12B - The Michigan Daily - Wet U. - Thursday, September 14, 1995 low ill 4 All you need is love An influential band and its leader should not be forgotten now By Heather Phares Daily Arts Editor Where most people think of black rock stars, names like Little Richard,. Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz and VernonReid spring to mind instantly, but few people would think of Arthur Lee, leader of the influential '60s group Love. And that's too bad; for while Lee is a contemporary of Hendrix' and a strong influence on Kravitz, much ofthe band's work has been overlooked, save for their classic psychedelic album "For- ever Changes." Love's status as one of the few racially integrated rock bands in the '60s (along with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Sly and the Family Stone), along with their unique take on garage punk, psychedelia and soul makes their relative obscurity practi- cally criminal. But Rhino's thorough, elaborate box set "Love Story" sets out to remedy that situation and put Arthur Lee in his right- ful place in the rock pantheon as amajor influence not only on artists like Kravitz but on musicians as diverse as Alice Cooper, Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan and Frank Black. The two-disc set features aremastered"Forever Changes" as well as selected singles and the majority of Love's other albums, such as 1966's self-titled album, 1967's "Da Capo" and 1969's swansong "Four Sail." "Love Story" also features some of Lee's solo recordings, including "False Start," on which Lee worked with Hendrix. Disc One of the set covers the band's formative years and their heyday. Lee and Love's original lineup (lead guitar- ist John Echols, bassist Ken Forci, drum- mer Alban Pfisterer, flautist and saxo- phonist Tjay Cantrelli and second singer-songwriter-guitarist Bryan McLean) started the band in Holly- wood in early 1965, making them one of the first psychedelic bands in L.A., and making Lee the first "black hip- pie." Love's first album reveals both their incipient creativity and their influences. Seeing the legendary '60s janglers the Byrds in concert gave Lee a new per- spective on what rock could be about, and their influence is prominent on the "Love"material. "A Message to Pretty," "You I'll Be Following" and "No Mat- ter What You Do" follow in the Byrds' tradition of chiming guitars and sweet harmonies, but Lee's raw approach to these simple pop tunes avoids imita- tion. This rawness and honesty is harnessed on the other half of "Love"'s material, the rough, proto-punk numbers like the group's cover of the Bacharach/David tune "My Little Red Book" (which al- legedly incensed the songwriters). Tunes like "My Flash On You" lyri- cally and sonically declare their inde- pendence from any constraints, musi- cal or otherwise. In fact, much of"Love" has to do with the search for freedom and individuality, which coming from an iconoclast like Lee isn't surprising. The rest of the album contains a psy- chedelic love song by Bryan MacLean, "Softly to Me." It hasn't aged as well as some ofLove's othermaterial butnone- theless is a beautiful and innovative song for 1966. The group's cover of "Hey Joe," speeds along at a frantic pace. Unlike Hendrix' later, funereally slow version of the song, in Love's version Joe sounds mad as hell and out for blood. "Signed D.C" is a bluesy anti-drug song, particularly raw and realistic for Love Love Story: 1966 - 1972 Elektra Traditions/Rhino its time, when most bands were leaning toward drug-influenced sounds and glo- rifying drug use. All in all, "Love" is an interesting debut which not only put the band's name on the map but helped define L.A's psychedelic scene. "7 and 7 Is" is one of the band's defining moments. This single, which later appeared on the group's second album "Da Capo" is a heavy, climactic rush of single, featuring some of Lee's most impassioned, powerful singing, thundering drums and a zooming bass line. It all builds up to a literal explosion (at a Nevada testing site, no less) at the end, giving the song an appropriately apocalyptic air. In contrast, much of the rest of "Da Capo" is gentle, psychedelic pop with baroque overtones. "Stephanie Knows Who" and "The Castle" are both deco- rated with harpsichord runs, while songs like MacLean's "Orange Skies" and "iQue Vida!" are mellow jazz-tinged numbers. "Orange Skies" in particular seems to have influenced Lenny Kravitz' song "Fields of Joy." "She Comes In Colors," also on "Da Capo," is a strong influence, at