s.'
ARTS
The Michigan Daily
Records
Thursday, January 27, 1983
Page 7
Dan Fogelberg-'Greatest
Hits' (Epic)
Since most of Dan Fogelberg's
popular success has developed over the
past two or three years, it isn't sur-
prising that his latest release, Greatest
Hits, is heavily weighted with tunes
from his most recent albums. Four of
the ten songs on this collection are
culled from his last album, The In-
nocent Age, and following a recent
record industry trend, two of these
"greatest hits" are previously
unreleased recordings.
Of the new songs, the better is easily
"Missing You," with its smooth-rolling
rock melody and a tastily arranged
percussion base. Layered on top is a
careful blend of synthesizer, strings
and guitar, and of course, Fogelberg's
heartfelt vocals. It's Top-40 stuff, but of
the highest caliber.
Although Greatest Hits doesn't
present much of a retrospective of
Fogelberg's career, it does give a fair
cross-section of his stylistic range.
Fogelberg shows some kick with
"Missing You," and on the album it is
b immediately preceeded by the ex-
crutiatingly mellow "Longer" (1979).
Only one tune represents Fogelberg's
output pre-1978, but the choice is a good
one. "Part of the Plan" (1974) is a
lively Joe Walsh-produced cut from the
LP Souvenirs. And Greatest Hits in-
cludes what may be Fogelberg's best
piece of recording, the eloquent "Same
Old Lang Syne" (1980).
Dan Fogelberg has a reputation for
producing intelligent, well-crafted
tunes. Although as a compilation it's
far from perfect, Greatest Hits is a
pleasant collection of his single
releases.
-Michael Baadtke
Preston Reed-'Pointing Up'
(Flying Fish)
Pianist Van Cliburn hates
Tschaikowsky's First Piano Concerto;
Roy Clark despises "Dueling Banjos";
and Preston Reed can't stand half of the
songs on his latest album. All three
men are virtuosos in their own right; all
three have a musical specialty for
which they are at least somewhat
revered; and all three are undoubtedly
sick to death of what is expected of
them.
While Preston Reed lacks the
recognition of the two former exam-
ples, he nevertheless deserves equal
praise for his skill as an acoustic guitar
player. The most striking thing about.
his second album, Pointing Up, is its
ability to convey Reed's incredible ver-
satility of skill and sentiment. His
techinical skills are very nearly
flawless and he coaxes an incredible
range of emotion from his instrument.
This musical sensitivity is exhibited
in "Cane Bay," a hauntingly beautiful
piece that makes the listener long for
the words behind the music.
Half of the songs on this album
possess this emotional content,
produced through complex chord
arrangements and rhythmic ar-
ticulation. The other half, however, is
more like what we expect from a young,
exuberant, fun-loving guitar player,
Preston Reed is a victim. He has
been victimized by all those foot stom-
pin' (note the 'postrophe) rip roarin'
folk fans who feed on up-beat,
inevitably happy, always one-
dimensional folk songs. Nothing again-
st this group really, except that they all
too often eclipse other capabilities of
the folk idiom. It is hard to believe that
a musicial of Reed's skill and sen-
sitivity would willingly include on this
album a song with the implied
emotional content of "Fun With
Wally". Beaver Cleaver, Reed is not.
The trouble essentially is that
specialization for a folk musician is not
that practical. Not enough people are
listening to folk music these days and so
the artist is forced to try to please many
diverse tastes. This album does
manage to please just about everyone
with its mixture of jazz, blues, and
country-influenced tunes, but it doesn't
succeed at satisfying any one in-
dividual.
The effect of just about any song on
the album is quelled by the song
following it. The intensity of his more
thoughtful tunes is encroached upon by
the rowdy ones. The unifying force of
the album lies solely in Reed's in-
credible finger-picking skills.
What he has done is to give us an
album of his greatest hits without first
giving us the preceding albums. Poin-
ting Up is not an experience, it is an
exhibition. Exhibitionism is fun for a
little while but it always leaves you
wanting the real thing.
-Jim Boyd
Maurice Ravel-'Bolero'
'Daphnis et Chloe'
'Alborada del gracioso'
(Angel)
Ho hum, you say; another Bolero
record. Dudley Moore strikes again,
this time with Riccardo Muti conduc-
ting the Philadelphia Orchestra in a
digital recording. You've heard a hun-
dred times or more, and it's just the
same thing playing over and over
again; the theme is fine and the idea is
interesting, and Muti plays it safe and
strong, but there are so many
Boleros. And Boleros like sex with Bo
Derek, is bound to get routinized some
time, if you play it enough.
On the other hand, if it takes a Bolero
to bring out great Ravel works like
Daphnis et Chloe (Suite No. 2) on the
flip side, I don't mind at all. Begun in
1909, the work is what the French Com-
poser called "a choreographic sym-
phony," and the dancing quality is
evident in each of the three par-
ts-Lever du jour, Pantomine, and
Danse generale-commissioned by the
Russian ballet master, Serge de
Diaghilev.
At its best, Ravel material possesses
an almost dreamlike quality, with wild
arpeggios and chromatic scales run-
ning along the score with abandon.
Almost like Debussy, except with more
passion and verve. Ravel punctuates
his work, as in the Alborada, with sharp
snare rolls and gutsy brass. His is a
modern temperament with flights of
pastoral calm and sudden deter-
mination.
Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra
do an admirable job of both Daphnia
and Alborada; the calms are just
delicate enough and the brass is brash.
In the right mood it's like having a river
of music coming out of the
speakers-stillness and rapids
sweeping and swirling around you.
