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Afllwwfivvv vw ww uA the examiner Eriqu Nov 17 19778 English bond harmonizes bagpipes and guitars RECOR REVIEWS By STEPHEN GAUER Traditional folk music has long been source of material for many outstanding English bands Pentangle comes to mind as one of the most suc cessful experiments in blending traditional and contemporary music into unique synthesis The Albion Rand whove just released new album called Rise Up Like the Sun attempt similiar kind of synthesis and it works very well Most of the inateriai on the album is traditional but its been reworked stretched and altered by adding rock and electronic instrumentation The musicians in the band play in struments ranging from bagpipes and shawns to syn thesizers and electric guitars it sounds like an incomivitiblc combination but it isnt bagpipes can blend peitectly with electric guitars when the irrangements are right and The Albion Rand usually scores too per cent in their musical ai rangemeiits Some of the songs like Ragg ed Heroes and Poor tild llorsc are given fairly straight forward interpretations ttthers like iiestord Disaster dramatic Sltii about the mar ing tragedy feature long iii strumental passages that use the songs stmng folk rhythm as the baSIs for improvisation The album highlights more than half dozen guest vocalists who add variety to thc als supplied by the bands singers lohn Tams and Simon Nicol tanadas Kate Mctlar ngle contributes haunting version of House in the ountry she sounds very much home on the album and thats not surprising because The Aibioii Bands music blends many of the elemean used by the McGariigleSisters The Albion Rand makes in triguing original music They offer some challenging direc tions for the future of pro gressive English music The New Wave bands may still be grabbing the headlines but an album like Rise tip Like The Sun proves theres plenty of life left in the foikrock synthesis The Albion Rand Rise lp Like the Sun Attic LATloiit XKRELL AND SANTOS Bud ockrelL who was the bassist and lead vocalist of Pablo Cruise for four years took big gamble when he left the group to team up with his wife attie Santos Rut judg ing from New Beginnings their first album for and that gamble has paid off handsome ly New Beginnings is full of bnght fresh music thats eii Joyable from start to finish tockrell has carried over strong lablo ruise flavor to the ten songs on the album energetic arrangements and catchy rhythms but the best thing about New Beginnings is the way the voices of ockrcll and Santos complement one another Both singers have strong dynamic voices And both voices have vibrant almost rough quality that adds depth to the weaker material on the album That same quality puts aparkie into the best songs Wanna Say With You New Beginnings and Out in The Starlight by exploiting the full potential of the lyrics and melodies ockreli and Santos ltUSly enjoy their musical partneiship and that enjoy ment comes through in the music ockrell and Santos New Beginnings and SHINE RlYllI You cant fault Arlyn iales music for lacking power and drama Hack to the Midwest Night iales debut album for ARt Records is an eight song exercise in angst and alienation that places the singer songwriter firmly in the truce Springsteen school oi nervy llttl poets talc writes intensely about passion love Ilililt and that peculiar point of He that takes shape iii the lonely hours of the night llt songs are sometiiiiis over ripe falsely poetic and too iiieiixliamatic but he uses words so well that the excesses dont really mat iii lIach song on the album is really dramatic story the emphasis is on the lyrics rather than the music with lale cast as rock roll hero who battles itli women for custody ot his soul and loses as olteii as he wins ln Shes Alright the lady is elusive cyclusiye and hypnotic narcotic and quickly turns tale inside out By the end of song hes slave to her power and wryly admits it Shes so well composed wish owned the copyright iales voice is gruff and bluesy and works best on hard driving songs like Take the Night Flight Halfway to Hell and the title track The rest of the material proves that tale is better songwriter than singer if he can just control his tendency to exaggerate im agery and emotion he may pro ye to be the next superstar of American rock romanticism Arlyn late Hack to the Midwest Night 1AM 902211th RHHARDTURRANFE Let the music brighten up your life sings Richard Tor rance in the first song on his album Anythings Possible and that statement sums up lt music very well For the most part Torrance is sunny op timist the kind of songwriter who celebrates happy love at fans and happy endings Songs like Take Look Around and Anyihiiigs lossi ble are perlect vehicles for lor rances clear and supple voici hat Love and lie top llolla pay alleeiioiiate tribute to good time rock roll from the litiits while the rest ol the material explores the various idioms ol pt rock and lolk blues lorrince has assembled Singer Diane Ross smiles with actress Alexis Smith backstage at the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York during visit after performance of Platinum which Miss Smith stars AP Photo Bud Cockrel and Pattie Santos prove that two voices are better than one on their album New an excellent band of musicians for the album and his arr rangements are consistently fresh and well executed itlautist Robby Raiigcll and guitarist Adam iurmaii are inst two of the iniLsicnins who make Anythings Possible thorougth iijtiyltliltfi thoroughly musical album Richard Torrance nythiiigs Possible ttapilol 41860 RlNlS Listening to Racing ars is frustrating theyreobviously talented gmiip of musicians with lot more going for them than many other more siic ressful rock bands but their music is so restrained and cautious it leaves no impression zit all lodescrilx them as com peteiit and prolessioiial is to damn them with taint praise but there not illlilll else to bc said about them They play well they liar momc well and their illlitt has variety and polish its jllSi little too smooth and too reminiscent ol hall down bet tei known and more origiial groups The last songs on the album sound the same while the slow ones llkt liiiiig tin The Night and ailing For So meoiie siiller lroiii suit and bland ioiiianticisiii The one distinctive track on the album lianciiig island is dreamy silllilt to the tarihbeaii that uses lilting aly pso beat ery illectively iit the rest ot the iiiatirial list doesnt stand up to repeated listening lticiiiilii play brand of lioiiioiteiiied rock that so precisi and deliberate theres no room for tllltilitii passion or spoiitaiici ty Their music is eoiiilortablc likeaii old pair ol lltl but its toocaritiil to otter any real siir prises They should have called themselves Hush Puppies Racing ars Bring tn The Night thrysalis IlTNt DRINKERS RE LOYAI GOOSEY England li Eight regulars are willing to put up £10000 $20000 to buy The Pound public house to save it from closure Beer has been saved there since the early 18th century but with only 170 sons now living in the vil age owners Morlands Brewery do not see it as unfitmaking proposition Beginnings Both have strong vibrant voices that convey the joy of musical partnership New Beginnings is very happy album Richard Torrance hes sunny optimist who sings about happy love affairs and happy endings His voice is strong and supple and his music very en loyable