The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 31, 1990 - Page 11

DEATH
Continued from page 6
some air/ Let me breathe," he gasps
in the hospital room. He can almost
smell her TB sheets. The piercing
harmonica riffs echo Morrison's
cries of denial; he speaks mundane
things to her in order to press the
hurt away somewhere it can't show
itself. The very great Lester Bangs
wrote that, "Van Morrison saw the
absolute possibility of loving hu-
man beings at the farthest extreme of
wretchedness..."
Blind Willie Johnson
'"Dark was the Night, Cold was
the Ground"
Johnson was a religious blues
songster of the Depression, and one
of the greatest bottleneck blues gui-
tarists. And that's as great as Robert
Johnson or Elmore James! Much of
his work is apocalyptic, deeply in-
uenced by a serious influenza epi-
Oemic that killed thousands of south-
g erners in the '30s. "Dark was the

Night, Cold was the Ground" is an
(un)holy dirge, a blues that causes
shudders in believers and unbelievers
alike. Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo
Pasolini used the "song" in his The
Gospel According to St. Matthew,
when the infirm blind man ap-
proaches Jesus for healing.
It's a twangy echo; each note is
left to fade painfully before another
one is struck and vibrated. The guitar
is unaccompanied except for John-
son's low moaning, a moan that
holds the weight of centuries of
pain. This is the deepest blues I've
ever heard, and I fear this is what
death will sound like as it takes its
last few steps towards me.
The Smiths
"There is a Light that never goes
out"
The song resounds with the
Liebestod myth. This is the way I'd
like to go - entwined with the per-
son I love most. The ultimate con-
summation! Morrissey asks his
lover to take him out, anywhere, he
doesn't care. He just wants to see

people and he wants to see life. The
song is full of yearning for elevation
of spirit, for higher and i.iore intense
feeling. Being with his lover is all
that matters in Morrissey's sublime
car ride. "And if a double decker bus
smashes into us/ To die by your side
is such a heavenly way to die/ And if
a 10-ton truck kills the both of us/
To die by your side/ Well, the plea-
sure, the privilege is mine." The car
ride is the perfect moment and death
merely photographs it, transforming
it into a still life. Derek Jarman's
video of the song merely has a shot
of two androgynes gazing into each
other's eyes in an embrace of body
and soul. This isn't miserable at all,
only quite nakedly romantic.
. Songs that take on death in all its
terribleness, that dwell on it, or
cheat it by laughing at it, should be
celebrated - for, if anything, by
discussing the subject we can grasp
what it means to live as full a life as
possible.
"O, my soul, do not aspire to
immortal life, but exhaust the limits
of the possible."
-Pindar, Pythian iii


SOVIET
Continued from page 6
used to run blood." Still, the haunt-
ing, magnificent dirge "Good Night"
- Kino's answer to the Cure's
monumental "Faith" - buffers the
despair with gorgeous poetry, and
rays of optimism shine through the
major-key poppiness of
"Boshutunmay."
More dissonant than dissident is
Vasily Shumov's My District, also
on Gold Castle's Red Wave label.
Harsh and arresting, Shumov's one-
man cacophony of obtuse synthe-
sizer effects and pounding electronic
percussion eerily evokes the bleak
emotional landscape of its origins
1 "in the cheapest communal flat, dur-
ing the night time when everyone
Svas sleeping." The previous clandes-
tine nature of Soviet recordings
probably accounts for their unusual
style - characterized by drum ma-
6hines and low, hummed vocals.
But Shumov's lugubrious, spo-
en post-Bauhaus vocals bring an
uplifting irony to his sound with a
wealth of varied poetry, including an
;arrangement for the Renaissance
philospher Nikolai Kuzanski's
"Wisdom." My District was recorded
in 1986 as a present for the cross-
continental wedding of Kino gui-


tarist Yuri Kasparyan; the optimistic
"Kasparyan/Stingray Wedding Song
(USA/USSR)" is a simple dual-lan-
guage prospectus of collaborative.
possibilities ("space projects/ sport/
peace/ Russia-America/ fight against
AIDS"), with quirky hit potential.
The logical result of Shumov's
dream may well be Boris Greben-
shikov's Radio Silence (Columbia),
the U.S.'s first major label Russian-
rock release. "It's strange, I don't
feel like a stranger/ I feel like I be-
long here," sings Grebenshikov on
the aptly named titled track, "I've
been waiting for a long time/ And
now I can tell you some stories."
Unfortunately, Grebenshikov's
raw, nervous energy, similar to the
distinctive post-punk sound of
German popsters like Herbert
Grinemeyer and BAP - and
preserved in the "rough mix" of this
song - is suffocated by the studio
clutter of producer David A.
(Eurythmics) Stewart. "Real Slow
Today;" featuring Annie Lennox and
Chrissie Hynde on chorus vocals,
churns in the same fermenting mix
as Stewart's production on Tom
Petty's "Don't Come Around Here
No More," making one doubt the
match-up of this Soviet-British
collaboration. Actually, Greben-
shikov's Western style seems more
English than American, his reedy,
quavering voice a combination of
David Bowie and Al Stewart - or
maybe George Harrison, on the
jaunty, strawberry "Fields of My

