4 Page 8 -The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, September 29, 1987 dB's engage new crowds but still satisfy loyalfans 4 By Beth Fertig "We want this song to be on the radio," an excited Peter Holsapple of the dB's told the crowd at the steamy Rick's American Cafe Saturday night. "We think we're good enough to be on the radio." If good songs were the criteria for radio airplay, then surely the dB's would be as big as Bon Jovi (come to think of it, Holsapple's hair is about as long as Jon Bon Jovi's now). But as it stands, the dB's are just beginning to turn heads with their first LP for I.R.S. Records, and they might also just be starting to achieve the success they deserve. For the fans at Rick's on Saturday night, the dB's were already on top. The band kicked through an hour and a half of fine tunes culled largely from their new album, The Sound of Music, and some off ofLike This. A few in the crowd were disappointed when no tracks from their earlier records were played - back when Chris Stamey was co-writing tunes - but not necessarily surprised. The dB's are clearly moving in a new direction now. In both performance and vinyl, the band is aiming for more of Holsapple's country or folk- tinged rock sound, without Stamey's trademark experimen- tation. Today the dB's are clearly Peter Holsapple's band, although drummer Will Rigby's tussled charm looms strongly in the. background. The band opened their set with "Never Say When," the first cut off their new album. With a new guitarist to replace the recently departed Gene Holder, and not-so- newcomer Jeff Beninato on bass, they came off exceptionally tight. After charging through several more tracks from The Sound Of Music (which they happily plugged after every song), they lunged into old faves "Amplifier" (which took an unexpected Wang Chung chorus) and the plucky "White Train," on which Holsapple shared vocals with "best friend and best drummer" Will Rigby. For "She's Got Soul" they got an audience sing-along going. The dB's were called back for three encores, on which they invited their opening band Dash Rip Rock to take the stage with them. An ecstatic chaos erupted as both bands and their roadies sang, tumbled, and mock-smashed their instruments before being begged back to do it all again. The highlight of this happy degeneration was when they played Holsapple's new tune, "Why Did You Sleep With My Girlfriend?" (previously reserved for the song- writer's acoustic solo per- formances). Holsapple wailed the lament, "I like you/ Your band, too/Bought all your records since '82 ... But Whyyy did you sleep with my girlfriend?" Never one to leave a line incomplete, the following line, of course, is "Whyyy did she sleep with you?" With the band in tow, it provided fans ample reason to eagerly await more dB's product. 1 4 Daily Photo by ANDI SCHREIBER, dB's guitarist/vocalist Peter Holsapple wants to know, 'Why Did You Sleep With My Girlfriend?' The band gave a well received show at Rick's Saturday night, satisfying the throngs of, people who came to see them back in action. Records Squeeze Babylon and On A&M The early '80s saw one good band rise to the heights of popularity, then disappear almost as suddenly; but in 1987, Squeeze is back, and pop music may just be saved from near extinction. Technically, Squeeze only left the music scene for three years, just long enough for Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook, the brains behind the band, to record a dismal and ill- conceived, self-titled. LP. Squeeze reformed in 1985, but arguably in name only. The album was titled Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, and it very nearly made Difford and Tilbrook's solo LP look like a masterpiece. On the newly released Babylon and On, Squeeze has finally recaptured the sound that made 1980's Argybargy and 1981's East Side S t o r y near classic accomplishments. Its first single, "Hour Glass," a better than average pop tune, should bring Squeeze some honest chart action for the first time since 1982. But it is not until the album's third track, "Tough Love," that Squeeze really begins to go to work. This Beatles-esque tale of a woman's efforts to survive her mate's alcohol and drug addiction reaffirms the talents of Difford and Tilbrook, two or rock's most gifted and unique songwriters. "The Prisoner" should finally enable long-time Squeeze fans to breathe a big collective sigh o f relief. This is old Squeeze; it is a spirited, rousing, and above all, a well-written pop song that should leave listeners dancing in the aisles. Other highlights include "Trust Me to Open My Mouth," "Striking Matches," and "The Waiting Game," Squeeze's best ballad since 1981's "Vanity Fair." The only time that Babylon and On fails to deliver is with "857- 5937," a song with loads of potential, ruined only by Difford's contrived lyrics, and "Some Americans," a sub-standard effort that probably should never have been penned.. But that isn't enough to put a