It's refreshing enough to make even
Bolero a thumping treat once again
-Ben Ticho
Battlefield Band-'The Story
So Far . . . '(Flying Fish)
The Battlefield Band has been an
item on the folk circuit for over ten
years, though only more recently has
their exposure branched beyond their
native Scotland to North American
listeners.
During this time they released six
albums on various European labels,
none of which were readily available in
this country. Flying Fish Records has
recently released a collection of
greatest hits as it were; the best recor-
dings from past albums of the Bat-
tlefield Band's history. The Story So
Far...is a well balanced mixture of in-
strumentals, ballads and original
songs, all in the authentic (they are, af-
ter all, native) Scottish tradition.
The Album demonstrates both in-
strumental experimentation and the
band's wide exploration of Scottish
music. Most outstanding is the diver-
sity of the fourteen selections on the
album.
There is a decent rendition of Robert
Burns' autobiographical "Rantin'
Rovin' Robin" and a Gaelic melody
"Ge Do Theid Mi Do M'Leadbaidh"
(you pronounce it). Translated as
"Though I go to bed, little does sleep
come," this is a beautiful instrumental
played on the unlikely combination of
pedal organ, fiddle, whistles and guitar
with lullabye-like grace.
Finally, there are the characteristic
jigs and bagpipe numbers, some of
which are less palatable than others,
depending on what your bag is-Nor-
thumbrian, Highland or traditional
Scottish bagpipes.
The present Battlefield Band consists
of Brian McNeill, Alan Reid, Duncan
MacGillivray, and Ged Foley, though
many talented musicians who have
passed through the band are featured
on "The Story So Far..." The album has
taken ten years of music, not to mention
a vast turnover of musicians, and
produced a gem of a collection.
Just beware of one thing: the unex-
pected pronunciations of seemingly in-
nocent words. The record is authen-
tically Scottish. A bonnie relic, aye.
-Jennifer Gamson
'Streetcar'
By Sherry Gordon
T ENNESSEE WILLIAM'S classic play, A Street-
car Named Desire, comes to life tonight and all
weekend on the intimate stage of Saline High School
Auditorium. Former University student Joshua Peck
directs the Saline Area Players in the well-known
Southern drama which he calls, "not an intellectual
exercise, (but) a damned entertaining work."
An ever-popular play and movie (starring Marlon
Brando and Vivian Leigh), Streetcar follows a vin-
tage Williams' storyline. Stanley and Stella Kowalski
are Southern newlyweds visited by Stella's sister,
Blanche. From the moment of her entrance, Blan-
che, a self-styled Antebellum princess, provokes
much tension in the Kowlaski household. Her scenes
drives
into town
with Stan are masterpieces of sexual energy and con-
frontation..
Peck professes to appreciate the ironies and sub-
tleties of. Williams' world. "Tennessee Williams is
incredibly cynical, yet he shows a faint breath of op-
timism that works its way in every direction in A
Streetcar Named Desire," he said. "Stella and
Stanley Kowalski are newlyweds who cannot afford
the luxuries of life, but they manage to hold onto
Williams' breath of optimism."
Peck brings a diversity of experience to his role as
director. As a University student, he held the position
of drama critic and opinion page editor at the
Michigan Daily. Peck now writes freelance articles
for the Ann Arbor News and other publications, thus
extending his experience in theater criticism, which
he calls "my favorite type of writing."
Arriving at the University in 1975 Peck acted in
many local theatrical productions including As You
Like It.He spent five years at the University and con-
tinued his lifelong interest in acting through various
performances including Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof
in 1981.
Peck considers his role as the director of Streetcar
one of vital importance. "Good directing gets talent
produced," he said. "Directors have a role to lead an
intelligent dialogue with other theatergoers. I'm
definitely trying to do something worthwhile,
because Williams did."
Beyond his own responsibilities, however, Peck
hopes to make his audiences dQ some thinking as
well. "I'd like to share the experience of this play
with the audience; I want them to determine their
own overall implications," he said. Thus, director
Peck keeps the play open: "I don't want to limit their
own experiences.'
Baroque music to be
By Todd Levin
Y OU ARE strongly urged to take
an hour off on this Thursday
evening and listen to what might be two
of the finest performers in the country.
Many people who read preview articles
for renaissance and baroque music
such as this turn the page because of
lack of interest. Don't do it.
This concert not only has good music
played by top-notch performers, but is
a benefit for the Nuclear Weapons
Freeze. It will take place at the First
Methodist Church as the corner of
Huron and State streets. Performance
time will be 8:30, and tickets are only
$2.00 for students and $4.00 for all
others.
Keyboardist Edward Parmentier is
an assistant professor at the School of
Music and also a member of the Early
'Music Ensemble as well as president of
the Academy of Early Music. This
summer he will spend three months
performing in Europe. I have had the
opportunity to hear Parmentier play
and he is amazing.
The other artist to be featured,
violinist Sarah Summer, graduated
from Harvard where she studied com-
position. Sumner has performed with
many chamber groups and orchestras
performed
including the Smithsonian Chamber
Players and Ars Musica.
The music represented will include
one solo piece for each performer and
two duo pieces. Composers included are
Bach, Teleman, Foqueray and Mon-
donville. Whether you want to expose
yourself to some new music, benefit the
Nuclear Weapons Freeze, or just take a
break from studying, spend an hour at
the First Methodist Church Thursday
evening and support two of Ann Arbor's
finest classical musicians.
Subscribe to The
Michigan Daily
764-0558
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woodworking, riflery, land sports, swim-
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plus room and board.
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