Moby’s soul
In the liner notes for Machine Soul: An Odyssey Into Electronic Dance Music (Rhino), Moby, the two—disc set’s producer (and contributor), writes that “predictions were being made that” electronic music “would be ‘the next big thing’ in America. But given the nature of the electronic music world, a ‘grunge’—style pop landslide never seemed to materialize.” Moby goes on to say that in spite of that fact, “electronic music certainly seems to be the dominant musical form in the Western world.”
The 28—track compilation that is Machine Soul begins its electronic musical history lesson with the 1978 song “The Robots” by German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, and continues with contributions from The Normal (doing the original version of “Warm Leatherette,” a song later made famous by Grace Jones), and a couple of tracks produced by groundbreaker Giorgio Moroder (Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and “The Number One Song In Heaven” by Sparks). Popular new—wave acts such as Gary Numan, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, and New Order are represented alongside more obscure hardcore acts from the same period (Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire). Tracks by Afrika Bambaataa (“Planet Rock”) and Newcleus (“Jam On Revenge”) are good examples of how electronic music also infiltrated the sounds coming from the black community.
The second disc illustrates how electronic music evolved out of the punk/new—wave clubs and onto the dancefloors at mainstream dance clubs across the country. Tracks such as “Pump Up The Volume” by M/A/R/R/S, “Big Fun” by Inner City and “What Time Is Love” by The KLF were all massive dance club sensations. Still, electronic music managed to maintain something of a cult staus despite the popularity of bands such as Depeche Mode. Acts such as BT, Underworld and Fluke continue to do their own thing, while Moby and The Chemical Brothers have crossed over and achieved mainstream success.
Speaking of Moby, the release of Machine Soul has finally given me an opportunity to write about Moby’s acclaimed 1999 album Play (V2). Moby is not the first artist working in the electronic music genre to combine the seemingly distant worlds of the blues and electronica. Little Axe’s underrated The Wolf That House Built (from 1994) did a good job of creating an intersection between the blues and electronic beats, and R. L. Burnside, whose “It’s Bad You Know,” graced The Sopranos soundtrack, follows a similar route. However, it is Moby’s Play that is the most fully realized example of the wonders that can occur when these genres merge. Play is at turns startling (“Honey,” “Body Rock,” “Find my baby”), revelatory (“Why does my heart feel so bad?,” “Natural blues,” “Run on”) and simply gorgeous (“Porcelain,” “Rushing,” “Everloving,” and “Inside,” to name a few).
Another helping of hits
From the distant past (the 1950s) to the recent past (the 1990s) the music by the artists of the last half of the last century continue to be collected and compiled into greatest hits and best of packages. Here are a few new offerings.
For someone whose promising career was cut short at an early age, Nat King Cole has a surprinsing number of greatest hits collections to his credit. The latest, Unforgettable (Capitol), has all of Cole’s best—loved songs, including “Mona Lisa,” “Nature Boy,” and “Unforgettable” (in both the original and Natalie Cole “duet” versions).
Tom Jones was one of the male vocalists vying for the public’s attention in the mid— 1960s. Jones’s early successes were with songs from movies, What’s New Pussycat and Thunderball, which led to later megahits such as “Delilah,” “Green, Green Grass of Home,” “Without Love (There Is Nothing),” “Daughter Of Darkness,” “I (Who Have Nothing),” and his biggest stateside hit “She’s A Lady.” All of these songs, and a few others, are on The Best Of Tom Jones: The Millennium Collection (Polydor/ Decca).
20 Greatest Hits includes Glen Campbell’s 䚌s and äš–s chart—toppers, as well as a couple of early 䚪s tracks. Of course it is Campbell’s early work, particularly Jimmy Webb’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” and “Galveston,” that made him a household name and even earned him his own television variety show. “Rhinestown Cowboy” and “Southern Nights” are pure novelty items.
Amazingly, at around the same time Campbell and Jones were keeping the charts warm, the MC5 were burning things up in their hometown of Detroit and in other cities across the country. The Big Bang: The Best of The MC5 (Rhino) collects early singles, alongside relevant tracks from the band’s studio and live discs. Listening to the ferocious energy in these 21 songs, one can hear why it is that so many punk rock bands cite The MC5 as an influence.
The genesis of The Ohio Players goes back to the 1960s, but it was during the 1970s that these funkaholics made their most indelible mark on music. The Best Of Ohio Players: The Millennium Collection (Mercury) contains the songs “Love Rollercoaster,” “Skin Tight” (all seven minutes and 55 seconds of it), “Fire,” and “Sweet Sticky Thing” (to name a few), all of which you were as likely to hear on your favorite AM radio station as you were in your favorite discoteque.
