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Prince' | Music |? Review Music Grades A+ Extraordinary; Masterpiece A Very Good B Entertaining; Worth tfie Money C Flawed; Lots of Reservations D Seriously Flavved; Not Recommended r Homuc; Disgustingly Bad By BRIAN SHELTON Staff Writer Every year, my Aunt Jane sends me a Christmas present Wrapped nicely and donned with a pretty bow, it always gets the best of my expectations. I open it as quickly as humanly possible, and once I get to the actual present, my hopes are dashed. Yep, it's another pair of socks. For the past six years, since his creative peak with Purple Rain, Prince has been pulling the Aunt Jane tactic with his albums. Prince is probably one of the most creative and talented artists to come out of the woodwork in the past 10 years, but the music he has released (from Around the World in a Day to the Batman soundtrack) has been mostly uneven and unconvincing ? the audio equivalant to a pair of socks.. It hasn't been bad music. Just not the best that Prince could do. That's what makes his latest album, Graffiti Bridge, such a wel come signt Graffiti Bridge, Prince's 12th album in 12 years, is Prince's masterwork. He mixes funk, rap, rock, blues and every other conceivable style of music to create one unified sound. For Prince fans, it's well worth the wait. Lyrically, the album still contains his trademarks. Prince is still singing lines like "Crowds of naked bodies/stripped down to their very soul," from the tract "Elephants and Flowers" (and he still can't spell the word you). On this album, though, it seems as if Prince digs deeper and covers more than just what's on (he surface. Take for example, the song WUSC1 Artist - Album 1.(Ex) Cat Heads - "( 2.Pixies - "Bossa Nov 3.Lazy Cowgirls - "R 4.Boogie Down Produc 5.ReptiIe - "Fame & , 6.WaIkingseeds - "Ba 7JSonny Boy Williamson 8.Anthrax - "Persistei 9.Cavedogs - "Joyride lO.UItra Vivid Scene Editor's Note: This is a listing of | amount of air time on wub t for tne i Carotina On 9 Homec been Carolir this th offerin with th . " * buildin , i - j howevi ' M beava P N ojjl applies A li! Activiti if[ Leve|>' ! ! I d deposi i f 52 ' meeting ' 6:00 pr for all i Sponsored by 1990 Hotr, Financed by Stuck s creat ? H <1yJk * Ah J A ';, 1y|s| mfr ^S&Br mmmj Prince's newest album, Graffiti E "Tick, Tick, Bang." It seems at first to hark back to Prince's wild days of sexual abandon. Lines like ucan i noia it ana u leave me in a body of sweat" are reminiscent of his 1999 days. But in this album, Prince shows signs of maturity, adding that before getting naughty, he wants a "24-K relationship." This seems to represent Prince's realization that love comes before sex. Though he has been trying to express this concept for the last six years, he has never said it clearer than in "Tick, Tick, Bang." Prince also sprinkles the festivities with a bit of religion. This topic has been both the strong point and the downfall of his career. On Purple Rain, for example, fop Ten Our Frisco" a" Towit looks - Howitis" tions - "Edutainment" bossils d Orb, Whirling ball" "Keep it to ourselves" nee of Time" for Shutins" ?Joy 1967 -1990" albums that received the most week of Sept. 7 - Sept. 14 i /C /-\ / r vLy 'jvLina coming 1990 is the chance you've waiting for to show you have la on your mind! To help you do e Homecoming Commission is g a display contest. In keeping ie historic focus of Homecoming, ig will take place on the Horseshoe; sr, McBryde Quadrangle will also ilable for displays. Information and itions are available in the Campus es Center (Russell House, Lower West Wing). All applications and ts must be turned in by 5:00 pm, y, October 1st. There will be a lory "Information and Rules" g on Monday, October 8th at n in Russell House room 305 organizations who apply. lecoming Commission int Activity Fees ivity soc -> t n ^ & * K^ * #* bridge, has rap, funk and hymn-like soi Prince was able to make it work by using directness but not going overboard. On his 1988 album LoveSexy, though, he hid God and Satan in a shroud of symbols, making most of it hard to understand. Graffiti Bridge returns to a direct approach. Both the title track and "Still "Would Stand All Time" sing to the glories of God and are filled with strong, clear lyrics that almost make them seem like gospel. The addition of choir-like backgrounds just makes the songs more convincing. There.' ax? .ft!