Page 4-Saturday, July 15, 1978-The Michigan Daily
Recalling old times with CSN
By PATRICIA FABRIZIO
Situation : three musicians from
three bands join together, produce a
scant three albums amidst tumultuous
personality clashes, disband for six
years, then rejoin, make a new record,
and proceed to sell out concerts from
border to border.
Th ese three troubadours are, of
course, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and in
these days of unearthly special effects
rock, their good-time, laid-back concert
at Pine Knob was truly a fine occasion.
These beloved American Beatles are,
enjoying their second trip to the top,
11 r latment*
and all four of their Pine Knob shows
were sold out. I saw the Thursday night
performance, and it was spirited, folky,
rocking, mellow - everything that is
Crosby, Stills and Nash.
THE AUDIENCE was mostly the 20-
25 set, with a smattering of young kids,
and comprised largely of old fans come
to pay tribute to their heroes. The band
no longer bore the signs of political
dogma with as much intensity, but they
produced what everyone wanted to
hear - a 22-song concert, the majority
of numbers culled from the albums
Crosby, Stills and Nash and Deja Vu, as
well as four songs from CSN. Also
featured was a riveting '70s version of
Stills' Buffalo Springfield hit "For
What It's Worth," as well as "Turn
Back," from his Manassas days.
At one point, Stills did a solo version
of "No Change," demonstrating the
guitar virtuosity often overshadowed
by the glorious blending of the group's
harmonies. But the group's vocal chor-
ds were in full splendor, and the in-
tricate harmonies were perfectly
executed and marvelous to behold. "4 &
20" was greatly enhanced by Crosby
and Nash's added vocalizations.
THE BACK-UP musicians, primarily
See CSN, Page 14
Doily Photo by ANDY FREEBERG
David Crosby, Steven Stills and Graham Nash give the Pine Knob crowd a dose of their unique blend of music during this
week's four-day stint. The group is on its second U.S. tour since rejoining.
Crowd relishes R icci's wizardry
By STEPHEN PICKOVER
The one day of this glorious week
when the weather knew there would be
an outdoor concert at Meadow Brook, it
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
RuggieroRicci, violinist
Kazuhiro Koizumi, conductor
MeadowBrookMusicFestival
TanukCnser Overture ................. Wagner
Violin Concerto No. I
inDmajor................. Paganini
Symphony No.5 in c minor .......... Beethoven
shot the humidity to unbearable levels
and overcast the sky with dirty gray,
foreboding clouds. But, the
management of Meadow Brook had ob-
viously planned ahead - knowing in-
stinctively that the air would be like
jello - and scheduled Wagner's
Tanhauser Overture to open Thursday
evening's performance, a work that
made the atmosphere seem even
thicker.
This overture falls between the
majesty of Mozart and the lush roman-
ticism of Tchaikovsky, and it falls like a
souffle. The piece is lugubrious, and
crawls along like a large, wounded
snail. Kazuhiro Koizumi, music direc-
tor of the New Japan Philharmonic and
making his debut at Meadow Brook,
took the piece as well as could be expec-
"WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE?"
Psalms 2:1. and Acts 4:25
Not long ago a policeman said to the writer: "You better kill the devil?" Reckon maybesometimes God answersback
keep your eye on these kids, some of them will kill you". We and says: "Why don't you kill him? Have i not told you to
quote from a letter from a lady who wrote: "I know we have a "Resist the devii" and "Give no place to the devil?"HaveI not
lot of fine young people, but we also have some of the given you plenty of commands in My Word, pointing out
meanest that ever lived, al about". circumstances and details, and the -perilous results of
From the following news items it appears these folksknew disobedience? It appears you desireto have the devil 'abide
what they were talking about. A morning's paper told of with you always, even unto the end' "
some young people ina car shooting others in another car. The writer recalls reading when a boy about a farmer
Another morning we read ofaa teenager killing another one heterrebayls readin wherry a.oupasfarmer
with a knifel Before that we were treated with the story of a shooting a boy he found up in his cherry tree. I uppoet ihe
boy going to a closet to get a tool to do some work for his reason I remember It so well Is on account of how it
father, but instead of getting the tool he picked up a shotgun mfrotnmemyenthvgeouhsrpstokp
and killed his father I thinkItwas reportedthathesaid hedid mefromdoing the same thing If I was sure of getting by with
not know why he did il Itl in those days no one blamed the farmer, and no one
Often in recent times we have heard of wholesale killings sympathised with the boy to the extent of excusing or jus-
with the explanation: "1 don't know why I did it" The follow- tlfying him-heaaked for it, and he got tll Time andagain you
Ing might throw some light on the matter: Dante,in hisvision can hear God Almighty speaking In His Word about as
and visit to hell on one occasion saw a man down there follows: "Strike crime hard, that others may hear, and fear,
whom he knewto be alveon earth. The"Shade"explained to adnmoescev"
him that sometimes when a man got extra low down and vile True Christianity Is warfare. When The Sword is drawn,
and mean his soul Is carried down to hell before physical The Sword of The Spirit, and used somebody Is going to get
death, and a demon takes possession of his body and huril If you get killed God will raise you from the deadl if you
animates It on earth until its time has run its course-a get wounded The Lord will come with "Healing in His
demon takes its place In a body that walks, and sleeps and Wings!" Sometimes the Sword of The Spirit puts a "material
drinks, and puts on clothes, and goes about lying, stealing, steelsword"in the handsof some to keepilaw and order, for it
killing, raping, and promoting the devil's business. is not the will of God that there should be disorderand con-
Did you ever hear one ask the question: "Why don't God fusion here belowi
P.O. BOX 405. DECATUR. GA. 30031
ted. He enjoys the dramatic pause, that
hesitation which makes the audience sit
forward in their seats a bit and listen
with expectation. It worked in this piece
and in Beethoven's Fifth Symphony,
but was totally ineffective and an-
noying in the evening's main work, the
Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1 in D
major, with guest virtuoso Ruggiero
Ricci performing the devilish
pyrotechnics.
THIS CONCERTO is essentially a
violin showpiece, with the orchestra
doing little besides elementary accom-
paniment. However, as with many such
works, the orchestra opens with the
main themes, allowing the soloist to
make an "entrance."
The orchestra lacked the excitement
and vitality which should open this
piece, sounding rather thin. They were
merely functional for the remainder.
Ricci, however, was dazzling. A native
San Franciscan, he made his debut in
New York almost fifty years ago and
has played in roughly 4,000 concerts
throughout the world. He is especially
associated with Paganini, as he was the
first to perform all twenty-four of the
Caprices, in addition to premiering the
newly discovered Fourth Violin Concer-
to in the United States.
THROUGHOUT the concerto and two
encores, one of which included a ver-
sion of "My Country Tis of Thee" by
Paganini, Ricci's technical skill was
fantastic. Particularly impressive was
his rippling spiccato, caliope-like har-
monics and rapid-fire left 'hand piz-
zacato, an amazing and difficult feat. A
brilliant performance.
Koizumi took Beethoven's monumen-
tal war-horse and gave it a rich tone,
while maintaining a smartness and
precision- not often heard in the work.
The last two movemepts, both Allegro,
wpr" wel " vifia " mitI nt h