The Michigan Daily - Monday, December 2, 1996 - 9 tU2's 'Discotheque' takes the Irish band in a new direction Los Angeles Times 1 DUBLIN, Ireland - For most of its :clebrated career, U2 has preached the ospel of rock 'n' roll tradition, toasting every turn such personal heroes as Avis Presley, the Beatles and Bob bylan. -So, why is Adam Clayton, the group's )ssist, talking about such '90s techno- .nce favorites as the Prodigy, Massive Attack, Tricky and the Chemical Brothers as he drives to U2's recording ,studio on the banks of the Grand Canal Basin? "See what you think of this," says *layton, who has just flown in from London, where be and drummer Marry Mullen :presented the We .. Vnd at the ITV Europe "e'6 a music Awards. ad entur =e slips a cas- stte into the of the te r's tape player, nd music sud- ho worli ,denly explodes from the speak- - U2' ers. It's a burst of I S , the speakers that sounds suspiciously like that of U2's Bono and some sharp, vibrating guitar lines that seem awfully similar to those of the band's the Edge. Some dance outfit imitating U2? Clayton smiles. "It's our new single - 'Discotheque,"' he says. "What do you think?" That's a question that many U2 fans will ask each other next month, when the single hits the airwaves and offers the first public clue to the musical direction of the Irish band's first album in nearly four years. "Discotheque" is in some ways as rad- ical a shift from the icy sweep of ie t 1991's "Achtung liked te Baby" and id1 9 9 3's i "Zooropa" as those albums were from the h o. h graceful elo- quence of 1987's "The Joshua Tree." Not every- Adam Clayton thing in the new album, titled "Pop" and due in March, reflects the dynamics of the elec- tronic dance world as fully as the single, but most of the tracks will likely have at least a touch of those sonic influences. It's a direction that the four members of the band were all equally enthusiastic about, they discovered, after nearly a yearlong break that followed their gru- eling 1992-'93 world stadium tour. "It was our first real time off in, what, 15 years?" Clayton says as he pulls up to the studio, which is housed in a building that's undistinguishable from the other warehouse spaces in this waterfront district. Bono and Edge are already at work when Clayton arrives. The group has been recording in this studio, with its lovely view of the water, for much of the year. The atmosphere in the studio is relaxed, even though the band's latest deadline is only a week away. Unlike most recording acts, which finish one track before moving on to the next, U2 listens repeatedly to various tracks recorded over recent months to see what extra touches might be applied, be it a new vocal line or instru- mental shading. Bono at times will decide to change a word or even a whole line. It's a time- consuming approach because a new lyric or instrumental sequence could mean other adjustments in the track to make it all seem whole. As the session stretches from late afternoon to early morning, the band, including Mullen, who arrives shortly after Clayton, will spend an hour or more on each of half a dozen tracks. Despite unifying textures, the tunes dif- fer widely in content and form. "We liked the tendency in England toward pop songwriting in the (tradi- tional) way of Lennon-McCartney and Lou Reed - something that Noel Gallagher and Oasis are doing. But we also liked the energy and adventurous- ness of the techno, hip-hop world. So, we decided to explore bringing those two disciplines together. That's what this record is about." Edge, who is the group's quarterback in the studio, says the musical shift is not simply an attempt by the veteran band to reposition itself in today's changing musical scene. "After 'Achtung Baby,' there was all this talk about U2 reinventing itself, and I guess it'd be easy for someone to say we've reinvented ourselves again. But the changes aren't some strategy - they come out of being interested and inspired by what other people are doing. All of a sudden you start to take on different aes- thetics, something you haven't tried 1960s singer Tiny Tim dies in concert MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Tiny Tim, the ukulele-plunking crooner who bemused and amused millions by trilling the whimsical love ditty "Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips," died after falling ill as he performed his signature song. Tiny Tim, who had a history of heart trouble, was stricken Saturday night dur- ing a benefit for the Women's Club of Minneapolis. His widow, Susan Khaury, said he cut short "Tulips" and told her he was not well. She was trying to help him back to their table when he collapsed. Tiny Tim died a a Minneapolis hos- pital late Saturday. A hospital spokes- woman said the cause apparently was cardiac arrest, but a final determination would be made later. Born Herbert Khaury, Tiny Tim built his career on his single hit song in 1968, his stratospheric falsetto, an asexual and childlike stage persona and a flair for self-promotion. In an era of acid-tinged performers like Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, the older Tiny Tim seemed to offer a benign, comic foil. "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" dates from the late '20s, but Tiny Tim appropriated the song on behalf of the flower generation. "I don't think he had time to feel pain" Mrs. Khaury said yesterday. "He died singing 'Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips,' and the last thing he heard was the applause, and the last thing he saw was me." "'m After a more than four-year break from recording, U2 returns this winter with a new, innovative album. the sonic color you'd expect from a a prized dance-floor entry - not the light audio confections associated with -mainstream dance music in the United States during the last two decades but the hard-edged British dance music that 'ristles with attitude and bite. Though the style is hugely popular in England, it has not secured much of a ommercial foothold in America. For one thing, most 'of the British dance stars have tended to be relatively face- less, and the emphasis in the music is on textures rather than conventional ,gp songwriting techniques. Just when you begin to wonder which f those hot British acts' music is play- g in the car, you hear a voice through before, to see where you can take it. That's how you learn and how you grow." Bono is sitting in a chair by the con- trol board while the rest of the band sits on a sofa facing him. They've just fin- ished listening to one of the songs for the album, and he says he wants to change some of the words. As the instrumental track begins playing, Bono picks up a microphone and sings the new words. At the end, he looks around the room for reaction. Like R.E.M., U2 tends to work as a democracy. With that song finished, at least for the moment, Edge says, "OK, what's next?" That's another question U2 fans will be asking in the late spring when the band tries to live up to the enormous ambitions and expectations created by its "Zoo TV" tour with another world- wide stadium trek. Bono says the band didn't feel wed- ded to another stadium tour, but it seemed to be where the aggressive nature of the new music can best be staged. If the music takes a softer turn in the future, however, the group would probably move back to smaller settings. "It's important to keep the options open in everything that you do,' he says. "You don't learn by drawing a line and saying these are the limits of rock 'n' roll or this is the size ofthe buildings you should play. Success is one thing in pop music, but staying relevant is the bigger challenge." Dalmatians' breaks record in winning big holiday box office competition i£ Everyone needs a little help to reach their goals. Nobody prepares you like KAPLAN Kaplan has the most complete arsenal of test prep tools available. From videos to virtual reality practice tests, to software and on line services, nobody offers you more ways to practice. Kaplan's dynamic teachers will show you the proven skills and test-taking methods -that help you get a higher score. Voted "The Best of Ann Arbor in Test Prep" 1996 M..higa'n Daily Feadi'rshp poll LSAT GMAT GRE MCAT 12 7'!,3 1iM R_7 12114/ 36 .4/19/97 174/12/97 8/16/97 DAT Call KAPLAN for information about taking a FREE practice test! Space is limited, so call to reserve your seat today 1 -800-KAP-TEST LOS ANGELES (AP) - Disney's "101 Dalmatians" led the ack in its debut over the long Thanksgiving weekend with an estimated $46 million in ticket sales, accord- Estimated weeken ,ing to industry esti- Esi ae we en mates Yesterday. 1. "101 Dalmatians," $46 millio The comedy 2. "Star Trek: First Contact," $2 knocked "Star Trek: 3. "Space Jam," $17.9 million. First Contact" into 4. "Ransom," $17.6 million. second place with an 5. "Jingle All the Way," $17.5 n estimated take of 6. "The Mirror Has Two Faces," $25.35 million, fol- 7. "The English Patient," $5.9 r owed by "Space 8. "Set It Off," $4.6 million. Jam" with $17.9 mil- 9. "William Shakespeare's Rom lion. 10. "Sleepers," $1.5 million. The success of "101 Dalmatians" was no surprise. The movie was pushed by a huge marketing campaign and had the Thanksgiving week- end to itself. The only other openings were for a trio of limit- ed-release films: "The Crucible" played at just one theater while "Ridicule" and movie grosses "Sing Blade" were move roseson three screens id n.. 25.35 million. illlion. $8.28 million. million. eo & Juliet," $3.5 milion. each. "Dalmatians," Icy a live-action version of the 1961 animated feature, stars Glenn Close as an evil fash- ion designer who wants to turn puppies into a fur coat. The opening took cOpQe Owith ad e.5 x 11 WOV 11Th~f1 I r. - - - - 65920- _ C A- - - I cvr.z v., ., the record for a five- day Thanksgiving opening from "Back to the Future 2," which debuted with $43 million in 1989. {i WHEN & WHERE. December 3, 7:30pm Ann Arbor Theater (II) WHAT. Cardmembers get two compli- mentary passes to a pre-release screening of Universal's block- buster Daylight. HOW. Just bring the American Express- Card or Optima= Card and your student ID to the location listed below to pick up your passes. NOW. If you're not yet a Cardmember and would like to take part in our exclusive previews, it's easy to apply for the Card. Just call 1-800-942-AMEX, ext. 4114. MORE TO COME. Daylight is one in a series of five major motion pictures to I CLIMB HIGH FAST AS AN AIR FORCE OFFICER. Bring your college degree to the Air Force. Then find out if you qualify for Officer Training School. You can become a commissioned Air Force offi- cer following successful completion of Officer Training School. From the start, you'll enjoy great pay, complete medi- cal and dental care and 30 days of .._- ; 7lttult 1a71Nt11 's' I lAtlV 8{ IR" ( it t kl' 1 [ [ I'r . A IMM.MMINEMMM .