damper on Squeeze's party. With top notch production from Tilbrook and Eric "E.T." Thorngren (of Talking Heads), Babylon and On will finally enable everyone who has worn out their copy of Singles - 45's and Under to send something new spinning 'round their turntables this fall. -David Peltz Puck Fair Fair Play Lost Lake Arts/Windham Hill According to legend; Puck Fair was originally a spiritual celebration of Ireland which made Mardi Gras seem staid in comparison. Since then, flutist Brian Dunning and drummer Tommy Hayes have turned the Fair into a private jubilee, a band which combines ancient wind, string, and percussion instruments to achieve a beautiful, unique sound. Their music ranges from freeform jazz to classical, yet Dunning and Hayes also retain their ancestral, musical roots on the album b y throwing in a large dose of Irish influence. Dunning, playing . a conventional flute, and Hayes, who plays the bodhran (an ancient drum made of wood and animal skin), are joined on the album by various artists, including a s e c o n d percussionist, a guitarist, and an extremely talented violinist to round out the musical troupe. The music itself is completely instrumental and generally soothing, in keeping with its classical category, but at times extends more into its jazz and Irish influences and becomes quite exciting. A galloping beat is pound out oh the bodhran, while the flute, guitar, and sometimes violin, race across the Irish countryside, utilizing tempo drop-offs and momentary lulls to make the swifter sections more prominent. The most dynamic song on the LP is a cover of Van MorrisonI's "Moondance," a fast paced tune in which Puck Fair makes use of even a piano to more clearly demonstrate its jazzy approach to music. On the other end of the speed spectrum is "The Cur," a slow, melodic song which begins with a flute solo intro, progresses into drums and piano, and becomes one of the most beautiful songs on the album. Take a flutist experienced equally in jazz, classics, and Irish music, add to him a percussionist of the ancient art of the bodhran, and you have, Puck Fair. A fantastic concept. -Robert Flaggert Pozzi*'s prints are incomplete By Avra Kouffman In the early 1960s, Italian artist Lucio Pozzi immigrated to the United States. He b e g a n experimenting with different art forms and managed to establish a considerable national reputation. During the Vietnam era, Pozzi, a leftist, produced politically motivated performance pieces. His return to visual art inspired one- man exhibitions throughout Europe and the U.S. Pozzi has created some very powerful art in the past. His paintings of the past decade form an impressive body of'wok. Recent canvases such as "The Universal Valet" and "Orpheus Remembered" demonstrate inventive composition and potent use of color, reminiscent of both Kandinsky and Chagall. For his Ann Arbor show, however, Pozzi has abandoned painting for yet another medium: monoprinting. 24 of his monoprints are currently on display at the Alice Simsar Gallery on North Main Street. To make these prints, the artist etches a design onto a metal plate, applies ink and then prints the design on paper, afterwards adding oil or chine colle. Most of the pieces in the show are made from a combination of etchings and oils, and all range between $1-$2,000 in price. Pozzi's monoprints evoke mixed reactions. A few of them, notably "Mombase," "Miltiades," and "Garce" are lovely. Two of these feature striking black and yellow color schemes. Many of the prints are vibrant and colorful, but others are lacklustre and amateurish. A few pieces succeed in diverting the viewer's attention momentarily, but they cannot sustain it. In general, the works lack depth. The faults in this exhibit may lie partly with its m e d i u m; monoprinting is a notoriously difficult and tedious process. It is not easy to obtain outstanding results. Nevertheless, more is to be expected from an artist of Pozzi's stature. Not all the work in the show stands on its own, and when compared with Pozzi's past work, I the exhibit is a peculiar disappointment. L U CI O P O ZZI : MONOPRINTS will be shown at the Alice Simsar Gallery, 301 N. Main Street, until October 14. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. I 6 ------------- --------------------------- ------------------ 0000#4 w E LOOKING FOR A PART-TIME JOB THAT'S FUN? The Archdiocese of Detroit has a job to do. We know some people who are facing tough choices in life who need good advice. We know some people who are facing no choices who still need hope. We know a lot of great kids who need At Sacred Heart Seminary we're teaching young men to use the hands and shoulders and ears and hearts God gave them. It's a great education. A college degree. Graduate work. We'll give you up to eight years to decide you ran-lli, wnni-t tokhP'a nr;~fct hp.fnrp wp afikoteto s Photographers Wanted! " Weekends and other special events " Work experience necessary " Own eruinment a mMJJm f lllY i 4