Music: Three New CDs

I bought three CDs yesterday, and I challenge you to buy three more different CDs in one day:

• Kanye West, Late Registration (hip hop/rap)
• Frenzal Rhomb, Sans Souci (expletive-laden satirical punk/thrash)
• Tex, Don, and Charlie, All Is Forgiven (roots/blues/country)

Kanye West is a US artist; the other two are Australian.

Kanye West has two well-known songs on the radio at the moment: Gold Digger and Diamonds From Sierra Leone. The first is based on a Ray Charles vocal riff, the second on the James Bond Diamonds Are Forever theme, and the use of these sums up the appeal: catchy musical backgrounds with great rhythmic vocals on top. This album was awarded 5 stars by Rolling Stone magazine, a time-honoured accolade I respect even though the magazine no longer holds my interest. I've only listened to it once but thought most of the songs were of very high quality. I'll have to create a copy of it without all the boring "skits" that pollute nearly every hip-hop album.

Frenzal Rhomb are a noisy band I've never been interested in. But when I saw them play a couple of songs once, and heard a longer live set on the radio, I realised they're not meant to be taken seriously, and are actually damn funny. When I got a craving for a couple of their songs and couldn't let it go, I had to get the album. It's a good litmus test for a person's personality type, beyond the mere musical style, in that it's deliberately very offensive. With song titles like Stand Up And Be C*nted, World's F**kedest C**t, and a song whose main chorus line is "At least we know Russell Crowe's band is a f**ken pile of s**t", it's hilarious if that's your sense of humour. And despite being a nice guy, it's definitely mine.

Finally, Tex, Don, and Charlie. That's Tex Perkins, solo artist and leader of The Cruel Sea and The Beasts of Burbon; Don Walker, songwriting supremo behind Cold Chisel (classic 80s pub rock band); and Charlie Owens, longtime collaborator of both. Having mastered hard rock and surfy groove, Tex Perkins has trodden a more mellow path in recent years, and I'd like to get some of his solo stuff. Don Walker wrote fantastic rock songs for Cold Chisel, and has basically been a little-seen blues artist since. This collaboration is a genre album, predictably the common denominator between the musicians' current styles. After one listen, it seems that it's quality rather than inspiration that distinguishes this trio: they're not breaking new ground, just crafting good material. Of course, my impression may change. Their first album (Sad But True, released about four years ago, I think) is apparently a landmark release in Australian music, but unfortunately I haven't heard it. No complaints about this one.

Anyway, three completely different styles purchased and listened to in one day. Most enjoyable!