REC O RD S By MARK DIGHTON Well, singles compilation albums have finally-come of age with the latest Planet Records release, Sharp Cuts. Fromthe earliest singles albums com- posed of uniformly faceless punk sludge, we now have before us a well- pronounced album of pleasant but not predictable MOR rock. Along the way,, 'there have been more adventurous "collections, but few have been as con- ,istently pleasing as this compilation of nsigned American bands. CIs Of course, the bands on this album are neither as unique nor as frenetic as Aheir predecessors. In fact, they are uite unavoidably second-(if not third-) generation bands. But their production qualities and melodic deftness have progressed light years from those early days. They also aren't preprogrammed as some of the bands passing for "new wave" are nowadays. These groups are instead stuck in a sort of grey no-bands- land. They are not corporate enough to get any big-bucks backing and not outrageous enough to stir up any media *nterest That doesn't mean they don't deserve to be heard, however. It may already be a cliche, but this glbum proves once and for all (no, -really!) that the restricted and unad- venturous artist rosters of the major record companies are really shutting a lot a deserving, professional bands out of the chance to make records. Almost :half of the bands on this album are clearly ready to make their mark on our record collectons with an album on major label.' THE BAND that fairly screams on this album to have hit single is Single Bullet Theory. With a good producer, their contribution, "Keep It Tight," could be a good bet for that hit single. It's not really power pop, it isn't surf, it isn't even a Motown cover. In short, it's just plain not trendy. What it is, though, is a classic rock ballad you wouldn't be surprised at all to hear on the radio ... and that's just where -it belongs. My favorite cut on the album is "Soul Kiss" by the dB's. It lives up to-if not surpasses-the reputation that preceded it. As a single, it succeeds in quirky enthusiasm without overflowing into the annoying coyness that plagued some of Chris Stamey's solo singles. A few of the other singles sound disturbingly similar.' At least three of these bands are trying to meld the new wave revival of gutsy rhythm and blues into a mainstream format. Unfor- tunately, for different reasons, none of them are tompletely successful. "I'm Gonna Follow You" by Billy Thermal is by far the best in its sultry, menacing tone. If Foreigner weren't so smug, they might be able to pull off something this effective. The Willys' entry, "She's Illegal," is built around an intriguing mysterious keyboard riff, but too often can be written off as a vague imitation of Mink Deville. "Live Among the Dan- cers" by Bates Motel is a more solidly mainstream song, but the r&b stylings of the vocalist are nothing if not forced. PETER DAYTON'S "Last Supper" is the most unusual song on the album with its industrial guitars, mechanical drumming, -and dependable rhythm synthesizers. He comes off as a sort of a suburban Gary Numan with an angst- ridden, teen-age point of view, you might say. Unfortunately, even an (at first) witty line like "Just had my last hamburger and milkshake" can be pretty annoying when it is repeated meaninglessly for half the length of the song. The Know's contribution to this album is not really bad ... but it's not as good as one might expect it to be. I mean, all we need is one more truly unique look at interpersonal relation- ships like "I Like Girls." Although Gary Valentine-the former bassist for Blondie-seems to be chock full of *-*" b, - s n'i u.p Kids just wannadance. Kids at the clubs In rock and roll bands, Kids just wanna dance on American Bandstand." Sometimes it's surprising- how fun in- sipidness can be, though. The only song that comes close to failing is "Unable" by Suburban Lawns. It transplants evasive intellec- tual posturing for a clear sense of direc- tion and/or melody. Having a guitarist with the last name of Ennui is a dead giveaway that this band doesn't even believe in fun as an abstract concept. Besides, Su Tissue's screechy lead vocals are only distinguished from the bored drone of Niagra (of Destroy All Monsters) in that Su apparently hasn't done enough drugs yet to cause her to jslur her words. I guess with such a mixed bag as this album represents, you're' bound to come up with a few losers ... but at least this one also has its share of win- ners. None of the songs are really bad, either, even the annoyingly arty Subur- ban Lawns. All of them manage to be fun or interesting or dancable in one way or another. What is most sur- prising is the overall consistency and competence that marks this album. Bands like these speak well for the future of rock and roll on American radio and in American garages. " f Subscribe to The Daily! The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, April 8, 1980--Poa 7 R C student plays to be staged Student playwrights will have a chance to see their works staged in public with From Stage to Page, an evening of original theatre to be presented in East Quad's Residential College Auditorium April 10 through 13 at 8 p.m. The production is being staged by the R. C. Play/Workshop, a collaborative ensemble that originated out of a class traught in the R.C. program. From Stage to Page, their first major effort, is entirely the work of the students, who have drawn upon their own resources for the set and lighting design, direction and acting, as well as the original material. EACH OF the four nights will be divided into two sections. The first hald will consist of approximately eight comic and dramatic scenes. The latter half of each performance will be occupied, on 'alternate nights, by one of two longer plays: "Gambit," a work "concerning the disparity betweem illusion and reality," by Joanne Reilly; and Blake E. Radclif- fe's "The Return of the Conquering Hero Alfred Englethorp," described as a "Brechtian-style comedy." In: all of these segments, the actors, playwrights, and directors of 24- member company combine their talents. Tickets for the evenings are $2.00, and will be available at the door. Use Daily Classifieds 0 talent, he also seems