rhe
"ete

Aerosmith deliver the tunes

“

Michael Becker
RECORD REVIEW

EROSMITH PLAYS it

loud and loose;

Frank Black plays it
for extraterrestrial galaxy
surfers.

Aerosmith — Get A Grip, Gef-
fen Records, 1993.

Flesh!, screams Steven Tyler,

It’s really just the best when he
does that,

Eat the rich!

Right on, rawkin’ dude man!

Get A Grip is stupid but power-
ful. It's a charging rock ‘n’ roll ox
of an album.

And it exists for no reason.
Therein is found its merit.

There is much punchy action.
Fat sassy horns prop up mean wiry
guitars. There are wicked tunes. It
is loud and rude.

It drives hard but goes nowhere
of consequence. "

It was recorded at Little Moun-
tain Sound Studio and was pro-
duced by Bruce Fairburn in Van-
couver.

Book Month celebrations set

APRIL 1S National Book Festival
Month and all three North Shore
Libraries are marking the occasion
with readings and lectures by B.C.
authors.

The Lynn Valley Branch has in-
vited writer Wanda Keay to speak
about The Wild Life of Bill Keay —
a book she created with
photographer-husband Bi}, Keay
— this Thursday at 7 p.m.

Mystery writer Laurence Gough,
whose work has been compared
to the master Ed McBain, will
discuss his life, writing techniques
and ideas at the Capilano branch
the following Thursday at 7:30
p.m.

That same week, the West Van-
couver Community Arts Council
has invited award-winning B.C.
writer Rona Murray to read from
her soon-to-be-published novel,
Back to Peshawar (working title},
at the Silk Purse (Apr. 27 at 7
p.m.).

The sang Get A Grip is prefaced
by whelch, a nice touch,

Cowhide (fake but cuddly)
cavers 3,000 limited edition copies
of Get A Grip -- fun te touch.

Inside there is a fabulous shot of
a pierced cow's teat bearing a
golden ring.

Ouch.

The obligatory sensitive rock-
frontman-as-fumbling-philsapher-
king posture is assumed on Amaz-
ing, a facile ballad bursting at the
seams with such helpful insight as
“You have to-learn to crawl be-
fore you learn to walk.”

t do believe this rowdy release
will be a big success.

Frank Black — Frank Black,
4AD, 1993.

Pixies are fairy dust as we speak,
but Black Francis has reinvented
himself as quick as the blinking
wink of a small imaginary being
with mischievous magical powers.

Frank toys with sweeping sonic
constructions while never quite
abandoning the turn-on-a-dime
progressions and compelling
melodies that are his strength.

Joey Santiago, Frank’s former
Pixies pal contributes, but not
enough.

His convulsive lead guitar once
provided sustaining counterpoint
to Black's inspired outbursts.

Yet crinkly Frank Black remains
refreshingly skittish albeit with a
more conventionally alternative
rhythmic drive.

itis ultimately a weird and wel-
come listening compulsion.

The London, England native’s
latest. work, to be published by
Victoria publisher Sono-Nis, is a
personal quest in search of roots,
It deals with the period before the
Partition of India.

Murray spent her early
childhood in India and migrated to
Canada in 1932. With eight
published books under her belt,
she has also had poetry and short
Stories published in both North
America and English journals. Four
of her short stories have been
produced as plays.

Crocus and daffodils,

OR. .. new born lambs,
aa It's time for a break!
Beach House B&B

ON SALTSPRING ISLAND
RESERVATIONS: 1-537-2879

JOELLE RABU
IN CONCERT

‘fs 50 TPS

“PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE”

f| THE STAR OF “TONIGHT... PIAF” CELEBRATES TEN YEARS
7 = OF PERFORMING, FEATURING ORIGINAL SELECTIONS
FROM HER PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE RECORDINGS

. VANCOUVER EAST CULTURAL CENTRE

(Victoria & Venables)
APRIL 22-23-24 8:00 PM

Tickets: 254-9578
* Special discount price on Thurs. 22nd *

“Ric, intaicatng lio .. power ond purily of voice”
Vorcovver Sun

AEROSMITH’S LATEST Get A Grip was recorded locally at Little Mountain Sound Studio with pro-
ducer Bruce Fairburn. .

PREMIUM
SEN GLOSS

. HOURS:
Monday-Thursday: 7:30am-5:30pm
Friday: 7:30am-9:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am-5:30pm
Sunday & Holidays: 10:00am-5:00pm

1629 Lonsdale Avenue
Across from Extra Foods
N. VANCOUVER 1 985-6815