The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 6 1996 -13
9:ggy Tab's
'icred Cow
n sospca
Geiy Tah
Sack' Cow
ak 'p/Warner Bros.
TUskophomoric effort frorm Geggy
Tah i a real disappointment. The
albui is overproduced, too clean, too
shallow as far as levels go and too bor-
ing as far as songs go.
For the most part, the best tracks on
the album existed on the first album in
some form or were being played live
Avo: years ago. The first single,
hoMer You Are" was sort of a sub-
song' a track off the first album, and
wasplyed as an independent song live
at tlti$ne. And it was better both ways
theni-n now. It's still a kicky little
songut the music is too stickily
hap and very clean.
'"lea Stuff" is a horific change
fron Aweird, experimental lite that the
bandI d been producing. It's almost a
1le1)s California crap-punk song,
ute rsed with little bits of experi-
mer* te. Feels like a record company
conemsion to me, but it could just be a
misplacement of vision. "Sacred Cow"
seenmpmposed in a similar way, but is
a burr song, succeeds better in the
attedo to be a harsh song, and has some
orga-keyboards that make it hearken
backlthe first album..
Mk4t of the badness on the album is
in the other direction, though. The songs
,e te4ight and too straight ahead in a
Barranilow sort oif way. Some of the
mus j azz-rock crap that reeks of fern
barsth a live pianist who couldn't get
a re , like waiting tables.
Tbtslbum has a bright spot or two,
like is Vegas with the Lights Out,"
whic.or no apparent reason sounds
like; mix of Janes Addiction,
Megireth and Lionel Ritchie, or the
brilliantly bestial "Gina;' a love song to
e ,band's dog. But this album just
does t;match up to the first one.
y.
v.
r~
Geggy Tahl Geggy Taht Geggy Tahl
'Time to Kill' stays
alive at box office
Schumacher's directing
remains true to Grisham novel
Brainiac
Hissing Prigs in Stat n
Couture
There isn't a more apt description of
Brainiac's sound than the name of their
newest album, "Hissing Prigs in Static
Couture." When the Ohio noise-punk
quartet decides to be catchy, almost
nothing can prevent you from tapping,
humming or somehow acknowledging
the frenetic rhythms they pound out.
Their songs twitch and start like an
electrocuted frog - "Hissing Prigs" is
full of shockers like "Pussyfootin"' and
"Hot Seat Can't Sit Down" Despite the
fact that their sound is largely hyper-
noise, a blend of distorted guitars,
Moogs and Speak 'n' Spells, Brainiac
manages to be atonal and somehow
pop. Like a demented mix of Sonic
Youth, the Pixies, Prince and Ween,
Brainiac makes abrasive, wild music
that's definitely not for everyone. But
for those who get it, it's an addictive
blast that's exciting to listen to.
- Heather Phares
Catherine Wheel
Like Cats and Dogs
Mercury Records
A lot of bands release a lot of b-sides
and covers that really suck and are obvi-
ous half-ass attempts at raking in more
money. Catherine Wheel couldn't do
that if they tried.
"Like Cats and Dogs" is an album of
some of Catherine Wheel's rare b-sides
from their UK singles, along with some
unreleased material, and a cover track.
This album is just as mind-bending and
amazing as any other Catherine Wheel
adventure, and sounds extremely coher-
ent for an album of tracks recorded
from 1991 to '96.
Where a lot of times CW's songs get
a bit noisy and experimental, this col-
lection stresses a lot of the quieter side
of the band, even though it still rocks at
times. "Like Cats and Dogs" starts out
with "Heal 2" an alternate version of
the incredible original that is on '95's
"Happy Days." Next comes an awe-
some version of Pink Floyd's "Wish
You Were Here," done with acoustic
guitar and harmonica. This is a very
haunting tune, because of all the British
bands out today, Catherine Wheel com-
pares most to Pink Floyd, with a very
dedicated, obscure fan base and dreamy,
ambient imagery.
Most of the songs included on this
disc are b-sides from the time frame
between the 1991 debut "Ferment" and
1993's "Chrome." The seven-minute
"Car" is a stand-out - a classic, dark,
moody, beautiful CW tune: "Steal
myself a car / A Ferrari or a Jaguar /
Drive it at a crazy speed / Straight over
a cliff / And into the sea / Maybe I'd be
happy ...." "Girl Stand Still" and
"These Four Walls" are long, dreamy
voyages which just stress how loud this
band can be when they quiet down.
"Like Cats and Dogs" rounds out
with the unreleased "Harder Than I
Am," a newer track that is probably the
best on the disc. It describes vocalist
Rob Dickinson's disgust for violent
individuals: "As you walk through the
crowd, you shove ... Some attention to
steal, you will ... Teach you to turn
away ... But you're harder than I am."
