THE MAKEUP: I Want Some CD

This album collects the past four years of Makeup singles, beautifully displaying their progression from raunchy garage revivalists to sophisticated soul-psychedlia tune-smiths. We hear the group learn its craft, but we also witness Guy Picciotto and Brendan Canty learn their's as engineers (check out the interview with them in Tape Op #12). The records 3 tracks are sequenced in order of recording with the first bunch done on Pirate Studio's original 8-track and the rest on their new 16-track (a couple songs were done with Calvin Johnson at his Dub Narcotic studio). It is amazing to hear the band's sound develop as the equipment improves. Early songs like "Blue is Beautiful" and "Untouchable Sound" are done live, the tracks are raw and filled with energy. Newer compositions such as "The Choice", "Hey! Orpheus" and "Grey Motorcycle," are the kind of mini pop masterpieces that were common to 60s rock but are seldom attempted today. Canty commented on how the additional 8 tracks really help the group to flesh out their ideas and this they do: Backing vocals, percussion, multi- tracked guitar, vibes and a heavier organ sound all figure into the new material. Plus, "Pow! To the People" is probably the best pop art anthem written since, well, the 60s.. Note: "The Choice" was quoted as "Detroit" in Tape Op #12. (K Records, PO Box 7154, Olympia, WA 98507)