Reviews by Deseret News staff writers of recent country, instrumental, soundtrack, big band and heavy metal recordings:
DAVID ARKENSTONE; "Chronicles" (Narada Artist Series). * * * *
David Arkenstone is one of the best "cinematic" composers around - although his melodies have never (yet) graced a movie. For those who've not heard all his previous albums, "Chronicles" may be just the ticket, a 74-minute anthology that collects 17 of the fantasies that have helped give him a reputation as a gifted creator of "soundtracks for the imagination."
Arkenstone swept to the head of the progressive instrumental class in 1987 with the enchanting electronic album "Valley in the Clouds," and in the years since has entertained listeners with a series of thematic albums.
"Chronicles" samples all of them, displaying his talent for composing and performing inventive music, from the evocative to the exotic. Among the selections are the enchanting "Ancient Legend" and magical "Valley in the Clouds" from his first Narada album; the graceful "Ballet" and majestic "Passage," from the globe-trotting travelogue "Island" (recorded with guitarist Andrew White); the ethereal "Voices of the Anasazi" from "Citizen of Time" (another travelogue - this time through the centuries); the grand "Papillon" and dramatic "Southern Cross" from the Tolkienesque ecological fantasy "In the Wake of the Wind"; and the stately "Glory" from "The Spirit of Olympia" (with Kostia).
While "Chronicles" opens with "The North Wind," from Narada's multi-artist project "A Childhood Remembered," it also would have seemed logical to include the beautiful "Yosemite" and "Long Way From Home" from two other Narada anthologies, "The Wilderness Collection" and "Wisdom of the Wood," to efficiently fill out the shelves of Arkenstone fans, present and future.
- Ray Boren
LESTER LANIN AND HIS ORCHESTRA; "This Is Society Dance Music" (Bainbridge). * *
This reissue of a 1956 live mono album, recorded during the Monte Carlo Ball in New York for Prince Rainier of Monaco and Grace Kelly - their first public appearance after announcing their engagement - is like a 23-song medley.
"This Is Society Dance Music" samples standards by Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and others, which clock in at various lengths (the shortest is 39 seconds; the longest just under 3 minutes), are played one after another with only a brief (and redundant) transition (and softly audible cocktail chatter) between numbers.
- Chris Hicks
CLINTON GREGORY; "Master of Illusion" (Step One Records). * * *
The jacket of "Master of Illusion" shows Clinton Gregory, fiddle in hand, in an apparently snow-covered countryside. A warm-weather wildcat and huge cactus plants sit in the background.
That picture about summarizes Gregory's music. The first cut, "If I Were a Painting," sounded like it would be "new age" rather than country. But the title track and songs like "The Days the Boys Leave the Girls Alone" prove Gregory's forte is country music, from the two-step to the ballad.
His music is rich with instrumentation. He's not counting on his very decent voice and a strong selection of songs (including one each by Skip Ewing, Buck Owens and Mel Tillis Jr.) to make the album work. The songs are gold, full of the wordplay that country music fans seem to love, like "point me to somewhere so I can leave nowhere behind."
The music - complete with fiddles, a variety of guitars, bass, cello and drums - could carry the album if his voice couldn't.
Fortunately, he rises to the occasion and the result is marvelous.
- Lois Collins
VINCE NEIL; "Exposed" (Warner Bros.). * * 1/2
When Motley Crue fired frontman Vince Neil, fans figured the band shot itself in the foot - could be. The Crue has not released another album since 1990's "Decade of Decadence," but Neil has his act together.
"Exposed," Neil's solo venture, isn't bad. While nothing can match the early rawness of Motley Crue (an inevitable comparison), Neil has developed a style combining his former band's raunch with new, sophisticated melody.
Aided by ex-Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, Neil's band has overcome the "down and out" lead-singer blues and risen to the occasion.
Songs like "Look in Her Eyes," "Fine, Fine Wine," a remake of Sweet's "Set Me Free" and "Gettin' Hard" focus on the neck-breaking excess and rebellion of rock 'n' roll, while "Can't Change Me" and "Forever" settle the mood with sentimental words of wisdom.
Ironically, the album's chief weakness lies in the two singles, "You're Invited But Your Friend Can't Come" and "Sister of Pain." Both are too heavy for pop and too pop for metal.
- Scott Iwasaki
DAVE GRUSIN, "The Firm" (MCA/GRP). * * * *
Dave Grusin's snazzy, jazzy piano score for "The Firm" makes for extremely enjoyable listening on this soundtrack album, which is rounded out by some delightful country ditties.
At first glance, the likes of Lyle Lovett's "M-O-N-E-Y" and Nancy Griffith's "Never Mind" may seem odd collaborative choices for an album as focused on jazz as this one is. But somehow it all comes together as a whole, bolstered by Jimmy Buffett's "Stars on the Water," Robben Ford & The Blue Line's "Start It Up" and the island-style themes of Dave Samuels' "Dance Class."
But at its center, this is a showcase for Grusin, whose acoustic piano is the only instrument heard during the film's score, and it really shines in the opening main theme and the slower, more romantic "Mitch & Abby," as well as variations thereon.
The result? A daring and very successful venture - for both the movie and the album.
- Chris Hicks
JAMES ASHER; "Globalarium" (Silver Wave Records). * * *
Let's see, we have the solarium, a place in which to soak up a bit of sun and heat, and we have the planetarium, where we can soak up knowledge about science and the heavens. And now James Asher has given us "Globalarium," in which he immerses listeners in the music of our world's cultures - sometimes fusing several traditions in a single track.
Asher is a keyboardist-percussionist-composer who a few years back created "The Great Wheel." About half of that album was taken up by the impressive title piece, a long-form meditative montage. "Globalarium," by contrast, presents 10 shorter pieces, from 4 to 10 minutes long, and eclectic might be the best word to describe them collectively.
"Tabasco Rhythm," for instance, with its strong beat, jazzy-bluesy trumpet and a guttural-growly Aboriginal didgeridoo, finds its middle ground somewhere between Brazil and Australia (somewhere near Easter Island, perhaps?). "Bushwhackers" is an even more intriguing gumbo, showing Caribbean, Australian and Indian-British raga-rock influences. On other tracks, with titles like "Paint the Moon Red," "Send in the Tribes" and "Campfire on the Dunes," Asher also utilizes voices (in a Babel of tongues and styles), flutes and recorders, and electronic instrumentation.
"Globalarium" explores pan-cultural cross-fertilization in music - a futuristic sampling from, and for, the global village.
- Ray Boren
RACHEL PORTMAN, "Benny & Joon" (Milan). * * *
RACHEL PORTMAN, "Used People" (Big Screen Records). * * *
Rachel Portman, who first came to my attention with her enchanting score for "Where Angels Fear to Tread," has woven some equally lovely themes through the current "Benny & Joon" and last winter's "Used People."
The albums for these films suffer from that common movie soundtrack problem, redundancy - the main theme being recycled over and over in slight variations over too many tracks. But the themes themselves are so enjoyable that it's not as problematic here as with some soundtrack recordings.
"Used People" has a couple of significantly inventive variations. Though generally gentle and simple, there is a marching tune style adapted for "Walk and Talk" and a dance hall feel to "Out and About."
"Benny & Joon" is getting an unusual amount of attention thanks to the Proclaimers' hit "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," which is the album's first piece. That certainly lends it a rousing start, though Portman's additional 13 tracks are much softer and sweeter, and more old-fashioned. (You can almost see Buster Keaton performing to this music instead of Johnny Depp.)
Fans of Portman's music will not be disappointed.
- Chris Hicks