10A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 18, 1996 ;erecor Oliver Stone to visit 'U' Wednesday night at Hill Auditorium Academy award-winning movie director Oliver Stone (pictured, right) ill be speaking to University audiences on Wednesday evening at Hill uditorium. The topic of his lecture will be "Making Movies Matter," and he will be discussing the state of movies today. The event is sponsored by Hillel and it is a great opportunity to see this master filmmaker up close and in person. Stone, director of such recent critically acclaimed movies as "Nixon" and "Natural Born Killers" is also the recipient of Oscars for his work on "Midnight Express," "Platoon" and "Born on-the Fourth of July." He has served as director, writer and producer of numerous cinematic hits, and his films have garnered more than 25 Academy Award nominations during the past two decades. So, how can go attend this highly-anticipated event? You may purcahse tickets at the Michigan Union Ticket Office or at any Ticketmaster outlet, or ... you may win a free pass to this special' lecture. That's right: No waiting in line, no charge. All you have to do is be one of the first 10 people to come to the Daily Arts Office on the, second floor of the Student Publications Building, 420 Maynard St., after 12 noon today, and tell us in what role we saw Stone act in his 1991 hit, "The Doors." Passes will go fast, so hurry. This is not a chance you want to miss. Toadies make a run for the toy. Rockers finally gain some much-deserved recognition RECORDS Continued from Page 8A Jackson's performance at the ceremony. It resulted in a perfectly timed burst of publicity, including articles in USA Today and coverage on info-tainment shows like "Entertainment Tonight." This media watch is one of few things about the group that's perfectly timed. Since he was 16, Cocker has worked on the mix of sex, glamour, dirt and despera- tion called Pulp, spending that time close to poverty and closer to obscurity. Last year, however, saw a fairy-tale turnaround for the band. "Common People," a working-class hero ofa single, and the great album "Different Class" miade them huge in the UK, Cocker espe- gially. Revenge is indeed sweet for him. - Now "Different Class" crosses the Atlantic, buoyed by raves from the Brit- ish press and the American success that pulp's fellow countrymen Oasis enjoy. Pulp is indeed in a different class: They've created one of the most excit- ing, pnusual albums in recent memory. " Their musical roots are fashionably tacky -disco, glam-rock and new wave. Synths, twangy guitars and pounding beats provide a deceptively upbeat foil to Cocker's elaborate lyrics. The strutting guitar riff on "Disco 2000" could be a souped-up T. Rex lick ... or a rip-off of Laura Branigan's '80s hit "Gloria." "Monday Morning" nods to ska, and ballads like "Something Changed" could be from the soundtrack of some lost '60s film romance. Pulp also cel- ebrates David Bowie, from Ziggy Stardust ("Sorted for Es and Whizz") to "Low" ("F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.- LO.V.E"). Pop hooks and irresistible arrangements make each song a com- pelling one-act drama. As for Cocker's lyrics, he put it best in an interview in Vox Magazine: "If you write a really good song, it can have as much impact as a novel." "Different Class" holds a library's worth of bon mots and devastating put-downs. Though the album's liner notes disal- low reading the lyrics while listening to the music, it's the words that give Pulp's songs such a refreshing bite. They're cute: "If fashion is your trade, then when you're naked I guess you must be unemployed," from "Underwear." They're nasty: "Laugh along with the common people, even though they're laughing at you" offof"Common People" slams a rich girl's slumming. And they're insightful: "Live Bed Show'"s "Some- thing beautiful left town / and she doesn't even know its name / now she plays a sad game called 'pretending nothing's going wrong"' distills agony. "Different Class" is Pulp's best al- bum and one of the best of the year. It speaks to outsiders that dream of some- thing better - in a way that's nasty, funny and compassionate - from one who's been there. Like Cocker's re- venge, "Different Class" is sweet for Pulp and their listeners. - Heather Phares Bootsy Collins Keepin 'Dah Funk "Alive " 4-1995 ykodisc Like Maceo, Papa George and Fred Wesley there are certain members of the James Brown/P-Funk era that are completely incapable of being square. William "Bootsy" Collins is a member of this dynasty. Apart from being one of the greatest bassists to ever spank a plank, Bootsy is one of the few creative forces to be able to hang with George