Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Wedresday, March 4, 1987
_
Records
Los Lobos
By The Light Of The Moon
Warner Brothers / Slash
What was the coolest album of
1984? My vote would have to be
Read
and
Use
Daily
Classifieds
for Los Lobos' How Will The Wolf
Survive? The album had cool
songs, cool videos, and the band
managed to tie the guys from E
Street in a well known magazine's
annual Bruce opinion poll. The
critics gushed about this awesome
album, but the record also gave
them fits when it came time to
describe their sound. Most review-
ers rattled off a long list of their
various influences.
Los Lobos obviously continues
to defy simple descriptions on By
The Light Of The Moon , their new
LP. One DJ recently resorted to a
standard ploy by declaring that their
music had an "early Stones feel."
The genius oftheir music is its
pure originality. In the future,
people will use Los Lobos as a
reference point to describe music.
On Light, Los Lobos has created
a logical extension of How Will
The Wolf Survive? Of the many
similarities between the two al -
bums, the major likeness is in the
continued use of the two distinct
lyrical styles of Cesar Rosas on one
hand, and the writing team of David
Hidalgo and Louie Perez on the
other. The first single from Light,
the shimmering "Shakin' Shakin'
Shakes" is a typical Rosas song
with its pop-ish lyrics; the socially
conscious "River of Fools," is
definitive of the Hidalgo/Perez
style. But all of the lyrics are set to
their typically complex rhythmic
sound.
Los Lobos take the sounds of
early, standard rock and roll, add
their own touches of Mexican folk
music, and fuse this together into
some lush arrangements. T-Bone
Burnett, their producer and some -
times co-writer, has done a good
job on the production. The liner
notes list approximately ten
stringed instruments and four kinds
of percussion and bass. The
different rhythms created by these
instruments highlight the lead
guitar lines well, especially on "Is
This All There Is."
Overall, the band's lyrics and
music have matured since theirl984
debut album. Unfortunately, this
record contains less of the party-
rock of "Don't Worry Baby," from
Wolf, but the new songs are equally
well crafted, and have more
meaning. The band questions the
constant reoccurance of misery in
society in "One Time One Night,"
wants more from life when they ask
"Is This All There Is?," and seems
to describe the state of the union in
"This Mess We're In." But all this
does not mean Los Lobos can't still
turn a good pop phrase, such as
"My life is just minutes away/And
all I wanted to do was dance."
On How Will The Wolf
Survive? Los Lobos considered the
problems of adult males in the
middle of the Reagan era, but left
the listener hanging. By -he Light
Of The Moon continues this theme
of male obligations, but expands it
to consider the rest of society. Hope
for the future is also provided on
the closing song "Tears Of God," a
Hidalgo/Perez composition that
declares cryptically "The tears of
God / Will show you the way."
-Brian Jarvinen
The Bunch
Rock On
Carthage
This is not a groundbreaking
album. It is not an earthshaking
artistic statement. Rock On is,
however, a delight to the ears and
well worth an investment.
Originally released in 1972, this
Carthage reissue features the stars
of the British folk-rock scene:
Richard Thompson, Linda Peters,
Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas and
others, performing inspired covers
of American rock and roll tunes.
The Bunch are having a blast and it
shows. Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry,
and more icons of the early years
are payed homage in faithful, yet
innovative arrangements.
The concept evokes comparisons
to JohnRLennon's similar 1975
project, Rock n! Roll. But while
Lennon appeared to be grasping
desperately for a tradition, albeit
one to which he belongs more than
these lesser stars, The Bunch em-
brace this heritage with verve and
passion. These qualities are partic-
ularly evident on Thompson's ren-
dition of Hank William's "Jum-
balaya (On the Bayou)," Tyger
Hutching's attack of Berry's "Na-
dine," and the awe-inspiring duet
between Denny and Peters, "When
Will I Be Loved."
The latter, a Phil Everly compo-
sition, was made famous by Linda
Ronstadt in 1974. Her version is a
country-rock rave-up in which she
growls soulfully about her heart-
ache. Here, the song becomes a
prayerful, touching ballad. Both .-
approaches work, but the purity of
two angelic voices blending with
Thompson's trembling guitar lines
is timeless.
