ARTS
I
The Michigan Daily
Wednesday, October 2, 1985
Page 5
Claps and cheers
for UB40
By Anne Kubek
T HE SCENE AT Hill Auditorium
Sunday night was one of swaying
bodies and clapping hands - an ex-
cited crowd who came to see the
English band, UB40, play their brand
of reggae pop. An enthusiastic
audience, a good opening band, and
the incredible stage presence of UB40
make it a fulfilling evening of ex-
citement.
The opening act, The Untouchables,
brought the crowd to its feet with
their unique mixture of punk, funk,
reggae, and rock. The eight-man ska
band played crazy, aggressive dance
tunes from their recent release, Wild
Child. The band maintained under-
tones of rap and rock throughout,
making getting involved in the per-
formance difficult.
Then, with a sudden flash of
brilliant lights and a tight horn sec-
tion, the 10-man UB40 took the stage.
At first the band didn't seem,
prepared for an audience so ready to
bop; they were a little tense for the
first three songs.
Astro (vocals) captured the
audience from the beginning with his
antics all over the stage. The Cam-
pbell brothers, Ali and Robin,
seemed to be enjoying themselves
with their musical interaction, but
given the excitement of the crowd, I
expected more from the band.
The audience gave UB40 a show-
long standing ovation, rising from
their seats a good half-minute before
they walked on the stage, and
remaining up and dancing for the
length of the show. Even after the
hour-and-a-half-long concert ended,
the crowd had undaunted enthusiasm
and wanted more.
The most unexpected feature of the
concert was UB40's departure at
some points from their typical upbeat
dance-till-you're-dead style of music
in favor of some pieces with more
haunting undercurrents.
Two of the songs, "Dub" and "Gary
Tyler," had wonderfully seductive
tones that entranced the audience
near the beginning of the show.
During "Gary Tyler," which is about
injustice in the American legal
system, the band grew intense, len-
ding authority to what they were
saying. The song narrates the story of
a black man convicted of the murder
of a white man.
Shortly after "Gary Tyler" the
band seemed much more relaxed and
ready to put on a good show. The
crowd should have helped out more
by clapping louder for "I'm Not So
Easily Fooled," which deserved more
applause than it got. Lead singer Ali
Campbell admonished the crowd, but
gave them another opportunity to
See REGGAE, Page 6
Jan Garbarek - smooth stylists of avant-garde jazz.
Records
Jan Garbarek - It's OK to
Listen to the Gray Voice
(ECM)
.-Monday night was exactly the win-
dy moonlit night mirrored by Jan
Garbarek's It's OK to Listen to the
Gray Voice. This latest album from
one of jazz's most avant-garde stylists
manages deep emotion and classic
prehestration while still recalling the
mystical ambience of his earlier
' works.
Garbarek is principally concerned
With creating large, ambient at-
mospheres through which grow his
dynamic and haunting melodies,
reminiscent of Ravel or Tchaikovsky.
The orchestrations are simple and
cpntain little harmony, yet they ap-
pear vague, floating organic mists,
similar to works of Brian Eno. The
synthesizer and guitar provide these
marvelously alive textures that bring
to mind the cover art.
Dipasqua's percussion work is
sparse but it beautifully punctuates
the mist. Juxtaposed with Eberhard
Weber's jazzy bass lines, the music
grounds itself in the standard genres.
From there, David Torn's guitar and
Garbarek's saxophone solos define a
new realm, a vector space in which
this music dances with vibrant tones
of life.
The spiritual vein of the music is
somewhat misdirected by producer
Manfred Eicher. More at home with
Pat Metheny's brand of fusion, Eicher
keeps the music in front, occasionally
spiced with effects. This contrasts
that of Andreas Vollenweider; where
lush production carries his music past
the stereo system into the listener's
room. Eicher should have been more
expressive and experimental;
however, he felt Garbarek elevates
himself without the gloss of
technology.
If you do jazz in any form, contem-
porary classical, or ambient music,
then you should consider this album.
