University of South Carolina Libraries
F/inJg' 'I n>r By Mark Platte Assistant Naws Editor Try and think of what you were doing three years ago. It's a fair amount of time and you might not have even been at USC. You may have recalled that the country rock group Eagles had released their long awaited LP entitled Hotel California, which boasted tunes like "Life in the Fast Lane," "New Kid in Town" and "Victim of Love." Three vears have passed, and the only release we have heard from the Eagles is a forgettable Christmas single "Please Come Home for Christmas." For Eagles fans, it has been a long three years of going back to albums like On the Border, Desperado, and Greatest Hits. Suddenly, the Eagles have returned from obscurity and released The Long Run. Starved for Eagles music, fans have to be careful not to examine this album too sharply to enjoy it. The frame of mind in which one has to listen to this oiKiim ic nno of mif Mrwtinff too much. It won't blow anyone away with "Take It Easy" or "Already Gone" quality but if taken in small doses, this disc can provide entertainment for adoring fans everywhere. The first cut, title-track "The Long Run," seems to want to set the tone for the rest of the album, a none-too-serious approach to their collection. The song starts with the familiar, raspy voice of Don Henley breaking into a strong agreement with a reggae-influenced back beat. The song is destined to be a hit single and will aeiigm tans 01 me a op L to R: Timothy Schmit, Don Felder Playwright Albe< lecture in ballro By Dale Smoak S Osmacock Staff Writ* Edward AJbee, one of America's foremost dramatists Tuesday, October 23, at 8:00 p.m. in the Russell Houa Holders of currently validated USC IDs will be admitted dition. there will be a limited number of tickets available to advance from the Travel Center at a cost of $1.00. Albee will speak on "The Playwright vs. the Theater," a < the problems, strengths and future of the American theater read selections from his plays with commentary. Albee has won two Pulitzer Prizes for his plays A Delicc and Seaecape. Among his other plays are Who's Afrah Wool/, The American Dream and The Zoo Story. The evening with Edward Albee is sponsored by the Idea committee of the Russell House University Union. ^ . 40" set. The slide euitar work of Joe Walsh is fine, but the song drags too much and loses its appeal in the end. The second song could easily have been mistaken for a Poco tune. "I Can't Tell You Why" is a well-arranged song with vocals by Timothy Schmit, but the composition, as is true of all the album, is long and bleeds the song until it's too repititive to keep one's interest. Joe Walsh, the ex-Eagle come home, provides excellent vocals as well as slide guitar in one of the album's best tiMAc "?? fho Pifu " HaH Walch 1*?ft "I.ifp's Rppn flnnd" off his last solo album, this would have made a fantastic substitute. Here, it adds a definite plus in the Eagles' direction while showing the versatility of Walsh. "The Disco Strangler" has no purpose but to fill up time on the first side. The driving beat of drums on this song permeate this worthless cut. This song sets a bad tone for the album only because it should have been left off the record to begin with. The longest song on the release, "King of Hollywood/' provides the same basic drum riff with three separate drum solos breaking up the six-minute song. The lyrics are good, telling an enticing story of a big time Hollywood producer promising a new female prospect all the riches of a star. Don Henley and Glenn Frey work well together in making their voices blend in effective fashion. The second side opens with "Heartache Tonight," currentlv the 23rd hottest smash in the nation with^a-bullet, ? according to Billboard Magazine. This single could be mistaken for an Andrew Gold/Shaun Cassidy composition, complete with handclaps and pleasingly blending vocals. However, this song was penned by Henley, Fre, Bob Seger and J.D. Souther. Although it has no deep-seated meaning, FM listeners will find themselves humming it as it is played more and more on the radio. As any "Top 40" single is supposed to, it captures our attention and plays in our hoaHc "Those Shoes" features the talk-box guitars of Joe Walsh and Don Felder. Again, Henley's guitar controls this song rather than adds to it. The talk-box guitars wear thin on the nerves and are overused on every other line of this song. This song also seems to be filler, probably material cut from Hotel California's worst recordings. The vocal combination of Frey and Henley comes in again on "Teenage Jail," but this time it's a disaster as the < Little River. of successful I By Mary Campbell Under th AP Nowafeatures Writer ReCOrdS, The Little River Band, from we've bro Australia, in the middle of a 68-city as ^e tour of America, has the pleasure Australia.' of seeing its single, "Lonesome best-sellin Loser," No. 7 and climbing on the begins, best-selling charts as October Pellicci Lead guitarist David iiriggs product is wrote the song, the only one he's toured w written. Drummer Derek Pellicci were fjnjn and guitarist and singer Graham 5^ un(jer ' Goble are pleased about the song- they mad< writing depth in the band. an(j zap_ j "I don't know of another act in happen th; the whole world that has four in-' the right dividual song writers each writing jj?s betU hit singles," Goble says. "It's a big gradually advantage. If you rely on one n0. 