Ube d14iUg BaIg "I Hear a Symphony ...R"
U-M Campus Symphony & Philharmonic Orchestras will perfrm
* Copeland's "Outdoor 0verture" and Kodaly's "Hi-ary Janos Suite" tonight
at 8 p.m. at Hill Auditorium. You can't beat the price (it's free) so by all
means go and check it out. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
Page 5
Tuesday,
February 7, 1995
Megadeth
By Brian A. Gnatt
Daily Video Game Editor
When Dave Mustaine was thrown
out of Metallica in the early '80s due to
his uncontrollable attitude, most people
probably didn't think or care if they
would ever hear from him again. 13
years, six albums, and one major spell-
ing error later, Mustaine and his band of
speed metal gurus, Megadeth, are sell-
ing out arena shows across the country,
spreading their thrashing and shred-
ding brand of metal everywhere.
"I don't really consider us to be
metal, thrash, this metal, that metal,
any kind of metal. We're Megadeth,"
drummer Nick Menza said in an in-
terview last week. "I don't think there
are any brackets you can put Megadeth
inside of. We'vejust become our own
entity; our own icon. We do the music
that we do. It's Megadeth. It's mu-
sic."
With their latest release,
"Youthanasia," Megadeth has broad-
ened and matured, creating a brilliant
album of intelligent, dark and cynical
music. "'Youthanasia' has really
broadened ouraudience," Menza said.
"I see a lot more women coming to the
shows, whereas in the past it was
mostly guys. This album has already
sold more than 'Countdown,' and this
is definitely our best record to date."
To get the warmer sound they were
looking for, Megadeth attacked the
rocks wit
"Youthanasia" recording sessions at
a new angle. "This is the first album
that we recorded live, where all four
of us played at the same time, rather
than me doing my drum tracks, and
then the other parts being overdubbed
MEGADETH
Where:Cobo Arena
Tickets: $20 and $10
in advance.
Doors open at 8 p.m.
after I was done," Menza recalled.
"The only overdubs on the record
are the guitar solos, the vocals, and the
percussion I put on at the very end,"
Menzacontinued. "It gives it more ofa
warm feel. We tried to get fatter tones
on the instruments, and we really set out
to write some songs people can listen to.
I think 'Youthanasia' is the most listen-
able Megadeth album to the non-
Megadeth fan."
Along with the natural maturing of
the band's music over the years, be-
coming a father has had a vast impact on
Mustaine and the rest of the band's
songwriting. "This album is more on a
personal and emotional level, about our
ongoings, things that have happened to
us, and things that are going on in
society today," Menza said.
"We always write about reality.
We're not going to write about stupid
h a mega-comeback
things like sex and drugs, and that kind The Red Cross.
of garbage. Those areobvious gimmes. "After the gig, we do a meet-and-
These bands that write about the devil, greet, and we meet all the fans wh
and heavy things, and 'Ruhhhhhh' brought in the food," Menza said
(Slayer-esque grunt), this kind of crap. "It's a cool thing. We wanted to do
You can be a lot more witty about something positive for the communi-
things. You can be more evasive, and ties we go through, and have people
not so obvious about the stuff you not think negative thoughts about
write about." Megadeth, because the name alone i
Going along with the band's more a negative factor. The fact that we're
abstract attitude is the cover of doing something for the community
"Youthanasia," which pictures an old is a cool thing. There are a lot of
woman hanging up babies on a hungry people out there that aren't
clothesline. The computer-generated just bums. People say, 'Why are you
cover has caused the album to be feeding the bums?' We're not just
banned in Singapore and Malaysia, as feeding the bums. There are a lot of
officials there deemed the artwork people out there who are starving
"defamatory." However, Mustaine There's a lot of children who are
and the band refuse to alter the art- starving, and this is a way for us to
work, claiming that taking the record give something back to the cities we
off the shelf doesn't stop the fact that come through. When I was a kid, I'd
our children are being hung out to surely bring 10 pounds of food to see
dry. one of my favorite bands backstage.
I-
0
.
0
i-
e
it
s
e
ff
It
.t
Mf
."
