Page, Twos
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Tuesday, February 8, 1972
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Darius Bruabeck, PaulSimon - new albums
By JONATHAN MILLER
Most people tend to think of
Charles Chaplin as a screen ac-
tor, not a musician or composer.
Chaplin, who once told a re-
porter for The New York Times,
"I don't understand a note of
music" nevertheless tapped out
'melodie, for his arrangers with
four fingers and a piano, thus
creating the almost legendary
scores for such movies as Mod-
ern Times, City Lights and A
King In New York. '
On a new Paramount album,
Chaplin's back, Darius Brubeck,
Dave's son, ably assisted by a
cortege of other fine musicians,
gives us a contemporary jazz
variation on Chaplin's basic
movie themes. The result is al-
most overpoweringly successful.
Chaplin's hauntingly familiar
melodies are well suited to a
contemporary Jazz adaptation.
Richard Bock's cello and string
arrangements are gloriously re-
minpiscent of the dobbly mus-
tachioed Chaplin of celluloid.
Brubeck's guitar men, John
Miller on bass and Bob Rose
and Amos Garrett, while some-
times subdued on the album,
come forward with vigor and
pace for The Great Dictator
theme. Hornmen Perry Robin-
son, Robert ]Fritz and Michael
Brecker handle solo's compe-
tently. A gentleman identified
only as Muruga keeps up a
strong rhythm on the drums,
bells, african squeeze drum,
Moroccan clay drums and toy
bear (?) Garrett also comes
through with strong vocals on
Weeping Willows.
But it's Brubeck himself who
is the masterful star of this al-
bum. Deriving his arrangement
from what he calls "a close
study of Chaplin's film scores,
the films themselves and Chap-
In the man," the young mu-
sician has established a strong
claim as a mentor of the new
directions in jazz.
A dad like Dave is a tough act
to follow, but with this recording
Darius Brubeck shows himself
as not just a musician and ar-
ranger but a composer of rare
talent. Himself a child of Mod-
erni Times, Brubeck emerges as a
composer in his own right in
Alone, his melodic essay on
Chaplin, and as a pianist of rare
distinction -in the hauntingly
melodic Smile. Ils piano not
only captures the nostalgia of
Chaplin, but the living spirit of
the screen's foremost comedian.
Darius Brubeck has put to-
gether a tightly arranged piece
of contemporary jazz with this
album. For Choplin freaks and
jazz freaks alike, it's well worth
the money.
By ROB BIER
Two years after Bridge Over
Troubled Water and a year since
he started recording it, Paul
Simnon's solo album is finally
out. If any Simon and Garfun-
kle fans were holding their
breath, they may as well let it
out and hope that Art gets tired
of making movies.
The music of Paul Simon and
Art Garfunkle has always de-
fied labeling. It's not folk; it's not
rock; and, it's not folk-rock. So,
none of the criteria which apply
specifically to those forms are
of much use.
With Paul Simon, any way
you look at it you lose. Unlike
the duo's previous efforts, there
is not a single song on here
which I wish would go on for-
ever. Part of the problem is
certainly the lack of original
melodies.
There are melodies - like
"Everything Put Together Falls
Apart," which is strongly remi-
niscent of "Overs" on Bookends.
It is done in Paul's "talkin'
aquas" (as opposed to talkin'
blues)tstyle, but falls apart
without ever being really put
together.
"Me and Julio Down by the
Schoolyard" has the same sort
of break and tempo changeup
that sounded so good in "Keep
the Customer Satisfied." But
"Me and Julio" tells the same
story of doing something vague-
ly against the law and being
forced to, hit the road. Result:
a pale imitation of a previous
success.
It should come as no surprise,
though, that Paul shows himself
to be a bit short on melodies.
What does come as something
of a shock is the lack of lyrics
on this album. "Run That Body
Down," for instance, has 26
lines in all. But only 14 of them
are originals, the rest being re-
petitions.
At least, however, those are
words which are being repeat-
ed. All too often, Paul is simply
making with a variety of
"A hhhhhs", "Ohhhhs" and
'Ooooos." One cut, "Hobo's
Blues." has no words at all. It
is a violin solo with Paul strum-
ming accompaniment. The cut
might be acceptable, except for
a Big Band quality to the tune
which just does not fit.
I have always criticized Simon
and Garfunkle's music for be-
ing too polished, too smooth. In
spite of that, I would still listen
to it for hours, drawn by the
sheer beauty of the sounds they
made and by the haunting ly-
rics which made you see things
that were only felt before. But
looking, at the words on Paul
Simon, it is hard to find the
lively images and dreamy moods,
of, say, "The Boxer" or "Sounds
of Silence."
