THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Friday, February 13, 1970

THE MICHIGAN DAILY Friday, February 13, 1970



records



S & G: Introduction

to a

new sound

ALL
BACH

4'

01

By ANN L. MATTES
The first time I heard "Bridge
Over Troubled Water" I thought
the announcer had made a mis-
take. This couldn't be Simon
and Garfunkel. It was too
'Frank Sinatra.' I had to admit
the album was a long time com-
ing, but surely not this - not
yet. Then I heard a guy in
one of my classes humming it,
and the melody hit me. And now,
even the original Simon and
Garfunkel recording hits me
every time I hear it.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
is S & G's introduction to a new
sound. With this album the duo
has moved past their lyrical gui-
tar and piano style toward in-
creased orchestral effects. At
the same time many of the melo-
dies revert to their rock past.
For many listeners tlAis for-
ward and backward approach
has caused considerable dismay.
To them there are no reasons
for change, offering as proof.
Bookends, their last a 1 b u m,
which proved a mature successor
to well-loved songs like "Dang-
ling Conversation" and "Sounds.
of Silence". But that was over a
year ago. And now the record-
ing artists seem to hold other
views about the direction in
which they are moving.
In this new edition of S & G,
the poetry still has priority over
melody and the new orchestra-
tion, but the topics keep chang-
ing;.In their earliest songs, most
of the popularelyrics centered
around a poet's individual per-
ceptions, e.g. "I am a Rock"
and "Homeward Bound". By the
time they produced Bookends,
some of their successful songs
were third person accounts of
other people confronting real-
ity. So, while the poet remains
the protagonist in "America"
and "Overs", songs such as
"Save the Life of my Child" and
"Old Friends" are about people
other than songwriter P a u 1
Simon.
For the latest album Simon
has continued to wear the robes
of a visionary, selecting several
subjects from% (to use Maxim
Gorky's' phrase) 'the lower
depths. While he still evades di-
rect social commentary on pop-

ular issues, he has managed to
expand his impression.of society
by assuming other people's
points of view. However, like the
great Russian dramatist, h i s
characterizations fall short of
reality only to gain greater pow-
er in the artistic existence.
The three songs I have in
mind are "Keep the Customer
Satisfied", "The Boxer" and
"Baby Driver". Here is an exam-
ple of Simon as traveling sales-
man, for those of you who

haven't heard the album yet:
It's the same old story
Everywhere I go,
I get slandered,
Libelled,
I hear words I never heard
In[ the Bible.
And I'm one step ahead of
the shoe shine,
Two steps away from the
county line,
Just trying to keep my
customers satisfied,
Satisfied.

Now I'm sure you will have
to admit that this is pretty so-
phisticated dialogue for a road
man. Rather, it is -an interpre-
tation of the man's frustration
put into Simon's poetic language.
The same application can be
made to the other two songs.
The boxer is an old man who
has never been able to sur-
render his dream of a great
career, who, in his own words,
"squandered my resistance for

a p o c k e t f ul of mumbles."
Not only does the narrator
of these three poems seem as
if each were none other than
Paul Simon himself, the melo-
dies also seem particularly un-
differentiated, as if the song
were the only way the poetry
could be marketed. In fact,
despite the many different kinds
of experimental accompaniment
(mandolins, conga drums and
bossa nova beats), a first hear-
ing of the record may leave you
with the feeling that all the
songs sounded pretty much alike.
"Cecelia" and the old Everly
Brothers' song "Bye Bye Love"
may even surprise .you as un-
mitigated rock and roll. But
eventually the songs grow on
you like the kellogg's cornflake;
and after ten or fifteen indeci-
sive hearings, I am ready to say
(weakly) I like the album.
Of course, the title cut
"Bridge Over Troubled Water,"
is by far the best on the album.
The use of a piano theme in-
dependent of the melody plus
the gradual build up of instru-
mental accompaniment to a
final crescendo is something
S&G fans have never witnessed
before. Because of this tremen-
dous build-up, it seems to me
that Simon had something bey-
ond merely an ostensible love
tribute to communicate. After
all, could he really be that con-
ceited?
For example, if you interpret

the image of "sail on silvergir'l"
as a peace symbol (like a dove),
the final crashing of the cym-
bals sound, like cannons firing
ala Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.
I think the basic problem in
understanding this particular
facet of Simon's poetry is that
often his lines sound good but
fall short of meaning. For ex-
emple, the image of a bridge
over troubled water is nice. But
THE CONCEPT
'The Concept,' a play which
is a rehabilitation project for
ex-drug addicts will be playing
in Trueblood Aud. at 7:15 and
10 p.m. this evening. The per-
formance is followed by a
question and answei period.
how does it relate to "sail on
silvergirl" and "I'm sailing right
behind" in the same poem? If
the poet lays down to become
a bridge, why doesn't the girl
just walk over him (figuratively)
insteal of sail by? And how can
he sail behind her if he is lay-
ing down as a bridge? But these
are problems for English ma-
jors, not record buyers.
Eberhardt
and
And
Wallace

CONCERT

S
k-

1'

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
CHAMBER CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA
THOMAS HILBISH, Conductor

MOTET VI

CANTATAS 71 and 198

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13,8:00 P.M., HILL AUD.
ADMISSION COMPLIMENTARY j
U - U ~

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M111

Yellow Submarine,
jstarring Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Aud. A, Angell Hall-FRI, SAT., SUN.
3 NIGHTS! Feb. 13, 14,15-1 & 9:30
All you need is love and 75c
THE BEATLES
COMING: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

