Tuesday, January 22, 1974
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
rage rive
Tuesday, January 22, 1974 THE MICHIGAN DAILY rage live
Seals
and
Crofts:
Gorgeous'
or
-M
music
I I
By MARNiE HEYN
When thousands of folks gath-
ered at Crisler Arena Simday
night to hear Seals and Crofts
put out a concert, they got what
they wanted and went away sat-
isfied. I am compelled, in spite
of the general approval, to write
a minority review.
I have two seemingly insuper-
able afflictions: first, I listen to
lyrics and get bored by insipid
ones; and second, I have a very
low tolerance for pontificating
religiosity. If one could get
around those barriers, Jimmy
Seals and Dash Crofts put on an
adequate-to-great show.
Brother Boyd Williams did the
warm-up, with numbers that
ranged from the lyric almost-or-
iental sound of "Dreams," to
to rock - gospel like "Amazing
Grace" and "Listen to My
Words.
The side musicians Sunday
night dubbed "Holy Mackerel"
by Williams, performed heroic
acts beyond the call of duty by
backing up both Brother Boyd
and Seals and Crofts. At their
worst they were merely compe-
tent, and at their best they
shone, with chugging bass, tingly
lead guitar, and fine piano that
bridged transitions between raga
and boogie.
Seals and Crofts showed on
stage at 9:30, did their aw-
shucks folksy routine, and broke
into "Hummingbird," their song
about the founder of Baha'i. The
crowd went nuts.
After almost nonchalantly
pouring out "Boy Down the
Road" (a countrified "Teen An-
gel"), a number from their up-
coming album entitled "Wind-
flowers," and "We May Never
Pass This Way Again," Dash
cracked a third-rate vaudeville
funny about "getting hit with a
frying pan if we didn't do this
song (about their wives) as a
"clever" intro for the transcen-
dental "Ruby Jean and Billy
Lee." Apparently I was the only
one who was offended,
Jimmy then provided a musi-
cal change of pace by teaching
the audience his grandfather's
humming / whistling technique
with the old hill tune "Bona-
parte's Retreat." Dash's obnox-
ious mugging and blithering
couldn't detract from warmth
and intimacy that Jimmy pro-
jected when he told anecdotes
about his grandfather charming
wild animals.
"The Gate" demonstrated bet-
ter than any other piece the gor-
geous synthesis that Seals and
Crofts have wrought between am-
plified instrumental style and
traditional oriental forms like
Persian court music and Indian
ragas.
But they saved the best-Jim-
my Seals sawing the finest hoe-
down fiddle I ever heard - for
last, and had the ,crowd on its
collective feet, stomping and
clapping for five straight square
dance numbeys.
Ultimately, the best part of a
Seals and Crofts concert is their
music, and their music at best is
sensational.
you DO have an aternative
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comprehensive calendar of music, films, theater, events PLUS
Jack Anderson and Ralph Nader PLUS news, reviews, cartoons
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L
a
Humorist Pat Sky celebrates
irreverence in song at Ark
Daily Photo by JOHN UPTON
Jimmy Seals
B duo discusses
religion after concert'
By BETH NISSEN
Those attending the Seals and
Crofts concert Sunday night
heard the versatile instrumenta-
tion and positive lyrics that have
given the team its gold-record na-
tional fame. But the crowd at
Crisler Arena also witnessed a
quiet yet strong evangelism.
Both Jimmy Seals and Dash
Crofts are members of the Baha'i
faith, one of the newest religions
on this continent."
"We've found something that
we love," explained Jimmy Seals,
backstage. "And we use our
music to express the Truth we've
found."
"There aren't very many of
us," continued Seals. "And
there's much work to be done.
The pivotal point of Bah'u'llah's
teaching is that mankind is one
family. We have to have unity
first; it's easier to progress in
an environment of love and har-
mony. If anything separates us
from each other, it's got to be
wrong," concluded Seals.
The mission work of the Baha'i
faith is diametrically opposed to
corner pamphleting and - noisy
conversion. The attitude taken
seems to say "Here is the Truth
-- when you get around to it."
"The teaching leaves it up to
the individual himself to investi-
gate and accept or reject in his
own time," said Dash Crofts.
Seals agreed. "I'm not a Baha'i
just because Dash is," he said.
"In a college system, you go
from one grade to the next, pro-
gressing step by step," continued
Crofts. "You learn about God the
same way. You are taught ac-
cording to your own capacity to
learn and your needs at the
time."
Although the faith stresses in-
dividual growth at an individual
pace, the goal for all believers is
world unity.
"The word 'religion' means 'to
unite'," said Crofts.
