10 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 10, 1996 RECORDS Continued from Page 9 The Foremen What's Left? Reprise Records Just in case the Foremen's debut album, "Folk Heroes;" didn't satisfy your appetite for hillbilly folk-rock spiked with clever political satire, the men in overalls are back with more fid- dles, banjos and words that rhyme with "Limbaugh" The genre of novelty in which the Foremen squarely fall doesn't generally breed any sort of progression or innova- tion. In fact, even a second album is somewhat of a shocker. So predictably, there's nothing new on "What's Left." Of course, it doesn't matter. This is still funny stuff. Proudly wearing their Tom Lehrer influence on their collective GOP sleeve, the band takes swipes at all the satire-friendly political hot-buttons they can come up with. On "School Prayer," lead Foreman Roy Zimmerman belts out, "Those of you Who don't believe in God / should feel free to sit quietly with your fingers in your ears / like the athe- istic heathens you are." PBS cuts are lauded in "Privateers of the Public Airwaves" and the environment takes an expected hit on the opener, "Scorched Earth Day." This satirical ground has obviously been trod before, but the Foremen do a surprisingly good job of keeping it fresh with their sincere, deadpan deliv- ery and impossibly clever wordplay. They also score points for remarkable timeliness with a pair of convention- anthems, "San Diego" and "Chicago (Love Song To A Democrat)". Full of glorious, tongue-in-cheek GOP self-flagellation and deft The Nixons return to Detroit With their hit single "Sister," the Nixons may just be one of the next big things. Of course, the song also sounds suspiciously like Pearl Jam's "Black," and we all know that ripping off another band will make just about anyone a big hit. More importantly, tonight's show at St. Andrew's Hall will also feature Imperial Drag, made up of several members of the now-defunct pop-delight Jellyfish. With the song "Are You A Boy Or A Girl," Imperial Drag proves that they still have the humorand talent of their earlier incarnation. Check out both bands at St. Andrew's, with doors opening at 8 p.m. And don't forget to catch opener James Hal. Maybe he'll sound like Nirvana. Study finds soap operas promote unsafe sex Democratic pot-shots, "What's Left?" deserves to launch The Foremen beyond their present anonymity. After all, if Al Franken's "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot" can sell millions of copies, shouldn't the election-year- inflated market bear a right-bashing soundtrack too? - Dave Snyder Butthole Surfers Electriclarryland Capitol The Butthole Surfers' last album was all over the map and seemed kind of messy. "Electriclarryland" on the other hand is all over the map and sounds amazingly together. From the fast-paced "Birds" to the laid-back experimental drum loop radio hit "Pepper," the album delivers worth- while tunes with satisfying regularity. It's all garbled meaningless stuff (more or less) that is interesting to listen to. "If you want to know the truth / You've gotta dig up Johnny Boothe" and "I know your mother is a martyr / I hear she has connections to the mob" are a couple of lines from "Cough Syrup" and are illustrative of the sort of thing that makes the Buttholes an inter- esting unit. There's nothing definite to grasp, really, so you can't really pigeon- hole the meaning of any given song. You can't really nail down the sound of the band either, as anyone who thinks of the strains of "Pepper" and "Who Was in My Room Last Night?" at the same time can attest. The album is full of catchy little phrases. Things like "Everybody knows freedom / You find it inside your head / Everybody knows Jesus /You meet him when you are dead" will get you hum- ming at the most inopportune moments. Some things on this CD can really crawl under your skin, make a beeline for your grey matter and entrench their bad selves better than the Swiss can in their little mountain-pass-filled country. The album can be all things to all people. No, that's a lie. But it can do a whole lot more than most albums for a lot of people. It's got arty stuff, it's got nitro burnin' funnycar stuff and it's got some stuff in French, I think. And it has a three-eyed god on the back of the case. Neato. - Ted Watts Pluto S/T Virgin ** There really isn't that much to say about the debut self-titled effort from the Canuck quartet Pluto. One word expressly comes to mind: ordinary. Canada is a pretty boring place, and it's only true to form that Canadian music is pretty boring, too. There are a few exceptions, but any place that gives us such raw, sparkling talent as Alanis Morissette doesn't have a whole lot going for them. "Pluto" is formula "alternative" radio-friendly crap. I'm sure that the members of Pluto aren't completely naive to the fact that if they tried to sound like every other mediocre rock band out there right now Nancy Boy Nancy Boy Elektra Much like the Britpop craze in the UK, American-British-Canadian hybrid Nancy Boy campaigns to bring fun, fashion and style to American pop music. Led by celebrity kids Jason Nesmith (son of the Monkees' Mike Nesmith) and Donovan Leitch (son o folk singer Donovan), Nancy Boy melds a glamorous, witty image to al NEW YORK (AP) - When, after weeks of smoldering glances, the male lead of a daytime soap opera finally ends up in bed with His brother's ex- wife, they are unlikely to discuss birth control. Why does this matter, you ask? Because soap sex and its conse- quences draw 40 million viewers likely to emulate those daytime dreamboats, said Katherine Heintz-Knowles, author of a study released Saturday on soap opera sex. "We know that behavior performed by characters who are attractive, power- fuland popular are much more likely to be imitated by viewers," said Heintz- Knowles, a University of Washington communications professor. The survey found that, of 594 sexual behaviors shown during five weeks of soap operas, only 58 included the dis- cussion or depiction of planning or con- sequences. The study, released by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a private health foundation, was presented to network executives and soap opera writers and producers meeting with reproductive health experts at "Soap Summit II." The first Soap Summit was held in 1994; last year, the same group held a meeting on television talk shows. The seminar is staged by Population Communications International, an