Thursday, November 21, 1974
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Nage Five
Thusdy, ovmbe 2, 974TH MIHIANDAIY -'ceAiv
Records in review
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND has been relaxing recently,
giving their members a chance to do things on their own.
Gregg Allman has already released a solo album. Now comes
the live recording of his tour, called (what else?) The Gregg
Allman Tour (Capricorn 2C 0141).
Gregg Allman is a very talented, very promising, singer-
organist-composer. Unfortunately, his solo venture never really
gets off the ground. The size of the band proves itself too un-
wieldy to be successful.
There are some good moments, however. The entourage
performs "Dreams" in a more appropriate ethreal fashion than
did the Brothers. Both "Turn On Your Lovelight" and "Will theI
Circle Be Unbroken" are well-done. but they are the type of
song that lends itself to a big band interpretation.
Mostly, the band is just too big to get going, the music is
weighted down by the size. Perhaps now he can leave this trip
behind and get back to the Brothers where he belongs.
-Harry Hammitt
At the 1973 Edinburgh Festival, Leonard Bernstein blew the
world away. He had some assistance from the London Sym-
phony Orchestra and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, soprano
Shelia Armstrong and mezzo-soprano Janet Baker. Their wea-
pon was the Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 2 in C-minor, the
"Resurrection Symphony."
Fortunately, Columbia Records decided that this Olympian
performance should be recreated in the studio. And so it was
put to vinyl at M2-32681, a two record set.
Bernstein recorded the "Resurrection" previously with the
New York Philharmonic in 1964, and similarities between the
two performances do exist. However, the LSO puts the Philhar-
monic's rendition where it belongs-a poor second place.
Frankly, this is a very moving, introspective performance.
I recommend it without reservation as the definitive recording
of this work.
-Tony Cecere
LEO KOTTKE HAS created a fine reputation as a leading
virtuoso of the acoustic guitar. On his newest album, Dreams
and All That Stuff (Capitol ST-11335), he does nothing to tarnish
that reputation, but nothing to greatly enhance it either. His
music and playing are just plain fine, shading into brilliance.
Kottke's music is always alive and moving. Kottke moves
back and forth between a barrage of chords and various picking
techniques. He spends a lot of time laying foundations on thet
lower strings rather than going hogwild on the high strings likef
many lesser guitarists would. .
Kottke works with sparse arrangements; instead, there iss
wonderfully subtle, simple interplay with Kottke and anotherc
guitarist, a piano, a dobro, a steel guitar.
On this album, Kottke again proves just how good he is.
He does it with what he puts in and what he leaves out. AndI
that is the mark of a truly great guitarist.t
'100
quaint C
By GEORGE LOBSENZ
A familiar part of everyone's early
childhood memories is the much-cherished
nightly bedtime story. This was a pastime
dominated by a whole spectrum of fanci-
ful characters which ran the gamut from
Dorothy Dainty to Yertle the Turtle.
But by far, the most most popular of
t h e s e storybook personages was A.A.
Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh. And now, UAC's
production of 100 Aker Wood has at last
brought the lovable Pooh to his rightful
place in the theatrical limelight.
100 Aker Wood is a musical adaptation
by James Rodgers of the works of A.A.
Milne. It includes 12 songs, all written by
Rodgers (except for some occasional
lyrics by the original Milne), which are
interspersed amidst a conglomeration of
some of the best of Milne's tales.
Attending Winnie's threatrical debut
were some slightly sheepish chaperoning
adults and a majority of vastly appre-
ciative tots whose squeals of deli'ht (and
irritation) punctuated the performance.
The play opened with a warm greeting
extended by Nanny, played by Kay Frini-
sery, who captured the essence of the
lker Woc
A ildhood
English nanny with her prim yet effusive
mannerisms. Shortly thereafter, Christo-
pher Robin appears on the scene and asks
Nanny to read him a story before he goes
to bed.
Operating within this context of the
bedtime story, the world of Winnie-the-
Pooh and his pals comes to life. Inter-
rupted by the intermittent narration of
Nanny, one by one, the unique inhabitants
of 100 Aker Wood are introduced.
All the characters were well done, as
each remained faithful to the figures of
Milne's stories. The acting was perhaps
a little overly expressive, but this was
natural considering the material and the
audience.
Pooh Bear was portrayed with con-
summate skill by Bob Shalwitz who gave
Winnie the somewhat oafish air that we
would expect of him. With a voice like
dripping honey and ;movements seemingly
immersed in oil, Shalwitz turned in a con-
vincing characterization.
Also outstanding in the cast were
Valerie Brown as Eeyore and Piglet as
Sandy Ryder. Brown's Eeyore was appro-
priately droopy and melancholy; Ryder's
i
fa nta sy
Piglet achieving the frantic flutterings of
Milne's frenetic creation.
The musical aspect of the show added
another djmension to the frivolity, quick-
ening the pace when it dragged with some
lively bouncy tunes, including "I'm Just
an Old Grey Donkey," Eeyore's version of
the blues as he laments his pitiful state,
and "It's Just A Little Anxious To Be,"
Piglet's commentary on the problems of
being small in a big world-problems well-
understood by many members of the
audience. Although the singing did grow
strained at times it was at all times ener-
getic and the piano accompaniment helped
smooth over the rough spots.
