The Michigan Daily - Friday, July 11, 1986 - Page 9
Records
Big Black - Atomizer
4Homestead)
Evil. Pure evil. But with a sense of
humor, of course.
This is the approach of Chicago's
sonic ultimates, Big Black, wreaking
revenge on the world for all of North-
western University's athletic shor-
tcomings. This record is truly
sinister, far scarier than last year's
nearly whimsical Racer X. Song
topics include a town morally
devouring itself, arson and sex,
slaughterhouses, and degradation,
among others, but it all works perfec-
tly because, like the best horror films
of Hitchcock and Lewton, the true
terror is not portrayed explicitly, but
left in the shadows for the imagination
to fathom.
Head sorcerer Steve Albini's vocals
lie under the thick swirl of guitars,
leaving his twisted liner notes as the
only clues to the frightening stuff
beneath. A beat box pounds relen-
tlessly, leaving skull fractures left
and right (why electronic drums? No
flesh and blood skin-beater alive is
man enough to thrash amongst the
dark forces that are Big Black).
Guitar lines rip metallic (grinding,
sharp, smoking, steel) gashes on your
forearms and leave lesions on your
heaving chest. The Big Black ex-
perience is akin to losing your fingers Meat Puppets - Out My Puppets' spark is absent on "Not match on the album opener, "Really
to a lawnmower blade, or having a Way SSTSwimming Ground," a trite ode to a Want to See You Again." "Dance the
root canal performed without y (Scut on their last album, and "Other Holy Cow" takes a twisted look at
anesthesia, or having you car come to Hot damn! Kinds of Love" is slightly tiring. Also rituals, and on the title cut the band
a screeching halt but you (not Out My Way boasts this Phoenix, sorely missed is a lyric sheet, which in becomes an insanely upbeat, non-
wearing you seatbelt, of course) con- Arizona trio's strongest recorded the past was a vital part of the band's sensical bunch of jazz players,
tinuing to fly forward, screaming in sound yet. Continuing along the output, as it let one enter the bizarre mocking the whole big band thing. If
prayer and seeing your childhood groove that's moved them away from and wonderful world of Curt Kirk- the Love Boat were on the air ten
flash before you on the soon-to-be- their hardcore roots, the Meat Pup- wood's musings. years from now, its passengers would
shattered windshield. pets have picked up where last year's All complaining aside, the Meat love these guys.
Travis Bickle would love this Up On the Sun left off: merging rock Puppets are, nonetheless, hot. And
album. Atomizer is not for people who and roll, country/western, their 100 mph version of "Good Golly Nonsense plays a vital role on this
believe in God or attend church psychedelia, and just about anything Miss Molly" - a favorite at live LP. It's the essence of life, the ability
regularly, or are offended by the pic- else you want into an indescribably shows - is worth the price of this to laugh at ourselves, and Proof of
tures they see on the evening news. original combination. record, alone. Utah is its joyous celebration. They're
The tunes that run through my head "She's Hot" opens the EP with the usually more than successful at
when I'm hunting for people to kill are Meat Puppets in prime form. The -Beth Fertig keeping their lightweight pieces from
"Jordan, Minnesota," "Kerosene," production is cleaner than anything flying too high (although "Cheatin'
"Bad Houses," and "Cables," though else they've recorded, and the band's Woman" is cutting it very close).
almost every song here will con- playing is perhaps their tightest yet, Proof of Utah - It Doesn't They can take on a Robyn Hitchcock
tribute in some way to my crimes allowing them to flex their musical Matter Much (Smiley Turtle) mode of absurdity, as on- "Burnt
against society. This is a band that muscle without any impediments, let- Bridges Brackensack" (a song about
truly pushes the envelope, boldly ting Curt Kirkwood's astounding Mike "Bosco" Brosco and Louie a crab),, or a more self-expressive
going where man has previously guitar work shine through brilliantly. Simon have never been to Utah. That form of it through many of side two's
chosen to ignore. From the front These factors also' add fuel to the explains the name of their band. As to cuts, such as "That's What I Like to
cover art to the words on the insert to already burning fire of "Mountain the existential title of this, their Do," and "Love Again."
