CD OF THE WEEK (September 1999) :

KRIS DANE "Boy, 26"
(1999, Carbon 7, C7-037)

My opinion

Quote from an interview with Kris Dane, when he was asked in Humo 2989 why his band 801 KD Concept still had no record contract, 2 years after they made the final in the Rock Rally of 1986 : "There was a lot of enthusiasm, even abroad, but when things got to a final stage, it broke down. Then they said that our music goes in too many directions at the same tiem, that it is a product that the firm can't grasp. But who wants to sign us must know that he's signing a band that cherishes it's artistic freedom and want to do it's own thing."
If 801 KD Concept has been buried officially yet, I couldn't say, but in the meantime the frontman of that promising band has begun a sort of solo-career, with two cd's in a short period of time on the Brussels-based label Carbon 7.
"Will the real Kris Dane please stand up now?", is the question that also is haunting me after listening to "Boy, 26". Because on the sixteen tracks on this album, he showe at least ten different faces : His Purple Highness (U can do more than U think U can, Year 2000), Lou Reed (Dead Fish Go With The Stream), Jim Morrison (You Will Come), David Bowie (People, Please move on), Jeff Buckley (Soulmate, Not The First Time), Gavin Friday (Wayward's O.K.), The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Godspeed, L.A.R.A.). And there's even bunch of songs I can't find the person he's reminding me off (like on Two girls). So only one thing is for sure: Kris Dane has a very flexible and versatile voice, and has a big cd-collection.
Although he mixes these sources inventively (with a bit of jazz, electronics, acoustic guitar, funk, scratching ...), for me there's is too little evidence of an "personality of its own" to talk here about a revelation. Too many sons float on "1 idea = 1 song" : once that idea is known, little is done with it. So this Cd leaves an impression on me saying "look what I can do", rather than anything else. Luckily, sometimes this "look what I can do" brings about beautiful songs, such as "Goldmine" and "Two Girls", or the "Year 2000" and the slow Tuxedomoon-ish "Wayward's O.K.".
All in all : A beautiful showcase of an aimless musical talent.

And your opinion?
Did I get it all wrong, or was I spot-on ? Do you want to share your opinion about this cd ? Send it in, and I'll put it up here !

This album in the press:

- Stage : "... In most songs there's a rather dark atmosphere that sizzles with held-in agression. In combination with the dynamic rhythms and the joyous riffs, this brings about very entertaining songs that you really should get to know ..."
- Teek : "Goldmine was the Belgische single of this year. The cd sounds just as adventurous as his bio : fine poptunes are mixed with strange compositions, sturdy funkrock stands next to freewheeling jams and Hendrixian-noise. Dane pig-headed-ness makes for an adventurous album that survives multiple spins". (2 stars)
- gtb in Rif-Raf : "On "Boy,26" it looks like Dane has burst out of his cocon .. A perfect example of what he's doing now can be found in the track"Living for tomorrow", a ride in a tobogan racing from poetical intimacy to total liberation in a primal scream. Wow!".

Did you see a good (or bad) review of this album ? Tell me about it !

More about this group :

- Kris Dane at Netbeat.
- Contact : tel 0032.2.242.97.03. Fax : 0032.2.245.38.85

Where to buy this CD ?

You can order this CD from a number of locations (prices researched on September 21th, 1999, but nothing guarantees they still are the same when you read this).

Shop	Price of the CD	Shipping + other expenses	Total	Direct Link
Frontstage	732	50	782 Bef	Frontstage
Azur	753	0	753 Bef
HVH-Megastore	798	54	862 Bef
Proxis	---	95	---
Netbeat	645	+/-140	785 Bef	Proxis

The lowest price is in yellow, the highest in red. This price comparison doesn't take things into account like deduction of shipping expenses when ordering more than 1 cd, bonus points, differences in guarantees ... Shipping prices are those for customers in Belgium.

Have you seen this record elsewhere on the net, do you own an online-CD-shop with Belgian products in it, or if there's something wrong with my calculations : let me know.

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