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0 Wednesday, March 18,1998 Madonn II SOUND alnpvice gamecock critic MARCUS AMAKER RAY OF LIGHT Madonna (out of five stars) It would have been easy to write Madonna off as nothing more than a marketing toy at the height of her popularity. Her songs always took a back seat A to her image, which she mastered and manipulated for everyone but herself. When everything backfired after Erotica and the infamous book Sex, the public wondered whether Madonna had finally gone crazy or just too far. Judging from her last two albums of original material, Bedtime Stories and the excellent new CD, Ray of Light, Madonna has proven that she has what it takes to reach the top again. But this time it's not because of an image. It's because she is making the best music of her career. Ray of Light is an amazing record that pits Madonna's pop-writing skills USC Cham ^REPORTS The USC Chamber Orchestra, un der the direction of Donald Portnoy, will perform its only concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Koger Center. Young American virtuoso Awadagin Pratt will perform Rachmaninoff s p: Dear Stucle ? Dor rankings, s< ] D and a L J ? to endure L after attenc one grade. Atl dimension ? may be one law and pe school, the Gel you to see l Amendmei to you at $ ? a result of ] The issue of the GoKir * Shipping .mil h. a's taleu ic music that was on^ 1994's Bedtime Stories, but it still retains a familiarity that not only fans of " =^0|| electronica can en- ; ^ ^ about Ray of Light is a reflection of Madonna's new outlook on life. There are songs about her renewed interest in religion ("Swim," "Sky Fits Heaven" and "Nothing Really Matters") and a beautiful song about her daughter, Lourdes, called "Little Star." What makes Ray of Light one of the most enjoyable Madonna albums is that it can be appreciated on many different levels. On one level, it's fascinating to hear Madonna as a serious musician who is willing to take her music to a place it has never been before. On another level, if the vocals were taken away, Ray of Light would be a ber Orchesl Third Piano Concerto, accompanied by the USC Symphony. Also included on the program are Janacek's Idlyll for Strings and the first mATrnmnnf nf T air* f^ollr* f^r\r?/?nr*+r* XllUV^UigUb \JL U1V/ JJCUU vvuv WUUWi tu. USC graduate student Shalunda Fincher and winner of USC's young artist competition is the featured soloist. Born in Pittsburgh, Pratt began studying the piano when he was six An Open lanning ti U.S.Ne nt: a YOU JUST HATE TO BEGRAD 0 do most of the deans of the lav .L.M. degree, I can tell you that I ectures from tenured professors hng class for a full semester, yoi One roll of the dice to measure U.S.News & World Report we are f al, sophisticated ranking syste : of your largest financial inves :rhaps beyond. While our law: y should certainly be an import : your copy of U.S.News & World R :hc book that 164 law school de; it), call 1-800-836-6397 (ask for 1 off the newsstand price * This publicity surrounding the deans :se law school rankings are a smz magazine to help you manage yi od luck in law school and good idest Regards. milling ih.ir^cs .iiklition.il. 1290 Avenue The Game* t shines i W; ^ William Orbit provV--iJ with some of the VV J most dense and ausince Portishead. m World / Substitute For Love" starts off drum beat. "Skin," "Ray of Light" and "Sky Fits Heaven" are classic dance tracks that follow the same lormuia 01 Bedtime otories. These songs, especially "Skin," have the power to make the most skeptical listener dance or lose themselves in the schizophrenic sound effects. The last half of the album, starting with "Sky Fits Heaven," is thematically strong. The first single, "Frozen," finds Madonna wanting someone whose "heart's not open." Then, on the next song, "The Power of Good-bye," she sings, "Creation comes when you learn to say no / walk away / you were my lesson I had to learn." tra to give pi years old. Three years later he began playing the violin. At 16, he studied violin, piano and conducting at the University of Illinois, and he later enrolled into he Peabody Conservatory. He became the first Peabody graduate to ; receive degrees in three performance cli cao, t In 1992, Pratt became the first African American to win first prize in KB Fred Drasner Chief Executive Officer i Letter to, d Attend I from v* t t -r 1 *1 ws & world IED? Well, by their shrill protests; v schools you are considering. Ho\ :hese same deans will subject you t who have not changed their class i i will be given one exam to determ: your performance. .11/. i i _ ar more equitaoie ^to use a icgai v m developed and evolved over ma tments and certainly one of the m school rankings should not be the ant part of the analysis. cport's Best Graduate Schools guide on ins would prefer you not see (not^ extension 5105) and I will arrange ; will also ensure that you have a ce determination to have you ignore ill part of our philosophy of News Yoi 3ur life. luck