The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 23, 1980, Page Page 6, Image 6
Enterta
Rrn\un
By John K. Moey
Staff Writer
Three years have passed" since
we've heard anything from
Jackson Browne. The prolific,
WIAA/li w nri/1 n ^ f r\/-l n i rt Vt r% n
mwujr diiu ucvutaicu auigci nets
contributed a great deal to popular
music. Yet he has never done
anything for gratuitous popularity.
His music is superbly crafted and
filled with mellifluous lyrics that
hold an amazingly perceptive
vision focused on modern
America. Too often popular
musicians seem content to string
together merely adequate lyrics
with familiar instrumentation. i
Browne's recent release, Hold
Out, is a striking accomplishment.
Its intelligent and often beautiful
songs are a welcome break from
the clouded pool of "pretenders"
(to steal one of Browne's terms)
now grabbing the radio listening
public's attention.
Hold Out, Browne's sixth album,
exhibits his continuing maturation
as an artist. His last album,
Running on Empty, was released
in 1977 and was his first major
commercial success. However,
aficionados of this aesthetically
sensitive musician have known of
his unique blend of lyrical imagery
and a rocker's razor edge and can
understand where his present
music has evolved from. From his
earliest album, Saturate Before
Using, he has carved his niche in
the contemporary music scene.
Browne's uncompromising apThe
Fanai
energy in
By Mark Chevalier
. cju ?
tiiiviianiinoiu LUHUI
The Fanatics, in case you
haven't heard, are our local brand
of the now defunct punk (which on
the international level has already
given way to the more commercially
adaptable "new wave").
Yet.to Dunk or not to ounk is not the
question, for punk never could sell
? not back in the late '60s or early
'70s when Detroit was booming
with pre-punk punk, or even in the
post-punk period of late that
flourished for a brief stay in New
York and London. Punk can't sell
because energy on vinyl can't hold
a candle (or even a safety-pin) to
energy in action. There is no doubt
about it, punk has to be seen, to be
heard. If you're a punk that sells
records, you won't be for long.
if uiv.il ui 11150 iu uativ vu a lauici
rousing three-set performance last
Wednesday and Thursday in the
Golden Spur by regional punkers
Nick Pagan, Mike Hoffman, R.B.
Lander and Dennis "The Menace"
Hasty ? collectively known as The
Fanatics. Now whether or not
these are their real names I have
no way of knowing ? deception
and confusion are punk principles
? and no matter how artificially
they have come to apply here, they
are something one has come to
expect. In fact, much of what The
The GAMECOCK it the student
neiwspapar of the University of South
Carolina and ia published thraa times a
week on Mondays, Wednesdays and
' Fridays during the fall and spring samastars
and once weakly on Wadnasdays during
both aummar sessions whh the exception
of university holidays and exeminatlon
periods.
Opinions expressed in the GAMECOCK
' are those of the editors and not those of the
University of South Carolina.
The University of South Carolina Is an
equal opportunity Institution.
The Board of Student Publications and
Convpunlcation* '? the publisher of the
GAMECOCK. The Student Media Office Is
* the parent orgsnliation of the GAMECOCK.
Chang* of Morau forma, subscription
, requests and other corrsspondece should
be sent to the GAMECOCK, Box 88131,
. Rueee* House, University of South
CsruMs., Cotumbto, B.C. 29208. Sub
f . scriffelon retee are $8.BO per semester and
$ 2 for (He euMMvfer eoeslono>
Third ofaee pastafs paM at Columbia,
' 9Xi.
inmenti
e's visi
proach continues in Hold Out.
The insightful, rather than
taunting "Disco Apocolypse" (the
album's first cut) exhibits
Browne's keen understanding of
his culture. "Where the days turn
into the nights / People move into
the sounds and the sights/ Like the
moth is drawn into the lights/ Like
the tight-rope walker into the
heights/ It's in their hearts, it's in
their hips,/ It's in their feet, it's on
their lips.../ Dancing through the
fire on the edge of time."
