Public libraries evolve with revolving disc
By Jim Hanna
Senior Reporter
You’ve just shelled out a pile of
money for a shiny new compact disc
player and your bank account is empty.
You are now too broke even to buy a
disc to play on your machine.
Public libraries have always been
the salvation of the impoverished,
and the Lincoln City Libraries are
keeping up with the public’s demand
for increasingly advanced music tech
nology.
Since its inception in 1988, the CD
collection at Lincoln’s public librar
ies has grown to almost 1,000 record
ings, said Pal Peterson, assistant li
brary director at the Bennett Martin
Library, 14th and N streets.
While most of the city’s CDs are
located on the second floor of Ben
nett Martin — Lincoln’s main library
— several of Lincoln’s branch librar
ies are beginning to develop their
own CD collections, Peterson said.
The CD collection is still rela
tively small compared to the vinyl
and audio cassette holdings, but a
wide range of music options is avail
able.
“It’s a very broad representation
of what’s available in the music field,”
Peterson said.
The Bennett Martin collection
contains folk music, some rock ‘n’
roll and several movie and musical
soundtracks. The majority of the hold
-44 --
When you have a new
collection, it always
takes time for people to
become aware of it.
Peterson
assistant library director
Bennett Martin Library
-99 ~
ings are classical .which Peterson said
is the col lection’s “greatest strength.”
The program is nearly 3 years old
and interest in it has grown steadily.
Many people may not know that the
libraries have CDs available for check
out, but that should change as the
collections grow, Peterson said.
“When you have a new collection,
it always takes time for people to
become aware of it,” Peterson said.
“That will also expand as we begin to
get more of the compact discs in the
branch libraries.”
With the U.S. economy apparently
mired in a recession, many entertain
ment seekers may turn to public li
braries as a source of free recreation.
If people cut back their personal spend
ing more and more, costly CD pur
chases may give way to free rentals,
Peterson said.
^ . ■ i
“That is very characteristic of li
braries throughout the history of public
libraries in the United States, that in
times of recession or depression people
more heavily use the public library
for a whole variety of reasons,” she
said.
Peterson said she did not expect
major booms in the use of the CD
collection. She said she remained
realistic about the growth of the col
lection and the corresponding public
interest in it.
“It will take... at least five years
for it to begin to really be of a size that
addresses the kind of demand there
may be within the university commu
nity,” she said. “We see it as a long
range development.”
I Redeeming characteristics no salvation
for record’s redundant, poor lyrics
1/ Shannon Uehling
aft Reporter
Although the 360’s “Illuminated”
obably will never be commercially
ccessful, the new album does have
me redeeming qualities.
Of the 10 tracks on the album, six
5 average at best. They are full of
jandcring key changes, almost
>lent tempo swings and obscure
d repetitive lyrics.
“Put That Behind Me,” about for
itling a deceitful lover, is one of the
< average songs. The 360’s attain a
und reminiscent of the Pretenders,
ily more moody. This may be one of
e band’s most stunning accomplish
Mits. It’s just too bad that they wasted
e effort on this song.
The ninth track, “Saved,” is by far
e best song on the album. It’s a
eepy ballad performed with acous
: guitars.
Lead singer Audrey Clark’s husky
ice gives life to the lyrics “I like
dancing alone in my room/ The sun
^flowing down/ Will you be coming
?REM
iContinued from Page 12
Reckoning” and “Fables of the
sconstruclion.”
The one exception: “Radio Song.”
ic reason for this song’s existence
an R.E.M. release is baffling at
st for hardcore fans. Michael Stipe
iging opposite KRS-1 “sucks,” as
^ rap singer screams in the song.
“Losing My Religion,” which
atefully plays about 10 a.m. week
ys on Q102, is proof that “Radio
mg” was a momentary loss of san
ity. This is a beautiful compilation,
both instrumentally and lyrically, about
dosing faith — not in God or religion,
‘but in oneself and humanity.
Continuing on with the symphonic
mode is “Shiny Happy People.” Kate
Picrsonofthe B-52scollaborates with
Stipe to create a hard-edged harmony,
t but there is something pleasant and
almost perfect about this combina
| tion. “Shiny Happy People” will as
suredly be the irritating pop thriller
! on “Out of Time,” as “Stand” was on
['“Green.”
And the incessant yet intoxicating
Stipe strcam-of-consciousness mono
logue in “Belong” is one of those
songs that idiots will search to memo
rize instead of laughing at the pre
tense of it all. What’s funnier is that
the song has a definite Acrosmith,
“Sweet Emotion” soundTSort of brings
new meaning to R.E.M.’s reputation
as an eclectic band.
The sheer genius of “Out of Time”
is captured on “Half a World Away.”
The lyrics mixed with the light key
boards and gentle mandolin are dis
turbingly sad and beautiful. Stipe, as
usual, captures the depressing as he
talks about the chaotic feelings of
losing love: “My mind is racing/as it
always will/ my hand’s tired/ my heart
aches from half a world away.”
By no means is “Out of Time” a
dive off the deep end. This is a band
that has been alive and well and ex
perimenting with sound fora decade.
And while the band has definitely
graduated into the 1990s with an
updated style and added class, the fab
four from Athens, Ga., still hold to
their deep-rooted folksy, Southern
sound.
360’s
“illuminated”
Link Records/WEA
Rating: 2 1/2
Ratings are 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent).
home?/ You saved me.”
The rhythm of “Saved” is another
virtue. Band members Eric Russell,
Brian Evan and John Grady create a
pleasant change from the Metallica
like frenzy of drums and guitars.
The title track, “Illuminated,” is
more melodious than many of the
cuts. It isn’t nearly as good as “Saved,”
but it is still better than the average
tracks. The song suffers from exces
sive key changes that detract from the
overall unity.
The last of the three songs of ac
ceptable quality is called “Garden of
Departure.” Strangely enough, the title
doesn’t fit with the lyrics.
“I fill your fingers with flowers/
red, emerald, blue and violet/ Like a
beautiful girl/ You are beautiful/ Angels
weep, moons weep, hurricanes,” are
some of the more coherent lines from
the song.
The album’s worst cut undoubt
edly is “Texas.” Besides being musi
cally discordant, this song is redun
dant and has poor lyrics.
“Joey smokes his last cigarette/
Got a gun underneath his bed/ No one
knows what losin’ is til you lose it
down in Texas,” are the only some
what intelligible lines in the tune. The
rest of the song is murderous screams
of the single word, “Texas.”
“Illuminated” may not end up on
the Hot! 00, but it’s probably worth a
listen, if for no other reason than to
chuckle over the differences in song
quality.
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