'Amuzed' - 05/12/97

Hai-korna!

It's 20 shopping days to the big present-fest and I have to warn you about something nasty that is lurking in the racks of your local CD shop. It has a beautiful picture of Princess Diana on the cover and the words "Diana, Princess of Wales - Tribute" just next to the picture so that, in case you've been down a mineshaft for the past three months, you will know who she is and what this CD is. We all now know that the Elton John "tribute" CD single, 'Can't-sell In The (bargain) Bin', is the biggest-selling single of all time. It used to be Bing Crosby (Stills and Nash) doing 'White Christmas', now it's Elton John doing 'Whine Christmas'. What that really means is that 31 million copies of that CD were pressed and distributed all over the globe. It doesn't mean that they were all sold. I popped into my local OK Bazaars and saw this large wire bin in the music section, packed with unsold copies of this single. I felt bad for Di so I bought six and am using them as beer mats.

So now we have the full length "charity" tribute album. It is a double CD chock-full of the most inappropriate and miserable songs. I mean, 'Everybody Hurts' by REM? No wonder Bill Berry quit! Queen's 'Who Wants To Live Forever?' -- was that a request from Liz herself? Why not bung on the Primitives doing 'Crash', the Cars' Live Aid song 'Drive' ("who's going to drive you home…tonight?"), Dire Straits' 'Tunnel Of Love' or the Shangri-Las' 'Leader Of The Pack'. Who compiles these tribute albums and what is their point? You can still expect the video, concert, website and bubblegum wrappers, so be selective. Or just send your money to your favourite charity and play no further part in this Di-sploitation joke.

Rather spend your hard-earned on some of the better new SA CDs now available. Tananas' 'The Collection' is an essential compilation from the Newman and Herman Crowd's groovy catalogue. Sheer Sounds have released two excellent jazz compilations, 'Sheer Jazz' and 'African Jazz Men'. All the artists on these compilations will be performing at a jazz concert hosted by Sheer Sound at the Mega Music Warehouse in Jo'burg on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th December. The concert is called "An Evening of African Jazz" and features Paul Hanmer, Tony Cox, McCoy Mrubata, Pops Mohamed and Bruce Cassidy among others.

Third Ear have released 'Astra' on CD for the first time. This album by the cultish '60s SA prog-rock band Freedom's Children is sure to induce a multitude of flashbacks all over SA. There are also newies from Wendy Oldfield ('Dunwayo'), Wonderboom ('Isit?'), Amampondo ('Drums For Tomorrow') -- and there's also the new Drakensberg Boys' Choir album, 'Kaleidoscope', but you've probably bought that already.

Dorp's new CD EP, 'Five Steps Off The Pacemaker', is reviewed in the, um, Review section along with the new Magic Cactus album, 'Things'. Space Station Discs features some celebrities' favourite five CDs - send us your own selection even if you're not a celebrity yet! The Great Rodriguez Hunt has now become The Great Rodriguez Website. See photos of "Rod" as he is now, read all about him or post a message on the web-board. One World, our online CD store, offers you the largest selection of SA music on CD, with new releases updated weekly and secure online ordering and distribution to all corners of the global market. Have a squiz at the online Gig Guide for news on current live happenings around (Cape) town (shortly nationwide too). If you have any SA music news, contrary views, new releases, gig reviews or dates or just want to say "Hai-korna", please email me at 1) Sugardrive - 'Sand Man Sky'. Impressive, mature and highly listenable album. So it wasn't all hype…
2) Dorp - 'Five Steps Off The Pacemaker' and 'Indigenous Jewellery'. They call it Madness, I call it goodness!
3) Material - 'Seven Souls'. Re-mixed and re-released classic with more William Burroughs verbals than the original.
4) Magic Cactus - 'Things'. Sparkly, sunny, funny and funky and just a little prickly.
5) Fetish - I still get aroused everytime I put this CD into the player. Mmmmm!
Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman

by stephen 'Sugar' Segerman