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6 - Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Richie goes country
R&B star heads 1
Sporcle demonstrates
triviality o fmovie trivia
for home in new
release 'Tuskegee'
* By EDITH FREYER
Daily Arts Writer
Broadly speaking, the real-
ity is that most teenagers these
days don't know Lionel Richie as
anything more
than Nicole's *
papa. For those
who fit into Lionel Richie
that category,
here's a quick Tuskegee
history lesson:
He started his Universal
music career International
in the '60s as
a member of the funk group the
Commodores. He eventually
established himself as a solo art-
ist, recording mostly in the easy-
listening R&B-soul fusion genre.
Most recently, however, he has
taken a turn back down south-
ward into the country category.
His efforts to pay homage to his
hometown, Tuskegee, Ala., have
culminated in a 13-track album
of his re-imagined hits fittingly
titled Tuskegee. He spent the bulk
of his childhood in the Southern
town and clearly knows its music
well.
Let me be clear. This is no
R&B album with an intermittent
twang situation. There's no way
around it - this album is straight
up country. It's kind of surpris-
ing, considering Richie started
his career with Motown Records,
but like they say, you can take the
musician out of Alabama, but you
can't take the Alabama out of the
musician.
Every song on Tuskegee has
been written and produced by
Richie. He covers every aspect of
his songs' creation, and that level
of specificity with his music -
something that has always been
UNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL
Hello? Is it me you're looking for?
a trademark - really cleans up never said how much I need you
the album's sound and delivers a sugar but I sho' need you by my
fully polished product to lovers of side." How's that for country?
country music. Fans of the genre will appre-
However, since each cover on ciate "Dancing On the Ceiling,"
the album is a duet, Richie takes Richie's collaboration with Rascal
somewhat of a backseat on his Flatts (co-written by Richie, Car-
own album, a tactic that might los Rios and Michael Frenchik).
disappoint diehard Richie fans. It's upbeat, totally high-energy,
For most of the tracks, the guest and for not-so-fans of country, it
vocalist is basically the lead sing- might sound a lot like that theme
er, and the Tuskegee native acts as song from the movie "Cars."
a complement. Richie gets closest to his R&B-
self with "Hello," a duet with
Jennifer Nettles. The guitars are
Backseat incredibly soulful, and he sounds
fantastic. But Tuskegee's great-
approach isn't est triumph is its single "End-
less Love," with Richie joined
Sunday driving. by Shania Twain. She wails her
way through the slow, drawn-out
tune and Richie harmonizes with
her admirably.
"My Love," co-starring Kenny For alot of people, it's going to
Chesney, stands out as sentimen- be a disappointment that Richie's
tal. and dramatic - everything latest is so genuinely country.
that a good country ballad should His fans tend to savor the easy-
be, right? - and comes with its listening aspects of his music,
own built-in honky-tonk brass and Tuskegee might come as an
reprise. The lyrics even go, "I've unpleasant surprise. But if Rich-
been through so many changes ie's point was to get across the
in my life woman, it's a wonder makeup of his Southern roots, he
I ain't lost my mind / And I ain't has absolutely done his job.
Here's a story: Two
weeks ago,I procras-
tinated studying for a
midterm by taking quizzes. And
not just any quizzes. Sporcle
quizzes.
While I
pride myself
on my excel-
lent pro-1
crastination
abilities, I've
tended to
avoid Sporcle. JACOB
It always AXELRAD
seemed way -
too easy. If
I were going to procrastinate,
I'd rather watch my roommate
build a skateboard ramp on the
corner of East University Avenue
and Hill Street (yes, my room-
mate builds skateboard ramps.
And yes, they're awesome) or
engage in a lively game of Penny
Can (for those who don't know
Penny Can, see ABC's "Cougar
Town" for more information on
this extraordinary time-killer).
But after learning about the vast
array of film quizzes available
- from movie quotes to actors'
last names - my interest was
sparked.
Myself and two other people
from our study group took a quiz
called 100 Tiny Movie Scenes,
which consisted of identifying a
title based off of a still image the
size of a fingerprint from that
movie. Within seconds, I was
losing. My competitors quickly
soared ahead, naming movie
after movie as though all they
needed to identify films such as
"The Shining" or "Up in the Air"
was a split-second glance at a
very, very tiny image. Something
had to be wrong. How had their
movie knowledge so effortlessly
surpassed mine?
