10 - The Michigan Daill - Monday. June 16. 2003
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ART
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Lou REED
NYC MAN: THE COLLECTION
RCA RECORDS
When Lou Reed (or 01'
Leatherface, as the kids like to call
him) is at his best, no one can top him.
From his early days with the Velvet
Underground through a solo career
spanning 30-some years, Lou has put
together a portfolio that anyone would
be proud of. With the flawless,
straight-forward rock of "Sweet Jane"
and "Rock 'N' Roll" to the starkly
beautiful "Walk on the Wild Side" and
"Caroline Says II," Lou reminds us
why he deserves inclusion in the pan-
theon of great songwriters.
Unfortunately, like Lou's career
itself, NYC Man is a bit spotty. More
than a few times after the breakup of
the VU, Lou lost his way. Blame it on
the heroin, blame it on Bowie envy,
but for whatever reason, some of Lou's
songs just aren't up to snuff. While
First lady of folk takes a Journey
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NYC Man wisely sidesteps much of
Lou's less than stellar material, the
occasional stinker ("The Blue Mask,"
"The Bells") slips through the cracks.
But that's just a petty complaint. The
fact is, Lou Reed is a rock legend and an
American icon, and NYC Man, for its
minor faults, is one hell of a collection.
- Joel M. Hoard
By John Honkala
Daily Arts Writer
MUSIC REVIEW * * *
When Gillian Welch released her
first album, the Grammy-nominated
folk masterpiece Revival, a public
still searching for a new mainstream
musical direction following Kurt
Cobain's suicide barely took notice.
That was in 1996, around the time
Americans briefly decided that swing
music was the
"new" thing.'Gillian Welch
Other fads fol-
lowed and disap- Soul Journey
peared as fast as Acony Records
you can say punk-
ska. Welch's popularity, meanwhile,
grew in alt-country circles, but her
audience remained decidedly adult
and undeservingly small.
But when the "O Brother, Where
Art Thou?" soundtrack shot up the
charts in 2000, Welch's authentic
sound suddenly became en vouge.
She released Time (The Revelator) the
following year to a flood of well-
deserved rave reviews and national
publicity. ABC even slotted her to
play its July 4th Musical Celebration
last summer.
Now generally recognized as one of
the leaders behind the revival of what-
ever name you want to give the recent
upsurge in bluegrass/country/folk/rock,
Welch is at a unique point in her career
where she is expected to put out bril-
liant albums.
Early reviews for Soul Journey
have been mixed, which is probably
more a reflection of reviewers' preoc-
cupations with garage rock and
Welch's unflashy approach to her
career than a reflection of the album.
Or perhaps the fickle nature of
American musical tastes has them
bored with Welch's music.
Soul Journey is easily as brilliant
an album as Time. Welch and long-
time collaborator David Rawlings
have crafted yet another gripping
collection of songs that sound as
authentic as anything set to tape
since Harry Smith recorded the
Carter Family. In fact, without the
liner notes, it's often difficult to dif-
ferentiate between which Welch
songs on this album are covers and
which are originals.
Journey moves at a more deliberate
pace than any of Welch's previous
albums, which is surprising because
Welch' uses a rhythm section here
more than ever before. It is a pace,
though, that makes the album the per-
fect autumn listen. Songs like
"Lowlands" and "One Monkey" are
propelled forward by crisp snare hits
and smart bass lines, but wind slowly
through morose fiddles and vocals.
LOU REED
Continued from Page 9
sprawling song "Set the Twilight
Reeling" inspired both quiet reflection
and internal frenzy as it grew into a
pounding crescendo to end the set.
Fernando's chugging bass, Lou's stri-
dent, sparkling Telecaster, and a sel-
dom-seen synth kick-drum conspired
on such occasions to make everyone
forget the sweat on their backs and the
chatter of girls asking their boyfriends
to explain something.
Coming on the back of Lou's ambi-
lions album The Raven, Saturday
night held some unusual performanc-
es. World-renowned Tai Chi master
Ren Guangyi demonstrated poses
during an atmospheric instrumental
from The Raven and the encore num-
ber "Perfect Day." Lou also read his
new version of Poe's "The Raven,"
inserting personal inflections that
Willem Dafoe could not accomplish
on the album. When the music was
not overpowering, the intimate St.
Andrew's Hall was a perfect venue
for the spoken word, and the crowd
hung on each and every one.
Elsewhere, "One Little Song" and "I
Had A Real Good Mother and Father"
find Welch singing bittersweet lyrics
over bare acoustic guitars. The album
ends with the rousing, Bob Dylan
cum Neil Young masterpiece
"Wrecking Ball," a song that no doubt
will close Welch's live shows, com-
plete with a stage full of musicians
and a swaying audience.
Mainstream music has once more
moved on to hipper pastures, leaving
artists like Welch again to quieter
audiences. But that doesn't mean
Welch is happy about it. "Let's drink a
round to Nashville before they tear it
down," she sings on Journey.
Mainstream country may have sold
itself down the river, but Welch con-
tinues to ensure that all isn't lost in
American music's dustier corners.
U I
I always love a good
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There's always such
good deals!
Me too! But I wish stores
would have more of them, Wow.
like five times a year.
Mii ooisk C SUippiq's
Re- Crod Dpeing
20% off all general merchandise
(excluding electronics and textbooks)
I
Plus extended hours July 16-19 g
Michigan Book and Supply open until 8pm 549 S.University
662-3201
Expires July 31,2003