the noises contained inside, the band Line," a terrific song with rock-solid second, LP, that's probably best ex-
issues a challenge that tears at the jamming. plained by the happy-go-lucky at- It Doesn't Matter Much is currently
very essence of our humanity. But if Out My Way falls short, it's in titude that pervades all dimensions of available at Schoolkids', and for more
Can we accept, or are we bound by the band's dubious choice of their product, from the wonderfully information, POU can be reached at
our earthly existence (and the sur- material - something else they've goofy cover-art to the equally wonder- Smiley Turtle Records, 228 Clough
vival instincts inherent within) and carried over from the last LP, where ful, goofy songs. Street, Bowling Green, OH 43402.
morality - ho hum - to refuse? things sometimes seemed a little too No aspect of life is fatally safe
Search me. All I know is that Rambo tamed at times, lacking the wit and from the benign, kooky humor of
and Cobra are wussies; Big Black high-impact energy of 1983's brilliant. POU. The rock and roll desperation
kicks ass. -Mike Rubin Meat Puppets II. Some of that Meat' song meets its electronically tinted -Beth Fertig
The Calendar
of The University of Michigan
The calendar combines meeting, lecture
workshop and conference announcements
with other events happening each week on
campus. It is based on The University
Record calendar, and is open to all Univer-
sity sponsored groups and organizations
recognized by the Michigan Student Assem-
bly. Items must be submitted in writing by5
p.m. the Tuesday before publication. Ad-
dress all information to: University Record,
412 Maynard St. Asterisk (*) denotes events
to which admission is charged.
FRIDAY
July 11
*AAFC-The Green Room, 7:30 pm; The Last
Metro, 9:15 pm, MLB 4.
*UM-Flint-Shakespeare Festival, Cowardy
Custard, 8 pm, UMF Theater. For info, call
762-3230.
*HRD-Workshop, Payroll Office & Timekeep-
ing Procedures, 8:30-10:30 am; Career Plan-
ning Consultation, by Appt; You & the
Library, 8:30-11 am; Hrd Ctr. For info, call
764-7410.
*Brecht Co-Play, The Cuacasian Chalk Circle,
7:30 pm, Residential Coll north courtyard,
701 E Univ. For info, call 995-0532.
International Students Fellowship-Mtg, 7 pm.
For ride, call 994-4669.
Microcomputer Ed Ctr-Workshops: Intro to
Microcomputers, 1-3 pm, 4003 SEB; dBASE
III PLUS, Pt. t, 3001 SEB. For reg info, call
764-5356.
Alumni Assoc-Summer Festival Enrichment,
Acting Company mask performance, 4 pm,
Alumni Ctr. For info, call 763-9753.
Tae Kwon Do Club-Practice, 6 pm, field adja-
cent to Chrysler Ctr parking lot. For info,
call 665-2958, 665-7399.
SATURDAY
July 12
*Brecht Co-See July 11.
*AAFC-Rashmon, 7:30 pm; Kwaiden, 9 pm,
MLB 4.
*UM-Flint-Shakespeare Festival, Cowardy
Custard, 2:30 pm; Twelfth Night, 8 pm,
UMF Theater. For info, call 762-3230.
Mus Art-Films on African culture. For info,
call 763-1231.
SUNDAY
July 13
*Brecht Co-Play, The Caucasian Chalk Circle,
2 pm, Residential Coll north courtyard, 701 E
Univ. For info, call 995-0532.
*UN-Flint-Shakespeare Festival, Playboy of
the Western World, 2:30 pin, UMF Theater.
For info, call 762-3230.
Univ Lutheran Chapel-Worship, 9:15 am, 1511
Washtenaw Ave.
WELS Campus Ministry-Worship, 9 am, Re-
deemer Lutheran
Church, 1360 Pauline, For info, call 662-0663.
Lord of Light Lutheran Church-Worship,
10:30 am, 801 S Forest.
MONDAY
July 14
*HRD-Workshop, Written Communications
Seminar, 9 am-4 pm, HRD Ctr. For info, call
764-7410.
Tae Kwon Do Club-See July 11.
TUESDAY
July 15
*AAFC-Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai:
Across the 8th Dimension, 7:30 & 9:30 pm,
MLB 3.
Blood Donor Council-Blood donor clinic,
11:30 am-5:30-pm, Mich League Hussey Rm
& Univ Hosp Towsley Ctr, Rm G1320. For
info, call 936-5514.
