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Wednesday • September 18, 1996
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When a writer of the best rock songs of the ’80s gets
over the hill and suffers a heart attack, listeners can ex
pect him to slow doyvn the music or quit.
But John Mellencamp, 44, must have been more affect
ed by the birth of his son last year than the heart attack
that stopped his last tour. His music on Mr. Happy Go
Lucky is full of more new life than most new albums put
out by the rock world’s elderly — with the possible ex
ception of Tom Petty and his soundtrack for She’s the One.
With 14 albums of experience from which to draw,
Mellencamp threw the rules out the window and started
.something new with Mr. Happy Go Lucky. Part of that new
sound came from working with Junior Vasquez, a New
York dance club mixer and producer.
The Xtreme crowd won’t be grinding to this music any
time soon, but the basic beat behind the music is differ
ent. Mellencamp’s long-time drummer, Kenny Aronoff, is
a master of the rock beat, but Vasquez adds a new dimen
sion to the music that makes it stronger.
The bouncy beat and the album’s title reflect the mood
of this album, a mood that makes a radical departure
from Mellencamp’s brooding sound on his last few al
bums. Even “The Full Catastrophe,’’ which was inspired
by his desire to quit music after his heart attack, does not
sound gloomy.
“Catastrophe” also marks the only autobiographical
song on the album, which is another departure from Mel
lencamp’s traditional style. With songs like “Jerry” and
1 “Mr. Bellows,” he plays the role of an observer without
sacrificing the story
telling quality of his writ
ing style.
And the new beat cer
tainly helps sell the lyrics.
Verses like “Life is hard
anyway you cut it” and “I
woke up today / Every
thing’s on my shoulders”
deliver a message without
slowing down the music.
And of course, Mellen-
I camp’s age has had an im-
pacton his writing. In
1982 “Jack and Diane”
talked about holding on to
16 “as long as you can,” but
the new album is not about teenage angst or uncertain
futures — it’s about life from an older perspective. In
"This May Not Be the End of the World,” Mellencamp re
peatedly sings, “Hello, all you losers / You’ve got nothing
to fear / This may not be the end of the world / But you
can see it from here.”
After questioning whether he was at the end of his ca
reer, Mellencamp has come back to prove it may be pos
sible, not just to get better with age, but to create some
thing new and improved while sticking with what works.
And with all that is new in Mr Happy Go Lucky, the al
bum still might remind rock fans of the classic music
Mellencamp created in the ’80s.
Not that every song by Mellencamp has to remind lis
teners “Pink Houses” or “Jack and Diane.” Mellencamp
would have had a memorable career without those songs
simply by creating a wide array of sounds. But not since
American Fool and Scarecrow has Mellencamp put to
gether such a complete package of quality music. Maybe
Mellencamp isn’t over the hill yet. Maybe the “American
Fool” has come of age. A - Michael Landauer
Mellencamp
Dave House, The Battalion
Father Fernando Giannetti, Class of '72, created the Internation
al Student's Association while he was a student at Texas A&M.
A former student takes the leadership skills
he cultivated at Texas A&M and goes in-
By Libe Goad
The Battalion
F ather Fernando Giannetti, Class of ’72, has always
thought of himself as a “communion man”, someone
who bridges gaps between people.
Now, he works making bridges as Pastor of Our Lady of
Mercy Catholic Parish in Buenos Aires. But in 1972, he
helped international students of Texas A&M commune
with other Aggies on campus.
This hole was filled by the International Students’ As
sociation (ISA), which Giannetti created to give a voice to
the 700 international students on campus.
“There were many international students,” Giannetti
said. “It was a need to be filled, and the space opened for
an international students association.”
Giannetti founded the organization at a crucial time of
change on the Texas A&M campus.
The military structure on campus was bombarded
with civilian students, including women. The University
grounds serving the Corps of Cadets had to adapt to the
non-regimented student population, and civilian stu
dents pioneered the student life seen on campus today.
The new type of students made a way for themselves
by starting a Civilian Student Council and establishing
hall councils in the non-regimented residence halls.
Giannetti served as hall president of Dorm 22, Schu
macher Hall, where a majority of international stu
dents lived.
It was there that Giannetti saw the need for his com
munity skills to create a link between international stu
dents and the rest of the University, and he found the in
spiration to create ISA.
“It was going to be a [United Nations] type of thing,
where each country would choose a delegate,” he said.
Giannetti’s talent as a middle man must have a lasting
quality because international students continue to look
to the ISA for fellowship and leadership.
Suzanne Drolesky, an adviser for ISA, said the orga
nization has matured into a program that offers lead
ership opportunities and a place to have working
world experiences.
“Anyone who goes into the world to work, must work
with people from multi cultural backgrounds,”
Drolesky said. “People (in ISA) learn about diplomacy,
how to run meetings and how to work with a budget.”
Giannetti’s role as the community man did not stop
after he graduated from A&M.
