Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 25, 1986


It's a criminal act to
be 'Born American'

By Greg Ferland

The new movie Born
American, play-ing at the State
Theater, is a well-made but
uninspiring and laughable
movie.
The ludicrous plot involves
three men, named K.C., Mitch,
and Savoy who come from
America to Finland for a
camping trip. They go way up
North and purely on a whim
decide to limbo across the border
into the Soviet Union. I could
hear them that morn-ing waking
up. "Should I have cof-fee, tea, or
cross the border into Soviet
Union? Hmmmm.."
While in the Soviet Union ,
they get unjustly blamed for
killing a girl, and the nasty
Ruskies torture them to confess to
that crime along with some
others. Things get worse when
they are put into prison and the
United States ambassador tells a
Russian officer that these three
guys mean nothing to the U.S.
and they wouldn't be sad if these
guys "just disap-peared."]
The plot takes an even more
unbelievable twist when there is
some kind of human chess game
below the prison where people get
killed when the chess piece they
represent gets taken over.
The movie is technically well
made. The direction by Renny
Harlin is interesting , with
hints of Sam Pe-kinpah(Wild
Bunch, Straw Dogs) slow motion
violence. The cine-matography
is no slouch either--the shots of
Finland are beautiful, and

throughout the film there are very
crisp looking, well-lighted
scenes.
In addition, the film for is not
overly violent as these type of
movies tend to be. Also with the
exception of one scene, the
Russians speak Russian, not
English, which was a surprise in
this kind of movie.
Unfortunately, the acting is
strictly pedestrian and the
dialogue doesn't fare much better.
K.C., Mitch, and Savoy say
things like,"Don't be a crazy
person.","Everybody speaks
English",and "for a little guy you
sure pump a lot of blood."
The ad campaign seems to
have missed seeing the movie
because it say's, "their only crime
was being born American."
Whoops! They for-got about the
two innocent people K.C., Mitch,
and Savoy kill, and the legion of
Russian and prison guards they
slaughter with machine guns and
bazookas.
One major plot mistake is
when Savoy seeks the help of a
prison mercenary to help him get
his two buddies, Mitch and
K.C.,out of the prison. K.C. and
Mitch don't make it, so we are left
saying "so what" when Savoy
escapes with an almost-stranger
instead of his buddies.
Judging from the laughs and
taunts from the thirty member
audience, Born American was not
worth the four-buck admission
price, but the silly priview for the
new movie called Link about
killer apes and oran-gutangs is
worth the ticket price alone.

Daily Photo by PETE ROSS


Records
Dr. John
GUMBO
Alligator
Dr. John is a New Orleans
blues/jazz/funk pianist who has
been on the scene for some 25
years. Gumbois a collection ori-
ginally released in 1972 on
Atlantic Records. It has been re-
released on Alligator Records, a
relatively smaller label which,
nonetheless, puts out some fine
blues, jazz, and reggae collec-
ions. This is a lively album and
is well-representative of New
Orleans music.
The first song on Gumbo is the
classic "Iko Iko," a Mardi Gras
song which is traditionally perf-
ormed a cappella by the tribes of
Mardi Gras Indians who perform
on that holiday. The Wild
Tchapitoulas are perhaps the best
and most well-known of these
bands. For those fans of Dr. John
who are interested in hearing
more music in the same vein, the
Tchapitoulas have an album
which is as excellent as it is hard
to find. "Iko Iko" has also found
its way to the ears of modern
listeners by means of the Neville
Brothers (another New Orleans
band), the Grateful Dead, and
random bar bands, all of whom do
covers of this timeless footstom-
per. Dr. John himself does a rol-
licking' version featuring thun-
derous piano chords and a hea-
venly-sounding female chorus.
These seemingly disparate ele-
ments combine to create a feeling
characteristic of the Good Doctor's
style-fun.
All of the songs selected for
this album have been tested by
untold numbers of performances
over the past several decades, so
there are no weak spots whatso-
ever. However, some of the best
songs do stand out. "Blow Wind
Blow" is a fluid, melodic tune
which breezes along on Dr. John's
soulful voice. "Let the Good
Times Roll" is an oft-used rock
and roll buzz phrase which sel-
dom evokes the level of intensity
exuded in this song. Not only do
the good times roll on Gumbo, but
they rock as well.
Dr. John will be appearing this
Sunday night at the Blind Pig.
-Joel Tracten berg
Yanni
KEYS TO IMAGINATION
Private Music
Probably the most notable
contribution by this decade to the
world of music has been in-
creaced synthesiser technology.
From this has sprung the syn-
thetic orchestra, a relatively new
style of music that has only been
explored by a brave few. Most of
them though were already esta-
blished keyboardists when they
began their exploits, such as Kieth
Emerson, Derek Austin, Jan
Hammer and Tangerine Dream.
Now, finally, there is a new face
on the scene who no one has heard
of, and has no previous personal
influences. His name is Yanni
and he is the pet project of former
Tangerine Dreamer Peter Bau-

