8
Daily Nebrsskan
Album
Review
nteramment
U2 can deliver a
kick in the ear
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War
U2
Island Records
Very few times in the Al Franken
decade will we come across something
completely new and different. Punk has
become predictable. New wave is fighting
to sustain originality. I really wonder how
many more times we'll get a trua-to-life
kick in the ear. Right now your own
personal kick is available. You can get
it from U2.
The album, titled War, is the third
produced by the four-man Irish group.
I won't hesitate to say it is fantastic.
The entire work is fresh, satisfying and
very different from anything you've heard
before. It is U2.
The group consists of four people
expressing what they think; in this case,
what they think about war. There are no
standouts among the performances by
the four central musicians. Each song has
equally powerful lyrics and instrumentat
ion. As it was with Boy in 1980 and October
in 1981, War has something to say. The
effort is successful. The lyrics never fall
below excellent. They are delivered with
a style you will not find in many other
places. They are fantastic.
The instrumentation on War consists
primarily of U2's unique guitars. They
are not screaming, nor are they weird.
They are a thoughtful blend of intricate
instrumentation supposing the singer's
lyrics. r
You may have heard "New Year's
Day" on the airwaves. The cut expresses
a lot of what U2 and War has to say.
Those who don't understand it may call
it depressing. U2 acknowledges that
depression, and wonders why it is there.
With thoughtful listening, the music
explains itself.
Although U2 and War are different
from my own personal cache of vinyl,
I plan on hearing more of both. I hope
you will, too. U2 is not punk or new
wave. U2 is powerful and unique. U2
is a fresh feeling from a musty under
growth. U2 is a band I guarantee you'll
hear more about.
-Todd R. Tystad
The queen cometh;
'gut' blues hit town
From the Heart of a Woman
KoKo Taylor
Alligator
KoKo Taylor is the reigning queen of
Chicago blues. By proxy, her rule extends
worldwide. There are few contenders
to the throne; were there, though, her
supremacy would probably still not be
threatened.
From the Heart of a' Woman, Taylor's
third album, might just as aptly have been
called From the Gut or From the Monster
Lungs of a Woman. At 48, she has some
of the hardest woiking vocal chords in
the business.
She can belt it out or scream in a
wlusper; she can strangle a note in passion
or let it warble away in utter dejection.
However she vents it, her pipes can sust
ain the abuse.
She pumps them tirelessly, enough to
breathe irresistable life into a long evening
of gritty, low-down blues. (An important
aside to all this praise: KoKo Taylor will
exhibit her throaty prowess tonight at
Lincoln's own Larry's Showcase.)
If further documentation were needed,
besides her records and shows, Taylor has
a series of Grammy and W.C. Handy Blues
nominations and awards for best female
blues artist to testify for her talent.
Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd has said,
"Tlus music just does something for me.
You know, if I had the chance, I'd get
up there like a go-go dancer and dance
all night."
"It's the only thing I enjoy doing -keeping
the blues alive," Taylor has said.
"I've been singing all my life, ever since
I was knee-high to a duck. As far back as
I can remember, I was singing and loved
it. I'd always sing with my sisters and
brothers around the house, out in the
cotton fields. We played music with our
homemade guitars, hi the meantime, I
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participated at church, a little Baptist
church (in Memphis), singing gospel. In
April of '53, 1 moved to Chicago."
Her powerful singing won her an almost
instant audience there; soon she was
performing with, among others, Elmore
James, Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf.
But Willie Dixon, Taylor has claimed,
was her biggest fan. In 1963, he produced
her first singles, "What Kind of Man Is
This" and "I Got What It Takes," both
eventually hits. Her biggest success came,
two years later, with "Wang Dang Doodle,"
a million-seller that launched her first
international tour.
Strapped to a guitar, she could be a
female Muddy Waters. Yet, because of her
gravelly vocals and her devotion to old
style, tar pit, Mississippi blues, she has
been pigeon-holed by some critics and,
possibly, has narrowed her potential
audience.
From the Heart of a Woman, however,
should dismiss these claims. Its 10 songs
of jealousy and longing confirm Taylor
as a superb singer in a variety of blues
styles - all of them impeccably rendered
by her band of card-carrying bluesmen,
The Blues Machine.
The hard-punch soul of "Something
Strange Is Going On," the smoldering
gospel of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go
Blind," the vintage R&B of "If You Got
a Heartache" and Louis Jordan's "Sure
Had a Wonderful Time Last Night," and
the savory jazz of Dinah Washington's
"Blow Top Blues" combine and contrast
with songs in Taylor's tough Chicago
style, cementing the album into a cohesive,
compelling whole, her most solid LP yet.
Its price is money well-spent for any
blues lover or anyone interested in broader
musical horizons. (If you are doubtful,
see her show and find out for yourself;
that is what the devoted will be doing
tonight).
-David Wood
Hank's strong stuff
not on weak album
Strong Stuff
IlanktVilliams, Jr.
