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MUSiC

INTERVIEW



Continued from Page 8


Lavin surprises fans

with

her

'second

debut'


Christine Lavin
Another Woman's Man
Rounder Records
Another Woman's Man is the
re-release of a 1982 collection en-
titled Husbands and Wives. T h e
strange timing is no doubt related to
Lavin's growing following in folk
circles and the popularity of her latest

funniest songwriters performing in
the folk, or any other, genre. But the
aptly-titled Another Woman's Man
consists of seven melancholy songs
about Lavin's ill-fated affair with a
married man. "The Danger," "Tidal
Wave," and the title track poignantly
portray the suffering involved in a
relationship tainted by doubt and
deceit. "If I Could Be Sonja Henie"
expresses the wish to escape that
torment through fantasy and "The
Vacation of Our Lives" is about a
dream that comes true, only to be the
denouement of a disintegrating marr-
iage.
There are some traces of Lavin's
humor in the song "If You Want
Space, Go to Utah;" but even that
song is a pained plea addressed to a
lover who will not make a
commitment. This is less - but
more - than the hilarity that
listeners have come to expect from
Lavin. Upon reflection, though, fans
will probably see the continuity in
her career. The pitfalls and pratfalls
of modern romance constitute a
recurring theme in Lavin's work.
There is only a subtle and incomplete
shift from the concentration on heart-
ache to the search for humor in her
"beau woes."
That tragedy and comedy are two
sides of the same coin is a basic tenet
of writing. A good writer also knows
that laughter and tears often flow
from the same sources. Lavin
possesses an intimate understanding
of these truths. It is her sensitivity to
"the problems of modern life" that

Christine Lavin: laughter to lament
two albums, Future Fossils and
Beau Woes and Other Problems of
Modern Life. Yet the people who
have come to know and love Lavin's
work from the latter albums are
likely to be surprised by her "second
debut."
Lavin is known as one of the

makes her such an astute social
commentator and comic.
With Another Woman's Man
we see Lavin at her most touching
and direct, stripped of humor's
defenses. But for those of you who
like happy endings, Christine Lavin
has recently become engaged.
-Timothy Huet
Various Artists
No Age: A Compilation of
SST Instrumental Music
SST Records
All over America these days it is
becoming increasingly easy to hear
New Age music, whether on the
radio, in stores, or restaurants. This
light, unobtrusive instrumental
music fills a silent room while
barely impinging on the listener's
consciousness.
In order to jump on the band-
wagon, or perhaps in order to com-
bat it, SST Records recently released
No Age, a double album of instru-
mental music by post-punk and
other bands, the most familiar of
which is Black Flag. No Age,
though somewhat heavier than new
age, makes not only great back-
ground music, but is also great
music for any listener who enjoys a
broad range of musical styles.
The first record is somewhat
heavier in tone than the second.
Blind Idiot God's "Dark and Light"
is one of the better songs, a heavy
bass line combined with some
inspired jamming, while Lawndale's
"March of the Melted Army Men"
could only be described in the same
way, yet sounds completely
different. The second record has a
mellower, blues/jazz sound, with
Paper Bag's "Priests on Drugs," a
jazzy organ piece. Scott Colby's
"Let's Go Places and Eat Things"
has a fast-paced New Orleans sound.
The exception to the quieter sound of
this record is Lawndale's "Days of
Pup and Taco," which starts off with
a peppy sound and abruptly changes
to a furious thrash tune.
-Ian Campbell.
Verbal Assault
Trial
Giant Records
With the breakup of the late,
great Minor Threat came numerous
copycat bands, striving for all the
glory and idolization Threat achie-
ved, but somehow leaving its sound
and power in the dust. For years
many sat in wonder, in limbo,
waiting... hoping... wondering...
Would there ever be another hardcore
band as great? One that even came
close to the guitar expertise of Brian
Baker/Lyle Preslar and the genius
vocals of Ian McKaye? Many

Firehose keeps it flowing, but this time with more control.

