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12B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine - Thursday, January 10, 2002
FROM THE VAULT: MOVIES AND MUSIC
The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine -
Rediscovering the lost art of breakfast in Am
Ween's 'Cheese' still
sugary sweet on ears
Brooks 'defends'
against bad comedy
Chocolate and Cheese, Ween;
Elektra
Released: Sept. 24, 1994
By Keth N. Dusenberry
Daily Music Editor
The music industry loves roulette.
Most record labels, in the interest of
offering a "diverse catalog," spread
their money all over the table, but
instead of hoping that the popularity
ball lands on 22 Black or 10 Red, it's
39 Alt Rock, 27 Rapcore, 42 Prefab
Pop, and so on down the genres. And
if they can find a band that covers
more than one square, than that means
more value for their corporate dollar.
The problem is that most bands,
unaided by producers and studio musi-
cians, can hardly get a handle on musi-
cal style, let alone multiple ones. Enter
the record labels' equivalent to betting
on the house and the player: the "Now
That's What I Call Music" compila-
tions. Labels love these musical mutts
because they are a sure bet; and it's
hard to frown upon these things
because music for record labels is a
business and from a business perspec-
tive, a CD full of a mixed selection of
everything known to be popular can
only guarantee profit.
Ween are the exact inversion of this
industry phenomenon. They are con-
sistently unpopular genre-benders
who are not attractive and are not
making much money for anyone. They
are, however, some of the most talent-
ed musical shape-shifters to ever grace
speakers. This is the band that started
Courtesy of Elektra
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out mostly straight stoned punk with
occasional nods to pop and rock
(GodWeenSatan - The Oneness),
branched that out to include metal and
lofi pop (The Pod), and then released a
record that had love ballads, speed
freak pop, spoken word and weird
nods to prog-rock (Pure Guava). Their
most accessible (and eclectic) record,
Chocolate and Cheese, came next. It
was followed by a full-length tradi-
tional country album recorded in
Nashville (12 Golden Country Greats)
and a nautically themed concept
album (The Mollusk) going into chil-
dren's songs, new wave and traditional
Irish Folk. Their latest (White Pepper)
brings Ween's discography full circle
with its punk, pop, prog, country, bal-
lad and other schizophrenic offerings.
But it's Chocolate and Cheese that
showcases Ween at their best. It starts
with a snappy, alt-lounge number
called "Take Me Away," slinks into the
bizarre synth and bells of "Spinal
Meningitis (Got Me Down)" and then
grooves into the funky R & B of
"Freedom of '76," and they are just the
first three tracks. Still to come is a
new wave/new age/hardcore hybrids
("I Can't Put My Finger On It"), a
melancholy instrumental ("A Tear For
Eddie"), a sugar pop piece ("Roses
Are Free") and a musically soothing
acoustic song with nicely harmonized
vocals full of bitterness and swearing
("Baby Bitch").
The second half of the album pres-
ents a mock-epic Mexican ballad
("Buenas Tardes Amigo"), some more
perfect pop ("Joppa Road," 'What
Deaner Was Talking About"), a cow-
boy song ("Drifter in the Dark"), a
bizarre alt-funk freakout ("Voodoo
Lady") and the unsettling "Mister,
Would You Please Help My Pony?"
Which apparently needs it because,
"He's down and he ain't getting up /
He coughed up snot in the driveway /
And I think his lung's fucked up."
Continuing with this sort of political
incorrectness is "The HIV Song"
where Ween simply sing the word
"AIDS" and then play a sort of twisted
circus music, periodically stopping to
say "HIV" and then resume the campy
carnival.
Despite the genre hopping, Ween
maintain a believable cohesion on
Chocolate and Cheese. The glue that
binds these songs is Ween's consum-
mate musicianship blended with
their appreciation of experimenta-
tion and humor. Chocolate and
Cheese is twisted and wrong, poppy
and playful, sick and sweet. For the
adventurous listener, buying this
record is no gamble.
Defending Your Life
Sarring: Albert Brooks, Rip
Torn and Meryl Streep
Released: 1991
By Andy Taylor-Fabe
Daily Film Editor
"There are two sure things in life:
death and taxes. This movie is not
about taxes."
Although there have been a few
solid comedies this past year, most of
what is released is either smarmy, by
the numbers tripe or crappy, slapstick
camp. As a reminder of what come-
dies can and should be, 1991's
"Defending Your Life" will hopefully
act as a standard raising tool to help
you realize what is missing from so
many films.
Although "Defending Your Life"
features Meryl Streep, who has to
count her Oscars on both hands and
feet, the real shining stars in this film
are Albert Brooks ("Out of Sight,"
"Taxi Driver") and Rip Torn ("The
Larry Sanders Show," "Men in
Black"), who provide countless unfor-
gettable scenes and lines of dialogue
that stand out as pure comic genius.
