Des'ree: "Supernatural" (Sony) In another era Des'ree might have been a folk singer. Her voice certainly rings out with the purity of a "folkie", nowhere more so than in Proud To Be A Dread which deals with social concerns such as the racism encountered by Rastafarians. Sadly the arrangement, more synthetic than organic, cripples the song. Not so I'm Kissing You and Indigo Daisies, both of which are blessed with melody-sensitive vocals and word-sensitive arrangements, the former concluding with a deliciously understated reading of Bruce Springsteen's Fire, produced by Babyface. But best of all are Des'ree's own lyrics, a mix of New Age idealism (and platitudes), left-of-field observations, romanticism and downright good humour. A delight.
Joe Jackson
Ian Dury & The Blockheads: "Mr Love Pants" (Ronnie Harris Records) Reasons to be cheerful abound on Dury's first album with the original Blockheads in 17 years, but cause for sorrow comes with the knowledge that the 55-year-old Dury is also suffering from terminal cancer of the colon. Illness, however, hasn't stopped the expletive-spouting Essex lad from stamping his rather large personality on songs like Jack Shit George, Honeysuckle Highway and Mash It Up Harry. Some 20 years after Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick hit Number 1, Dury is still dealing in smart-arse wordplay and street-corner humour, but there is a philosophical streak in the words of The Passing Show and a tender touch in You're My Baby. However, it's the vulgar vitality of Cacka Boom and Bed 'O' Roses No 9 which gives Mr Love Pants its scatalogical charm, and the presence of old cronies like Chas Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy and Davey Payne which gives the album its familiar, funky ring.
Kevin Courtney
Pixies: "Pixies At The BBC" (4AD) The perfect companion to last year's Death To The Pixies set, this collection brings together the seminal Boston band's BBC Radio sessions between 1988 and 1991. This mid-priced album features raw, unpolished gems from albums like Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde, plus a previously unavailable version of The Beatles' Wild Honey Pie, performed in the band's trademark twisted, torn-up style, and a weird cover of (In Heaven) Lady In The Radiator Song, from the David Lynch movie, Eraserhead. Tunes such as There Goes My Gun, Subbacultcha, Manta Ray and Monkey Gone To Heaven come quick and fast, but a slowed-up Wave Of Mutilation washes gently among the grunged-up guitars and primal-screaming vocals.
Kevin Courtney
