10A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 23, 1997
Stones build strong
The Rolling Stones
Bridges To Babylon
Virgin Records
Once a band has
level of success, it is
to ever attain that
reached a certain
difficult for them
same cak
Catch the out-of-this-world jazz-funk sounds of Galactic at the Blind Pig tonight.
Galactic blasts into town
with far-out acid jazz, funk
By Roll Brennan
Daily Staf Reporter
Galactic, a funky, New Orleans-based acid jazz band, will
be making its way to Ann Arbor tonight.
The five-person ensemble that started out as a horn band
has survived a different keyboard player, horn section, and
uitar players only to come out as one of the most promising
contemporary jazz acts of the late 1990s.
In a recent phone interview, drummer Stan Moore said that
;despite the turnover, Galactic's focus has always been the
same - making good music.
"Throughout we've had a lot of
changes, but the core of Galactic has
always remained constant," Moore said. PR
"The changes keep things fresh. Getting x:
to work with different kinds of people
really makes you learn a lot of different
stuff."
:The nucleus of the band has always $6 in a
Temained intact - Moore on drums,
Pich Vogel on keyboards, Jeff Raines on guitar, Robert
Mercurio on bass, and Theryl deClouet with vocals. Tonight's
show will also feature the addition of a saxophone player.
Galactic is landing in Ann Arbor for the first time after the
release of their debut album on Fog City Records, "Cooling
Off."
The album is meant to be played in its entirety, preferably
around dusk, when the funk can really soak in after a hard
day. To play this album the first thing in the morning would
besimiliar to going to bed to the sweet noise of your alarm
clack.
The CD can be placed in the CD-ROM of most computers
for multimedia use, which includes bonus tracks, live perfor-
mances and interviews with the band. The album's high tech-
nology is due in large part to the the band's collaboration with
d
Dan Prothero, a computer programmer by day.
Favorites "Funky Bird" and "Percussion Interlude" really
speak well for the New Orleans group.
Here, it is abundantly obvious why many have compared
Galactic to The Meters. a legendary New Orleans instrumen-
tal group, and Medeski Martin & Wood, the current kings of
the jazz fest scene and new-age improvisation.
Despite the connections to MMW and The Meters,
Galactic has a feeling all their own.
One cannot help but crack a smile and want to dance upon
hearing such delicacies as "On The One" and "Mystery
Tube."
Moore said the atmosphere at a
E V I E W Galactic show is an integral part of the
performance.
Galactic "We have a real party atmosphere at
Tonight at 930 live shows. People really get into it, you
Blind Pig see all kinds of different people - young
vance, $8 at the door and old - dancing. We hope everyone
dances when we play."
Moore said the comparisons really do draw a different
crowd, and the eclecticism of the crowd provides for a better
concert-going experience.
"A lot of different kinds of people can get into our music,"
Moore said. "People who are into the New Orleans scene can
get into our music, and people who dig Medeski Martin &
Wood can too."
It is apparent when listening to the album that some of the
songs sound great in-studio, but will no doubt possess
sweaty-brow intensity live in concert.
The R&B-like "Something's Wrong With This Picture" begs
to have deClouet belt out the lyrics while Mercurio snaps
rhythm to a crowded, smoke-filled room in New Orleans.
Locals will have to accept the confines of The Blind Pig,
where Galactic is scheduled to go on at about 1 I p.m.
again.
When you're the
Rolling Stones, a bando
that is in its fourth
decade of recording
together. that task is
even more compli-
cated.
The Stones are a
band that has not only
received levels of com-
mercial success but their
music has ingrained itself into the sub-
conscious as well. Take Tone Loc's
words "Its like Mick Jagger said I can't
get no satisfaction." Or more recently
Alan Jackson, "My heart ain't ready for
the Rolling Stones." However you
choose to define it, there is little doubt
that the Rolling Stones are one of the
greatest rock n' roll bands of all time.
