y* Foe its. The Battalion
“X Thursday, February 12, 1981
Is A&M ready for Spyro Gyra?
By Renee Vermaelen
Battalion Reporter
Uh huh. I knew it. I can hear the ada
mant objections already — "But, I don't
like that kind of music," or "Say man, I
can't suffer that jive... like, I only groove
on certain styles," or "Sony. I'm a die
hard country and western fan. Period."
Listen, you gave Devo, m-m-Mel,
Frank Zappa, and many other "talents"
with qualities other than the accepted
norms a chance; Spyro Gyra deserves an
unbiased ear also. Spyro Gyra, com
posed of six main musicians and twenty
some-odd back-up players, employs in
struments ranging from the flute to the
drums, from the saxophone to the
keyboards. They have succeeded in
creating a combination of classical and
contemporary jazz that is capable of in
flicting any innocent listener with the
well publicized Steve Martin Syndrome
— Happy Feet!
The truth is, when I was asked to re
view the album "Camaval" by a group
named Spyro Gyra, I feigned leprosy.
RECORDS
pleaded for mercy, immediately con
tracted a burning desire to read my Sta
tistics book from cover to cover ... alas,
'twas all in vain.
That evening, I placed the album gin
gerly onto my beloved turntable, turned
the volume up loud enough for the
neighbors to hear (we get along splen
didly), and jumped into the shower.
(Warning: If you decide to try this highly
effective method of record reviewing, be
aware that the surgeon general has de
clared that leaping whole-heartedly into
the shower can be hazardous to your
health.)
The next thing I knew, I was gyrating
through the jungle of Africa, looking for
exotic birds (Can I help it if this is the
imagery "Camaval" injects into my
mind?), and, in general, finding this
music more exhilarating than my new
bar of Coast soap. While rinsing the
shampoo from my hair, it dawned on me
that tnis album would provide the per
fect music for a party; the atypical b-bop
beat tends to magically drain your anx
ieties away and replace them with a sort
of motivated, relaxed state. Besides, if
nothing else, it would be a definite con
versation starter. (Sample conversation
that you are likely to overhear, "What the
*!#!* has gotten into her?)
Obviously, this is not the album for
everyone. But, if you are a jazz lover,
appreciator of fine music, social dancer,
or a daring, adventurous record reviewer
— "Camaval" provides a nice change of
pace. If you are any of the above, or ifyou
are just plain curious, this is Spyro Gyra's
third release on the MCA label and can be
found at most of the local record shops.
Containing eight original tunes, some
written by co-producer Jay Beckenstein,
local record shops say "Carnaval"
doesn't seem to be selling as well locally
as "Catching the Sun" and "Morning
Dance", their first and second releases.
Spyro Gyra seems to have caught on bet
ter in areas like Fort Worth and Houston,
but perhaps this is due to the diversity of
the people and their musical preferences
in these locations. It is a possibility, if
they change their name to Spyro Cow
boys or Aggie Gyra, that they would
catch on in College Station. On perhaps,
if everyone put the album gingerly onto
their beloved turntable, turned the
volume up exceedingly loud, hopped
(carefully) into the shower, and....
Script is cumbersome
Newman film realistic
By Kate McElroy
Battalion Staff
Ugliness, both physical and
spiritual, abounds in "Fort
Apache, The Bronx," which is
almost a docu-drama about
police life in destitute South
Bronx, New York. Buildings are
crumbling skeletons bathed in
garbage; their inhabitants look
like they belong there.
The film successfully shows
the degradation of the New
York borough. Unfortunately,
the script insists on repeating
what the camera already tells us
and on trying to make real char
acters into caricatures.
The actors in "Fort Apache,
The Bronx" overcome the cum
bersome script and make the
film extremely realistic. Paul
Newman is Murphy, the third-
generation Irish cop who has
contributed 18 tough years to
the force. His partner Corelli, a
Puerto Rican rookie who has a
future, is played by Ken Wahl.
Murphy says life is "no big
ting," has "three goils," and
drinks beer. Corelli is "a cop
with style," reads "Dress for
Success," and has a "good
MOVIES
Catholic fiancee." Fortunately,
Corelli and especially Newman
succeed in not portraying the
police versions of Vinnie Babar-
ino and Archie Bunker.
The two work from Fort
Apache, the 41st precinct
house, one of the few safe loca
tions in the entire district. The
job of these policemen is not so
much to stop crime, but just
keep criminal activity under
control and off the open streets.
For example, Murphy doesn't
tell a pimp publicly beating a
prostitute to stop — he merely
tells him to go inside and finish.
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Street crime is tolerated until
two policeman are shot in the
head at point blank range. The
day of the murders, a new cap
tain takes over the precinct. Ed
Asner, as Connolly, is no con
genial "Barney Miller," and be
comes obvious antagonist to
Murphy.
The rest of the movie follows
this external conflict between
the two, and Murphy's realiza
tion about some fellow police
men not as honest as himself.
The dialogue is weakest
when it gives a sermon about
the Bronx. The retiring captain
keeps telling Connolly that the
South Bronx is the hell hole of
New York, that his policemen
are the worst of the force, that
life in the fast lane sho' nuff
make you lose your mind ...
But the dialogue is at its best
when writer Heywood Gould
uses comedy. Funniest in "Fort
Apache" are the desk sergeants
who are like Shakespeare's
comedy pair Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern in this tragic
story.
And there's some beauty in
this film — Rachel Ticotin, a
nurse who becomes Murphy's
lover. While Ticotin is indeed
lovely, she can't naturally recite
lines of dialogue and apparent
ly has no voice variation to
show emotion. Her perform
ance is the worst in the movie,
while Pam Greer as a junkie
prostitute is disgustingly
realistic.
These four men will bring the Beatles to life on the stage of
Rudder Auditorium Monday night in the musical "Beatle-
mania," sponsored by MSC Town Hall. See the story about
Beatlemania in Friday's Battalion.
Romeros replace
Parkening tonight
Classical guitarists Celin and
Pepe Romero will perform
tonight at 8 p.m. in Rudder Au
ditorium in a show sponsored
by the Memorial Student Center
Opera and Performing Arts
Society.
As half of the Romero Quar
tet, the brothers replace guitarist
Christopher Parkening, who
cancelled a scheduled concert at
the last minute because of ill
ness. According to Bart Block,
OP AS staff advisor, the situa
tion worked out for the better.
"We were thinking about
bunch-a-b’loons
booking the Romeros for next
year anyway," he said.
Originally from Spain, where
they began guitar lessons as
youngsters, Celin and Pepe ar
rived in the United States in 1958
and began performing in 1961.
They have performed with ev
ery major symphony orchestra
in the United States in multiple
return engagements, including
the Los Angeles Philharmonic,
the Boston Symphony Orches
tra, and the Chicago Symphony.
Both artists have recorded as
soloists and along with their
brother Angel, and father Cele-
donio as a quartet. Their broad
repertoire includes Spanish,
baroque, and classical music.
They have received critical
acclaim across the country for
their unique style. The Washing
ton Evening Star said of Pepe that
watching his fingers is "like
trying to watch the wing beats of
a hummingbird."
Tickets are available at Rud
der Box Office for tonight's per
formance. Ticket purchased for
Parkening will be honored.