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daily nebraskan
thursday, february 5, 1981
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Beatle-like rock crowds into The Jam's music
By Casey McCabe
What do Dolly Parton, Jimmy Cliff and The Jam have
in common?
Not much, really. Their albums just happen to have
been chosen during the intricate selection process that
goes into each weekly album review.
The Jam 'Sound Affects Polydor
Paul Weller, in writing the brunt of The Jam's material,
is inviting a lot of style comparisons. "Start!" the first
song on the album, sounds as if it could be the flip side to
the Beatles' "Taxman." Pete Townsend also comes to
mind. Overall there is a distinct mid-60s British feel to
Sound Affects.
';:
review
But the Mod posturing of the Jam is not the product of
three lads bent on nostalgia. This band, perhaps more than
any other recent English export, manages to let that raw
strength of the British Invasion melt into the 80s.
liven witli the well-crafted lyrics that are often terse,
tight and nasty, The Jam are not beyond backing them up
with an elaborate harmony now and then. Generally the
rock is hard but not bludgeoning, and never buries the
words of wisdom Weller puts forth on the class system,
the market system, fickle romances and everything else
that is tumbling out of whack. Like British contemporar
ies The Clash, The Jam keeps their wit on a razor's edge.
For those who have a hard time relating to the front
line of England's New Wave, The Jam's Sound Affects
could be the exception. "Start!," "Monday," "Set The
House Ablaze," "But I'm Different Now," and "Going
Underground" (A British number one hit included in a
special 45) could be real head-turners if they ever found
their way on a radio station's playlist.
Dolly Partony to 5 and Odd JobsRCA
One of Dolly Parton's three biggest assets is that she
still allows herself to keep the homespun country gal
somewhere in her vocals.
Never mind that the soundtrack album is a bit over
produced, or that the hit single is composed of the stuff
that makes Porter Waggoner's hair fall Hat . 9 to 5 is still
full of the country ethic where she got her start. You may
have to dig through the flashy arrangements to get there,
but all told, Dolly still delivers nicely.
Her hardline fans may be wincing as she rubs shoulders
with Jane Fonda these days, but her songs are still
directed mainly at just common folk. Parton's songwriting
ability is impressive too, from the catchy pop anthem she
creates in the title track to a surprisingly sincere piece of
backwoods folk on "Hush' A-Bye Hard Times."
She also takes a successful stab at Woody Guthrie's
"Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos)," as well as such
country stalwarts as Danny Dill and Mel Tillis "Detroit
City," and Merle Travis' "Dark As A Dungeon."
Dolly also covers "The House of the Rising Sun" with
probably the tamest version the song has yet been given.
Perhaps it is to make a nice preface to her next film
effort, across from Burt Reynolds in the screen adapta
tion of The Best Little Whorehouse hi Texas.
Jimmy Cliff' l The LivingMCA
For the first part of his career, Jimmy Cliff seemed
destined to be the first Jamaican superstar.
Things never exactly came through for his vision of
creating an American pop success anchored in reggae. His
material was receiving recognition while being covered by
others, but the Jimmy Cliff legend he sought is still
basically confined to a small Caribbean island.
Ironically, now that reggae has become so chic. Cliff
doesn't appear interested in leading the pack. Am The
Living often sound more like Mowtown than Kingston.
The sound still relies on the irresistable backbeat from the
archives of ska and reggae. The only major problem is that
sometimes it's so easy to listen to that it gets superficial,
and the strong spiritual messages get swept away with the
meticulous production.
Jimmy Cliff knows the ropes. Musically, the album is
tight and accessible. Side two starts moving with his best
material and asserts that his presence is always worth a
listen, no matter what audience he is seeking.
Minorities' film role to be Sheldon series focus
By Cydney Wilson
This weekend Sheldon Film Theater will present
"Images of Minorities in American Cinema: Blacks."
The program is the first in a three-part series looking at
the images of minorities, specifically blacks and native
Americans, through the use of American films.
Thomas Cripps, history professor at Morgan State Uni
versity in Baltimore, and author of Slow Fade to Black:
The Xegro in American Film. 1900-1942 and Black Film
as (lenre, will be present alter each film for lecture and
questions on blacks in American films.
The idea tor the scries came to Dan Lidely , director of
Sheldon Film Theater, last year when he became aware
of Oscar Michcaux and The Lincoln Motion Picture
Company, an Omaha film company owned by George and
Noble Johnson. The company no longer exists. Yet
Ladely said he began not to focus so much on the film
company and Michcaux, but rather the history of blacks
in American films.
Meanwhile Ladely read Slow Fade to Black, by Cripps,
and became more interested in the black's role in media.
Ladely and Cripps say the media are controlled by a group
of people who portray minorities using stereotypes.
