S- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 8, 1998 CARTOON COMPILATION South Park and the Simpsons are arguably the two most popular "mature audience"-target- ed cartoon shows today. Both revel in their respective notoriety for crude jokes, politically incorrect plots and healthy merchandise sales figures. South Park, however, seems to have an edge over the Simpsons in one major aspect: Its fans who seem to find a higher level ' of self esteem by quoting impsons: The lines from the show to death. How many times Yellow Album can you tolerate your friends and people on the Geffen street making Cartman Reviewed by impressions and saying, Daily Arts Writer "Oh my god! You killed Adlin Rosi Kenny! You bastard!" in an attempt to prove their worth? But all of this certainly serves as an excellent yard- stick to show that South Chef Aid Park right now is at its Cast of South Park and peak in popularity. In just Various Artists more than one year, the Sony Music show seems to have com- Reviewed by pletely secured its creators, Daily Arts Writer Trey Parker and Matt Adlin Rosli Stone, a life of luxury and acting parts in mediocre comedy movies ("BASEketball" or "Orgazmo" anyone?). So in a perfect attempt to "strike while the iron is hot" comes South Park's spoof of the '80s "Live Aid" and "Farm Aid" called "Chef Aid." The plot of the cartoon follows that South Park's Chef is broke and all his famous musician friends have come to help him through with a Chef benefit concert. What resulted was a star- studded line-up that includes the likes of Primus to Master P The outcome, however, seems to resemble Kenny in, last year's Halloween episode: Patchy and sown together. The Crystal Method with Ozzy Osbourne, DMX, ODB and Fuzzbubble contribute the gem "Nowhere To Run (Vapor Trail)" to the album. The combination of a rock legend with terrific rappers and an upstart of the dance music scene actually works magic on this track, Other songs such as Elton John's "Wake Up Wendy" and Primus' "South Park Theme" man- age to put humor and a good song together. But too many of the other songs unfortunately fall into the "one-time-listen" joke songs or are just plain mediocre. A song such as Mass, Puffy and Lil Kim's collaboration with System Of A Down on "Will They Die 4 You" really should never have seen the light of day at all. A politically charged anti- system rock band like System Of A Down allowing Lil' Kim to brag how she's here to "spread like syphilis" is just wrong. Other songs on the record such as Cartman's Styx cover of "Come Sail Away," Chef's "Simultaneous" and "Chocolate Salty Balls" seem to serve no other purpose but to provide the one-time punchline that will be annoyingly repeated by people dependent on South Park as a means to be, as Cartman would say, "hella kewl!" In the same spirit of disappointment comes "The Simpsons: The Yellow Album." The third Simpsons release follows its mildly entertain- ing, "The Simpsons Sing the Blues" and last year's highly entertaining collection of songs from the show in "Songs in the key of Springfield." Similar to "The Simpsons Sing the Blues," "The Yellow Album" sees our favorite Springfield residents busting out a bunch of songs not from the TV show. Similar to "Chef Aid," a couple of famous musicians make appearances. Linda Ronstadt, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, the P-funk All- Stars and Clivilles and Cole are here. Unfortunately, nothing any of these veterans can do could possibly salvage anything from this poor marketing tie in. Bart's rapping on the Clivilles and Cole's late- '80s beats of "Love?", Lisa's "Sisters are doing it for themselves" with the Wilson sisters and Marge and Homer's "Every Summer With You" are all completely mainstream and devoid of life. "The Yellow Album" and the daring comedy TV series from which it came are just two worlds apart. While the TV show never fails to provide unconventional humor and originality, the soundtrack is a safe sedate record, reminis- cent of the workout tapes you would get with an exercise Barbie doll. The only attempt at its TV show humor comes in Apu's "Twenty-Four Hours A Day" that attempts to rival South Park's Chef in showing off libido through music. Record tie-ins to both TV shows never seem to work as well as they look on paper. While the cartoons and the massive line of merchandise tie-ins seem to work, the concept of "too much" never really hits the people behind these TV shows until it's too late. Don't believe me? Ask Beavis and Butthead. Hits don't reveal true Faith -Contracts are funny things. Bands get obligated to make a certain num- ber of albums, expecting to stay together. But stuff happens, a band breaks sp and