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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1991)
Arts & Entertainment 9 Character’s lives explored /thirtysomething’ scripts hit the bookstore shelves By Julie Naughton Senior Editor thirtysomething stories By the writers of thirtysometjiing Pocket Books About four years ago, producers Marshall Hcrskovitz and Edward Zwick created a show about seven angst-ridden yuppies and their lives in and out of suburban Philadelphia. The show was immediately a hit. In its first year, “thirtysomething” won an audience of 22 million and an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Series. In its following seasons, it grew and matured. “thirtysornething stories” allows loyal viewers to experience new fac ets of that growth. The characters of the show have become like family to a huge audi enccof 20-to-49 year olds; their prob lems, heartaches and joys arc real. Die-hard “thirtysomething” fans will be in a delirious stupor, as they have the opportunity to see their favorite yuppies in this book, a collection of nine scripts from the show’s first three seasons. The scripts explore the lives of Michael Steadman (Ken Olin), an ad exec, and his wife, Hope (Mel Har ris); Michael’s friend Elliot Weston (Timothy Busficld), also an adman, and his writcr/artisl wife, Nancy (Patricia Wettig); Michael’s cousin, Melissa Steadman (Melanie Mayron), a photographer, college professor Gary Shepherd (Peter Horton) and his wife, activist Susannah Hart (Patricia Ka lembcr); and activist Ellyn Warren (Polly Draper). See thirtysomething on 10 ‘City’ proves Peebles’ ability, but abuses anti-drug message “New Jack City’1 Starring j Wesley Snipes, IceT Rated R Rating: 4 By Jim Hanna Senior Reporter Some people may remember Mario Van Peebles as the annoy ing character actor who starred in the equally annoying TV show “Sonny Spoon.” Now Van Peebles makes a leap to the big screen by directing and acting in “New Jack City, yet another story about contemporary gangsters operating in the lucra tive crack markets of New York. His acting is still annoying — but his directing is superb. This excellent movie consciously emulates other gangster movies with the rise and fall of a power-hungry gang leader. In this case, the leader is Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes), who masterminds the overrun of an apartment complex in a ghetto region of New York. Brown creates a mini-city within the complex where he manufac tures and sells crack. He creates a mil lion-dollar-a-day empire and everything seems hunky-dory. Ahh, but here come the cops. Scott Appleton (Ice T) is a streetwise, deadlocked guy who desperately wants to save his old neighborhood from the ravajges of crack and crime. He sets his sights on Brown and is assigned a partner that he hates, Nick Piretti (Judd Nelson). They manage to infiltrate Brown’s network with a recovered crack addict, Pookic (Chris Rock), who gets hired to work in Brown’s manufacturing labs. When that goes bad, Appleton decides to infiltrate the system him self. He quickly befriends Brown and the stage is set for a final con frontation whereby he busts Brown and a whole bunch of people get shot. The major problem with the movie (besides Van Peebles’ feeble performance as Appleton’s boss) is the oh-so-heavy message puked See CITY on 10 LP explores experiences of culture, life By Connie L. Sheehan Senior Editor I ; “Fish Out Of Water” i Wayne Toups and Zydecajun ! Mercury ! Rating: 3 1/2 j Ratings arc 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent). Ideally, one’s first Zydcto experience should come on a sweltering summer night while shuffling toa cajun beat that won’t let anyone’s feet rest even though the night’s humidity trickles down the backbone. But if one can’texpcricnce Zydcco in a true Southern style, then the next best thing is to celebrate with one of the masters, Wayne Toups, whose skill takes up any slack for our existence north of the Mason-Dixon line. Luckily, my first experience look place on that hot summer night three years ago at the Flatwatcr Jazz Festival where Toups made his festival debut. And while ethnic music, like jazz, seems to have more zip when viewed live, Toups’ re IVVIUIII^.1 VVIIV HIV ^XIIIIV » M.l MP.» JUI^V »wm IV/ * * • With that experience in mind, I immedi ately sought out Toups album, “Blast From The Bayou.” Now, Toups and his backup crew, Zydccajun, have released yet another Southern stomper, “Fish Out of Water.” Zydcco, an accordion-based waltz and two step music, has migrated northward over the last 10 years, up from Louisiana and the Ac adian culture of