The last song on the disc is the re-
recorded "La La LaLa La;' a
"Chrome"-era track that is just more
proof of how much this band can do.
Hopefully, this small 11-track offer-
ing will be enough to hold over
Catherine Wheel fans until the new
album in February 1997. If not, well,
start looking for those out-of-print
British singles.
-Colin Bartos
Lollipop
Dog Piss on Dog
Amphetamine Reptile
OK, you get some straight ahead
garage type rockers with some speed
and some attitude, and you could have a
whole lot of high school bands. But if
you were lucky, you might have
Lollipop. They're a whirlwind of guitar
and bass that you couldn't contain in
any one tri-state area. Not with party
crashers like "Whey Face Down," at
least. A song you can hardly catch your
breath listening to, you wonder how
they get oxygen when they play it.
They sound kinda inebriated, too.
With those under the influence Jon
Spencer-esque pipes on the singer, and
vertiginous songs like "Drunk and
Disordelaire" you wonder what the
content of the piss on the dog is,
although in reality you might make a
guess in the direction of liquid carbo-
hydrates. Drunk rock, you know the
drill.
Sure, all the songs may seem to
sound a little too much alike, but at
least they all sound alike in a fairly
good way. You'll even get a different
sounding track or two with songs like
"Officer Forehand" with its rhythmic
opening and concomitant enjoyability.
Really, it's all just some speedy fun that
the younger members of the family can
By Kristin Long
Daily Arts Writer
Every time a novel is converted into
a film for the big screen, audiences
raise their eyebrows and watch with
skepticism. Many details become lost
in the conversion from text to film and,
as a result, often lessen the spice of a
once flavorful storyline.
In John Grisham's latest film adapta-
tion, "A Time to Kill," the dreadful
missing-piece dilemma does not have
such a prominent role. The film suc-
ceeds mostly because of Grisham's
charisma and dedication, not to men-
tion the powerful
cast of Samuel
Jackson, Matthew
McConaughey,
Kevin Spacey and A
Sandra Bullock.
The plot focus- At Briarwoo
es on one father's
deadly attempt to
avenge the brutal rape and beating of
his daughter. Samuel Jackson takes on
the potent role of Carl Lee Hayley, the
man who is embarrassed and enraged
that his daughter was at the mercy of
two drunken savages.
When Carl Lee decides that incar-
ceration does not compensate for the
damage done to his daughter, he
shoots the two brutes, which puts him
on trial facing a southern jury cursed
by racial tension. He acquires the
youthful Jake Brigance (Matthew
McConaughey), a struggling lawyer
who barely earns enough income to
keep his practice open. Still, Brigance
has enough heart to work a court-
room.
In his first starring role,
McConaughey delivers a stellar perfor-
mance. He puts the emotion and the
frustration of a persistent attorney into
his every movement. His powerful
speeches and good looks help camou-
flage some of the film's weaknesses.
Academy-award winning actor
Kevin Spacey plays the opposing coun-
sel, Rufus Buckley, the egocentric
lawyer who makes Jake look even bet-
ter. His sleazy and undermining acts
r
od
fulfill the standard bad-guy role.
Sandra Bullock has a surprisingly
minimal role for one of Hollywood's
premier actresses. As Boston-born
Ellen Roark. a Memphis law student,
she longs to be an asset to Jake both in
and out of the court room. Her northern
temperament amidst a southern soci
ety creates a sensible mix of charactei
and conflict.
"A Time to Kill succeeds in many
aspects of production, yet falls short
when all are combined for a final prod
uct. The brutal acts of violence are por
trayed tastefully, vet graphically enough
to give it a captivat
ing sense of emo-
EMEW tion. Grisham's
strong participation
in bringing the
*** script of his first and
and Showcase favorite novel to life
is clearly evident. He
insisted on concur-
ring on directorial, casting, location and
script decisions.
Grisham insisted on once again
working with Joel Schumacher, the
director of his other adaptation "The
Client" The two formed a special bond
on their previous project, and the author
wanted to ensure that his finest work
was secure with Schumacher.
Naturally, in the transformation of
novel to movie there are a few flaws -
crunching a 515-page novel into a
movie of just around two hours feels a
bit rushed and overwhelming. The
action-packed sequences create too
many major events that lack sufficient
development.
. The relationship between Jake and
Carl Lee also creates some unbalance.
Deciding which of the two is the domi-
nant figure is not easy; Jake is some-
times overshadowed by the strong-
willed Carl Lee, and the switch makes
for an awkward relationship.
"A Time to Kill" carries the strong
techniques of Grisham's writing and is
backed by powerful acting and direct-
ing talent. The film is plagued by a bal-
ance of character and details, disrupting
the flow of a smooth plot.
Looking for something to do this
weekend? Should have picked up
weekend, etc. Magazine
in Thursday's Daily
Catherine Wheel
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