experiences. "Carolyn" is a composite
character. Rebecca, on the other hand,
is my real girlfriend.

JN: You've had to take many. non-
musical jobs to earn a living. What
were those times like, and are those
discouraging years incorporated in
your songs?
LF: I had to work at many different

jobs in order to earn a living. I made
my living first as a proofreader, then as
a legal word processor. I worked all
over the city in many law firms. I also
worked for a Lubavitch organization
for a couple of years, helping them
write copy for their newspaper. For
me, it was like a sociological explo-
ration. I didn't know anything about
Chasidism and I was always very
interested in Chasidic Jews. Still, those
were very hard, discouraging and
depressing years because I wanted to
make a living as a musician. I think a
lot of the mood of the album came
out of those years — feeling alienated
from the world and sitting in my
apartment writing songs and having to
go to a job in which I was anony-
mous.

What Feldman lacks in the
laughs department, he makes up
for with some gems of dazzling
clarity In "Carolyn," a gender flip-
flop of the title track, the "better
half" of this relationship gets to
insert foot in mouth, and Feldman
gets to slip in a deceptively simple
line that resonates (Don't try to say
the right thing/'cause it'll come
out wrong").
In his portrait of a crumbling
marriage, "Suburban Song," he
benefits more from what he does-
n't say. Images of mundane house-
hold chores which populate the
song seem benign on paper, yet
Feldman's melancholy vocal deliv-
ery and a sadly sweet string
arrangement give them a winter
chill.
Summing up Lee Feldman is
not an easy task, which usually
equals the mark of a potentially
important artist.
Yet while Living It All Wrong is
an admirably rock-solid effort, it
lacks a certain spark that separates
very good from excellent. One gets
the sneaking suspicion, though,
that with enough repeated listen-
ings, Living It All Wrong might
earn that kudo.

— Scott Greenberg

ugust

3 p•rn•

Inglenook Park

W. 12 Mile Road

between Lahger and Evergreen
(Additional parking at
Congregation Beth Achim)

No admiggion fee
Bring a blanket or chair
No rain date canceled if it r

Questions? Call (248) 967-1112

Allied Jewish Campaign

Concert series sponsored by The Neighborhood Project,
The City of Southfield and The Detroit Jewish News

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9IRI

I PERFORMANCES

ENT PHENOMENONS!

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ROB Fr "'MAN
*m agician £xtraordinaire *

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VT.: MI MU III I COI

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Call the Temple office
for more information

661-5700

adObeg;z7
edUlli4. italatatt-
-P.

ciAonstir e q.)9, t4&

RYAN WILSKI
*Singing Sensation*

Please join us for our monthly
Senior Adult Program!

Thursday, August 20, 1998
1:30 - 3:00 PM
Temple Israel

NO TICKETS REQUIRED!
This program is free
of charge and open
to the community

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-
FIrrctet 6artily Comnutn4y , vr, coryazteltha. toit4, the g eny,le,

Detroit Jewish News

8/7
199,

83

