European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Cross getting mad bad and dangerous by Anita Gosch staff writer even Rock stars get butterflies. Just ask Roger Taylor. For nearly 20 years Taylor has been bashing the skins for British super group Queen. But when it came time for him to step out from behind the Drums and front his own band Taylor admits he had the jitters. When Taylor formed the Cross two years ago he tossed aside his drumsticks and took on the roles of Lead Singer and rhythm guitarist. Quot it was very strange for me to be a Singer guitarist Quot Taylor recalled in an interview in Frankfurt West Germany Quot so i sort of hid behind my  Quot he was using it As a Crutch Quot said Cross keyboardist Spike Edney who s worked with Taylor since 1984 when he joined Queen s touring band. Quot he had never stood at the front and Sang so the guitar gave him something he could hang on  the Days of stage fright Are Over Taylor said and so is his stint As rhythm guitarist. On mad bad and dangerous to know the Cross second album after 1988 s shove it the Raspy voiced Taylor concentrates almost exclusively on singing. Quot he a actually confident enough in himself and in what a going on around him to say a of i can put the guitar Down a a Edney said. Taylor formed the Cross to have Quot something to do Quot during the time when Queen Wasny to in the studio and also to continue to perform live shows since Queen has taken a hiatus from touring. Although Queen Lead Singer Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May helped out on the group s debut album the Cross Isnit merely a Queen spinoff. The quintet Isnit As theatrical and flamboyant As the group that gained Fame in the glitter Rock Era of the mid-1970s. Rather said Taylor the Cross is a Quot stripped Down raw kind of band Quot that plays classical hard Rock. Despite Taylor a celebrity status with Queen it has t been easy for him to get the Cross going. In England the group has faced prejudice on the part of the press simply because Taylor is a member of Queen. And in the United states the bands record company Virgin was More interested in promoting Taylor As a Quot new Phil Collins Quot he said rather than in promoting the Cross As a band. Taylor who had advertised for three of the musicians through an Anonymous and in the music press insists that the Cross in t just a vehicle for himself. Quot i Don t look at it As me and a backing group a he said in an interview in 1988. Quot the whole idea was to form a proper group of which i m a member. Of maybe a key member but its not like Roger Taylor and the paramedics or something. Its the  the cohesiveness of the band is More apparent on the second album than on the first. Whereas most of Quot in the material on the Eclectic shove it album was written by Taylor All five band members pitched in on the hard rocking mad bad and dangerous to know. Quot the first tour in 1988 kind of established the musical strength of the band. We got used to playing together and got to know each other personally Quot said Edney. Quot so it was a learning process a growing together. And it worked out Well because we were Able to develop our own  the Cross performs in the following locations in Gormany Dortmund fantastical May 23 Gottinger outpost May 24 Hamburg docks May 26 Kiel m a x May 27 Berlin metropol May 28 Nurnberg Rosi May 29 Frankfurt Neu Isenburg Hugenot Tenallo May 30. St Wondel opon air festival june 3 Tutti Mon Arzente Juno 5 Mannheim Capitol Juno 6. Bielefeld pc69 june 7 Stuttgart Thoa Vorhaus Juno 8 for inform atm Call shooter promotions at 069-1520040.Beach boys a various just in time for summer Capitol records has released three Beach boys compact discs. The classic los Angeles band s first two albums a 1962�?Ts surfing safari and 1963�?Ts surfing Usa a were released in a single 56-minute cd while a second 60-minute cd contains 1963�?Ts surfer girl and 1964�?Ts shut Down volume 2. But the main prize for Beach boys fans is the Long overdue cd release of pet sounds. Though the album was viewed As a commercial disappointment when first released in 1966 it was one of the few Beach boys albums in the �?T60s that did no to go Goldie is now regarded As the group s most accomplished work. In fact pet sounds seems to gain in stature As the years go by. When British pop journalist Paul Gambaccini asked an International group of Rock critics and disc jockeys in 1978 to name the Best Rock albums Ever pet sounds finished 12th on the list of 200. When Gambaccini posed the same question to another group of writers and disc jockeys nine years later the album moved up four places to no. 8. Reflecting a sophistication and emotional Range that was far beyond almost anything attempted in Early years of Rock pet sounds featured such Graceful and endearing tunes As would t it be Nice god Only knows and Caroline no. All three of the new Beach boys cd contain three Bonus tracks and a Booklet with photos recording session information and comments from Brian Wilson about the albums. In his introduction to pet sounds Wilson recalls the Way the beatles rubber soul inspired him in december 1965. Quot i saw that every Cut was very artistically interesting and stimulating Quot he writes. Quot in january i started making the instrumental tracks for the album. I made each track a sound experience of its own. I was obsessed with explaining musically How i Felt inside. This i thought could be the beginning of a new Type of sophisticated feeling music. I definitely Felt the need to compete with the  the three cd Are part of a much larger series of Beach boys reissues. Five other cd a All featuring two of the old Beach boys albums a Are due in August. A Robert Hilburn l a. Tim skid Creole and the coconuts a private Waters in the great Divide Between August Darnell a Ricky Ricardo Chic and and his band s sinuous pan Caribbean Groove it was always easy to appreciate what made kid Creole and the coconuts such cult circuit favourites unfortunately Given the groups smug self indulgence it was just As easy to understand Why it never attained any level of mass Market acceptance. Nor is private Waters in the great Divide Likely to change things. Not Only Are the sex obsessed lyrics outdated something Darnell seems to sense if no More casual sex is any indication they re none too Clever either while the once sprately rhythms have so completely succumbed to the mechanized Clatter of drum machines that they seem almost cumbersome. Add in the group s bumbling of the Prince produced the sex of it and private Waters ends up All wet. A . Considine Baltimore Sun Saffire a the uppity blues women if you thought blues could Only mean something when Sung by performers with such monikers As Howlin or Muddy give a listen to Gaye Earlene and Ann. They make up Saffire a the uppity blues women and their debut release proves As they sing Quot there ainu to no one who s immune to the  the three came from diverse backgrounds pianist Ann Rabson was born in new York and grew up in the Midwest. Guitarist and Lead vocalist Gaye Ade Galoia was raised in Fredericksburg va., and bassist Earlene Lewis is a product of Oklahoma. All in their 40s, they have been playing together since 1984. They gave up their Day jobs for a full time life of the blues in 1988. When these women sing you know they know what they re singing about. Middle aged blues Boogie Saffire s Anthem lays it on the line Quot seems when you reach around Middle age you done to want a final chapter you want to write another Page. I need a Young Man to drive away my Middle aged  Ribald honesty drives the writing along with a healthy dose of soul. But can they Cook absolutely. Their Boogie is hot their blues Cool and their acoustic swing is certified roadhouse honed. Three guest shots from the nighthawks Mark Wenner on Harmonica help raise the temperature. A Jim Reindl a what s not record a review wednesday May 23, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17