Thursday, April 27,1989 The Battalion Page 13
how
;t‘t paid at all for wo
it ee shows, and then
: from El Paso to Col-
play f or a handful of
ions were put aside
Thelonious Monster
et with the introduc-
Cheap Tric k used on
rick at Burlohn al-
an through a set that
te result of audience
oius Monster is likea
hurricane, with Bol)
f sincerity and clarity
if the swirling storm
d him. They take the
ash and combine it
usicianship and dis-
that make sure the
■ is understood,
lifts and boots, theit
jw, the musicians of
ms ter made a three-
,sual show, moving
tire stage while For-
he microphone and
; the spaces between
>f his wide repertoire
r relating the tale of
our thus far, Forrest
■nee “If you thinl
i’, you got anotliet
and then led the
a short version of
Jusiness Like Shot
a powerful version
mes’ “You Can’t Al-
Eou Want,” Forrest
e thing about us-
»r bands’ stuff. Not
ssarily, but we can
formed cover songs
i and Black Flag,
'orrest’s disclaimer,
>b on.
I nests portion of the
seemed surprised
e member knew the
of Thelonious
gs. I requested
Weekend,” a moving
it of the rock ’n'rol
ars on their latest
ris album, Stonw
how I knew about
I told him I write
nent section of The
iughed and said,
pens when you’re a
i get a critic and a
d 12 other people
aotograhers, a Bat
her became part of
'orrest grabbed his
ed taking pictures
e middle of a song,
Tied to the camera
'ting it to a batten
»o he followed For-
Cage as he snapped
idmates.
rendition of Iran
My Lover” and a
of the 60*year-old
□Person classic “See
• Is Kept Clean,
jnster does both
Weather), and an
. on of Robin Trow
-agle” highlighted a
itd moments,
that is talented, has
> on an incredible
is something to sa'
r. Next time the'
_ybe the crowd the'
up.
Rock needs more bands
like the Rolling Stones
By Had Binion
CORRESPONDENT
Have you heard the latest?
The Rolling Stones’ concert
tour will kick off in September.
That is great. Not only is my
man Keith Richards still alive, but
he’s actually going to tour.
He’s been touring for more
than 20 years, and although he
looks like a pair of 12-year-old
Converse high tops, he’s still
cranking out the tunes. I wonder
how many times he really did go
to Switzerland to get his blood
changed. It looks like they forgot
to put the drain plug back in last
time.
Richards is a trooper, however.
Even after the Stones’ breakup,
he managed to find himself
someone who gave him almost as
much trouble as Mick Jagger, his
hero Chuck Berry. Richards put
up with Berry’s attitude during
the “Hail! Hail! Rock-n-Roll”
flop/movie about Berry, and they
both lived to tell about it (a couple
of times I thought one of them
was going to end up in the hospi
tal to get a Stratocaster removed
from his forehead).
After reading some of Rich
ards’ opinions on new talent in a
recent interview in Rolling Stone,
I started thinking that he didn’t
like anything but the Stones (and
INKS).
But then I analyzed things.
What, Keith? You say you don’t
like Miami Sound Machine?
George Micheal is a wimp?
You’re my kind of guy 1!!
It’s time more people wajjed
war on the garbage that is being
produced for the top-40 radio
market.
If we eliminate just a few hands
from the mega-buck traveling
concert-tour scene and put them
in the Ramada Inn bar in Killeen,
we would all feel better about
ourselves.
Here’s a list that I like to call
the top 10 acts Had loves to hate.
10. Europe
This group of guys has been
whining and crooning too long.
They look like life-size, mutant
Barbie dolls and use videotape in
stead of film when they shoot
their videos, which makes it look
like a soap opera.
9. Samantha Fox
Wow! This girl’s really big on
uh, talent! Yeah! She needs to
stick with the trashy posters and
stay out of the studio.
8. White Lion
I wonder exactly how many
people get physically ill when
they hear “Little child. . .,” at the
beginning of their popular(?)
song “When the Children Cry.”
7. New Order
That stuff is barf.
6. Information Society
That stuff is worse.
5. Rick Astley
Who gave this guy permission
to pollute the airwaves? He
should be imprisoned (in another
state) for messing with Texas.
4. Bonjovi
I’m so sick of those stupid ly
rics, i.e., “Take my hand girl, we’ll
make it, I swear” or “I’ll be there
for you, these five words I swear
to you.”
Seems like he swears an awful
lot. I wish he’d swear not to make
any more stupid albums.
3. Debbie Gibson/Tiffany
Same thing. I wish they would
go back to high school or where
ver it is they came from and try to
be happy with that.
