ARTS
The Michigan Daily
Thursday, March 31, 1983
Page 7
Records
Loudon Wainwright III-
'Fame and Wealth'
(Rounder)
On his ninth album, Fame and
Wealth, Loudon Wainwright III has
come full circle. He returns to the
folk- based stylings of his musical
beginnings, while exhibiting all of the
experience and talent he's developed
over thirteen years of recording. The
compositions on this new LP rank
among the best, and they are displayed
in a primarily acoustic setting, with
a mimimum of back-up support. Wain-
wright's performances on guitar and
banjo are agile and sharp, and the
songs flaunt a wry wisdom one achieves
only through experience.
The album opens and closes with two
songs which act as pleas for help-the
first seemingly serious, the latter
definitely comic. "Reader and Ad-
visor," which opens side one, is the cry
of a man frozen by indecision, and
looking for answers from a
questionable authority. The need for
assurance which sustains the song acts
as an introduction to the theme of
familial bonds which occurs throughout
the album.
These bonds are perhaps most deeply
explored on "April Fools Day Morn," a
song which is both extraordinarily ten-
der in its description of the relationship
between a mother and her "breech-
born son," and horrific in its descrip-
tion of how that adult son spends his
"April Fools Day Morn." The two op-
posing themes create a song of
remarkable dichotomy, telling much
yet leaving still more unsaid.
On a delightfully witty tune entitled
"Dump The Dog," Wainwright explains
his own perspective of family life:
It's too much trouble
And too much bother
I have stood all I can stand
I'm ason and I'm afather
Iam just a middle man
In his role as father, he sings a
touching song for his daughter, Mar-
tha, "Five Years Old." The love he ex-
pressed here is warm and unconcealed,
but also a little sad: "I'm sorry I can't
be there for the party, birthday girl.
(Wainwright lives in New York; his ex-
wife, singer Kate McGarrigle and their
two children live in Montreal). "Five
Years Old" is the only tune on the
album to feature a full back-up group,
although they remain true to the up-
dated folk sound of the LP.
Wainwright's guitar performances on
Fame and Wealth are colorful and ex-
pressive for the most part. On a paean
to friendship entitled "Thick + Thin"
he uses the guitar to sedately em-
phasize the heartfelt lyric; on
"Revenge" he chops out chords to the
best of a non-stop stream of hilarious
threats.
Wainwright's noted humor remains
precise and entertaining on this album.
"IDTTYWLM" carries off one mar-
velous joke in its title alone, and the
song itself is easily one of Wainwright's
funniest. With "Dump The Dog" Wain-
wright provides a selection of con-
voluted explanations about life: he
prefers hockey over other traditional
sports because You must play
without a ball/Think about it! He
brings his whacked-out wisdom home
Mailcat Ruth plays blues for the Pound House Benefit at the Union tonight.
A child's
bluest
Folksinger Wainwright maintains humor despite his predominantly serious
LP 'Fame and Wealth.'
with the opening lines, Dump the dog
and feed the garbage/Mow the floor
and sweep the lawn.'
The album concludes with the title
cut, in which Wainwright eschews all
seriousness in pursuit of "fame and
wealth." Even the family will be for-
saken for'these goals: You can have
my wife and children/I'll hand over
Mom and Sis. Although he claims
This ain 't no joke, no it'sfor real his
off-key a cappella bellowing of the lyric
leaves no doubt that despite the serious
introspection through much of the new
album, Wainwright the humorist is still
very much at large.
-Michael Baadke
By Jim Boyd
F RIDAY NIGHT Ann Arbor's very
own prize possession, Peter "Mad-
cat" Ruth, will fill the halls of the Union
with the sound of blues. The harmonica
master is performing, not only for our
enjoyment, but also as a benefit for'the
Pound House Children's Center.
The Center is a day care facility that
is affiliated with the University but
which cannot be monetarily dependant
upon it. Because of lately symptomatic
budget cutbacks, the Center has been
feeling the pinch to the point of ex-
cruciation. This has necessitated a
benefit of some kind, and it is our good
fortune that Madcat has offered to do
the honors.
For the children, of the Center the
environment is one of working, lear-
ning, and playing. The environment
Friday night, however, will be reserved
only for playing: playing blues, playing
jazz, and playing traditional music
styles.
Madcat comes from the Roy Clark
(no offense) school of musical
proficiency (i.e., he does it all). In ad-
dition to playing, as Madcat himself
said "a whole lot of harmonica," he will
also be utilizing the pennywhistle and
such mundane instruments as the
African thumb piano and the plywood
board. He has assured us that "a lot
more electric guitar" will be played
alongside his various other musical
outlets and storytelling.
