Wednesday, May 27, 1992 - The Michigan Daily Summer Weekly - 3
'A critic tries to open things up, tries to provoke people, tries to show where
work falls short or where it overshoots everyone's expectations. But a critic
is not saying 'You should like this, you should like that."
- Grell Marcus
Fungo Mungo
Humungous
Island
We all know the problem - noth-
ing good on the radio. You flip through
every station, hearing little pieces of
everything from country music to Span-
ish dialogue. This frustration is illus-
trated at the beginning of Fungo
Mungo's album - with their song
"Time on My Hands" being played on
the station finally decided on. I say if
these are my choices, I'd rather watch
TV.
This album is upsetting because the
singer sounds a little like Steven Tyler
of Aerosmith-and there's no way that
Steven Tyler would sing these songs.
They'reasortoffunk-dance-hardrock-
rap mix, with a horn section to distract
from choruses repeated over and over
(and over)like in Hype is Stupid," and
"BrothersandSisters." The lyrics"Hype
is stupid," and"brothers and sisters, we
gotta get it together" e re ted what
sounds like several hundred times, as
the singer tries to make his voice deep,
in true Right Said Fred fashion.
Their one attempt at profoundness
is the song "Do You Believe in God."
As in most of their other songs, there is
a spoken section meant to be funny. In
this case, it is a televangelist which is
justunnecessary,ifnotoffensive.Then,
in "Homies," there is an unexplainable
Spanish interlude that appears to have
*been included solely becaus they
needed to fill a pause in the music.
Fungo Mungo continually changes
its musical focus on this album, going
from the rap song "Downtown Oak-
land," tothe funk rock"SoldYourSoul
(For RockN' Roll)."Quiteimpressive,
given that they use the same back-
gaund music for all of it. The album
ends with "Death Song" and "Sponta-
neous Solo," which, at 30 seconds, is
tolerable.Throughalltheroboticnoises
in"Death Song" you'll be able to make
out the words "we never liked you" -
and I promise you, by this time, you'll
have a ready response.
-Kristen Knudsen
An Ogr(
by Nima Hodaei
Imagine the darkest groove con-
ceivablesetatopan almighty industrial
machine that spews forth stream-of-
consciousness lyrics. Seem like a bit
much? This is Skinny Puppy. The
Vancouver-based trio featuring Nivek
Ogre(vocals/ranting),DwayneGoettel
(keyboards), and Cevin Key (percus-
sion instruments), has been challeng-
ing and intimidating the hell out of
anyone who will listen.
The group's eighth and latest al-
bum, Last Rights, is in many ways a
departure from previous SP offerings.
The focus this time around has shifted
from contempt towards society to con-
tempt and redemption within the soul
of Ogre. In a recent phone interview,
Ogre discussed the personal aspects of
the new album.
"It was a very twisted time for me,"
Ogre said. "I've kind of co-termed itsa,
'document of delusion' ... It's kind of
in a little story, like climbing up this
fuckin' mountain, and carrying with
you all this weight - negative things,
good things, guilt, (and) reaching the
top and being faced with this cliff and
having to choose between jumping off
the cliff and turning around and facing
all the things you brought with you.
That's what was happening to me."
Ogre's heroin dependency has been
well documented, and it was not until
his "last rights" were being read to him,
that he realized the need to clean up his
life. In the process, SP cast aside a few
long term cohorts, such as Ministry,
whose frontman, Al Jourgensen, had
been enticing Ogre to join his group.
"That's the road I was going down
for sure," he reflected. "I was highly
(impressionable) at the time ... That
was one experience. But don't think it
was a result of being with Ministry. I,
think it was my own head space. Being
around certain environments would
have tmned me into that kind of per-
son."
Even with his drug abu behind
him, rumors of a group split up still
persist, as they always seem to do,
following a new SP release.
