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Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 19, 1988
Records
Continued from Page 7
Karyn White
Karyn White
Wamer Bros. Records
In her second release, Karyn
White attempts to probe for that
soulful depth other commercial ef-
forts usually don't aim for. But,
alas, she falls short of making her
LP provocative enough to the lis-
Michigan Daily
ARTS
763-0379
tener. Beat-wise, the album doesn't
cut it with its faster numbers.
They're not necessarily limp, but
maybe lukewarm - White's voice
in the high range just doesn't have
the snap or weight to charge them
with the energy they need. Songs
like "The Way You Love Me" are
probably better off heard on the
dance floor in their 12-inch versions,
then on the LP.
However, in her lower range on
the slower songs, White manages to
express herself more impressively,
though overall her style draws closer
parallels to Jody Watley than to
Anita Baker. White does succeed on
makingwher music meaningful on
"One Wish" and "Love Saw It."
These two tracks hint at her greater
potential, which one suspects, she
has yet to fully realize.
-Galen Yeo
Thurs.-
Sun.
Oct. 20-23
Fri.
Oct. 21
Fri.
Oct. 21
Fri.
Oct. 21
The University of Michigan
SCHOOL OCF MUSIC
Talk Radio
by Eric Bogosian
Presented by University Players, directed by R.
Klautsch
Tickets $7, call 764-0450
Trueblood, 8:00 p.m.
Faculty Carillon Recital
Margo Halsted, University Carillonneur
Burton Memorial Tower, 7:00 p.m.
FREE
University Choir/Chamber
Theodore Morrison/Jerry Blackstone, conductors
James Kibbie, organist'
Choral Works from the Renaissance to the present
Hill Auditorium, 8:00 p.m.
FREE
Wind Ensemble
H. Robert Reynolds, conductor
Beethoven: Rondino
Francaix: Sept Dances
Strauss: Serenade for WInds, op. 7
Gounod: Petite Symphonie
Hahn: Le Bal de Beatrice d'Este
Rackham Auditorium, 8:00 p.m.
Free
Incorporated Thang
Band
Lifestyles of the Roach and
Famous
Warner Brothers Records
It's great to see that the
grandmaster of P-Funk, George
Clinton, is back on vinyl. Since
James Brown discovered repetition
and Afro rhythms back in the mid-
sixties, George Clinton has been the
most original genius in Black music.
Although this is an ITB record,
Clinton is the creative director. The
sleeve bears the same kind of car-
toons found on all those Funkadelic
albums, as well as the famous P-
Funk dictionary of slang wisdom. In
addition, king of the slapping bass
and Clinton's old comrade, Bootsy
Collins, plays and writes on this al-
bum. It all bodes so well.
But Lifestyles is disappointing.
The proteges, ITB, are just too
mainstream. There's a lack of meat
in their funk. They also dress too
conventionally. The singing sounds
like it was recorded with helium gas
- castrato pigeons. Maybe Clinton
changed his writing style for this
group of designer showroom dum-
mies, but the tracks here are not as
eccentric, left-field or interesting as
the material on the Parlia-
ment/Funkadelic and solo records.
Phallic funk is fine when peppered
with George's surrealistic edge and
his ascerbic social commentary.
Here, everything is about the body
jacking or screwing: "Body Jackin',"
"Still Tight," "What if the Girl Say
Yes," and "44-22-38." The best track
is "Jack of All Trades" which is re-
markably similar to Was (Not Was)'s
"Walk the Dinosaur." But there's that
ranks with "Chocolate City," "One
Nation Under a Groove," or classic
workouts like "Tear the Roof Off the
Sucker."
This long player lies somewhere
in between the unexplored new paths
of hip hop and house jams and com-
mercial radio tunes, stuck in a musi-
cal limbo. It seems unsure of its
identity, something Parliament and
Funkadelic had no trouble with. P-
Funk was always sharp, funny,
tough, and proud. Let's hope George
can get his act together for his next
solo project.
--Nabeel Zuberi
WEEKEND
MAGAZINE
Fridays in The Daily
763-0379
Robert Cray
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Mercury Records
Yet another album of classic sea
chanties from the thinking man's
nautical bard, Bob Cray. On this fine
platter Bob continues his mastery of
choosing the best elements of tradi-
tional seafaring music without
diluting its powerful and timeless
powerful essence. Songs like
"Barnacles Stick Around, Why
Won't She?," "The Wreck of the
Trump Princess," "The Gorton's
Fisherman Is a Poseur," and "The
Scrimshaw Song" are flat-out mon-
sters and firmly establish Bob as
America's preeminent political salty
singer/ songwriter.
