r
Dr. A. Benton Cocanougher, Dean
College & Graduate School
Business Administration
and
Dr. R. Malcolm Richards, Head
Department of Finance
hope you will join us
for a presentation by
Monday • March 25,19%
General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
11:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
26 March 1996
Texas A&M University
C
use ©0 ROUND
113 College Main^ 5 ^ (409) 846-6620
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Sting's quality of music rises with Mercury Falling
By Amy Uptmor
The Battalion
P I K E F E S T
featuring
ROBERT EARL KEEN JR.
live in concert
Saturday, March 30th
at the Texas Hall of Fame
Doors Open at 8 p.m.
TICKETS: $10.00 advance/ $12.00 at the door
available at
Marooned Records, Cavender’s Boot City, and
the Texas Hall of Fame
FREE ADMISSION with PikeFest Ticket to CrawFish Boil
at 3 p.m. behind The Hall
featuring:
Live Cajun Zydeco Music
BENEFITING THE MPA
Sting may be one of the few remaining relics
of the early ’80s who is still producing quality
music, and he is only improving with age, as is
apparent on his new album, Mercury Falling.
In keeping with the pattern of his last sev
eral solo albums, Sting has once again created
a very different sound and style on Mercury
Falling. In sharp contrast to Ten Summoner’s
Tales’ dark, moody sounds and lyrics. Mercury
Falling is a lively, popish album.
Don’t be misled by these happy sounds,
though, for Sting makes it clear that he has
not relinquished his “King of Pain” title or his
sense of mystery on this album.
Some of the most upbeat songs on the al
bum are about being dumped. “I’m So Happy I
Can’t Stop Crying,” despite its air of happi
ness, deals with the classic “I dumped you but
I hope you’re doing well” scenario. Sting sar
castically responds, “I’m so happy I’m laugh
ing through my tears.” The theme is repeated
Album Review
Sting
Mercury Falling
A&IVI Records
in “You Still Touch Me” (“I seem to hear the
raindrops saying / You won’t come back”).
Other high points of the album include the
uplifting “Let Your Soul be Your Pilot,” and
the exquisite “La Belle Dame Sans Regret,”
which is written entirely in French.
Sting completes the thematic circle of the
album by beginning and ending it with songs
using the theme of “mercury falling.” The al
bum’s first song, “The Hounds of Winter,”
brings in the beginning of the day as it begins
“Mercury falling /1 rise from my bed / collect
my thoughts together / I have to hold my
head.” The album concludes with the painfully
beautiful “Lithium Sunset,” in which Sting
seeks healing through the setting of the sun
as he sings, “Take this heartache / of obsidian
darkness / and fold my darkness / into your :
yellow light ... see mercury falling.”
This song may be the closest Sting has
come to perfection in a song since he left The j
Police. Lyrically and musically speaking, itis
poetic and haunting.
Sting’s sound is always marked by unique
instrumentation, and the same holds true on
Mercury Falling.
Ranging from steel guitar and harmoni
ca to a full horn section (compliments of ex-
Jay Leno sidekick Branford Marsalis), the
sound perfectly compliments the mood of
every song and adds to the soulful, pop
sound of the album.
But the term “pop” should not be a turnoff.
The sound and style oi Mercury Falling
may be much lighter and even more radio
worthy than his past albums, but the depth
and emotion is still outstanding. Sting fans
can look forward to a change of pace with
every album, and Mercury Falling falls pleas
antly in line with that pattern.
Bad Hair Day shows why singer is classified as 'Weird
By Dave Winder
The Battalion
The King of Parody is back,
and in his latest effort, Bad
Hair Day, “Weird” A1 Yankovic
shows why he is a reigning
monarch. The parodies are per
fect; the original songs humor
ous, and the polka medley is
the best it has ever been.
Almost every parody on the al
bum could rank as one of
Yankovic’s best. “Amish Par
adise,” sung to the tune of Coolio’s
“Gangsta Paradise,” starts it all
off, and from there the laughter
begins. “And I’ve been milkin’ and
plowin’ so long that even Ezekiel
Album Review
‘muFmmci /
“Weird” Al Yankovic
JHB )(
flw 'Nj&kLr'
Bad Hair Day
Scotti Bros.
thinks that my mind is gone.”
Next, Yankovic parodies U2
and the hit from Batman Returns,
“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill
Me,” with “Cavity Search.”
Yankovic goes to the dentist’s of
fice and begs the doctor to “Numb
me, Drill me, Floss me, Bill me.”
None of Yankovic’s original
songs are outstanding, but they
can bring about a
slight-to-a-medium
chuckle. “The Night
Santa Went Crazy”
would have to be the
best non-parody song on
the album while “Every
thing You Know Is
Wrong” and “I Remem
ber Larry” are not bad.
