Genre-crossing Hart
0reinvents the blues

The Michigan Daily - Monday, August 14, 2000 - 11
De La Soul makes long-
awaited return with 'AOl

By Christian Hoard
Daily Arts Writer
If rock is dead, then what's become of
the blues, the genre which, more than any
Osther, made rock n' roll possible in the
first place? The
short answer goes
something like
Alvin this: At a time
Youngblood when the a con-
Hart puter and a
Magic Bag turntable are
becoming the
Tuosday at 5 nrn. instruments of
choice for many
younger musi-
cians, the blues
have become a
thing of the past,
either the posses-
sion of a limited
number of purists or the obsession of a
few historically-minded musicologists.
Still, although blues music has more to
do with folk tradition than the cutting
edge these days, one needs to look no fur-
ther than Alvin Youngblood Hart for proof
at the genre can reinvent itself every so
often. In fact, calling the thirty-seven
year-old guitarist a bluesman at all is a bit
of a misnomer, since his albums evince a
taste for genre-crossing - classic rock
and western swing are two of the styles
Hart frequently draws upon -
unmatched by any other blues performer.
Though Hart's interest in the blues was

sparked during childhood trips to rural
Mississippi, he began his musical educa-
tion began listening to Rolling Stones and
Led Zeppelin records, later turning to
recordings by classic bluesmen like B.B.
King and Jimmy Reed. Hart picked up
guitar while he was a teenager and contin-
ued to play during a stint with the Coast
Guard in the mid-1980s, honing his skills
by playing at clubs during his free time
while stationed in Mississippi. Later; Hart
was introduced to blues vet Joe Louis
Walker, who befriended the young gui-
tarist and invited him to open several of
his shows.
When se opened forTaj Mahal in 1995,
Mahal's road manager was so impressed
with Hart's playing (of both 6- and 12-
string guitars) that he invited Hart to a stu-
dio jam session. Hart signed a recording
contract with the Okeh division of Epic
records soon after and, in 1996, he
released his debut album "Big Mama's
Door" just in time to join the Further
Festival, the Jerry Garcia tribute-cum-
music fest.
On "Big Mama's Door," Hart tossed
together electric-blues versions of folk
tunes with traditional blues covers and a
handful of originals, and the combination
of dexterity and rootsiness won Hart
widespread critical acclaim. "Territory,"
Hart's 1998 follow-up, expanded on "Big
Mama's" inclusiveness, as Hart augment-
ed a more traditional blues sound with
everything from Zappa's pseudo-sym-
phonic whomp to a Captain Beefhart

Four years is a long time in the
music industry. Especially in the hip-
hop arena where acts such as 69 Boyz,
504 Boyz and
issr other groups
Grade: B+ using the word
De La Soul "boyz" have
changed hip hop
Art Official with assistance
intelligence from MTV and
Tommy Boy BET. It's also
Reviewed by been four years
naily ArtsWriter since De La
Kiran Divvea Soul's sleeper
"Stakes Is High."
"Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic
Thump" is everything you would
expect from De La and more. With
beats inspired by skipping cds and
Latin guitar, rhymes created with refer-
ences to disillusion with hip hop, the
Internet and Gallagher (seriously), AOI
is an imaginative mix of old and new.
AOI is a testament to the fact that
being in the business for a long time
does get you a few perks, such as your
choice of DJs and a huge amount of
creative flexibility. This. album is the
first in a three album set, the second
two to be released separately later this
year and into 2001. Their reasoning for
doing this is to work with as many
artists as possible without being on a
single album timeline.
Being on the scene for so many
--cnn nrti-t , oft c-.1-

iber to guest on the album. From Mike
D to Chaka Khan, this album is chock-
full of guest appearances. Pharoah
Monch, Black Thought and a very sur-
prising cameo from Phife of A Tribe
Called Quest are the best walkons dur-
ing skits touting the fictitious, lyrical
enhancing product "Ghost Weed."
The first single off the album
"Oooh" is a jaunty track with an
appearance from Redman. Showing
their ability to mesh with any artist,
Posdnuos, Maseo, Dave and Redman
pass the mic flawlessly without any
hesitation. The old school team mental-
ity flows through this entire album
with a new school flavor that comple-
ments it perfectly. This album proves
that any guest that chooses to show will
not regret it.
Questioning the state of hip hop
today on "All Good?," Chaka Khan
and De La's dissenting voice is heard
loud and clear to us and hopefully the
artists it's aimed at. Also on
"Declaration," Posdnuos sends out a
warning to other MCs with the blunt,
"I came specifically to fracture your
ability to grandstand anywhere next to
me.
With the current state of hip hop's
landscape littered with one-hit won-
ders and money-grubbing playas; AOI
is a refreshing new milestone in the
history of De La Soul and the history
of hin h n

Alvin Youngblood Hart will play the Magic
Bag this Tuesday. Tickets are $12.
cover.
Amid a busy tour schedule, Hart
recorded his latest disc, this year's "Start
With The Soul." Thb title might well refer
to the sort of simplicity which Robert
Johnson tunes effused, but for the "Soul"
sessions, Hart eschewed his stripped-
down all-acoustic lineup in favor of an all-
electric power-trio. The results were as
unpredictable as ever, as Hart showed his
ability to shine as electric blues player
even while expanding his ever-growing
catalogue with an unlikely cover of a song
by garage rockers the Sonics.

'Greyest' a solid, somber effort

In recent years Ontario. Canada has
become a hotbed for emerging rock
artists, including Our Lady Peace, Kittie,
the Tragically Hip,
and Barenaked
Grade: B Ladies. While
SFinger Eleven may
Finger Eleven not have achieved
The Greyest of the level of fame of
Blue Skies some of their
Wind-Up Canadian brethren.
Reviewed by several of their
Daly Arts Writer songs have
David Reamer become alternati
radio staples. The
first, "Quicksand," for the group's debut
album "Tip," hit stations across North
America in 1998, and immediately
became a top request. he band's newest
single, "Sutfocate," was first released as
part of this year's "Scream 3" soundtrack,
d is now the anchoring point of their
sophomore recording.
"The Greyest of Blue Skies" (spelled
in the true Canadian fashion) basically
picks up where "Tip" left off, accentuat-
ing simple guitar work with lead singer
Scott Anderson's distinctive vocals.
"Suffocate" is easily the most complex
song on the album, with layered vocals
and a simple looping sample. The rest of
ie album, however, is stripped-down
tick. Power chord-based guitar work and
tight drum and bass lines dominate the
album in place of showy solos, but "The
Greyest of Blue Skies" is nonetheless

impressive because of its emotional con-
tent and overall energy.
While the new album may be a bit
harder than its predecessor, the major
modification to the band s music is an
improvement on the songwriting front.
The mood of "The Greyest of Blue
Skies" is consistently soiber, but the
songs somehow manage to stay pleasing
to the ear. Track titles include such
refreshing images as "Drag You Down,"
"Stay and Drown," and the aforemen-
tioned "Suffocate." While these songs
could easily lead to an overly depressing
listening experience, their pensive lyrics

are contrasted by well-crafted refrains
that could catch even the most stoic lis-
tener singing along.
"The Greyest of Blue Skies" does little
in the way of breaking new ground for
Finger Eleven. but it is a solid effort and
deserves recognition as such. Self-
improvement is a worthy cause, and it is
obvious that the band has done exactly
that in the few years between albums.
They seem to have mainstream alterna-
tive rock down, but that may not be
enough to compete in an already saturat-
ed market. Where Finger Eleven goes
from here is anyone's guess.

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