a

McLean gets testy’ ben
people suggest that he's
a comeback.

singersongw riter — who -

rocketed from oblivion nine”

years ago’ with ‘American
Pie, a lament te the
legendary Buddy Holly —
has consistently enjoyed
overwhelming _ popularity

overseas while courting a,
small but loyal ; audience at:

home.

“Basically, 1 really owe
my success not to the
American audierice, but to

the Engllah, the Dutch, the

Australiana, - — but not.
McLean
’ slressed in a rare interview

anymore,’

before a recent concert

‘The turning point on the
home front was Crying, a
yetnake’of Roy. Orbison’s —

. sentimental 196t hit; as a |
: single it’ has ‘returned ms

McLean: to the top. of the.”
record “industry charts
while spurring sales of his

eighth - album, , Chain
ightning._ ;
; Now a rotund, boyish nd

-arrogant: 35 .;

. gvesistonallly-
. year-old,” McLean expects -

more of his material to
place high on the charts
alter struggling to build a
firm foundation ot dichard

‘“The people who come to
see me don't come.to hear
American Pie," he said,
although the eight-minute
epic still wins the biggest
response from his audience.

“I have an audience :

which ‘listens: to all” my

fiusic and knows all. my”

songs. And that’s what I've

_ been dolng over the years —

oducating and building that

"“udience to recognize my

work ... and accept, the fact,
that they’re never going to

“get one particular style

from me.” .

_ Recorded in Memphis and

produced by Larry Butler,
Chain..\Lightaitigi ios
MeLean's first release: on

the independent: Millenium
label — beara a distinct

. country . flavor throughout

ite 11 tracks.

Six of the numbers are
McLean’s own com-
positions, while five are
remakes of hits by Orbison,
Holly, Gene Vinceat, Hank
Williams. and the doo-
wopping Skyliners, using
veteran sessions men who,

. In some cases, appeared on

the original releases more.

than two decades ago.
| McLean

other artists’ songs “which
will match and feel, in tone,
the stuff that 1 have writ-
ten.” 1

“rm not’ kidding around
when I'm singing Crying;
it's not something’ E just did
by accident. 1 know that
atyle of music and 1 can sing
it well.”

indesd, it” there’ Ss a

revival of interest in 1950s _

American: pop, McLean
insists: he deserves the

credit,

““] pointed out the fact
that this” music | comes from

somewhere,” ~ he. sald .
without & hint’ of modesty. ’ trea

-“Forgotten people like
Buddy Holfy and Eddie
Cochran and Gene Vincent
find a lot of others suddenly
become very important to

rock writera who had never -
.. even mentioned thelr names.

prior to my success: with

American Pie.” |
Considering. McLean's

Feverence for the past, it's a

bit surprising to Jeera that

7 “makes: no -
apology to. “resurrecting”

. treads.In music on his new

“his favorite contemporary *

act is the Police, the smash
British TeggAeneW wave

“+ tilo.-
_ In: fact, the American

“Best band [’ve heard in.
10. years,” he declared,

“They are — they wil] be

the model for alot of new

Hey Smid dé you remem ber

when you onl Soaked adime

for. one eof:

hese 7 a j

+»

Easton’ S.

New Wave -

way," aid that’ just about

. Surprisingly, Sheena”
Eastoa,-.one of Britain’s

newest singing’ sensations, ,

has nothing to offer in the
way of reggae, new wave or
heavy metal — all of which
figure largely in the con-
.temporary music scene
overseas.

In fact, she affers little
more than pure, light pop on
her debut. album release
(Sheena Easton (EMI, ST-
17049). .

"In away, ‘that's too” bad.
The ‘pixicish Scottish lass
with . the tiny, .but pitch-'
perfect voice shows good
potential, something she’s
not able to exploit fully in the
framework of the generally.

. trite material provided here. -
In less then a year Easton,

a part-lime club singer and
fulltime arts and drama
teacher, became a bona-fide
recording star by lodging her

not.

