7W -W -f 7W MUSiC Our critics pick 1985's Best Records FfLM 0 AL - 1 Quirky 'Gods' becomes cult hit It is always easier to accept (or part due to a damned video? dismiss) the opinion of a critic The Dream of the Blue Turtles- dw smn ss) th e opn inr tn nof n rf Sting (A&M) The finest young jazz nermost One of hi forming. when one rsua g rurtutlxV the critic's preferences and biases. For this reason we herewith provide our critics' selections for the Best Records of 1985. Joe Acciaioli In no particular order... White City- Pete Townshend (AT- CO) Here the former composer and manic guitarist for the Who tackles feels that range from lilting reggae to a boogying jazz show tune. Coupled with sharp lyrics, these songs serve as an effective attack on the various ills of apartheid. Although not quite as melodically consistent as Empty Glass or Chinese Eyes, most of the selections are at once beautiful and powerful. Soul to Soul- Stevie Ray Vaughan (Epic) Listening to this Texas bluesman provided a guaranteed lesson in humility for anyone who claims to play guitar. His solos aim straight for the soul with some of the nastiest and most stirring sounds ever recorded. With his band expanded to include keyboards and sax, Vaughan occasionally ventures into an ap- pealing R&B sound that brings refreshing new dimension to his previously all-blues format. Brothers In Arms-Dire Staits Warner Brothers) Speaking of great guitar players, Mark Knopfler once again presents a collection of six- string hooks and riffs that simply bur- sts with emotion and sizzle. Most im- portant, perhaps, is the fact that this album brought Dire Straits the recognition it has for so long deser- ved. So what if that fame was in large talents meet one of pop's best DAVID songwriters, resulting in an album AT SWE that is melodically affecting while in- Saint 008 strumentally accomplished and in- this, just spired. would wo Little Creatures-Talking Heads was wor (Sire) For 1985, Byrne and company Bounce" strip-down to a simple five-piece master sound reminiscent of 77. While Byr- saxophon ne's wry humor permeates the among th album's arrangements and lyrics, the reached b collection is most noteworthy for its CLARI delightful melodies. In Conce 1067) A arWuif arwuif Hamilton I refuse to rate these as one rates jazz, and horses, hybrids, or grades of sausage. Carter at Everything mentioned here is on selves fo equal footing with sincere creative clarinet f music everywhere, and Wulfie won't of his life be treating it like a goddamned golf Murrayc tournament. World Sa GRIOT GALAXY- Opus Krampus of the con (Sound Aspects 004) This is Glory, trum mee risen from Old Detroit, and the You must brightness of these four black men Byron E has shone clear across to Europe. Live performance in Nickelsdorf, Marsha Austria. Would Columbia records (Warner) please sign these guys and tour them A mood proudly? Thanks. touchingly ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO -'The songs by1 Third Decade (Ecm 1273) A dynamic pop ode. core sample of how five of the grows up,; original stone crazy multi- love, andr instrumentalists are sounding with a fie nowadays, here in the chilly vastness each fleet of the future. One of their very very more. A b best, ever. Kate Bu CECIL TAYLOR-SegmentslI (Or- Kate B chestra of Two Continents)/Winged album an Serpent (Sliding Quadrants) An army idea of a of illuminaries, mercilessly pasting sonal, o us with further visions from the in- soul-sea passages of Cecil's brain. s very best in 30 years of per- Astounding, outstanding. D MURRAY BIG BAND LIVE ET BASIL VOL. 1 (Black 5) We waited long months for to see how a large ensemble ork with David at the helm. It rth waiting on. "Bechet's dedicated to New Orleans clarinet/soprano nist Sidney Bechet, belongs he highest levels of joy ever by creative black musicians. NET SUMMIT -Vols 1 & 2 ert (India Navigation 1062, Alvin Batiste and Jimmy n, both pillars of traditional two wilder specimens; John nd David Murray, pool them- r a complete history of the amily. Hamilton spent most playing for Duke Ellington. came to prominence in the xophone Quartet. All points mpass, all tones in the spec- et in