PageJ0 -The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 16, 1987 I Records Little Richard Lifetime Friend Warner Bros. Usually when a rock artist anflounces a conversion to Christ - iany itaheralds the arrival of music 'that is blander and less compelling than pre-conversion works. Bob Dylan's infamous Christian period is now regarded, foi'6th most part, as a less-than- spectacular chapter in his career. Rock 'n' roll is, after all, the devil's music, and Stryper not- withstanding, the words "Christian" and "rock"woften appda to be mutually exclusive. B,ut Little Richard, bless his stit, has made a record that at titmes manages to challenge the separation between Church and Rock .His voice reminds the lisle odr that rock 'n' roll has roots in'-the black gospel tradition. Little Richard attempts to make a powerful argument that rock 'n' roll is the Rock that the Church was founded on. It's unfortunate that his efforts are sabotaged by production that is rroiing short of inept. Little Richard, given one of the greatest rock voices ever, sounds muffled aod weak amidst big-bam- aing drums, oppressive hrins, and worst of all, his own 7yhthesizer! While I'm sympathetic to the desire to bring a past legend into the present, Little Richard still writes songs that sound like 1957's, and they csry .out for the instrumentation and- production thatthrust that voice to the forefront over a swirling mix of boogie-woogying piano, acoustic base, and a minimal drum kit. The songwriting, though, is surprisingly good. "Destruction" is a terrific prophecy which given better production might well have spread Little Richard's message to the masses. "Lifetime Friend" is a gentle thank-you note to God that is so unassumingly sweet and heartfelt that it becomes uplifting. The re-cut "Great Gosh A'Mighty" is a god notch worse than it's first presentation, on the "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" soundtrack, but Little Richard's not so subtle substitution of "God" for "Gosh" tickles me. Lifetime Friend is good news. While it is a mediocre to lousy album, Little Richard fares well. The voice, while weaker, still can shake the rafters. The songs are still good. Perhaps live performance, seperated from the useless modern baggage, will be Little Richard's resurrection. -John Logie Peter Hamill Skin Enigma Although he has released 24 albums throughout his 18 year career, most people have still never heard of Peter Hammill. This British singersongwriter began his career with the legendary art-rock outfit Van Der Graaf Generator. With Van Der Graaf, and as a solo artist, Hammill's music has influenced a variety of artists ranging from Peter Gabriel to The Fall. Skin, Peter Hammil's most' recent album and first U.S. release in years, finds him at what appears to be the peak of his creativity. Skin is a powerful, passionate, and inspiring record - perhaps the most perfect record Peter Hammill has yet made. Many of its songs are more accessible than most of his previous work. The title track combines a quirky pop feel with sarcastic, discontented lyrics in a manner not unlike XTC. "Painting By Numbers" is a bitter attack upon the art establishment, set to a suprisingly cheerful pop melody with bright trumpet and harpsichord textures. Hammill sings "The whole thing falls apart/When the movement's more important than the art/When we're more concerned with what's been thought than said/ This is the moment when the culture's dead."- "All's Said and Done" is one of the most powerful love songs Hammill has written, a stirring song about loss and desperation. "You Hit Me Where I Live" explores the same subject from a more angry perspective, with Ham - mill's voice regularly building into an abrasive shriek. And "Four Pails,". penned by his friend Chris Judge-Smith, is a pretty ballad about chemistry. Of a former love, he sings, "Four pails of water and a bagfull of salts That is all she was." . Skin's final cut, "Now Lover," is a lengthy music opus of sorts, reminiscent of his work with Van Der Graaf Generator. Here, sexuality is described in physiological, yet almost mystical terms. More than ever, Hammill's lyrics pare fillled with compelling, surrealistic images. Skin presents Peter Hammill's lyrics, singing, and guitar and keyboard playing in their finest form. For those unfamiliar with his work, this is an ideal introduction to a fascinating artist whose creative powers continue to unfold through time. -Matthew Smith Various Artists The Sun Story Rhino Records The record industry has been thriving on reissues for the past couple of years, and this re-release of Sun Records' classics is one of the best. Sun Records, founded by talent scout extraordinaire Sam Phillips, was at the forefront of the rock n' roll industry from the label's inception in 1951 to its final vinyl in 1963. Sam Phillips and Sun recruited from the streets of Memphis, where the turbulent gale of the rhythm and blues scene uprooted country boys and blew them into town. Among Sun's singing farmers were Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and then-dauphin Elvis Presley. This compilation, featuring original recordings, represents the formative years of rock n' roll, as these musicians strove to refine their coarse country styles to become more suitable for main - stream America. Sam Phillips recognized the vast commercial po - tential of a polished yet spirited musical genre. While searching for See RECORDS, Page 11 Peter Nero The Peter Nero Trio will be performing a jazz/classical melange at Hill Auditorium tomorrow night. Showtime is set for 8 p.m. fl0 SNI9 C rucacTTLMac' o ck acTruckMacTrtickMacTl .+.ii *: :"' : rS :'i: :; ;r : ;;r,.. '.:;: Get in on the BEST opportunity ever CR -- , to get your own: *Macintosh Plus computer * 800K external or SCSI hard drive * ImageWriterII printer I Advance orders now being taken. For more information on the sale and the machines, pick up a supplementary information packet at: *Any Computing Center public facility, such as UNYN, NUBS or the Undergraduate Library; *The Microcomputer Education Center, School of Education Building; * Photo and Campus Services, LS&A Building; *Campus Information Center, Michigan Union. or attend an information seminar in Auditorium 3 of the Modern Languages Building, 812 E. Washington St., at one of the following times: *Tues., Jan. 20: 7-9pm *Wed., Jan. 21: 5-7pm *Mon., Jan. 26: 7-9pm *Wed., Jan. 28: 7-9pm *PLEASE NOTE: ORDERS RECEIVED AFTER 5:00pm ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 WILL INCUR A $50.00 LATE FEE AND AVAILABILITY OF MACHINES WILL NOT BE GUARANTEED. Sponsored by the Information Technology Division of The University of Michigan and Apple® Computer, Inc., in cooperation with ComputerLand of Ann Arbor, Inacomp Computer Center-Ann Arbor, and the Learning Center, Ltd. 198 Apple Co puter Inc. 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