.e
Dave Mustaine strikes the stereotypical metal 'Jesus Christ Pose.' Cool.
"That cover is a very surrealistic
depiction of what is taking place in
society," Menza said. "That's how
the children feel. They're being hung
out to dry and sold down the river
before they are even born."
One of the tactics Megadeth uses
to try and help the world they are so
irritated with is giving out backstage
passes to the first 200 fans at their
shows who donate 10 pounds of non-
perishable food. The band then do-
nates the food to a local chapter of
It's just something that we're doing
that makes us feel good."
Over the years, rumors of hatred
and competition with Mustaine's
former band Metallica have had fans
wondering about the two's rocky re-
lationship. "There's no competition
at all. Metallica is black, and we're
white," joked Menza.
"We went on tour with those guys
last year, and we did about six shows
with them. It was really cool. It was
like the ice had broken, and the press
was like 'Wait a minute, you guys
can't tour with them.' We did huge
festivals in Europe, and hung out with
them. Everything was totally cool.
People were baffled to see James
(Hetfield of Metallica) and Dave hang-
ing out together. I foresee us doing
some gigs together with those guys in
the future. When we left the tour with
them, they said 'Hey, we want you
guys to come again,' and we said
'Sure."'
With the constant changes in the
music industry, Megadeth is content
their fans will continue supporting
the band. "People don't want to be
fooled anymore. They want the real
deal. They want shit that has sub-
stance, and they want to go and see
some real players. We pride our-
selves on being musicians foremost.
It ain't about being a rock star and
walking up in the clouds. It's about
being down at the street level with
your fans and delivering the goods.
When I get up on stage, I'm there to
play my drums. I ain't there to pose,
and ham out. Even though I do, that's
a secondary reaction. It's natural.
People want to be entertained. But
foremost, it's about the music, and
it's about the art."
COC rejects conformity of all kinds in their music
Sarah Jessica Parker and Antonio Banderas don't make sweet music
together in the dreadfully dissonant 'Miami Rhapsody.'
'Rhapsody'ofke
By Kirk Miller
Daily Books Editor
Since MTV has embraced punk, it
might be sort of a surprise that Corro-
sion of Conformity, a band started
from the original hardcore scene, owes
just as much to the spirit of Lynyrd
Skynyrd as Black Flag.
Southern rock is just one of many
influences the band has tacked on to
its latest release "Deliverance." COC
has been around since 1982, but
Mullin is very excited about their
major label debut; their versatility
combines the best of Black Sabbath,
punk and "Saturday Night Special"-
style swamp rock.
But the most important part of the
band and its ever-changing lineup has
been Mullin, easily one of the best
drummers in music today and one of
the band's co-founders. He also has
been incredibly active in the political
arena and benefit shows the past few
years.
"I probably shoot my mouth off
more than they do," he laughed, dis-
tancing his more overt political stances
from his bandmates. Not only has the
band played benefits for diverse
groups like PETA and NORML,
Mullin also has actively pursued his
home state of North Carolina's great-
est evil, Jesse Helms.
"I worked on Harvey Gant's cam-
paign," he explained, citing the failed
1992 Senate race contender. "A lot of
different progressive groups came to-
gether to defeat Jesse. I started a group
called the North Carolina Progressive
Network in an attempt to keep every-
one together. Like in the old punk rock
days, when people would try and start
CORROSION OF
CONFORMITY
Where:See Megadeth
article
scenes and put out fanzines. I tried to do
the same thing with progressive groups
in North Carolina." Unfortunately,
Mullin had to go on tour for two years
to support the album, eventually losing
track of the network.
When he came back not only was
the network not around, but the band
had completely changed. Both vocalist
Karl Agell and bassist Phil Swisher left
in the middle of recordings for the new
album.
"We recorded 'Deliverance' with
Karl and Phil," Mullin said. "It was a
really bad scene, and they ended up
splitting. We did try different vocalists,
but it was kind of futile. We were trying
to find someone who had our same
vision, but Pepper and I had written
music and lyrics already."
