The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 18, 1998, Page 7, Image 7
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
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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
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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.
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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.
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