Jesus Christ, Star of the Stage Tonight and tomorrow night at the Michigan Theater, the highly successful.touring company of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, will be performing at 8 p.m. The traveling company features Ted Neely reprising his movie role as Jesus and also stars Gary Rowland as Judas. Tickets are $34.50 and 29.50 in advance. For more information, call at 668-8397. Page 8 Tuesday, March 28, 1995 Crowes take flight over 'Amorica' A t _ F By Brian A. Gnatt Daily Arts Writer In this day of sensitive punk, bland alterna-pop and washed up super- groups, it seems like soda cans aren't the only things being recycled. Cer- tain groups will come and go, but only a select few have the guts and soul it takesto stay in the music busi- ness for the long haul. As one of the only few rock bands who actually made it successfully through the '80s hard rock era, the Black Crowes have made it, and secured a place for their timeless music to live forever. The Atlanta-based group's jour- ney has been a long strange trip through the music and minds of the brothers Robinson - Chris with his raspy vocals and Rich's wild blues guitar - drummer Steve Gorman, the "bass fishing" Johnny Colt, gui- tarist Marc Ford and keyboard player Eddie Harsch. Released late last year, the Crowes' third album, "Amorica," has shown the band's staying power and ability to consistently record great records. Since their 1990 debut, "Shake Your Money Maker" - which featured an entire album of great rock tracks in- cluding "Jealous Again," "She Talks to Angels" and a cover of the Otis Redding classic, "Hard to Handle"- the Crowes have been expanding and changing their music into an even more diversified style of golden rock 'n' roll. "I think this record reflects the biggest change," Muskegon, Michi- gan native Steve Gorman said. "It's a totally different band from 'Shake Your Money Maker.' Everyone's much older, and hopefully wiser." Even though the Crowes have ex- panded since their early days, "Shake Your Money Maker" is still one of the best rock albums of the past many years. "'Shake Your Money Maker' is a 19 year-old kid, Rich, whojust gradu- ated from high school, writing songs with a bunch of guys whojust literally started to play their instruments two or three years earlier," Gorman said. "If we did five shows in a month, that was just unbelievably busy back in '87, '88 and '89. We were just a little club band who rarely got gigs. Then we went on tour for 20 months, and you start doing it every night, and things happen." After the band's 1992 smash "The Southern Harmony and Musical Com- panion," proved the Crowes a musi- cal heavyweight. Greatly deviating from the songs on the first and second bootlegs at all. We've always loved them," Gorman said. "It's like 'Oh, wow. That means I got three records instead of two.' Then you just collect them. We're music fans just like any- body else, and when it's your own gigs, it's kind of cool." Around the release of "Amorica," and throughout the his- tory of the Black Crowes, Chris and Rich Robinson have been famous for their brotherly warring. "If it's about a song arrangement - or a set list or a song - if it's something musical, then that affects everybody, because everybody has different opinions to begin with," Gorman said. "If it's about like 'You wore my shoes in seventh grade, and I was looking for them, and I'm still mad at you,' it's a little easier for everyone to say whatever. They're brothers. That's just life. As far as I know, there still have never been any punches to the face." After playing a single benefit for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Legislation (NORML) in 1991, the Crowes have also developed their reputation as a marijuana smokin' and tokin' band. "We've never come out and said 'Marijuana should be legalized,"' Gorman said. "We played at a festival with NORML in Atlanta in '91. It's a real tough issue. It's nice to go to a place where marijuana is legal, but what would happen in America if it was legal?" "The whole legalization process in America is only going to be ac- complished by someone who doesn't smoke," Gorman said. "It's going to be someone who'll go into Wash- ington, and prove to the govern- ment that this is going to make money. That's the only way it would ever happen. The bottom line in America with everything is if it can make someone money, it's worth your time. I think there are bigger problems in the world. record, "Amorica" gave the band even greater diversity in the band's music. But what is "Amorica." anyway? "Chris has had that word buzzing around in his head for years now," Gorman said. "He used to describe America as being a country that's not at all as it seems. The kind of place that talks a big game, and if you ask anyone who's not American what they think of the States, you get a pretty different idea. In the meantime, Amorica is sort of a place of what America should be. Amorica is the place that we're trying to get to every night, if only for a couple of hours." At their shows, the Crowes have joined the Grateful Dead (who they will be opening for April 7 in Tampa) in allowing concert-goers to tape the shows, and make and trade bootlegs. "We've never had a problem with They don't know their telephone number, but if you kiss real good, they'd sure like to see you tomorrow. " If the voice of the people was really supposed to be heard, I don't know if the majority of people want it to be legalized. Not that that really matters