Elektra
For the moment, let's accept the
premise that it takes one-one hundredth
the effort to review an album as it does to
make one. (Even this may be too generous
to the record critic). Given this scenario,
I would have to write 500 reviews in the
next 12 months to match Hank Williams
Jr.'s output during the last year.
Even the most accomplished reviewer
would begin to pale after the 150th review
or so. Similarly, after putting out more
than 12 albums in the last three years,
Bocephus (as he incessantly insists on
being called) has run dry. Perhaps a more
talented performer could handle an average
of four albums per year (WiNie Nelson,
for example, has a similar output, yet his
albums are of consistently high quality.
However, Hank Williams Jr. simply does
not have the ability to do it.
Strong Stuff is a perfect example of
what is wrong with most of Hank Jr.'s
recent recordings. First of all, Hank Wil
laims Jr. sings about himself too much.
Not songs in the first person, mind you,
but songs telling what a neat guy Hank
Jr. is. No less than four selections on this
outing are autobiographical written in the
most arrogant manner.
This would be more bearable if Williams
was not such a terrible songwriter.
(Evidently, geneology alone will not
maice you a capable songsmith). However,
contained within this ablum are some of
the most insipid lyrics known to man.
Some examples:
From "The Girl in the Front Row at
Ft. Worth":
What a surprise, was her answer to mine
When I said I think I )n in love
She said me too and if I go with you
You 11 see what Texas women are made
of
From "Leave the Boys Alone":
Ol' Way Ion has been known to play
half-time
And he's been known to get out of
his mind
: f v
Don 't know whether he 's right or wrong
Got a string a' hits 'bout two miles long
And, most incredibly, from "A Whole
Lot of Hank":
I'm an outlaw from the South
I got country in my mouth
And I)n lookin' for good lovin' all
the time . . .
There's a whole lot of Hank in my
hat!? (Exclamation marks are mine).
As if the words weren't bad enough,
Williams, for some inexplicable reason,
has developed a Neil Young-like whine
which makes even the adequate songs
unbearable.
There are a few good moments here.
"La Grande" is OK and his rendition of
Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Made in the Shade"
is passable. Additionally, "Blue Jeans
Blues" is a pleasant enough parody of
blues music. However, I wonder if Wil
liams meant to satirize, or if, heaven
forbid, he was actually serious. These
tolerable moments, though, are over
shadowed by the arrogance of "Leave
Them Boys Alone," the sexism of "Gonna
Go Hunting Tonight," the psuedo-psy-chadelia
of "In the Arms of Cocaine"
and the sheer idiocy of "Homecoming
Queen."
In short, there is no reason (or Strong
Stuff, or any of the other ones Hank
Williams Jr. has released in the last three
years. If I Iiad to prescribe an antidote,
I would recommend a hiatus from record
ing in order to let Williams rediscover
his artistic self as he did on his brilliant
Hank Williams Jr and Friends LP 3 few
years back.
However, I'm too busy to worry about
it. I've got another 499 reviews I need to
finish by next March.
- Mike Frost
King of Comedy:
consistent, varied
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The King of Comedy (Soundtrack)
Various Artists
Warner Bros.
Making the rounds is a film entitled
"The King of Comedy." Featured perform
ers in the film consist of such varied talents
that you may just wonder what consisten
cy the film has (i.e. Robert DeNiro, Jerry
Lewis and Tony Randall). If the sound
track can speak for the film, there should
be no doubt that consistency can indeed
occur with a high degree of variation.
As far as soundtracks go, variation
would have to be the word for Vie King
of Cojnedy. All the songs are done by es
tablished performers, and some are done
by people we haven't heard from in awhile.
The tricky part is that you won't find this
wide variety of talent on one disc any
where. Even with the amazing variation in
feeling and style, blues impressions appear
most often, but alas, blues doesn't tie the
album together. The underlying theme
here is talent. Every performer on the disc
has his or her own style and comes through
with one heck of a performance. This
could be the perfect album for the listener
looking for the perfect variation. Here's
how the story goes:
The Pretenders -"Back
on the Chain Gang":
With the band's original drummer Mar
tin Chambers, real woman Chrissie Hynde
delivers a powerful punch with two new
guitarists on this single enjoying Top 20
success.
B.B. King -Tain't
Nobody's Bizness (If I Do)"
"Blues Boy" King proves that at age 58
he can still play the blues better than the
rest of the crowd. The whole song sparkles
like gold.
nr. , tlkin8 Heads -"Swamp":
ith David Byrne and the rest of the
talking Heads, you get not only the new
est phase of this intense band, but the most
outstanding lyrics on the album
Bob James - "King of Comedy":
Expert synthesizer work by Bob James
thenfi?mteS.t'!he insirumental theme
on i hfeToes. mg l kCep Mike PSt
Rickie Lee Jones - "Rainbow Sleeve"-
FlanwfHthOU8htfu,Sty,eofRt)be
Hack, Jones does a top-rate job wi h thu
song written by Tom Waits. JDUlt,us
Continued on Page 9
