Reviews
Photo by Fred Joe
Spy Vs. Spy
Spy Vs. Spy
Malcolm Welbourne, guitar,
vocals; Stanton, bass,
keyboards, vocals; Shaft,
drums, vocals.
Eastgate Live, Saturday, Sept.
24
*★★★
Judging from their fine
performance at Eastgate Live
Saturday night, Spy Vs. Spy
could easily challenge the Killer
Bees’ title of Austin’s best
reggae band. After splitting
from Michael E. Johnson’s
hive, guitarist Malcolm
Welbourne and
keyboardist/bassist Stanton
teamed with drummer Shaft to
form the new band.
In contrast to the Killer Bees’
six-piece, jazzier form of rasta
music, Welbourne describes his
new band as “a reggae power
trio.”
The band performs some
songs from Stanton and
Welbourne’s days with the
Bees, a few covers and a load
of new originals. Welbourne,
Stanton and Shaft all share
vocal chores, with each one
getting a turn at the
microphone.
The audience acceptance of
Spy Vs. Spy was immediate as
the crowd danced to the band’s
reggae/African/calypso groove.
Every song the band played
was greeted with wild and
enthusiastic applause.
The band shaved some
whiskers off the moldy oldies
“Wild Thing” and “Hang On
Sloopy” with their rasta
versions of the 1960s hits. Best
song of the night, however,
was the Killer Bees’ standard
“Holy Smoke,” Stanton’s
tribute to the American Indians.
Individually, the members of
this dub trio are highly talented.
Stanton, characterized by
blond dreadlocks reaching well
below his shoulders, keeps
busy playing two instruments.
His left hand strikes bass
chords on the synthesizer bass
while his right skips across the
keyboards in front of him.
Welbourne, a versatile guitarist
able to rock on demand, never
strays from a true reggae
sound. The African-Caribbean
rhythms of Shaft provide an
irresistible beat necessary for
great reggae.
With Spy Vs. Spy, Austin
now has two great reggae
bands. It will be interesting to
see if the Spies achieve the
same success the Bees have. If
there is any justice, they will.
Review by Shane Hall
"New jersey"
Bon jovi
Polygram Records
■kirk
For a band whose previous
album is a multi-million seller,
making one that will top it
seems a nearly impossible task.
Bon Jovi, however, has met
the challenge. Two years after
the release of “Slippery When
Wet, ” which sold more than 13
million copies worldwide, the
shaggy-haired quintet appears
to be headed down the
platinum-paved highway once
again with their fourth album,
“New Jersey.”
The record marks a return to
familiar ground for Bon Jovi.
While retaining the
combination of pop melody
and heavy-metal firepower that
propelled “Slippery When
Wet” to the top of the charts,
“New Jersey” also contains
songs that are sure to appeal to
fans of earlier Bon Jovi
material.
The band’s influences are
clear in “Homebound Train”
and “Bom to Be My Baby. ”
Guitarist Richie Sambora’s
Zeppelinesque power chords
give “Homebound Train” the
force of a speeding locomotive.
On “Bom to Be My Baby”
vocalist/songwriter Jon Bon
Jovi sings Springsteen-style
lyrics of hard living that
combine with the drive of the
band for another solid rocker.
The ballad “Living in Sin,”
with vocalist Bon Jovi’s cynical
view of marriage, and the rock
anthem “Stick To Your Guns, ”
a call to stand one’s ground,
are good songs as well.
“New Jersey” is not without
its flaws, however. “Bad
Medicine” is the main one. No,
it isn’t about drugs; this song is
another in a long history of
songs where bad medicine,
addiction and so forth are used
in reference to love. Nothing
new here
“Wild is the Wind” and “99
in the Shade” are songs that
utilize the pop-metal formula of
“Slippery When Wet. ” Neither
song is especially interesting.
However, two unusual
tracks, “Love for Sale” and
“Ride Cowboy Ride” are
interesting. The latter is a gritty
country blues track with Bon
Jovi on acoustic guitar and
harmonica while the boys sing
backup. Admittedly, Jon Bon
Jovi is no John Lee Hooker,
but one gets the impression
that this song is one of the
band’s lighter moments. Both
songs are enjoyable, but fans of
songs such as “Living On a
Prayer” and “You Give Love a
Bad Name” may be scratching
their heads.
The album is average
overall, but despite the
weaknesses, “New Jersey” is
Bon Jovi’s most satisfying effort
to date.
Review by Shane Hall
Rating Key
***** — A classic. Not to be missed.
***★ —Excellent.
kkk — Some flaws, but good overall.
kk — Fair.
* — El stinko.
“STRICTLY PLEASURE”
Enjoy
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