Too much of a good thing in new release

Page 10

Review

Julian B: "Once upon a Genocide"

Julian B. Watson

Soar/Warrior.

Julian B. Watson's first ambitious release rejects subtlety and brandishes the album's direction and purpose with the opening message.

"Genocide against Native people is still going on today, all over the world," the segment, taken from a pre-recorded speech, flatly states. With clues like that, the listener immediately understands whose land they're standing on.

The album, consisting of 12 tracks, clocks in just under 60 minutes in length with one track that is slightly more than eight minutes long. The lyric-heavy material of the rapid-fire pen-mad warrior provides little room for escape. The sweeping social commentary is supported with clever nuances and lyrical twists that are further enhanced by poignant out-takes from speeches, six-o'clock news items and movies. The musical backdrop effectively reinforces the message (like a wall waiting for graffiti).

A few of the more outstanding tracks include There and Beyond wherein B. rips up reckless patriotism while exposing "law and order" as nothing more than actions of blind vengeance.

Change Makes Sense attempts to communicate with cultural strays and youth gangs through lyrics that serve as directional signposts back to the Red Road. Indian Fan, as one might expect runs the gamut of images of cultural piracy and also makes direct reference to the omnipresent plastic medicine-man where "fate meets fake".

The album's final track, The Spirit of Crazy Horse is a tribute to AIM activist Leonard Peltier who was wrongfully convicted and given two-life sentences for the murder of two FBI agents in 1975. Although the prosecution admits that they have no direct evidence of his guilt, Peltier remains incarcerated and has become an international symbol of injustice and resistance.

If he had concluded the album with that material, it would have left a deeper more memorable impression. The whole exercise began to wear a little thin by including the following tracks: Know Who You Are which deals with identity crises with lyrics that are (to be kind) slightly patronizing, Twisted Dreams is a self-absorbing auto-biographical piece about a battle-fatigued mic-warrior, and You Get What You Wish For attempts to communicate the importance of asserting self-determining willpower amid social, environmental and political mayhem. The three pieces tend to mull over the same ground that has already been covered in the other nine tracks with self-defeating results.

The vocals, throughout the album, sound slightly strained and a little far away, as though they'd been recorded with B's voice directed into an ash-can (which is how Frank Zappa had Grand Funk Railroad's Mark Farmer record his vocals on a Zappa-produced GFR album). Once Upon a Genocide is full of grit rather than over-produced gimmickry. There are sections where the album's music has the tendency to drag methodically in a seemingly endless mundane way. It lacks the mix-magic luster and turn-table nitro-drive coupled with the majesty of sharp instrumental usage for which the genre is infamous. Instead, B. relies on synthesizer programming, samples and recordings to display a creative if not bold individuality.

Despite its minor shortcomings, the message of Once Upon a Genocide is neither transparent nor frivolous and successfully reflects important realities that should not be ignored. J. B. Watson displays an ability to articulate and reinforce cultural pride, humility and truth. He draws upon the message of unity of oppressed people the world over through his brand of renegade rhyme that is steeped in resistance consciousness.

End Notes:

Robert Mirabel's Land released on Warner/Western takes new twists and turns with traditional musical relationships that begin to border on the experimental.

Mirabel plays flute, drums and chants while filing the cracks with hand-made ambient sounds which are much more creative and appealing than the nauseous ebellishments of synthesized wind, waterfalls and chirpy little bird sounds of non-existent species. Land conveys an imaginative talent without losing itself on the New Age stereotype of imagery and sound. Thank Tunkasila for little graces.

Please send submissions to Brian Wright-McLeod, "Heart of the Earth", CKLN 88.1 FM, 380 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W7.