Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 20:14:25 -0000 From: Andrew Norman Subject: Re: uilab fire ep, the 1997 poll and ettiquette On Friday, February 27, 1998 1:21 PM, David Thorpe [SMTP:djt@ROBOTS.OX.AC.UK] wrote: > > A. UILAB : "Fire" EP (Ultra-Duphonic Records) > > This collaboration between Stereolab and Ui is a cover version of Brian > Eno's "St Elmo's Fire" - four mixes and two additional songs. I've not > heard the original so please forgive my ignorance, but in my opinion it's > not half as interesting as it could have been. A catchy tune - definately > hummable - but it's not long enough or funky enough for repeated listens. > It should at least have met one of those criteria. Having said that, > "Impulse Ra!" and the "Spatio-Dynamic mix" are pretty good. Not heard the original? Go out and buy "Another Green World" immediately! I have (perhaps prompted subconsciously by the knowledge that this was coming out) been listening to Eno's vocal albums frequently in the last couple of weeks. Really superb stuff, and very different to his instrumental/ambient style. They sound modern even today (and most seventies avant-garde pop sounds anything but modern twenty years later). "Before & After Science" is probably my favourite, AGW has "St Elmo's Fire" and three or four other songs, but is mostly instrumental, and the other two are "Here Come the Warm Jets" and "Taking Tiger Mountain...". The Uilab mini-LP is OK but not a real collaboration - it's Ui with vocals by Laetitia and Mary, with Tim contributing percussion on one of the additional songs. I agree it could have done with a lengthier treatment, or perhaps covering half a dozen Eno songs.