ARTS The Michiaan Daily Monday, January 27, 1986 Page 5 What If Thinking: Twisty homage pop By Dave Yount GUITARIST Howard Glazer and vocalist Gail Baker must be proud. What started basically as a studio project between them in 1983 has turned into touring and additional recordings. Detroit-based WHAT IF THINKING (the name means "What if we tried this? Or what if we tried that?") has toured the midwest, south, and most of Michigan, and currently has a single out with two bouncy tracks. Their first record, an EP, received Billboard's top EP pick in March 1983, and they've been accruing favorable reactions ever since. Their music has been categorized as techno-pop or new music, but with Howard Glazer's fuzzy, squealing guitar work, these names don't fit just right. Great synthesizer work on "I Want That Boy", the A-aide of their 45 on Rude Records, is reminiscent of Devo, except that WHAT IF THINKING has a female vocalist. Heavy breathing, accompanied with lyrics like "I think she's gonna drive me crazy/And my visions getting hazy/As I contemplate her prize," quickly give you the idea that there's some serious lusting happening, but maintains tastefulness with its humor. The B-side of the single, "Run,.Run, Run" has this whaling Jeff Beck guitar solo (that even J.B. might be proud of) in the middle of the otherwise B-52's/Talking Head's sound, for an interesting effect. Their, recent material (due out on their upcoming full-length LP) is just as danceable and fun as the single. "Survival of the Fittest" features Mike Staton's popping bass and Glazer's award-winning lead guitar synthesizer work. While it's a blend of rock and roll guitar and Grace Slick- like vocals by Gail Baker, it still has an undeniable funky feel to it. "If "Action, Action" can't get you hop- ping, there might be something seriously wrong with your abiliy to have fun. This Oingo Boingo-sounding tune contains rapid-fire vocals and two screeching guitar solos, one of which slowly fade in the left channel and out the right. "Psychedelic Carnival" mixes two rather unlikely worlds - psychedelia and circuses. James Dragon's excep- tional keyboard work provides the circus feeling, complete with keyboard-simulated whip cracks, and Glazer's underlying droning guitar adds the spacey, cosmic touch. Gail Baker's supplements floating lyrics and completes the mood as well as the two worlds, very effectively. "White Rabbit", a remake of the Jefferson Airplane classic, is done with just enough originality to make it in- teresting and exciting (achieved by changing the beat a little by drummer Al Waltz and using synthesizers), and yet do the original some justice by allowing you to recognize the fact that it is a remake. WHAT IF THINKING deserves their award from the Detroit Metro Times for "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition-Band," and Glazer unquestionably deservesahis Best New Music Guitarist award. Talent is writ- ten all over the band. Prepare your- self for possibly some of the best tunes and fruggin' Ann Arbor might see this semester when WHAT IF THIN- KING ponders for us at the Blind Pig tonight. It's an all-win situation: we experience great music while we give WHAT IF THINKING some of that wider recognition that they so clearly, deserve. Records Joni Mitchell - Dog Eat Dog (Geffen) Sometimes I am a little slow when it comes to popular music. It often takes me a while to catch on to what's hap- pening. Case in point: the new album from Joni Mitchell. Dog Eat Dog seemed cold and contrived on first hearings. I was confused. When it comes to Joni Mitchell, I am easily impressed. Joni has been among pop royalty for fifteen years or better and much of her well deserved reputation stems from her restless commitment to growth and change. Joni Mitchell does not excuse herself. Remember how surprised we were with the jazz polish of For the Roses? How these flirtations grew into the oblique poetics of Don Juan's Reckless Daughter and Mingus? How the return to pop roots tickled on Wild Things Run Fast? Well, the protean princess is on the move again. Joni boldly steps into the future. Is there life beyond MTV? Dog Eat Dog hollers an affirmative response. Say yes. Slickaphonic production qualities abound. Thomas Dolby is co-producer and sideman. Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta could be anybody's second choice and, in general, the group adds spice to Joni's strongly flavored stuff. Prominent among this new batch of compositions is a powerful opus called "The Three Great Stimulants." Rife with sym- pathy and apocalyptic vision, this tune shows that Joni hasn't lost her teeth. While madmen sit up building bombs/And making laws and bars/They're gonna slam free choice behind us. Saxophonist Wayne Shorter ap- pears to great advantage ona couple of pieces. His tenor is sinuous on "Lucky Girl" while Joni rhymes like wild: Cheaters/Woman/beaters/ And Huck/Finn/shucksters/hop- ping/parking/meters... And thank- fully the impish Joni Mitchell sense of humor is alive and thriving. Witness the wry qualities of "Smokin" with it's sample and hold gotta-have- another-smoke behavior problems. It's all coming together for me. Slowly. And thoughtfully. I'm begin- ning to feel that this will be remem- bered as some of the best and most substantial slickaphonic pop music of the decade. And then some. Bravo Joni. Doc and Merle Watson - Pickin' the Blues (Flying Fish) It should be enough merely to say this is the Watsons at their usual: un- believable. Doc looks, sounds, and feels as if his guitar is a part of himself. He picks complicated patterns in the midst of essentially simple songs, and makes them seem simple. His singing is remarkable here as well. With a weathered but strangely melodic voice, it's clear why he's been one of country folk's living legends for who-knows-how-long. Merle is somewhat less impressive on his slide guitar, largely because he's less audible, and indeed, the album might well have been called a Doc solo album. "Stormy Weather," "Freight Train Blues," and "Sittin' Here Pickin' the Blues" are typically strong adap- tations of blues songs to the flat- picking style, and every one of them works remarkably well. "Hobo Bill's Last Ride" is probably the strongest cut on the album, and with the best warbling, is unforget- table. One particular liner note is sad- dening. Doc writes with pride that five generations of his family are alive in the Blue Ridge. A footnote points out, sadly, that his mother died shortly af- ter the notes were written, and of course, national news reported the freak death of Merle last year. But the album remains a strong one by one of the best in the business, and with Watson the co-headliner at this year's Ann Arbor folk festival, this album is a good way to preserve some of his show. -Joseph Kraus -Marc S. Taras FEMINIZING JUDAISM THROUGH NEW RITUAL & CEREMONY: THE FEMINIST REVOLUTION IN JUDAISM A Talk by Esther Broner Tuesday, Jan.28 7:30p.m. at Esther Broner is a novelist (A H eave of 14 onen. HILLEL $2.oO Her Mother) playwright, essayist, professor of English l iterature, . recipient of the National -y, Co-sponsored hr Endowment for the N4omen 's Arts Award and Studies Wonder Women Dept. Award for 1983784. HILEL She is a forerunner 1429 HillSt. and visionary' in her new ) r' 663-3336 rituals for women. THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN announces the 1986 summer program in Seville, Spain June 15 -July 26 Classes taught in English and Spanish EARN 6 CREDITS $1700 PROGRAM FEE - INCLUDES TUITION For applications and further information please contact THE CENTER FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN STUDIES, 5208 Angell Hall, 764-4311 TUESDAY LUNCH FORUM 12 NOON CONTINUING THE SERIES ON WOMEN'S CONCERNS: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE JANUARY 28: "RESISTANCE AND SURVIVAL: WOMEN IN CHILE" Speaker: Eliana Moya-Reggio, Head of the Spanish Program, Residential College AT THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER-603 E. Madison St. LUNCH AVAILABLE: Students-$1.00 Others-$1.50 Co-Sponsored by The Ecumenical Campus Center, The International Center. lunch prepared and served by Church Women United in Ann Arbor For additional information please call 662-5529 RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION presents SPRING BREAK x DAY TONA BEACH rainbow natural WOMEN" THIS WEEK AT GUILD HOUSE 802 MONROE J ANN ARBOR, M\ 48104 GUILD HOUSE WRITERS SERIES Monday, January 27 8:00 