I requested another quiz:
Movie
to prov
skillsu
one els
tivelyc
the tin
And on
behind
genera
the sat
Afte
ating d
as to h
sudden
of obsc
history
It turn
partne
of a red
ample
which
up wit
D
n
I sai
doesn'
anythi
which
too. Th
scenes
movies
haven'
Tho
rolling
the pa:
Sporcl
missin
rackin
seeme
about:
ite mo
abouti
Quotes. I was determined ual quote can't stand in for the
ve that my movie-trivia experience of watching an entire
were up to par with every- movie. Factors such as context
e's. Once again, we collet- and story can alter the way one
clicked start. Once again, interprets mere words uttered by
ner began to count down. an actor onscreen.
nce again, I was falling My bone to pick is with the
I my two friends whom I notion that a quote can be con-
lly consider to know about sidered a suitable substitute for
me as me about movies. the actual film. I don't want to
r my back-to-back humili- come across as some sort of snob
lefeats, I finally inquired who walks about and turns his
ow in the world they'd nose up at audiences around
sly acquired such a wealth him, saying things like, "If you
ure tidbits about movie haven't seen <em>that</em>
y. The answer was simple: movie, then you don't know what
.ed out these two study you're talking about." What I
rs "Sporcle" on something mean is that allowing yourself
gular basis, giving them to judge a movie by a sound bite
opportunity to learn means it is no longer your own
images and quotes match individual viewing experience,
h their respective movies. but someone else's. It's true that
watching screen legend Marlon
Brando as Don Corleone utter
I t g the unforgettable words "I'm
t judge a gonna make him an offer he can't
novie by its refuse" resonates with us years
by after they were first captured on
lost famous film. The dialogue stands on its
own, transcending the confines
quotes. of the silver screen and imprint-
ing itself on the pop-culture
zeitgeist.
Yet, if a movie as powerful as
d to them, "Yeah, but that "The Godfather" does become
Itmean you actually know simply a string of quotes, then
ng about the movie." To we risk missing the forest for
one of them replied, "Does the trees, so to speak. In fact, it's
nose are the most famous only one tree that gets forced
and quotes from the into the public eye until it loses
s. It doesn't matter if you any meaning it may have once
t actually seen the movie." had. We forget Connie's screams
se last few words were of excitement when the famous
around in mytmind over singer Johnny Fontane attends
st few days as I played her wedding. Or the conversa-
e quiz after Sporcle quiz, tion shared between Brando
g countless answers and and Al Pacino - father and son
g my head as to why it - toward the movie's end about
d as if I knew nothing reading the newspaper's funny
some of my all-time favor- pages.
vies. But then I thought While these are some of my
it a bit more. One individ- favorite parts, they might not be
your favorites. You're the only
one who gets to decide which
aspects you hold on to and
remember down the road. Now,
is this a good plan for dominat-
18-4115 ing every Sporcle quote that
comes your way? Absolutely not.
isplay@gmail.com What it is, my friends, is a way
to make the classics come to life
once more, to make them stay
fresh even after they've been
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RELEASE DATE- Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 69 Artist Grant 35 Blind as 45 Newversionsof
1 Tome and Wood, by birth 37 Babe Ruth's old films
Principe 70 Bermuda hrs. sultanate? 46 Paving material
4 Cap on spending, 38 "I'm __ roll!" 48 Perfectos, e.g.
say DOWN 39 Wilder's 49 Suffix with profit
9 Norwegian Sea 1 Providefor, as a Town" 51 Pair
arm dependent 40 Final race leg 53Jewish holy man
14 Footed vase 2Teen haunts 41 Bum's rush 57 _ contendere:
15 Habituate 3 According to plan 42Supergiantin court plea
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19 The orside 7 "Dies _": Latin thieves 62 Inactive mil. status
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Sem e hort and sweet ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
23 DirmlnrfReiner 9 1 plaster t TSAP O H A CU
24Jazzinger Anit 10Comedian Lovitz ASAP ORCA UPON E
25Vatican Cityis 11Fromoneendto T H R E E P I E C E S U I T S
one the other S E A N C E T E X T L O T
27 Split end in a 12 Took out E O N S P O L
uniform 13 Ditches where F O U R C O U R S E M E A L
32 Air-conditioned creeks once were E N T A T B I A L G M E N
33Tutscousin? 21 A patch may ET A TR R E AT Y GEN
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fatedvessel 22Co. designation A F R O A S T U T E S A D
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noise 29OttovBismarck S I X F I G U R E I N C O M E
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playwright the Opera
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"Speed" food press xwordeditor@aolcom 03/27/12
44Plindrsmi Altar 1 2 3 4 s 6 8 3 10 11 12 13
47 Bridge holding
such as ace- 14 1s16
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"Kids In the Street," which can
be found in quite a few other
places on the album as well. The
songs don't lose theirpoetry from
getting caught up in the melody,
as many do nowadays.
However, the general emotions
of the album's content are poorly
strung together at times. If Kids
In the Street wanted to follow the
story of its title and be a reflec-
tive album on the days of youth,
it could have had a more logi-
cal track order. The record has
the potential to progress from
being lovestruck, to heartbroken,
to rebellious, to wanting to go
back to the simple days of being
"kids in the street." Instead, the
emotions are scattered, making
things uncomfortably hot and
cold while going through the
album in listing order.
A smart move would have
been putting the song "Kids In
the Street" as the leading track,
because it immediately narrates
the overall theme of the album.
Of course, none of this affects the
quality of the record's content,
but as a whole, it needs more logic
with its message.
The album is sure to please
many fans of the band, if not
all the Top-40 listeners. Lyri-
cal originality, some shaken-up
material and the famous playful
rebellion of AAR creates a quality
album that shows the group has
nothing to prove.
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