organization that works with media around the world to encourage family planning and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. "The dilemma (soap opera produc- ers) have is they have to provide enter- tainment," said Dr. Felicia Stewart, director of reproductive health pro- grams for the Kaiser Foundation. "The goal really here I think ... is to try to figure out some way we can be more (educational)." We're the Butthole Surfers. Our mothers are very proud of us. they might sell a few records. This is exactly why this album sounds so cal- culated. A couple of the tracks, "Paste" and "When She Was Happy," have been receiving airplay on Detroit's 89X. "When She Was Happy" is a catchy lit- tle tune, but it is as mindless as the rest of the 35-minute disc. Lyrics like "She's special as special gets, like snowflakes and cigarettes, like lipstick for my girlfriend" on "Black Lipstick" showcase the awesome lack of songwriting ability of the boys in Pluto in a nutshell. People who like what they've heard of "When She Was Happy" and "Paste" will probably like this disc a whole lot. People with any taste in good music definitely will not. - Colin Bartos some fun, concise pop songs. They're at their best on songs like "Deep Sleep Motel," "Johnny Chrome and Silver" and "I Don't Mind" - frivolous, frothy pop spiked with loud guitars and lots of attitude. "Nancy Boy" chronicles the life anD times of a beautiful-boy rock band; it's sort of a concept album about being young, fashionable and snotty. While Leitch's voice is a bit of an acquired taste (particularly on ballads like "Sometimes" and "Dearest Girl") and a few of the songs are a little monoto- nous, with Nancy Boy the style is the substance. From cover to disc, "Nancy Boy" looks and sounds good enough to please trend-hoppers and music fan alike. - Heather Phares The Foremen STRATFORD Continued from Page 8 Seeing the production, it is clear why it was renewed for a second season. The production, from script to design to direction to performances, is one of the finest to be witnessed anywhere. Richard Monette's direction of the script, made famous in the '80s by the movie of the same name, is fresh and new. While very smooth, the direction is not slick like a Hollywood produc- tion. The raw emotions of jealousy, greed and despair are surrounded by gilded set pieces, shimmering costumes and tremulous music by Mozart, creat- ing brilliant opposition in the space. Though Monette deserves a healthy dose of the credit for creating this pro- duction, his true strength lies in the casting of the three leads. Colombe Demers is new to the pro- duction this second year, but she has embraced the challenge and her perfor- mance thrives. As Constanze, Mozart's wife, her strength proves to be the back- bone that supports the surprisingly vul- nerable Mozart. Her decline into pover- ty, her disassociation with her family, and her pain in watching Mozart's music go unappreciated is handled with tremendous pride and dignity, a rarity in such a young actress. Stephen Ouimette, as Mozart, is well on his way to becoming a legend in his own right at the Stratford Festival. He has an exorbitant amount of fun and zeal at the beginning, coupled with a heartbreaking vulnerability. His charm and fun is slowly chipped away by Salieri, until all that remains is a broken shell of a man with barely the strength to scratch out his final tribute, the requiem for his father, arguably Mozart's greatest accomplishment. Mozart's decline is effortlessly handled by Ouimette, and it is the type of per- formance that will elevate the actor to legendary status in the Stratford circle. Already a legend is Brian Bedford, who is consistently ranked as one of the finest actors in the Stratford company. His performance of Salieri is outstand- ing. As only a master can, Bedford charms and captivates, as we watch him lead us through Salieri's decline, as his bitter, gnawing jealousy slowly destroys him. His transformation at the end is awe-inspiring, capping off a nearly per- fect performance. THE LITTLE FOXES This production of Hellman's "The Little Foxes" can be considered Stratford's All-Star game. Director- Richard Monette has pulled out all of the stops, casting the strongest actors the company has to offer. In a play. where a southern family feels that it is "every man's duty to think of himself" the layers of southern charm are slowi stripped away, leaving only the horrific core of human greed. The two Hubbard brothers, Oscar and Benjamin (Peter Donaldson and William Hutt), and the Hubbard sister Regina (Martha Henry), must raise enough money to buy into a company that will raise them from their reason- ably wealthy status to the filthy-stink- ing-rich level. Throwing a wrench in the scheme is Regina's husband Horae (the always outstanding Brain Bedford0 who, after a brush with death, has returned from the hospital with a con- science. Immediately, the white gloves of decency come off, backs are stabbed, family is betrayed and murder is com- mitted. It is true that only family can be this cruel to each other, knowing precisely where to stick in the knife and twist it tq create the most pain. William Hutt spig cutting words from the side of his gra cious southern smile, while Peter Donaldson's Oscar, knowing he's out of his league, must swallow his pride until he can vent his frustration at the expense of his frail wife, Birdie, played with beauty and frailty by Diana Leblanc. Truly the queen of the proceedings is the unrelenting Martha Henry, as Regina. Once she sinks her teeth int' something, she will clamp down an continue shaking until her victim relents. The power struggle between the three siblings is a joy to watch. You are, on the edge of your seat, breathlessly' waiting to see who arises victoriousr from the cloud of dust kicked up by they struggle. As in life, there can be only one true victor, and all three will do anything to be that one. It is a remarkable piece of theate and it is unlikely that an opportunity t witness anything like this will present itself in the near future. With its prox- imity to Ann Arbor, any theater lover ought to jump at the chance to see this stunningly horrific portrait of the cruel-4 L Lecture Notes " Course Packets * Resume Services " Copy & Bindery " Fax Services BOOKSTORE While ou-Wai 0 COPIES 8.5x11 20# white Grade A Notes at Ulrich's Bookstore Second Floor " 549 E. University - 741-9669 _ ., Dl. and ,4Venetarian Sandwices~r