boom, no more band to meet the contractual obligations. So you get an album like "Who Cares a Lot?" by Faith No More. The trouble with greatest hits ilbums is they are always uneven because they're stitched together. Of course, one of the virtues of this album is that it showcas- es the breadth of Faith No More's recorded Faith No More career which Whs Cares A los cre, hc The Greatest Hit spans 12 years, Rerse Reerds two very differ- ent vocalists Reviewed by and around four Daily Arts Writer TdWatts guitarists. It's still a less than perfect way of assembling a record, evi- denced by the jarring and incomplete vibe this disc emanates. Well, if you've liked a few singles by the band but have never bought any material by it, this would be a good way for you to satisfy your needs. Just about every Faith No More song that has in some way possibly been remotely released as a single, kinda, is on here. Except "Chinese Arithmetic." If you liked "Epic" and "Easy" but never got around to making the pur- chases, now's your chance. Of "course, if you didn't buy them, you need to be told that "Epic" is that -song with the flopping fish and exploding piano in the video, where "the guy is singing "What is it? It's it!" a bunch. This release also contains eight new tracks: Four unreleased studio songs, one demo of a released song and three live covers. "The World is Yours" sounds in ine with the band's sound from Nashville' idills film This Nashville edition of "The Prince of Egypt" soundtrack has been dubbed by many in the hype machine the great- est lineup of country artists ever assem- 6led. For the most part that's true. With tracks by such industry giants as Clint lack, Wynonna, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, perennial super group Alabama, as well No stars as songs by newer PrInce of EgYPt stars such as Faith - Nashville Hill, Mindy Various Artists McCready and Alison Krauss, Dreamworks Records "The Prince of Reviewed by Egypt" is heavy Daily Arts Writer on big-names but Corns Zimmermann light on big sur- prises. The music on this album is nothing but a bunch of lousy, adult-contemporary, soft pop tunes that do nothing but inspire one to 'Live' Brooks worth double fun around '92. The guitars and key- boards are still fairly prominent, Mike Patton's voice is neither too nasal, nor too refined and the song's emotion is painful and claustropho- bic. On the other hand, the instrumen- tal track, called "Instrumental," sounds like no other Faith No More song. Besides the fact that it is an instru- mental song, it is very. calm, on the order of certain types of indie rock mixed with New Music. The covers are the type of thing fans have come to expect; the rau- cous "Highway Star" is just a big bundle of energy no matter what you do with it and is a pleasant example of the band's mainstream forebears. It has been doing "Theme from Midnight Cowboy" for six years, and the very short version of it found on "Who Cares A Lot?" was foresee- able if nothing else. And finally, Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's In Love With You" seems like a record company friend- ly entry considering the recent Bacharach revival. With TV specials and a couple of tribute albums out (including one featuring singer Patton on John Zorn's Tzadik label), Bacharach stock is riding a wave. It's also the kind of schmaltz Faith No More has enjoyed using as contrast their hard image on stage. So there's enough here to entice the die hard fan and the those with a passing friendliness with the band. It's not the best way to get familiar with Faith No More, however. There is no time to explore any of the depths of the band's sound here; any of their normal albums will better accomplish that. Accept this as a decent overview with some good rar- ities and keep in mind that Faith No More was a better band than this album implies. Since Garth Brooks established him- self asa wild and charismatic stage per- former in the early '90s, fans have been eagerly anticipating a live album. "Double Live" his new two-CD set showcases many classics from his 10- year recording career and was well worth the wait. The music on "Double Live" draws heavily from "No Fences," "Ropin' The Wind," and "In Pieces," but still includes songs from each of his 7Garth seven studio albums. It show- Garth Brooks cases the sheer Double Live energy of Brooks capitol Nashville and the crowd. Occasionally they Reviewed by both get just a bit Daily Arts Writer overzealous, Curtis Zimmermann especially on "Unanswered Prayers" when Brooks stops singing and lets the crowd take over another one of his concert traditions. Although it is somewhat intriguing hearing thousands singing both the verse and