$o a great many social messages on the album. Prince, taking a step out of his inner world to look at the world around him, fills the album with lines like "Only we can change the world" and "It's time to fight inVerbal From College Press Services Although their math scores held : college freshmen's average verbal s lastic ADtitude Test were lower thai the College Board reported Aug. 28 It was the fourth consecutive yeai verbal scores declined, prompting e( look for scapegoats and standardizet repeat their warnings that the tes meaningless. The verbal score for the high scl fell three points to 424 out of a pos erage math score stayed at 476 out c Each August, when average SA1 public, officials rush to explain wh or stayed the same. In the years since 1963, when ave a long slide downward that contini day, various experts have attributed mance to everything from faulty t spheric testing of nuclear weaponry < Here are some more-recent observ 1986 - Although Sat scores show< 1985, a University of Michigan stu< "the reason test scores were rising" crs' families generally were getting s Thp. fp.wpr np.nnlp in thp ctm-lpr higher the students' SAT scores t study showed. 1987 - William Bennett, then hea< partment of Education, blamed anoi Call The Gamec F tuiwrsci Wfjat Acoustic Nighl Monday Nigh Specials & Happy H REAI Vili 2009 Devine St. JL Five Points 3rs in alt T. m JN 4/0 ~ ^ i ?^pr ^ F jipf .-"V ^ * \ ?*. , f II inds. Reviewer says album is Prince's tx justice instead of one another." He even suggests a solution to the world's troubles by inciting us to rise up and take the world over from the current rulers, people with "old-fashioned music and old ideas" on the album's best song, "New Power Generation." This song is somewhat tongue in cheek, but the messages of social awareness seem genuine. The music attached to these words is some of Prince's best. Music styles abound, from the ,, guitar-heavy "Joy in Repetition," to the bluesy "Question of U," to the party pop of "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got." Most of the album, however, is pure funk ? a style Prince is best known for but has used to minimal effect in the past few years. "We Can Funk," "New Power Generascores c steady, this year's change in average cores on the Scho- dollars. 1 previous classes', "Holding grouni we're still seeing r in which average we've invested in iucation experts to for results," Benne 1 test opponents to 1988 - Average ;ts are essentially blamed the school them up. 100I class of 1990 ... . .. sible 800. The av- . 1 said m APnl ^ gQQ improvements are - scores are made he said "Today it y scores rose, fell ab'cnSm?"team1989 - When ye trage scores began "rily students'avt tes throughout to- student I students' perfor- accordin810 Stewa ests to the atmo- "Wp holipvc thu during the 1950s. gr0UpS and betweei atl0ns: parities in academ no change fron iy contended that was that test tak- 199? - Scores or mailer. again, prompting Si its' families, the "Students must ended to be, the and music videos, i Lynne Cheney c i of the U.S. De- Humanities cited " Lher year of little course work for th ock at 777-7726 be ma dBa >u Want? ts - Tues. & Wed. it Football Drink rrivfawavs our 4-7p.m. . PIZZA |ja imf] 779-5240 All ABC Regulations Enforced Dum I / f ' w * t -? J / ? StF i# N5> ? A 1 -- " > ; .v ' ' " ' \ s^> >: < r'lMtflMIM l'' * " |M zst since Purple Rain. tion" and many others are loaded with a sizzling, rhythm and blues sound that shows Prince is still the master of the form. It illustrates what has been missing from his music for such a long time. Prince also dabbles with rap. On two cuts, "The Latest Fashion" and "New Power Generation Part Two," rap plays a significant role, showing that Prince has finally realized the compatibility between rap and his sound. He has finally realized his potential and done what he has been trying to do for the last six years ? top Purple Rain. Now with the pop throne once