Dec 20, 2002 By "back Into Your System," Saliva 3 min read

Not everyone’s a poet. And just as an everyday Joe might not be able to produce great poetry, it seems unfair to expect a blue-collar band such as Saliva to spit out Robert Frost-y lyrics. If vocalist Josey Scott merely sang “Blah blah blah,” “Back Into Your System” – the Memphis, Tenn., band’s follow-up to its platinum-selling debut, “Every Six Seconds” – might sound better.

Powered by dual guitarists Chris D. and Wayne Swinny, Saliva is an often-ferocious metal band crisply produced by Bob Marlette (who also produced “Every Six Seconds”). From the vacuum-sealed compression of “Superstar II” to the Southern-rock-meets-Mississippi-Delta-blues raunch of “Holdin’ On” to the unexpectedly ginger arrangement of “Famous Monsters,” “Back Into Your System” is testimony to the band’s capabilities. (Too bad those cuts are offset by tracks in which the group blissfully sinks into sluggish metal malaise.)

When Scott isn’t spewing rap-rock garbage, which should have been left behind in the 20th century, he likewise proves his worth: He can screech with the best of them, but he’s no stranger to melody.

Yet suitable lyrics elude Scott. Although his attempts at life-affirming metal are noble, the positive message of “Superstar II” and patriotism of “Pride” are gawky. On “Storm” he high-mindedly asserts he’s going to search for the meaning of life. No word yet if he found anything.

There’s only one track on “Back Into Your System” not penned by the group: Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue uses simple and effective writing for “Rest in Pieces,” and Saliva responds with its most inspired performance on the album. When a guest writer pens a band’s best song, there’s obviously room for improvement.

Rating: 3

“Electro Nouveau,” various acts

“Tonight we’re going to party like it’s 1982,” warns Spray on “Living in Neon,” one of 23 tracks on the dance compilation “Electro Nouveau.” Spray and the other acts make good on that promise on the two-disc set, an inside-out twist on glossy electronica that would be more aptly titled “Electro Retro” if obvious monikers weren’t so uncool. This New, New Wave collection has a distinct DIY feel – one of the acts is even named Laptop. Rhythms are usually simplistic, voices are typically thin and amateurish. Yet somehow the naive instrumentation is surprisingly infectious, and the stripped-down presentation brings with it an intimacy hard to come by on more heavily produced songs.

Gems include the darkly surreal tracks “Seventeen” by Ladytron, “Rippin Kittin” by Goldenboy With Miss Kittin and “Robotic (Adult, Almost Instrumental Mix)” by BIS, as well as a pair of songs full of childlike wonder from Freezepop, “Plastic Stars” and “Bike Thief (Kryptonite Remix).”

Elsewhere, Kraftwerk, New Order, Soft Cell and even Morrissey come to mind (the latter via the theatrical singing on Nukleon’s “Lucky”). However, the cheese factor is a bit much – especially with the acts who aren’t as funny as they apparently think they are. And, as is often the case with nostalgia, this trip down Pseudo-Memory Lane is vaguely unfulfilling.

Still, the journey’s worth taking.

Rating: 3-1/2

(Contact Chuck Campbell of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at http://www.knoxnews.com.)