at all in America, but it's a touchy issue. The way society is, and the way it is so repressed, (marijuana) might as well be heroin in the eyes of the people out there. They always let you have enough rope to hang your- self. They can decriminalize it, and then come up with statistics that say everyone on marijuana eats pickles, and then goes on a rampage. If they can find a way to make a lot of money off of it, then they'll legalize it." As for bigger problems in the world, Gorman had a few words to say about his favorite politician. "Be ing from Georgia and watching our favorite guy Newt Gingrich running things is a bit scary." However, as long as the sun comes' out tomorrow, the Black Crowes will be flying high. "As long as it's clear outside, this is a happy group of people," Gorman said. i wi A 'Last Dance' for Doc Pomus Tribute to late songwriter filled with magic moments By Tom Erlewine Daily Arts Editor Tribute albums have become a dreaded addition to the pop market- place because they're a simple way to sell lots of records. Not only will r' : .-i Various Artists - Till the Night is Gone: A Tribute to Doc Pomus Forward Records the tribute sell, the honored artist's back catalog will move thousands of units. This is the kind of thinking that prompted tribute albums to the Eagles and Led Zeppelin, as well as the forthcoming John Lennon set. Even with the piles of albums re- leased in the past year or so, a trib- ute that was assembled for a reason besides marketing has become a rare event, and that is why "Till the Night is Gone: A Tribute to Doc Pomus" is so refreshing. With hundreds of songs to his credit, Doc Pomus was one of the greatest songwriters of this century. Not all of them were classics, yet many were. "This Magic Moment" and "Save the Last Dance for Me" have become such a part of our cul- ture that it's hard to believe that they were ever written - they seem like they have always been sung, like folk songs. Pomus' best songs have that magical quality; they seem like they arrived fully formed, as if they were a force of nature. Pomus turned to songwriting after a short, unsuccessful stab at perform- ing in the '40s. Signing to the fledg- ling Atlantic Records in 1947, he be- gan a long, prestigious career, which included writing hit songs for Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, the Drifters, Joe Turner and Fabian, among others. As a songwriter, Pomus was with- out peer; stalwarts like Bob Dylan and Lou Reed turned to him when they had writer's block. "Till the Night is Gone" works because of the consis- tent brilliance of his songs. Most trib- ute albums rely on the sound of an artist, not the songs themselves - both the Eagles and Led Zeppelin discs were attempts to recapture the sound of the band, not their spirit. Throughout the Pomus tribute, the featured artists respect the spirit of his writing. Occasionally, that means the songs are turned inside out: Shawn Colvin's slow, reflective take on "Viva Las Vegas" and Lou Reed's stark, yet affecting, version of "This Magic Moment" are far removed from the original versions, yet they retain the original emotions. John Hiatt's "A Mess of Blues" and Bob Dylan's "Boogie Woogie Country Girl" rock out with a loose vigor, while Los Lobos' spare, growling*"Lonely Av- enue" ranks as one of their finest performances. Most of the record is devoted to fairly straightforward renditions of Pomus' songs. On most tribute al- bums, this would be a problem, since the original songs were designed for specific artists and their styles. Con sequently, the songs either don't eas- ily lend themselves to different inter- pretations, and when the new ver- sions follow the path of theoriginal-it winds up sounding like a pale imita-. tion. That's not a problem with "Till the Night is Gone." Since Pomus was not a performer, his songs had an, inherent universality that many songs lack - they could be sung by any performer and sound genuine. # That's certainly the case with B.B. King's smooth but soulful "Blinded By Love," Solomon Burke's passion- ate "Still in Love" and Irma Thomas' wonderful showcase, "There Must Be A Better World -Somewhere." That universality also means that the songs, can be recast and mean just as much. The Drifters' original version of "I Count the Tears" was lush and yearnW ing, yet Rosanne Cash's stripped- down take on the song is just as moV- ing. Brian Wilson's sugarcoated pro duction of "Sweets for My Sweet" isn't quite as successful as Cash' interpretation, yet it is no less daring , or heartfelt. Some artists play it a little to'o close to the vest- Dion's "Turn Me Loose" is fine but tame and the Bands misdirected romp through "Young Blood" draws attention to their aging voices -- yet the majority of the al ' bum manages td be both affectionat and entertaining. Unlike most tribute albums, "Till the Night is Gone" acti.- ally gives you an idea why the artist" was important and continues to be relevant. Even more surprising, it doesn't wear thin with repeated lis- tens. Which may not be too surprisin - after all, these songs are the literal definition of "pop classics." Going Home this Summer? MSU is Close To You... At Home and Work! Student Organizarion Accounts Service [SOBS] GeneralFund Account Conversion Beginning September 1, 1995, and running through September 30, 1996 SOAS General Fund (GF) Accounts will undergo a conversion. As a result of this conversion, student organizations can either choose to convert their GF I If you have a strong I"