THE MICHIGAN DAILY
A rts & Enterta inm ent Tuesday, January II, 1977 Page Five
Zappa's latest has
good instrumentals
By JIM STIMSON I songs, and aren't as entertain-
ing as the instrumental num-
Zoot Allures, (Warner Bros. hers. Zappa's now-familiar voice
BS 2970), the latest release by is blended with that of new;
Frank Zappa, is in the tradition band member Davey Moire and;
of many Zappa albums before old-time Mother Roy EstradaI
it. It's a mishmosh of styles, - often to quite humorous ef-
and istcharacterized by brilli- feet. Whether thensongs hold up
ant instrumental work and ubi-! to repeated listenings is a mat-
quitous, biting satire. ter of time and personal taste.'
The title cut, "Zoot Allures," I like the vocals on "Gas Sta-
is my personal favorite. It's a tion."
pleasant, lyrical piece for gui- "The Torture Never Stops,",
tar, bass, and drums, with harp on the other hand, is bad taste
and marimba accompaniment. realized in living stereo. The
Zappa sneaks in a mellow cut chorus of moans, screams, and
like this once in a blue moon, various other effects serve on-
and this time it's a good con- ly to assault the listener. It's'
trast from the rest of the al- the song that never stops. Why;
bum. Zappa wasted nearly half of
"Black Napkins," "Friendly side one on this project is be-
little Finger," and "Wonderful yond me. -
Wine" are first-class rockers. Zappa carries the instrumen-I
Zappa's hard-edged guitar work tal load on the album, playing
evokes memories of Leslie West guitar, bass, keyboards, and
in his heyday with Mountain, lead vocals on many of the
"WIND UP WORKIN' In a songs. He is ably assisted byI
Gas Station," "Ms. Pinky," and his new drummer, Terry Boz-
"Find Her Finer" are vocal Iio, who appears on every cut.j
il-
ight show: Visual music
By DENNIS SABO as Willifred performed them in the 1920's to
"THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH a performer
can do to excite an audience," con-
tends Mike Gould, director of Illuminatus,
a local light show.
"Most bands are interesting only to the
ear," he explains. "Light shows are inter-
esting to the eye. We project musical images,
so the result is a total musical-visual experi-
ence."
Illuminatus makes use of three carousel
slide projectors, two overhead projectors, two
Interosciter lasers, and three Amsterdam pro-
jectors (projectors that create psychadelic
designs). The Interoscitor lasers act like elec-
tronic spiro-graphs creating red circular de-
signs that change with the music's tempo.
Gould and'Wayne Gillis, a member of Illum-
inatus, designed and constructed the lasers
themselves.
THE AMSTERDAM projectors, named aft-
er the capital of the Netherlands where they
were invented, use slides mixed with colored
oils, shampoo, shaving cream, and other com-
mon oil-based solutions on phrex plates to
create cell-type designs.
"The patterns are similar to chemically
induced hallucinations," Gould says. "We also
use modern and classical art slides. The
shows are a blend of art and technology."
Light shows are not a new creation. Thom-
Stravinsky's Firebird Suite.
"Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane
used light shows in the mid-60's," Gould
says. But "most shows were discontinued be-
cause of their poor quality and high travel-
ing expenses."
"Several bands are now getting into lasers,"
Gould continues. "Lasers are spectacular as
hell but are not very interesting if they just
shine on the theater's roof for the entire
evening. Our five milowatt Interosciter lasers
at least create designs.''
'"War uses a laser three times
later someone is gonna get zapped."
ACCORDING TO GOULD, drugs do not
play a major factor in enjoying light shows.
"You don't have to be high to enjoy a
light show," Gould says. "But they add that
much extra," he adds with a slight chuckle.
Illuminatus also performs light shows at
Science Fiction conventions including one in
Kansas City last Labor Day. During these
shows, Illumiatus uses a variety of record-
ed music to accompany its visual effects.
"WE LIKE USING Jefferson Starship,
Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, or just about
any 'space rock' like Pink Floyd's 'One of
these Days.' "
Gould says the five-member Illuminatus
is contemplating offers from as far as Omaha,
Nebraska. They also hope to be on tour with
a big name band in a couple years.
"Playing with the Starship, Genesis, ;or
BOC (Blue Oyster Cult) would certainly be
nice," he said. "Hopefully it's not only wish-
ful thinking. Light shows have so much to
offer concert audiences."
