Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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CD. Review Soulful singer gets it right with new EP * “LOVE IS HELL,” PARTS 1 & 2 Ryan Adams ★★★★ out of BY MEG MOORE THE GAMECOCK To say that Ryan Adams has put out yet another phenomenal release almost seems gratuitous. Almost. The prolific troubadour took a break from his formerly jangley tales of heartbreak and is sued a set of gritty rock tunes — appropriately titled “Rock N Roll” — this past November. Critics ooh-ed, ahh-ed and promptly moved on to praising the simulta neously released “Love is Hell, Part 1” EP — a record as.acoustic as “Rock N Roll” is electric. The companion EP “Love is Hell, Part 2,” released in December, round ed out the collection of tunes that Adams originally planned to put out, until it was rejected by the record company and replaced with “Rock N Roll.” The “Love is Hell” times, how ever, needed no replacement — they shimmer with the raw sound of Adams at his soul-bearing best. Re-immersing himself in an acoustic world of sorrow, Adams’ latest songs lack the country-edge of his earlier work, but deliver the same poetic poignancy. The tracks on both records are decidedly dark and in many cases downright disparaging. There are no “New York, New York” type tracks wait ing to be unleashed on MTV. Instead, Adams lets his talent for sounding devastatingly sincere take the musical reins. The collection embodies its ti tle to the fullest — every track is riddled with lingering heartbreak. As Adams professes in the “Part 1” opening track “Political Scientist,” “There are no guaran tees” — except, at least within the world of Ryan Adams’ records, that love will let you down. The mournful “Afraid Not Scared” of fers the refrain: “I’m really dying in here.” Again, it’s not exactly lyrical sun and fun, but Adams' emotive delivery convinces lis teners that they are privy to some private confession, pulling them in. “This House Is Not for Sale” picks up the pace with its steady beat, wistfully musing, “I danced you across the wooden floor and you signed the lease.” A tinge of country rock weaves its way into the title track, “Love is Hell,” an other (ironically) upbeat time. Yet “The Shadowlands,” a piano based narrative, brings the lis tener back to the world of the dev astatingly downtrodden. Also in cluded on “Part 1” is a stark cov er of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” that turns the modem rock classic into an acoustic paean. “Love is Hell, Part 2” mines the same emotions and experiences as “Part 1” and does so just as effec tively. Adams’ songs often include references to cities and urban life — “Part 2” continues the lyrical trend with tracks such as “My Blue Manhattan” and “City Rain, City Streets.” “English Girls Approximately” sounds like some thing that could have been in cluded on Adams’ more rootsy 2001 release “Gold” yet still fits in nicely with — and offers a varia tion on—the rest of the tunes. On the second EP’s closing track “Hotel Chelsea Nights,” Adams sings, “I played your song, I got the melody all wrong.” Relationships aside, Adams has hit all of the right notes with “Love is Hell.” And af ter all, where would the songwrit ing world be if it didn’t have its troubadours who know how to hurt? Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu Tolkien CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 to the lowest common denomi nator, they can be quite power ful. And visually they are stun ning, and the visual element is probably the most important el ement of a film, anyway. And the films have undoubtedly brought more people to the books, which is absolutely a good thing, ‘Lord of the Rings’ are a major literary accomplishment, and the more people who read the books, and get joy out of them, the better.” Tolkien’s work, when it was first published in 1953, actually received harsh criticisms for its fantasy of Middle-Earth where the stories take place. Second-year public relations major Melissa Beazer agreed, “Hobbits are not real, and the movies are very long and bor ing.” But the movie ticket and book sales do not lie —’’Lord of - the Rings” is a huge success. Maybe there will be movies made encompassing more of Tolkien’s work. But for now, we continue to be enchanted by the cinematic splendor of Middle-Earth. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockfeqtures@gwm.sc.edu Elliott CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 mated industry, Elliott is not afraid to let her audience hear what she really thinks and feels. Overall, this album is good for what it is and certainly stretches Missy Elliott’s artistic bound aries with its ventures into R&B. But it proves disappointing for those expecting another amaz ing hip-hop album from this artist. Nonetheless, Elliott’s lyrics are far from average and definitely show her amazing cre " ativity, talent and diversity. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu People’s Choice Awards 2004 Winners The annual ceremony honoring America’s favorites in entertainment aired on CBS Sunday, Jan. 11. TELEVISION: Favorite New Dramatic Series - “Joan of Arcadia” Favorite New Comedy Series - ‘Two and a Half Men” Favorite Dramatic Series - “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” Favorite Comedy Series - “Friends" Favorite Male Performer - Ray Romano Favorite Reality-Based Program - “Survivor: Pearl Islands" Favorite Talk Show Host - Oprah Winfrey Favorite Female Performer - Jennifer Aniston Favorite All-Time Entertainer - Tom Hanks MUSIC: Favorite Musical Group or Band - Matchbox Twenty Favorite Female Musical Performer - Faith Hill, Beyonce Knowles (tie) Favorite Male Musical Performer-Tim McGraw MOTION PICTURES: Favorite Motion Picture - “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” Favorite Dramatic Motion Picture - "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” Favorite Comedy Motion Picture - "Bruce Almighty" Favorite Actor - Mel Gibson Favorite Actress - Julia Roberts t PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Beyonce Knowles tied with Faith Hill for Favorite Female Musical Performer. I On Sole Now! | ===2 piB Women's Basketball ' /" vs. #5 Tennessee Lady Vols Thursday at 7pm Colonial Center Faculty, Staff, and * Students get in FREE with your ID Card. 1 I I Red Cross Blood Drive 4pm - 8pm McGuire Club Help fill up the Colonial Center and come cheer on the Gamecocks against #5 Tennessee! t > » '■■■" ■ .—. ^ Student Government Scholarships Freshman Council Marie-Louise Ramsdale Scholarship Awarded to a freshman who has made a significant contribution to the Student Body through a leadership position at USC Brian Comer Student Government Scholarship Awarded to a senior planning to attend graduate school who has greatly benefited the Student Body through a leadership position. Student Body President's Scholarship \ Awarded to a USC student for outstanding service to the Student Body through a campus leadership position. Recipients will receive $500 scholarship at the annual Award's Day ceremony. All applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be in good standing with the University. Selection will be based on scholarship, leadership and service A letter of recommendation is required from a student organization advisor or faculty member addressing the applicant's leadership abilities and accomplishments. Applications are available online at WWW.SG.SC.EDU AND IN THE OFFICE OF STUDENT Government & Student Organizations, Russell House 227. All material are due Wednesday, February 18th, at 4:00 PM. If you have any questions please call 777-3852.