"Defending Tour Life" follows the
life and afterlife of Daniel Miller
(Brooks), a middle class, relatively
unhappy advertising executive and
yuppie who dies in a bus accident.
(Don't worry, this occurs in the first
five minutes of the film.)
He wakes up tired and disoriented
in Judgement City, a clean and friend-
ly place where it is always sunny and
72 degrees. Daniel soon learns that
everyone must go to Judgement City
when they die to have their lives
examined, and based on the merits of
their lives and the fears they have con-
quered, they will either "move for-
ward" or return to earth to try it again.
The forum for the examination is a
hearing in a screening room, complete
with a prosecutor, a defense attorney
and judges. Daniel is then forced to
examine nine days of the high and low
points of his life, ranging from a
bravest moments, such as protecting
one of his childhood friends from get-
ting expelled by taking the rap him-
self to his weakest, most fear-filled
moments, like the following night
when he rats out his friend when
Daniel's dad threatens to take away
television priviledges.
Daniel's lawyer, Bob Diamond
(played brilliantly by Rip Torn), is a
well-meaning but slightly sleazy man
who is about two steps above Lionel
Hutz. He defends Daniel's betrayal of
his friend by saying that Daniel's
behavior was due not to fear of pun-
ishment but because of a bond with
his father that prevented Daniel from
lying to him. All of this is said with a
smarmy, toothy grin.
While worrying about his hearing
and his relatively bleak prospects,
Daniel meets a woman named Julia
(Streep) and instantly falls for her.
Here's the rub: She appears to be
much more fearless than Daniel, leav-
ing them both to wonder what their
fates will be.
Part of what makes the movie so
funny and so likable is that during
Daniel's tribulations, we see shades of
our own lives in his flaws. As he frets
over being in a middle seat during a
trans-pacific flight or refuses to fight
a bully in school (is it out of restraint
or just plain old fear?), we are forced
to examine our own weaknesses while
laughing at Brooks' deadpan delivery
and unique humor. As he listens to a
terrible comedian in a club, the comic
asks him how he died, and Daniel
responds "On stage, like you."
One of the other classic things
about the film is Judgement City
itself, for although it is designed to
look like a generic west coast city, it
boasts some features that no earthly
place has. One nice feature is that
people, while residing in Judgement
City, can eat whatever they want and
as much as they want without gaining
weight, prompting a waiter named
Eduardo who brings him nine pies,
one for each day. When Brooks
protests, the waiter challenges "I'm
gonna bring you some steaks!"
Judgement City also boasts some
tourist activities, ranging from golf to
less traditional places like the Past
Lives Pavilion, a theme park type
attraction in which you can see people
who you've been in the past.
This film is like one big playground
for Brooks and Torn, who seem to be
having so much fun with their roles
and the freedom that they are given.
Brooks' dry and slightly whiny deliv-
ery and Torn's over the toppcackle
complement each other perfectly,
leaving you wondering just where stu-
dio executives decided to green-light
every brainless movie running on
autopilot.
By Michael Gras
Weekend, Etc. Food and Drink Critic
If you walk across the intersection
of North University Avenue and State
Street at 7 a.m., Ann Arbor seems to
be a dead town. I found that to be
especially true during the summer
when I lived near campus and com-
muted to my summer job in down-
town Detroit. Before I relapsed into
sleeping until the second alarm, for
two weeks, I would venture out to
grab a bite to eat before I left town on
1-94.
The idea of breakfast was a foreign
concept to me. When I lived in the
dorms, I only ate breakfast on the
weekends and if I would grab some-
thing in town before a 10 a.m. class,
it'd be a coffee and a bagel - enough
to hold me over to lunch.
Although I still don't believe
breakfast is a crucial part to one's
day, I've been enjoying breakfast
more and more as I grow older. And
in Ann Arbor, there are a variety of
places to worship the art of starting
the morning off right. But you have to
look hard to find the great places in
Ann Arbor, since many are hidden in
this town that doesn't begin to wake
until well after 9 a.m.
THE DINER BREAKFAST: DOING
BREAKFAST RIGHT
If you're going to get a good break-
fast - I'm not talking about a bagel
and coffee but omelets, bacon,
corned beef hash, home fries - you
need to mix with the locals. The best
breakfast experience in town is the
Cloverleaf (201 E. Liberty St.). It's a
bit of a hike if you live south and east
of campus, but it's worth the hike if
you're one to explore town. The place
opens at 6 a.m. and is a perfect place
to end all-night study sessions. After
staying up all night writing a paper
for finals last term, I found that the
Cloverleaf's Eggs Benedict to be the
best way to end hours of being wired
on Red Bull.
The Cloverleaf is a diner at heart,
serving the basics. The best place to
sit is right upat the counter, where
the smells of eggs, bacon and pota-
toes emanate from the open kitchen.