PERFECTED LIGHT SHOWS may just be
what concertgoers need for a total sensorial
experience and possibly a way to justify as-
tronomical ticket prices.
Illuminatus will perform at the Confusion
14 SCI-Fl Convention Jan. 28 at the Ann
Arbor Inn.
as powerful as
they need,"
Gould criticizes. "If that bean
accidentally fell on the aud-
ience, it probably would blind
someone.
Sooner or later
1
i
l
1
a
I
By JIM STIMSON The third cut is the experime
tal masterpiece of the albun
A NTHONY BRAXTON oper- It features Braxton on conti
ates on the fringe of modern bass sax, which has almosts
jazz. He is perpetually experi- low a register as a tuba. It hE
menting with new sounds, and a repetitive theme carried
has the musical skill to make the sax and piano, with impri
the sounds work. His latest ef- visational bits in between. T
fort is Duets. contrabass improvisations a
Braxton plays alto sax, so-I ingeniously original, especial]
prano sax, contrabass sax, clar- when Braxton begins to str
inet, E-Flat clarinet, and con- from the theme.
trabass clarinet. He is joined SCOTT JOPLIN'S "Mar
on Duets by pianist Muhal Rich- Leaf Rag," which opens Sid
ard Abrams. Both are members Two, is surprisingly tradition
of the Association for the Ad- Abrams carries the ragtime
vancement of Creative Music- ano off quite well.
ians (AACM), and Abrams was The second cut on this sid
president of the organization is another moody and errat
when Roscoe Mitchell intro- number, represented by yet a
duced Braxton to it ten years other inscrutable diagrar
ago. Braxton alternates sho
Braxton makes an honest squeaks and squeals with haun
statement on the back cover: ing, sustained notes, remini
"I hope this record can be en- cent of Charlie Mingus's "Sto
joyed." I enjoyed it, but I'm my W'ather," again with Er
not so sure everyone will. Dolnhv.
THE FIRST CUT is Eric Dol- The last song on the albumi
phy's "Miss Ann." Braxton re- "Nickie," a relaxed and melo
sembles Dolphy perhaps more ic piano piece. Braxton's al
than any other musician today, sax is smooth and mournfu
While Braxton does not imitate and sounds like a Mickey Sp
Dolphy on this number, ED's lane nightclub number playe
influence is felt in the general at 3 a.m.
mood and fast trills at the close This album, like Braxton
of improvisational phrases. previous efforts, Creative O
The second cut has no name, chestra Music, Trios and Duet
and is instead named by a dia- and In the Tradition, is esoter
gram of a deliberately obscure to extreme. Experimentatio
nature, It is an erratic, textural here is almost excessive, buti
piece, more concerned with can be tolerated for the par
mood than melody. This is one where everything fall togethe
number that many people will I would rate this "for afficion
listen to and say, "Whaaat?" dos only."
iI
someone is gonna get zap-
p~ed."
"War uses a laser three times as power-
fil as they need," Gould critimizes. "If that
beam accidentally fell on the audience, it
probably would blind someone. Sooner or
r
r .. I "mr .
Bowers
plays the
By MIKE TAYLOR status as an ex-con. It was
de and WENDY GOODMAN then that Bowers discovered thei
fl_ R 0 M "Rye Whiskey" to magic of the autoharp. Sincei
pi "Good King Wenceslas," then, he's been touring the coun-E
de Bryan Bowers had the folk-lov- try with his phenomenal music,I
ic ing audience at the Ark coffee and having the time of his life.r
n- house last Saturday night bounc- "Music is like making love," he(
M. ing to the b's in "My Bonnie asserts.t
rt Lies Over the Ocean" and hum- "Thumb plays rhythm, second
t- ming like a gospel choir tothe finger plays melody, first finger
s. strums of "Amazing Grass." plays low harmony. . ." and
r- Bowers, one of the world's fore- Bowers had explained to his
ic most auto-harpists, was doing spellbound audience of 150 how
what he likes to do best, mak- he produces the sounds of fid-;
is ing people happy and having a dles, banjos, guitars, and organs
d- great time himself. all with his wondrous auto-harp.
