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IU. ruco; nvi By MIKE ROMATOWSKI cXi... Kiiiriuiiiiiircii iirnui BLUE AND GRAY, the new album by Piv>n ic ennnontilalhr nnp rvf tho mHQt in A. V/VVj a %j vviivvj/tuuiij VI#V vi vi?v aaavuv ??* r novative albums to come along in months. Songwriters Rusty Young and Paul Cotton have made a unique attempt at expanding upon the usual album format; the entire collection of songs is inspired by the A tril WT r% t* nuici iv.au v/ivn iiai . Rather than pen a series of historical narratives, they decided to take a broader, more evocative approach. Thus, the album offers musical vignettes which they hoped would capture the feel and spirit of the United States at war in the 1860s. If the Civil War was as drab and boring as this record, f , however, I feel more sorry for those who lived through it than those who died in it. Young explains this new effort as follows: "We wanted to take a few chances this time. You can get burned out making the same old album of pop tunes. It's like a fiction writer who's only done short stories wanting to write a ir.aior novel." mi l niHH: 9 ' ,,i,MlnrMmiTri ^ MSgm if. ^ Franken and Davis, writers and perfoi for two shows in the Russel House Ball ^ students; and $5.00 for the public. 1 Center. Q COLLECTAEi U S f $ ^ introi ^ 10% off all r r /-i i 20% off allot} H?H Tuesday,September 8t\ x: E?1 I I * A ^ . ijcnriM i a. | 745 Saluda Ave./F /elfv Shoult THE SONGS are a direct contradiction to that statement, however, for Young and the ' band never take any chances at all; it's as if they merely sleepwalked through the recording sessions. Young and Cotton would have done better had they actually made this a novel instead of a record, for the lvrics are impressive if one reads them without hearing the music. They conjure up images of soldiers off to war ('Blue and Grey'), and toasts to lovely Southern belles ('Here Comes That Girl Again'). The problem is twofold: Young ana uouon drone their way through the vocals with an incredible lack of spark or enthusiasm, and the instrumentation is so bland it might just as well not be there at all. Although the group's past nils HKe urazy l^ove anu 'Heart of the Night' were certainly no monuments of excitement, they actually surpass the material on Blue and Gray. Both Young and Cotton sing in very similar styles: neither one ever conveys any sense of urgency or emotion. It's a shame, because their lyrics deserve much better treatment. Cotton's best effort is called 'Streets of Paradise,' a bluesy number liMStHiKi BHHB fl| ; ^f!MX>?S7^iS^y-S'^^k -- -^^>^^T-^v---f%i--^-v-? -:z ": v* J " ';-' . -1 j '^ 41-i~-'-}ii--ii,^k. * , ^^J rmers on Saturday Night Live^will appear troom on Sept. 18. Tickets will be $3.50 for rickets go on sale Sept. 14 at the Travel <E I lip. rJi i i uiaksVksi y lew fall clothes ler merchandise i - Saturday,September 12th telidule r T/" ? ? :ive Points7799-7946 I J Have Beei about a wounded soldier: For too many years now I've been the devil's own In a midnight rage I take the streets alone 'Streets of Paradise' is followed by Young's best song, 'The Writing on the Wall.' It is a lyrical masterpiece that deserves to be sung by someone who can at * i _ 5 ll :?A least give a reansuc impression 01 uie quitit determination the song evokes. Last night I dreamed as I lay sleeping I saw a thousand angels cross the sky... They left a trail of love and glory Rusty Young and P r_ WHO: { TUC1 ' 1 1 1 1L.1 \ N FKfcfc L i All USC studeni | lunch at Trinity Ei } (corner of Sum I } on Sunday, S jjj it's free ? no co A Trinity Cathedral ser H/IUA t#AI II J"1 RIVf ? i As they crossed the Southern Sky I saw the writing on the wall Though we may stumble, we can't fall me war is a naiurai ineme lor Cotton and Young, considering their mutual interest in the South and the fact that they appeal mostly to a Southern audience. They certainly cannot be faulted for the ambitiousness of this project; they should in fact be admired for it. However, the best thing to do regarding Blue and Gray is to let cnmo/>np nlcn Kiur it tlinn hnrrniii tho incirio UVIilVVIlV/ VIOV WUJ 11| VI IV/11 1 UTT 111V/ 11IOIUV jacket and read the lyrics. You'll get a romantic view of the Civil War without having to snooze through the music and vocals. vni aut Cotton of Poco SAYS RE'S o | T TIVT/*""*? IH 5 ,uni,nr s ts are invited to 7 jiscopal Cathedral i :er and Gervais) X ept. 13, 12:45 I st, no oongauon. j vices ? 8, 9:15, 11:30 \ Sunday ^