these two exciting LPs. t hear to believe. Bull ll Crenshaw-Downtown y but inspiring collection of y brash and tender love the master of the modern On Downtown Crenshaw realizing the temporality of reacts not in resignation but erce determination to savor ting moment of it that much beautiful, thrilling album. ush-Hounds of Love (EMI) ush resurrects the concept d breathes new life into the rt rock in this highly per- pium dream-like piece of arching. Hounds is mysterious, and as disconcerting as it is beautiful, and though it has some notable shortcomings (chiefly its ex- cessiv.e theatrical trappings) it remains a compelling, deeply rewar- ding work. The Replacements-Tim (Sire) The Replacements get to work, Tim suffers from a somewhat cut-and- dried approach, but is still a for- midable record. Paul Westerberg is a frontman with all the strengths of a Townshend or young Springsteen (with none of the weaknesses) chan- neled into what has to be the most brilliant writer's muse since Randy Newman. Back that up with what may be the only band around that really lives for rock, and you get a good strong whiff of The Replacemen- ts' true potential for greatness. Lloyd Cole and The Com- motions-Rattlesnakes (Geffen) While the rest of the Anglo popsters were off fashion mongering Cole and company slipped out this debut album of smart, sexy little songs all aobut the cool thrill of infatuation (not love, mind you, which they never confuse the issue with). The tunes are elegant and instinctively pure to the pop ideal, while Cole manages the mean trick of writing about young sexual anxiety with neat little confessionals charged with a wonderful, tipsy eagerness. Bruce Cockburn-The Trouble With Normal(A&M) Cockburn is a dark romantic whose songs possess a genuinely poetic lilt. Trouble is a difficult album, dark and brooding, full of incriminating ruminations on private and global ills that offer little suggestion of hope, ex- cept maybe for implying the im- perishability of the human soul even in the face of what he suggests is utter evoulutionary fatality. CIANGLI S 213 S. FOURTH AVE. ANN ARBOR ' PIZZA 994-4040 MICHIGAN BAS KEALL SPECIAL Let Gianelli's add to the pleasure of a Wolverine victory with a delicious pizza. We will give 13 off the regular price of any pizza for every Michigan victory. i Classic Elegance ii Beautiful Baguettes n,~ $69.50 $120.00 $130.00 The Citizen difference is obvious-distinctive design to the most advanced quartz movement. Beautiful black leather strap or adjustable yellow bracelets. OCITIZEN Three out of eleven critics recommend 'V U.' Hobey Echlin 1. Midnight Oil-Red Sails on the Sunset- (Columbia) Production is perfect, its themes poignant (from nukes to nationalism) and its delivery a flawless and fresh amalgam of upbeat rock, haunting ballads, and biting funk-rock. With this innovative and strong approach to music, Midnight Oil won't be down under for much longer. 2. The Damned - Phantasmagoria (MCA) Six releases and at least three record labels later, the Damned bring forth their cleanest and peppiest sound yet. Complete with plenty of keyboards and sax, this dream of musical production packs the subtle wallop that just might give these '77 fun-punks the grown-up recognition they deserve. 3. Sly and Robbie-Language Barrier-(Island) Black Uhuru's rhythm section teams up with the likes of Afika Bam- baata, Herbie Hancock, and even Bob Dylan, among others, to explore funked-out boundaries of sound and rhythm using everything from voice synthesizers to horns to flushing toilets, with a steady backbeat to keep you moving. 4. Volcanosuns- The Bright Orange Years-(Homestead) Ballsy, raw, diverse, and all-over the place, this first effort from some Burma Boys and their buddies touches on the everywheres of the dir- tiest garage rock. From the straight sounds of "Jak" to the exploding dirge of "Promise Me" to layered in- strumentals like "Truth is Stranger Than Fishing", this album proves a little self-indulgence can go a long and enjoyable way with its art for art's sake approach. 