to Life has not always treated Bower's music is vivid and var-c
l, Bowers so kindly, though. Un- ied; diverse influences are evi-
il- like most musicians who enter dent in his choice of tunes,t
d the profession with years of which range from gospel ande
musical, experience, Bowers, old folk standards to new com-i
's who hails from New Bohemia, positions of his own. He includess
r- Virginia, turned to music out in his performance instrumentalt
s, of sheer desperation. After three and vocal numbers, sing-a-longs,
ic attempts to pass one last math and mellow songs, interspersedt
n course, Bowers gave up on col- with witty anecdotes. Describ-
it lege and bounced from job to ing his concert style, Bowers
ts job to selling dope until he land- remarked, "I sing for audiences,l
r. ed in jail. Paroled three months not at them."t
a- later, he found himself jobless BOWERS OPENED the eve-c
once again, due to his new nigh with a few perky instru-
mentals, followed by the amus-
ing Jimmy Driftwood tune "Get
up and Go" and the more som-
ber "Monday Morning," a song
by Britisher Cyril Towning. His
next selection, an instrumental
called "The Rights of Man,"
was an impressive as its title
as Bowers used his harp in
ways incomprehensible to any-
one else. Later, he taught his
audience Leadbelly's original
version of "Goodnight Irene,"
including the censored line, "I'll
get you in my dreams."
Perhaps the most moving song
f the evening was one of Bow-
ers' own Autobiographical in na-
ture, the tune recalls his prison
experience with deeply felt lyr-
ics. The chorus, "the world out-
side don't want to know" leads
to the conclusion, "and the
truth is, none of us wants to
know."
Bowers divides his time equal-
ly between small, intimate set-
tings like the Ark, concerts,
club dates, and festivals. While'
he enjoys the opportunity to
Ark
I play softer tunes to small audi-
ences, "when I play a festival,!
something happens. It's another
energy level." When he's not
touring, Bowers lives in Wash-'
ington. Right now, he's in the
process of recording his first al-I
bum, for Flying Fish Records in
Chicago.
When Bowers' performance
was over, enthusiastic applause
brought him back for an im-
1 promptu encore. Making the
words up as he went along, he
smiled at his experiences at
the Ark. He sang of David and
Linda Siglin, owners of the Ark,
celebrating their twelfth wed-
ding anniversary, and of their
nine-year-old daughter and their
"crumb-faced dog.' Before the
show began, one returning fan
commented that the Ark was
"a refuge from the turbulence
of the world." Bowers support-
ed that feeling by ending his
encore with the line, "we should
be thankful ,for a place like
this."
THE LANGUAGE OF COLOR AND FORM
A demonstration of painting and sculpture by Artists-in-
Residence of Rudolf Steiner House
ROBERT LOGSDON; painter
MICHAEL HOWARD, sculptor
in the OPEN HEARTH SERIES, at the
Pendleton Room, Michigan Union
Thursday, Jan. 13, 1977, 12noon
The public is welcome No admission charge
Lr
Beautiful laser caused patterns emerge,
from complicated equipment, part of a light
show produced by Photon Drive, Inc., a lo-
cal business.
NEW BOG DANOVICH FLICK
Nickelodeon:
Shopworn
bore
THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
and THE DANCE DEPARTMENT
PRESENTI
JAVANESE DANCE CLASSES
Guest artist-in-residence: SOEDARSONO
JAVANESE FEMALE DANCE MWF 9-10
JAVANESE MALE DANCE ...... T Th 10:30-12
Information: Dance Departmerit, Barbour Gym,764-6273
'9
By DAVID KEEPS
TAKE A CLOSE LOOK at any
Peter Bogdanavich film and
you're sure to notice something
old, something new, and a hellu-
va lot borrowed. A case in point.
in his latest, Nickelodeon.
Ostensibly, Nickelodeon is a
comedy about the pioneer days
of filmmaking, but in Bogdana-
vich's hands it becomes a bor-
ing contrivance with more than
a hint of Hollywood necrophilia.
The guy has no shame. Several
years back he reworked the
Cary Grant-Katherine Hepburn
screwball comedy Bringing Up
Baby, and turned it into What's
Up, Doc? Despite the pilfering,
What's Up, Doc? had a lot of
funny antics, most of which have
resurfaced in Nickelodeon.
The only exvlanation I can
muster is that Bogdanavich has
a lot of obsessions and a short-
term memory. What were fun-
ny antics in What's Up, Doc?
and Paper Moon are simply
shopworn gimmicks in Nickelo-
deon.