.4

IF


DAILY, OFFICIAL BULLETIN
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The Daily Official Bulletin is an
official publication of the Univer-
sity of Michigan. Notices should be
sent in TYPEWRITTEN f o r m to
Room 3528 L. S. A Bld g., before
2 p.m., of the day preceding pub-
lication and by 2 p.m. Friday for
Saturday and Sunday. Items ap-
pear once only. Student organiza-
tion notices a r e not accepted for
publication. F o r more informa-
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Day Calendar
Astronomy Colloquium: Dr. R. F. Gar-
rison,' U. -of Toronto, "Characteristics
of Peculiar B, Stars" P&A ColloqRm.,
4:00 p.m.
Creative Arts Festival: The Concept
(direct from off-Broadway), True-
blood Theater, 7:15 and 10:00 p.m.
Professional Theatre Program (Phoen-
ix Theatre): Helen Hayes and James
Stewart in Harvey, Lydia Mendelssohn
Theater, 8:00 p.m.,

University Chamber Choir: Thom-
as Hilbish, conductor: Hill Aud., 8:00
p.m.
General Notices
Dept. of Industrial Engineering Sem-
inar: F. H. Barron, U. of Pa., "Theory
of the Adoption of Innovations" Rm.
220 W. Engin., Mon., Feb. 16, 3:00 p.m.
Placement Service
GENERAL DIVISION
3200 S.A.B.
ANNOUNCEMENT
One more Peace Corps Qualification
Test will be given, Sat., Feb. 21, 1:00
p.m.. Post Office, downtown branch,
Main at Catherine streets. There will
be no other monthly tests in Ann
Arbor, until further notice.
Further information on these pro-
grams at Career Planning, 3200 SID,
764-6338.
University of Minnesota, graduate op-
portunities for minority students in

all programs of study. Booklet on ad-
mission, financial asst., housing, and
the community.
SUMMER PLACEMENT SERVICE
212 SAB, Lower Level
Interviews at SPS:
Feb. 13: Camp Scotmar, Calif.. coed,
12:15 - 3 p.m. General couns, spec, in
arts and crafts, sports; nature and sci-
ence, riding instr.
Feb. 13: Camp Tamarack, Fresh Air
Soc., Det., 9:30-5. Cabin couns., spec. In
arts & crafts, tripping, drama, dance,
music; unit and asst. unit supv., case-
worker, truck-bus driver, male couns.
for emotionally disturbed children and
couns. for -marionette theater. 4 hours
univ. credit avail. to students in certain
fields.
Feb. 17: Camp Mapiehurst, Mich.;
coed, 1-5 p.m. Openings for counselors
specializing in tennis, golf, fencing.
scuba.
SPEEDY
Copy and
Duplicating Center
Typing-Printing
Xerox Copies
100 COPIES-$1.95
601 E. William
(next to Mark's)
761-3596

22.99 Ladies' & Men's
Houston 14" tol
SCHNEIDER WESTERN SUPPLY
{¢ 2635 Saline Rood
,..*.~..... ...~ Ann Arbor, Mich Ph. 663-01 11
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'rst r cwtot 'V t 'p

11

have appeared in nu-
merous concerts w it h
Pete Seeger and were on
the sloop CLEARWATER
with him this summer.
They will be represent-
ing the United States in
the World's Fair in Jo
tour Europe.

THE. MUG IS, MOVING
To the Saturday Night Slo
ENJOY THE NEW UNION COFFEEHOUSE
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS
9 P.M.-2 A.M.
Live Entertainment-Two Shows Nitely
Free Coffee, Tea, Donuts, and Cookies.
Other Refreshments available- for purchase.
Worm, Informal, Atmosphere
EVERYBODY S WELCOME

11


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SHOWS AT:
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SH0-905P.M.

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35c Admission

Bring your Hormonicc

4

"ONE OF THE YEAR'S TEN BEST"
-REX REED
THE MIRISCH PRODUCION COMPANY PRESENTS
A NORMAN 'lJEWISOuN FILM

}
VALENTINE'S EYE MIXER
TONIGHT-Feb. 13
9-12
Full Faith and Credit
MARKLEY SNACK BAR


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ASK FOR THEM WHEN YOU WANT PIZZA"
FREE FAST DELIVERY RADIO DISPATCHED

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Guys-50c

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Feb. 12, 13-Thurs., Fri.
LA RONDE
Dir. Max Ophuls (1950)
Ophuls' merry-go-round:
of love, nostalgia, disil-
lusionment, syphillis.I
SHORT: Felix the Cat
7 & 9:05 ARCH.
662-8871 75c AUD.
COLOR E I
Try Daily Classifieds UntedAtists
)
DAVID ACK S
"Songs that
to Brecht r ing
than ... the l I

" lT Held Over Again For An


Pros
SHOWS
TODAY,
AT
1 :00
3:00
5:00
7:00
9:00
EVENTUALLY
"rVIVA
MAX"F

ram Information- -

"2 8th Delightful Week
"McQueen acts as he hasn't before
An art ful wily bumpkin ..
Will Geer made me wish he'd been my
Grandfather, and I hope to see more of
Miss Farrell. They're all mighty good and
so is 'The Reivers!' "-LOOK MAGAZINE


"Excellent"
Cue

'i%'i
r it!
. .Lfl

wih
Sharon Fai
c~Wil aith

"Rollicking"
Ne ore

mrelt
Pr

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N' cacl+t.)

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