Picking up the funk and running with it, Kool & The Gang experienced the kind of commercial success during the 1980s that neither Ohio Players nor the Kool & The Gang of the early 1970s could have ever anticipated. All you have to do is listen to their 1973 hits (“Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging”) to see the direction in which they were originally headed. With a bit of fine—tuning, Kool & The Gang’s sound became incredibly commercial by 1979 (“Ladies Night,” “Too Hot,” and “Take My Heart”), which led to their biggest hits in the years to come, including the wedding reception “Celebration,” “Get Down On It,” “Joanna,” “Cherish,” and “Fresh,” to name a few.
By adding female vocals to their unique brand of funk, Nile Rogers and the late Bernard Edwards of Chic, expanded the appeal of their sound. The Very Best of Chic (Rhino) chronologically follows Chic’s pop and R&B chart successes from 1977 through 1982. Beginning with their first five hit singles (“Dance, Dance, Dance,” “Everybody Dance,” “Le Freak,” “I Want Your Love,” and “Good Times”‘ all of which are included here in their full—length verisons) and continuing with lesser known singles, this collection serves as a reminder of Chic’s invaluable contributions to music.
Bill Withers may not have had as many hit singles as his contemporaries during the 1970s, but he did have some of the most memorable hits of that decade, all of which are on The Best Of Bill Withers: Lean On Me (Columbia/Legacy). Beginning with 1971’s “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Grandma’s Hands” (which Barbra Streisand also covered) and continuing on into 1972’s “Lean On Me,” “Use Me,” and “Who Is He (And What Is He To You) ?” (later covered by MeShell Ndegeocello), 1974’s “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh” (also covered by Diana Ross), 1977’s “Lovely Day,” through 1980’s “Just The Two Of Us,” Withers may not have been all that prolific, but he was popular.
Like Sheryl Crow, another A&M artist, Rita Coolidge began her career as a background vocalist for another singer (Joe Cocker). After marrying singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson, Coolidge had minor chart success (including a duet with her husband on the song “Loving Arms”). However, Coolidge may be best remembered for the trio of hits (“Higher And Higher,” “We’re All Alone,” and “The Way You Do The Things You Do”) from her 1977 album Anytime…Anywhere.
Aside from having a clever name Garage d’Or (Virgin) is a compilation of hits by sardonic alternative rockers Cracker. In addition to three new studio tracks, you will find “Teen Angst” (with the recognizable chorus, “What the world needs now/Is another folk singer/Like I need a hole in my head”), “Low” (which featured Sandra Bernhard in the music video), “Get Off This,” and their remake of “Shake Some Action,” to name just a few. A limited edition bonus disc contains out—takes, soundtrack and tribute album work.
Where it’s @
compiled by Gregg Shapiro
@ Allstate Arena — 312/559— 1212 (TM) : Oasis and Travis 4.18
@ Aragon Ballroom — 773/561— 9500: The Smashing Pumpkins 4.15 & 16
@ Arie Crown — 312/791— 6000: Smokey Robinson 4.7
@ Burkhart Underground — 773/348— 8536: Scott Free and Don Gibson 4.16
@ Centre East — 847/673— 6300: Coasters, Drifters and Marvelettes 4.15 / Andrea Marcovicci 5.6 / Legends Of The Catskills (Marty Allen, Jack Carter, Frank Gorshin) 5.10 — 14
@ Chicago Theater — 312/443— 1130: Tracy Chapman 4.11 / Ute Lemper 4.15
@ Double Door — 773/489— 3160: Kimball Roeser Effect 4.6 / Catherine Wheel 4.8 / Unamerican 4.11 / Menthol 4.13 / Nash Kato 4.21 / Mouse On Mars 4.28 / BR5— 49 6.30