on making the right choice. Sincerely, of the Americas, Suite 600, New Y sock through The only problem with Ray of Lighi is with the lyrics. Sure, Madonna has never been the strongest songwritei (just listen to "Vogue"), but there has to be a better way for her to express frustration with herself than "Why d( all the things I say / Sound like the stu pid things I said before." Cliches sucl as "To love but not to keep / To laugl not to weep" are abundant throughoul the album. The only week links on Ray ofLigk are "Candy Perfume Girl," which relies too much on repetition, and "Nothing Really Matters," a song too catchy foi its own good. Madonna's work with a vocal coacl shines on this album. She's never sound ed better, especially on "Ray of Light when she hits several high notes. It'i hard to believe this is the same womax who squealed her way through hits sue! as "Like a Virgin" and "Lucky Star. But now there's a confidence in he; voice, especially in the last song, "Me: Girl," which was recorded in one take This song, along with the whole CD, as sures us that there is much more t< Madonna than anybody ever imagined erformance the Naumburg International Pian Competition. He has appeared in th New York Philharmonic and the sym phonies of Pittsburgh, St. Louis an Detroit. Tickets are available for $13 ger eral admission, $10 faculty and stai and $7 student at the Carolina Coli seum. Call 251-222 for more informs tion or for tickets. Students /-I TXT O i :<x\w ouiiui Report ibout U.S.News & World Report la1 vever, as a law school graduate o rigorous grading. You will be aotes since the Battle of Hastin; ine your grade. One exam, one erm). We have a multi-facetec ny years to give you guidance < ost important choices for you: onlv criteria in vour choice of a J J - newsstands now. Or, to make i /ithstanding their commitment for a copy of the book to be ser ipy of these important rankings the rankings, they are a very hi. i Can Use": information we bring ork, NY 10104 f 'Anything J Goes' at ; Town ? Theatre ANYTHING GOES t continued from page six ^ Many of the chorus members c< t . seemed off-key and without harmo- 9 2 n\r T-Tmxr ottoy- fViia mirrVif ha offrik. j IIJ . iiunuivi) uuo uugiiv uv uvviiu j uted to opening-night jitters. C r Lou Warth (Ernia) delivered the C best performance of all. Her qom- 2 ! bination of acting, singing, dance and humor produced a believable ? character and an entertaining per 3 formance. Her contribution to the Is show accounted for the success of 1 the play. N ? Jennifer Austin (Reno), Gerald Floyd (Lord Oakleigh) and Marty E Hilyer (Public Enemy No. 13) were ^ also the most obviously talented part s] '* of the cast. E I stared at my watch a few times 3 during the first act. The second act ^ picked up the pace and left me p feeling entertained, buy ready for a (( happy ending (which they delivered). (' While there were obviously points for the cast and director to im- 1< prove on, the audience seemed a pleased and entertained. e 0 The box office is open weekdays 9 e from noon to 5:30 p.m. and noon to l" 8 p.m. on performance days and 2 d p.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, tickets are $14 for adults, $11 for senior citl" izens, students and active military ^ and $9 for youth under 18 years old. The Town Theatre is located on L" Sumter Street. Call 799-2510. Qu ??A yoi D am He Ch Dt sit Sill He ?) ol L w school with both a : required gs. Then, semester, 1, multi an what flj r career in ? i law t easier for to the First it directly ; because, as 3t item. ; you in each I * Page 7 "Inconsciencias (Dark Series)," dislay of Marcelo Novo's art, through [arch 28, City Art (1224 Lincoln St.) Annual Student Art Exhibit, irough April 5, McKissick Museum "Ireland and Irish Writers from the ook of Kells to Seamus Heaney," irough April 12, Mezzanine exhibit rea of Thomas Cooper Library "The Splendor of the Box," through pril 12, McKissick Museum The Space Monkeys w/ Ivy, March 8, Elbow Room Music Hall "Joseph and the Amazing Techniilor Dreamcoat," 7:30 p.m., April 8, Roger Center. Tickets cost $30 or OS frw arli-iltc onrl dro avoilohlo at tVio arolina Coliseum box office and all apital Tickets outlets. To charge, call 51-2222. F-13 w/ Eurogression, March 19, The lew Brookland Tavern Albert Hill, March 19, Elbow Room lusic Hall Molotov Blue, March 20, The New Irookland Tavern Stuck Mojo w/ (hed) pe and Ultrapank, March 20, Elbow Room Music tall Come, March 22, The Library Sarah McLachlan w/ Lisa Loeb, 7:30 .m., March 25, Independence Arena Charlotte). Tickets $22.50 and $30. 704) 522-6500. Eric Clapton, 8 p.m., April 22, Char)tte Coliseum. Tickets are available t the Coliseum Box Office or at Ticktmaster outlets. To charge, call 679333. Send virtual flowers to someoqf. Shomyou care. http//www.virtualflowers.com warning: roienuai ^CANCER-CAUSING agents In your shampoo? estion: Have you read the warning labels on itr family's personal care products? 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