Staff Reports
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 25, 1997

Music Meltdown

Adam Sandler

What's Your Name

(Warner Brothers)

If you just can't get over classic comedy like "Tollbooth Willy" or the "Excited Southerner," chances are you've been waiting a long time for Adam Sandler's newest album. Chances are you'll also be a bit disappointed now that it's finally out.

See, the thing is, Adam decided to skip the whole spoken word, sketch-comedy thing this time around. He decided to get all musical on your ass instead.

Not that Mr. Sandler hasn't delivered some classic songs in the past. "Lunchlady Land" was nothing short of pure genius. "The Chanukah Song" was a rightful radio hit. "Ode to My Car," and "Mr. Bake-O," were sure crowd pleasers, not to mention the hilarity of "Dip Doodle" (for all the grandmas out there).

But while both of his previous albums provided a nice split between songs and straight comedy, What's Your Name? boasts only, "Fourteen songs. Fourteen Personalities." Which is kind of what you get.

You've probably heard the first single, "The Lonesome Kicker," by now. It's a Bruce Springsteen style rocker about the travails of being a kicker for a football team. It's kind of funny. Kind of cool. But it won't leave you rolling with laughter or anything like that.

Basically, the appeal of What's Your Name? lies in hearing the ways in which Sandler handles and messes with the different genres of music he mocks on the album. From reggae to rock to disco, he runs the full gamut. Unfortunately, it's often at the loss of his trademark humor.

As far as genuinely funny stuff, there's only a few things that stand out. "Moyda" is cute and silly and it will make you laugh at least once if you pay attention. "Pickin' Daisies" has some great Sandler-as-spacey-Mom moments. "Voodoo" is Adam back in Jamaican rasta-mode.

But it's "The Goat Song," featuring the goat from the last album that makes this whole CD worthwhile. It's a rock epic in the spirit of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that chronicles the entire sad and sordid past of everyone's favorite talking goat. Try not to hit the floor when you hear it.

There's also a new version of Saturday Night Live classic "Red Hooded Sweatshirt." It's not as good as the original, though. And yes, the same can be said about this whole album. But "The Goat Song" is great. And you even get a free goat board-game in the booklet. So, is it worth it?

You tell me.

-Doug Levy

Various Artists

Urb Presents:

Urbal Beats

(Polygram)

If you're any kind of an electronic music snob, save yourself the time and avoid reading the rest of this. What the folks at Urb magazine are presenting here as "the definitive guide to electronic music," is only definitive as long as it's mainstream electronic music we're talking about.

That said, for what it is, this is one of the most well-put-together compilations to come out in a long time. It's kind of like MTV's AMP CD, only with a slightly cooler edge. Of course, knowing that, you could probably guess exactly who you'll find on this disc without even being told.

Prodigy. Chemical Brothers. Future Sound of London. Underworld. Orbital. The Orb. Crystal Method. Actually, the only surprising omission is Daft Punk, who would seem a natural to be in the line-up for this best-of gathering.

Most of the tracks are pretty obvious, too. "Block Rockin Beats," "We Have Explosive," "Born Slippy," "The Saint" and "Toxygene," are all what any radio programmer would probably pick if put in charge of a project like this. Prodigy's "Poison" is a nice touch though, as it saves us from having to hear "Firestarter" instead.

There are a total of 16 tracks on Urbal Beats, and along with the giants, there's also a good sampling of some other rising artists. The best track by far is Rabbit In The Moon's "O.B.E.," which is loosely based around samples from Tori Amos' "Precious Things."

Other tracks feature Florida underground star DJ Icey, the acid-house of Josh Wink, Keoki's rave-rhythms, CJ Bolland, Roni Size and jungle-meister Goldie.

Then there's the odd inclusion of Portishead ("Sour Times" of course) and Everything But the Girl. Both good songs, but not exactly in the same spirit as the rest of the disc.

Overall, if you don't know a damn thing about electronica and want to start learning, or if you just want a sampler of the most popular stuff out right now, Urbal Beats is a much better way to go than that AMP CD. Besides, MTV doesn't really need any more money, now do they?

-Doug Levy

Genesis

Calling All Stations

(Atlantic)

What are you going to be listening to in the 21st century?

Genesis, motherfucker, and lots of it.

Because that's how they set it up. Of all the art rock bands of the '70s, only one really conjured images of the future consistently. Other bands, like Yes, Styx and Rush, tried but only one band got you thinking Robotech.

Genesis.

You never would have guessed it, but these guys are interesting. I mean, they've been around for 30 years and never made any impact on anyone, aside from the radio songs they produced, and those songs were really showcases for Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins anyway.

The new line-up includes founding members Tony Banks (keyboards) and Mike Rutherford (guitar), but the lead singer is a no-name. Well, actually, his name is Ray Wilson.

Musically, this album has all the sounds of the band, the strange synthesizer jams that go nowhere, the lead guitarist who plays rhythm guitar. This is the stuff you would have heard if you ever bought an album.

Ever try playing air guitar to a Genesis song? You don't do much.

But with the addition of Wilson, the band somehow sounds just a little different.

The title track could be a Pink Floyd song circa The Division Bell -Wilson sounds that much David Gilmour. The song "Shipwrecked" is the same way.

And maybe the band has developed a little musically.

Rutherford's guitar is occasionally almost jangly and on "Not about us," he actually plays acoustic guitar.

Banks may finally have picked up a copy of Disintegration or at least some Simple Minds records.

Songs like "Alien Afternoon" use the same light, post-apocalyptic psychedelia as "Silver Rainbow" on Genesis, the album.

That was the one with "That's All."

"Not about us" bears mentioning simply because it sounds like the sappy, romantic American rock of the late '80s. Before alternative and after Michael Jackson, the strange nether time of rock 'n' roll.

Sounds like latter day Chicago.

The thing that's always been weird about Genesis is that they occasionally come up with these sweet grooves, electronic as they are. Remember Invisible Touch's "The Brazilian?"

The track "The dividing line" just rocks. You might even tap your feet.

The future is all over "Small talk." It's like Buck Rodgers honky tonk keyboards.

By the way, if you think the drumming has changed, it hasn't. It's the same tom-tom intensive fills that made Phil Collins the rock icon he is.

And I should know, he's my uncle.

-Tom Collins