1." I l?A rtAmrf f W?t/vi?rfU r\ Iwiiici anu lie io uuuugu a '1'MG gfOI bad period, where are you? Even tour of Ai now we've got a reserve of songs. January, If we had to go in the studio George M tomorrow, we could probably put fout honoi together a good album even though tour. Pelli we just made an album." was advis Lead singer Glenn Shorrock the snow i wrote "Help Is on Its Way," a them out t single hit from the Diamantlna "But t! A Cocktail album. Goble says he i0of. It's < 9 I 11 writes from personal experience thine we and observation. some acts Guitarist and singer Beeb Birtles this year Am wrote "Happy Anniversary," the affected b ^J|H other hit single from Diamantina Their f Cocktail. Goble says he writes a Band, cai variety of kinds of songs. two albtj n ncwaiiBuaviuuMBS0 Australia will speak I No. 1 who dabbles in song writing, those tv 3 Ballroom. I -And I write mainly fictional America free. In ad- I things,"Goble says. He wrote the Then thei the public in I group's two biggest hits. He says album ii I Reminiscing' went to No. 3 in the came Sle liscussion of | United States.'Lady* went to No. 7 ninmnnti He will also I but it sold 100,000 more copies than America I 'Reminiscing.' makes si: te Balance 1 "David's I^ser'. is ? niucl iva, i of Virginia still climbing. It's our biggest the Adel l single for radio airplay." released sand Issues The tide of the Little River christma Band's current album, First formancc ?' zed blessing Eagles put on their best imitation of Rush-style hard rock. Cpou'c cunthooi70p onH ITolHpr'5 misnlflPpH cfiiit^r solo are A." & VJ O OJ HVltVUICiVa unu JL viv*va w ?- ? an intrusion to this trash. "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" is a putdown of college fraternities but will probably play for years to come at McBryde Quadrangle along with Pablo Cruse and the Commodores. An example of the genuis of Frey and Henley is found in this song, "There was beer all over the dance floor and the band was playing rhythm and blues. You got down and did the gator and a half an hour later, you were barfing all over your girlfriend's shoes." Jimmy Buffet adds background vocals on this fast-paced song. "The Sad Cafeis the only song that you'd immediately recognize as tne Eagles, remimscem 01 ~rrewy xviaias aii In A Row" from the last album. This song saves the record from being more than a puzzling, mediocre effort. It reminds the listener that maybe the Eagles aren't dead, that they can still produce their old, familiar, likeable tunes if they tried. David Sanborn, a superb saxophonist who has played for James Taylor, David Bowie, Elton John, Cat GtAirane orirl Paul Cimnn nmviHoo tho final annff with a UtVTVIkJ U??v* Jk uua MIIIIVI1) VTAViw ?uw?? ** * < ? carefree, pleasing ending. Maybe it's not so bad an album; maybe it's pretty good. It depends on what the listener expects. Let's just hope that in three years from now, when our tastes change again, so do the Eagles. mwB&U&L Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh Band in middle M _fl 1 iuur,uiuum sui&s ie Wire, on Capitol be recorded and may be added so Goble says, "means that a live album released in the ken out internationally U.S. will be double. The Little first band from River Band is now performing It's No. 10 on the songs on stage they haven't g chart as October previously recorded. The group has not broken says, "I believe we've through in England. When they ing steadily because our first went there, in 1976, punk rock ? improving. In 1977 we was all the rage. ith Supertramp. They "1 think a lot of the New Wave is g 5,000-seat halls, a little an excuse for a lot of musicians where we are now. Then who never found success with e Breakfast in America anything else." "AA A Tl r?/>kU r.rlJn UVn., J.nnU n -ZD,UW sealers, 11 can uuuic auua, iuu uuii i iicuu a at quickly. All we need is whole lot of musical expertise to album. But Glenn says play some of the music. The proof sr to be moving up of the whole thing will be the ?you can't add pluses to longevity of it. If it doesn't last, that proves it wasn't so good." up didn't enjoy a 12-week The second biggest trauma in the merica which started in group's life has been two lineup * * -?- ? * a. i m at. _ ? i Decause Dass guitarist cnanges. jusi Dexore me ursi [cArdle decided to leave American tour in 1976, lead red his commitment to guitarist Rick Formosa decided to icci says, "And the radio leave. Goble says, "We weren't 100 ing people not to go out in percent happy with the bass player ind we were trying to get so we took the opportunity to o our concerts. replace him, too. Lead guitarist lis tour is through the David Briggs and George McArdle easily the most successful came in. Then George left after the 've ever done. I know January tour this year and Barry > aren't getting audiences Sullivan came in. For this tour, but we haven't been we've added a seventh person, Mai >y any recession." Logan, on keyboards. irst album, Little River "George decided to go to fullme out in 1975. The next time Bible college in Australia. He ims were released in is doing what he wants to do now. and the best cuts from He was an unhappy person before, tro were released in It's nice to see him finding this as Diamantina Cocktail, happiness." re was a "greatest hits" The worst thing that has hapi Australia only. Then pened to the band was Pellicci's eper Catcher, which like getting burned so badly he missed na Cocktail is gold in part of the 1978 tour. He had gone then the new one. That to a backyard barbecue, and was ir in AnntrAlin aim) fmir in standinff cIma u/hen snmebodv A live album made with threw liquid fuel on the fire, which aide Symphony will be sent flames all over him. in Australia before He was in a hospital 54 days and s. The last 12 per- on a plane to join his band eight a of the current tour will aays later. * % ?%< ?? e * ? A ? ? % S \ * *V .% *<.' * V ?