Denny tackles another standard
brought to the Top 40 by Ronstadt
- Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The
Day." The two versions are closer
this time, again read slightly less
urgently by Denny, and are of equal
merit. To be honest though, the
original is so memorable and
perfect that the choice to interpret it 1
seems a little too ambitious for
anyone.
Aside from the wonderful music,
benefits received from purchasing
Rock On include a hilariously
cheesy illustration on the cover, and
a postcard enabling the buyer to
subscribe to Carthage's newsletter.
With this mailing, items ranging
from the Sandy Denny boxed set to
Carthage's special apple butter are
available for purchase.
Rock On is a beautiful set of
songs. That nothing from it sounds
dated fifteen years after its original
release testifies to the quality of the
performances given by a bunch of
important and talented musicians.
-Mark Swartz
ADVERTISERS,
DON'T FORGET.. .
6r*7
ch 6, 1987S
rch 20, 1987
Deadline: 2 pm, Mar(
Publication Date: Ma
This is your last chance to advertise
your latest Spring fashions!
Call your account executive today!
764-0554
. I . _
Masters
(Continued from Page 1)
as well as critical blockbuster, Back
to the Future. Unfortunately, most
of Thompson's films have not done
as well. Among some of her lesser
on,
Thompson gab it up
76-GUIDE
WINTER WORKSHOP SERIES
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE FOLLOWING PEER-LED WORKSHOPS
THURSDAY NIGHTS, 7 to 9 pm
3100 Michigan Union
Mar. 5ERELAX! !
During this workshop participants will learn the basic skills of progressive relaxation.
You'll talk about what's causing you stress and experience a guided relaxation exercise.
PLEASE CALL 76-GUIDE OR 764-8312 FOR MORE INFORMATION
WORKSHOPS SPONSORED BY UM COUNSELING SERVICES
known films, The Wild Life, Jaws
III, Red Dawn, and Space Camp,
her last one is known as one of the
biggest financial flops of the year:
Howard the Duck.
"You never can predicte these
things," explained Thompson. "If
someone came to me with Howard
the Duck right now, 'George Lucus
wants you to star in his new 40
million dollar movie' I would still
say yes."
With a starring roll in Some
Kind of Wonderful, it seems that
Thompson's career is on the up and
up. However, Lea originally turned
down the roll of Amanda because of
creative differences in the script.
"When I first read the script,
Howie said, 'Well, we're going to
change this, we're going to change
this.' I didn't believe him, it was
like, 'Oh boy, I've heard this one
before.' And then when he came
back with it, it was all the things
he said it was. It was much better
and the part was much better."
With all their differences in
acting methods, family backrounds
and film histories, Masterson and
Thompson have one thing in
common. They are both in demand.
Masterson just filmed James
Ivory's My Little Girl and Francis:
Ford Coppola's Gardens of Stone
and as for Thompson: "There are a.
couple of projects actually coming. =
up that have wild pecks of women.
I'd like to play one of them. That's
what I feel like doing right now."
Concert canceled
ANN ARBOR- Due to illness,
trumpet virtuoso Maurice Andre has
canceled his concert scheduled for
Saturday, March 14, at Hill Audi -
torium. The concert cannot be re -
scheduled, and there will be no
replacement, according.to Univer -
sity Musical Society, sponsor of
the event.
Patrons holding tickets for the
Maurice Andre concert may
exchange them for another concert
(through May Festival '87), or
obtain a refund by either returning
them to the Musical Society's
Burton Tower office or mailing the
tickets to the Society's office. All "
exchanges or refunds must be made
by March 25.
Further questions may be.
addressed to the University Musical;
Society, Burton Memorial Tower,
telephone 764-2538. The office is
open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 9
a.m.-noon Saturdays.
U
4
I ,
oAr7
mm
CAMPAIGN FOR
MICHIGAN
Students Raising $ for Students
We've Raised Over $5 Million For You!
Help Us Achieve Our $15 Million Goal
i
f1
$4-6 / hr plus bonuses
Evening Hours
Apply At 611 Church St., Third Floor
763-7420
Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunty Employer
4
Escape to
Choc Choc and
Police File
Ann Arbor's New Destination
For Men and Women
Wo Hate To Dress Ordinary /
10% OFF
Entire Stock
with Student I.D./
, thru March20
K4
_,4X
<4