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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 1990)
Monday, April 30,1990 The Battalion Page 5 4 Musical reunion ‘exploits’ Warhol 845-33 lyJOHN RIGHTER IfThe Battalion Staff ers des e is not a io plan lies in emstoa »y mighl i embers, gers, if >ace and iblem, a i m pany moving :nsen, a Moving tired in rough jharged charge lays, it dial age will unds. at thou- or each Hinds, ■esses a -ge fee *1 mini fee of argeof with a Tium. hly fee cion is - that’s nts the tselfby moving Lou Reed/John Gale Songs For Drella SireAVarner Bros. Reed, Cale speak out in bare-knuckled tribute ■ked for -is which ack to "i. _s, don’t =d, and zh booh s identi- It’s been alnfrost twenty years since ,ou Reed walked out of the Atlantic [ecording Studio during the record- ig of the Velvet Underground’s ,oaded. In the previous five years, Reed nd company had created one of the lost distinctive and original sounds n vinyl, leaving a legacy that would e-emerge in the music of the Cars, onathon Richman and the Modern ,overs, Talking Heads, Jesus and »Iary Chain and countless others. In the mid-60s, legendary artist nd innovator Andy Warhol took teed and his work under wing and ackaged it into his famous mixed- nedia event, Exploding Plastic Inev- table. One of Warhol’s contributions to he Velvet Underground and the iptfit’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable osjohn Cale. Cale, like Underground-diva lico, was an Englishman, who inter- stingly, brought a contemporary- classic approach to the fully-modern (and New York flavored) Velvet Un derground. Songs For Drella is Reed and Gale’s reunion after a twenty-year layoff begun by Reed’s boot of Cale from the Underground after White Light, White Fleat. The triangle of Reed, Cale and Warhol (Warhol only produced the first Underground album), and the influence (mostly indirect) that the trio has had on modern art is fully exploited within the biographical Drella. Drella (a nickname of Warhol’s — a combination of Dracula and Cin derella) is the story of Warhol’s life (slightly fictionalized) put to words and music. The mostly spoken-word album was originally a commissioned piece from the Brooklyn Academy of Mu sic and The Arts that Reed and Cale performed in its entirety for the aca demy last year. Drella, though a biographical piece on Warhol, is more' accurately and completely an introspection on the lives of Reed, Cale and Warhol. Reed’s dialogue on addictions and creative insecurity cleanse his soul as purely as Warhol’s. A man befallen to herion, shotty releases and indus try ostracization, Reed finally bounced back in 1989 with the re markable New York. Free of many hindering vices, Reed followed a string of hideous, shallow releases with a biting, intri cate look at New York, the play ground for his artistical wanderings. Drella builds on New York’s suc cess, adding a more personal feel, reminescent of Pink Floyd’s The Wall or Final Cut. Cale, while allow ing Reed to course the album’s direc tion, beautifully supports the al bum’s minimalist aura. Reed and Cale are the album’s lone performers, neglecting the tra ditional rhythm section of bass and drums. Interchanging viola and key boards with Reed’s stinging guitar, Cale contrasts Reed’s tough, New York prose with the civility of his classical, English upbringing. Throughout Drella, the Under ground roots are unmistakeable. It was as much Gale’s influence as War hol’s that distinguished the Under- gound’s innovative beginnings through the group’s collage of metal-grunge, shock-filled with dis tortion, with the group’s dreamier, pastel songs. It was also Cale who introduced poetry by chainsaw (“The Gift”), a contrast that solidified the spoken word in modern music. In Drella, Reed plays the urban tough well, allowing Cale to smooth out his roughened edges. For a performer so pathetically lost for most of the last 15 years, it is extremely satisfying to witness Reed follow the amazing New York with the equally strong Drella. The fact that Cale contributes aura and spoken word to the bare knuckle profesizing of Reed, only strengthens an album artistically worthy as a tribute to Warhol. But then, it really is a tribute to Warhol, Reed and Cale. Guitarist Eric Johnson jams to a near sell-out crowd at Club Farenheit Friday night. Aspiring guitarists beware Johnson’s talent, depth overwhelms reviewer’s dislike for his musical taste By JOHN MABRY Of The Battalion Staff I do not like Eric Johnson’s music. That’s a statement that sounds like a forerunner to a sure-fire bad review of his Friday night«show at Club Farenheit. My personal taste in music, however, didn’t affect my ability to appreciate Johnson’s incredible musical talent, which he effortlessly displayed