Garbarek is an artist's artist who
realizes both the intellectuality and
immediacy so necessary in creating
emotive music. Remember, It's OK to
Listen to the Gray Voice.
-Chuck Lever
Candy - Whatever Hap-
pened to Fun? (Mercury)
California-based quartet Candy's
latest album, Whatever Happened to
Fun? pretty much sums up the whole
band. Candy, true to its title cut, is in-
terested in fun...and teenage torpor.
When they concentrate on fun, they're
cute and sweet - sort of like a
thinking teeny-bopper's band. When
they turn their attention to teen angst,
they're patronizing and labored. And
anything but fun.
Typical of the band's teen turmoil
theme is "American Kix," a song
about how tough it is to be 16 that gets
by, not from its cliched lyrics, but
from its churning guitar. The effect is
heavy-handed and not a little an-
noying.
Bassist Jonathan Daniel's lyrics
don't insult our intelligence, but they
don't usually work, either. He states
the problem well enough in "The Last
Radio Show" The kids just wanna
dance to something real enough to
feel/But somehow what we hear is
make-believe.
Even Candy's party songs are
cloaked in the tears of teen trouble.
"Turn it up Loud" is a bubble-gum
rave-up about teens losing themselves
to the music and the mood when life is
too much. With its thudding chorus
and churning, burning guitars, the
song becomes a profound cliche.
Many of the songs on the album are
saved from being utterly intolerable
by lead singer Kyle Vincent's in-
See RECORDS, Page 6
LAUGH TRACK
presents:
Lawrence
Mor ganstern
Toronto's finest
comedian
Wednesday, October 2
9:00 p.m.
U-Club, Michigan Union
for more information
call763-1107
"
S
0
"
!
"
S
S
0
"4
DO YOU DREAM
OF MODELING?
Audition Call0
0
0
Needed: Models for the Daily'sV
winter fashion supplement.0
When: Friday, October 4.
Time: Noon - 3 p.m.
Where: Student Publication's 0
Building, 420 Maynard
Also: Bring your best smile!
Ite
APPLYING TO
COLLEGE OR
GRADUATE SCHOOL
IS NO
LAUGHING MATTER.
A well-written application is an important
step in the admissions process.
The 1985 Guide to .igher Education AppicaUon.
and Admission helps the applicant prepare ane ffec-
tive, carefully planned, and polished application. The-
memorandum discusses and analyzes all parts of the
application, and focuses especially on the required
essay, in which it is essential to present one's goals
and strengths in an impressive and cogent format.
For a copy, send applicant's name and address, type
of school (college, law, business or medicine), and a
check for $5.00 plus $1.00 postage to:
Higher Education Admissions Services
Box 7021 Princeton, NJ 08540
00000
0099060600*600091
The Twent y-irst
T T
Century Overture
W here will time take us next?
To an information utopia where knowledge belongs to everyone? To
an age when the computer becomes one with communications and
thought travels everywhere, anywhere and at anytime? To a brave
new world where electronic intuition solves the impossible
problems that have followed us through history?
Getting to this future first is our mission.
We're Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), established as the
central source for the research and technologies that will enable
the Bell Operating Companies to meet the needs of the future.
We are working in areas that include software development;
applied research; information systems; systems engineering;
network planning services; and equipment assessment.
Our purpose is to know more, understand more, see
more so that we can provide others with the expert
advice they need in many different technical
and scientific areas. Our mandate is
to provide leading edge answers.
The Bell Operating Companies
look to us for the software
and technologies they
need to operate
efficiently.
V.
We area
'brain trust' that
imagines a new tomorrow.
We have opportunities
at our northern and cen-
tral New Jersey locations for
individuals with PhD, MS or BS
degrees in Electrical Engineering,
Computer Science, Mathematics, Operations
Research, Chemistry, Physics, or Human Factors Psychology.
If you want to write the technological harmonies that the future
will play
Meet us on campus
October 11 &
Alternatively, send your resume, detailing your education and
experience to: Manager, Technical Employment, Bell Communica-
tions Research, RRC, Department 127/3538/85, CN 1300,
Piscataway. New Tersev 08854.
F . . -;.
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