5. Crossed Wire-Fall though Mor- ning-(Ckrb) Young and local, these veterans of the Detroit music scene bring out their best with their first EP, clear and convincing, Crossed Wire's layered guitar sound with the pulsing bass and drumlines that make it shimmer in its own perspiration. Beth Fertig In no order of preference, here are my faves of '85. Debuts: Lloyd Cole and the Commotions-- Rattlesnakes (Geffen) Yea, he has a bit of Dylan, Reed, and more in that By Matthew Ben-Zeev M any moons ago, a kindly, unpretentious film opened at Briarwood Theatre -7, and it has clung there ever since. That The Gods Must Be Crazy has survived past its first anniversary in Ann Arbor while continuing to reel in the years in cities from Paris to San Francisco represents a small miracle of seren- dipity. Somehow, this cornball blend of slapstick and humanity has cap- tured a loyal following a la Harold and Maude, proving once again that a film's appeal and endurance do not depend upon mainstream subject matter and heavy-handed ideological lessons. The story revolves around Xi!, (pronounced "Key-click") a humble, loveable South African bushman con- tendedly minding his own business in the quiet Kalahari. Suddenly, a tremendously tough, oblong projec- tive (a Coke bottle) whirs into the bushmen camp, apparently as a gift from the gods (actually, it was discar- ded from a passing airplane). After some experimentation, the curious gizmo proves to be a handy and ver- sative drill, paint brush, clarinet, etc. Unfortunately, the gods sent only one, creating a scarce commodity - a concept the communal bushmen had never conceived of. Inevitably, jealousy erupts into hostility and chaos, prompting the elders to question the Gods' common sense. Xi! heroically embarks upon an Odysseus-like journey to the end of the earth, the gist being to deposit the bottle there for no return. Meanwhile, a bunch of silly and unrelated subplots develop regarding a newly-recruited village schoolteacher, her bumbling but well- intentioned guide and a band of Marxist revolutionaries who hold the schoolteacher and her class hostage after a failed coup. Naturally, Xi! becomes innocently mixed up in the mess, as well as someepesky con- frontations with the bizarre customs and technology of the modern world. Through it all, Xi is dignified and un- flappable, pragmatically adjusting to the gods' ridiculous games. Ultimately, it is resourceful Xi! who ingeniously saves the day. Several types of appeals combine to make the film unique. One concerns cultural clash as it relates to our self- satisfaction with the advanced society. It is fun to gigle at Xi!'s awe of the gods' wonderful toys because we're -proud of our toys. Haven't you ever felt the urge to resurrect Abe Lincoln or some other historical VAN DYCK OS STUDIOS VALENTINE SPECIAL 2- 3"x 5"s for $5.00 if taken before Jan. 31st. 663-6966 * Passport - Immigration esm Application s. o n o . e s 407 E.WILLIAM c.Dvsia Am Arbor figure just so you could show him around and hear him say "Wow, I have seen the future, and it's neat!"? Nevertheless, this time-machine aspect is tempered by a tinge of sad- ness. Xi! represents a rare relic the childhood period of humanity an innocent time when society meant a close-knit extended family and life was unburdened by ambivalence and technology-gone-awry. Perhaps, the film suggests, in advancing beyond the bushman we have to some degree lost sight of life's tenderness and charm. More and more, Xi!'s point of view seems to make sense. Nothing ever contradicts his original conclusions about the bottle and its source; and after all, he does manage to reach "the end of the earth," mission ac- complished. We can sympathize with Xi!'s assumption that the players be gods. Equally ironic is the similarity bet- ween Xi!'s and the bungling guide's predicaments. Even having been born into the modern society, the latter seems infinitely more confused than Xi! Thus, even the acclimated mem- ber of society is as helpless as the displaced bushman when it comes to mastering social interaction. LTHOUGH SUCH cultural questioning leaves plenty to think about, the film presents its potentially serious messages in such a lighthearted way that we can enjoy the contrasts without really feeling guilty or disturbed. In fact, appeal of the movie is its restraint from moralizing or political in- sinuation. To underscore this, producer Jamie Uys creates the guerrilla insurrection with a tone reminiscent of Moe clamping Curly's head in an ironing board. The affect is to make the audience feel played down to. In a mainstream, ar- tistically-oriented film, such patronizing would be received as an insult to our intelligence. Here, however, the absurdity comes off as tongue-in-cheek fun, consistent with the film's aim to make us see the world through Xi! 