0 OLL-ImAs- -12 w w w r 19W -4w _!_ lqw ,\ I U ;: ..r .::::::.:....... ..................................................... ::,::::::.::::: ":.,:::::.::::,:...::::..........:::::.::::.:.::::::::;.::.r::::.:::.;.._.::::::,::::::.>..>: ;..::: Hearts &,minds Joe Jackson Body and Soul A&M By Byron L. Bull B ODY AND SOUL is Joe Jackson's growing pains album. A collection of songs through which he wrestles with himself to deepen the intensity of his writing while personalizing it more. Blending intuition with thoughtfulness doesn't always work, and some of Jackson's efforts here fail badly, but those that succeed glow with a newfound inspiration that outshines any of his previous work. Stylistically, the change is most ob- vious in his sound. Jackson abandons cool chic posture he perfected on Night And Day for a warmer, more soulful approach. With the exception of bassist Graham Marby, he's dropped his for- mer band for a larger ensemble of flute, sax, and horns. The horns (like the albums '50s prestige jazz-style cover) have a slight nostalgic accent to them, but like those in Fagen and Becker's Steely Dan arrangements, have a modern feel to them. The recordings were made in a New York hall usually used by Vanguard Records for classical works, with an at- tempt to capture the instrumentals "live" aspect of the over two ceiling mics, with remixing kept down to a minimum. As a result the album has a clean but remarkably soft tone, and surprisingly so for a digital recording. Despite the affectionate musical references to earlier American popular music, Jackson's writing is still strongly rooted in the present. He doesn't use the current-events topicality he nearly worked to death on "T.V. Age" or "Real Men," but still draws heavily on feelings of confusion and underlying cynicism, and many of his characters here speak from an ut- terly hopeless viewpoint. The opening track, "The Verdict," is one of the more extreme examples. Loud, declamatory horns blare out over some ridiculously heavy-handed metaphysics. Jackson compares life to being on stage, Wonder what the critics have to say) and then to a cour- troom drama (Would you testify for me?/I think that I'd do the same for you), but fails to make the allusion stick. And he generates little more than" weak self pity when he moans, It's not easy when there's no one giving prizes at the end. "Cha Cha Loco," with its sharp Afro- Cuban beat, moves better, and has a darker, more clever sense of sarcasm that helps. But it too gets bogged down in its own sense of, defeatism. The images of a celebration, with repeatedly slipped in, sardonic-ironic counterpoint, work in their own brief context but fail to add up to anything in the end. The third track, "Not Here, Not Now," a dark cousin to Night And Day's "Steppin' out," hits the mark perfectly. It's slow, beautifully desolate lamen- tation about the broken and unfulfilled dreams of a couple who, in the midst of a night out on the town, stare across a table at each other, both knowing that the relationship is irreversably dying. Jackson takes an old premise, but he stages it brillantly. He sets his couple in the middle of a festive crowd, and uses the crowds' smiling faces to con- trast the emptiness of his two charac- ters. Worse, they're trapped in a situation where they can't show their feelings. (Not here, not now the man pleads repeatedly to avoid a scene) which only enforces the painfulness of it. Jackson's hesitant, lost piano melody, and a tender, bittersweet flugelhorn solo by Michael Morreale turn the song into a deathbed scene of abandoned hope. "YouCan't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)" and "Go For It," the succeeding songs, both have a hollow upbeatness to them. The former, once it's repeated its title chorus a couple of times has nothing to do but fidget and whistle to itself with some uptempo but unimaginative Crusaders-like horn work. The latter is an even worse anthem, with all the cheap crowd-raising enthusiasm of the baseball park organ it imitates. The second side, the better of the two, opens up with "Losaida," an in- strumental that is Jackson's most am- bitious arrangement to date. Harking back to the old Manhattan big band romanticism, it could be an overture to some nonexistent megwork, or even the end title to a classy mystery/drama. It is in fact far more atmospheric than any of the instrumentals from the Best coach Bud Middaugh Forest "Bud" Middaugh has wasted no time in making his presence felt at Michigan. In four years at the helm of the baseball team, Middaugh has led his squads to the College World Series three times and compiled an overall record of 171-57-1 during that time. Last year may have been his best yet. Michigan tied Arizona State for third in the College World Series and ended the season, 50-9. For.his career, Middaugh has over 500 coaching victories, in- cluding 356 at Miami (Ohio). Mike's Murder soundtrack he released last fall, "Happy Ending" is a far more effec- tive pop duet