@ Empty Bottle — 773/276— 3600: Les Savy Fav 4.6 / Verbena 4.8 / The Loud Family 4.13 / An Evening Of Blurt: Celebrating the Publication of LET IT BLURT: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs featuring THE LESTER BANGS MEMORIAL TRIBUTE BAND with Loraxx and Black Stabbath 4.15
@ Fitzgerald’s — 708/788— 2118: The Heatersons and The Slugs 4.8 / Saffire The Uppity Blues Women 4.13 / Beausoleil 4.14 / Ralph Covert & The Bad Examples (band’s final show) 4.15 / Diana Laffey & Mary and Kathy O’Hara 4.26 / Ides Of March 4.29
@ Gentry of Chicago (State) — 312/836— 0933: Rudy De La Mor 4.5, 11 &12 / Open Mic with Beckie Menzie (every Sunday) / Job Christenson w/Beckie Menzie (Mondays)
@ Grace Episcopal Church — 708/524— 0695: “Celebratory Handel” concert 5.20 / “Intimate Handel” concert 5.23
@ Green Mill — 773/UPT— 5552: Four Charms 4.7 & 8 / David Berkman 4.14 & 15
@ Hideout — 773/227— 4433: Kelly Hogan & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts 4.1
@ Hot House — 312/362— 9707: Happy Apples 4.11
@ House Of Blues — 312/923— 2000: John Scofield 4.5 / Ruben Blades 4.6 / Willy Porter 4.7 / Jude (on the Back Porch Stage) 4.7 / Dick Dale 4.10 / Negitavland 4.11 / Citizen King 4.13 / Dr. John 4.15 / King Sunny Ade 4.20 / Joe Satriani 4.23 / Train and Stir 4.24 / Stroke 9 4.25 / Static X 4.26 / Pat McGee 4.28 / Los Van Van 6.15 / Ray Charles 6.16 / The Specials 6.24 / Credence Clearwater Revival 7.19 / Wilson Pickett 8.26
@ Java Jams — 847/925— 6100: Willy Porter 4.14
@ Joe’s — 312/337— 3486: Anne Harris 4.5, 19 / Tone Loc 4.15
@ Martyr’s — 773/404— 9494: Shelby Lynne 4.15
@ McAninch Arts Center — 630/942— 4000: “Weird Al” Yankovic 4.30 / Tom Paxton 5.13
@ Metro — 773/549— 0203: Amazing Crowns 4.9 / Melvins 4.15 (early) / Bob Mould 4.15 (late) / Radford 4.25 / Flaming Lips 4.26 / Reverend Horton Heat 4.27 / Kill Hannah and 12 Rods w/special guest Todd Rundgren 4.28 (early) / Paul Johnson and Terri Bristol 4.28 (late) / Liquid Soul 4.29 / The The 5.4 & 5 / Orchestra Morphine 5.7 / Wire 5.10 / Sleater—Kinney, The Bangs and Gossip 5.12 / Kid Koala 5.29 / General Public 7.28
@ Mountain Moving Coffee House (WOMEN & CHILDREN ONLY!) — 312/409— 0276: Ferron 4.15
@ Museum of Contemporary Art — 312/280— 2660: Colette 4.7 / Pelvic Delta 5.5
@ New World Music Theater — 708/614— 1616: Blink 182 6.10 / Santana 8.19
@ Old Town School of Folk Music — 773/728— 6000: Cat Power 4.14 / Seldom Scene 4.15 / Guy Clark and Jesse Winchester 4.22 / Richard Shindell 5.19 / Magnetic Fields 5.26 & 27
@ Riviera Theater — 773/275— 6800: Violent Femmes 4.22
@ Schuba’s — 773/525— 2508: Red Elephant 4.5 / Papas Fritas 4.6 / Richard Buckner 4.8 & 9 / Susan Werner 4.15 / Stan Ridgway 4.16 / Seely 4.17 / Amy Rigby and Cow Lily 4.19 / Marty Wilson—Piper 4.21 / M Doughty (of Soul Coughing) 4.24 & 25 / Hoot Night: Color Our World II 4.26 / Catie Curtis 4.28 (early) / Sam Prekop 5.3 / John Wesley Harding 5.4 / Joseph Arthur 5.7 and 6.4 / Shivaree 5.8 & 9 / John Doe w/Jason and Allison of Verbow 5.12 / Brokeback 5.13 / SONiA and Ellen Rosner 5.21 / Dolly Varden 5.27 / Sam Prekop 6.7 / Hank Williams III 6.9
@ Second Unitarian Church — 773/248— 3953: Cris Williamson 5.13
@ Stargaze — 773/561— 7363: Scott Free, Robert Urban Band, Angela Motter, and Doria Roberts 4.20
@ Three Arts Club — 312/944— 6250: Funny (featuring The Sweat Girls) — an evening devoted to women in comedy 4.6
@ United Center — 312/559— 1212 (TM) : Crosby Stills Nash & Young 4.14 & 15 / Kenny and George Benson 6.2 / Ricky Martin 7.1