CD Spins - Reviews - F
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5 CHINESE BROTHERS
Stone Soup (1-800-PRIME-CD)
They're not five, Chinese or brothers. The group
takes its name from the popular children's story, as
does this album, and a mischievous, childlike streak
runs through these 13 deceptively straightforward-
sounding country-rock tunes. Upon closer listening,
however, the work of the Brooklyn-based quartet _
steeped in such iconic influences as Gram Parsons,
Hank Williams, The Band, Tom Petty and Johnny Cash _
reveals itself to be as quirky, witty and clever as
that of fellow post-modernists They Might Be Giants.
STEPHEN FEARING
Industrial Lullaby (Red House)
Rootsy folk-rock singer-songwriter shares an overall resemblance to his
Canadian countryman Bruce Cockburn, who lends a hand to five-time Juno
(Canadian Grammy) nominee Fearing's American debut, along with such Canadian
folk-rock royalty as Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins and The Band's Richard
Bell. Vocally, Fearing is a cross between Richard Thompson and John Gorka,
but carefully-wrought social portraits like the evocative title-track
suggest Richard Shindell, while "Home" suggests Fearing has spent some time
listening to seminal Canadian folk-rocker Neil Young. Fearing combines all
these influences into a well-seasoned stew of his own, with enough
substance, spice and variety to sate a discerning listener's
appetite.[09/06/98]
JANET FELD
Things That Fall From the Sky
The former Northampton singer-songwriter who now calls Boston home sings in a clear, crisp voice that recalls Judy Collins. Her folk-pop compositions are catchy and melodic, and she specializes in portraits of contemporary women struggling with lives and problems not always of their own making ("Calories," "Secretary Song"). While Feld is no slouch on the guitar herself, an all-star supporting cast includes guitarists Brooks Williams, Jim Henry and former Dylan sideman David Mansfield, as well as the Berkshires' own Bernice Lewis on harmony vocals.
FLATHEAD
Corner of My Heart
This one-time street performer is a modern-day, folk- blues troubadour making his way up the contemporary folk scene. An Acoustic Underground winner, Ned Landin, a.k.a. "Flathead," offers a dozen original tunes on this disk, which features some dazzling guitar ("Down at the Levee"), some poignant writing ("Autumn," "Daddy, Daddy") and some unaffected yet affecting vocals ("Some Days), all rendered in a spare, minimalist, solo acoustic arrangements.
THE FOREMEN
What's Left? (Reprise)
Political satire in song is tough to pull off, but
The Foremen can be as funny musically as lyrically.
"San Diego," an ode to the Republican convention, is
aptly rendered Beach Boys-style. "Three Strikes and
You're Out" mocks that policy in refrains that echo
the Byrds version of Dylan's "My Back Pages. "Uncle
Sam's Lament" reprises "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime."
But the best is "Chicago (Love Song to a Democrat),"
which successfully skewers both the Dems and Crosby,
Stills and Nash. The perfect compliment -- or is that
antidote? -- to this campaign season.
rogovoy@berkshire.net
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Copyright © 1996 Seth Rogovoy
Produced bt The BerkshireWeb