than anything in the last few years. With a beautifully voiced Elaine Caswell sharing vocals, it has all the sweetness of an early '60s pop love song, with more contempary un- derpinnings. Like early Jackson songs, it uses self doubt/confusion, but far more effectively. Do I listen to my head/Do I listen to my heart won- ders Jackson, while Caswell cries Do I look at what I see/Or be careful what I read in longing and without the self-effacing mockery that used to hang over so much of Jackson's earlier writing. "Be my Number Two" is a decep- tively simple, but poignant piece of post break up blues. In it, Jackson, over a delicate solo piano lullaby, tries to woo a new woman's affection. Wearily he admits And there's not much left of me/ What you get is what you see/Is it worth the energy?/I leave it up to you and reflecting on the desperation of his plea, comments frankly, I know that it's not really fair of me/But my heart's seen too much action. Only a tacked on, gritty saw and bom- bastic drum roll at song's end seem out of place, begging for the emotional response that the song easily coaxing moments before. The final track is a largely in- strumental, uncomplicated reaffir- mation of faith. Against a soaring of trumpets Jackson's voice enters with the line, Take a knife/Cut out this heart of ice/Hold it high/walk out into the sun. It's not a very complex theme, but the lack of any excessive lyrics, and the straight forward musical delivery save it from being overbearing. Though it's a weak song with which to end the album. Body And Soul marks a turning point -in Jackson's career. By rejecting the sophisticated overtones he pursued before, his writing has gained an eloquent edge it lacked before. Whether he can take this ability beyond introspective reflections, and broaden his scope again remains to be seen. But as a songwriter, he is evolving, is worth keeping an eye on.W Best track performance Derek Harper Harper leaped 25' 10%14" in the long jump at the Big Ten indoor meet in March. Harper finished first, set a school record and qualified for the Olympic trials. Most hit records Sue Schroeder and Joyce Wilson This track duo played a part in seven school indoor records, including the 3200-meter relay at the NCAA's, teaming with Martha Gray and Jen- nifer Rioux. Least known sport Women's field hockey Does anybody know the rules? How about where the stickers' play? Just for your information the field hockey team plays on the remnants of Ferry Field, squeezed between Ray L. Fisher Stadium and the indoor football fieldhouse. Best Eddie Murphy imitation Bobby Knight The head basketball coach's last visit to Crisler Arena won't be soon forgot- ten. Knight displayed an expanded ver- sion of his vulgar vocabulary by blasting Michigan coach Bill Frieder with no less than three different naughty words. For shame, Bobby. Best Big Time Wrestling imitation Northern Michigan and Michigan basketball teams The two teams squared off-in a battle royal at Crisler in December after Wildcat guard Troy Mattson and Eric Turner went at it. Before the melee was over three players were ejected and three technical fouls were called. Bill Frieder's reaction? "Hell, I enjoyed that game." Best real wrestling performance Joe McFarland The 126-pounder grappled his way to second-best in the nation. Biggest nose dive Kent Ferguson The junior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, showed that Bruce Kimball is not the only skilled diver in Ann Arbor by win- ning the three-meter dive at the NCAA championships in Cleveland. Best sports buy (tie) Baseball at Fisher Hockey at Yost You can see Bud's boys for a mere $1 with your student ID. Hockey, at $2 is a good deal, too; some of the best teams in the country make stops at Yost. Best flipflop A thletic Director Don Canham Canham gave TV-channel 50 and Michigan basketball fans the shaft by cancelling a TV deal with the Detroit station. He sold the rights to pay cable station, Sportsview of Nashville, Tenn. It didn't matter anyway, as Sportsview sold the games to a public access cable station in Ann Arbor. Best tackle Bruce Kimball You've got to love the Michigan diver's spunk noxious mascot, Brutus, Kimball took it upon much to the delight of the Michigan fans. Late considering moving from the pool to the gridiron SOrderyour GRADUATION - and BIRTHDAY CAKES Delicious Variety such as: * Chocolate Decadance C Carrot Cake and many other unusually rich pastries and cakes PARTY TRAYS 2.50 and up per person CREATE YOUR OWN COMBINATIONS * Kibbi " Spinach Pie * Taboulen * Lady Fingers Mon.-Thur, 7-6 * Chicken Artichoke Salad... 407 N. Fifth Fri. 7-9; Sat. 7-5 665-6211 "Beer-303 N. Fri Eee(across fromI -a111t996-9683 Since 1935 The Natior Drive-Thru fth ' Formers' Market) n's Oldest CELEBRATE with CONVENIENCE and SAVINGS CHOOSE FROM: " 99 bottles of domestic and imported beers. " over 175 chilled wines. " Kegs, munchies and more. Never Leave Your Car OPEN 7 DAYS TIL 2 A.M- 28 Weekend/Friday, April 13, 1984 13 W