The familiar background of
David Lindley's lap steel guitar
(which is especially stirring on the
title cut) and Craig Doerge's string
synthesizer and acoustic piano are
more impressive than ever. Unlike
a few of his previous albums,
Browne's vocals soar above the
background rather than getting
muddled within it. The final two
songs of the first side, "That Girl
Acs: post-j
'New Wav
Fanatics do, say, sing about an<
act like are mere parodies of pas
post-punk bands they hav<
evidently seen or heard.
Like other punkers, they ar<
overtly pretentious, self-consciou!
and arrogant. They have a ten
dency to wander off stage durinj
songs, jerk voluntary in-voluntan
jerks, stand on chairs and mak<
full use of off-color language. Theii
songs tend to be the hard-driving
"ork/?? ?l nnmmanfnmt" mitl
gwiat wAiiiiiviiici& j ijrwiu
phrases crammed into spaces to<
short for normal dictation, wailinj
guitar riffs and ? no matter hov
chaotic the song may appear quick,
snappy endings. But asid<
from all the parody and support foi
a stereotype, The Fanatics di
create the one vital ingredient
energy.
Thursday night's show opene<
with a "punk" rendition of th<
"Impossible Dream," whicl
became auite comical towards th
end. They quickly moved into on<
of their better songs of the evening
a force-full rockin' theme son;
called "We Are The Fanatics!
! j NOW SHOWING
i 1 1. From Holly Wit
i | 2. Kinky Tricks
S l Stflrtc Frirls
ISuperspy John (Macks UsH
With His 6i?*ntic Key!
THE SliitTII
, IIWIT
2. Soft Places
RATI
^1
on ncii
Could Sing" and "Boulevard" (the
first single released from the
album), are particularly strong
examples of Browne's newly
refined vocals. These two songs
rock true while containing some
particularly fine lyrics.
Although it is easy to simply
expect Jackson Browne's
songwriting to be meaningful and
perceptive, it should be noted that
he has not cut any corners. His
craftsmanship is wonderful in "Of
Missing Persons" and "Hold On
Hold Out" in particular. Browne
urtvciD uic ui uic iiiuiu,
the heart and most importantly,
the soul with his lyrics. Perhaps
never have his lyrics , been more
brilliant, his musical
arrangements more diverse, his
vocals more expressive. Browne
has emerged through the eye of a
cultural storm with an impressive
and cutting musical achievement.
It is as if he is speaking to
something inside us. The 'gypsy
soul' in "Of Missing Persons" is
like the hidden father of our whole
society. "Your brothers are all
older/ And they'll take it in their
stride/ The world's a little colder/
But manhood's on their side/ Now
you're the little child-girl/ And you
look so much like him/ And he's
right there inside you/ Each time
you want to sing..."
Quite surprisingly, there isn't a
song about the nuclear power
issue. An eloquent spokesman for
solar energy, Browne has spent the
>unk
e' era
The show stealer for the first se
though was clearly their swinginj
rendition of "Spiderman," fron
At r. i i
me saiuraay morning cartoon
Pagan's gestures of web-flingini
were perfect pantomime of tto
bygone comic hero, and may givi
us some indication of what we cai
expect from the minds of boob-tub*
babies.
"Bang A Gong," the T-Re:
classic, and Alice Cooper's "I'm
Piohfpon'' nnarxul tKia pjuiahc!
w|/v??v\4 VAIV iJWVUVI OUI
with Pagan claiming: "When I wa
14 I wanted to be Alice Cooper,
mean really beee him...but I gues
everybody did."
The last set featured an origina
1
tune mai arew good audienc<
response, a rather dramatic drivei
called "Ignorance is Bliss." All ii
all, The Fanatics provide for ai
entertaining evening of music an<
show. What they lack in originality
they compensate with gall. Yoi
may find yourself laughing undei
your breath at The Fanatics, bu
r my guess is, you're laughing wit!
* The Fanatics.
liMmiriinwii i n III iBHgwgHre
- ADULTS ONLY X\
h Love j j
y July 25th
DX l
* M.
i in 'Hoi
past few years doing benefits for i
M.U.S.E. (Musicians United for i
Safe Energy). He was a major I
force, with Graham Nash, in 1
organizing the weeklong benefit at 4
Madison Square Garden from I
which the M.U.S.E. album i
emerged. Yet he is a diverse I
person of many interests. His 1
songs are explorations of universal 1
themes: time, love, moral
courage, death, to mention a few. <
To an artist of Browne's stature, 1
life is a series of fragmented <
images that one must at least 1
P SdoU
k.
