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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 12, 1981)
blues to pop By Geoff Hackett . Battalion Reporter Things have been rough lately for Dan Aykroyd and John Be- lushi. Oh, not that they're headed for the poorhouse or anything like that. The problem is that no one seems to luce them anymore. Granted, they did make a ter- rible movie, "1941," but that wasn't as much their fault as it was director Steven Spielberg's. The problem is not with John and Dan, but with their pork-pie hatted altered egos, Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues. The critics of today's music scene are bent on destroying the Blues Brothers. Maybe that's a little harsh, but at least they're looking down on the boys from Rock Island, Ill. and their All Star Rhythm and Blues Revue. So wnat if they started as a parody on late night television, ihey aren't Blues purists and 1 don't think they claim to be. They are out to have fun and make a little money and isn't that what pop music is all about? "Made in America" is the Blues Brothers' third album, in cluding their movie soundtrack. RECORDS It is much of the same fare that was found on their platinum album "Briefcase Full of Blues." Their band is tops and reads like a Who's Who of R&B. Steve Cropper, Dick Dunne, Matt Murphy and Tom Malone are just a few of the cats that play behind the actor/musidans. Let 7 s face it, no matter what you say about the Blues Brothers, you can't knock their band. On "Made in America," the boys run through some of the great blues numbers of days gone by. Most notable is the ver sion of Booker T. and the MG's "Green Onions." MG alumni Cropper and Dunne make this one all the more enjoyable. We're talking about the BLOOZE here. However, in the middle of an enjoyable song, Elwood begins to expound on the virtues of life in tne U.S.A. Sure, I'm all for nationalism, but right in the middle of "Green Onions?" More goodies indude Wayne Cochran's "Back to Miami," "Who's Making Love" and Ran dy Newman's "Guilty." The Newman cut is particularly en joyable. Belushi's voice is com parable to Newman's in that they both have the same husky, throaty delivery that makes any place sound like a smoky bar room. "Guilty" is probably what the Blues Brothers do best. There is a hint of a grin, but not enough to make the whole thing a joke. The horn section (Malone — saxes and trombone; Tom Scott — saxes; Lou Marini —- saxes and Alan Rubin —- trumpet) shines throughout. Particularly on "Do You Love Me" and '*1 Ain't Got You." There is a fabu lous shuffle beat reminiscent of Junior Welles' "Messin' With the Kid." Cover versions of "The Perry Mason Theme" and "Riot in Cell Block Number Nine" round out "Made in America." It's good stuff. The Blues Brothers are an enjoyable act. Besides being popular comedians, Aykroyd and Belushi also have a knack for picking the right tunes. I think the Blues Brothers have gone a long way in making the big-band blues sound part of the mainstream of pop music again. Remember, Jake said, "I suggest that you buy as many blues albums as you can ..." That's blues, not Blues Brothers. A Schlotzsky’s is: a unique blend of 3 Kinds of meat 3 Kinds of cheese lettuce, tomato, onion olives and mustard sewed hot on our fresh homemade bun!! TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN COLLEGE STATION: 100 SOOTH TEXAS AVE. (ACROSS FROM LCIBYS) 846-8933 CULPEPPER PLAZA (NEXT TO UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE) 693-0861 ca^rftcetlive from Atlanta, Ga.); 10:30 ® ? '^yj^a'ii'^Thompson. itinrM r,.n Rnrlvbu dino from (1964) Marsnan experts join forces in an attempt to ward off a Qj^nt mg, an Try t-oayw - father’s nightclub business and Kz}/'r»moQ ruthless msnsQer.