CD of the week
Keith Henderson
Mexican-American/Cuban hip-hop gurus Cypress Hill continue their onslaught on the free world with Cypress Hill IV (Sony). Make no mistake, it’s hard and it’s heavy – a place that you take yourself voluntarily . There is no lift music on this little number, as you’d expect from a band which has consistently produced the goods since their debut album.
For the Hill it seems things only get better. IV is a celebration of various styles, with the band producing a mix of upbeat tracks such as Checkmate, Riot Starter and Lightning Strikes, which would go down something nasty in both alternative and electronic environments. The more purist broken-down hip-hop tracks are pure genius. Prelude to a Come Up (featuring MC Exit) and Audio X (featuring Barron Rocks) are what Hill fans will immediately recognise as anthems. Barron Rocks also features on the catchy Mexican-inspired Tequila Sunrise, another gem.
The album’s low point comes with Freak Bitch, which should have been left on the editing floor.
As with every Hill album, the holy herb is worshipped and Dr Greenthumb will, no doubt, become a firm favourite within the smoking fraternity, as will High Times. The Hill know how to mix business with pleasure, and the legendary Cheech and Chong are clipped on to the end of three tracks, trying to get a deal down. Needless to say, Chong smokes it all before he gets to the rendezvous point.
“Cypress Hill massive once again/ Coming to you like a shot/ Check this out/ We ain’t taking no prisoners …” Best get ready.
Soundbites
The Led: 2am (Trippy Grape) The second offering from these Stellenbosch girl-pop heroes, 2am sees The Led in a more introspective mood. With the notable exception of 4 Men 4 Women, the EP is uncharacteristically mellow. The songs hang together in a more coherent fashion, though – a sure sign that the band is maturing into their own style. It would be a pity, however, to see the rollicking Led disappear altogether. -Dave Chislett
Sunways:No More Heavy (Tic Tic Bang) Five new songs from the pen of Robbie Boake, now free of the shackles of the Squeal machine. It’s good to see him spread his wings. No More Heavy is a great collection of pop- rock tunes that will keep your ear pinned to the speakers. A strong guitarist in his own right, Boake will forever be plagued by references to the Squeal style, but here he finds his own voice with aplomb. -DC
Various: Power of Soul (Gallo) If, incredibly, you have no classic soul music in your collection, or just need to replace those old vinyl LPs, this two-CD compilation could be useful. Be warned, though, that there’s no Motown material on it, and that’s at least half the history of soul. That said, it is filled with Atlantic power-tunes, from the Sam & Dave Soul Man that kicks it off, through Aretha Franklin’s Respect, with essential tracks by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Ben E King and Ray Charles, among many others. You even get The Trammps’ Disco Inferno for party time. – Shaun de Waal
Various: Sound Offerings from South Africa (Gallo) Aimed at the tourist market, perhaps? For those who’d like a cross- section of South African music of all styles, this CD will do. The variety is almost bewildering, and of course not all of it is brilliant, but it provides a snatch of everyone from Lucky Dube to Jeremy Taylor and Spokes Mashiyane to Tananas. Isicathamiya rubs shoulders with Boere traditional, choral with township soul, Afro-pop with contemporary rock. – Shaun de Waal