to be stuck dredging up '60's teen-dream retreads' for one last energetic run-through (not1 unlike another currently popular band from Detroit whose name begins with "R" and ends with "omantics"). There's nothing wrong with that, as this piece of perfectionist pop will attest, but excuse me if I have to ask, "But is that all?" Surprisingly, "Kids Just Wanna Dan- ce" by The Fast is not as annoying as the group looks in their photo. Unfor- tunately, it is every bit as vaccuous and predictable. Catch these immortal lines: "Kids in Japan, Kids in Rome and France ANN ARBOR CIVIC THEATRE presents: "THE CRUCIBLE by ARTHUR MILLER cat Lydia Mendelssohn April 9-12 CURTAIN 8:00 pm C f I I.. GEORGETOWN [UNIVERSITY Summer Sessions iment/Business/Sociology Internships gton Laboratory HOME DEFENDANTS STAND MUTE BEFORE COURT: Bouncers charged with assault 0l D D D D Language Institutes English as a Foreign Language College Preparation Ethics Institute Writer's Conference SIETAR Institute Govern Washin i1 t t1 (Continued trom Page i ) ~omeone threw a beer mug at him. He said the bouncers apparently thought 'he was involved in the mug throwing, and asked DeJonge and his brother to s-leave. DeJonge said that suddenly a boun- cer said to him;','' really like to beat the "hell out of you-big guys." "He was trying to provoke a fight," said DeJonge. DeJonge said after he responded with a profanity, "all these. hands grabbed me, and they started icking me." DeJonge said there were ve bouncers around him. "I DIDN'T STAND a prayer. They kicked me in the back. I got to my knees, trying to protect myself." D.e - Jonge said the bouncer continued to hit him, and DeJonge bit his assailant. "He went insane. He kicked me in the head. That's all I remember seeing." DeJonge said he was pulled by a boun- cer from the bar. After the incident, DeJonge said both Of his eyes were swollen shut, he had black and blue marks about his body, his knees were injured, he had a cut near his ear, 'and his jaw was swollen, .as was his forehead. Mark Hopper, DeJonge's attorney, said criminal charges have been filed against one of the assailants, and Hopper said he was planning to file a civil action later this week. {SECOND CHANCE Manager Con- nors said the bouncers use force "very *'ldom." ' "The doormen are instructed to han- dle things without force," Connors said. ,";They're very well-controlled." However, less than five minutes after three Daily reporters arrived at the bar last Friday night, a bouncer with no ap- parent reason struck a patron standing quietly near the staircase. THE BOUNCER swung around and watched for .the patron's reaction. The *atron walked away slowly. A 24-year-old Farmington Hills man, who asked not to be identified, said he suffered injuries in the same incident as that which involved DeJonge. He said that near closing time, he saw DeJonge on the floor. "The bouncers were pounding the hell out of his face." The man said a friend attempted to intervene to help DeJonge and pleaded with the bouncers: "Stop it! You're killing hirm!" The man said his friend was punched "two or three times" in the face, and then as the man tried to aid his friend, he was grabbed by Abbott. "He attempted to throw me over the balcony from the second to the first floor," the man said. "I REPEATEDLY told him to 'Stop it!,' but he repeatedly hit me in the face. He attempted to choke me. Then he pulled me down the stairs by my hair. Then he hit me again," the man said. "I never once, never once, hit the men," he said. The man said he had been to see a doctor several times since the incident oeurred, and has been told he has a shattered eye socket, a broken septum, and partial paralysis of his nose, gums, and one side of his face. In addition, he said two of his teeth were shoved in. ALLAN, GOSDZINSKI said he was also attacked, on March 22. His alleged assailant was Dalder. Though he did not describe the incident or his injuries in much detail, he said that without provocation, he was held to the ground by several bouncers, and kicked in the face. One of two witnesses contacted said Gosdzinski "was really worked over." The witness said after receiving the injuries, Gosdzinski frequently vomited blood. A second witness, Ralph White, a Baits Housing resident, said he heard a noise at the bar, and when he looked on the floor, he saw a bouncer wearing boots kicking him in the face. White added that about 30 or 40 people witnessed the incident, though he said there have been few people who have actually volunteered information to the police. The Farmington Hills victim also expressed disappointment with the lack of interest demonstrated by witnesses and onlookers. "No one came by to aid," he said. He added that he has received very little help because witnesses have not come forth. .1 know there were people in there,'' he said. "There had to be people that saw this." 0 Over 200 graduate and undergraduate courses Sessions: Pre-May 19 -June 13 First-June 9 -July 12 Second-July 14 - August 15 Cross-June 9/23 - August 1 ABROAD 'E Q Siena, Italy- Italian Trier, W. Germany-German Dijon, France-French. Quito, Ecuador-Spanish Oxford, England-Business Administration SEND MORE INFORMATION (check above) Thursday, April 10, 1980 David Kupfer DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH EEG Sleep & Affective Disorders MHRI Conference Room 1057 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. tea 3:15 p.m. MHRI Lounge THE CENTER FOR SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES announces a lecture by HIS EXCELLENCY, PUNCH COOMARASWAMY, The Ambassador to the United States from THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE "SINGAPORE, ASIA AND THE WEST" Name.......................................................................... ... . --.-.----- Zip --.---- --- .----- Mail to: School for Summer and Continuing Education Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 20057/or Call (202) 625-3001 Georgetown University is an equal opportunity/affirmative 39 action institution in employment and admissions. 3 Tuesday, April 8, 1980 3:00-5:00 p.m. West Conference Room 4th floor, Rackham Bldg. An informal reception will follow the lecture i Do a Tree .a Favor: Recyle Your Daily