ATrtsr,
The Michigan Daily Saturday, June 13, 1981 Page 9
Grace Jones
Guitar Junior's
timid talents
By FRED SCHILL
Daily Arts Writer
There's no way of knowing how good a musician is if you don't hear him play.
Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson has a reputation as being one of the finest
young blues guitarists alive; for six years, he played back-up for that pinnacle
of blues musicianship, Muddy Waters.
Well, I really don't know whether-he deserves his reputation after hearing
him Thursday night at Rick's American Cafe. His solos were rare and fragmen-
ted, coming in brief, fleeting bursts so timidly tentative that it was difficult to
believe this was the same man recorded so brilliantly on the new Waters
album, King Bee. I took a look at the press pictures; yup, same guy.
JOHNSON WAS obviously struggling in his new role as leader of a band, and
- judging from their demeanor - a new band at that. He was not willing to take
charge, to showcase his skill in the flamboyant and extended fashion of more
confident musicians, and apparently not capablehf charismatic leadership.
The problems had nothing to do with the musicians, all of whom appeared.to
be capable. But they seemed to-be trying first and foremost to hold it all
together - like a band that hasn't been playing together very long. Worst of
all, they were not having a good time.
Johnson's vocals were decent enough, especially on several tunes fresh out of
the Otis Redding School of Advanced Rhythm and Blues. Perhaps that's why he
played as much Motown-esque R & B ("Going Home," "Money," etc.) as blues.
EVEN HERE, though, he suffered from the same problem - I couldn't hear
him, physically could hardly distinguish his voice from the rhythmic roar of his
accompaniment. Johnson's voice is a bit too hoarse to be powerful anyway, and
the sound mix Thursday night often withered it away altogether.
But at times, it was possible to catch passing glimpses of Johnson's musical
abilities. His smooth, pure interplay with the rawer style of his accompanying
guitarist ("New York Brian") constituted the most assertive and invigorating
moments of their sets. Unfortunately, the band rarely felt inspired or
courageous enough to try these.
In fact, they rarely felt bold enough to try anything beyond repetitive song
structures, and blues songs simply do not survive if one does not extrapolate
upon their basic structure, indeed, their basic feel.
THERE WAS little ingenuity and little expressionism displayed, even in
See GUITAR, Page 10
Grace Jones - 'Nightclubbing'
(Island) - Grace .Jones is a fluke, an
impossibility. I never thought she'd
make it this far. Befitting her former
profession, she looks (and sings) like a
model. I used to think her records were
just excuses to wrap those really hot
jacket photos around.
Now she's released Nightclubbing
with the wildest photo to date. (How
did they make her skin purple and who
dreamed up that insane pill-box hat of a
haircut for her?) But SURPRISE, the
singing lessons have paid off. Now even
when she doesn't exactly sing like a
singer (questionable pitch and almost
non-existant range, for examples) at
least she talks like a singer. The
phrasing of most every song is nearly
perfect, especially the way she
languishes nastily over some of the
lines in "Walking in the Rain" like
"Feeling like a woman,
Looking like a man.
Walking .. walking in the rain.
Her improvement is witnessed by the
fact that even when she really sings,
like on her disco single "Pull Up to the
Bumper Baby" (which has to have
some of the most ingeniously subtle
sleaze imagery I've ever heard), the
producers don't have to wrap it in give-
away echoes, filters, and multiple-
tracking. Her voice actually sounds
clear and strong ... and capable.
ONE SUSPECTS that it is more than
just Grace that makes this album such
a phenomenal success, however,
Someone in this operation has an
amazing ear for just the perfect unex-
pected tunes for Grace to cover. "Use
Me" is a good example of that as Grace
takes Bill Withers' blissful, trusting of-
fer to "come on and use me and turns
it into a bitchy challenge. None of these
songs are obvious choices for Grace's
singing style, but with the proper
treatment they all sound as though they
were writtenfor Grace's icy sensusllty-
(Even though her version. of David
Bowie and Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing"
isn't up to par with the original, it still
seems that lines like "We're nightclub-
bing / We're an ice machine" were
penned with her in mind.)
The musicians who grace this album
also deserve a good deal of the credit
for its success. The idea to put some of
the hottest reggae musicians in the
world (including the unbeatable
rhythm duo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie
Shakespeare) behind Grace was pure
inspiration.
So, it's not exactly clear who should
receive the accolades for this album,
but that kind of stuff only matters to
critics. What will matter to the listener .
is that Nightclubbing. is an almost
unqualified success.
-Mark Dighton
Thanks to Schoolkid Records for
the use of some of the albums
reviewed in our record columns.
(~I1urEb ~tirnb4t ~'EruiEeL~
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHAPEL
Serving the Campus for LC-MS
Robert Kavasch, Pastor
1511 Washtenaw Ave.
663-5560
Sunday Worship: 9:00 am (Summer
Hours).
FIRST UNITED METHODIST
CHURCH
120 S. State St.
tCorner of State and Huron)
Worship Schedule:
8:30 a.m -Holy Communion in the
Chapel.
9:30 and 11:00 a.m.-Morning Wor-
ship in the Sanctuary.
Sermon for June 14-"Afterwords:
The Word to a Woman." By Donald B.
Strobe.
Church School for all ages-9:30 a.m.
and 11 a.m.
Choir Rehearsal-Thursday at 7:15
p.m.
Ministers:
Dr. Donald B. Strobe
Rev. Fred B. Maitland
Dr. Gerald R. Parker
Education Directors: Rose McLean
and Carol Bennington
LORD OF LIGHT LUTHERAN
CHURCH
(The Campus Ministry of the
ALC- LCA)
Gordon Ward, Pastor
801 S. Forest at Hill St.
Sunday Worship Service at 10:30
June 21-Outdoor worship service at
Burns Park. Potluck fellows.
* *
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
Huron Valley Mission
301 North Ingalls
(two blocks north of Rackham
Graduate School)
668-6113
Sunday Service-2:30 p.m.
Rev. Marian K. Kuhns
FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH
OF ANN ARBOR
1917 Washtenaw (cerser of Berkshire)
Sunday Services at 10:30 a.m.
Coffee Hour and conversation after
services.
Child Care available
Kenneth W. Phifer-Minister 665-6158
CAMPUS CHAPEL
1236 Washtenaw Ct.
A Campus Ministry of the Christian
Reformed Church
Rev. Don Postema, Pastor
10:00 am Trinity Sunday Worship,
Rev. Andrew Foster.
6:00 pm-Evening worship.
ST. MARY'S CHAPEL
(Roman Catholic)
331 Thompson-663-0557
Summer Masses:
Sunday-8:30 am, 10:30 am, 12 noon,
and 5 pm.
Mon., Tues., Wed.-5:10 pm.
Thurs., Fri. -12:10 pm.
ARE A GREAT
WAY TO GET
FAST RESULTS
CALL 7i4-0557