THE BEER VAULT
w # CThe Nation's Oldest Drive-Thru Since 1935
sh"*m 303 N. FIFTH . 966-9683

Firehose
SST Records
Chapter two of the book Fire-
hose is released, and I finally
realize that Mike Watt and the
boys have never ceased to amaze
me.
Unlike their debut album
Pick of
the Week
Ragin' Full On, If n shows a
tighter, more fulfilling group of
musicians working together as a
trio as opposed to the old
Minutemen rhythm section play-
ing with a new guitarist. The
instruments and vocals seem to
mesh and interlock more easily
than on Ragin' Full On without
losing any of its spirit. Cranky

guitar, dynamic drums, it's all
still there, only better this time
around.
If n also differs from the first
LP in that bassist Mike Watt
sings on four of the fifteen songs.
Definitely not as pretty a voice as
EdfromOhio's (A.K.A. Ed Craw-
ford), but certainly pleasing in its
own way. Watt's voice is very
raspy and he seems to speak the
lyrics more than sing them.
According to the liner notes, Watt
also wrote the majority of the
lyrics on this album, which is not
at all surprising considering the
subjects: a mixture of politics and
silliness.
The vinyl spins, the needle
drops, and I start to tap my foot
and smile. "Good" albums don't
make me happy, but If n does.
But hey, it's a "great" album.
-Robert Flaggert

hopefully, by adults or teenagers.
D: So you were surprised that
Mom, The Wofman and Me was
controversial? I can see how it might
cause controversy with the single
mother and talk of her sex life, since
it was published in 1972.
K: It somehow didn't strike me. In-
terestingly, I think time has caught
up with it in the sense that now
many more women are doing that. I
think it's the fact that - it's a kind
of naivete on my part - but all the
people I know are very liberal, "live
and let live" kind of people. I'm al-
ways amazed when a Republican is
elected president. It's sort of a per-
manent '60s mentality. In a sense,
my kids have grown up in a version
of the same world despite what's
happening to America as a whole.
When I go to conventions and lec-
tures I'm just aware of how reac-
tionary many Americans are. r
D: You've been described as an ar-~
dent feminist. What is the biggest
issue to you within your feminism?
K: Again, I just assume that every-
one is a feminist. I can't imagine,
truthfully, that anyone I'd want to
spend two minutes talking with
would not be. But clearly, first of.
all, not all women are, and often.
what disheartens me more is meeting
women that are feminists in terms of
their lifestyle and are benefitting
from the things that have happened
in the last 20 years but consider
feminism a dirty word. Women are
better people, maybe due to lack of
power, in that power is corrupting.
Women are warmer, more open, less
interested in dominating. Sadly I feel
that the things that make them better
at most things also prevents them
from succeeding. They're not inter-
ested in seizing power. I just feel
that my daughters are so much better
off. My older daughter is at college,
and there are so many feminist
SH EA
Continued from Page 8
whites at night, thinking they will
jump you. There's no understanding
and there's no trust. The fliers may
make us indignant, but it is these
other incidents - stemming from
ignorance - that we should really
be concerned about.
Where does it all end? You
would like to think that a worldwide
rally would do it. Or maybe a
mandatory class on racism. These are
all starts, I suppose. But the reality
is, racism is a private war. It is
fought from within: between your
heart - which tells you the only
difference between Blacks and whites
is skin color - and your gut, which
tells you to walk to the other side of
the street.
I can't tell you how to fight it.
But if we insist upon sidestepping
and name calling, I can tell you
withoutmeven consulting a weather
forecaster: the outlook for March is
gloomy.
Sun, anyone?

s ---- ---

COVER STORY
Continued from Page 7
Vice President for Government
Relations Richard Kennedy said,
"It's awfully hard to expect that, for
us to say, 'We will not tolerate
this, that, or the other thing,' to
not do anything when acts like that
occur. The problem has become so
pronounced, and all of our efforts
have drawn an absolute blank."
Racist speech, Estep pointed
out, is difficult to define, and is
therefore tough to restrict. "It's a
real mistake in the long run to try
to put any kind of general clamp on
the general public for using racially
derogatory comments. We get at the
truth by letting people express their
own views, no matter how obnox-
ious the views are."
"Even though I think people
who make these racial remarks are
neanderthals, and boy, do they need

