DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997              TAG: 9703130036

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Album reviews

                                            LENGTH:   82 lines

CAVE'S NEW CD DARK, POWERFUL

Rock 'n' roll

Live, ``Secret Samadhi'' (Radioactive Records)

Some recordings take awhile to grow on you, but Live's ``Secret Samadhi'' has yet to sprout any sign of new life.

Even with the success of the first single, ``Lakini's Juice,'' a ``Secret'' component leaked in advance exclusively for airplay, the entirety of ``Samadhi'' is far too formulaic with its optimal level of non-distorted guitar, ample dynamic change and the essential powerfully produced chorus. What was not revealed in the hype is that nothing else on the album sounds like ``Juice.'' In fact, if you like the song, buy the single and don't waste your hard-earned savings on the full length.

Borrow someone's Dan Fogelberg record from the mid-'70s and you'll basically have the first track, ``Rattlesnake.'' Sadly, it's probably the second best of the lot.

Throughout ``Secret Samadhi,'' Live is paradoxically dead, with a self-inflicted plague of slow guitar beginnings systematically giving way to a predictable big chorus. That boring scenario is relived on nine of the 12 tracks.

Jeff Maisey, The Pilot

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, ``The Boatman's Call'' (Reprise Records)

Is it too early to start the ``The Best of 1997'' list? Let's put down the newest compact disc by the brooding Aussie Nick Cave.

With a Cave recording you know you'll never get anything run-of-the-mill. Over the years, Cave and his band have offered passionate music dealing with alienation, loss and, most recently, murder.

On ``The Boatman's Call'' Cave offers us a set of songs so personal and private that the listener almost feels uncomfortable upon hearing his powerful lyrics about religion, faith, love and longing.

Each one of the disc's 12 songs seems like a morality play, with Cave singing in that emotion-filled baritone like a cross between Warren Zevon and Bruce Cockburn.

His Bad Seeds offer minimal accompaniment, framing each song in proper emotional context without wasting a note or beat. With a strong mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation, the backing supplies a stark yet solid foundation worthy of Cave's intense opuses.

Eric Feber, The Pilot

Country

George Ducas, ``Where I Stand'' (Capitol)

Where does this new hunk-in-a-hat stand? His second album provides the answer: all over the country landscape.

After scoring with his debut, ``Lipstick Promises,'' and touring for 13 months, Ducas recorded a slew of songs he wrote on the road. The result is a nice, safe album that tries to be everything to all country fans.

Ducas offers us slick Garth-Brooks-style pop with ``Everytime She Passes By,'' Texas Tornadoes-style roots rock with album stand-out ``Tricky Moon'' and David Ball-inspired honky-tonk with ``Long Trail of Tears.'' In between are tunes sounding like watered-down Eagles, Diamond Rio or Mavericks.

Ducas will sell records based as much on his looks as his musical ability, so don't look here for any real emotion or roots rocking.

Eric Feber, The Pilot

Blues

Debbie Davies, ``I Got That Feeling'' (Blind Pig)

Davies, who pulled a hitch with guitar great Albert Collins, packs a mean ax herself. But while her third Blind Pig album shows flashes of excellence, it's dragged down by weak material.

Two Davies tunes are among the best stuff here: the ironically titled ``Lucky in Love'' and the Bonnie Raitt-ish ``Talk to Me.'' Also notable is Don Castagno's ``Let the Heartaches Begin,'' a R&B duet with Tab Benoit.

But those tunes constitute one-fourth of the album. The rest includes near-misses (Lenny McDaniel's ``Tired Angels,'' a decent pop gospel number marred by poor singing), ripped-off riffs (Robert Lee Parker and Phil Belmonte's ``Watch Your Step,'' with its old Elmore James guitar line) and preachy lyrics (Davies' embarrassing ``Howlin' at the Moon''). She doesn't have to preach. Her fire-and-brimstone guitar alone can shout down the demons.

David Simpson, The Pilot ILLUSTRATION: Photo

REPRISE RECORDS

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds never produce run-of-the-mill work, and

``The Boatman's Call'' is no exception.

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