Clinton and not look like a leech. Everything he touches turns to funk, and this new album is another jewel is his sequined, feathered crown. Collins recoreded his latest CD with his New Rubber Band. Starting with "Ahh . The Name is Bootsy, Baby" and "Bootsy? (What's The Name Of This Town?)," Bootsy proves he is a master of the loose, contrapuntal Funkadelic style as well as the tight, Detroit, horn-driven Parliament school. The New Rubber Band is about as-tight as anybody out there today, including the original Rubber Band. On such P-Funk classics as "Psychotic- bumpschool" and "One Nation Under A Groove," the fellas possess the fluid, pro- pulsive heartbeat that made these tunes hip lubricating classics as well as mythi- cal jams. Tracks like "Hollywood Squares" and "Roto-Rooter" capture the ethereal, elec- tronic texture ofclassic Funkadelic tunes, using heavily juiced synthesizers, guitars and even a flute. On top of this, the horns, sounding a little top heavy at times, re- main in alight, brassy register as well. But even with both of these timbres, the band is never far away from a heaping tea- spoon of some of that funky stuff. There's not many more laudatory comments I can make about Bootsy that haven't been made before. Besides showing metric tons of unshakable mu- sicianship, both discs are laced with the loony good time that is as much a part of the P-Funk tradition as an ironclad horn section. Ain't nothin' but a party, y'all. So put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip and come on over to the mothership. --James P. Miller Bootsylmay be very small, but he's still got the bomb, the P-Funk. By Colin Bartos Daily Arts Writer Things are really coming together for the Toadies. After endless touring in support of the major label debut, "Rubberneck," the Toadies finally gained some recognition with the ra- dio and MTV success of the single, "Possum Kingdom." Now the Toad- ies are finally getting their big break opening for the Red Hot Chili Pep- pers' arena tour, and they are having loads of fun doing it. Lisa Umbarger, Todd Lewis, Mark Reznicek and Darrel Herbert are no newcomers to the music scene. The Toadies were formed in 1989, when Lewis and Umbarger worked together in a record store and they decided to form a band. They "were lucky enough to steal (Reznicek) and (Herbert) from other bands," Umbarger noted, and that was the beginning of the Toadies. Umbarger explained that the music scene in Texas, where the Toadies origi- nated, was "really healthy." "There's like a lot ofbands (like Reverend Horton Heat and MC900Ft. Jesus) who totally paved the way for bands like us." The road to get out of Dallas alone, though, was tough. "We did stuff on our own that we stole money for," bassist Umbarger joked. "We'd like, steal people's stuff and sell it and then go into the studio. We like broke into this church and hocked a bunch of organs and then went into the studio." REVIEW The Toadies The Palace March 7, 1996 The result of all this thievery and recording got the Toadies a release on Grass Records. This EP got the atten- tion of some major labels, and the Toad- ies eventually chose Interscope Records and released "Rubberneck" in late 1994. When asked why they signed with Interscope, Umbarger said, "They told us to! They made us! I mean, look at who they had on their label at the time. They'd just got Helmet, Rocket From The Crypt, and then they have Snoop Dog ... they were a great label to sign with to get your stuffout there. But they still were a minor-major label." Drummer Reznicek revealed how the Toadies got their name: "The label said, 'Ya know, that Frogstomp (Silverchair) record is out and it's hot now; the kids dig it. The reptilian thing is good, so go with it."' "Rubberneck" is a seemingly dark pop record that focuses on the realistic aspects of life and religion. Umbarger explained why so many of the songs Straight out of Texas, the Toadies recently hit the Palace at Auburn Hills. deal with religion: "Todd's dad is a preacher. The end. ... So when you have that kind of background, thusly you can't get away from it ... even if you don't necessarily agree with it in adulthood." Umbarger said that the ideas for most of the songs just come from everyday life. "People like Diana Ross make us mad and we write a song about her. The record company makes us mad and we write a song about 'em. But then they say, 'You can't write that song' and they send us a memo ... saying, 'Why don't you do this song?' and send us the tableture." The first single, "Backslider," "is just strict autobiography right there," Lewis explained. The song deals with Lewis' baptism. "I Come From the Water," which received a little air- play on