Slash’s Snakepit
“It’s Five O’CIock Somewhere”
Geffen Records
Grade: C
Tesla
“Bust a Nut”
Geffen Records
Grade: D
At the peak of alternative mania,
two bands have put out albums that
seek a return to true Spinal-Tap
glory. “Bust a Nut” by Tesla and
“It’s Five O’CIock Somewhere” by
Slash’s Snakepit revisit the Los
Angeles glam-metal scene and re
vive its time-honored cliches.
One of the major glam-metal
themes of the 1980s was money
grubbing groupies and hangers-on
trying to leech off the rock star’s
money and fame. Tesla invokes this
theme on their song “She Want She
Want” with the lyric: “She want
money, she want diamond rings.”
Ironically, Tesla is probably at the
point in their career when they are
least able to give groupies money
and diamond rings.
Slash s Snakepit plays up the
groupie scene with “Beggars &
Hangers-on” and “What Do You
Want To Be.” It is odd that Slash
devotes several songs to groupie
derision when his heartfelt song to
his wife, “I Hate Everybody (But
You),” paints his wife as a groupie
as well with the lyric: “When you
were told you’re too old/ To strip to
pay the bills/ You moved in with
your loser friends/ So you could
take designer pills.”
It is also humorous how easily
glam metal can go ffommisogynist
rantings to lovestruck ballads. Tesla
follows “She Want She Want” with
the Mr. Big-style acoustic ballad
“Need Your Lovin’.” Fortunately,
Slash’s Snakepit does not have the
obligatory sappy ballad.
Another tired cliche that both
bands revive is the “don’t-mess
with-the-bad-rock-star” song. Tesla
flaunts this bravado on “Action
Talks” and Slash’s Snakepit ech
oes the sentiment in “Be the Ball,”
a song that likens life to a big pin
ball machine where the truly cool
people bash things like the silver
ball.
The guitar work on both albums
consists of textbook riffs that have
been heard a million times. The
lyrics are pretty awful. Tesla gets
the award for dopiest lyrics in the
song “Wonderful World” in which
they sing about the day John F.
Kennedy was assassinated: “I didn ’t
---y~**r
know much but I knew it wasn’t
funny/ People were cry in’ like they
just lolled the Easter bunny.”
Slash’s lyrics are not much bet
ter. He probably did not mean to
imply an incestuous relationship
With his sister in the lyric: “Scream
that you were framed/ Cause you
beat my sister’s looks and all/ but
the sex is just the same.”
There is not much reason to
check out these albums unless you
desperately miss the glam-metal
glory days. But who knows, maybe
these two bands are on the cutting
edge and will one day replace alter
native music withbighair and shred
der riffs. Or maybe not.
— Jason Gildow
Tupac Shakur
“Me Against The World”
Interscope Records
Grade: B+
What is the most ironic thing
about the release of Tupac Shakur’s
new album “Me Against The
World”?
Perhaps it is that it entered at No.
1 on the pop charts, only a weeks
after the rapper/movie star was con
victed of sexual assault and sen
tenced to 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in
prison.
Or maybe the irony is the fact
that the album is so full of what
appear to be “positive” messages, a
recent trend Tupac has followed
from “Keep Ya Head Up” and last
year’s “Thug Life” album.
The ultimate irony may be that
Tupac’s finest work to date comes
out at a time when he is not around
to enjoy it.
Although 1U producers were
used for the 15 tracks on “Me
Against The World,” the overall
mood is very consistent,mostly due
to Tupac’s vocal style and topics of
his rap.
Much like “Thug Life,” on which
Tupac and his homies pose ques
tions like “How Long Will They
Mourn Me?” here we have him
asking what “If I Die 2nite”.
The biggest criticismsofTupac’s
previous work have been either
weak production or sharing good
production with weak rappers. Nei
ther appears here. Strictly Tupac,
strictly top production.
Still, you cannot help noticing
lines like “the game’s been good to
me” from “Heavy I the Game”,
while the lyricist is in prison be
cause of the game.
But listeners should revel in
tracks like “So Many Tears”, that
reminisces about hard times, or
“Young Niggaz,” Tupac’s warning
to youth not to get caught up as a
gangsta.
Whether giving props to his mom
in the first single, “Dear Mama,” or
talking about the hard times of the
street in “Lord Knows,” no one
does it quite like Tupac. He’s got a
distinctive voice and delivery.
You might want to check out
“Me Against The World” because
of your curiosity about music from
a criminal and bad boy.
You should check out this al
bum simply for the music.
—Greg Sch ick
The most complete
arsenal of test prep
tools in the world.
Classes Begin
GMAT: 4/13 & 7/6
GRE : 6/17
LSAT : 5/13 & 7/5
MCAT: 5/15
CALL: 475-7010
KAPLAN RULES
Become a Promotional
Marketing Manager
Outgoing, goat-oriented student
needed to assist company in coor
dinating and implementing promo
tional events for Fortune 500 Com
panies. Learn management skills
and marketing strategies while
implementing various programs.
* Excellent pay and bonus
opportunities
* Flexible hours
* Programs available:
■ Product sampling
■ Credit cards
■ College postering
* Liaison between client and the
consumer
* For the 1995-96 school year
American Passage Media Corp.
ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS
April 5,1995
See us at the Job Fair
or to schedule an interview
call APMCEM
1-800-487-2434, #8700
“(Bringing Aviation
To New Heights”
Of University of Nebraska at
Omaha Aviation Institute
402-554-3424
1-S0G-85S-864S
PRE-REGISTRATTON TS HERE!
Classes offered on Lincoln Campus
Private Pilot Training
Commercial Pilot Training
Instrument Flight Training
Think About It!
See page 34 of the catalog.
\
You can Major or Minor in Aviation or use a class
for an Elective*
EARN
$1,260 IN 4
WEEKENDS
ASSIST MEDICAL RESEARCH
You can earn up to $1,260 in 4
weekends. Just participate in a
medical research study at Harris. If you
are in good medical condition and meet
the criteria below, call us at 474-PAYS
to find out more.
■ men and women
■ nonsmokers
■ 19 to 40 years old
■ availability: weekends plus returns
Harris testing pays. Call 474-PAYS today!
BE PART OF THE CURE
□ HARRIS
621 Rose Street
Lincoln, NE 68502
• We buy; sell and trade
• We pay the mgsf...in CASH!
• We guarantee ours 100%
• The largest selection of new
and used CDs and tapes