least lyrically, on the Rolling Stones' classic "She's A Rainbow." "Revelation," the closing track of the album, was left off of "Love Story" for the simple reason that it's over 20 min- utes long - it took up an entire side of "Da Capo." But even with that exclu- sion, it's evident that "Da Capo" is one of the '60s' classic recordings, mixing blues, jazz, punk, pop and folk in a completely innovative way. Disc One concludes with the first half of the "Forever Changes" material. "Changes" sees Lee and the rest of the group moving further away from their heavier, garage-rock sound to a more refined style. MacLean's "Alone Again Or" blends flamenco guitar, strings and brass into a song that's especially intri- cate and compelling for a pop tune; it's the best song he wrote with the band. "A House Is Not A Motel" is a barouge-pop tune with a wiry guitar solo in the middle, and"Andmoreagain" features soft strings and a classical gui- tar. "The Red Telephone" is sort of like Love's "A Day In the Life": an acoustic ballad with a bizarre ending chant of "They're locking them up today/and throwing away the key/1 wonder who it'll be tomorrow/You or me?" The song's title refers to the President's White House hotline, adding another weird touch to an already unique song. Disc Two begins with the remainder of the "Forever Changes" songs. "Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale" and "Live and Let Live" are acoustic-based numbers that have a driven energy simi- lar to the Doors' work of that period (interestingly, Lee discovered the Doors and helped them get label attention). "Bummer in the Summer" is something of a return to Love's fiery form; it's largely acoustic but features an angry, rebellious vocal from Lee. 18 months after the release of "For- ever Changes," "Four Sail" came out. The 1969 album featured Lee and a new backing band: In the time between the two records, Lee fired the original mem- bers of Love, including MacLean. In their place were bassist Frank Fayad, What's not to Love? drummer George Suranovich, and gui- tarist Jay Donnellan. It's Donnellan's guitar work that stands out on "Four Sail" rather than any particular track. "August" is a good example; the actual song isn't much but the long guitar solo at the end is classic '60s rock. "Good Times" also has a jazzy, extended-jam feeling to it. Lee's singing and Donnellan's guitar make the song. Much of the "Four Sail" material simply isn't up to the standard of the group's previ- ous work; it lacks the the focus of Love's most effective songs. But tracks like "Always See Your Face" point toward Lee's more soul-inflected work in the next few years. Lee's two early '70s albums "Out Here" and "False Start" mix rock with some soul, funk and gospel, especially on tracks like "I'll Pray For You" and "Run to the Top." But Lee's interest in folk music remains evident on tunes like "Doggone" and "Listen to My Song." And while "False Start" is best remembered for having a track with Jimi Hendrix on it, that song, "The Everlasting First," is one of the best things about the albun:A heavy blues- rocker, it's got Hendrix' guitar all over it, which definitely improves the song. The last song of "Love Story" is one of Lee's most philosophical tunes, "Everybody's Gotta Live." Reminis- cent of some of John Lennon's solo work, especially "Instant Karma," it's also influenced by spirituals.ft's a fit- ting end to the set; after pioneering psychedelic rock, helping create the L.A. scene of the mid-to-late '60s and trying to find his own way of expres- sion, the joyful celebration of individu- ality on "Everybody's Gotta Live" is a neat summation of Lee's way of life. "Love Story" is a thoughtful cotpi- lation, not to mention a great listen. The innovation and variety on all 44 traks of the set reflect Lee's talent and pas- sion for free expression. Hopefully, "Love Story" will bring Lee's artistic vision to a new group of fans. Even 'for old fans, the set is a worthwhile pur- chase. This is definitely all the Love you need. A new brew, just for you Computer quandary: What should you buy? By Sean Sweda For the Daily Welcome to the Cyber Space. In the coming weeks, we'll surf the Internet, work out the kinks in your computer systems, search for addresses across the world, and soon. Butfirst ofall, you all need a computer. Here's a practical guidefor how to find the right machine. It used to be that you bought a Macintosh if you wanted an easy-to- use computer. You bought a PC if you wanted the most bang for