HAH! But this isn't any dumber
than the Nuevo soul retro blues tra-
ditionalist guitar hero renaissance
man labels that irresponsible pen
jockeys have flung around while de-
scribing Robert Cray.
Truthfully, I think Don't Be
Afraid of the Dark is the best soul
album since Al Green's Live in
Tokyo (Hi Records). This is hot
Memphis Soul and by turns conjures
up such greats as B.B. King, Magic
Sam, Otis Redding, James Carr, and
Booker T. and the MG's.
Forget the labels. The only label
for Robert Cray is "great."
-Brian Berger
the Mob sends us a new spin on on
some more familiar artists. The no-
frills guitar pop of Sinead
O'Connor's "Jump in the River"
fleshes out an undercurrent of violent
sexual imagery. Debbie Harry blasts
out of nowhere with a firestorming
cover of The Castaways' "Liar Liar."
The real coup, though, is Brian
Eno's sobering, Hank Williams-like
take on William Bell's "You Don't
Miss Your Water," his first vocal
performance in over a decade. A sim-
ple pop ditty from the maker of Mu-
sic for Films?" Bravo, Mr. Deinme!
Maybe I'm ready for Flashdance after
all.
- Michael Paid Fischer
Suicidal Tendencies
Long Awaited New Album
Epic Records
You'dthink that semi-intelligent adults would
would have something better to do than dictate where
kids can and cannot skate. Unfortunately, this is not
the case in Ann Arbor.
Skating is, along with dusting and comix, one of
the coolest u-ground activities to be involved in.
Rolling down some sidewalk or parking lot doing ol-
lies, grinds, etc, to the belligerent bewilderment of on-
lookers, is... well, it's just a blast. And if a few op-
pressive wimps get bent out of shape at the same time,
well, that's cool too. Unless of course they call the
Ann Arbor police on you, then you have to worry
about some anal retentive pig blowing holes in you
and your Alva mini with their big, bad semi-automatic.
They need semis in Ann Arbor, but not New York
City. Go figure.
So anyway, Suicidal Tendencies is (will be "was")
popular among skaters. I really can't tell you why, be-
cause their boring, flatulent, and generic thrash by the
numbers sucks. This music is formula and a bad for-
mula at that. Whatever menace Suicidal Tendencies had
in their "Skate or Die" days is totally absent now.
Figure in the gang violence associated with Suicidal
Tendencies shows, and you really have no reason to
support this putrid aggro. If only the band members
had a little more of the band's name in them...
For hard hitting street music, I'll take hip hop kings
like Eric B. and Rakim and Public Enemy or hot
punkers like Naked Raygun and Ed Gein's Car. For a
blast from the past, I'll go mod with the Who and the
Jam or crank up the Ramones and Black Flag. There
are a lot of great blasting records that you can skate to
so don't waste your money on this piece of suicidal
garbage.
--Brian Berger
For up-to-date program information on School of Music events
call the 24-Hour Music Hotline, 763-4726
2 & 4 DRAWER LETTER SIZE FILES
Full Suspension with Thumb Latches
Your Choice of Black or Putty
Various Artists
Music from the film
Married to the Mob
Reprise Records
Being a rock fan who nonetheless
longs for the old days of actual film
scores, I'm rarely thrilled by the
prospect of yet another Cocktail-style
pop-muzik soundtrack. But with his
vinyl counterpart to Married to the
Mob, avant-mensch director Jonathan
Demme somehow revitalizes this
rapidly-degrading format. Using
source music (originating from on-
screen sources such as a jukebox) as
the vehicle to incorporate the kind of
off-beat music that complements his
quirky film view of pop culture,
Demme manages to include the kind
of new and unavailable tracks that
make for a worthwhile record pur-
chase - without engaging in all that
movie-radio-MTV tie-in gimmickry.
The hip tone is set by old stand-
by groups, as in Tom Tom Club's
wacky cut "Devil Does Your Dog
Bite" and New Order's "Bizarre Love
Triangle." Some new blood is also
added by such promising new acts
such as peppy guitar twangers The
Feelies ("Too Far Gone") and The
Voodooist Corporation, whose.
"Queen of Voodou" recalls edgy old
Cocteau Twins.
But at its best, though, Married to
2 Drawer File
P2226TL/BLK
P2226TL/PTY
Full Suspension
Full 26 1/2" Depth
NOW ONLY
$78.50
4 Drawer File
P4426TL/BLK
P4426TL/PTY
Full Suspension
Full 26 1/2" Depth
NOW ONLY
$119.50
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You can be one!
Work at Michigan Telefund
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calling Michigan Alumni.
Gain valuable commu-
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at $27.50 each.
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