In order to fully enjoy the Stones new
"Bridges To Babylon" one must first
accept the fact that it isn't the next
"Satisfaction." Once you look beyond
that, it is a pretty decent album - one
that most bands would sell their soul to
record.
Overall, "Bridges to Babylon" is a
solid album containing 13 tracks that
demonstrate what we've come to expect
from Mick and the boys over the years.
Songs feature Jagger's trademark vocal
style, a powerful yet melodic guitar
sound and Charlie Watts' basic hard-
pounding drum beat.
The album begins with "Flip the
Switch' a fast-paced tune that resem-
bles the sound heard on both Steel
Wheels and Voodoo Lounge. "Anyone
Seen My Baby," the album's first sin-
gle, which can be remembered for its
powerful baseline, is a standard.Stones
song talking of a broken heart.
This song style was used much more
effectively with "Already Over Me." Its
chilling lyrics "Your so cold / your so
cruel / I'm your man / not your fool /
Are you already over me," "nake it one
of the best songs on the album.
On this album, the band also took
some chances trying to update their
sound. "You Don't Have to Mean It,"
which fhas Keith Richards on lead
vocals, is essentially a ska track. Also,
most of the songs on this album have a
much harder edge than most of the
Stones' previous albums.
This multi-genre and multi-genera-
tional appeal is why the Stones have
been able to keep recording for so long.
While not the Stones' best album,
it does give us what we have come
to expect from the band over the
years, and that's great rock 'n' roll.
For a band that's been around so
long that the words "Lets Spend the
Night Together," were censored on
national TV, to be able to still pro-
duce material of this nature is why
the are truly one of the greatest
bands of all time.
- Curtis Zimmermann
Man Will Surrender
Man Will Surrender
Revolution Records
**
Similar to Bush and Matchbox 20,
Man Will Surrender may have the
power to coax radio stations across
the country into heavy rota-
tion. But don't let them fool
you!
Man Will Surrender's
debut album resembles
Soundgarden's last
ditch effort for di good
r e c o r d
"Superunknown.' That
album was a disaster, but
radio loved it. Although
radio friendly. Man Will
Surrender may not be so lucky. Just in
case, avoid them anyway.
Man Will Surrender's debut lacks
any real emotion in its music, its lyrics
or in vocalist Lance Webber's voice.
They make one praiseworthy attempt
toward the end of the album. Track
nine. "Open Up,"
is tolerable, only
because the gui-
tars drown out
Webber's voice.
Don't put your- .
self through this
disappointing
debut. Man Will
Surrender should
not have even
bothered fight-
-Iewel
Gopwtani
TObin
Man Will Surrender s
'Bridges
Though he plays every instrument
except drums on "Moonflower Plastic,'
Sprout's most valuable asset is his
xoice. A thin, youthful tenor, his voice
is perfectly suited to the soft pop/rock
of the album. Its sensitive tone lends a
highly emotional quality to the slo
tunes, such as the title track and M
beautiful "Water on the Boater's Back"
These songs are part of a new direc-
tion for Sprout: pieces based around
piano parts as opposed to the somewhat
generic guitar rock of his previous
album. The sparse arrangements bring
his wonderful voice to the front of the
mix, creating a quiet, intimate setting.
Though combined with the same low-
quality sound as older GBV albu
these songs are a far cry from anthei,
going so far as to make Sprout sound
like a lo-fi Lindsey Buckingham.
The rest of the album maintains the
quiet nature of these songs, despite
increased use of guitars and fuller
arrangements. Sprout mainly sticks to
the same mid-tempo pace on every
track, a habit which makes the album
slightly monoto-
nous. t
none ofthe so
can be consid-
ered bad, one
longs for at least
acouple ener-
getic, upbeat
;. songs to break
the melancholy
mood.