Of local, interest is "Papa
Hobo," which starts out, at
least, with Detroit. A soft, al-
most wistful song, the first
verse works well - evoking vi-
sions of driving down the Lodge
expressway on a steamy after-
noon with crud hanging heavy
in the air. But the second verse,
"Detroit, Detroit, Got a hell of a
hockey team" comes up and re-
fuses to go down. The Red
Wings? C'mon Paulp!
It is specific references of
that sort which songwriters
should stay away from. Witness
the banality which such lyrics
impart to the Beach Boys' "Stu-
dent Demonstration Time." But
while one should strive to main-
tain some degree of ambiguity,
Paul goes too far in that direc-
tion with "Mother and Child Re-
union."
By now, you have probably
heard this song a few times on
the radio, but can anyone say
they understand any of what
is going on in it? If a song has
nothing to grasp onto, then
when it is over, it just slips
away. Fortunately, "Mother and
Child" has one of the two or
three decent melodies on the al-
bum. In addition, there is a
catchy rhythm to it which I
strongly suspect is Jamacian in
origin.
I say "suspect" because I can-
not find any recording of Ja-
macia's reggae music with
which to check out my theory.
But the song was recorded in
Kingston; the rhythm is unfa-
miliar; John Lennon digs reg-
gae; and Paul Simon digs John
Lennon.
Finally, there is "Paranoia
Blues." Amazingly, Paul comes
close to the real blues on this
one, and the lyrics conjure up
something many of us know
only too well. He has a good
bottleneck guitar player sliding
all over the track, and provid-
ing some badlyy-needed life to
the album. As with the semi-
raunchy guitar riffs on "Ar-
mistice Day," the bottleneck
gives some rough elges to the
song which sound just fine,
and promise some new, may be
even exciting, things from Paul
Simon in the future.
JUSTICE FOR SOVIET JEWS
PROTEST THEIR OPPRESSION
Picket The Osipov Balalaika Orchestra
Tues., Feb. 8, 7:30 P.M., Hill Aud.
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me; if I am only for
myself, what am I, and if not now, when?" -Hillel
4
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" .. A MOVIE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET"
-G. Harris, Ann Arbor News
ENDS TONIGHT !
"Hits squarely in the guts with the impact of a recoil-
ing howitzer!" -Arthur Cooper, Newsweek
"Devastating. Will undoubtedly prove to be one of most
important film experiences!" -Dan Bates, Rolling Stone
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Program Information 8-6416
IT'S SO FANTASTIC
YOU FIND YOURSELF
FEELING SORRY
FOR EVEN
THE BAD GUYS'
BILLY~b
J4CK
TODAY AT
7-9 P.M.
Oh where h a v e you
been B I L L Y JACK,
BILLY JACK? Oh
where have you been
Charming Billy?
101
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Avoid A
February
Slump
Come to the
GRAD COFFEE
HOUR
on
Wednesday,
February 9th
4-6 p.m. 4th floor Rackhom
Hot Chocolate and Donuts
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NO ... IF YOU SHOCK EASILY, OR YOU THINK AN X-RATING
IS NOTHING BUT A DEFINITION FOR SMUT.
I
NO .. IF YOU THINK IT'S A MOVIE YOU CAN'T BRING YOUR
WIFE TO.
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Tobogganing ... Sledding
Food ... Music ... People
CALLING ALL
International
Christian
Students
FOR A GATHERING ON
FEB. 12-2-8 P.M.
MEET AT THE
ECUMENICAL CAMPUS
CENTER
921 Church St.
for more information call
Linda-971-6110 or
Phil-76 1-0141
(Sponsored by the Baptist Fellow-
ship for Christian Involvement)
4.
A career in law
.
without law school'.
When you become a Lawyer's Assistant you'll
do work traditionally done by lawyers-work
which is challenging, responsible and intellectu-
ally stimulating. Lawyer's Assistants are now so
critically needed that The Institute for Paralegal
Training can offer you a position in the city of
your choice-and a higher starting salary than
you'd expect as a recent college graduate. Here
is a career as a professional with financial re-
wards that increase with your developing ex-
pertise.
If you are a student of high academic stand-
ing and are interested in a legal career, come
speak with our representative.
Contact the Placement Office.
A representative of The Institute
will visit your campus on:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23
NOTE: If the. above date is inconvenient for you, please
call or write The Institute for information.
The Institute for
Paralegal Training
13th floor, 401 Walnut St., Phila., Pa. 19106
(215) WA 5-0905
TONIGHT ONLY
EISENSTEIN'S
TEPOTEMKIN
THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN
Directed by Sergei
Eisenstein in 1925
THE
FIRST
GREAT
REVOLUTIONARY
FILM
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the ann arbor film cooperative
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n ..n
MARLON BRANDO in GILLO PONTECORVO'S
(By the director of
THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS)
A British agent foments revolution on a Caribbean island to further his country's commercial in-
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