chorus, it doesn't really do much for the song. The album also includes the third verse to "Friends in Low Places" which has been well-played on mainstream country radio for a number of years. Also contained is the less publicized third verse to "The Thunder Rolls." The construction of the bridge leading into the guitar solo as well as the lyrics make it one of the most power tracks on the album. It also contains three new tracks. "Tearin' It Up (And Burnin' It Down)" is the most memorable with a rousing opening reminiscent of Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands On Me" only with fiddles. "It's Your Song" is a ballad that he ded- icated to his mother; toward the end he misses a line and appears to be crying, contributing to his often publicized and somewhat controversial nice guy image. Also included is yet another duet with his former back-up singer Trisha Yearwood titled "Wild as the Wind." It's decent, but not quite the up to par with CD send~ sounds of. romance With the bouncing, bustling, bum bling whimsy of holiday cheer, th enigmatic postal service is very busy sending, stamping and shipping pack- ages here and there, everywhere. When Mr. Postman (no silly, not Kevin Costner, the real one) comes to make his deliveries to your abode this holiday season, hopefully, he'll find you quite merry as you hear those anxious, curi- ous sounds, "You've Got Mail.: Well, the soundtrack that is. The tunes of "You've Got Mail," t* new Nora Ephron love affair starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, will put sparkle in anyone's dampened day with their warmth and coziness. As the soundtrack promotes, "Anyone at All" - a charming, new song by legend Carole King -a collection of other dit- ties will pleasure your glum soul as well. "You've Got Mail" is remake of a Jimmy Stewart classic, Ernst Lubitsch4 timeless treasure, "The Shop Around the Corner." Though the new *** film is set in mod- You've Got Mal ern day New York. City, its souns Varous Arsts refer to the clas- warner sunset/ sics with a shim- Atlantic mering romanti- Reviewed by cism such as Daily Arts Writer Bobby Darii' Chris Cousino "Splish Splash, Bobby Day's "Rockin Robin" and Roy Orbiso's "Dream" A recurring theme of happy dreams invigorates the songs of "You've Got Mail." Maybe we're supposed to be dreaming either Captain Hanks orcutie. Ryan, or dreaming that Hanks and Ryan will get together in the end, or possibly dreaming our own dream I finding true love in this crazy world instead of the louse we are sitting next to as we watch the movie. Dreams.- Dreams. Dreams. With Harry Nilsson's, "The Puppy Song," he bubbly pipes in, "Dreams are nothing more than wishes and a wish is just a dream you wish to come true." Nilsson also performs two other won- derful numbers with "Remember" and, the immortal "Ove the Rainbow." Another set of "Dreams" bears t emotional fruits of Irish rockers, The Cranberries, who have seen their won-, derful, life-flashes-before-your-eyes song used now for the sixth time it a, film within the past four years. Irish sis- ter Sinead O'Connor adds her own sun- shine with a cover of Nilson's "I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City." The post office in New York, N.Y. ,must be quick, quick, quick as Bil, Williams proclaims, "I'm Gonna Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," while Stevie Wonder follows up with, "Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours." If you're not as fast as Stevie with your wrapping and can't seem to find that perfect gift for whomever -mom, dad or that special someone -take 'em to see "You've Got Mail" or rent "The Shop Around the Corner," then tell 'em "You Made Me Love You," just because you're you. Or. if you're a wuss, let Jim* Durante do it for you as he closes this dreamy. cheerfulset of melodies. their previous duet "In Another's Eyes." What this album shows is that Garth Brooks didn't reach his somewhat ridiculous levels of fame for no reason. His own brand of country rock sounds even better live than on the albums which will no doubt inspire his fans and all those "I don't like country but I like Garth Brooks" people to buy millions of copies. At least they know they'll be getting their money's worth. Tisdale malkes great 'Deision' I'm going to resist the temptation to include any cheap bas- ketball references while reviewing former NBA star Wayman Tisdale's new album, "Decisions." In the past two albums, he has consistently proven that he doesn't need his basketball cre- dentials to sell his music. On those albums, his music spoke for itself. "Decisions" is no different. Tisdale's music is the definition of Wayman Tlsdale contemporary jazz: Smooth, catchy Decisions