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Wednesday, 4/30/97 Soundbites

Various artists "Gypsy Passion - New Flamenco" (Narada) This compilation features artists from all over the world who are at the forefront of new flamenco - Jesse Cook, Armik and, of course, Ottmar Liebert, among many others. It is also one of the most dazzling displays of guitar playing since Hendrix lit his six-string on fire. In a departure from the more traditional flamenco, whose beautiful but often simple themes repeat throughout the song without much fancy fingerwork, these melodies are all over the frets at light speed. Playful, flawlessly picked scales, trills and crisp passages that wind around each other create varied and complex melodies and countermelodies. And though some of the pieces would give even Segovia a run for his money, they sound light and effortless, without the slightest hint of strain. Jorge Struntz and Ardeshir Farah's "Bola" and Armik's "Gypsy Flame" are especially impressive; if the passages were any faster, the notes would be practically indistinguishable. But musicianship aside, the music is beautiful in its own right. Each song has a flamenco backbone but is fleshed out in a different style. At times, the warmth of the percussion and bass and the spontaneous feel of many of the melodies, as they wander in and out of scales, makes the album sound like a candlelit jam session - of artists who have been playing together for 20 years, that is. This should sound familiar to anyone who has seen one of Liebert's shows, with the musicians sitting barefoot on rugs on the floor. Liebert offers one of his faster, more popular songs, "The Night," whose minor-key mystery is followed by the upbeat "Bola." It is one of a handful of songs with dueting lead guitars that enrich the harmonies. Aside from Struntz and Farah, famous pairs Sergio Lara and Joe Reyes, Ruben Romero and Lydia Torea, and Willie Royal and Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink also appear. Romero and Torea's "Rumba Rumba Gitanita" is the only piece with vocals and is more traditional than the other songs. Willie and Lobo's "Rockin' Gypsies" ends the disc with violin and guitar throwing the melody back and forth. The remaining songs focus solely on guitar work, the hallmark of new flamenco. This album is an excellent introduction to flamenco, as it represents many ages, nationalities and musical influences - from classical to jazz, from Canada to Chile. Kristin Fiore A- Jon Secada "Secada" (SBK) In the five years since Jon Secada stopped being Gloria Estefan's backup singer and began recording his own albums, he has released six records, three in English and three in Spanish. "Secada" is his latest English disc, and it is a pleasant, melodic collection with quite a few potentially strong singles. Nine of the album's 10 songs were written and produced by either Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (the duo behind most of Janet Jackson's work who have also written for and produced New Edition, Boyz II Men and others) or by Secada's longtime co-songwriter and co-producer, Miguel A. Morejon. Both groups of songs sound great accompanied by the singer's powerful, soulful voice. The first single, "Too Late, Too Soon," is actually one of the album's dullest cuts. Much more listenable are "Heaven Is You" by Jam and Lewis, "I Live For You" by Secada and Morejon, and "Get Me Over You," by Secada, Morejon and supersongwriter Diane Warren. This latest collection is much stronger than Secada's sophomore effort but definitely doesn't have the potential for four top-10 singles like his debut had. Jeff Hilger B+ Tracey Lee "Many Facez" (Universal/Bystorm) Earlier this year, Tracey Lee dropped one of the hottest party jams of 1997, his first single "The Theme (It's Party Time)." Featuring an ill-sampled loop and a catchy chorus, "The Theme" set high expectations for Lee's album. His debut album, "Many Facez," fails to live up to these expectations. The only track on the album that matches the energy of the first single is "Keep Your Hands High." On this track, Lee trades microphone responsibilities with the late Notorious B.I.G., a pairing that will surely make listeners hit their rewind buttons. Another notable collaboration is Busta Rhyme's appearance on "The After Party (The Theme II)." As always, Busta dominates the spotlight with his trademark hyperactive flow and Tracey Lee matches Busta rhyme for rhyme. But since this track uses the same sampled loop as "The Theme" and is meant as a follow-up to the first single, comparisons become inevitable. The bottom line is, the sequel is not as good as the original. Tracey Lee is a good rapper, and throughout his album he displays his schizophrenic nature by alternating between five different personalities. His talent shows in his ability to play five different roles by employing five different vocal deliveries, which are especially evident on the track "Many Facez." Yet this talent is not given the proper platform to stand on, as the production is subpar. The album is a good purchase based solely on the strength of the four previously mentioned songs, but the rest of the album is filler material. Nelson Saldua B- Pugs "Pugs Bite the Red Knee" (Casual Tonalities) They don't say it anywhere on the album, but the indication is that Pugs are from Japan. Their partially English spoken lyrics are meshed with their own tongue and set to truly avant-garde punk tunes, incorporating American classics, like "Tequila" into a speedy, highly metal guitar-laden thrashing. Horns and organ notes seep out in exhausting, bone crashing stomps of musical revelry. At the same time, the lead singer's caustic voice smashes up the jaunty melody, creating an orgy of shrill sounds and overpowering instrumentals. Other times, Pugs focus on Zippy techno beats that pound out like the heartbeat of an intoxicated crack fiend just before slamming his head against the cold concrete in a final send-off to the land beyond. The lead singer reserves these moments for a softer, almost deadlier astral morph of vocalizations and yodels in what very well could be Japanese. It could be pure gibberish, but it wouldn't matter. The words sound spunky enough, regardless. For instance, the song, "Happy Boobooster '99" includes the words, "DO YOU Tu Tu Tu, Watashi No IDOL! / Hi, Hi! DO YOU Tu Tu Tu, Watashi No IDOL!" which, when translated, mean, "Do you tu tu tu, you are my idol! / Hi, Hi! Do you tu tu tu, you are my idol!" Such a decoding proves quite helpful when attempting to understand the inner motivations driving the band's soulful renditions. But, other times, when Pugs do more than overdrive every noise-making device in sight beyond their current capacity, a few gentler chords with more incisive lyrics (though foreign) do come across. For example, the piece "Shizku Is Color of Tears" includes the lines, "Tormented, like a doll/ Legs spread, knob tightly wound up/ I get this sort of feeling just for you/ What I want you to notice is the little good night kiss," and on it goes, a sort of twisted love melodrama unfolding with every additional line. Perhaps the closest current approximation to Pugs musically would be a cross between Bjork, in her weirder moments, and Mr. Bungle, a group which takes samples from every conceivable arena, puts them in a blender and presses high speed. With this in mind, listen to Pugs only if you suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder or appreciate experimental music from the year 3000. Otherwise, Pugs may steamroll right across you. Vanessa VanderZanden A- Soundbites runs Mondays and Wednesdays. VARIOUS ARTISTS "Gypsy Passion"