THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 22, 1994 TAG: 9410210112
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: MUSIC REVIEWS
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Mary Chapin Carpenter, ``Stones in the Road'' (Columbia) - After selling more than 2 million copies of her 1992 blockbuster ``Come On Come On,'' Mary Chapin Carpenter returns with the obligatory big statement. ``Stones in the Road'' is a more muted work than even Carpenter's previous folk/country albums, which balanced their introspection with feel-good anthems like ``Down at the Twist and Shout'' and ``I Feel Lucky.''
``Stones'' has a handful of ``upbeat'' numbers, but only the first single, ``Shut Up and Kiss Me,'' is a radio-friendly burner. A perfect slice-of-life song whose protagonist is a lover trying to coax a response from a shy partner, ``Shut Up'' is the peak of this disc's writing.
Elsewhere, Carpenter falls into attempts at generational definition and odes to capital-L life that obscure her gift for details like the ones that enliven ``Shut Up. The exactness of a song such as ``This Shirt'' or the steeliness of a ``Going Out Tonight'' is missed. Ironically, on ``Stones,'' Carpenter's softer side blocks her passage to greatness.
- Rickey Wright
Black is fading
Clint Black, ``One Emotion'' (RCA) - Black's fifth album bears witness to this singer/writer's continued slide. Slick, nearly adult contemporary-style production can't hide the fact that Black and frequent writing partner Hayden Nicholas have no idea what to say these days. The only concrete emotion here comes in the Black/Merle Haggard collaboration ``Untanglin' My Mind,'' and its in a line that obviously dropped from the elder statesman's pen: ``Tell 'em I won't be ridin', I'll be walkin'/'Cause I don't think a crazy man should drive.''
Unfortunately, that track comes early in the disc, leaving the listener with such homilies as ``Wherever You Go'' (``there you are'' - gee, never heard that one before) and ``Summer's Comin'.'' The genius behind Black's debut, ``Killin' Time,'' is gone.
- Rickey Wright
Cramps are hurting
Cramps, ``FlameJob'' (The Medicine Label) - Sickos Lux Interior and Poison Ivy Rorschach have returned after a three-year hiatus, once again preaching from their deranged catechism of B-movie schtick and Americana kitsch. Unfortunately, their major-label debut (Medicine's a Warner's joint) is a decidedly uneven affair.
There is some truly abysmal songwriting here, like the monotonous ``Sado County Auto Show'' and juvenile ``Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs.''
Thankfully, though, there are a few inspired moments. The album-opening primal-rocker ``Mean Machine'' growls and grinds, the hoary ``Ultra Twist'' is ultra-cool dance-craze camp, and ``How Come You Do Me'' is hot, hiccuping Elvis redux. To close, the Cramps dutifully dust off a well-worn chestnut with a minimal, dirge-speed read of ``Route 66.''
On their own, Ivy's guitars are satisfyingly thick and raunchy, but behind the blinding studio sheen of Interior's souped-up vocals, they tend to lose their nasty bite. Harry Drumdini's drumming sounds wooden and mechanical.
``FlameJob's'' blatant rock-star production could be intentional - maybe a throwback to those Tin Pan Alley days when the singer, not the band, was the thing - or, more likely, just a crappy, contrived gambit for MTV and radio rotation. Our best advice: see 'em live.
- Sue Smallwood
Soundtrack to savor
``Music From the Motion Picture `Pulp Fiction' '' (MCA). It'll be a long time before I hear Dusty Springfield's ``Son of a Preacher Man'' without seeing the stylish, funny scene it plays behind in Quentin Tarantino's great flick. Evocative, loopily original use of even the most familiar tracks (in this case, ``Preacher Man,'' Al Green's ``Let's Stay Together,'' Dick Dale's ``Misirlou,'' the Statler Brothers' ``Flowers on the Wall'') is a Tarantino trademark and one that makes this album one of the truest film-souvenir CDs in a while.
- Rickey Wright MEMO: To hear music from these albums, call 640-5555 and enter category 2468.
ILLUSTRATION: CAROLINE GRAYSHOCK/ Columbia
Mary Chapin Carpenter's ``Stones in the Road'' is muted compared to
her previous album, which sold 2 million copies.
LINDSAY BRICE/ The Medicine Label
The Cramps are back after three years with ``FlameJob,'' but it's
not likely to set the charts on fire.
by CNB