its birth. This Acadian culture jumbles the traditions of the fleeing French who traveled southward after Britain’s victory in Canada with the pre existing Southern culture awaiting them on their arrival in Louisiana. With traditional Zydeco’s ever-increasing popularity has come additions of blues, rock and country influence to the music, not only demonstrating the case at which Zydcco can hop charts but, in the process, increasing its mass audience appeal still further. Sung in pidgin French and English, heavily based in exotic accordion and harmonica in strumentation — the short, staccato tones con tain the same capability as jazz to reflect an entire cultural history in music. Zydcco music, whose ancestral originators were outcasts from traditional Southern soci ety, speaks with enthusiasm of that uniqueness and persecution. _ See ZYD on 10 mm w mi ?v m Gerardo Courtesy of Interscopo ‘Mo’ Ritmo’— no instruments, no good Album is awful By Jim Hanna Senior Reporter Gerardo “Mo’ Ritmo” Interscope Records Rating: 1 1/2 Ratings are 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent). Any album whose credits list the music programmers and no real musicians is bound to be a disappointment for most fans of real music. Accordingly, most people will dislike the debut album from Gerardo, “Mo’ Ritmo,” which was produced without any any actual instruments. Fans of synthetic dance music, how ever, will probably enjoy the album. Gerardo is a somewhat interesting per former. In effect, he is a Latin rapper who uses both English and Spanish lyrics. Spanish is surprisingly effective as a rap language and his alternating use of both languages, forming a hybrid he calls Spanglish, is kind of cool. Gerardo’s music is also good for danc ing. He describes it as a combination of styles: hip-hop with a Latin beat, funk ‘n’ salsa, a New Jack Thang. The music might be tolerable, but the words he sings with the music arc ex tremely pitiful. The aggressive, sexist lyrics reveal Gerardo as quite the pig. By the words he sings, you would think anybody who doesn’t want to sleep with him is a prude or a slut he doesn’t want anyway. For instance: “I don’t love you but I need you, would you rather have me lie, take a piece of your pic and say bye or be honest and rub your thighs?” or the exceptionally tender “My only addiction has to do with the female species, I cat ‘cm raw like sushi,” — real sensitive See GERARDO on 10 Muses’ album merits praise By Michael Stock Staff Reporter__ I _ The Throwing Muses “The Real Ramona” 4AD/Sire Rating: 5 Ratings arc 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent). The Throwing Muses have taken their great est step in the natural evolution of their sound. “The Real Ramona”showcases the real Throw ing Muses, including pieces from all of the band’s past albums and incarnations and fea turing a much more mature band. 4AD, the premier innovative British record ing label responsible for the successes of the Cocteau Twins, Lush and the Pixies, finds its first two releases of 1991 both featuring the finest work of the Throwing Muses to date. With the release of their “Counting Back wards” EP in the U.K. a short month ago, Bri'ish critics have exclaimed great praise for the EP and clamored with great curiosity for the LP. ncrc comes more praise. “The Real Ramona” finds Krislin Hersh, vocals and guitar, Tanya Donclly, guitar and vocalsand David Narci/.o, drums have recently recruited bassist Fred Abong. Abong, a high school friend of the band members, was en listed in October of 1989 for the Throwing Muses’ tour with R.E.M. The Throwing Muses only recently found their audience in the U.S. with the release of “The Fat Skier” EP in 1987 and “House Tor nado” in early 1988. Following a short interna tional tour, the band returned to the studio with their producer Gary Smith for the recording of “Hunkapapa,” and the catchy “Dizzy” single from the album, both receiving international acclaim. “The Real Ramona” looks to receive more of the same. “Counting Backwards,” the first track on “Ramona” and the first single is a volatile piece of pop, combustible with thicker full-bodied vocals from Hersh than on some of the earlier Muses’ releases. “Hook In Her Head” features the dark twang ing voice of vocal and guitar of earlier Muses. Even the lyrics reflect the earlier, darker moods of Hersh’s songwriting. “When you die it’s a shame, but your whole life’s just the same ... I’m so tired ...” The descending thump of the toms and percussion beat while the primal scream of guitars power the song. “Hook’s” guitars echo the intensity of Lush’s debut “Scar” EP from See MUSES on 10