an education," Estep said, "I still
am very reluctant to throw those
people out of school. That's a dan-
gerous precedent."
Estep said the Supreme Court
has not dealt with any cases of
sanctions against racist speech. But,
he said, there will probably be
some in the future.
Prof. Peter Railton, chair of the
University's Civil Liberties Board,
said, "What's needed is attention
not to when speech is offensive or
false, but when it constitutes as-
sault on that individual's freedom of
speech and liberty. Universities
ought to be more tolerant... other-
wise, you intimidate people out of
certain types of views."
Many code opponents have pro-
posed education, such as a manda-
tory class on racism and sexism, to
start exorcising discrimination from
campus. Saul Green, a University
alumnus, said, "I don't think the

University is dealing with the issue
on hand - changing the atmo-
sphere on campus. It shouldn't
simply be reacting through pun-
ishment."
Kennedy, however, said educa-
tion was unrealistic in dealing with
the short-term racial problems.
"Education doesn't really hack it
when you are confronted with an act
of harassment that has to be dealt
with," Kennedy noted. "You can't
just send them to school."
Law School Dean Lee Bollinger
said Fleming's draft might be more
appropriate if it focused more on
harassment than speech. "We pay a
high price for free speech. That's
true on a university campus as
well," Bollinger said. .
Bollinger said he supported be-
havioral rules for harassment,
though he made a clear distinction
between harassment and offensive
speech. Yelling in a person's ear,
he said, would constitute harass-

Di
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te
ge
Ro
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th
tra
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sa
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unl
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courses. It's no longer considered an
odd thing. It saddens me a little be-
cause I think they'll still have a
struggle. It isn't like we've fought
and won the battle because I don't
think men are going to give up
what's a major advantage for them. 1
just feel it's still really hard to find
men who can be married to women
who are as intelligent or more intel-

1988-1989 W
HILLEL GOVERNING BOARD ELECTION

ligent than they are, or more suc-
cessful, and who will really give
half-time to child care. To get back
to my books, I think I'm writing
not only about men I know but
about a slightly idealized version, of
a kind of non-macho man. What so-
ciety might derogatorily call a
whimp - thoughtful, sensitive men
- I think they exist.

D: We talked about the feminism
issue, but what else concerns you
about the youth who have grown up
in the past few years? Things that
might not have effected youth be-
fore, but would now?
K: I was thinking that in my young
adult novels I tend to write them in a
kind of amorphous presence. Because
if I set them when I was growing up
in the '50s, they would be kind of

his
ass
no
ide
of
wi
'2C
yu
se
th:

Nomination forms are available at Hillel
Starting Feb. 1, 1988 M

Elections will be held March 7th to March 10th

s

*Nomination forms are due Feb. 16, 1988


(across from Kerrytown Farmers' Market)

um1

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doubted so, but now there arises out
of the ashes like a Phoenix, Verbal
Assault.
Verbal Assault is not a wanna-be
band; it has all the power and
intensity of Minor Threat, but plays
with its own music and sound.
Trial opens with a ripping title
track which alone proves the power
and devotion of the outfit, and gives
but a taste of the treats that follow.
Guitarist genius Pete Chramiec lays
down riff after riff of head-crunching
guitar which runs 'neck and neck
with vocalist Christopher Jones'
deep bellows and archaic screams, "I
awoke to face my judge/ The mirror

said I'm guilty/... How can this be
true?" Ahh, if only the power and
intensity could be successfully
conveyed through paper. -
-Robert Flaggert
Blind Idiot God
Blind Idiot God
SST Records
...A thoroughly mind blowing
experience.
This is just a vague description of
what you're in for when you crank
up Blind Idiot God's instrumental,
See, MUSIC, Page12

CARDS
MUGS
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PLUSH
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JELLY BELLY & GOELITZ CANDIES
VALENTINE'S DAY - Sun. Feb. 14
DOODLES 769-4211
LOCATED ON-THE LOWER LEVEL OF 222 STATE
PLAZA ON THE CORNER OF STATE AND LIBERTY

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PAGE 4 WEEKEND/FEBRUARY 5, 1988

WEEKEND/FEBRUARY 5, 1988