Still, songs like
"Beast of Souls"
and "Little Bit*
Dread" linger i
one's mind due to
Sprout's talent for
writing instantly
catchy vocal
hould do just that. parts. Its hard
not to sing along
with the album,
even when singing Sprout's seemingly
random lyrics ("Lean this way than
another / Marvin's in the / kitch*
working on something right"). Overall,
Tobin Sprout's "Moonflower Plastic" is
a solid album, one representative of an
artist exploring a new sound.
Sprout
Moonflower Plastic
Matador
In the early '90s, Guided by Voices
were kings of the indie-rock world,
releasing album after album of two-
minute anthems recorded on low quali-
ty equipment. Transmitting the arena
rock power of classic bands like The
Who through shoddy, second-rate
equipment in a Dayton basement,
singer/songwriter Robert Pollard and
his bandmates built up a grassroots fol-
lowing and wowed critics across the
country. Often lost in Pollard's shadow,
however, is the band's guitarist and sec-
ondary songwriter, Tobin Sprout.
No longer a part of Guided by Voices
because of his unwillingness to tour,
Sprout has embarked upon a solo career
that finds him carving out his own
niche in the world of indie-rock. With
his 1996 debut "Carnival Boy," Sprout
proved himself to be a highly creative
artist in his own right, crafting subdued,
catchy pop with the same home-made
quality as GBV. His latest album,
"Moonflower Plastic," takes him even
further away from his former band and
establishes a unique sound all his own.
- Rob Mitch um
0
Garrison Starr
Eighteen Over Me
Geffen Records
THEIR HANDS ARE FASTER THAN GUNS...
DESTROYS AMERICA
II
-L0A ToN
5 ; N SALE SA TURDA Y OC T. 25
)
0 O
Twenty-two-year-old sirtger-song-
writer Garrison Starr's new release,
"Eighteen Over Me," is a successful
blend of both acoustic and electric
sounds with a heartfelt message behind
each song. The catchy beats of t
album's tracks are sure to drive singles
from "Eighteen Over Me" into Top 40
hits.
Starr, a loosely defined mix between
Alanis Morissette and Meredith
Brooks, is a very emotional writer
whose personal lyrics are intended to be
understood universally. To some extent
everyone can relate to the message
behind Starr's music.
Many songs are inspirationa
"Grounded" and "Eighteen Over M
are both about having the gumption to
go for your dreams despite obstacles
and despite the opinions of others.
"Ugly" addresses the feelings of work-
ing to be happy about yourself despite
people's harsh judgements.
Some songs provoke deep questions.
"What I Wish For" addresses the
assumption that we want to figure out
everything about life and asks the que
tion "Should I be careful what I wis
for?" Do I really want to know every-
thing about life and have nothing left to
wonder?
The angst-ridden "Passing" address-
es bitter feelings toward an old friend.
"I'm not really angry at the world /just
angry at you / you ignorant girl"
The combination of the lyrics and
highly energetic electric guitar in
"Passing" produce not only a grea
release of energy, but an exceptionW
song as well.
The best track of "Eighteen Over
Me," and the first to be released on the
radio, is the happy, upbeat "Superhero."
In the song, Starr relates the carefree,
light-hearted attitudes of being a kid to
the powerful, invincible feeling she
experiences each time she performs.
Starr proclaims, "I don't ever want to
leave the stage /1 am a superhero." Th&
upbeat electrical guitar mixes wi
Starr's admirable voice to generate a
success.
"Eighteen Over Me" contains an
excellent mix of acoustic and electric
sounds.
The wholly acoustic tune "Clearer" is
immediately followed by the intensely
Anybody seen my dentures? The elder statesman of the Rolling Stones transcend
age barriers and rock out on their new CD, "Bridges To Babylon."
The Quen of Salsa
with Jose ilheto "EL Canario"and His Orchestra
Fiday, hovember?1, 8 p.m.w
Nit Auditorium
L et Celia Cruz take the chin 1out
of a cold November evening
nhen she hears up Dill Auditorium1
r "s ~aoday Afro-Cuban diva
u: _r1 1 filyu essWith the