Students stand out in a place like this;
most of the Cloverleaf's crowd is blue
collar, something you won't see on
campus or even in Ann Arbor in gen-
eral. After my third cup of black cof-
fee, the waitress could tell I had been
up for hours and wished me good
luck on exams as I left. Overall, the
Cloverleaf is the best place for your
basic breakfast, no frills attached.
And they serve you with a smile,
something that is lacking in many
Ann Arbor breakfast establishments.
Runners-up:
Frank's
(334 Maynard St.)
Fleetwood Diner
(300 S. Ashley St.)
A BOUTIQUE BREAKFAST: ZOLA
While the Colverleaf and the
Fleetwood will give you a no-frills,
but awesome meal, Cafe Zola, on
West Washington Street between
Main and Ashley streets, will give
you a breakfast that will challenge
your preconceived notions of what
the meal can truly be. Hands-down,
Zola has the best coffee and best
selection of unordinary breakfast
selections in the city. You'll pay more
than most places in town, but it's
worth it.
If you want to try something exot-
ic, take a careful look at Zola's
omelets or Turkish eggs. It's a place
where the chefs are artists and take as
much pride in their creations as Frank
Lloyd Wright did designing build-
ings. And because of that fact, Zola is
a popular place; oftentimes, you'll
have to wait a long time to get a table,
but again, it's worth it. You'll get a
good mix of people too. While the
Cloverleaf caters to a certain crowd,
you'll find students, hippies, profes-
sionals, professors and families at
Zola. While I've placed Zola under
the category of a "boutique break-
fast," don't let that scare you off if
you aren't the type to stray from the
traditional "apostrophe 's"' suburban
franchise restaurant. If you are vigi-
lant, you may actually open up your
eyes and get to enjoy some good food
for once in your life.
And Zola is a perfect way to start
your day. Not only will you get a
good meal, you'll also get away from
campus and experience Ann Arbor in
its truest form.
Runner-up: Cafe Felix (204 S.
Main St.)
THE REMAINDERS: OMIGOD, WHAT
ABOUT ANGELO'S AND MR.
GREEK'S?
If you overhear University students
talking about going out for breakfast,
Angelo's will most likely be heard in
the conversation.
The venerable Ann Arbor institu-
tion has been serving legendary
breakfasts at the corner of Glen and
Catherine streets since 1956. When I
arrived in Ann Arbor in 1998, my
older sister professed Angelo's famed
French toast, a favorite for she and her
Alpha Phi sorority sisters. Ahh, the
memories. In Ann Arbor, Angelo's is
to breakfast as Zingermann's is to
deli food. But just like Zingermann's
and the Gandy Dancer's Sunday
brunch, Angelo's is plagued by its
success and relies on its past laurels
and Ann Arbor hype.
Each time I've been at Angelo's for
breakfast, I've left frustrated and dis-
appointed. The experience there each
time has been hit by either rude wait
staff, a long wait or one time, having
to ask for my breakfast to be reheat-
ed after it was given to me lukewarm.
Angelo's may indeed have a good
breakfast, but unfortunately, I've
never been at the receiving end of the
Dionysian morning feast that every-
one raves about.
Another popular place near cam-
pus for breakfast (especially on the
weekends with girls who had just
done the "walk of shame") is Mr.
Physicians in your area are seeking subjects
to participate in a clinical research study to
evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an
investigational medication for symptoms of
asthma.
Participants must be:
" Generally healthy men or women between
18 and 70 years old
* Symptoms of asthma reasonably controlled
with use of an albuterol or similar inhaler
(Proventil, Ventolin)
" Able to complete 7-8 visits over 4 months
Study-related physical exams, breathing tests,
ECG's, study medication at no charge.
Compensation will be provided for time
and travel.
Interested?
Call Clin-Site at 1-888-254-6748
toll-free, or visit www.clinsite.com
Brighton, Ann Arbor, Plymouth
Usa Stano, a University Hospital employee and Ben Balzer, a freelance designer, enjoy
the Fleetwood Diner.
BROOKS SRE
RYL
TREP"
obs!!
Winter Term
Apply now at the Law Library-
* non-Law Students
" Law Students
" S.I. Students
Minimum pay is
$8.50 per hour!
Apply at the hiring table
outside room S-180 in
the Law Library's
underg round
addition.
AA/EOE
UNIVERSITY MICHIGAN
OF OR STATE
MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
students, alumni, faculty students, alumni, faculty
THEY MET ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD, HOCKEY RINK, BASKETBALL COURT,
LET'S SETTLE THE RIVALRY ONCE & FOR ALL... IN A TOUGHNAN RING!
Friday, January 11th, 2002 0 8 PM
TO4
r'
T "a r r.r
On sale now at Palacenet.com, the Palace box office,
all . gn Locations or charge 248.645.6666
General admission $15.00
only $10.00 with student I.D
Courtesy of Warner Brothers
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