Love." In fact, the mostly-English
album's unlikely high point is a
Grebenshikov's hauntingly beautiful
arrangement of Sir Thomas Malory's
"Death of King Arthur" - sung in
the archaic Middle English and
brushed with delicate, pastoral flutes.
But the full-circle conclusion of
Gorky Park (Mercury) may well
foretell the fate of Russian rock on
the free market; the band's U.S.-pro-
duced brand of tastefully brutish,
Scorpions-style heavy metal packs
better heave-ho choruses and Zep-
pelin crunch than Winger or the
cretinous Jon Bon Jovi, who stum-
bles in to guest on the abysmal
"Peace in Our Time." Granted,
"Bang" and "Hit Me With the News"
are quality AOR anthems - but no
more, and nothing distinctive. And
for the way these leather-and-mousse
Sashas massacre "My Generation,"
one is tempted to re-adopt some of
Mr. Reagan's old conspiracy theo-
ries. Let them drink Coke, I say; but
as far the music, I'll trade for more
of the real thing.
HENRY
Continued from page 9
In the end, this still comes out to
be one of the best adaptations of
Shakespeare for the screen and one of
the better performances so far this
year.
HENRY V is playing at Ann Arbor 1
&2

Just plain folks

So, you're interested in watching 18 men leaping, dancing, and having a good time on stage? No, these
aren't the men of Chippendale's fame. And you would also like to see lovely women in colorful skirts
twirling and revealing their shapely legs? Sorry, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are still in Texas.
There are not many authentic folk groups left in this era of modern song and dance. Still, there are many
people who enjoy celebrating the commona!;ty of mankind in the "old-fashioned" way-and the 100-
member Hungarian State Folk Ensemble is one example of this. Their goal seems to be keeping folk art
accurate and alive during a time when public interest has died down. Virtually every dance performed by
the Folk Ensemble has been passed on over hundreds of years. The group is known for its fast-stepping
technique and precision: Imagine tempos accelerating faster and faster with over 40 dancers
accompanying the music. Under the direction of choreographer Sandor Timar, the company hails from
Budapest, Hungary. Their performance at Hill Auditorium tonight marks their fourth appearance in Ann
Arbor since 1984. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16-$18. Low-priced student rush tickets are
available at Burton Tower.
-Gina A. Tramontin

S
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Michigan Daily
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TICKETS
FOR ALE: Plane ticket
Detroit to Newark: March 2
Call Larry at 747-7467
MC CARTNEY 2 singles for 2/1 CHEAP!!
Need to sell. Call Mike 764-9730.
PAUL MCCARTNEY TIX. Thurs. & Fri.
nte. Best offer. Mike 747-7957 Evenings.
WANTED: Two UM-Pardue tickets for 1131
Call 459-2228.

GVING FPLACES
!!SKI STEAMBOAT FOR SPRING
BREAK!!
For $425
Call Michigan Ski Club
at 994-9068

ANN UNCEMNTI
CHEAP DATE lotsa fun. Bowling at Colo-
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IREGIST ER NOW
Mini-courses now forming
at the Union Ticket Office.
Call 763-1107 for more info

$99 ANYWHERE IN THE USA ON
NORTHWEST airlines! Bring our NWA
voucher and AMEX card. Call REGENCY
TRAVEL, 665-6122, ask for Ann or David.
* SAIL * SAIL * SAIL BAHAMAS *14
spaces left. Act now for adventure. 7
days/nights, food inc. Call 995-9858.
CANCUN, BAHAMAS & MORE! SPRING
BREAK at GUARAN'fEED lowest prices.
Call Susan & Michele 747-9742 NOW ! !
DAYTONA BEACH SPRING BREAK
Thunderbird Motel (right on the beach),
$129 (without bus), $214 (with bus).
Contact Steve at 930-6547.
EUROPE SPECIALS: Amsterdam fr. $499;
Copenhagen fr. $599; Frankfurt fr. $449;
Glasgow fr. $469; London fr. $379; Paris fr.
$469. Regency travel 665-6122. Ask for
Dan or Delb.
FOR YOUR LOWEST OVERSEAS AIR-
FARES ask for Student Travel Network,
800-36 -1929.
ORIENT SPECIALS: Bangkok fr. $967-
Hong Kong fr. $887; Osaka fr. $919; Seoul
r' fr. $865Smngapore fr. $999- Taipei fr. $845.
SREGENCY TRAVEL 669-6122 Ask for
Dan or Deb.
RIDE IN STYLE & PAY LESS than the De-
troit Airport commuter van for groups of 3-7.
$40 1 way - door to door limo. Regency
Travel 665-6122. Ask for Vivian or David.
SKI up north INDIAN RIVER MOTEL 4 hrs
North on I-75. Kitchenette & apartment units
sleep 6, cable TV. Grocery store next door.
We are 20 minutes from Nubs Nob, Boyne
Highlands and have lots of snow! Reasonable
rates. Good X-country. Call (616) 238-7406
for reservations.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND! The best selec-
tion and prices for Spring Break houses and
apartments. Call Padre Rental 1-800-292-
SPRING BREAK
Acapulco 519, Cancun 559, Freeport 439,
Jamaica 519 Nassau 459.
Call REGENCY TIRAVEL at 665-6122
(ask for Dan) 209-211 S. State St.