"Films shape many Americans' perception of various
groups of people," Lidely said. "Through these films we
hope to enlighten people and let them see films about
black people, with blacks as main characters and the black
culture to show them in non-stereotypic roles."
"The film theater's season for existence is three-fold:
T
.0
t
4
-1 mm
Photo by Marie BiHingiley
UNL Opera Theater's production of Vie Abduc
tion from the Seraglio will be presented this
weekend at Kimball Hall.
lor art, history, and to dwell on the socially important
issues of our time." he said. "Many times attendance at
the minority films which we show are low, perhaps be
cause there is a stigma which surrounds an art gallery that
it is set up by the rich for the rich. Through the film
theater, we are trying to remove that stigma.
"Minorities have not had the access to media with
some exceptions, and those exceptions have only come
about as the result of struggle." Ladely said.
"We also hope that through this series we'll produce
more interest, because prejudices not only trap minorities,
keeping them in their place, but they make us all prison
ers of our own society."
Continued on Page 9
ON STAGE
Armadillo: Highway Call. Thursday. Friday. Saturday.
BJ's Hideaway: The Country Playboys. Thursday,
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, no cover.
Bob's Tavern: Pete Koak and Company, Fiiday and
Saturday. S 1 cover.
Drumstick: Small Wonder. Thursday and Friday; Town
Dogs, Saturday. S2 cover.
Forum: Star City Players. Thursday. Friday, Saturday.
S I men, women free.
Green Frog: J.J. Buxson. Thursday. Friday, Saturday,
no cover.
Hidden Valley: Deerboin. Saturday; The Excessives,
Sunday, S2 cover.
Kraus' Korner: Crossfire, Thursday, Friday. Saturday.
Sunday; Diane and the Country Raiders. Sunday 1 p m
SI. 50 cover.
O.G. Kelly's: Pete Koak, Thursday; The Excessives.
Friday and Saturday, no cover.
Royal Grove: Scandal. Thursday, Friday. Saturday. SI
men, women free.
Sidetrack: Joyce Durand, Thursday and Saturday;
Joyce and Junior. Friday. Si cover.
Tucker Inn: Free Ride. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. S2
cover, 1 free drink.
Westside Inn: Sandy Creek Pickers. Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, no cover.
Zoo Bar: Claude Williams, backed by the Heartmur
murs, Thursday, $2, Friday and Saturday. S3 cover.
PLANETARIUM
Mueller Planetarium: Lord of the Rings (photos from
Voyager) Saturday 2:30 p.m. Sunday 2:30 p.m. and 3:45
p.m.
THEATER
Lincoln Community Playhouse: A Streetcar Samcd
Desire, 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
matinee Sunday. Students $3.75, adults $5 JO.
Kimball Hall: The Abduction From The Seraglio.
opera, Thursday. Friday, Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3
p.m. S3 students, children, and senior citizens; $4 general
admission.
ON SCREEN
Cinema :Popeye 7: 1 5. 9:20 (PG).
Cinema 2: The Jazz Singer 7:35. 9:40 (PG ).
Cooper: Any Which 'av You Can. 7:15. 9:35 (PG).
Douglas : Mnc to Five. 5:20, 7:20, 9.20 'PG).
Douglas 2: The Incredible Shrinking Woman 5 15
7:15,9:15 (PG)
Douglas 3: The Mirror Cracked, ends Thursday, 5:0
7.30. 9:30 (PG); Altered States starts Friday.
Embassy: I'd of the Month. Screwplcs (X) 10 a.m -10
p.m. Thursday. 10 a.m.-l2:25 p.m. Friday and Satur
day. Plaza I : Stir Crazy. 5 :40. 7:45. 9.50 (R).
Plaa 2: Mountain Family Robinson. 5, 7, 9 (G).
Plaza 3: .1 Change of Seasons, ends Thursday. 5:25,
7:25. 9:25 (R); Fort Apache the Hronx starts Friday 7
9:20 (R).
Plaa 4: Resurrection, ends Thursday. 5:35. 7:35,
9:35: The Idolmaker. Friday. 5 & 9.30, Saturday, 5. 7:15
9:30. Sneak preview: Tribute, 7:15 p.m. Friday.
Plaza 14: Midnight movies Fridav and Saturday: The
ight oj the Living Dead (PG); Kentucky Fried' Movie
(R): The Rocky Horror Picture Show (R) ,1 Boy and His
l)og(R).
State: Can i Do It 777 Seed Classes ' 7. x M) 10 00
(R)
Stuart: Seems Like Old Times. 1:30.3:30 5 0 7 30
9:30 (PC); Midnight movie: 200 A Space Odyssey.
Sheldon: Thursday -Dinner at Fight. 7 and 9 pjn
Friday, Saturday and Sunday Blacks in U.S. Cinema
program 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday-1:30 p.m : Jasper
Johns Decoy; David Hinkncy's Diaries; Scenes Seen with
Allen Jones.