The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 19, 1982, Page Page 8, Image 8
Ad an
BY CHRIS HANDAL
Book Critic
Remember The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the
Galaxy, that truly
remarkable book which left
a number of questions
unanswered? Questions such
as what is the ultimate
question to life, the universe
and everything?
Well, now all that is answered
in Douglas Adams'
zany sequel, The Restaurant
at the End of the Universe.
But that's not all that can be
learned from this book. For
instance, have you ever
wondered what verb tense
formation to use when
describing an event that
never took place because
you jumped foward in time
to avoid it?
No problem, because this
tricky question is also
handled in the novel as
Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect,
Zaphod Beeblebrox and
Trillian hop around the
universe to find a good meal.
Once again, Adams has
written a novel with verylittle
value other than it is
funny. So humorous is The
Edmund;
BY MARK FINK
Slaff Writer
Edmunds' American
Way? it's real American
music. Sung, written,
played, and produced by
Dave Edmunds of Cardiff,
Whales.
The Best of Dave EdmunHfi
is tho r?f
American-derived rock 'n'
roll, rockabilly, and upbeat
country by one of rock's
most versatile and talented
performers.
And it even has got most of
Edmunds' best songs. I say
"most," for this one album is
culled from four fine LPs:
Get 11 ('77), Tracks on Wax
(*78), Repeat When
Necessary ('79) and
Twangin ('81).
The songs are nothing but
tine, and as this is a real
"best of" album, rather than
a collection of lowlife
throwaway tracks called
greatest gumdrops, you're
probably familiar with most
of the tunes. All four original
LPs are well-represented,
with a nod toward Repeat
When Necessary.
Edmunds writes a good
deal of his recorded tunes,
and his covers are well
cnosen ana inspired.
Edmunds handles load
guitar and vocals, and is
backed on most of the cuts
by Nick Lowe on bass, Billy
Bremner on second guitar
and Terry Williams on
drums. Edmunds and these
three musicians recorded a
convincing debut album as
Rockpile with Seasons of
Pleasure in 1980. The
musicians' familiarity with
each other enhances the
group feeling of the songs,
ic Art'
IV/ A MLM A.i
Restaurant at the End of the
Universe that I found myself
laughing out loud. As when
Adams defines Infinity:
"Bigger than the biggest
thing ever and then some.
Much bigger than that in
jaci, reauy amazingly immense,
a totally stunning
size, real 'wow, that's b>rr'
time. Infinity is just so b'0
that by comparison, bigness
itself looks really titchy.
Gigantic multiplied by
colossal multiplied by
of/nr cj crr> r i 91 crl htirrr> i c f lin cnrf
^tw66v' l'46l ,lM6v' 10 ov/' v
of concept we're really
trying to get across here."
Much of the novel is
nonsense and it helps if one
does not think too much
when reading the book. In
this case, though, the
rewards for not thinking are
a. i r ~ ~
great, Decause lor zbu pages
Adams provides his reader a
total escape from reality and
delivers the reader to a
universe where, anything is
possible.
Among those possibilities
are improbility drive, main
courses that talk to you and a
depressed robot.
3 Compiles
Dave Edmunds dis
versatility on his new
tightening the sound. After
Edmunds, Williams
abilities with sticks on skins
*
ana cymDais stand oul.
My sole negative criticism
is that the album, with 1?
tracks, is less than 4t
minutes long; at least three
songs should have beer
added to make the LP eighl
per side. My adds would be
"Get out of Denver" from
Get It, "Dynamite" from
Repeat When Necessary anc
"It's Been So Long" from
Twangin.
As it is, the album contains
"Deborah," "Girls Talk," "1
Knew the Bride," "A.I. or
ine juReoox. 1 he Race If
On," "Here Comes th(
Weekend" and "Almost
Saturday Night" on side one.
Side two showcase*
swers
Marvin, the depressed
robot, is one of the funniest
characters in the book.
Early on, he has a confrnnf
otiAn \*/i f h a m ?>on onH
it vnw vivn YT ivii a ui^au anu
nasty robotic tank that is
after Beeblebrox:
'"I'm afraid,' said Marvin,
'that I've been left here to
stop you."
The probe extended again
for a quick recheck. It
withdrew again.
it/ O Px O 1 xl
r uu: oiop me : roarea ine
tank. 'Go on!'
'No, really I have,' said
Marvinsimply.
'What are you armed
with?' roared the tank in
disbelief.
'Guess,' said Marvin.
The tank's engines
rumbled, its gears ground.
Molecule-size electronic
relavs deeD in its microbrain
flipped backward and forward
in consternation.