Aerobic Dance
Ballroom Dancing
Bartending
Bridge
Massage

Pool
Sign Language
Tae-Kwon-Do
Wine Tasting
Yoga

Another quality activity from the
University Activitites Center.
**PLAY GOTCHA**
BIG cash prizes. Starts Feb. 1st
Call 995-1791 for more info.

A

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I

MUSKET
presents
The Best Little
Whorehousein
Txas .

ANNOUNCEMENTS
BACKGROUNDS JOURNAL: Works by
people of color is now accepting poetr, short
stones, essays, artwork and one- actays for
their second issue. Deadline is March 1,
1990. Any questions? Call Curtis (995-
3072) or Darci (764-3973.)
NEW YORK GIANTS FANSI Watch the
game at Cubs AC. 1950S. Industrial Hwy.
GREEK GAB
PI DELTA has now become
DELTA ZETA
RUSH
Michigan's Newest
National Sorority
Mass Meeting: February 1
7:00 p.m.
Anderson Rm., Michigan Union
SUBLET
FOR SUBLET NOW - room in 3 bedroom
house apartment. Quiet,. nonsmoker.
Male/Female OK. Good housemates. On
Packard St., walk to main campus. Call 769-
1693.
HUGE BEAUTIFUL APT. for rent! Hill St.
1 bedroom util. incl. Covered parking. Rent
neg. 930-2440.
LEASE FOR.SALE. North Cam pus, Baits.
Female SINGLE. Feb.-May. $25 0/mo. Call
Beatriz, 763-8374.
NEED HOUSING? Sp./Sum. lease avail. for
newly renovated apt. Max, 994-6653.

ROOMMATES
3 MORE RENTERS needed to fill our house
on South Division. Parking, huge weight
room and laundry incl. 769-8230.
AVAIL. NOW 2 ROOMS IN HOUSE w/
female professor, campus 1 mile, laundry,
pkg. $270 + share util. Priv, nice 994-5181.
GREAT LOCATION -3 bedrooms available
m a co-ed house for Fall '90! 764-6714.
REMALE ROOMMATE WANTED. Share
one bed. Fumished apt. Low rent, great loca-
tion. Call Felicia at 769-5749.
SEEKING OUTGOINNG/EASYGOING
Nonsmoking female (who studies too to
share a spacious lbdrmtaptnext year. Hard-
wood floors, lots of light, parking, heat, H2O
& ME! Call-we'll talk. 930-1788
SEPT. LEASE 1 or 2 spaces - female dbl.
Oakland/E. Univ. apt Big rooms, skylights,
laundry, hardwood flrs. Non-smokers.
$225/mo. 662-0869.


MUSICAL MDSE,
STEREOS, ETC.
HERB DAVID GUITAR STUDIO 302 E.
Liberty. 665-8001. Repairs- fall tune-up spe-
cials.
COMPUTER MERCHANDISE
- MACINTOSH SERVICES -
Individual training-production. PageMaker,
Word 4.0, etc. Faculty, staff students. The-
ses, slides, overheads. Certified Apple-Mac
Trainer. 663-8942.
TICKETS
NEEDED: Three UM-Ind. tickets for Feb. 8.
Call Scott 764-4014 after 3 pm.
NEED 2 TKTS. for Illinois and/or Indiana
games. Call Steve at 761-2521.

< Accepting ......'.....
AppiCations for
Costume/T0Ch Crew :
Costume Designer
Info regardng these and other
positions avoltble of UAC office
2108 MIch Union, 763-1107

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SPRING BREAK GET-AWAY! Traverse ;OMA1~NhJ. nr emat
City area. Log cabin lodging. Cute. Cos. WCBN-FM 88.3 Annual Fundraiser.Feb 8-11 $18O/neg. U-Towers.
Romantic. Outdoor hot tub option. $38-58 tune in support college radio. SHARE BDRM IN 2 BDRM APT. Wntr,
nightly. (616) 276-9502. spr, or sum. $140/Neg. Male only. 769-2934.
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TRAVEL ac, wsh/dry. May-Aug. $150.769-8191.
For best Euroen/Greece airfares. We're at-
Kerrytown Mail. Call us *663-4400. VERY CHEAP!! SINGLE rm. in moder
THININGABOU SU? Wht ae .apt. security bldg. Now until May. Close tc
THINKING ABOUT SUN? What are you campus, females only. Call 747-969.
waiting for! Limited spaces still avaible for

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