28 - Wednesday, November 7, 1990 - North Shore News

music Bik

Pleasant Elton John memories
all wrapped up for Christmas

LTON JOHN is boxed;
Raffi goes
ecotroubadour.
Elton John — To Be Con-
tinued... MCA 1990
What to say of 43-year-old Reg
Dwight that hasn‘t been said al-
ready?

Boxing day comes pre-Christmas
in the music biz and this year
boxed retrospective sets are pro-
liferating like crazy, man.

The Elton John package is elab-
orate, with the box itself being a
nifty bit of colorful graphic design
work. The four-cassette or four-CD
set is supported by a booklet thick
with photos, biography and inter-
views.

But beyond the whiz-bang glitz,
it is the music that must do the
real communicating. And here the
depth of talent of the pudgy,
bespectacled one carries the day.

The 68-song program offers up
some discoveries to those fans
largely familiar with the artist by
way of pop radio bombardment or
those intimately familiar with
music from specific phases of
John’s 20-odd year span of star-
dom.

Come Back Baby trom 1965,
trom a period when John played
keyboards with Biuesology tor
Long John Baldry, provides an ex-
ample of just how awtul John was
before teaming up with Bernic
Taupin.

The more pleasant surprises
among the familiar mega-tunes in-
clude a fresh-voiced John doing a
sparse demo-version of Your Song
as recorded in 1969; Evo and
Young Man’s Blues, two interest-
ing B-sides: a powerful live version
of Candle In The \Wind, as re-
corded with the Melbourne Sym-
phony Orchestra in Sydney four
years ago.

For sure there is some dross
here, take Step Into Christmas —
please. But the john-Taupin hit
factory is responsible for some
great musical memories. Now they
come ina nice box.

Raffi — Evergreen Everblue,
Troubador Records/MCA 1990
Chances are that if you are not the
parent of a young child, you have
not heard of this man.

Those who have know that this
soft-spoken Canadian children’s
entertainer is enormously popular
and has since the 1976 release of

FREE HENCKEL KNIFE SHARPENING
AT
Toads and Techniques

mA. H

THE WORLD'S FINEST CUTLERY SINCE 1731.

THE STORE FOR COOKS

SATURDAY
November 10tn/90
12 to 3pm

20% aie

All Fourstar

and Professional!
Hencke! Knives

SALE ENDS

NOVEMBER 17th/90

Todls and Techniques

250-16th St., West Vancouver

PRE

THE STORE FOR COOKS
925-1835

“CHRIST

MICHAEL
BECKER

record review

Singable Songs for the Very
Young, become a mainstay for
kids across the country.

With Evergreen, Everblue, Ratti's
nurturing. life-atfirmative messages
are purely focused on ecological
concerns. The core messages: time
is running for Mother Earth;
elemental! nature brings joy and
must be respected.

With this iatest release, Raffi is
aspiring to address an audience
beyond the realm of the pre-

school.

The fessons learned while sing-
ing for children carry over to this
green musical manitesto: the lyrics
are direct and the melodies at their
best are simple and readily ab-
sorbed.

Where | Live (Ratti recently
moved to Vancouver) is a pretty,
pastoral piece about an immediate
environment most of us take for
granted. What's The Matter With
Us, offers a reggae number com-
plete with a rap vocal.

Although verging on blasphemy,
given the gold-hearted intent of
this project. criticism is in order on
one Jevel — the arrangernents on
some of the songs are limp and
muzak-like.

ee eee
COW PUNCHIN’ range riders, rip
open yer battered hearts aad git
yersell a pencil and a hunk ‘o par-
chment: the country music radio

DAILY LUNCH SPECIAL |
MONDAY - FRIDAY
11 -2pm.

1811 Lonsdale Ave.
N. Vancouver

Ask if you haven't received your coupons in the mail.

, :

MAS SALE

Save now on SONY “products

COMPACT DISC PLAYER

© 16-bit 4x oversampling Digital Fitter

CDP-M27
BEST BUY = « Duai Dia Converter
© 16Track Music Calendar

© AMS, RMS, Shuitte/Delete Shuille

CASSETTE
FH-B5CD

15 watts x 2 output power
2x S-band EQIDBFB cicurt
¢ Double cassette deck

AM/FMICDIDOUBLE

© wiTH REMOTE
@ cDP-c305

digital titer
* 2x 16-bit DAC

$198

@ FH-313R11
@ = * HS watts x 2 Guiput power
© DBF cacuit

® 5 DISC*eCD CHANGER

* 16-bit, 4¢ oversampling Noise Sraping

© AMIFM CASSETTE

5 DISC*CD CHANGER
WITH REMOTE
CDP-C505
® 18-01. Ux oversampling Nowe Shaping
digital fitter
© 2x 16-bit DAC

$388

FOSSHOSOCHTOSCTO FOOL OOS

PORTABLE CD SYSTEM
WITH DOUBLE CASSETTE DECK
CFD-750

Digita: tuning system

831.

‘ y
Elton john is back with 20
years of hits.

station WX 1130 songwriter’s
competition continues through to
Nov. 14. Creative country kind of
people should submit a tape of
their song. A panel of five
Nashville hit-certified songwriters
will judge.

Winning songwriters have a
chance to co-write with a
Nashville songwriter to make the
top tune commercially viable.
CKWX is located at 2440 Ash St. in
Vancouver,

Now at Cheers
from 7am
Complimentary #
Orange Juice ,)

i a!

Restaurant ‘<= ,

125 East 2nd Street
North Vancouver

985-9192
LITTILLLLLLL LLL