ARTS
Thursday, October 17, 1985
The Michigan Daily ___________
Page 5
Unabashed lightweights
(sigh) float to fame
Goodwill Ambassadors
The Youth Goodwill Mission from Taiwan, consisting of fourteen University students selected from
Taiwanese schools will present, 'An Adventure in Chinese Songs and Dances,' tonight at the Power
Center at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $2. The program will be followed by a reception in the Power Center
lobby.
By Karen Hue
T HEY HAVE BEEN CALLED the
most successful group of the
eighties, yet they haven't had a big hit
in more than two years.
They've produced four consecutive
million-selling albums in the U.S.
alone, but their current album's sales
are sluggish, not even ranking among
the top fifty.
This band holds the record for the
most (seven) consecutive top five
singles, yet their most recent release
fizzled out before reaching the top
twenty.
The Detroit News has dubbed two of
its members, "one of history's most
successful pop music duos," but they
are not Daryl Hall and John Oates.
Who is this band of contradictions?
Why, they're Air Supply, of course,
and they're appearing in concert in
Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium this
Thursday, October 17, at 8:00 p.m.
sie tlhei fist millionsellng
current album - their first in two
years, and their first without
predominantly previously recorded
material in over three - is titled sim-
ply Air Supply. It consists of 12 rather
lengthy love songs and catchy pop
tunes written between 1982 and 1985,
with the exception of Bruce
Springsteen's 1973 effort, "Sandy."
Air Supply maintains a good balan-
ce between slow, powerful, and
sometimes potic ballas oanthe one
generally light pop songs on the other.
traditiona Air Supply style satisfies
despite its poor sales. Because the
band continues doing what they do
best - that is, creating melodic,
harmonious, and relatively light-
'weight songs - Air Supply succeeds.
Since Graham Russell and other Air
of their own songs, it is ironic and
album's atwo best songs, nthe ht ballad
"Just as I Am," and the upbeat, fast-
paced "After All" are written by non-
band members. a
eoLove," has nothing in comon wt
Huey Lewis' catchy number-one hit.
Air Supply's "Power of Love," is a
slow, throbbing epic which was recen-
tly given a small amount of air play
on some adult contemporary stations.
"The Power of Love" has not caught
on due to its rather lethargic pace and
long length (five and-a-half minutes).
Better songs on the album include
"I Can't Let Go," a pretty, powerful,
hand typical Air Supply ballad;
"Black and Blue," an upbeat tune
with a Caribbean sound; and "Great
Pioneer," a medium-paced song with
fairly "deep" and poetic lyrics. There
isn't a really bad song on the album -
even Springsteen's "Sandy" is only
innocuous at the worst - yet there
aren't any truly magnificent songs,
* No Co-Signer Required!
*No Credit Requirements!
* Parent OR Student Can
Sign for Loan!
either. Nevertheless, if you liked their
Now and Forever album, you will
probably like Air Supply too.
Air Supply's concerts, though en-
tertaining, are usually too short. They
1perfornm energetically-but audiences
need more songs. The group could
satisfy "Every Woman in the World"
- or, at least, every woman in the
audience - if they would sing that
classic love song during their concer-
ts. On their 1984 and '85 summer
tours, they sang nearly all of their
hits, but omitted this crucial song.
Let's hope they sing it at Hill Thur-
sday night.
full CirCle
Oroboros is a Gnostic word for the
mythical snake that devours its own
tail It is a symbol of eternity. It i
that will make its long awaited
return to the Ann Arbor area after
a Oroborosb mies. musical genres
ranging from rockabilly blues to
Oroboros has been favorable com-
pared to the Grateful Dead, bassist
Gary Maxwell refers to Oroboros as
a "third generation rock'n'roll
band," which has assimilated rock's
first generation (Bill Haley, Chuck
Berry), augmented it with -rock's
second generation (Rolling Stones,
The Who, Little Feat), and "takes it a
step frher," creating a new',
Since Oroboros' well-received per-
formance at the 1983 Ann Arbor Art
Fair they have increased the
amount 6f original material in their
repertoire, and released an album,
Different Feeling.
A Student May Borrow
Up to $2,500.0O*
Per Year For
Undergraduate Work -
And May Have Up To
$25,000.00*
Outstanding While
A Graduate Student
*NO INTEREST CHARGE TO STUDENT
WHILE IN SCHOOL
Today is the day to learn mDore
about this eXCiting opportUnity.
CAL L
OR
WRITE! "
PAUL V. BAUERS, CLU
Insurance & Financial Services, Inc.
1-313-665-7287
1886 W. Stadiurm, Suite 108
Stadiumn Center
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
* Guaranteed Student Loan Program is administered by the
Higher Education Assistance Foundation (H.E.A.F.), a private,
non-profit corporation chartered to guarantee student loans on a
nationwide basis.
Oroboros will perform
available at the door.
tonight at the Blind Pig at 10 p.m.
Tickets are
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