grooves laced with just enough improvi- Atlantic Records sation to let you know that the music is real, but not so much that it ruins the Reviewed by flow of the song. This is a formula that Daily Arts Writer Tisdale has worked to perfection, as Quan Williams shown on the laid-back "Bass Man," which features Tisdale's former label- mates Norman Brown and Gerald Albright. He also throws in doses of other kinds of music to add spice to his Jazz, such as on the salsa-inspired "Mexicoco," or the hip urban "Ready or Not," or the gospel- inspired "Take the Lord along with you." Most of the songs on "Decisions" are relaxed grooves that are very easy to listen to. But if you're looking for virtuoso bass playing a la Stanley Clarke, look elsewhere. Although talented, Tisdale's ability has its limits, and you won't necessarily be amazed by his playing. In addition, the guest stars he brings to the table, such as Brown, Albright, Lalah Hathaway and Chukii Booker sound decent, but don't really add anything dynamic to the music. It's as if they were all deliberately holding their talent back so that Tisdale could keep up with them. Still, while not as skilled as a three-point shot, or as flashy as a slam-dunk, "Decisions" still gets two-points (Sorry, I couldn't resist, after all) It's fitting, though. In both basketball and music, Tisdale's trademark is consistency more than out- rageous talent or showmanship. In fact, spending your hard- earned money on "Decisions" would be a pretty good decision in itself. 'Piece' only frumps around toss this album into the Red Sea. The real weakness of these songs is the lack of country elements within them. Occasionally, there appears a steel guitar, and in some spots a fiddle, but these instruments are used rather spar- ingly. This will no doubt contribute to many of the anti country music senti- ments that are currently stemming from the music's detractors. It's a shame that with such a stellar lineup Dreamworks couldn't have come up with a more inventive album. The mediocrity makes you question the label's motives and kills just about any desire one would have to see the film. While major labels churn out slick, greatest-hits packages to con buyers into repurchasing the same songs they bought the first time around, the Kill Rock Stars label has taken a more worthwhile route. 4 By compiling an artist's vinyl discography onto a single CD, KRS gives fans the convenience of compact discs and the chance to hear those hard-to-find ** songs. The Olympia, Washington-based label The Frumples recently put out "The Frumpie Singles," a collection of One-Piece Bikini Kill's phenomenal Kill Rock Stars vinyl-only singles. Now the Reviewed by label has released "Frumpie Jimmy Draper One-Piece," a 24-song compi- For the Daily lation of the Frumpies' five vinyl releases between 1992 and 1998. As thrpe-fourths of Bikini Kill (Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox and Billy Carren) and a member of the PeeChees (Molly Neuman), the Frumpies is a potential powerhouse of talent. Three guitars and drums fuel the driving force of the garage punk, and the band has a spirit reminiscent of Bratmobile's clamorous, tongue-in-cheek humor. Sarcasm drips off songs such as "She's A Real Cutie Pie," where Wilcox screeches, "She's a real cutie pie!/Wow!/Throw a bottle at her head!" and the song titles are hysterical (see: "Fake Antagonism Rules, Okay" and "I Just Wanna Puke on the Stereo"). Unlike Bratmobile, however, the Frumpies doesn't back up its wit with great music and originality. On "Wrong Way Round," Wilcox shouts, "All the bands sound like U2 in America/Nothing left to do in America." And while it sounds nothing like that Irish supergroup, the Frumpies falls into a similar trap of its own - all its music sounds alike. Most of the recorded-in-a-tin-can songs grate on the nerves with too-thin guitars and nails- on-chalkboard vocals, leaving the music annoy- ingly repetitive. It never claims to be sugar-and- spice, but unfortunately the Frumpies doesn't deliver much of anything nice. This is not to say that the band hasn't kicked out some great material - it's just that the memorable songs are rare diamonds in the rough. At times the guitars sound surf-punky and fun, and the best songs come when Wilcox and Vail tone down the no-holds-barred shrieks and incorporate some; chant-along pop, like on "Eunuch Nights" and, "Whatshisname Hearts the Frumpies.' The question becomes, however, whether listen-: ers want to sift through the rubbishto find the few gems. So maybe, when compiling the vinyl songs- onto compact disc, Kill Rock Stars gave listeners the greatest gift of all - the ability to utilize the CD player's preprogramming feature.