your buck. Nowadays that distinction is blurred, due to the much-improved Windows '95 and the competitively-priced Power PC Macintoshes. If this is your first computer, the best thing to do is to get a lot of hands-on experience before making a decision. If you can, get an experienced user to give you a guided tour of both products. But remember that the most important opinion is your own-if you don't like using your computer, you'll end up with a glorified typewriter collecting dust on your desk. If you plan on replacing your current machine, try to stick with your current platform. The advantages you may gain from switching to a new hardware ar- chitecture will most likely be offset by the cost of new software and the time spent getting used to your new environ- ment. Finally, the University's support of the Mac platform is substantially more robust than its support ofPC's (with the possible exception of the Business School). If you plan on being here for a few years you should strongly consider a Macintosh. If you plan on purchasing a portable computer, only Macintosh PowerBooks can be connected to the printers at the campus computing sites. After settling the Mac/Windows is- sue, the next question is power. Most students use their computers for tasks that are not power-intensive, like word- processing and e-mail. A $4,000 ma- chine is overkill. But the least expensive computers available are generally obsolete as soon as you open the box, so if cost is the primary factor in your decision pro- cess, look at a used computer instead. If a brand new computer is what you want, look to spend between $2000 and $2500. If you're looking at a Macintosh, you'll want to purchase one of the new Power Macs with the PCI bus structure. The PCI bus is the industry standard for expansion cards, providing a wider se- lection and lower prices for items such as video cards. Ifa Macintosh is not in yourplans, look for a machine based on Intel's Pentium processor. While PC's utilizing Intel's 486 chip are still available, it is doubtful that any more power can be squeezed out of that architechture. The methods currently used to increase the processing power of the 486 ma- chines should be used down the road to breathe new life into an aging Pentium- based PC. When looking at configuration options, remember that today's applications are disk and memory hogs. You should con- sider no less than 500 MB of hard drive space and 8 MB of RAM. Going to a I GB/16 MB configuration can push the total cost closer to $3000, but these com- ponents will retain more resale value due computer owners who are upgrading from the lesser configurations. An internal CD-ROM drive should also be strongly considered. Even a dual- speed drive will save you the headache of a 48-disk Microsoft Office installation. If you plan on using a CD-ROM for multimedia or games, a quad-speed drive is a must. A final word about printers: with the cheap and easy availability of high-qual- ity laser printing on campus, having your own printer is more ofa convenience than a necessity. Ink-jet printers provide a low-cost alternative to laser printing for those who want to avoid the computing center completely. SAN DERS Continued from page 101B fice. "It's messed up that you could have a thousand dollars waiting and a $20 hold credit, but they won't clear it," Sanders complained. Well, what about that yummy dorm food? "Cereal and pop, you can count on that. The rest gots ta go. They have more ways to prepare chicken... I think they recycle food." On the serious tip, though, Horace Sanders feels that "it's unnecessary the way we go about education. I think it's messed up that people's parents have to work their lives off or mortgage things and take out loans for someone to get an education." Sanders admits that he doesn't take much of a liking to parking and speed- ingtickets. "I got speeding tickets twice; I was going downhill," he said. But, he is proud of two accomplishments. He no longer drinks, and he's never used drugs. "I rarely drank when I did, and I never got drunk," Sanders notes. "I once drunk a cooler too fast, and it gave me a buzz, though. And, I admit, one time when I was eight I got a leaf out of the backyard and rolled it up. I didn't know what I was doing." Why does Horace do it all? What does he hope to gain from it? "This is all for the purpose of upliftment," Sanders said. "I know comedy is not going to make everything better, but it's a form of entertainment I know something about at this time to get people