What do you get when you mix three Rubinoos with one Psychotic Pineapple
and shake well?  You get Vox Pop, whose debut effort is bright, crisp, shiny
and ageless pop music.

     The Rubinoos have long been hailed as San Francisco's finest exporters of
three-minute slivers of guitar-pop nirvana, and their squeaky-clean, harmony
propelled sound is not far at all from the Vox Pop sound.  The Rubes' (and Vox
Pop's) mega-talented Tommy Dunbar wrote or co-wrote all the tunes here, and
guitarist Al Chan sings many of 'em in a voice that is often a dead ringer for
Jon Rubin (the only Rubinoo who doesn't go Vox Poppin').  And even though
these tracks are nearly a decade old (recorded in '89 and '90), they are all
infused with a vitality and freshness that gives them a timeless feel.

     The disc's centerpiece is the opening cut, the chill-inducing "Must Be A
Word," which, simply put, is pop music perfection---a passionate Chan vocal, a
melody sent from heaven, powerful drumming from Donn Spindt, and oh! Those
harmonies!

     Besides the pure-pop goings on, there are a few detours through cool,
finger-snappin' jazz, Everly Brothers-styled neo-rockabilly and a flat-out
beautiful acoustic number (which is one of the "bonus" tracks, along with a
peppy surf instrumental and another sunny pop flower, the cute "Rosetta
Stone").

     Wrapping up the proceedings is an unlisted and untitled knee-slapper that
we'll take the liberty of calling "The Ringo Rap."  Try these lyrics on for
size:  "Those Beatles boys were such big cheeses/one of 'em said they were
bigger than Jesus."  Or this:  "On the tube he's selling wine cooler/talkin'
'bout that Liverpooler named Ringo."  (854 Coyote Rd., San Jose, CA  95111 or
e-mail popmusic@notlame.com)

 
John M. Borack