“Past Masters Fly High”

 By Russ Tarby

Masters of Reality frontman-guitarist Chris Goss is all that's left of Syracuse's favorite 1980s cult band.

Bassist Googe, who recently became a father, reportedly quit the California-based band soon after returning from a European tour earlier this year. Goss remains in demand on the West Coast, however, as a producer.

He recently oversaw The Flys´ new disc Holiday Man (Trauma Records), which was recorded at Hollywood's Cactus Studio before being mixed-down by ex-Penguin Studio pointman Steve Feldman at bis new Monkey Studios in Palm Springs, Calif. Titles include "She's So Huge," "Sexual Sandwich" and "The Gods of Basketball."

Radio programmers dig Goss' mastery of the mixing board: The Flys' single, "Got You (Where I Want You)," which also appears on the Disturbing Behavior soundtrack (EMG), has been steadily climbing the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for the past four weeks. In the Sept. 12 edition, "Got You" entered the Top 20 äs an "AirPower" entryat No. 18.

Meanwhile, former MOR and Cream drummer Ginger Baker has a new disc of his own in the bins, in fact two discs to be precise. Titled Do What You Like (PolyGram/Chronicles), Baker's two-fer presents the old master's pre-Masters work, originally recorded back in 1970-'72. As a result of his work with Cream and Blind Faith, Baker's star had reached its zenith in 1970.

The music on the new disc is culled from his two Ginger Baker's Air Force albums and from Ginger Baker Stratavarious. Disc One of Do features live cuts originally recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, while Disc Two spins Studio cuts exclusively, including a versions of "Sunshine of Your Love."