The Argentinian native returned to his home country
and found a renewed interest in the Catholic church.
“In 1974, I found a book about a French novel man
who made a big step back to Catholicism,” Giannetti
said. “I was impressed with his life, and the turn-abouts
of his life.”
The book was titled “Spiritual Journey of Charles Fou
cault 1857-1916.” Foucault was a French military man
who became a monk after a spiritual conversion.
Giannetti said Foucault inspired him to become a priest.
“He was a man impressed by Jesus’ love and mercy,” he
said. “And I wondered if I should do something similar.”
So he did.
Giannetti enrolled in a seminary and, eight years later,
he found himself in the administration of a controversial
parish split by progressives and conservatives.
“I tried to be a communion man,” he said. “I didn’t
kick anyone out.”
See Giannetti, Page 4
iubberbullet bounces its music off College Station tonight
By April Towery
The Battalion
he smell of Grandpa’s cigar, ointment on an open
wound and the music of Rubberbullet have one
thing in common: it hurts so good.
“It gave me a headache, but I wanted to stay,” one
illas fan said about a Rubberbullet show.
Beth Clardy, vocalist/songwriter of the Dallas rock
intet, said despite comparisons to Hole lead singer
urtney Love’s appearance and onstage performance,
r vocals are unique.
“If people want to compare us, that’s fine, but we
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ng,Web Editob I Qardy said her live performances are indescribable.
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liver what I have inside of myself in what I hope is
l «t a blatant manner,” Clardy said. “I want to expose
at I am feeling, but expose it in disguise.”
I Clardy has been recognized for her ability to trans-
jtm a growl into a whisper onstage.
J “A live show is a good thing for us,” Clardy said. “We
! e l into it.
“For me, the best thing about music is indulging in it,
Itting your hands on good music. It’s a thrill to know
°u helped create that; it’s yours, and it’s quality.”
Bassist Dan Kyrk said the shows occasionally get
nald, and office iC pied away.
“We.were playing an instrumental at this one show, and this guy
pt getting up in Beth’s face and got onstage and took her mic,” Kyrk
C per school yeafi laid. “It wouldn’t bother me if he’d only been up there for a second,
Express, call 84: bm he was just hanging out and acting like he was the singer of our
■ring the fall anM |nd. I just barely touched him, and he went flying.”
■{except on Uniff I Qardy said the band tries to just have fun while performing onstage.
3 l ^ 6 alwa y s have a good time,” she said. “We might get too drunk
ee c on3 ' |fore the show, but then we can just laugh about it the next day.
I “We had fun the last time we were in College Station. The people
there seem interested in music. They always want to talk after the
ow. This is good because very attentive audiences make us want to
Rubberbullet
play well.”
Kyrk said the audience has an effect on the band’s performance.
“I’d like for it to not make a difference, but it does,” he said. “If the
audience is not into the music, it’s hard for us to get into it, but usually
our shows are pretty crazy and a lot of fun.”
Although Rubberbullet has what Clardy calls “interesting” live
shows, she said the band members also enjoy recording music.
“It’s hard to say when you’re in the band, but I wouldn’t say we
sound better live,” Clardy said. “Our music is fine by itself.”
Rubberbullet recorded its debut album, Open, on Last Beat Records
this summer.
Rubberbullet’s claim to fame is drummer Earl Harvin, one of the
most sought-after drummers in Texas, who is also
of Seal, MC 900-Foot Jesus, and his jazz band,
The Earl Harvin Quartet.
“Earl got us together,” Clardy said. “He want
ed to start a band for the material he’d been writ
ing, and we heard about it through mutual
friends and hearsay.”
The other members in the band are guitarists
Aaron Berlin and Richard Paul, and Kyrk, who is
also Clardy’s boyfriend.
Clardy said playing in a band with her boyfriend
has not caused problems between them.
“I argue with him about music stuff, but I ar
gue with the other guys, too,” she said.
Kyrk said he agrees that the relationship is
not unusual.
“It’s nice when we go on the road, because we
treat it as a vacation,” Kyrk said. “We get to travel
and spend that time together.”
Kyrk and Clardy took advantage of a travel
opportunity last spring when Rubberbullet
toured the East Coast with another Dallas
band, Baboon.
“We’re good friends, and we have the same
booking agent (as Baboon), so we always end up
in the same areas at the same time,” Clardy said.
Clardy said she dreams of touring with the
Flaming Lips.
“We’re not directly influenced by them, we
just dig what they do,” she said.
“I’m sure I’m influenced somehow by something, but I don’t want
to be. I was kind of weird for a while about listening to and reading
about other bands because I wanted to create my own style.”
Kyrk said Rubberbullet style is something the band members plan
to take as far as they can.
“Music is Earl’s career, Richard and Aaron work at a liquor store,
and I work at an antique place,” Kyrk said. “Do I want music to be my
career? Sure I do. I want the free orange juice before the shows; I want
to wake up at 3 p.m.
“Yeah, this could be my career.”