The costumes, by Nancy Missimi and
Sue Mahoney deserve special applause.
In all, 100 Aker Wood is just one of
those efforts you simply can't avoid liking.
Not only is it well-done for what it pro-
fesses to be, it is refreshingly free from
any "deep meaning," a quality which
permeates most all forms of art around
campus. During the overwhelming ser-
iousness that comes from end-of-the-term
pressures, it is a welcome relief to find
something totally light-hearted.
Doily Photo by STEVE KAGAN
Well, where next?
Winnie-the-Pooh (played by Bob Shalwitz) and Christopher
Robin (Lorel Janiszewski) hold a strategy session in the
midst of their search for Eeyore the Donkey's tail in UAC's
musical "100 Aker Wood".
NBC "s
Sraises ratings
wnith Godfat her'
-Harry Hammitt
Mike McGear has been a member of both Scaffold and
Grimms, both humor-oriented English bands. He now has re-
leased a solo, McGear (Warner
Brothers BS 2825), which is pro-
duced by Paul McCartney.
McGear's biggest commercial
appeal is that he happens to be
Paul McCartney's brother. And
McCartney runs roughshod overf
his brother, dominating the al-
bum throughout.x
McGear's only real chance
to show his stuff is on Bryan
Ferry's "Sea Breeze," a very
interesting and strong pseudo-
classical ballad. Otherwise, it's
McCartney's record; he wrote
all the other songs, and the mu-
sic is performed by his band,
Wings.-
For someone as talented as
McCartney, he falls flat on his
face, offering no strong tunes.
"Leave It" and "What Do We
Really Know?" are the strong- Mike McGear
est uptempo numbers, "Rainbow Lady" is the slow one. Even
McCartney's singing doesn't save an album which isn't down-
right bad, just innocuous.
-Harry Hammitt
TACKSON BROWNE IS not the last of the wistful young roman-
tics. But he plays the part with gusto - this time out, on
an alarm called Late for the Sky (Asylum 7E-1017).
The album is Browne's third straight success, continuing the
distinctive soft-rock style of his earlier albums. Browne's fine
new guitarist David Lindley plays with just the right spirit to
match Browne's own - laid-hack but emotionally intense.
Browne's lyrics are one of his strengths - simple words that
tell some complex stories. At times he sounds much too old
and sober to be one of us, like some hip Mary Worth offering
advice and commentary to a confused generation. When he's
not tending to other people's problems, he's got plenty of his
own - and then we get introspection rock.
In other hands it would be hopeless schmaltz. But Browne's
tasty tunes and literate lyrics make it all very pleasant to
listen to. -Tom Olson
* 0 *
In the past few years, Foghat has been slowly establishing
their reputation as a solid high-energy rock 'n' roll band. Now
with the release of their fourth album, Rock and Roll Outlaws
(Bearsville BR 6956), they seem intent on keeping that reputation.
The band is steeped in the high-energy tradition. The pitfall
in this type of music is that quantity and volume will super-
cede quality, but Foghat plays with an understanding that keeps
the music alive.
With this type of music, the band has to keep things moving.
Foghat does this, in the context of essentially simple music, by
small nuances: short guitar licks, change of tempo or volume,
and twin guitar riffs. The music is powerful, simple, and pure.
Even though the music is simple, it never fails to rock with
a fierce intensity. "Chateau Lafitte '59 Boogie" is a rock 'n'
roll number that continually changes and just won't quit rocking.
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By FRANK S. SWERTLOW
NEW YORK (UPI) - TV sets
in more than 25 million homes
tuned into NBC Saturday night
for The Godfather Part 1, ac-
cording to the A. C. Nielsen
survey released Tuesday.
The apparent interest of Mafia
chic made the first half of the
film the top-rated show for
week ending Sunday, Nov. 17.
And NBC's use of blockbuster
tactics against CBS's big Satur-
day night lineup swept the rat-
ings for that evening and helped
the network win last week's rat-
ings. In the overall ratings for
the 1974-75 season, NBC is now
within two-tenths of a point of
first place.
CBS has won the annual rat-
ings' championship for the last
18 years in a row. So far this
season, CBS has dominated the
ratings, but NBC has kept the
race .closer than it has been in
years. ABC has been the door-
mat this season.
Although The Godfather Part
I was the top show, it did not
fare as well as the telecasts of
other big films. It fell behind
Airport, Love Story and The
Poseidon Adventure in the num-
ber of American homes watch-
ing. Airport had 28 million
homes while The Godfather had
25.3 million.
However, NBC is not crying
about the statistics. "We had
the No. 1 show; we won the
week; and we are two-tenths of
a point from CBS," said an
NBC spokesman.
Much of NBC's strength this
year stems from the successes
of its new shows while the new
shows on other networks have
not fared as well.
NBC also has been bolstered
by the highly rated World
Series and the use of Godfather
on two nights-Saturday and
Monday-both of which CBS
usually dominates.