p.m. Loren Estelman and Miriam Pederson READING FROM THEIR WORKS *Cosponsored by the Michigan Student Assembly Jan. 4-11 Jan. 13-18 Jan. 20-25 Jan. 27-Feb. 1 Buy Buy Buy 1 1 1 dust, get 1 FREE pencil, get 1 FREE split shadow, get 1 FREE blush, get 1 FREE mascara, 1 liquid liner FREE colorful brush, get 1 FREE Buy 1 Buy 1 get Buy 1 Buy 1 Buy 11 Buy 1 lipstick, get 1 lipgloss, get 1 nail color, get FREE FREE 1 FREE Driving Package Without Transportation 890 Qu"dO-cu" c YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: 5. + wn1. aa omnonal o+ + .nn s m an . ., Darn 10 .1 mein aaea,.c ou a mom Gnrym1I1 Wc. a u1, .n!hc:m C01r N. m, ..yip The nolel ti, Ool itf n"1i[y nt..l li I.. TV 1+i+ + 11,11; Bonus Week! All of the above Full Package * H,.'A B) Ta gdOccpancy* M0 v~eFl i s..+'a lLake Front Trarlway Coachres Anrtgnfui v EHO tTRAVEL INC. * O".Opiorrs s vanemow, W1, Te arst i,,n oee tour In, Fo f o'di H f' Hasrrr,3, . e s . .. Feb. 21 - March 2 --; CARRIAGE HOUSE HOTEL, 800 NORTH ATLANTIC THE BEST OF EVERYTHING TO INSURE YOU THE BEST SPRING BREAK! i * Best Hotel- Guaranteed You know where you will be staying on this trip (with othertrips??)I * Best Location in Daytona -nt let a poor location ruin your trip (the Daytona strip is 23 miles longtl Shouting Distance from Everything IThe top bars. restaurants, enpos and ree concerts (not a taxi ride away, ike other trips * Top of the Line luxury Coaches forthe mot cnimortahe party trip to Flrida. Pool Deck Parties heEvery Day T hottest.Tigget parties in Yu Daytna Beachl ., Youmight ind a cheaper trip. bt why riok your Spring Break cook on a cheap inmitationif " ASK ABOUT OUR FORT LAUDERDALE PACKAGES January 31 Noon Forum January 29 6-8 p.m. MARK WEINSTEIN, U of M student, recently returned from a trek with an international peace group across seven Central American countries, will show his slides and discuss his trip. RICE & BEANS NIGHT $2 requested Prceeds for material aid to Central America. 20% off any two items of skincare $1 .50 off manicure with hot oil treatment 222 STATE ST. PLAZA, ANN ARBOR 662-2011 m mmmom , Technical managers from TI's Semiconductor Group will soon be on campus to interview graduating electrical engineers and computer scientists with hardware backgrounds. Current openings are for positions within TI's Semiconductor Technical Sales and Mar- keting organization. Perfect for grads who can't stand being confined, either personally nology into our customers' next-generation products. So bring all the technical skills you can muster. Because clients will be looking to you for systems solutions that will advance their products - and your career. Excellent "people skills" are required, as well. Since the way you deal with customers or the RHA office at 763-3497 or contact your RHA rep. " " 0 0 *N DI 0 eede WesLn 0 0 YOU DREAM IF MODELING? Audition Call e 0 d: Models for the Daily's " spring fashion supplement. 0 .. r.. mor ..n a- 0 or professionally. today will affect their Your challenge attitudes about TI is to represent NJ I ie u wl ) 11 8long into the future. TI's Semiconduc- Speaking of the future, tor Group to the LexmQ ln1stunrt1 ents semiconductors have a Who's..ho of2ih great One The fact is r w [U) J W Ro UA nipn glV-CL 1110 110 ki l .J Technology, in areas fltm t these silicon chips are the like consumer electron- very nucleus for emerging ics, robotics, com- * technologies. And will puters, and a Ie'e r C U phobic be for years to come. telecommunica- tions. Your clients are enLnrneers. 5o it you want a neau start in your high-tech career, major Fortune 500 compa- 14sign up. And let's see if you've got nies, and venture capitalists who plan to be. what it takes to be a TI Semi- But that shouldn't make you nervous. Not conductor Technical Sales Engineer. when you've got Texas Instruments behind you. Keep your interview calendar open for Semiconductors are TI's principal business, February 17 & 18. And reserve your and our reputation for innovation in this field appointment by contacting your Place- goes way back. In fact, we invented the inte- ment Office. Appointments are limited grated circuit. And to this day, we remain a and will fill up quickly. S1 1 1 -------------.I-1 - ----------- D. : . ....... . .. ,-..-; f _ ,., r