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THE
MUSIC PAGE!
- Jail sentence
for King Rat.
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- Former pop guru Jonathon King
was escorted to a high security prison last Wednesday after being
convicted for sexual assault charges against five schoolboys.
The Old Bailey was told how Mr. King, 56, used his fame to lure
young boys into his home. The self-styled 'King of Hits' was
jailed for sentences ranging from six months to seven years. A
reporting restriction was lifted after the prosecutor decided not
to proceed with hearings from six more victims. Judge David
Paget told him, "This was a serious breach of trust.
You used your fame and success to attract adolescent and
impressionable boys. You then abused the trust they and
their parents placed in you."
The former Cambridge student sold over 4.5 million copies of his
debut single 'Everyone's gone to the Moon' in the mid 1960's.
He then became a top record company executive, ran the Brit Awards
and broadcast shows from the UK and America. He now has to pay
over £14,000 in legal expenses for offences ranging over three
decades His friend, the former Radio One DJ Paul Gambaccini said, "It
is so difficult to reconcile the two truths, of someone who was
capable of high entertainment and knowledge and such low behavior."
The celebrity still maintained his innocence and is now
using his website to fight for an appeal. Detective Inspector
Brian Marjoram, who led the investigation said, "We have
achieved justice today for Mr. King's victims. He got the best
defense money could buy, but the jury saw through his deceit and
justice was seen to be done."
- Singles - The
Charlatans 'A Man Needs To Be Told' (Universal)
It isn't often that a song comes along that is
so beautifully crafted that your life suddenly feels better for
hearing it. And strangely, it takes. The Charlatans, a
band whose early 90's popularity was beginning to wane to come back
with a single of such impact. The infusion of a country twang
with the band's distinctive upbeat indie sound is testament to them
for knowing how to move with the times, as it is more like.
The White Stripes than The Stone Roses. They even manage to
work in a techno edge to the end of the song, which is flawless that
you wonder how the Charlies had it in them. Even Tim Burgess'
deliciously whispering vocals have never sounded better. This
single is essential, and is a sign of a band that are yet to reach
their peak.
- Singles -
Cypress Hill 'Trouble/Lowrider'
- (Columbia)
Trouble was written in collaboration with
Fear factory bassist, Christian Olde Wolbers. Unsurprising
then, that the song sounds similar to the rap-metal material of
last year's Bones release. Good but nothing new or original.
The 'Hill adopt their more familiar hip-hop style for Lowrider.
An easy groove, which makes me want to sip gin on an idyllic
Sunday afternoon (as if I need an excuse for that!). The
Latino acoustic solo is a nice touch, nothing more. This
will not change the world.
- Albums -
Smashing Pumpkins 'Rotten Apples:The Greatest Hits' (Hut)
Well, well. Christmas is coming, and here comes the
Greatest Hits deluge. Still, any new material from these now
defunct alt-rockers has to be more palatable than yet another
cash-in job from Sting, eh? Two lovely, shiny silvery discs
are included, the first being the Hits collection itself.
Its an understandably varied mix from a band whose musical
direction has taken more twists and turns than a twisty, turny
thing.
Spanning post-grunge (Cherub Rock, Siva), eclectic pseudo-pop whimsy
(1979, Rock-Is-Dead), electronic (Ava Adore) and finally, terminal
weirdness (Try Try Try). This is - oh my - a true musical
journey. There are some debatable inclusions/exclusions, such as
Where's Tonight Tonight? and The Everlasting Gaze, even though it
wasn't even a hit. But all in all, this is pretty solid stuff.
Oh, and of the two new songs - one Real Love, is pure joy, fast
paced and uplifting. The other, final single Untitled, is an
absolute travesty. Perhaps it's an omen of the way that the
Pumpkins were headed - any longer, and they'd have disappeared up
their own bottoms!
The bonus CD is a b-sides/rarities compendium. At least as
diverse as the Hits disc itself, it does admittedly contain some
fairly ill-advised tracks. However, there are some true
gems here - the emotionally charged Slow Down, James Iha's gentle
Believe, and the dark, brooding Saturnine. Its the bonus disc
that completes the package really - showing that behind the big
singles, the Smashing Pumpkins were a strange, spacey kind of band.
Go on, pick this up, and give Billy Corgan a hand to pay
for his Christmas presents (not that he needs one!).-
- Articles
by Miranda Schunke.
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