Straight talk from
Stompin’ Tom

HE SINGING Cana-

dian sounds off again;

Enigma unravels
Stompin’ Tom — More Of
The Stompin’ Tom Phe-
nomenon, Capitol Records
1991

Michael Becker
RECORD REVIEW

Mr. Chisel Face. Mr. Wrap Tnat
Heart In A Maple Leaf, plain ‘ol
Mr. Stompin’ T. — you are a na-
tional treasure.

Now Washboard Hank Fisher is
surely riding on the right track
when he sings as he does in his
scon-to-be-famous song, Stompin’
Tem For Prime Minister. ‘Yes,
we need you for Prime Minister,
the guy we got is sinister, cause if
you're not American, he’s always
out of reach, he's gonna sell us
out, of that there is + » doubt, so
he can spend his winters down on
Miarni Beach.’’

A Proud Canadian, the kind who
has a contest (a5 part of his new
record promotion) to give awav a
cowdung clock, is a rare and nec-
essary breed.

Tom, when you sing of
Okanagan Okee. | get 2 heart tw-
inge. For the place of the apple
blossom is known tu me.

When you teil, in that deep
freight-train voice of yours, a
doleful tale of Loser’s Island — |
can relate. For | have been there
also. ,

And when you alert us so force-
fully to the limp state of Canadian
culture in the face of the grasping
eagle's onslaught, I feel an indig-
nant pride well up in my own
ttmorous yet curiously Canadian
heart. And | reach for the icons —
Anne Murray (she of the recent
Disney special); David Foster (he
who penned a proud song for the
troops who showed that nasty
Saddam just whose side the good
and technically superior soldiers
were on); and Monty Hall (our
chirpy Johnny Canuck who taught
America how to make a deal).

And | weep. And | pray that
your honest voice will resound
across our great land. And that
cowdung clocks will keep the time
throughout all of our time zones.
And that one day | will live to
shake your hand.

Enigma — MCMXC a.D., Virgin
Records 1990

The sensuous voice whispers,
imploring one to relax. The Gre-
gorian chanting begins, transpor-
ting the listener to pre-CD times,
some vague period when high fi-
delity remained unheard, a calmer
period when people could not
move 0-60 in 7.9 seconds.

And then the very modern, elec-
tronic, urban dance rhythm un-
dulates. The electronic approx-
imation of a pan pipe breezes in.
And an airy female voice says
something nice in French,

Somehow it ail hangs together.
For the first few listens it is
soothing cnough to allow the
listener the fucused luxury of
meditating upon the hedonistic
exhortations included ire the
enigmaticaly spartan liner mates
packaged with the release,

But the feeling of, ‘“Goily, this
is pleasant because it sounds quite
different and also provides a han-
dy soundtrack for my personal
pursuit of pleasure.’’ sadly
diminishes.

The record company says
Enigma is the work of a well-
known, if not somewhat elusive
German producer who prefers to
remain anonymous. It is a good
move on his or her part. A new
trick will be in order soon.
Enigmas are like that. They've got
to keep moving to remain in ef-
fect.

Wednesday, March 20, 1991 ~ North Shore News — 44

Photo submitted

STOMPIN’ TOM... offers us another gem on the state of things Canadian.

Free photos
with the Easter Bunny!
Hop into the South Mall and

strike a pose with the Easter Bunny —
live and in person.

March 21 11am. to4 pm.
and Sp.m.to&Spm.

March 22 11am.to 4pm.
and5p.m.to8pm.

March 23 11am.to 3pm.
March 24 Noon to4pm.

March 28 liam.to4pm.
and 5p.m.to 8pm.

Good Friday March 29
Noon to4p.m.

March 30 11am. to 3p.m.

aa

PARK ROYAL

SHOP PUN ceEnTraeRee

SO much. So close.