Mayet

sums up his’ muste, .
With the’ exception of the
uptempo I Lave It But, his
Paul Simon sound-alike Help
Is On the Way and a '50-ish
hello, It's | Goodbye,
O'Sullivan serves up .a
colleciion = off
somelimes whimsical pop

thal’sripefor AM andadult- §

contemporary action.
The lilting tone of such

_ + items as What's In a. Kiss,. &

‘Can't Get Enough of You and:
I'm - “Not, . ‘Getting Any
Younger — the latter a

somewhat light acknow-

Jedgement of his 35 years —
has become a trademark for

O'Sullivan and, as such, :

these ‘are best picks: for
singles action.

Also strong in melody, ‘and ‘oe

especially strong in feeling,
is the beautiful pop-ballad
Break It To Me Gently.

first’: two singles ‘treléases in jem oy

Pep Beherts ius vei amis |
simultaneously. “The'éatehy | changed;"bat the figures'are
basically . the same. oO Wy

Nine to Five — released here.

as Morning Train’ to avoid -

confusion with Dolly Par-
ton’s current {and superior)
tune of the same name, and
Modern Girl are on the
album, .

in fact, the two proven hits
open each side of the LP, no

doubt to put the first-time:

listener ina positive frame
of mind. But these songs only
let us in for a disappointment
as Easton follows up with
routine pop. material.

The album is nicely

Neil, yet the big in-
strumental and. vocal ac-
companiments at times foll
the singer — they overwhelm
her _voice. “Simpler

coe arrangements would have
‘helped. *,

Best. evidence at -this
comes with the album's
closing tune, the gentle
ballad ‘Calm Before the
Storm; whese simple plano
accompaniment = other in-
strumentation is'a “whisper,
almost non-existent - — -is
complementary ‘to Easton,
~ allowing her talents to carry
the song.

The

strongest cut,

-another; - -héavier ‘pide to a
promising new voice,-

often,

Se Tee

still for Gilbert O'Sullivan,

"He's -hack ob vinyl after at =

produced by Christopher

She ‘should try it more ,

The dad

Three — of =

Toronté-based rock band

Numters, have reappeared
on record, this time billed as

“Hot Tip.

But the new album, Stop
All Motion (Attic, LAT 1089),
shows that more: has
changed than the .name.
Goné is the. stark, peeudo-
‘ish British sound that

; introduced Numbers last -
year as Toronto's newest

new wavers. In. its. place i is

.formance..

If Stop All Motion is not a

total success, it’s because of | .:

more than a little routine
rock, formula lines that
allow the listener to an-'

‘ tielpale chord progression to

the point of tedium.

Yet Hot Tip has included
enough good material to
spark an interest aid keep
the listener hoping for.more.

| Peter Evana’s vocals are. -
. raw and generally powerful,

‘and -his ‘band lends. some ©
_ Goad harmony support. ;
rocker, dd it-ecmes aa :

oe ON

three-year hiatus~ but | the
Irish pop singer shows. little

evidence of the’ changing jl

release, Off -Centre- Ene,
am mi.

So much the better.:
bis earllest claims to: fame
with such late-00s, early-70e
fare a6
Naturally, ‘Clair and Get
Down, O'Sullivan has made
his mark by keeping things
simplé, - letting the | ever-
present personality of. his
Hight ‘vooal work earry bin
through.

In the tune Can't Get.
Enough of You, O'Sallivan

offers the line, “I think I'm
fairly rational in a moderate

Alone Again “

credibly

symphonic: in sound. It's, Canadian-born -keyboardist

_ The Herald, Friday, Aoril 10, 1981, Pager "

- Don McLean says he. never really went away

" MONTREAL (CP) —

tae They’ re in- “Garth Hudson, formerly of Material for which .haa Nocth American tour and
simple, yet nce Reand his fourpléce the Band —finish touring in already been written.  . the release‘of a live LP , ry
manage to be -almost . band-— which inclides “May, McLean plans to. - Uthatdise yields a follow- ‘recorded ‘in England last ‘ :

record a new LP,” the

up ‘hit. to Crying; anoiher-

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“buf Butch we only made

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