"We believe all religion is from
Gallery plans
women s art
The Union Gallery will pre-
sent an invitational show April
7-27 of the work of several wo-
meh artists from the Ann Ar-
bor area.
The gallery will also sponsor a
week of related events, plans for
which include a panel discussion
on women's problems in creative
fields. Poetry readings, guerrila
theatre, music, and the Showing
of films from the February woi-
men's film festival are also in
the works.
Those interested in participat-
ing in these events may con-
tact Sherryl Shaw, director of
the Union Gallery, at 761-2974.
the same source," agreed Seals.
"Our temples have nine doors, re-
presenting the nine major world
religions. Someone can come to
the Baha'i faith through any one
of them."
Seals tugged at his worn cap.
"We're trying to achieve world
unity," he said. "Unity can be
in different sizes. We've gone
from unity of families to cities
to countries. And now we're even
going to the stars. Who knows
what is beyond?" Dash Crofts
grinned and interrupted, calling
"Planetaary unity!"
While the future according to
Baha'i predictions looks prom-
ising, the present is a sad and
troubled reality. "What is hap-
pening in the world today is
lot of time and a lot of work.
And we're doing what we can."
Seals and Crofts have suc-
cessfully contributed to their
faith through their music. Like
the Baha'i faith, the message in
their songs is subtle. "People
who buy our albums don't want
to get religion crammed dow.vn
their throats," said Seals. "We
respect that right. But if we
get ideas from the Baha'i wrt-
ings - we put them into t h e
songs.
"I could show you our songs
before we became Bahai' add-
ed Seals, laughing. "They were
mostly I love you, you love me',
oom-pa-pa songs."
The songs of Seals and Crofts
can be lyric ballads, jazz com-
ARTS
By DIANE LEVICK
Arts Editor
Songwriter Patrick Sky return-
ed to the Ark this weekend to
sing about the things closest to
his heart - including suicide and
child molesting.
Accompanying himself with
some fine guitar and banjo pick-
ing, Sky delivered a brand of
humor that some might term
"borderline." But his irony and
satire, blunt or subtle, always
seem to elicit a laugh.
His "Child Molesting Blues"
plays upon a normally dead-sere-
ious idea, mocking America's
sexual fears and parodying the
blues idiom at the same time.
Sky explains that he always
wanted to sing the blues but that
the usual themes just didn't re-
late to his own background. "I
had to write something to coin-
cide with my own experiences,"
grins Sky:
She's my jelly roll woman, Lord,
she's white and 12 years old...
She may look like 12 but ya
know she's got the body of a
14 year-old.
I been in love with that woman
since she was nine years old...
I molest her in the basement;
she only charged me a Tootsle
Roll.
"Child Molesting Blues" is just
one of the charmers on Sky's
Songs That Made America Fam-
ous, an album that was finally
recorded "after a lot of hassles"
with various labels.
Why the problem? "Te idea
of the record," explains Sky,
"was a song to offend every-
body." He views the album as a
"good healthy return to irrever-
ence . . . a kind of audio Ror-
schach test: "You can tell what
people's hang-ups are by what
offends them."
Indeed, Sky's Sunday night per-
formance offered something for
everyone, from "Fight, Fight,
Fight for Liberation" to "Giavon-
ni Montini the Pope" ("He's Ital-
ian, he doesn't use soap"). Par-
ticularly meaningful for Ark fre-
quenters was Sky's insulting
blues for folksinger David Brom-
berg: 'Some gangs beat you with.
a rubber hose / but our gang
beats you with Dave Bromberg's
nose." Introducing the song, Sky
recited -a somewhat enigmatic
modern proverb: "Never offend a
poet lest he write a song about
you and verily it will be sung."
Yet the truly poetic side of Sky
surfaces not in his parodies but
!111-4[!- - f~i
in his songs of human relation-
ships and travel. "Jimmy Clay"
makes a rather powerful state-
ment on martyred soldiers and
the society that wishes them to
die in the line of duty. Its haunt-
ing chordal suspensions add to
the musical impact, supplying the
element that Dylan's otherwis e
classic "Masters of War" lacks.
Musically, Sky seems Va e I I-
rounded. From Mississippi John
Hurt he learned fingerpicking he
uses on "Frankie and Johnnv."
Uncle Dave Macon has inspired
some of his banjo work.
Unfortunately Sky's perform-
ance Sunday lacked the spirit dis-
played in past visits. The long-
time folksinger told his j o k e s
somewhat mechanically and 3ang
the "serious" works without
much involvement. Has he be-
come tired of performing . .. or
bored with his own material?
Perhaps the small audience on
the last night of his Ark engage-
ment wasn't very inspiring.
Maybe he just had the Aud-
ience Molesting Blues.