again in his grasp, you have to wonder what lies ahead. If he continues in this vein, the future looks bright. A. Irop scores on schools that wasted tax i is better than losing ground, but ; an insufficient payoff for what education. We need accountability tt said. scores dipped. Bennett once again s, although he did his best to pep that the absolute level at which our taking place is unacceptably low," s a bit lower ana still not acceptBack into training." ars of steady improvement in milage SAT scores ended, it was bets were being badly prepared again, rt. it score differences among ethnic i men and women reflect wide disic preparation, or lack of it," he 1 the verbal portion of the SAT fell tewart to blame television, pay less attention to video games ind begin to read more," he said, if the National Endowment for the dumbed-down testbooks" and easy e decline. W Pretty Woman If presumed ^ ft innocent (rl 1:30 4:15 7:05 9:60 j. 1 DARKMAN R .UL.J So you say there's nothing to do . . . The Cockpit ? 22 Main St. Jack the Tripper will play Friday night, and Public Ayes will play Saturday night. Cover charge will be $3 for 21 years old and over and $5 for any one under 21. College Nights ? Harden Street. Zeta Phi Beta is sponsoring a party open to the public Saturday night. There is no cover charge be^ fore 11 p.m. a i * i i lie w \_racKer jaiKs ? IJZJ Longcreek Dr. Friday night open until 4 a.m. Robert Newton and Lotusfete will play Saturday at 9:30. There will be a $2 cover. Fox-n-Hare ? 1101 Harden St. Acoustic guitar player Tommy Nations will play on the patio Friday and Saturday. He will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday. There is no cover charge. Gambrell Hall ? The USC School of Music will hold a concert at 4 p.m. Sunday as part of its September Concerts series. The concert will include performances of works by Schubert and Brahms. Tickets are $5 and $3 at the door. Season tickets for the entire series are $20 ($12 for senior citizens). Greenstreets ? 1101 Harden St. On both Friday and Saturday nights, the Archetypes will perform at 10 p.m. Cover charge will be $5. Koger Center for the Arts ? Friday at 8 p.m. The Kingston Trio, one of folk music's legendary groups, will perform. Tickets are $12.50. On Sunday at 4 p.m., the North Carolina Dance Theatre will perform a retrospective of the company's last 20 years. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults and are available at Carolina Coliseum, all SCAT outlets or by calling 777-SCAT. McKissick Museum USC Horseshoe ? At 4 p.m. Sunday, the Moving Star Hall Singers will give a concert of traditional spirituals in connection with the exhibit "Work Song: Visions of African-American Labor in South Carolina." There will ne no charge for admission. NiteLites ? 200 Stoneridge Drive. Happy hour with raw bar buffet will be on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. WYYS-FM will broadcast _ live Saturday night. No cover before 9 p.m., $3 after 9 p.m. and $6 after 12 midnight. The Punchline ? 628 Harden St. Both Friday and Saturday night will feature comedian Kip Addotta. Performances are at 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. with a cover charge of $10. A ?"1 l...rnlln 5,. 1111 * w ivutivaicua a ? ^uz L'evinc St. Friday night will feature Hot Wax, and Uncle Green will perform on Saturday night. Saturday's show will be a benefit for WUSC. Cover will be $4 Friday and $5 Saturday. South Carolina State Museum ? 301 Gervais St., will open the Guild of South Carolina Artists 40th Annual Juried Exhibition Saturday. The exhibition will feature past and present, showing how South Carolina's artistic expression has evolved during the past 40 years. Trutus Theater ? 520 Lady St. The comedy T'Bone W Weasel is still playing. Box office and bar open at 7 p.m., and curtain rises at 8 o.m. Tickets are $6.25 for bleacher seats and $12.50 for armchair seats. Coming to a news stand near you Postcards from f the edge m SI r__1j00 4:05 6:45 9:15 ' jtWd Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore ' GHOST F 1:15 4:00 7:00 9:45 yffl Some ines shouldn't be crossed ftATUNSS ? I 1:45 4:107:10 9:30'?' Jif PUMP UP THE 2:15 ONLY ? Jy