2. Winger
That’s amazing! The singer
can play the bass without even
touching it! Well, I understand
that there is a lot of pointing and
hair tossing to be done as a rock
idol. Oh gawd!
1. Poison
The mother lode. The cream
of the crop. The overlords of the
poser kingdom. The world’s la
mest band.
I really think they wish they
were Kiss. They flatter them
selves with album titles like “Look
What the Cat Dragged In.” If I
had a cat, I would hope that he
had better taste than that.
I affectionally refer to these
kings of Clorox as Posin’, but
that’s only because Tm a gen
tleman.
Film adaptation of King’s ‘Pet Sematary’
falls victim to poor casting, weak ending
“Pet Sematary”
Starring Dale Midkiff and Denise
Crosby
Directed by Mary Lambert
Rated R
**'/*
By Shane Hall
REVIEWER
Stephen King’s books generally
are not known to make great movies,
although many have been adapted.
The results have ranged from bril
liant (“The Shining”) to dreadful
(“Children of the Corn,” “Firestar-
ter”). The majority have been medi
ocre.
“Pet Sematary,” which opened
Friday at the Manor East Three the
ater in Manor East Mall, is based on
one of King’s best and scariest books.
Like so many other film adapta
tions of books by the master of ma
cabre literature, “Pet Sematary” falls
into the mediocre category, al
though it is not without its moments.
The story centers on Louis and
Rachel Creed (Dale Midkiff and
Denise Crosby), who move with their
two children into a new home in
Maine.
The Creeds’ elderly neighbor, Jud
(Fred Gwynne, who still looks and
sounds like Herman Munster),
shows them a cemetery for pets that
The chief disappointment about
“Pet Sematary” is the film’s casting.
Both Midkiff and Crosby’s perfor
mances are so lifeless that they easily
could pass for dead.
Another weakness is the film’s
ending, which is much more explicit
and much less subtle than the nov
el’s.
“Pet Sematary” does offer some
Pet Sematary” is one of King’s best and scariest
books. Like so many other film adaptations of books by
the master of macabre literature, “Pet Sematary” falls
into the mediocre category, although it is not without
its moments.
have been killed in the road.
Beyond the cemetery, however,
lies an Indian burial ground with the
power to resurrect the dead. Louis
unwisely uses this ground to bring
his son Gage, who was killed in the
road by a speeding truck, back to
life.
funny moments, most of them in
volving a character named Pascow, a
dead man whose purpose is to steer
the characters away from their fates.
His role is little more than a cliche
borrowed from many horror mov
ies, but it works here because of the
scenes’ humor.
Then there also are some scenes
that are so bad, they’re funny. The
audience at the film when I saw it
was laughing much of the time.
The movie is director Mary Lam
bert’s second film (her first was the
surrealistic “Siesta”).
Lambert shows talent as a direc
tor, particularly in cinematography.
The constantly-moving camera
helps make the movie more interest
ing to watch and heightens the ten
sion of some scenes.
There are also some interesting
set designs. The design of the pet
cemetery itself, with its crude mark
ers made of rotting wood, gives off
the proper sense of forbiddance and
the suggestion of the evil beyond.
The script, written by King (who
also has a cameo role in the movie),
is the greatest strength of “Pet Sema
tary.” ,
Unlike, say, “Children of the
Corn,” this script adheres closely to
the book. Unfortunately, the casting
choices couldn’t do the script more
justice.
Debut album by new Michigan talent gives buyers
money's worth, delivers soulful folk, rock ’n’roll
Gregg Alexander
Michigan Rain
A&M Records
★★★★
By Suzanne Hoechstetter
REVIEWER
If you want the most music for
your money, you need to buy
Gregg Alexander’s debut album,
Michigan Rain.
This talented 20-year-old mu
sician from Grossepoint, Mich,
sings a combination of folk and
rock ’n’ roll in his American slice-
of-Iife songs.
Alexander is a conglomeration
of Bruce Springsteen without the
factory and John Cougar without
the farm. He’s just a regular guy
who sings about common con
cerns of many young Americans
that range from finding real love
to being afraid of what’s happen
ing in world politics. He presents
his music in poetic, sometimes
painfully honest lyrics.
Alexander writes and sings all
his own music, some of which he
has been working on since before
he was 16 years old. He also plays
electric and acoustic guitars on
the album.
After listening to his debut,
which is described on the album
cover as the soundtrack to Gregg
Alexander’s home movie, the lis
tener feels that he knows the mu
sician because he includes so
much of himself in his music.
Most of the songs are not opti
mistic but “realistic.” In “Don’t
Cry Mrs. Davis,” Alexander sings
about the futility of war as he de
scribes the final moments of the
life of a soldier who is about to be
killed in action.
