| Wednesday, December 7th 2005 - 12:13:13 AM | |
| Name: | fip |
| Review Source: | SOUNDS [UK] - 1988 |
| Review or Comment: | MARTY WILLSON-PIPER
'Art Attack' (Ryko Analogue RA 0042/CD) ***1/2 (3.5 stars) Willson-Piper, axeman with cult Australians The Church, is the thinking man's David St. Hubbins - the guitarist who gleefully kicks his foot up on the monitor onstage but indulges in a little Sartre at home. So it comes as little surprise that this album features no histrionics whatsoever. Instead 'Art Attack' is a frugally recorded but often lush set of acoustic outings. It's an introspective solo collection, presumably born of Willson-Piper's solo life apart from his fellow Church members (he lives in Sweden). The record is bookended by English and Swedish language versions of 'O' Stockholm', his ode to the city, and dominated by his chiming 12-string guitar. It features at least a trio of brilliant, jubilant, soft songs in 'She's King' (the LP's poppiest moment), 'On The Tip Of My Tongue' and 'You Whisper'. But Willson-Piper's love songs almost all harbour a sinister undertone, as the bare, disturbed vocal of 'Fear' confirms. he often displays the drama of a Julian Cope, if not the ironic humour. And, despite the odd moment of lyrical whimsy, Willson-Piper is no dippy Donovan type. Midway appears a vicious and unexpected attack on Her Royal Thatchness, entitled 'Evil Queen Of England', propelled by a lone double bass which rumbles up from about two floors below ground level. And, as the record fades to a close, there are a couple of dives into warped psychedelia, notably the unsettling, backward tones of 'White Spots On My Jupiter Finger, Jupiter Blue On My White Shirt' (er, mine too). Barely connected to the huge aural brushstrokes of his mothership, 'Art Attack' is an eclectic and engrossing ramble through Willson-Piper's psyche. Fine by me. - Robin Gibson |
| Tuesday, December 6th 2005 - 10:23:49 PM | |
| Name: | fip |
| Review Source: | Bucketfull of Brains, Issue 26 (August 1988) |
| Review or Comment: | Marty Willson-Piper: Art Attack.
Rykodisc RCD 20042 (US CD). Eschewing the lushly orchestrated melodies of The Church, guitarist Marty Willson-Piper presents here a collection of comparatively skeletal acoustic based pieces; Marty handles Takamine acoustic guitar, vocals and keyboards himself and there's a few friends around to flesh out his songs. "Art Attack" exudes calm and discretion; the majority of the songs are gently rendered, sparkling with pin-bright guitar and afloat in cool, fresh air (sample the twinkling "You Whisper" or the discrete pop of "She's King"): guitar-hero posturing is noticeable only by it's absence. The sixth song, "Fear" is the first to really splinter the glacial veneer, a brief exercise in echoed vocals that prefaces the anti-Thatcher tirade "Evil Queen Of England" where ponderous bass is the lone accompaniment to Marty's clenched-fist lyrics. The quickly strummed "On The Tip Of My Tongue" follows, clearing the air and marking a return of more fullsome instrumental backup - a fine song and more forceful than most, although it's still a long way from rock'n'roll. After the hymnal "Listen/Space" and the lilting, country tinged "Frightened Just Because Of You", "White Spots On My Jupiter Finger, Jupiter Blue On My White Shirt" reverts to the minimalist, consisting almost entirely of backwards vocals. Similarly "Word" is little more than a series of clipped and echoed words although some welcome guitar is introduced later. "Ah Stockholm" appears to be a brief Swedish language reprise of the opening track and thus rounds off the set rather nicely. While I feel that several of the tracks won't stand up to repeated exposure ("Words" and "Evil Queen Of England" in particular) there are some quietly beautiful performances here, very restrained but superbly executed - "She's King" being the most obviously accessible and rightly chosen as the (CD) single. Six extra tracks culled from Marty's earlier "In Reflection" album sit well with the new material and go to make a distinguished package overall. (Jon Storey). |