"It's the Litt e Things
You Do Togzther"
LIKE SEEING
Stephen Sondheim's
(1OIIPANy
WED.,JAN. 23-SUN., JAN. 27 AT
MENDELSSOHN THEATr E
TICKETS ARE $3 50 t- S4 01
RESERVATIONS AT 763 085
ANN ARBOR CIVIC.THr!IATRE'
THE TONITE! TUES. JAN.22
PRIMO SHOWBAR
'/2 PRICE ADMISSION WITH COLLEGE I.D. COVER S1.00
Rock & Rol!
WEDTHURSing
JAN 23 & 24
BOB SEGER *
CO E .0FRI. JAN. 25: RABBITS
SAT. JAN. 26: F R UT
SUN. JAN. 27: LUTHER ALLISON
B17 S. Ashl
BEER: s 1.75 A PITCHER Aim Arbor
TONIGHT, Tuesday 22nd
BROOKLYN
BLUES
BUSTERS,
RETURNING TO:
FLICK'S BAR
114 W. WASHINGTON
between Main & Ashley
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r
because we aren't using what we
have," said Seals. "Baha'u'llah
said, "In this age, we must see
with our own eyes and hear with
our own ears, not through those
of our neighbors."
The Baha'i followers believe
the world is in a transitional
stage, likened to a 19-year old,
just entering the time of matur-
ity. "This is a time of change,"
said Seals. "The time has arriv-
ed for the church as a social
brder to become extinct. The only
way to achieve real unity is to
live it."
Seals continued, "Instead of
wasting our energy rebuilding
the old things, we have to build
something new. That will take a
positions or good ol' foot-stomp-
in', hog-callin', hand-clappin' m -
sic. "People seem to really like
the fiddle music," noted Seals.
But regardless of rhythm, vol-
ume .or tune, the songs seem to
be musical prayers.
For both the Baha'i musicians,
the belief in the teachings of the
Baha'u'llah and their hope for
unity gives their lives purpose
and direction.
"We unify by our own hearts
and minds," said Seals, as Crofts
nodded. "Every college we've
gone to, every time we play a
concert, we find unity -in the
people and in the music." Seals
pushed his cap back. "We'-e all
one," he said.
UNIVERSITY PLAYERS presents
Mhe econ4
by BERTOLT BRECHT
Wed., Feb. 6-Sat., Feb. 9
THE POWER CENTER
FOR PERFORMING ARTS
TICKETS: Wed. &Thurs Eves $2 50, $2.00
Fri. & Sat. Eves. $3.00, $2.50
Advance tickets available at University Players
Ticket Office. Mendelssohn Theatre Lobby
Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-] p.m.; 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Advance Information: 764-6300
New World Cinema Showcase
Brilliant
The most engrossing and mature film of many a
year. You owe it to yourself to see it.-Judith Crist,
NBC-TV
I Urge It Strongly
on Everyone.
The film can hardly be more timely. An intelligent
and highly PROVOCATIVE MOVIE.-ABC-TV
A Knock Out
of a movie.
A SUPERB AND ENTHRALLING,
TABLE FILM.--CBS-TV
UNFORGET
-
Masterful
C...U L7TURE CALENDAk
FILM-Cinema Guild features a Griffith double feature:
Way Down East at 6:30 only and Birth of a Nation at
9:30 only in Arch. Aud.; Ann Arbor Film Co-op presents
Siegal's Dirty Harry in Aud. A at 7 and 9; New World
Film Co-op screens Gavras' State of Siege in Aud. 3 of
MLB at 7 and 9.
POETRY-Ext. Service and English Dept. present Joseph
Brodsky reading his poetry at 4:30 in Aud. 3, MLB.
ART-Museum of Art: German Expressionism-Bahaus de-
sign exhibition; North Campus Commons: Ann Arbor
Women Painters.
UPCOMING DRAMA TIP-Ann Arbor Civic Theater presents
Company tomorrow night through Saturday at Men-
delssohn.
i
It treats its audience with respect. It has a complex
and brilliant narrative structure. It is great art.
-Wall St. Journal
Power Center Box-office opens Mon., Feb. 4
PERFORMANCES AT 8:00 P.M.
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Dimension of Religious Experience
LECTURE AND DISCUSSION SERIES
JANUARY 23, WEDNESDAY 3-5 P.M., ANGELL HALL, AUD. A
"Philosophical Implications of Hindu Mythology"
by DR. DAVID KINSLEY, McMasters Univ.
Based on the controversial book
feat shattered conventional
theories of history and archeology
CHARIOTS
OF THE
TECHI4COLOR A
New h S n1Wl k
Mon., Tues., Wed. Jan. 21, 22, 23
Modern Languages Aud. 3 Natural Science Aud.
Ar
IL