Michigan Rain is such a good
album because the songs are var
ied and have so much emotion in
them. Alexander sings from his
soul.
The title track of the album,
featuring Rick Nowels and Alex
ander on guitar, is a humorous
look at a night of passion in which
two young lovers melt the Michi
gan snow into Michigan rain.
Alexander uses sarcasm in
many of his songs to emphasize
issues he considers important. In
“The World We Love So Much,”
he sings in an anguished voice,
“Love — we know that love stuff
NEVER lasts — and we’ll dance
on the graves of our enemies, you
know it’ll be a blast. Kaboom baby
kaboom!”
Nothing on the album is in
cluded just for art’s sake. Alexan
der is artistically talented, but he
doesn’t exploit his talent by shov
ing it upon the listener. He is sub
tle and doesn’t over-do anything.
He might play an occasional gui
tar solo, but he doesn’t let it domi
nate the song.
Michigan Rain is symmetrical.
The songs jump from sad to sexy
to serious. “Loving You Sets Me
Free” is a ballad that comes right
before “Cruel With Me,” a
swanky rockin’ song that sounds
like something the Rolling Stones
would sing. The next track, “Save
Me From Myself,” is a song about
depression and contemplating
suicide.
But Alexander doesn’t let the
listener feel sad for very long, be
cause the next song, “Every Now
and Then” is an upbeat song
about cruising the town in search
of a good time.
I hope Gregg Alexander gets
some recognition for his efforts
on Michigan Rain. It’s a great al
bum that will not be outdated
anytime in the near future. Like
its title, it continues oblivious to
time but not without affecting it.
Thanks to Music Express for
lending this album for review.
leut here i
FAMOUS FIRSTS
FIRST
AIRPLANE
The Wright Brothers began
experimenting with kites in
the 1890’s and in 1903
became the first to sustain
flight for 852 feet over the
beach at Kitty Hawk.
m
r 4Wt
FIRST CAR
FIRST LOVE
She was the only one who
didn’t laugh when you fell off
the jungle gym and broke your
leg. She even let you win at
checkers. What a woman!
The world’s first motor car,
the Lenoir, named after its
inventor, ran at an average
speed of 4 miles per hour. In
1863 the 11/2 horsepower
vehicle made its first drive of
6 miles in only 3 hours.
UMVERSITY TOWER
It’s time to introduce another Famous First, University Tower. In August, the privately-owned and
managed property will open as a dormitory. At University Tower you’ll find 24-hour on-site security, a
huge bedroom and private bath, full meal plans, an exercise and weight room, study rooms & com
puter room, an indoor pool, a sport-court, a volleyball pit, laundry facilities, housekeeping service, and
a shuttle bus to campus. It’s the first and only dorm of its kind at A&M. Call or come by for leasing
information for Fall/Spring ’89-'90!
The Private Dorm of the 90's
University Tower
410 South Texas Avenue
(409) 846-4242
1-800-537-9158
University Place
I -□
University Dr.
TEXAS
A&M
UNIVERSITY
>
University Tower is managed by one of the most experienced student housing management company in the United States.
Dr. Richard A Bems, general manager for Wallerstein Property Management, manages dormitories at the University of Texas
at Austin and Arizona State University for over 1800 students.
Defensive Driving Course
April 28, 29 May 1,2
May 10,11, May 23, 24
College Station Hilton
For more information or to pre-register phone
693-8178 24 hours a day.
I cut here
AGGIE
SURVIVAL
KIT
Let Pizza Hut help you thru those last
few weeks of school!
May 1 thru May 9 Open till 4 a.m.
(Northgate and Delivery Only)
CALL 693-9393
NO COUPON REQUIRED
i Small Thin 'N Crispy Cheese
| Pizza and 1 Pepsi for
I $4.99
Id
-riuT
i
i
i
i
i
i
J
i
i
i
i
i
i
| Good April 17 - M«y 12 No Coupon RMiuirvd. fToocxnyj Extra) 1989 Ptzza Hut9
a Good Acrl 17 • May 12. No Coupon Rapuirad. (Topping! Extra) 1989PtzzaHut9
La HBi mam mam mam mam amm mm amm amm mam mm warn mmm mam amm m
J Medium Cheese Pizza and
i 2 Pepsi Drinks for
| $6.99
{ Group Study Special
i Large Cheese Pizza and 6
1
i
i
i
i
i
i
!
^Good April 17 - May 12 No Coupon Rapuirad. (Toopng* Extra) 1989 Ptrra Hut9 J
l $9.99
I
ptOT]
1 PEPSI 11
-Hut./