THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1974
Page 7
Splash Day
MSC sets day-long hash
Summertime
Naturals
JIM RAWSON
As I listened to the opening bars
1 e first track on ‘Caribou,” I
ght that the madman who spi-
away Elton John and took his
Solace had returned. We haven’t
itawphy ,een t ^ ie rea ^ Elton (and poet-
ntai Engi^'riend-partner, Bernie Taupin)
D of 1 * nce "Madman Across the Water.”
if merci? [he sensitive musician and his lyri-
ffiO* pj, :ist must have been taken and hid-
•h* High»„j en w hile the imposter gave us limp
citations such as “Honky
,tf Coll » Chateau,” “Don’t Shoot Me”, and
COLLEcrjie horror, “Goodbye Yellow Brick
e Doctonl:.,, 1 »
m Nell
loeophy ii | B u t as I listened further I began
rELOPM&ito rejoice, Elton John was back! The
EATANDlflg’ "^ e Bitch is Back” is instru-
soils mentally and lyrically exciting. The
Zachry foj nan who bitches as well as an Alice
s again at his best. It is his earmark
duality that makes this album,
other bitchy tracks, “Stinker
‘You’re So Static” fairly sparkle
malevolence, but I’m some-
t put off by the tango-like back-
for “Static” and the New York
ker story behind it.
tlton is not all “bad-guy” on
college Caribou”. There are three exquis-
t-Doctonl lately beautiful tracks. One is
« inky”, a love song that has gotten
° N °{!Sopie radio play. It is sweet and gen-
.atedpo :le in the style of “Your Song or
•00 pm. fve Song”. The big hit from the
Anim»i LcJbum, “Don’t Let The Sun Go
■wn On Me”, is one of Elton’s
»t« Colics 'gnJ Bernie’s) best. It’s sad and full
college jfthe performer’s pain. In concept
Andrew* 1 t i - ' very like “Goodbye, Yellow
» ^Bck Road ”, but much better de-
h .METABi>eloped. It is the anthem for any
LEOSIDES®- or individual who has to make it
!NTER0M»his own TJie third pretty track,
a T *)ii( Ticking”, will be discussed later,
^est I give you the impression
it “Caribou” is perfect, let me
»ntion “Grimsby”, a throwaway
te to Elton’s hometown. It is not
ate Collett
tne«
try
R EFFECTS,
STITUTIOKI
TS.
3 :00 p.B
Cheraiitry
ate Collett
etc Collett
COLLEGE
■ Doctonl
nuc nrr.yad song but not a good one,
ritical iBrely mediocre. The anachronis-
2.jo pn ■ “Dixie Lily” follows it. “Dixie
'eague mdt could have been on any of Elton’s
ite Collett albums since “Tumbleweed Junc-
coWfr". an( ^ ^ suspect that the song
Doctonl tBy have been in Taupin’s mind for
iona?'P»y( dniost that long. It bothers me to
: COUNffiBar Elton try to pass for a Southern
JND CHi-Country boy praising his favorite
.tud^ steamboat, but the music is happy
the EdoaBd well-arranged.
^Another anachronism is “Solar
>tc Colleti Prestige A. Gammon”. Bernie
college P u P> n plays clever word games in
Doctonl >this one, and it comes off very well,
na? EduatliBnsense words blend with normal
^UAT^Jes to create the effect of a foreign
jcators language that really is not. I enjoyed
AREER EDln
i :00 noon
Holton Bldl
Bernie and Elton make a stab at
ience-fiction rock with “I’ve Seen
to Colltte Be Saucers.” This is not to be con-
lollegeF* 6 ^ with the Jefferson Airplane’s
Doctoral
Keith j
I^BONDH 1 •
s foreign
tudents
egroup
The International Students Or-
^nization will hold a casual get-
Doctonl I-together over coffee in the YMCA
man Phj.#ilding, Room 311 on July 26,
)N, Disij 1974, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
)N OF ^WTBis organization will come to-
the mornirigether after an inactive year.
