Likewise, Adamson expresses discomfort with being a pop star and all that entails, including signing autographs. "I'd like to see music come down to earth and be more level-headed. I don't even like the word 'fan,' because it implies a second-class citizen, which is wrong. You've got to give your audience credit for having at least as much intelligence as you have. If more groups did that, music wouldn't have to be a star-making thing. It would be more human." All right, I give up! Stuart Adamson will not be conned into saying something crummy. And yes, his decency is commendable. I admit it! In 1977, Johnny Rotten belched, "We mean it, maaaan." Today, Big Country's Stuart Adamson proclaims much the same thing, though his choice of words is better. "With Steeltown, people who looked upon the band with a certain amount of cynicism now realize we are what we say we are. It's not a pose. We're playing the game according to our own rules." Just don't forget to smile once in a while, OK? |
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Back cover PEARL'S NEW EXPORT SERIES SOUND · QUALITY · ROADWORTHY · LOOKS...AND SAVINGS! PEARL, the World's leading and largest manufacturer of Percussion equipment...has achieved a technological breakthrough in the drum manufacturing process. The outstanding result is the NEW PEARL EXPORT SERIES... better quality for fewer dollars! We know that no other company can equal the VALUE of Pearl's NEW EXPORT SERIES! PROFESSIONAL QUALITY...now, at a TRULY AFFORDABLE PRICE! See for yourself at your nearest Authorized Pearl Dealer. You'll enioy the SAVINGS as well as the SOUND!! Don't get left behind, look at PEARL first..... All the other drum companies do! Pictured: EX-22D-5 Illustrated in No.33 Pure White. Cymbals not included Mark Brzezicki, Big Country Rolf Brendel, Nena |