Reviews

Bitch and AnimalEternally Hard

Quickly glance at the cover of Eternally Hard, and you might guess that Bitch and Animal are merely two angry lesbians (they are ladies), sent by indie superstar Ani DiFranco to do her dirty work ? and you?d be right, sort of. Besides being all of the above, B ?n A are also witty, cerebral songwriters and multi-instrumentalists who play everything from violin and African drums to tap shoes, nails and ukulele. The opening track, ?Best Cock on the Block,? is a hilarious sendup of the machismo running rampant through the male-dominated rap world. On the next cut, ?Traffic,? the girls switch styles and subject matter with equal dexterity. ?Ganga? is a hymn to you-know-what sung to the melody of ?Hallelujah,? while ?Miss Me My Dear? is an honest to goodness country tune complete with Appalachian style fiddle and lyrics that tug at the heart strings without waxing sentimental. In all, the disc is a spicy goulash of folk, punk, country and feminist attitude executed with a knowing wink and smile (Righteous Babe Records 2001 www.righteousbabe.comwww.bitchandanimal.com).

Release Date: Sept. 11

Bitch and Animal are currently on tour with DiFranco and will open for her Oct. 24 at the Bayfront Center in Saint Petersburg.

Elmore JamesShake Your Moneymaker: The Best of the Fire Sessions

Elmore James holds a special place in the annals of rock ?n roll history, serving as the electric bridge between the Delta blues of Robert Johnson and the blues-based rock of acts such as the Yardbirds and Rolling Stones.

James?s innovative renditions of ?Dust My Broom? and ?Standing at the Crossroads,? as well as the self-penned, ?Shake Your Moneymaker,? are monumental annotations in the genesis of America?s most profitable music genre. The Best of Fire Sessions includes versions of James?s above mentioned classics plus thirteen other choice tracks from the final phase of criminally short career.

After suffering a heart attack that sent him into semi-retirement, and just three years shy of the grave, James entered Fire studios with his instrument and a vengeance, cutting some of the most impassioned sides of his 10-year career. Either backed by his own Mississippi band or New York studio musicians, Elmore?s tormented growl and sizzling slide guitar shine with equal veracity. Unfortunately, gems such as ?Madison Blues? and ?It Hurts Me Too? were never recorded on Fire and can only be found on other compilations. (Buddha 2001 www.BuddhaRecords.com).

Kris Kristofferson Kristofferson (Reissue)

One hundred years from now Kris Kristofferson will rank along side such luminaries as Stephen Foster and Bob Dylan as one of the finest songwriters the ?home of the free? has ever produced. (His lucrative acting career will merely be a footnote.) When Rhodes-Scholar Kristofferson released his eponymous solo debut (later re-titled Me and Bobby McGee) in 1970, it turned Nashville upside down like no other record has before or since. His stripped-down sound, smoke-tinged vocals and verisimilitude sketches of love coupled with his anti-establishment attitude, paved the road for both the Outlaw movement in country music and the singer/songwriter trend that dominated the pop charts for the first half of the decade. Although others such as Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash, Ray Price and Sammie Smith scored much bigger hits with cuts from Kristofferson than the songwriter himself, the originals have a rugged beauty all their own that can?t be dismissed. Boasting a slew of classics ? ?Me and Bobby McGee,? ?Help Me Make it Through the Night,? ?For the Good Times,? ?Sunday Morning Coming Down? and ?Casey?s Last Ride? ? Kristofferson is one of the preeminent debut albums of all time. The four bonus tracks are welcomed additions, especially ?The Junkie and the Juicehead, Minus Me,? making this the definitive Kristofferson disc on the market(Monument/Legacy 1970/2001).

Various ArtistJay and Silent Bob Strike BackMusic from the Motion Picture

Need something for the keg party? Pick up the Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack and you, my friend, will have the perfect primer for a night of unbridled debauchery. Selected by Silent Bob himself, actor/writer/director Kevin Smith, the disc is an alloy of classic and contemporary party anthems. On it, you will find the psychedelic staple, ?Magic Carpet Ride? by Steppenwolf and Run D.M.C.?s 1988 smash ?Tougher Than Leather? comfortably positioned next to new, droll rockers by artist such as PJ Harvey and Marcy?s Playground. Preceding each tune are dialogue clips from the film guaranteed to make you guffaw all the way from Beerbelly?s to The Greenery. The highlight of the disc is a ditty by Afroman titled ?Because I Got High.? The loose, seemingly impromptu jam is replete with ribald humor, some impressive singing, and a Just Say No message that will surely make Nancy Reagan beam with approval. In the fifth verse, Afroman explains that he was not only planning to engage his lady friend in intercourse, but was to perform cunnilingus on her as well. However, after inhaling the cannabis the opportunity went up in smoke and he had to resort to auto-eroticism in order to sate his desires, doesn?t one of Aesop?s fables go like that?

This CD is not for all tastes. If you find unprintable words offensive, don?t like sex, or can?t comprehend the concept of satire, leave this batch of juvenile delight on the shelf (Universal 2001).

Wade Tatangelo is a senior majoring in creative writing and can be reached at oracleofflimits@yahoo.com