European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse By Carl Hoover Cox news service Tey performed Carl Perkins Matchbox for entertainment tonight using three toy guitars a toy drum set and a toy piano. They once hosted a radio show from Munfordville ky., called the chit line show. And their cover version of Bluegrass giant Bill Monroe a classic walk softly on this heart of mine has been described As Quot Bill Monroe meets led members of the Kentucky headhunters just done to fit the Mold of your average country band. That s Fine by them their hard rocking country sound Down Home videos and Lidback egos have made the Kentucky band a hot draw on the country circuit this year As Well As a popular request on radio stations Cali in shows. They be become so hot in fact that they recently took Home awards for vocal group of the year and album of the year from the country music association. Not bad for five Long haired thirty something musicians who joined musical forces Only five years ago. Quot this is the greatest High in be Ever had in my life Quot said Richard Young the groups rhythm guitarist in a thick Kentucky accent. A a we re All aware this could All Stop at Midnight but i Haven to seen anything like this since the monkeys. With a mix of Southern Rock and country sensibilities the Kentucky headhunters have caught the ear of fans who love their version of country Rock a no Roll. Quot we have Rock a no Roll Drums Rock a no Roll guitars a country Bass and country vocals a said Young. Young his brother Fred a drummer and Cousin Greg Martin Lead guitar played As the Rock a no Roll band itchy brother for 11 years on the club circuit and enjoyed a measure of regional Success. While itchy brother Drew heavily on the style of bands like led Zeppelin Cream Lynyrd sky nerd and the Allman Brothers they were perceived As too country for Rock too Rock for country. The band dissolved in 1981 and Young went to Nashville to pitch his songs. There he found his songs Long haired country boys Rock Nashville the Kentucky headhunters at country music association award show Greg Martin left Richard Young Ricky Phelps Fred Young Doug Phelps. Won attention but no producer could think of a band that could play them. A they d say this is great but what Are we going to do with it a a a Young said. What Young and his brother did was build a new group with Martin bringing in Doug Phelps a bassist in another band. The magic did no to happen though until Doug the son of an Arkansas preacher brought his brother Ricky to handle Lead vocals. Quot the spark was obviously Ricky Phelps. He had the perfect singing voice that hillbilly preachers voice Quot Young said. Next came the name taken from the nickname Given the cutthroat bands for hire that Muddy Waters fronted Early in his career. Their sound won a record contract from Mercury poly ram records but it was their videos of walk softly and Dumas Walker from their debut Pickin on Nashville that won the band a following. Pickin on Nashville was released oct. 17,1989. In August it was still Selling an average of 15,000 to 20,000 copies per week Young said. Audiences run the Gamut of Ages and the bands popularity recently led to a natural pairing with a Hank Williams or. Tour. Quot As old As we Are. Its a Little bit of a Shock Quot Young drawled. Despite their newfound Fame the headhunters consider their roots essential to their music and Young Speaks frequently of the practice House in tones country singers often Reserve for the grand Ole opry or Jimmie Rodgers Yodel. The practice House located on the Youngs family farm in South Central Kentucky carries a Dow Home mystique where the headhunter magic just happens. Dumas Walker and my daddy was a Milkman two of the most popular cuts on picking on Nashville resulted from an overnight session at the practice House Young said. The local touch is important in their videos too. The supporting casts Are drawn from the Community around the practice House. Quot that a very important to us a Young explained. Quot if we did to they a never let us live it Down. Our neighbors would be mad the non professionals set the right tone for the videos. Quot they re wanting to do the Best they can. There s a certain magic to that Quot he said. Quot and we feel comfortable with our people around Dylan a under the red sky the release of a new Dylan album is always an apprehensive time for hard Core fans Given his tendency to record one Good album for every three or four average ones. Under the red sky Falls under the category of one of the average ones falling Short of his acclaimed 1989 release of mercy but still is an enjoyable album. The album lacks the haunting sounds of Daniel Lanoise production on the previous Dylan release. But Don and Dave was of was not was have produced a Bluesy Dylan reminiscent of the musical punch of the mid-1960s when he released bringing it All Back Home and Highway 61 revised. The albums Bluesy tone is set on the first song wiggle wiggle a blues Romp with downright embarrassing lyrics that successively rhyme silk milk shake and Snake. Organ player Al Kooper