r. Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Saturday, March 28, 1970 records mummuummn op. " . . r - V Aft i a __en a Rappi By GARY BALDWIN Jack Elliott's new album Bill Durham Sacks and Railroad Wracks, is a collection of some of the finest material in folk music today. His performance of the songs is at times better than anyone else's, and the imper- fections in some of the other numbers have the raw charm that only Ramblin' Jack c a n give them. The first band on the album is a song that will probably be the least familiar to most lis- teners. It's a song called "Me and Bobby McGee" that Jack, and the song's writer, Kris Kristofferson, introduced la s t summer at the Newport F o 1 k Festival. Some people may have with Ramblin Jack Elliott ~II I1 II I r.- I r I I heard local singer Mike Smith perform it at The Ark soon after Newport. In any event, it is as fine a song as has been written over the last couple of years, and Elliott's Country and Western treatment of the song is certainly adequate, though at times not as sensitive as the lyrics. The chorus "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose/, Nothin' ain't worth nothin' But it's free . . ." is particularly well done, perhaps sung with more expression than other parts of the song. Elliott follows with another country number "Folsom Prison Blues" by his friend Johnny Cash. Although Cash first re- corded the song in 1954, his re- cent version that gained such great popularity is a tough one to match. Elliott is too smart to try to match Cash, and his different stylization of the song is very effective. Tim Hardin is also a tough man to outdo doing his o w n songs, but Ramblin' Jack seems at least to have done so on "Rea- son to Believe." Of his many ways of singing, Elliott has done the Hardin number in the style and range with which he seems to be most comfortable, slightly reminiscent of his treatment of "Don't Think Twice It's A 1 - right" on his last album. He' gives the song the tone it ought to evoke, while at the same time not turning it into a sob song. His voice resonates well, a n d seems to come from deeper down than in some of his more nasal tones. As one of Bob Dylan's early influences, Ramblin' Jack has yet to do a bad performance (at least on an album) of a;Dylan song, and the Dylan songs on this album are no exception. Elliott does a freaky, but in- teresting, "Girl From the North Country," beginning with a slow narrative, speeding up and fin- ishzing with a throaty tone, and a lot of instrumentation. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is one of the finer numbers, and is the best version I have heard to date (again, save for, perhaps, Dylan),. If "Lay, Lady, Lay" could be played at the same time with the Nashville Skyline al- bum, it would probably sound like one man singing with his own harmony overdubbed. Of the host of Dylan songs "With God On Our Side" is the last, and the last song on the al- bum. One immediately notices that Elliott has cut several vers- es. After thinking it 'over, I have decided the effect is to make the song more current. He has left out the verses with the World Wars, and also the last verse. Vietnam tends to spoil the effectiveness of Dylan's "And if God's on our side, He'll stop the next war." So Elliott concludes with "It's you who must decide/ Whether J u d a s Iscariot had God on his side," giving the total song a some- what different effect. Even if one is sometimes both- ered by .Elliott's intentional (sometimes perhaps not so in- tentional) cracking of his voice and nasality on some numbers, few would contest the appeal of his "raps." Jack tells of learn- ing "Don't Think Twice It's Al- right" while 'snowed-in in Beth- lehem, Pennsylvania at a "cof- fee house converted from an old whore house, which did much better business before." Rather than hearing the drinking sounds like on Young Brigham (his last album), Elliott repeat- edly says "I don't dare stand up, cuz I might break the spell." Ramblin' Jack at his best. The back-up band should not go without mention. It is per- haps the reason many of the Dylan songs are similar to Nash- ville Skyline. Elliott is backed by the same group of Nashville musicians, who backed Dylan and later cut the Polydor album Area Code 615. Their playing is as good as ever. This album is quite a bit dif- ferent from Elliott's last . . . the studio effects, the country band, and the rapping (a little more informal). Arlo Guthrie says on the liner notes "I have heard most of Jack's thirty al- bums or so and there are none (including this one) that mean anything real until you h