A
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...................... ................:::r . :: ::: :;..........
_ ._. '_ .. _ _._ ___. ______ .T _ .__
" 14 .:
A rosmth ill concert
Aerosmith appears in concert
Mahogany Rush and Madman.
for $5 and $6.
LAST FLING FOR 'LAST TANGO'?
Friday night ii Crisler Arena at 8 p.m. Also playing will be
Tickets are still available at the Union ticket desk (763-4553)
Manfred Mann is makin- an
unusual free affer on eir new UAEL
album. Anyone purchasing the
album is entitled to a free"
square foot of land in Br~con, Bard
ales. Buers f the albumB acardi
must register their claim be-
fore December 1975. . . Blaick
Oak, Arkansas sponsored a sim- 0
ilar give-away two years ago. 11mv c7
Lisbon
loses
By STEPHENS BROENING Funes comedy Gendarme in St.
Associated Press Writer Tropez, was judged fit to be
LISBON, Portugal - The; seen by all age groups.
Portuguese government h a s Explanations for the crack-
changed, but one thing seems down varied from the assertion
constant: Sex on the screen is that "the Port , s blin ic'
still a no-no, and the leaders
of the April 25 revolution plan,
to keep it that way.
The latest victim in their
campaign against erotic enter-
tainment was Last Tango in
Paris, which closed under pres-
sure recently after a 14-week
run at the Sao Jorge Theater.
By the time Marlon Brando
and Maria Schneider did their.
last last tango, close to a third
of Lisbon's one million popula-
tion had seen the film.
A film industry source said,
"It could have run for another
six months."
The Lisbon press reported
that the counteroffensive inter-
rupting Last Tango's run was
ordered by Premier Vasco Gon-
calves, the general who took
over the government in July.
While censorship has not been
formally reimposed, Goncalves
told a private meeting of film
distributors late last monthto
thin the mix of erotic films or
face government action.
At the start of this month, 10
of the 26 movies being shown in
the capital were forbidden to
anyone under 18 years of age,
and another seven were "not
recommended" for teen-agers.
Only one film, the Louis de
TONITE ONLY'
Mercury Record's
MIKE
SEEGER
UIILLIU - gU e p PJC 1snL
ready" to digest such matter,
to a more political argument
advanced by leftists that erotic-
ism is taking people's minds off
revolution.
Maria Theresa Herta, a lead-
ing feminist frequently in trou-
ble with the ousted right-wing
regime of Marcello Casetano,
said she disagreed with the gov-
ernment's move.
"I detest Last Tango because
of the way it treats woman as a
sexual object," she said. "But
I think it's for the public to de-
cide whether or not to see it.
libido
There is as great a danger of
left-wing puritanism now as
there was of extreme right-wing
puritanism before."
Horta, Maria Isabel Barreno
and Maria Colba da Costa were
acquitted May 7 of offending
public morals in their book,
"New Portuguese Letters." But
the verdict had been expected.
The Justice Ministry under
the Caetano regime had recom-
mended acquittal of the three
Marias on grounds the evidence
failed to prove their book was
pornographic.
The title of the book derived
from a 17th century Portuguese
classic built on fictional letters
from a Portuguese nun to a
French soldier who stole her
heart.
KOSHER MEAT KO-OP
Ordering Meeting
Sunday, Nov. 24
7:00 p.m.
HILLEL, 1429 Hill
Information: 663-4129
2 ...~Bacardi light
= rum's subtle
flavor won't
_t overpower or
get lost in
SScrewdrivers,
} '=Bloody Marys,
Martinis or tonic.
Just use it like gin
or vodka.
BACARDIjrum.
The mixable one.
-1
POETRY READING
THURS., NOV.
21-7:30
P.M.
Dial 650 * Cable 8
Ann Arbor's only underground radio station
-a-
-a
Foghat continues to play simple
fine, unpretentious skill.
high-energy music with a
-Harry Hammitt
DONALD HALL, ROCHELLE SIEGAL,
MARY RUSS
reading from thir works
GUILD HOUSE-802 Monroe
UNIVERSITY THEATRE PROGRAMS
PRESENTS
in the POWER CENTER
November 27-30
William
Shakespeare's
Pericles
featuring
NICHOLAS
PENNELL
Guest Artist
in Residence
Nowak on the Rock
Cindy Havron
Jumpin' Joe Dzeidzic
Lucky Chucky
Gerry Zonka
Brother Jim
Thaddeus
The Mad Hatter
Helen Kelly
Paul Smith's Duck
... and countless others
'Playin' what you demand...
iR we have it on hand'
Request line: 763=3535
WITH
e
Try
Daily
Classifieds
THIS AFTERNOON
|I
What?
Sip Bacardi
before
you mix it?
n-.-e
JUDY GARLAND in 1954
George Cukor directed this fine film about Hollywood that concerns a new
star rising (Judy Garland) with the help of a falling one (James Mason).
Garland's performance is brilliant-wrought from both the tensiion of her
own private life at the time and vast talent she always possessed. This is
.