Reviews by Deseret News staff writers of recent funk-rock, country and Cajun recordings:
THE METERS; "Good Old Funky Music" (Rounder). * * *It's a long way from warming up for the Rolling Stones in 1975 to the bare back of a couple of CDs in the '90s - but the Meters did it, without giving an inch.
Although the Meters just recently reunited, three of the four original members are back, and since they are busy touring the country - that's the good news - their record company decided to release two CDs with material recorded between 1968 and mid-'70s - that's the not-so-good news.
So let's not worry too much about "Look-Ka Py Py," which is basically instrumental funk rock as made famous by the New Orleans band some time ago. Although many of the cuts could have greatly benefitted from a contemporary sound engineer, they are authentically funky.
Unfortunately, Art Neville has to crank up his Hammond B-3 organ on almost every tune and makes it seem like a sound demonstration in any old mall's music department.
Despite the first release's drawbacks, the second, "Good Old Funky Music," is staightforward fun. At the start of the fun-ky title tune, one of the fellows pops that age-old musical question, "Hey bra, what kind of music you dig?" Another Meter shouts back, "I dig funky music."
And that's what they deliver all the way through. Not only did they demonstrate a great sense of humor in their lyrics, but they displayed some kind of freshness in their music.
For instance, the funky version of "Jambalaya" really makes you wanna wiggle your toes and stomp what is immediately grown to them. And the "Rock 'n' Roll Medley" definitely explains why the Meters are called the Meters: They just know how to keep the meter, no matter what they're playing.
Let's hope they gather the best from the past and add some of what they've learned up to present to their future compositions. - Dagi P. BinggeliMARSHA THORNTON; "Maybe The Moon Will Shine (MCA). * * 1/2.
Marsha Thornton is one of the Nashville newcomers who got her big break while singing at Opryland revues. This is her second album.
Thornton has a rich voice with good range and prefers the traditional country sound. She gets good harmonies from her backup singers and band.
The overall feeling is upbeat and lively, and you get the feeling that she is having a good time. The catchy title cut has done fairly well on the charts and is probably the strongest of the bunch. "You Better Straighten Up and Love Right" and "A Far Cry From You" feature the play on words that many country artists enjoy. "In the Palm of Your Hand" gives new treatment to an old Buck Owens song. Thornton helped with the writing on "Is It Too Soon To Tell" and "Real Love," both of which are nice love songs.
There is nothing here that seems destined to knock her into superstar status, but it's a good showcase of her talent. - Carma WadleyBILLY DEAN; "Young Man" (SBK Records). * * * 1/2
If "Young Man" is any indication, this is a talented young man who is going to be around for a long time. Billy Dean has already proven he has what it takes as a songwriter, an occupation he started at age 15; and now he is making his mark as a singer.
Dean gives country a pop-contemporary twist, and he sings straight from the heart. His "Only Here for a Little While" is both poignant and exuberant, and "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" is as touching a ballad as has come along in a long while. Both releases have done well, with "Broken Heart" reaching the top five on Billboard and No. 1 on several other charts.
The title cut talks about the hopes and dreams of a young man, "Brotherly Love" is a sweet acknowledgment of family ties. "Low-down Lonely" is the lament of a man-on-the-road, and "How Can I Hold You" is a touching plea for staying together. The other cuts are equally strong.
"I want to touch on every emotion a person goes through," Dean says. And he does just that with this debut album. - Carma Wadley MAMOU; "Mamou" (MCA Records). * *
Mamou is Cajun. I think. The lyrics certainly sound like it. The fact that most of the cuts are sung in French lends credibility to the theory, as does the bayou pictured on the cover. But the music here is not quite what I've been led to believe you'd find at a typical fait-do-do. There is a definite hard pop/
rock edge that may put Mamou in a category all its own.
Strains of traditional Cajun show through in songs like "Hurricane" and "Jolie Blonde" and "Les Flammes d'en Fer."
There is a lyrical quality to the French that provides an interesting sound. It may be just as well that the words are in French; some ideas must lose something in translation: "You have everything you always wanted/Wake up and open your eyes/Oh baby doll, stop, stop your noise my dear/Baby doll, my heart is still in your hands today."
"Madam Boso" is a little more lighthearted: "Madam Boso don't shoot me/I'm not the one who stole your calf. . . ."
This is one where you might need to be rooted in the tradition to fully appreciate it. - Carma Wadley
*****
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Rating system
Four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.