So Pepper, whose vocals were be-
hind their breakthrough hit "Vote With
A Bullet" on 1991's "Blind," took over
full-time and Reed called up original
vocalist Mike Dean to return on bass,
six years away from the band (Dean
continues to sing their early hardcore
stuff in concert). Confusing the matter
even more was the signing to a major
label, which doesn't bother Mullin.
"We've done it all, man," he replied
quickly. "We put out our own records,
we booked our own tours, we did the
whole D.I.Y thing. Then we did the
independent route and got ripped off by
the independents. Where we are now,
we have tons more fans, tons more
resources. I would imagine if we were
on a major label then, it would have
sucked."
Now on tour with Megadeth, who
Mullin assures is the best band they've
toured with ("I sound like a P.R. guy for
them, don't I?" he quipped atone point),
COC have been able to expand their fan
base and experiment with their market-
ing. Their next video for "Clean My
Wounds" was shot by photographer
Dean Carr, who did all of the fucked-up
imagery on the Tool CD case last year.
In fact, there really isn't anything
that Mullin didn't sound excited about,
whether it's the tour, the benefit album
for Leonard Peltier he's finishing or the
revitalized not-so-redneck punk of the
group. Even with the rapid change of
band members and music styles, he's
optimistic about the tour.
"One of the great things is general
admission," he explained. "Kids get
there early, and that's great for the kids
because they can dance ormosh or slam
or whatever they're calling it."
Freedom rock, man. Turn it up.
By Shirley Lee
Daily Arts Writer
It is inconceivable that such a loath-
some farrago of stupid jokes, annoying
romances and mindless slapstick would
be so heavily promoted and willingly
dramatized by any artists. "MiamiRhap-
sody," at its core, amounts to a foolish,
insincere, nonsensical and ridiculous
portrayal of love at its most superficial
and of life at its plainest.
Oh, Hollywood, you cart our most
sordid issues out of our closets and
flash them so brilliantly before our
eyes. How you excite me by baring
I' Miami Rhapsody
Directed by David
Frankel, with Sarah Jessica
Parker, Mia Farrow and
Antonio Banderas
At Ann Arbor 1 & 2
the flesh of strangers, draped in smart
suits and nude hose gathered around
their ankles, and drag a thousand
dreary lives across the stage with their
morals packed into a vacuum. Some-
how, the way you let me peep through
their keyholes removes any desire I
would naturally have to slap them
silly and send them to bed without
any dinner. For this, I thank you.
Oh, Hollywood, while I have your
attention, I want to ask you again,just
why is it you do this to yourself? I'm
sorry. I'm not trying to be pushy, but
I really am curious. How can you
release such a dreary, lifeless movie
as "Miami Rhapsody" and confirm
0 the cynics' opinions that you've lost
touch with your audience? Oh, I know
that you've got a business to run, and
that you couldn't let the perennial
questions of marriage and passions
just sit there without making another
sleep within the first ten minutes and
to say good-bye to the velvety feather-
like chair as I scurry about the exit.
No one should be forced to sit and
listen to these lackadaisical richies
whine for two straight hours. Aside
from an occasional cynical laugh, the
remainder of the film is neither wor-
thy of your money nor warrants an
indulgent smile. Hence, do yourself a
favor and strike "Miami Rhapsody"
out forever from your movie list as
well as your video list.
BARGAIN MATINEES L: (G
STUDENT V I W LU.4.00 EENNGhWS " BENEFT 1ASAU
GOODRICH QUJALITY THEATER FREQUENT MOVIEGE
ALL SCREENS STEREO 1
VANA PresentThis Coupon
When Purchasing A
N42ndserT Large Popcorn &.
Receive One I
p^"Free 32oz. Drink=_m
__ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ __ _ __ _ __
The Michigan Daily is looking for graphic designers for the 4oryt'
advertising production department. If you have extensive *41 a
Macintosh knowledge and are efficient with Pagemaker, we
are looking for you. We will be accepting applications until41 C hBk
March 1, 1995. Applications are available at y
The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, or call Chris or Susan , 4, A
at 764-0556 for more information.
'4O A%
graphic
O)/ $L 44
r I 4#'
awl
A Simple Formula, But One That Makes A Difference
Invest in your future by
working as a community health
cultural communication skills
while focusing on public health
0
r .
,-
I