THE FILM opens in Chicago,
where Leo Harrigan (Ryan 0'-
Neal) accidentally becomes a
writer for a silent film com-
pany by ripping off a story
from the Saturday Evening
Post. That day he meets a
beautiful stranger (Jane Hitch-
cock) who is on her way to
New York. They trip over each
other and fall somewhat in love,
an indication of the pseudo-slick
slapstick pratfulls and puns to'
come.
Meanwhile, Buck (Burt Rey-
nolds), a Floridian stumblebum,
fumbles his way into the film
business in New York, where-
you guessed it - he meets th1e
By this time, Harrigan is sent reincarnates his Cary Grant im- i difficult to predict her
to- take charge of a stranded personation one more time, and. as an actress. As I sat 1
film unit in Cuckamunga. There it's minimally effective. Unlike all the rehashed comedy
to meet him is Alice, played by Paper Moon, the animosity be- rarely raucous film, I a
Tatum O'Neal, who owns a dog tween father and daughter O'- help wondering, among
named Leo, which is also Har- Neal comes off as artificial, things, "Why this gir
rigan's name, and the butt of leaving Tatum with very little wasn't until nearly thre
too many jokes. to do in this film. Burt Rey- ters through that I fou
PRESENTLY BUCK turns up nolds comes off the best, answer. As her profile
as a hired assassin, but eventu though his role isn't exactlytax- toward the camera, I c
ally turns into the star of Leo's ing upon his comedic talents. help noticing a distinct r
productions and future husband The only surprise the film has lance to Cybil Sheperd.
of the aforementioned Hitch- to offer is yet another Peter
cock, who arrives with a road- Bogdanavich discovery - Jane What did I tell you
show. Hitchcock. At this point it is obsessions?
future
through
in this
couldn't
other
r?" It
e-quar-
nd the
turned
couldn't
esemb
about:
The cast assembled, Bogdana-
vich plays out his well known
hand, with no aces up his
sleeve, The slapstick is tired,
the characters vapid, thetdia-
logue flat and the comedy thin.
Although te screenplay suf-
fers- from terminal stupidity,
some of the cameo actors man-
age to put in better than ade-
quate performances. Brian Keith
heads the list playing a grizzly
bear of a movie mogul, with
Stella Stevens willfully tragic
as his mistress. Also excellent
is Phillip Bruns, on hiatus from
his role as Mary Hartman's
father, as the manager of the
roadshow.
AS FOR THE principals, the
less said, the less humiliating
for them. No doubt they are
chagrined enough. Ryan O'Neal
MODIFY YOUR
UN DESIREABLE BEHAVIORS
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2) STOP CIGARETTE SMOKING
3) INCREASE STUDY SKILLS
4) STOP BITING FINGER NAILS
5) EXERCISE MORE FREQUENTLY
6) MEET MORE PEOPLE
7) COMPLETE YOUR DISSERTATION
8) CHANGE OTHER MINOR
MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIORS
Students in Psychology 414 (Advanced Laboratory in
Bahvior Modification) in Cooperation with the Institute of
Behavior Change, will work with you in changing your
undersidable behaviors.
For Registration Information CALL: 994-3332
2200 FULLER RD.-Suite 209
I
CHAPLIN'S 1925
THE GOLD RUSH
(AT 7 ONLY)
The tramp goes north to strike it rich during the Klondike
rush of 1898 and nearly ends up as dinner for a partner
who thinks he looks like a chicken. Chaplin's finest.
SHORT: Keaton's THE BLACKSMITH.
KEATON'S 1926
THE GENERAL
Buster runs a locomotive during the Civil War until the
Yankees steal it from him. The chase he makes to get it
back is one of the funniest in American Cinema. SHORT:
CHAPLIN COMEDY.
CINEMA GUILD Double feature
$2 for both OLD ARCH. AUD.
0
I
"
TUES.-WED.$
TACOMA RECORDS
NORMAN
BLAKE
3.50 '4.
ANN AL1pCL? [lM CC-o))
TONIGHT
ROBERT DeNIRO and HARVEY KEITEL
IN
MARTIN SCORSESE'S
MEAN STREETS
IN
NOW
--MOON"
I
ENJOY
MIME
CLASSES AT
guitar,
fiddle,
mandolin
of the three
flatpickers
(MARTIN SCORSESE, 1974)
7 &9
Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel burn up the screen in
Scorsese's sensual evocation of the underside of New York's
Little Italy. Explosively original and daring, at times frighten-
ening and funny, MEAN STREETS is above all honest,
"Exquisite, savage, compassionate and brilliant"--Joseph
- One
y best
I
9