< vit " Hornstein Jr., Foreign
Indent Advisor, said, “It’s a voice
r the foreign students. The social
pect of it is a big thing. ”
[“We ll try to get more American
idents. We’d like American stu
nts to participate as members,”
d Corky Sandel Assistant Foreign
|ident Advisor.
[ “It’s a good chance to get together
jd talk things over,” Mr. Huque,
^presentative of Bangladesh
[nmittee, added.
TRY
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“Have You Seen The Saucers.” The
titles cannot be coincidence; Elton
is too aware of the music world. He
plays a man who is carried off in a
flying saucer. The sbng borders
dangerously close to cuteness but is
saved by the excellent musical back
ing and the synthesizer effects,
especially behind the words “flying
in formation.” You might be fooled
into believing that your place is
being buzzed by interplanetary be
ings.
I really knew the old Elton was
back when I heard the final track,
“Ticking.” “Ticking” is a dramatic
ballad, the story of a massacre in the
Kicking Mule saloon. Instead of
pleading for “Mercy for the Crimi
nal”, Elton portrays the
psychopathic killer in a stark setting
of voice, piano and a little synth
esizer. There is real emotion in this
story of the quiet boy who kills the
Whitmans and Oswalds of this
world. Taupin’s lyrics are poetic yet
realistic, and Elton presents them
in his best sad ballad style. This
track makes me hope for a rock
opera by the pair.
“Caribou” is a really good album
and Elton’s best in a while. Perhaps
the change from Strawberry Studios
in France where the last three were
done to Caribou Ranch in Colorado
helped. (Thankfully there is no trace
of John Denver.) The album has
stellar instrumental performance
and arrangement. Gone are the
traces of fifties nostalgia and thirties
camp. There is nothing but simple
songs done well. If there are a cou
ple of clinkers, it cannot be helped.
Even these two aren’t perfect.
Speaking of old Elton, there is a
new/old album out called “Empty
Sky.” This was Elton John’s first
album but it was never released in
America until recently. It is in
teresting to look back at the then-
developing but distinctive style of
Elton’s music and the simple but
poetic Taupin lyrics.
Briefly, the songs that stand out
are mild protests. “Empty Sky” and
“Skyline Pigeon” are the plea of
someone who wants to be free of
anything. “Hymn 2000” is a song
about prostitution in any form.
Change is the theme behind “Lady
What’s Tomorrow”, a track that has
some beautiful guitar work.
“Empty Sky” is a good album for
true Elton John fans or the type of
person that likes hearing older,
quieter music without criticizing
the naivete implicit behind it.
I am glad that Elton John is back.
The first annual TAMU splash
day and chili bust will be held
Saturday, July 27 on the peninsula
at Welch Park on Lake Sommer-
ville.
The day-long schedule of events
which will begin at 10 a.m. will in
clude such offbeat competition as a
chili cooking contest, paddle boat
races and a paddle boat tug-of-war,
Jalapeno pepper eating contest, tor
tilla eating contest, tortilla throwing
contest, and a fishing contest.
In addition, there will be
watermelon and free cokes pro
vided by the MSC and live music
presented by the MSC Basement
Committee.
James Breedlove, information di
rector for the event, said it will be a
full day of fun participation for all
involved.
“I think that this will be one of the
most fun events ever presented by
the MSC,” Breedlove said. “We’re
trying to emphasize that there will
Newspaper tour
be something for everyone. Why
hell,” he noted, “Just think; if you
can’t cook chili, you can try your
hand at eating hot peppers.
“Or, if that sounds like too much
for you, maybe you can try to be the
first to choke down four uncooked
flour tortillas. And, if you can’t eat
’em, you can throw ’em,” he added,
referring to the tortilla throwing
contest.
Breedlove went on to explain the
paddle boat races and tug-of-war.
“We ll have two people to a boat in
both the races and tug-of-war,” he
said. “The races will be a short
sprint over a measured distance
with prizes being awarded to the
winner. And, just like the tortilla
contest, if you can’t be the fastest,
you can see if you’re the strongest in
the tug-of-war.”