Jazz on t\
An evening of jazz music by USC i
on the Horseshoe at 6:30 Thursday
University Union Summer Cultural
uu ^ :
r-iestrmeu in cunjunuuuii wiui a j
Department of Music July 22-25, th
music faculty members as John E
Jim Mings and Doug Graham. Visit
the workshop from around the S
participate in the concert.
The program is the last of three
the USC summer series, "Music*
cream will be sold. Audiences s
blankets for seating. The concert v
#-v 11 ? rt I rvf 1 w*
Oct in uuiu in uic f vein wi i din.
'Enterprise9
On Sunday afternoon, July 27, 1
tinue its Star Trek film series as a
Three" programs. A feature ler
"Menagerie" stars William Sha
Hunter and Susan Oliver...Kirk, S
?t discover that a former comman
g Christopher Pike, is horribly scai
(i movie-goers on Sunday afternoon
i# "Menagerie" special. That's this J
g Auditorium on Senate Street, at
e mission is free.
I Summer
X Pinnl tv?rfnrmnnr??e nf Arthur
i George Bernard Shaw's PygmalU
Dr. Vanilla and the Short Tall-Tale
s Repertory Theatre season Aug. 3 a
I Miller's tragedy, which tells of
s salesman who never realizes his
j formed by the USC acting compan;
j The last performance of Pygr
3 sformation of Cockney street gir
r British lady, will be presented Aug
i The children's Dlav. Dr. Vanilla
\ performed at 10:30 Aug. 1 and
j followers crusade to spread fun a
humor-hating Gorilla MacNorml t
Admission is $3.50 for the public
military and senior citizens and $
for Dr. Vanilla are $1.50 each. For
box office at 2551 weekdays noon-5
rEARNE
MOP
Urgently neede<
! 1V1UI1UI1UC1CU8I!> IO
j I [Research. If you hav
|! past 2 weeks Mono
| | for $100.00 per we
;; your lime. Call 254
U formation.
p Serologicals of <
n Suite 105, 2711
Columbia, i
d Out'
attempt to piece together if
neaning is to be found. He is out
:here on the edge, daring to express
the truth and a sense of hope.
'For the countless souls beaten by
their goals/ Keep a hold on now/
\nd the ones betrayed by the deals
they made/ Keep a hold on/ If you
lold your ground it'll turn around/
Keep a hold somehow..."
In Hold Out Jackson Browne
continues in the tradition of
nusical artistry he's built. It is one
)f the most significant releases in a
ong time.
ights *)
\e 'shoe'
musicians will be presented free j
, July 24, sponsored by the USC j
Series.
iazz music workshop at the USC
ie concert will feature such USC
mche, Dick Goodwin, Jim Hall,
ting music instructors attending
loutheast are also expected to
informal concerts presented by
il Flavors." Lemonade and ice j
ihould bring folding chairs or !
vill be held in the Russell House
at museum
:he Columbia Museum will conpart
of the summer "Sundays At
igth film running 110 minutes,
tner, Leonard Nimoy, Jeffrey
pock and McCoy are shocked to
aer 01 uie unierprise, uapiam
rred and totally paralyzed. Join j
to discover what happens in this
Sunday at the Columbia Museum
3. The public is invited and adtheatre
Miller's Death of a Salesman, j
m and Chris and Les Reynolds'
s will conclude the USC Summer
t Longstreet Theatre.
the demise of Willy Loman, the
dream of success, will be per- I
y Aug. 1 and 3 at 8. j
nation, which follows the tranI
Eliza Doolittle into a cultured
, 2 at 8.
and the Short Tall-Tales, will be
2. Dr. Vanilla and his band of
nd laughter, despite attempts of
d stop the happy team.
$2.50 for USC faculty and staff,
1.50 for USC students. All tickets
reservations, call the Longstreet
LXTRA I
JEY !
\ people with ;;
aid in Medical !]
e or had within the I I
>, you may qualify fj
ek for 3 hours of j'.j
-(5537 for more inColumbia,
Inc.
) Middleburg |
5.C. 29204 !