The Michigan Daily-Saturday, December 2, 1978-P(ge 5 Dahl still yukking it up in Chicago By LARRY BAKER Zany Steve Dahl is back in the news. No, he didn't try to hang himself on a microphone cord in Chicago. But the ex-Detroit disc jockey is now apart of the Michael Collins morning show on WRIF-FM. It might be for only a few minutes a day, but his bizarre brand of humor can be heard at 6:40 and 4:40 every weekday morning. Dahl; as you'll recall, used to make his living at WABX-FM and later, and more successfully, at WWWW-FM, as the man of many voices. His "Rude Awakening" show featured Travis T. Hip, the high voiced hippie, Laso Boheme, the cultured nature freak, who adopted Ann Arbor as his home, and many other characters, all portrayed, for the most part, by Dahl. Pippin poses and pleases UAC's Soph Show will present "Pippin" at Lydia Mendelssohn Theater Decem- ber 7, 8, and 9 at 8:00 p.m. and December 10 at 2:00 p.m. RECORDS HE IS NOW showcasing his morning program in Chicago on WDAI-FM. In a recent telephone interview, Dahl spoke as one who hasn't forgotten Detroit-negatively or -positively. The end of Dahl's stay in Detroit wasn't par- ticularly pleasant. He got into bitter feuds with his sidekick, George Blair, who was, and still is, the voice of Popeye, Bullwinkle & Rocky, Dick the Bruiser, and George Swell (a take-off on Tiger broadcaster George Kell) on W4's morning show. Dahl felt the whole format of the voices should cease after he departed, but of course, Bair and his characters, along with current DJ, Jim Johnson, who adds nothing to the show, are still on the air. This infuriates Dahl. He heard parts of the show when he was in the area several weeks ago for his marriage, and he laughed, almost sadly, when asked what he thought of it. "A cheap imitation is my impression of it." In or- der to avoid confrontation similar to the one with Bair, he now does his shows on a strictly solo basis, adding quite blatantly, "Then I don't have to fuck with some asshole who stabs me in the back when I leave." Dahl's current format is identical to his Detroit show. He has added a few characters, however. "Dick the Bruiser is now Dick Butt-kick and I have a new staff doctor who's name is Dr. Irving C. Rancid Corned Beef Breath." The doc- tor has no particular origin, but Dick Butt-kick is a parody of Dick Butkus, former Chicago Bear. The character of Dick the Bruiser of course, comes from the Detroit wrestling legend of the same name. DAHL DOESN'T FIND Chicago too different from Detroit. "They're a little bit more uptight here at first. You have to loosen them up more. But we're doing OK. The ratings are as good as when I first started in Detroit-not as good as when I left. That took three years. They're not as progressive in Chicago musically, that's for sure." One of the reasons Dahl left Detroit for Chicago was that he was promised bigger and better things in addition to bigger and better bucks. "Things are happening. There's some plans to do some network programs, but I can't say what." Dahl had always expressed in- terest in the TV business by using a vehicle similar to Saturday Night Live. Right now, however, television isn't in any immediate plans. "I'm working on mne radio aspects right now. The main thing is to get my show together and get good ratings." Dahl has managed to get his feet wet in the stand-up comedy business, too. He's done a few shows in the Detroit area since leaving and is tentatively planning another Motor City appearan- ce at the end of November. "It's like stand-up comedy, but you have to see it." The audience response to'the show is quite favorable, and as Dahl says in a Popeye accent, "People likes it. Huk, huk, huk!" Getting a hold of Dahl for an inter- view wasn't easy. According to his producer, identified only as Curt, it was a perfect case of "zany Steve Dahl stupidity." He added, "He's so zany, that he can't remember anything responsible. If he were to remember stuff like this, he probably wouldn't be funny." Fortunately, though, Steve Dahl ;s funny. And that's good for Laslo, Travis, and the gang. Somehow, I just can't picture them working with J.P. McCarthy. 19"4: A&M AP 4709 By TIMOTHY YAGLE , Totko By TIMOTHY YAGLE All too often these days, fledgling (and sometimes established) bands produce an album that will have only one or two songs worthy of airplay or being called "hits." One of these new bands, Toto, hopes their debut LP doesn't end up like this. This six-man band (yes, it's named after Dorothy's canine companion in The Wizard of Oz), comprised of studio musicians who have backed up such prominent artists as Boz Scaggs, Alice Cooper, Steely Dan and Leo Sayer, has released a debut LP entitled Toto with music similar to the styles of many of the bands they played for. "GEORGY PORGY" and "I'll Sup- ply the Love,"' among otliers, sounds like a Boz Scaggs' tune. Even the vocalist sounds a little like Scaggs. Leo Sayer's influences are evident on "Manuela Run." Most of the album is a pleasant com- bination of soft rock and with a good beat and danceable (not really disco) tunes. The band gets intoa more upbeat and slightly' raunchier guitar on "Rockmaker," "Hold The Line" and "Angela." "Hold The Line," however, is what's going to sell this band and deejays know it. It sounds a little like Walter Egan's "Magnet and Steel" only spiced up con- siderably by stronger drums and a heavy-metal guitar that really draws you into the song even if it is repetitive. Toto isn't one of those phenomenal premiere LP's like Boston or Foreigner that will sweep you right off your feet. But it isn't one that you can just file away somewhere and disregard. These competent studio musicians have produced an LP that is easy to listen to and is good conversation music. With more great tunes like "Hold the Line," Toto should see- a promising future. Russian and Chinese revolutions studied Two University professors of history have been awarded $81,800 from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University announced. Profs. William