on my side. So, when more serious things are done people already know how I am. Plus it's something I like to do." Can't argue with that. Black Folks Productions' first com- edy night takes place tomorrow, 8:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Auditorium A of Angell Hall. The cost of tickets is $4in advance, $5 at the door. M-Gard is accepted. By Maureen Sirhal Daily Staff Repor ter Microbrewery. It is a word that's unfamiliar to many people. If you asked people what they are they would probably say Miller or Anheiser- Busch. Ann Arbor can finally join the band- wagon of cities with microbrewery restaurants. The Arbor Brewing Com- pany, located on Washington street one block east of main, can finally answer the question on the minds of young (legally aged) adults interested in good drink. They brew beer from their own recipes and combine that unique aspect with a full restaurant and bar. While Arbor Brewing Company prefers to be known as a brewing pub, it is still a very similar idea. Owners Matt and Rene Greff of Ypsilanti said they wanted to try something new. "We were interested in beer and looking for a way to market it," ex- plained Matt Greff. "I studied abroad in Germany and fell in love with Ger- man style beer. I saw a home brewing kit in the party store and began fool- ing around." What began as "fooling around" has become a new trend in the way of restaurants. Cities all over the coun- try including Detroit have dove into the microbrewery trend. They have become a tremendously popular al- ternative to the everyday bar and grill. The Greffs began their venture last year and after securing the financing from investors, they began renovat- ing the Washington St.. sight in march. The location was the former home of Washington St. Station. After roughly four months the brew pub opened for business and has been booming ever since. "(Ann Arbor) is a much more re- ceptive crowd (for a brewery),"explained Matt Greff. "They are constantly reading and learning." Greff said that he and his wife have tried to prepare their staff for the many question they encounter by patrons. "We don't carry name brand beer like Bud light," said Rene Greff. "We carry beer according to style." The couple said that some patrons will leave because of that factor but on the whole most people are very interested in something new. Each of the house taps are very distinct styles of beer that Greff in- vented himself. "We brew four kinds of beer, Red Snapper special bitter is a variety of British ales, Bonnie's Bliss is special wheat beer, Faricy Fest Irish Stout is a light bodied Stout, and Matt's Pre- mium Pils is apilsner beer,"explained Rene Greff. "If people want a bud light we explain to them that we don't carry Bud Light but offer them our version of a light beer." Another aspect of the Gref's brew- ing process is how they actually brewv. None of the beer is filtered. "When you filter beer, you strip it of a lot flavor," Greff said Beside the beer, Greff have tried to run first class restaurant. "It doesn't matter if the beer is terrific, if the food and service is no good, than the restaurant is doomed." asserted Rene. The brew pub carries a range of dishes from deli-style sandwiches to bratwurst and lobster cakes. The prices remain competitive with most Ann Arbor restaurant prices. Service was another major concen- tration for the success of the business. "I think this is a good place to work, 'Rene said. "Each of our staff mem- bers gets a beer after work and a sandwich before their shift. We haven't had to advertise at all since opening." Students may find the atfiosphere a little different from that of Rahk's or Touchdown. Matt Greff describes the clienfele as a "very mature audience." The bulk of the business is Ann arbor residents, but the patrons are very mixed. Students have mixed opinions; but the majority have said that it is a nice change from the typical bar sedne on campus. "It's an interesting change from your typical Rick's or Charley' s,"said Theater School senior Nancy Moran. "It is definitely a mixed crowd." The Arbor Brewing Company is open at from noon to midnight or Sunday and 11:30 a.m. till midnighi Monday through Wednesday-anc 11:30 a.m. till 1:00a.m.' Thursda through Saturday. ARE YOU A LEADER?7 We have openings for MSA, the LS&A Curriculum Committee, and for the LS&A Joint Student-Faculty Committee. If you are a LS&A student with a little spare time and a lot of enthusiasm, we invite you to apply. To get started, Recycle the Daily. F7: mp