"I can't send any more information
intotherumormill,"Ogrereplied."But,
I don't really know ... We're in a fairly
good shape right now. We've gotten a
lot together for this live show. The
sound's going to be a lot different. The
overalllook's going to bea lot different,
andveryinteresting towork with.We're
all taking it one step at a time."
-U
'AE THEH L.P!
S -DAILYATS
~'s soul
If this is indeed their last tour, it's
not one to miss. Skinny Puppy, live, is
a first-hand reference to all that is gro-
tesqueand wrong with the world. Simu-
lated snuff films, graphic displays of
animal abuse, and gallons of fake blood
portray abrutal imageofhow lifeexists
in the mind of Ogre. His theatrics im-
mediately silence a crowd to the point
where audiences appear almost
We're not really trying to
get a message across, per
se. We're not telling
people what to do as
much as giving people an
experience. From that
experience, they can draw
their own conclusions.
__..
catatonic to the first-time viewer. What
exactly does Ogre expect fans to get out
of Skinny Puppy and their shows?
"I'm sure there's enough informa-
tion flying across at our shows that
certainly elements to be investigated
can be put into people's heads," Ogre
said. "We're not really trying to get a'
message across, per se. We're not tell-
ing people what to doas much as giving
people an experience. From that expe-
rience, they can draw their own conclu-
sions."
Unfortunately, in his world, these
conclusions offer little hope.
SKINNY PUPPY will be perform-
ing at the State Theater Sunday.
Godflesh opens. Balcony tickets still
remain for $18.50 (p.e.s.c.) at
Ticketmaster. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
tReligious
Services
LORD OF LIGHT LUTHERAN CHURCH
501 S. Forest (at Hill)
SUNDAY: Warship-10 a.m.,
668-7622
ST. MARY'S STUDENT PARISH
I (A Soman Cathlic Pariah at U-M)
331 Thompson Str e (at William)
Mass Schedule
SUNDAY:--s:30 a.m., 10 a.m.,
12noon, and 5p.m.
-MONDA Y & WDNESDA Y:-5:10 p.m.
FRIDAY:-12:10 p.m.
663-0557
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHAPEL-LCMS
1511 Washtenaw (nevr Hill)
Summer Schedule: May-August
SUNDA Y:Worship-9:30 a.m.
THURSDAY: Supper-6 pa.
Pastor, Ed Krauss, 663-5560
Combining reggae rhythms with hip-hop beats, ridiculous sound
effects with an amazing vocal dexterity, and, most importantly, a
sense of humor with a social consciousness, flamboyant pop star
tEek-A-Mouse emerges from Kingston, Jamaica as one of the
country's most innovative entertainers. The Mouse (nee Ripton
Hylton) has been recording since 1974, although he didn't score a
big hit until the '81 breakthrough "Wa Do Dem." His latest, most
accessible album, last year's U-Neek, stretches reggae's tradi-
tional dreds to their nappiest limits, from danceable rants against
injustice like "Rude Boys A Foreign," "Border Patrol," and "Gang
I ster Chronicles" (hilariously performed to The Godfather theme) to
funnier songs like "No Problem" and an emasculating cover of Led
Zeppelin's "Dyer Maker." The ostentatious musician - who dons
coorful chstume iurigs energetic, theatrical live shows -
even landed a role in Mario Van Peebles' New Jack City. Check out
Eek-A-Mouse this Saturday at the Blind Pig. Call 996-8555 for
more information.
"
,-g * HAPPENING
RECREATIONAL SPORTS'
Intramural Snorts Program
TENNIS
(Saturday & Sunday, June 6 & 7, 1992)
Entries open: Wednesday, May 27, 1992
Entries close: Wednesday, June 3, 1992
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. IMSB
GOLF
(Friday & Saturday, June 12 & 13, 1992) Medal Play
Entries open: Monday, June 1, 1992
Entries close: Thursday, June 11, 1992
11:30 a.m. - 2:00p.m.. IMSB
CALL 763-3562 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Gallegos