By CHAD EDWARDS Collegian Correspondent

The Jazz Butcher

Fishcotheque

Relativity Creation Records

For those of you who are tired of hearing pretentious synthesized garbage. Pat Fish, a.k.a. The Jazz Butcher, has just released the eagerly awaited Fishcotheque. Since his first LP in 1983 (which was assisted by Max Eider, now on his own). Fish has in corporated new "partners in crime" and has changed record labels. Prior to this album, his sixth, it was popular opinion that he had previously exhausted all of his talent on former relaases. Fishcotheque defies all rumors.

Teaming up with Kizzy O'Callaghan on guitar and vocals, the Jazz Butcher has redefined all of his creative energies to produce ten new songs that are musically charming yet lyrically pungent. Both absurdity and diversity abound as Fish's folio goes on a trip through assorted tracks ranging in subject matter from hard-core loneliness to a rap-based song about vegetarianism.

The Jazz Butcher has metamorphosized his once modest guitar strumming into frantic and sometimes frenzied displays of creative emotion On "Chicken Town" and "Looking for Lot 49." Fish takes to the fuzzbox to thrash out heavy guitar licks, seemingly only a dream of his, especially after hearing his last release. And while never lacking consistency. Fish also produces smooth riffs that send the listener to calming terrains.

If you've never acquired that distinct taste for saxophones, this album provides you with a chance to do so. The Jazz Butcher has incorporated the talents of the renowned Alex Green. Using a chorus of saxes on "Out of Touch" and "Living in a Village." Green takes the English Beat's tropicana club sound a step further, producing a musical texture that can be used for both easy listening and for dancing.

When listening to Fishcotheque for the first time, you're sure to find yourself lost among these "folkish" tunes with their lyrics which really hit home on "Let's Get it Wrong" for example, pop music's "let's get it right, babe" attitude is blatantly attacked with lines like "You say I've got no moral fiber/ Well I'm sick and tired of that Special K to eat for breakfast anyway So come on darling, let's get it wrong."

Part of "Chicken Town's" background monologue. "Way Best chicken is so superb that you'll serve it with no regrets, no apologies" shows how Fish can tastefully adapt Big Audio Dynamite's acclaimed style of using radio announcers to blurt out some off-the-wall advertisement.

It's apparent that the English music scene is going through a revolution, steering away from its old post punk ideals and turning back to a traditional jazz-rock sound. The musicians themselves are having an identity crisis, as their synth/drum machine dependent counterparts give them an "all technology, no talent" label. Fishcotheque, with its glowing talent and tasteful selection of instruments, stands as the first authentic release to symbolize English music's new trend.

The Jazz Butcher, a.k.a. Pat Fish, lounges yet still is able to rock on his sixth release, Fishcotheque. The Butcher turns to diverse lyrics and textured musical styles on this newest Lp. Released in March, it is available on Relativity Records in area record stores.

Fishcotheque

Having ended up on Creation Records, which I took as a bit of a validation, I was keen to get as far away from all those "w" words that had followed my group around. The sessions were chaotic and funny. What disappoints me is that it came out sounding so SMOOTH and tidy. But I like Fishcotheque; I wish there more records as good as it.

creation_records, Relativity Records