16 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 21, 1998
ICE CUBE PLAYS WITH PERFECTION ON CLUB'
Wainwright's 'Ship'
docks at greatness
i
For those who doubted, Ice Cube is
back, with a vengeance. Many
thought he fell off after making the
classic "Death-Certificate," but didn't
want to believe the Cube-spearheaded
"Westside Connection" was the truth.
To those people, Ice Cube gives a big
middle finger, he gives them "The
Players Club" movie and soundtrack.
This is only an appetizer of the new
and improved Cube, the "War and
The Players
Club
Peace" main
course drops
like an H-bomb
this summer. As
executive pro-
ducer, Cube has
assembled some
of the most pro-
lific names in
hip-hop and
R&B to bless
"Players Club,"
and adds the
of them all: His
very well on "Under Pressure " Jay-Z
and partners Memphis Bleek and
Sauce Money weave a classic ghetto
commentary on "Marcy to
Hollywood," Mia X stays 'bout it,
'bout it on "Shake Whatcha Mama
Gave Ya (But Make Sho Your Niggas
Pay Ya)," and Mack 10 tag-teams with
Scarface to get as hard-core as possi-
ble on "You Delinquent." Even the
R&B songs, usually the weakest part
of a compilation, are done extremely
well, with exceptional performances
by Changing Faces, Brownstone,
Public Announcement, and Mr.
Dalvin.
Most of the artists on this "Players
Club" shine, but the executive produc-
er refuses to be outdone. The best
songs on the album have Cube on
them, from the catchy "We Be
Clubbin;" to the rough-house remix
with DMX; to the Old-School Freak-
a-thon "You Know I'm A Ho" with
Master P, to the tight duets with
Cube's new protege Mr. Short Khop.
He even blesses Mack 10 and
Scarface with an ill chorus. This is Ice
Cube at his best.
In making "Players Club," Cube
has made one of the best movie
What album with a white cruise ship
on the cover will not gross millions of
dollars of revenue this year? Loudon
Wainwright Ill's "Little Ship." And it's a
shame that he won't be able to reap as
many rewards as "Titanic," because
Wainwright has more talent in his pinkie
than "Titanic"'s cast and crew combined.
Instead of sappy love ballads a la
Celine Dion, Wainwright sails off to a
paradise of quirky folk tunes. The lyrics
of toe-tapping album starter "Breakfast
in Bed" should give a clue that
Wai nwright
knows his musi-
cal pancakes from
his eggs: "Just a
Loudon couple of con-
Wainwright Il sumers, every
Little Ship morning, me and
charisma/virgin you, /We keep
Reviewed by consummating. /
Daily Arts writer What else is there
Stephanie Jo Klein to do? / We hardly
go out anymore, /
Mostly we stay in. /AII I do these days is
you and baby, that's no sin." The writer
of 1972's hit song "Dead Skunk," his
lyrics are at sometimes biting and funny
and at other times, poignant and sad.
Heavyweight/A & M
Reviewed by
Daily Arts Writer
JuQuan Williams
most prolific name
own.
The melding of banjo, ukulele, sax, clar-
inet, full string section, drums, harmonica,
mandolin and keyboards on different tracks
enables the listener to join in on an inven-
tive musical journey whenever "Little
Ship" is played. Shawn Colvin's back-
ground vocals lighten up "Mr. Ambivalent'v
and "Our Own War;" on other tracks, such
as a bittersweet "What Are Families For"
and raucous "Bein' A Dad" Wainwright's
own warbling tenor does just fine
If you're tired of faux folkies-like Paula
Cole, make sure to book passage on
Wainwright's ship. He docks Friday at the
Michigan Theater with Colvin. If you
miss him, it will be your own titanic loss.
Cube's compilation boasts many of
the heavyweights of the East Coast,
West Coast, and the south, and they all
bring quality songs to the table.
Kurrupt represents the Dogg Pound
soundtracks in the past four years, and
certainly the best hip-hop-themed
soundtrack since "Above the Rim."
For those of you who are still sleep-
ing on Ice Cube, "Players Club" will
definitely be your wake-up call.
V
The Humpers achieve 'Euphoria'
They hail from the LBC, and aren't a
rap group. Straight outta Southern
California comes the world's most un-
So-Cal sounding punk band, the
Humpers.
Their third release for Epitaph,
"Euphoria, Confusion, Anger . and
The Humpers
Euphoria, confusion,
Anger and Remorse
Epitaph
Reviewed by
Daily Arts Writer
Gabe Fajuri
Remorse" is just
like any other
Humpers record:
loud, aggravating,
kick-in-the-head
punk rock. This is
a band that, like
fine wine, only
gets better with
age.
The album title
is about the four
matter, brilliant. Scott "Deluxe" Drake,
lead vocalist for the band, once again
has done an excellent job of capturing
the spirit of his music with the perfect
words and singing style.
Tracks to watch out for include
"Peggy Sue Got Buried," ,"Devil's
Magic Pants," "No Escape" and "Kaise
Bill." "Peggy Sue Got Buried"includes
a saxophone and piano that give the
song an enlivening '50s flair. Each of
the others has a chorus that you're des-
tined to pick up on first listen, and will
never be able to forget.
This is the kind of music that your
parents, actually, most everyone but old-
school punks will hate. The Humpers
new record makes you think, "Damn,
they're so bad, they're good."
This is not a complex record full o
pretty pictures and love songs. There
are no ballads or weepy lyrics to cry
along with.
And this certainly isn'a a record that
you're going to listen to with that special
someone. The concept is simple and
eloquent: five greasy guys rocking the
way that punk was meant to.
stages that someone goes through when
drinking, and subjects covered in the
A Super Summer Job
Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Facility
is looking fortethusiastic
individuals to fill the
following positions:
" WAITSTAFF
" COOKS
" DISHWASHERS
" GROUNDS CREW
* CLEANING
" RECEIVER
" BAG ATTENDANTS
All shifts. Free Golf
(734) 453-7272
Fox Hills
8768 N. Territorial
Plymouth, MI 48170
record's 12 tracks include not only get-
ting drunk, but sex, fun and good old
angst.
Like "Live Forever or Die Trying"
and "Plastique Valentine" before it,
"Euphoria" is full of the raw energy and
shredding guitar solos that make the
Humpers the perfect punks that they are.
"Steel Toed Sneakers," the band's
anthem to getting kicked in the head,
opens the record. Barked lyrics, power
chords and screamed backing vocals
make the track, and the album, for that
i
Breaking Records Star System-,
- Classic - If you missed a v
***- Excellent of Breaking Recji ,
- Good check out the Di s
**- Fair archives onlire,,t
*- Poor http://www.pub. urniet.
No stars - Don't Bother edu/d y
I
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