University of South Carolina Libraries
' Donnie Iri By MIKE ROMATOWSKI Entertainment Editor Donnie Iris has a new album out. Who is HAnnio ?ric 9 \JL/*>11 *%, ^viuiib uio. MC11, MJIVC rt Uddll U1 DUUUy Holly, add a smidgen of Roy Orbison, a small dose of Elvis Costello, a portion of Frankie Vallee and add sizeable helpings of Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles and Meat k Loaf and you'll get a taste of what Donnie Iris is all about. In other words, Iris is the rock 'n' roller from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania who sounds a lot like a whole bunch of othpr rnrk 'n' rollers. His latest MCA Record's release, King Cool, is a montage of slick, danceable tunes that at times comes close to being great rock, but ultimately falls just a little bit short. Rock fans from the 1960s may remember Iris for his number one single with a group called the Jaggerz. The song was called | "The Rapper," and earned Iris a gold i tvut u ill uic IdlC oua vuc IUUN bUIUC UI uie royalties from that record, bought two gerbils, watched them multiply, then tripled Donnie Iris and the Cruisers: Marty Le and Mark Avsec. , f > > > The end is near. ? ; ; Last Day ; October 16 * USC Studen ^ ; for the 1981 , /^l i i e /- i ' cnnaren 01 a Lesser uoo > Frank Holder Dance Co. * Marcel Marceau i The Dave Brubeck Quartet I Chicago Chamber Brass ? 1 a ii r All hive events J s Reaches his money by marketing a chic line of gerbil clothing). WHEN A flood destroyed his basement and wiped out all his animals in 1974 (this is not a joke), Iris returned to the rock 'n' roll wars. He performed for a while with a group called Wild Cherry ("play that funky music, white boy..."), and last year recorded a solo album called Back On the Streets. Now Iris is back with King Cool, and while the album is definitely "cool", it will also definitely not make him into the king of rock 4n' roll. Iris and his band, the Cruisers, utilize a hard-driving vet melodic stvle that should get listeners on their feet and dancing, yet there is something about the album's production that gives an impression of restraint, as if the band is holding back ever so slightly. Most of the songs make too much use of synthesizers instead of a straightforward guitar-bass-drums attack that would make this great music instead of merely good music. Iris seems to borrow lihprallv frnm nthpr ? ^.V .. w... WWW groups and songwriters: one song, "Broken n e, Albritton McClain, Iris, Kevin Valentine i nf^KT** < ^6 I jg^_ < ^Bg^ < it Season Tickets ; I Cultural Series < i i November \ 8 < December 2 \ March 7 ' March 31 3 A I A "X April 11 < i ; only $13.00 < i i < < :kets Available M. I I < HUU Travel Center | | i russeH house 5 < < For Rock Si Promises," features Beatles-like chord progressions, then breaks into a Bo Diddleystyle drum solo before finishing in a whining vocal echo a la Elvis Costello. ANOTHER TUNE, "The Promise," is straight out of the Bruce Springsteen school of songwriting, complete with majestic string arrangement and toueh-vet-hoDeful lyrics: Past the endless souls who could not reach And those who would not dare Oh the promise is still waiting for you there Among the other songs which evoke other artists are "Color Me Blue," which is based on Roy-Orbison-like piano triplets, "Love is BiMHii C\ ID TUIC A I Hy ^*-i?11 iij r\\ i iiii j 1111 i HH i mn I ? i Hi i I WW I EXPI > i itacs I Fast, Fret I Old Fashioned H I New Yo H Locajiy Owned I! week-end | ALari | Two item j and 4 Free umy$7.5oa5 One Coupor j 256-0301 tardom Like a Hock," which has a god-awful chorus remindful of Queen circa "We Are the Champions," and "The Last to Know," which sounds like a Jim Steinman/Meat Loaf collaboration. Several tunes, "Pretender," for example, even borrow from groups like the B-52s. Thus Iris has produced a record which folic iiipf oK/\i?f ft vtrr ? '? " - iano juoi ouui i Ul ucoci viug 1UVC ICV1CWS, something keeps it from greatness, although just what that something is is hard to pin down. Iris has the potential, however, to someday write that one truly phenomenal song that will catapult him to legendary status. He and the Cruisers need only to "let loose" a little more and Iris could find himself a place at the top of the rock world. PS SAVEiwiMf msam HHHi BBI i i 814 Harden St. 771-7376 ^ Northway Plaza 735-1883 | j I airfield Koad H I reHggsr : i 3aSi 3 Delivery I and Rolled Pizza B rk style B ^ H AK*/M?^4-rt i-J a LLSLSiHJE Li?i?u t Special! "j I 3e ; I i Pizza i H iCokes I I 9.00 value | i i Per Pizza Expires: 10/11/81 I