who gave punch to the Dylan albums of the mid 60s, delivers More of the same Here. His Organ wails on the title track and the Bluesy unbelievable. On Handy Dandy perhaps the Best song on the album Kooper captures the feel of some of the earlier hits such As like a rolling Stone and positively 4th Street. Other musical highlights Are former beatle George Harrison a trademark solos on the title track and the work of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie. However there is a crucial missing ingredient a the lyrical intensity of the Bluesy �?T60s Dylan. If you like Dylan a blues sound this is an album for you. However if we at s what s not record a review lyrics Are your bag As often is the Case with Dylan fans under the red sky will disappoint. The songs on this album Are flippant and devoid of any meaning. This is an album in which Dylan has fun but has Little to say. K. Glenn Hall up living Colour a times up it took More than a year for living colours 1988 debut vivid to catch the attention of the record buying Public. But after mtg put cult of personality in heavy rotation people began to take notice and were surprised by what they saw. Here were four accomplished african american musicians pounding out hard Rock with led Zeppelin like bravado. Vivid eventually sold More than 1.5 million copies and the band opened for the rolling stones on their 1989 world tour. The time on the Road has matured living Colour and their second record times up is a harder louder angrier and More socially conscious Effort than vivid. The albums songs Are Woven around the guitar wizardry of founder Vernon Reid who in the course of one piece can play Metal crunches jazz and screech like a Jet engine. Drummer will Calhoun and bassist Buzz Skillings form an impressive rhythm Section and Lead Singer Corey Glover shows considerable Range and expressiveness. Calhoun a singular snare strikes kick off the album s title track a screaming look at impending world destruction that captures the bands live sound better than anything on vivid. Pride written by Calhoun is a Call for change in the face of racial prejudice while Skillings someone like you attacks politicians who have broken promises and deserted the cities. Type the albums first single and information overload Are both hard driving rockers that Deal with life in the age of television and the overgrowth that is destroying the planet. In love rears its ugly head Glover unexpectedly finds himself at the altar with second and third thoughts racing through his head. Under cover of darkness is highlighted by a guest rap from Queen Latifah. Elvis is dead which pokes fun at reported sightings of Presley features a guest spot by Little Richard and kicks in with a sax Solo from James Brown sideman Maceo Parker. Tom Withers a Empire a critics dilemma Seattle a Queen Ryche is a politically Correct heavy Metal band non sexist anti oppression anti drug involving its huge teen audience in its relatively sophisticated analyses of social 1 problems. Yet Here the band is absolutely mainstream with the kind of bombastic Power ballads Sappy Hooks and screeching Dio esque vocals a Wapaa Wahli a that tend to inspire anybody but the converted to snap the radio to an All talk station. But someone is listening. The album Only took two weeks to break into the National top 10. Jonathan Gold . Times Hardtop a singles 1.1 done to have the heart James Ingram 2. Black cat a Janet Jackson 3. Praying for time George Michael 4. Ice ice baby Vanilla ice 5. Close to you Maxi priest 6. Romeo Dino 7. Giving you the Benefit pebbles 8. Everybody everybody Black Box 9. Cant Stop after 7 10. Love and affection Nelso top a lpns 1. Please Hammer done to Hurt Mem . Hammer 2. Listen without prejudice vol. 1 George my chaos 3. Mariah Carey Marlah Carey 4. Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips 5. X inns 6. The razors Edge acc 7. To the extreme Vanilla ice 8. Poison Bell blvd Devoe 9. Cherry pie warrant 10. Empire a a singles 1. Friends in Low paces Garth Brooks 2. You lie Reba Mcentyre 3. Too cold at Home Mark Chesnutt 4. Drinking Champagne George Strait 5. Born to be Blue the judds 6. Home Joe Riffle 7. My heart is set on you Uonjol Cartwright 8. Holdin a Good hand a Lee Greenwood 9. Jukebox in my mind Alabama 10. Fool such As i Walllie and the boys Lack a singles 1. Giving you the Benefit pebbles 2. Close to you Maxi priest 3. Fairweather Friend Johnny Gill 4. So you Uke what you see Samuells 5. Merry go round Keith sweat 6. The booming system . Cool j 7. Save your love Trade Spencer 8. Ice ice baby Vanilla ice 9. . I thought it was me ? Bell big Devoe 10. Love takes time Marlah care album a Rock last week s listing 1. Suicide blonde inns 2. Concrete and steel Zzz top 3. Days Uke these Asia 4. Mansion on the Hill Noll Young amp crazy horse 5. A night on the town Bruce Hornsby amp the Range 6. Type a a Vang Colour 7. Young lust Bryan Adams 8. Thunderstruck acc 9. High enough Damn Yankees 10. Tick Tock a the Vaughan Brothers compiled by billboard wednesday october 17, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17