*UM-Flint-Film, Anatomy of a Murder, 7 pm,
Univ Ctr Kiva. For info, call 762-3439.
*HRD-See July 14; 4-wk workshop begins,
Writing it Right: The How-To's of Proper
Punctuation, 8:30-11 am, HRD Ctr. For
info, call 764-7410.
U-M Hospitals-Lumpectomy grp meeting,
noon. For loc, call 763-9953.
Univ Communicators ForUM-Lec, J Mcllqua-
ham, "What's New and Flashy and How to
Make It Affordable, " 2:30 on, E Conf Rm,
Rackham.
Alumni Assoc-Summer Festival Enrichment
lec, B Perkins, "The Loss of China, 1943-
50, "4 pm, Alumni Ctr.
WEDNESDAY
July 16
*AAFC-Jason and the Argonauts, 7:30 pm;
Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, 9:30 pm, MLB 3.
Blood Donor Council-Blood donor clinic, 9
am-3 pm, Mich. League Hussey rm & Univ
Hosp Towsley Ctr, Rm G1320. For info, call -
936-5514.
*HRD-Wordshop, Ofc Procedures Manual
Consult, 1-4:30 pm; Negotiation Skills for
Ofc Staff, 8:30-noon, HRD Ctr. For info,
call 764-7410.
Microcomputer Ed Ctr-Workshops: Intro to
Microcomputers, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, 4003
SEB; Advanced MacWrite, 10:30 am-12:30
pm, 3001 SEB. For reg info, call 764-5356.
Mich Gay Union-Mtg, 9 pm, 802 Monroe, For
info, call 763-4186.
Dissertation Support Grp-Mtg, 8:30-10 am,
3100 Union. For info, call 764-8312.
Sci Fiction Club-Mtg, Stilyagi Air Corps, 8:15
pm, Mich League.
Tae Kwon Do Club-See July 11.
Computing Ctr-Class, Computer Networking,
Pt III: Computer Networking Technologies,
3-5 pm, 1013 NUBS. Reg not req.
THURSDAY
July 17
Blood Donor Council-Blood donor clinic, II
am-S pm, Mich. League Hussey Room &
Univ Hosp Towsley Ctr, Rm G1320. Por
info, call 936-5514.
*HRD-Workshop, Communication Skills for
the New Supervisor, 8:30-noon; Ofc Com-
munication Skills, 1-4:30. pm; HRD Ctr.
Hands-on Word Processors, 1-4:30 pm, 1050
Admin Serv. For info, call 764-7410.
*Amer Heritage Night-Pennsylvania Dutch,
Mich League; 5-7:15 pm.
Microcomputer Ed Ctr-Workshops: Microsoft
Word for IBM-PC Compatible Microcompu-
ters, Pt 1, 8:30 am-12:30 pm, 3001 SEB;
Basic Concepts of Microcomputer Date Base
Mgmt, 1-3 pm, 4003 SEB; MS-DOS Hard
Disk Skills, 3-5 pm, 3001 SEB. For reg info,
call 764-5356.
Univ AA-Mtg, noon, 3200 Mich Union.
Scottish Country Dancers-Intermed class, 8
pm, Forest Hills Comm Ctr, 2351 Shado-
wood St. For info, call 769-4324.
His House Christian Fellowship-Bible study,
7:30 pm, 925 E Ann. For info, call 665-
0775, 663-0483.
FRIDAY
July 18
*AAFC-Pretty Poison, 7:30 pm; Psycho, 9:15
pm, MLB4.
*Brecht Co-See July 11.
*Intl Folk Dance-Dance club, 8:30-10:30 pm,
Angell Sch, 2nd fl gym. No partner nec.
For info, call 764-6564.
International Students Fellowship-See July 11.
Microcomputer Ed Ctr-Workshops: Macintosh
System Selection, 1-5 pm, 4003 SEB; dBASE
III PLUS Pt 2, 1-5 pm, 3001 SEB. For info,
call 764-5356.
Alumni Assoc-Summer Festival Enrichment, H
Schumacher, "The Music of Dizzy Gilles-
pie,." 4 pm, Alumni Ctr. For info, call 763-
9753.
Tae Kwon Do Club-See July 11.