in a generous 16-song set that wowed both the audience and myself. Let’s get one thing straight before I continue: Eric ohnson can play the guitar. Well. So well, in fact, that any aspiring young guitarist will go home and throw his instrument in the trash after seeing his show. Is that dear enough? Using his incredible “second voice”, a Fender Strato- caster, Johnson kicked off the show at about 10:30 p.m. with a stunning guitar solo, which segued into “F- riends,” from his 1986 Grammy-nominated album, Tones. The sheer volume of the t\yo stacks of speakers may have been annoying to some, but it was apparent that the near-sellout crow d enjoyed every delicious decibel. Johnson continued the show with “Trademark,” a number off his second album, Ah Via Musicom, that was a more structured, pleasing song, and showed off ohnson’s ability as a talented songwriter. Johnson really got into the third number, “High Landrons,” which included another guitar solo that left the audience speechless. Like the first number, “High Landrons” showcased Johnson’s formidable ability as a vocalist as well as a hot-shot guitarist. Johnson showed off his surprising versatility as an acoustic guitarist with “April, Come She Will,” an old Simon and Garfunkel tune that was a nursery rhyme set to music. He continued the acoustic set with the beauti fully introspective “Song for George.” Johnson’s minimal backup, consisting of Kyle Brock on bass and the wonderfully animated Tommy Taylor on drums, provided the perfect support for Johnson’s musical mastery. Nevertheless, it was Johnson’s show-, from beginning to end, with only a short bass solo given to Brock on “Alpine.” w - Johnson began the first of two encores with the refre shingly different “Steve’s Boogie,” from Ah Via Musi com, a country-flavored, foot-stomping number with an infectious beat that kept the audience moving. For those of you who know who Eddie Van Halen is, Eric Johnson is as good as that. No, seriously. If you don’t believe me, then you haven’t seen him. Senior journalism major Patrick Hayes contributed to this story. IMMIGRATION WORK VISAS LABOR CERTIFICATIONS PERMANENT RESIDENCE ALL OTHER IMMIGRATION MATTERS BARBARA HINES, pc Attorney at Law Board Certified Immigration and Nationality Law Texas Board of Legal Specialization 1005 E. 40th (512) 452-0201 AUSTIN, TX 78751 ^LOUPOTS^ BOOKSTORES Pays CASH For Used Books ‘When You Needed It Yesterday! 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Weaver Guitarist, band prepare for tour Austin guitar guru Eric Johnson and bandmates Tommy Taylor, drummer, and Kyle Brock, bassist, visited College Station Friday night at Club Farenheit to promote their latest album. Ah Via Musicom. The album title means “by way of music communication,” and, Eric says, is a change from his 1986 grammy nominee, Tones. “We’re stepping out more on the new album, trying to get more of a live feel, but still retaining the pol ish of the studio,” he said. The new album is finding a home with music lovers all over the country. Already it has sold more copies in a month than Tones did in two years, and it is quickly closing in on the Billboard Top 100 Chart. With the success of the new al bum behind him, Johnson is pre paring to tour all over the country, and a European tour is also in the works. But Austin is obviously where Johnson feels at home. He has been a part of Austin’s live-music scene for over ten years, performing at the Aquafest and as the first rock artist to perform on the city’s popu lar country live-music program, “Austin City Limits.” • John Mabry $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ We Buy All Books! Bring your out-of-date books WITH your new books & we’ll make you an offer on all your books (including pa perbacks). Cold Hard Cash [Pi TD uLm University Bookstores [Pi pa THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS NORTHGATE CULPEPPER SHOPPING CENTER PLAZA 409 University Drive Texas Avenue & Hwy. 30 409/846-4232 409/693-9388 t&jn VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER University Drive across from the Hilton 409/8464818 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ l Open Late through Finals | $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ AggieVision Order during registration. Option 23 "Two thumbs up!" ALPHA KAPPA PSI National Professional Business Fraternity wishes to congratulate the following seniors graduating in May & August George Andrews Jon Armstrong Laurie Bolt Colleen Brennen Bill Cavanaugh Larry Crane Gina Elizondo Shannon Elmer Brad Fortune Ed Fugger Denice Grothues Laurie Gullion Jeff Judah Paul Measley GOOD LUCK & FUTURE SUCCESS Maribeth Messineo Laura Monroe Brian Rickmers Donna Scruggs Rene Smith Natalie Torres Kathy York k **<*&<*<*&&<*&<*