a v e heard him live-not just once, but many times." That's true. But if you have never, heard Ramblin Jack live, I think you'll enjoy his new record anyway. It seems to capture at least somte of his stoned-out insanity, and his often unnoticed ability as a singer, 3020 Washtenow, Ph. 434-1782 Between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor A -Ii w directed starring REBECCA by ALFRED HITCHCOCK SIR LAURENCE OLIVIER SUNDAY MATINEE MARCH 29,1 & 3 P.M. AUD. A, ANGELL HALL, 75c "Hair' to highlight play-of-month series ENJOY THE SOUND OF MUSIC ON EASTER . YOUTH FOR UNDERSTANDING international Teenage Exchange Program THEPresents in Concert THE KEPLER GYMNASIUM ORCHESTRA of Tuebingen, Germany HELMUT CALGEER, Conductor AND THE YFU ALUMNI CHORALE ROBERT PRATT, Conductor EASTER SUNDAY 4:00 P.M. Mrch 29, 1970 Hill Auditorium N4 ADMISSION CHARGE i The most striking series of Broadway and Off-Broadway touring attractions e v e r pre- sented under the banner of the Professional Theatre Program at the University of Michigan are scheduled for the 1970-'71 Play-of-the-Month Series, Execu- tive Director Robert/C. Schnitz- er announced today. The series will commence in early Novem- ber and run through April. Headlining the six current hits will be Hair, the sensational Age of Aquarius tribalrock musical now playing major U.S. and European cities and still a reign- ing Broadway smash. A special Hair company will be created for the national university tour next season. 1776, the delightful musical based on American historical themes which travelled recently from its long Broadway base to the White House for a Pre- sidential performance, will also be a highlight of the Ann Ar- bor series. You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, "the irresistible intimate musical" based on the beloved "Peanuts" cartoo4 characters, will be another notable attrac- tion in next season's roster. Neil Simon's hilarious Plaza Suite, a leading Broadway suc- cess, will titillate Ann Arbor playgoers when the three witty short plays with a comedic stel- lar team come to the Michigan campus. The much-acclaimed Hadrian VII which London and New York reviewers hailed as "su- perb", "enthralling" and "mag- nificent" will be the fifth dis- tinguished attraction of the 1970-',71 Play-of-the-Month Ser- ies, featuring a major dramatic star. Climaxing the line-up of bril- liant productions will be the NOC. THEATRE CORPORATION AWJ, NATIONAL GENERAL COMPANY electrifying musical Zorba, bas- ed on the film Zorba the Greek. The score and the Harold Prince direction of Zorba are by the same gifted team which creat- ed the immortal Fiddler on the Roof. All the productions will be presented in Hill Auditorium except Charlie Brown. "Because of the intimate nature of this be- guiling musical we have arrang- ed to book it in Ann Arbor for an entire week", Professor Schnitzer explained. "Many par- ents will want to bring young- sters to join the student and regional audience at Charlie Brown. We want to be certain that its charm is preserved in the smaller Mendelssohn Thea- tre." "Next season will be the last in which the Play-of-the-Month Series plays Hill Auditorium" he added. After next year all Pro- fessional Theatre Program pro- ductions will play in the new Power Performing Arts Center under construction on the Mich- igan campus. Subscriptions for the 1970-'71 Series are on sale at major dis- counts to both student and re- gular patrons for reserved seats and choice of performance dates on a mail order basis only until March 30. F. U Daily C Read Classifieds and Use PETITIONING FOR MEMBERSHIP CALL 761-1294 or 769-0437 before Mon., March 30, for Appointment "If you don't work, you don't eat .::".VV: :N:r - .M . . 1.J:'r::::.::: ::: Subscribe To THE MICHIGAN DAILY Phone 764-0558 114 Peace needs everyone, whatever your degree, whatever i I. kWhat the Wo'p/4Iflee 44 l"&iw Wi/I, te at Mill/Iudfitioaipt~'iI 3 THE U. OF M. MEN'S GLEE CLUB IN CONCERT 8:30 P.M. TICKET SALES AT HILL BOX OFFICE MAI ORDERS TO: I I FOK VILLa5E 375.No.MAPLE RD.-7694300 THURS.-FRI-2:15 4:30-6:55-9:30 SAT.-SUN.-1 :45 4:15-6:50-9:25 "DAZZLING!" -LA. TIMES Block Ticket Sales March 24-26 General Ticket Sales March 30-April 3 Ticket Prices: $3, $2.50, $2 U of M Men's Glee Club 6048 Administration Bldg. Ann Arbor, Mich. 48104 PHONE 764-7265 I 1) i J['...AK0VI.M- STURGES. PRDCMN $ ll rfAiU '. Esrr Raccow l'mL~t I Piht " "The last word in thrillers. Terrific. -Gene Shalit. Look Magazine 8:0 LAST CHANCE A MUSICAL PARTY with MICHAEL COONEY JOE HICKERSON ROGER RENWICK BARRY O'NEILL LARRY HANKS E 't1 .,.;° mm. : i : I UV V ".I