Also included in the day’s events
will be a fishing contest of which
Breedlove made this comment,
“The biggest one caught in the vic
inity of the park that day will win of
course, but the judges might give
consideration to other factors. All in
all,” he added, “I think this will be
the best deal for the students in a
long time, and we’re hoping
everyone will come out to the lake
Saturday and have some fun.”
Entry blanks for the chili cooking
contest and instructions for the rest
of the competition and a map can be
obtained in the Student Programs
office on the second floor of the
MSC, or in the “Battalion” office
located on the second floor of the
Reed McDonald Services Building.
Entrants may also complete, clip
and send in the entry blank printed
in today’s “Battalion.” Completed
forms must be returned to the Stu
dent Programs office by noon Fri
day.
Fire school
has record
MSii
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Students visit ‘Post’ enrwllment
By KATHY YOUNG
Eight TAMU education students
spent some time amidst the clatter
of typewriters and the whirr of the
presses Monday thru Wednesday
last week at the Houston Post.
The group of educators and
would-be teachers was led by Dr.
Joseph Ilika, chairman of the Read
ing and Language Arts Laboratory
at TAMU.
Rosemary Wohlfort, coordinator
of educational services at the Post,
took the group on an exhausting
tour of the different sections begin
ning with the composing room, to
advertising, want ads, promotion
Aggie crowned
in Texas
beauty contest
A 19-year-old Texas A&M Uni
versity coed will represent Texas in
the Sept. 14 Miss USA beauty con
test at Hampton, Va.
Kimberly Tomes, a sophomore
physical education major from
Houston, was crowned Miss Texas
World in Houston’s White Hall
Hotel Saturday night over 23 other
contestants.
The crown will advance Miss
Tomes to the Miss USA pageant in
September.
XUichaetK Aafoemy
An Episcopal Day School
2 5 0 5 South College Avenue
PRE-SCHOOL THROUGH GRADE VI
A Superior Faculty
Placement Testing
An Academic Curriculum
Ecumenical Religious Instruction
Classes limited to 15
Scholarship help available
School starts September 3
Call for full information
Telephone 822-2715
Share a
Our delicious Spaghetti
Dinner with meatsauce,
served in true Italian
style with garden fresh
salad and garlic toast.
today.
Pizza Inn
413 Texas Ave. 846-6164
and finally to the actual printing
plant located at the old building in
downtown Houston.
In addition to the tour, the
TAMU students talked with the top
editorial staff of the Post and lis
tened in on their daily 4 p.m. news
conference. At the news conference
the managing editor decides the
stories that will run. Changes in his
decisions can be made any time up
to the deadline.
Changes in stories are also made
when the afternoon Chronicle
comes out. It is exclusively called
“the other paper. Whatever news
events happen “on their time” the
Post does not emphasize as it has
already appeared in the other
paper.
The vice president and general
counsel of the Post, James
Crowther, spoke to the group in
forming them of a $5 million libel
suit pending against the paper for
calling a man fraudulent. He also
told the students of a policy change
in the Post which now allows word
for word coverage of Nixon’s exple
tives.
The group was allowed to meet
with some Post writers, of which
Lynn Ashby was the most popular.
More firemen are eating smoke
this week at TAMU than at any of
the previous Texas Firemen’s Train
ing Schools.
Unofficial registration totals
Monday included 1,516 firemen,
according to FTS Chief Henry D.
Smith.
The count is expected to increase
before final tabulations are made
Wednesday. At the first-day level,
the number of trainees is up 13 per
cent over 1973.
Instructional staff and manufac
turers consultants numbered 426.
Among the 1,942 persons here for
the 45th school are firemen from
two provinces of Canada, Brazil,
Venezuela and Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia.
Training in fire prevention and
fire fighting methods are in progress
at the J. Earl Rudder Conference
Center on the TAMU campus and at
Brayton Firemen’s Training Field.
It will be marked through Aug. 9 by
columns of smoke from a variety of
controlled fires fought by trainees.
The municipal school continues
through Friday. In succeeding
weeks, the Texas Engineering Ex
tension Service division will con
duct schools for industrial and
Spanish-speaking fire fighters.
We
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