's eyes. The film manages to attract its audience by eliciting mixed feelings about the industrialized society, but in an entertaining way which cleverly insulates itself against derogatory audience feedback. In other words, it asks a valid question about our culture, then purposely trivializes the question. The off-beat approach makes The Gods Must Be Crazy a cult film. *THIS THURSDAY . . TH CCR SOUNDALIKES "Cultness" here does not describe an involved subculture such as that surrounding The Rocky Horror Pic- ture Show. Going to see Gods is not a major event mobilizing a homogenous in-group. Rather, it is a small scale phenomenon shared by independent individuals who appreciate obscurity and the triumph of the freakish un- derdog. The film's appeal is similar to that of Harold and Maude, but more significantly, it is related to non-artistic cults which also en- courage people to appreciate simple and unassuming values. Take, for in- stance, the cult surrounding White Castle restaurants - not exactly gourmet, but at least you can call the place your own. At first, White Castle just seems like strange food, then gradually it develops a mystique. Whether for films or sliders, this kind of cult is self-consciously skewed from the mainstream, but it also anti-avan- te-garde. The Gods Must Be Crazy has endured because "Anthro 101 meets the Keystone Cops" is not an elitist concept, but it is a creative way to reconsider the path of progress. Besides, its real star, the Coke bottle, was already a cult. DU SSECTINGthe elements of recent Xi!, a Ka/ihari tribesman, hurls a troublem cult hits sets a precedent which to be the edge of the world. tempts one to speculate. So far, a few patterns have emerged among suc- cessful cult films. As mentioned,oneCM-O pattern is the tendency to target in- groups or other small segments (usually college student). Even Gods The Univrsity of Mch void of parental rebellion, has attrac- ted a collegiate crowd. Rebellion, it RESIDENCE HALL PO seems, is one way to nab a college audience, but a more potent appeal aimsh to release the college student Te Housing Division is looking for well-qua frohims oees tubesomeg etides members in Residence Halls. We specificall In both Gods and Harold and Maude, -Serving as.positive academic and g the hero encounters foreign objects -Fosteringa spirit of community (the Coke bottle and Maude, respec- -Developing and strengthening leader tively) which open up new and per- -Developing programs for a diverse plexing worlds. Adaptation to the new world is no small challenge, but it can THERE WILL BE TWO IN be conquered. Is not our own THR WIL ET OIN predicament analogous,"with the so- Sunday, January 26, 19 called "real world" of employment and marriage awaiting? The point is Tuesday, January 28, 1 that young-people's cult heroes are not merely cute or off-the-wall. They IN AUDITORIUM 3 - MODE command immediate empathy by struggling with responsibilities and Representatives from the Housing Divisio with their own identity, eventually answer questions regarding candidate qu proving themselves as not so helpless expectations. Appilcatons are available n after all. Learn to live with someone ALL NEW APPLICANTS A who's living with cancer. ONE OF THES Call us. An Equa Opportunity, Affin AMERICAN CANCER SOCElY' E REVIVAL E _ $3 COVER --°. "" -a I~ ,..U.r. YMtl.NyMLM.MMK making 01 igan )SIT lified c ly are lo roup Ii' ship, co student FOR 986 986 RN L n will alific nly at RE I EKM irmoth t at i RI Uv 11 This offer is good from the end of the game until closing. (good only day of game no other specials apply to this offer) 0- 4 Weekend-January 24, 1986 Y'TYTTTTTTT We.