'Guess?'said the tank.
'Yes, go on, you'll never
guess.'
'Errrmmm . . .' said the
rjiucmne, viDrating with
unaccustomed thought,
'laser beams ? '
i His Best
plays his talent and
r compilation album.
' 'n.innn f II ,, s, .- ,.
y we v- n vy j l i 1/ 14 I I O t
''Crawling from the
; Wreckage," ''Trouble
Boys," "Juju Man,"
i "Singin' the Blues" and
! "Creature Frori The Black
) Lagoon."
' I prefer the first side to the
i second side, and that's an
! nnininn ch:irr>rl hv nlhorc nc
i reflected in listener requests
i toWUSC-FM.
i "Best of'compilationsare
I primo vino during the
i holiday season but even in
February, The Best of Dave
? Edmunds bursts with good
r old American spirit, and
i rock 'n' roll flair.
f You can hear The Best of
? Dave Edmunds and the rest
t of Dave Edmunds on Feb. 21
during "The Anglo File" at
j 9:30p.m. on WUSC-FM.
Zany
J-j9HT'?l^ftuB^lH(lMiM^9^^B^^p-r
Mr v^BMy3BMBMB^^^^K*x
^feBK irtKiPi*^SflSBBHB?
c,. Z.:l/^zo'-zzc.: )~n>72-^i^j^u:.BSJff >. *
Douglas Adams' sequel i
as his first story of his 'u
Short
Brown Is Spea
Tony Brown, producer and ho!
Brown's Journal," a publ
television program, will be
speaker for the Association
American Students at 7:30 p.m
the Russell House Ballroom. Ti<
for members and $2 for others.
Parks Visits Ca
Rosa Parks, who is credited v
the contemporary civil rights m
refusing to sit in the back of an A
will speak at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2
auditorium, Business Adm
building. Ms. Parks' visit is s)
the USC Afro-American Scho
A i *
The Golden Spur, 1
House
Friday: "Moon
$1.50 cover c
Budweiser pitcher
O 1 A ?
o-iu p.m.
Dundee's Restaurs
Lounge, 2701 Ros
Dr.
Friday and Sat
"Paradise Lost
cover charge, m:
Ques
feg i; ":'t" v.. ;H C
?&&
"^*. "**
' MBWgk famaui
Ww ' i
I# >ft - !
r:_
is as funny and zany i
ni verse.' i
i
Spot
1 Series. The spe
iker public.
r/.IK Lane Pi
the guest Constance La
of Afro- uSC's Departn
. tonight in recital on flute ?
skets for $1 Hall. The recit
public.
impus Societ}
/ith starting Also on Feb
ovement by Literary Societ
ilabama bus chief military s1
2 in the Belk in the Civil Wa
tinistration begins at 7:30 p
aonsored by USC Horseshoe
lar Lecture public.
The Cli
Russell happy 1
from 12
Pie,"
harge, Greensti
s $1.75 St.
rrictaj
"Killer
cover ch
int and
?ewood Crazy Z;
Main Si.
urday: Thursc
$2 of the
idnight charge t<
*
L1UII3
Marvin shook his head
olemnly.
'No,' muttered the
nachine in its deep guttural ^
umble. 'Too obvious. An
imatter ray?' it hazarded.
'Far too obvious,' adno
n is he d Mar
>in '. . .You're thinking
i long the wrong
ines . . .just think,' urged
Marvin, 'they left me, an
>rdinary, menial robot, to
:top you, a gigantic heavyluty
battle machine, while
hey ran off to save them;elves.
What do you think ?
hey would leave me with?' ^
O oh, er,' muttered the
n a chine in alarm,
something pretty damn
ievestating I should exyect.
And this is just a bit of the
lilarity that awaits readers
vho want to travel to The
Restaurant at the End of the
J niverse. This science
iction spoof deserves a wide ^
leadership because it en- W
ertains and makes one
augh. These days, having
something to laugh at is
m porta nt.
S. . .
ech is free and open to the ^
esents Recital
ne, an associate professor in
lent of Music, presents a
it 8 p.m. on Feb. 23 in Fraser
al is free and open to the
/ Tries Scott V
23, the USC Clariosophic
y puts Gen. Winfield Scott,
trategist for the Union Army
ir, on trial. The mock trial
.m. in Legare College on the
It's free and open to the
v
ibs
lour on Friday
l A ~
,-<* a.in.
eet's, 2009 Green
V
' and Saturday:
Whales," $2.50
arge
ack's, 401 South
lay: "Chairman
Board," cover
\ Ka ani?A?*MnA<l
> aiiiiuuni;t;u