Issue 818

Music Reviews

Grant Lee Phillips: Mobolize

Liberation Music

Two years ago after the last chords were played by Grant Lee Buffalo, in the wake of critical acclaim but poor album sales, the group's frontman and founder, Grant Lee Phillips, has emerged with his debut solo effort.

The 13-song effort offers some insight into the long creative struggle for Phillips as he passed through three record companies and many more bands. This is an introspective effort of mellow songs with a hard lyrical edge.

The first single, 'Humankind' sums up some of his doubts along the way as he searched for a direction: 'And the point of my life is what...what it doesn't add up,' he sings in that trademark honey-soaked voice.

Phillips plays all instruments on this trippy and flitty album, and it's a far cry from his GLB days, and all the better for it.

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1 Giant Leap: self-titled

FM Records

Taking the title from Neil Armstrong's famous words when lobbing on the moon, Jamie Catto of Faithless and producer Duncan Bridgeman (Faithless, Tricky, Take That) wandered this planet with a laptop and digital camera to capture the unity and diversity of humankind through music. 1 Giant Leap brings together the heavy end of the pop spectrum - Robbie Williams, Maxi Jazz, Speech, Michael Franti and Neneh Cherry - fusing them with indigenous musicians like Baaba Maal. The highlight is a tender Michael Stipe on 'The Way You Dream', in a stunning vocal duel with Indian diva Asha Bhosle and New Zealand's Whiri Mako Black. Boshle also features on 'My Culture' with Robbie Williams. This is a beautiful album and interesting concept, alive with energy and cultural diversity.

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Nas: Stillmatic

Sony/Colombia

When New York rapper Nas, released Illmatic in '94, he offered to fill some of the void left by Notorious BIG and Tupac. In the following five albums, he fell well short, and many fellow rappers, especially Jay-Z, believe he's only succeeded in putting a 'C' in front of rap.

Even the title, Stillmatic, harks back to his initial success, but the problem for Nas is that while the rest of the scene changes rapidly, he's stuck in well worn clichés of a tough Bronx street life.

There are some lighter moments - like when he takes the piss out of Jay-Z's clothes and moustache on 'Ether'. But most of his rap is bluster and hyperbole. Nas has a style reminiscent of early 80s rappers like Cold Krush, The Fabulous Five and Busy Bee. But even getting back to the roots of rap isn't enough to change his reputation as a 'wack' MC.

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Ewan Williams