Rosenberg and Marilyn Young will use the grant for a comparative study of the revolutions of Russia and China. Their book on that subject will be printed by the Oxford University Press. Rosenberg is an affiliate of the University's Center for Russian and East European Studies and Young is associated with the Center for Chinese Studies. Everywhere you turn these days, there seems to be a new rock band emerging from the depths. Most of them don't have anything new to offer. They're just trying to latch onto the coattails of such established bands as Aerosmith, Black Sabbath or Led Zep- pelin. One band, however-1994-can- not be cast in the same mold. Aside from being a pretty good live band, their debut LP, simply entitled 1994, is chock full of gut-crunching rock 'n' roll. But 1994 is not your average heavy-metal band. There is that extra feeling they put into their music which makes them stand out. Lead guitarist Steve Hunter (a John Kay of Steppen- wolf fame look-alike) plays with vigor and authority. The rest of the five- person band plays the same way. 1994 OPENS with a simple-melodied tune "Once Again" that does its job of making you want'to listen to more of the album with its simple but enticing guitar. The real hit on the LP is "Radiko Zone" with authoritative guitars and a fast-paced rhythm that draw you into the song. "Hit the Hard Way" continues in the same vein. I asked drummer John Desautels (ex- L.A. Jets) why they are called 1994. He said that the band's producer,,. Jack Douglas (Aerosmith's producer), who is a computer fanatic saw the numbers "1994" on a read out. It fascinated him so much, he decided that would be their name. 1994's LP cover is adourned with sketches of an integrated circuit and various other parts of a computer. 1994 sounds like a combination of old Montrose and a beginning band. Even though they are in their embryonic stage, there is a distinct air of professionalism about them that can't be overlooked. Their record company, A&M, calls them the next Styx. I don't think so. But they have potential. Let's hope they can tap it. should be more bands like Chicago around. Natucket ably combines rock and jazz in their semi-impressive debut LP Nantucket. Side one is hard rock-oriented with noticeable /influences from the Geils band in "Never Gonna Take Your Lies." The only problem with this side is that both the lyrics and instrumentals become repetitive at times. The flip is more Chicago-BS&T- oriented. It has a lighter and jazzier sound with more boogie than side one. Nantucket has tried to musically grasp the best of ,two kinds of music-rock and jazz. A strong follow- up album could be what's necessary for this band to make it. HERBERT ROSS i Basie' s big band to THE TURNING POINT A film about the choices two women make in their twenties: SHIRLEY MACLAINE foregoing a promising career in ballet to raise a family; ANNE BANCROFT, her best friend choosing the challenge of an intense balletic career. As middle age ap- proaches, Maclaine envies Bancroft's success and longs for recognition of her own talent. Bancroft faces loneliness and isolation. Together they reexamine their lives and reach a new level of understanding. MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV, the world's pemiere male ballet dancer, dominates the screen with a magnetic sensuality and an electrifying stage presence. 7 &U9. SUN-Vittoria Do Sico's TWO WOMEN 1977 heat Hill Tuesday Throughout their long career, Count Basie and his orchestra have never failed to produce fire, energy, and imaginative music. Tuesday, December 5, they'll be appearing with singer Joe Williams at Hill Auditorium in the last concert of Eclipse Jazz's fall series. Basie, who was catapulted to fame in 1935 when John Hammond discovered him, was a source of in- spiration for the beboppers of the late forties and fifties, especially because of his tenor saxophonist, Lester Young. The band has un- dergone drastic personnel changes since 1960, when most of the old timers left, but the new band retains the characteristic sound of Basie's original one. In 1975, Basie began recording for Pablo Records; since then, he's gained anew popularity. Joe Williams sang with Basie from 1954 to 1961. His robust voice is well suited to the blues he sang while with the Count. Since leaving the band, Schedule Change! HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR will be shown on Tuesday, Dec. 5, NOT Wed., Dec. 6th CINEMA 11 TONITEAT 789 ANGELL HALL AUD "A" $1'50 Now Showing, I WEDNESDAY IS "BARGAIN DAY" $1.25 UNTIt 5:30 Campus Area Butterfield Theatres MONDAY IS ADULT MAT.2.50 "GUEST NIGHT" EVES. & HOL.. 3.00 TWO ADULTS ADMITTED CHILD FOR PRICE OF ONE 14 & UNDER. 1.25 STATE THEATRE-- FRI. and SAT. LATE SHOW "RE O andV R*41 by 8BBDYLAN Count Basie Williams has gone on to a successful career as a vocalist in night clubs, at concerts, and at jazz festivals. I Nantucket Epic w n.,k, c SHOOT THE PIANO'PLAYER By TIMOTHY YAGLE It seems that a certain six-man band from the Northeast thought there El I, (Francois Truffaut, 1960) Truffaut followed 400 BLOWS with this off-beat gangster comedy that shook up critics and audiences alike. A concert pianist, seeking obscurity in the lower depths of Paris' underworld, falls in love while thugs try to ferret out his criminal brothers through him. The rapid direction and shifts of mood and pace are bound to keep yoy on your toes as Truffaut makes some personal and pointed observations on success and price. Join the Arts Page Sat. Dec. 2 Nat.Sc. Aud. ADMISSION $1.50 7:00, 8:40, 10:20 L The Ann Arbor Film Coo tive presentsoat MLB 3 SATURDAY,D MBR 2 FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940) 7 & 10:20-MLB 3 For his first American thriller, Hitchcock chose the contemporary political scene: Europe on the edge of WW 11. JOEL McCREA is on American Journalist searching for a kidnapped diplomat in this classic'story of espionage. Full of Hitchcock's v.m..i e mor ronFREIN CORRESPONDENT is "still arquablv the director's /' I II Alp.