The best thing that Bad Hair
Day has to offer though is the “Al
ternative Polka.” On every album
that Yankovic does, he pays trib
ute to his favorite instrument, the
accordion, by doing popular songs
with a polka flavor. Most of the
songs end up sounding so good
that you wonder why the bands
did not record them as a polka in
the first place.
This time around, Yankovic
“improves” upon songs by Beck,
Stone Temple Pilots, Sheryl
Crow, Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M.,
Alanis Morisette, Smashing
Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Pep
pers, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden
and Green Day.
The only thing I wish Yankovic
would do different would be to put
a little edge in his humor.
On past albums he has had
fun with several subjects ranging
from the conservative right to the
liberal left.
On this album, though, he just
stays in the middle. It is still aw
fully funny, so he must be doin'
something right.
s
3b
V>i :
WOMEN’S WEEK ‘96 MARCH 22-29
Texas Women: A Sense of Community
WOMEN’S WEEK STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
WOMEN’S PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENT OF STUDENT LIFE
SELECTED PROGRAMS OF INTEREST TO STUDENTS
Friday, March 22
Mncheon & Women’s Week Awards Presentations
12-1:30 PM Student Recreation Center, Archery Room, 2nd Floor
Keynote: Award Winning Texas Author Ruthe Winegarten
COST: $5 for students, $10 lor non-students SPONSOR: Women’s Week Committee
Ruthe Winegarten Reception and Book Signing
2- 4 PM J. Wayne Starke University Center Galleries SPONSOR: Women’s Week Committee
‘The Struggle of Equality for Women”
3- 4 PM 302 Rudder SPONSOR: Phi Gamma Chi
Monday, March 25
Resource Table Fair and Women’s Health Screening
10 AM-2 PM MSC Flag Room SPONSOR: Women’s Week Committee,
A.P. Beutel Health Center
Brown Bag Luncheon: “Romantic Relationships: What’s Your Style of Loving?”
PLEASE PREREGISTER FOR PROGRAM BY CALLING 845-4427
12:15-1:15 PM MSC Cafeteria SPONSOR: Student Counseling Services
“Waiting to Exhale: Book Signing, Terry McMillan”
5 PM MSC Bookstore
Evening with Terry McMillan Speech and Filmscreening of “Waiting to Exhale”
7 PM Rudder Auditorium SPONSOR: MSC Black Awareness Committee,
COST: $5 Women’s Week Committee, MSC Film Society,
MSC Literary Society, Texas A&M Bookstore
TYiesday, March 26
Brown Bag Luncheon, “Women’s Health: Nutrition and Fitness”
12:30-1:30 PM MSC Cafeteria SPONSOR: Aggie REACH
“Women’s Changing Roles and Responsibilities in the Community”
7-9 PM 601 Rudder SPONSOR: Women’s Week Committee
“Take Back The Night”
9 PM Rudder Fountain SPONSOR: Texas A&M <
National Organization for Women (NOW)
Wednesday, March 27
Brown Bag Luncheon, “Women’s Health: Sexual Health”
12:15-1:15 PM MSC Cafeteria SPONSOR: Aggie REACH
“Sexual Harassment 1996: Scholarly Definitions and Everyday Realities” — Teleconference
12-2 PM 601 Rudder SPONSOR: Department of Student Life
“Straight Talk About Women’s Health”
4:15-5:15 PM Student Recreation Center, 2nd Floor SPONSOR: A.P. Beutel Health Center
“Overcoming Obstacles, Facing New Challenges”—Panel Discussion on issues facing Graduate Women of Color
6-7:30 PM 302 Rudder SPONSOR: Hispanic Graduate Student Assn.,
Black Graduate Student Assn.
“Effects of Pornography” ,
8-9:30 PM 302 Rudder SPONSOR: Women’s Studies Undergraduate Group
‘He Said/ She Said”
12:30-2 PM MSC Flag Room
‘Playing the Game ”
8:30-9:30 PM 302 Rudder
Thursday, March 28
SPONSOR: Bridge Builders
SPONSOR: A.W.A.R.E.
Aggies Working for A Rape-Free Environment
Friday, March 29
Brown Bag Luncheon: “Body Image and Eating Disorders: Why Aren’t We Satisfied With the Way We Look?”
12:15-1:15 PM MSC Cafeteria
Matuschka: Beauty Out Of Damage
2:00-3:30 PM I. Wayne Starke Univ. Center Galleries
Women’s Programs Open House
3:30-5 PM 112Koldus
SPONSOR: Student Counseling Services
SPONSOR: WW Committee & Women’s Studies
Hosted by: The Women’s Week Student Advisor
Committee
L _
for more information and full schedule of events contact
Department of Student Life, Women’s Programs
@ (409) 845-1741 or drop by 112 John J. Koldus
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