764-0558
764-0558
This is Madcat's story: he grew up in
Chicago listening to the blues, came to
Ann Arbor in 1970, and proceeded to
form a band. This band, Sky King,
achieved a certain amount of success
and recorded an album that was a con-
vincing synthesis of jazz, blues', and
rock. Since this time he has performed
primarily as a solo act, but also with
such notable musicians as Dave
Brubeck and his jazz ensemble. Recen-
tly he has been soloing, primarily in the
midwest.
The show will be held in the Ballroom
of the michigan Union with a concert
time of 8 p.m. If you want to get your
tickets a little early they are available
at the Major Events ticket office for $5.
If you are the more spontaneous type
you will be able to hold off and buy them
at the door.
Dave Brubeck said of him, "Madcat
has got to be one of the greatest jazz
soloists in terms of getting anraudien-
ce. ... audiences here and overseas go
with him all the way." Many of us
might not be willing to go all te way
with Madcat, but we'll certainly be able
to come close Friday night.
Madcat has a very positive outlook
about the show. "I'm looking forward to
it, I like concerts in the Union," he said,
"I also think it's fun that it's April Fools
day. I hope that people will be able to
have an April foolish time."
An April foolish time of great music is
definitely in the offing, get out and take
advantage of it.
New Order -
'Blue Monday/The Beach'
(Factory U.S.)
Blue Monday and The Beach are two
tracks taken from the forthcoming New
Order album Power, Corruption and
Lies, and in basic concept and structure
they both folow on from the percussive
electrnic funk of recent songs
"Everything's Gone Green," and
'Hurt'.
New Order are relatively unknown
in the States, which is probably an ad-
vantage to them right now considering
their new musical directions. In com-
mon with the band A Certain Ratio,
New Order have been struggling to rid
themselves of a dull, grey intellectual
following that regularly stifles. their
English concerts. There's no point
detailing the band's entire history, ex-
cept to say that they used to be called
Joy Division. If you've never heard of
Joy Division, well,.....never mind.
Anyway, as it is New Order are
currently producing some of the most
cleverly arranged high energy dance
music around, comparable only to the
New York funk/dub scene (Sugarhill et.
al.) in terms of raw feel and street-
wise instinct. Both of these tracks run
over seven minutes, a little short
maybe for New Order material, but you
get the picture, they're not really
aiming for the top-40 market.
This kind of music is more of a soun-
dtrack to living than separate
bracketed 'songs,' and as such there's
not much to be gained by pulling it
apart ip great detail.
-Mike Belford
MSA COMMITTEE POSITIONS 83-84
The following committee positions are open for student representa-
tion. Many more committees will be available for fall placement later.
* ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON * BOARD IN CONTROL OF
RECREATIONAL SPORTS INTERCOLLEG IATE ATHLETICS
* HONORARY DEGREE COMMITTEE * UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
* MILITARY OFFICER EDUCATION PROGRAM
Application deadline is April 8th, 1983. Interviews will be held Saturday, April 9th,
1983. Sign up for interviews when applications are dropped off. Any questions should
be directed to the Personnel Office of MSA, c/o C. Reaves, 3909 Michigan Union
703-3242.
N AR BO
2 INDIVIDUAL THEATRES
5* Av a .. 79t - T1.9700
$2.00 WED, SAT, SUN SHOWS BEFORE 6
A FUN ACTION FILM IN THE
TRADITIONAL HOLLYWOOD STYLE
HIGH ROAD
'To CHINA
TOM SELLECK
BESS
ARMSTRONG (PG)
THUR, FRI -7:10, 9:10
SACADEMY AWARD
NOMINATIONS R
BEST ACTRESS Ind.
MERYL STREEP
SOPHIE'S
CHOICE594
THUR, FRI -6:50, 9:40
ALSO POSITIONS ARE OPEN ON:
MICHIGAN UNION BOARD / UNIVERSITY CELLAR
OF REPS (Grads preferred) / BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(application deadline is also 4/8/83)
MSA -
POLYGRAM CLASSICS ARE 20% OFF FOR 3 DAYS:
AT DISCOUNT RECORDS'
STARTING MARCH 31 AND ENDING APRIL 2
-7i
Robin Flower
& Band
Saturday, April 2, 8 pm Sharp
St. Andrews Hall in Detroit
431 E. Congress at Beaubien
2 Blocks North of Renaissance Center
Tickets: $6, $7, $8 at the door
General Admission - Based on Ability to Pay
ASL Interpreted * Childcare Provided
Benefit for Detroit Women's Voice
For Information: 833-3938
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