man.
Yanni, a Grecian immigrant,
makes his major recording debut
on the Private $ecords label. His
first album pressed only 3,000
copies and was distributed for just
three months. His new album,
Keys To Imagination, fits the
mold of most previous music
centered around the synthetic
orchestra in terms of style, but not
in quality. It's better. Yanni
manages to mix synthetic imi-
tations of instruments in a wide
variety, including violins, fren-
ch horns, flutes, and even the

Stryp er
THE YELLOW
ATTACK
Enigma

AND BLACK

Read and Use
Daily Class ifiteds

ancient Japanese koto, with new,
vibrant, emotional sounds that
only a synthesiser could create.
But while others like Austin and:
Hammer seem content to let this
be the basis for their synthetic
music, Yanni also creates miE-
ving melodies that would 1,
amiable to the ear even without ti
gimmickry his synthesisers pr
vide. His music seems to bring to
life grand visions of vast land-
scapes, ranging from majestic
mountains to quiet forest mur-
murs and peaceful river scene*,
or whatever else your mind caxi,
picture. It's as if Yanni has gr-
ven you a soundtrack and left thL.
movie for you to devise.
All of the songs on this album
are exceptional, but perhaps the-,
best tracks are "The North Shore
of Matsushima,"dwhich moves.'
from a sax melody to old-style
Japanesemusic, and "Santorni,
with sweeping movements that
come at you in waves. But as i4
the case with this style of music,
each listener will undoubtedly
have his or her own favorites.
So far though, the most im-
presseve aspect of Yanni's musiq
(and perhaps the highest compli- :.
ment that can be paid to any
composer), is that after listening
to Keys Of Imagination numerous
times, one not only does not gro;O"
tired of it, but each listening'
provides a fresh, new experience.
The field of synthetic orches.-:
tration is new and open, but if
composers like Yanni are left to'd
develop it, it should flourish in.
Quality as well as poularity.
-Akim D. Reinharcit.

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Daily Photo by PETE ROSS

Heavy metal for Jesus. The
very idea is a paradox, since most
fundamentalist Christians be-
lieve that all rock n' roll,
especially that thick and pungent
stuff called HM, is the handiwork.
of the big bad guy himself (no, not
Abu Nidal), Satan. Stryper, a
quartet out of Orange County, CA
(where else?) challenges that,
contention by playing rock for.
salvation, a brand of music they
call "Heavenly Metal."
Unfortunately for true be -
ievers, Stryper's brand of rock is
much closer to aluminum foil
than heavy metal. The trouble
starts with the band's picture on
the record's back cover. Wearing,
more spandex than the Olympic
swimming team and with facial
features airbrushed more than
most custom vans, these guys
make Bananarama look
masculine. So much for HM's
cock-strutting macho image. The
grooves inside confirm the inital'
impression: these guys are 'as
tough as the Maginot'Line.
"Kicking out the jams" like a
castrated Night Ranger, the fok
striped altar boys reveal their
musical influences to be suth
seminal giants as Styx, Journay,
and Van Halen. Like a long-
haired Mr. Mister, the band's:
"all-out attack" of AOR pabluin
whines and wheezes along in A
search of true salvation: MTV
airplay.
While I don't doubt the
sincerity of their belief, I do doubt
the sincerity of their approaoh.
Sample these lyrics: "Co'mon
rock, rock, rock/Co'mon never
stop/Co'mon rock, rock,
rock/Co'mon never stop" (from
"Co'mon Rock"). Come on, they
can't even spell c'mon right!
Despite their inspirational 4
message, Stryper's music sinks.
from the realm of faith into the
land of the superbland. True
believers should keep the faith
and hold out the hope that Lemmy
will have a vision or that
Metallica will see the light, so that'
headbangers can skip Stryper's
syrupy sappiness and find sonic
salvation.
--Mike RubinI

New talent

PhrmcyCsner

Timbuk 3 and Christmas each gave a dazzling performance at the Blind
Pig Tuesday night. Above is violinist/guitarist Barbara K. of Timbuk 3,
and Christmas'Michael Cudahy. Cudahy's furious, string-popping guitar
playing highlighted that band's engaging routine.

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