ZRock in Detroit this past year, "is just your basic evolution kind of thing," Umbarger said. "(The song) is about one thing taught to you in church and another in school," Lewis added. The big hit single, "Possum King- dom," is "The song everyone told us would make it," Umbarger said. When asked if they thought it would become a big hit, Umbarger said, "It's hard to be objective about your songs when you're in the band." The new single, "Away," seems poised for the same kind of success. "It's the only song on the record with anything near a positive message," Lewis joked. The video for the song is . kind of wacky, with Lewis sinking further into the earth as the day goes on. "The concept was taking yourself out of whatever situation you're in where you're not happy and putting yourself in a better situation," Lewis explained. Touring has been a constant in the Toadies' lives for the past year and a half. In late 1994, on their first tour ever (opening for Southern Califor- nia punk outfit Samiam), they learned a few things. "(Samiam) totally took us under their wings and they knew we were totally green and they showed us the ropes ... it was cool," Umbarger said. Minimal success has allowed the Toadies to move from touring in a van to a tour bus, which is much more comfortable. "When you're in the van, you can get a lot more bored," Umbarger reminisced. "In the bus ... we don't have to ... make conversa- tion and think of things to do. W* used to have these really cool sing-a- longs where our throats'd be sore so we'd whistle or slap each other. Slap- a-longs." Playing in front of 10,000 people on their current tour is a bit different. "It's unnerving to look around and see like a couple thousand more faces back there behind you," Umbarger said. When asked if they ever thoug. they'd be in this situation, drummer Reznicek said, "I knew it." Umbarger added, "Mark's the only one. He would tell us about it and we would say, 'Nooo!' I mean, not in your wildest dreams." But Lewis added: "It's really cool - Idon't think we're really geared for it." Lewis was wrong, because the Toad- ies were geared for the 10,000-plus audience at their recent concert at th Palace; they got the crowd going early with their tight stage presence. Their set consisted of most of the songs on "Rub- berneck," including "Possum King- dom" and "Away," which got thepeople in the pit hopping and thrashing. The set also included a couple ofnew songs, which Umbarger said are new to the crowd, but like a year old to the band. The crowd didn't seem to mind, and b y- the time the set was over, the crowd w warmed up and ready for the Chili Pep- pers. The Toadies are "hoping maybe this fall to get into the studio and do some more stuff," Umbargerj oked. "We have a lot of material and a lot of good ideas. ... The new songs for the album arej ust acoustic from 'Rubberneck.' ... We figure there's a lot of life left in this record." It's a good thing the Toadies don't tai, themselvestoo seriously, because a less band might fold under all this pressure. The Toadies, however, are doing just fine. L (classical and opera excluded) All rock, rap, jazz, folk, soundtracks, country, blues, world, vocals and other pop music priced from $11.99 to $15.99 is two dollars off TODAY & TUESDAY. ($11.99-$15.99 based on everyday, regular prices. Sale items excluded) MDIH LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL JOSEPH Contiunued fromPage 9A the visual play of a poem on the page. I'm very aware of it." But Joseph's command of spoken rhythm was evi- dent throughout. He likens the poet at a reading to a musician searching for a groove. Comparing his style to that of Bob Dylan, he claims that no two of his readings are ever quite the same. A highlight of the reading was Joseph's poem "An Awful Lot Was Happening," an exploration of educa- tion, war and love during his years at the University. It depicts an era when Ann Arbor was home to anti-warpro- test, draft card burnings and a shortage of jobs. But much of what Joseph describ remains the same, from the sunset a Nichols Arboretum to the chiming of the Bell Tower, the pressures of "too much inductive thinking" to the difficulty of "how to explain to myself how much I love you." The poem captures the essen- tial reality of life in Ann Arbor, summed up by the final line: "An awful lot was happening and I wanted more." dancing cariC 'I casi Don't Panic!! If you think you're pregnant... call us-we listen, we care. PROBLEM PREGNANCY HELP 769-7283 Any time, any day, 24 hours. Fully confidential. Serving Students since 1970. 0 karaoke interactive I! international door The Psychology Peer Advisors Present FOCUS GROUPS Winter 1996 :. ;.. < _ . _ _ I