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I U2 Is (from left to right) The Edge, Larry Mullen, Bono and Adam Clayton.
Island Records
Grade: B+
Since the 1960s, the widely ac
cepted route of aging rock stars has
been to either get fat, get rich and
perform over-the-top concerts for
equally fat and balding fans (also
known as the “Elvis concept”), or
to break up the band, pursue half
assed solo careers and then regroup
for a “long-awaited” reunion tour
(also known as the “Eagles con
cept”).
„ But for U2, a rock band that is
steadily creeping toward two de
cades of existence, neither of these
approaches seems to be particularly
comforting.
For U2, the band that conquered
the world with albums such as
1983’s “War” and 1987’s huger
than-huge “The Joshua Tree,” the
solution was tO Teinvent them
selves.
They started along that path
with “Achtung Baby,” a dark and
pseudo-electronic album that was
about as radical a departure from
the generally light sounding and
highly Americanized “The Joshua
Tree” as possible.
Rather than alienating old fans
with this sudden shift, U2 won new
ones and continued to progress
deeper into European-influenced
instrumentations with “Zooropa.”
Four years later, “Pop” has ar
rived.
U2’s latest album treads paths
similar to those found in “Achtung
Baby” and “Zooropa,” but delves
even deeper into the electronic
world of sampling, sonic manipu
lation and beat-heavy composition
than either of those releases.
The traditional four-piece band
that sold out arenas and moved mil
lions of albums is now buried be
neath a barrage of technical wiz
ardry and studio effects.
And the best part about all of
this is — it’s still U2.
Bono’s passionate vocals are
still anchored by a driving rhythm
section and an incomparable me
lodic flow that shine through even
the most manipulated production
values.
Songs such as “If God Will
Send His Angels,” “If You Wear
that Velvet Dress” and “Wake Up
Please see POP on 13
Surf’s up at Zoo;
band plays tonight
By Ann Stack
, Senior Reporter
Don’t be afraid of the masks —
these guys are harmless.
Unless, of course, you’re talking
about their music.
Los Straitjackets, a surf-instrumen- |
tal band from Nashville, Tenn., will ;
play tonight at the Zoo Bar, 136 N.
14th St. Although the surfs not up
most of the time in Nashville, it’s a
pretty safe bet the tide will be high I
when they take the stage.
Los Straitjackets formed nearly
three years ago, and now the quartet
of 30-somethings can boast a video on
MTV, a strong fan base and a write
up in College Music Journal.
Although pure instrumental music
doesn’t get picked up by most radio
stations, it translates easily in front of
audiences, Los Straitjackets guitarist
Danny Amis said.
‘Teople really like it live,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get on the air
with all-instrumental. But live audi
ences don’t have a problem with it.
They can make up their own minds
on what to like.
“It’s been a challenge, but we’ve
been doing it for years.”
Amis said he grew up on surf mu
sic, and has been playing it in differ
ent bands and as a solo artist for years.
Surf music evolved along the West
Coast during the 1960s. Its fast, fre
netic pacing and heavy use of reverb
effected guitars was popularized by
artists such as Dick Dale (whose work
was featured recently on the “Pulp '
Fiction” soundtrack) and the Surfaris,
who scored surf rock’s most enduring
hit with the drum-laden “Wipe Out.”
In recent years, several gimmick
driven surf rock bands, such as Man
or Astro Man? (whose members wear
sci-fi space gear) and the Phantom
Surfers (whose members perform in
matching suits and Lone Ranger-style
masks) have emerged on independent
record labels across the country.
Los Straitjackets have followed
this trend, performing in Mexican
wrestling masks.
“It looks cool when we put the band
together. We wanted a unique way to
present the band onstage,” Amis said.
“We’re a very visual band. We try to
keep the energy at a high level so
people will get up and dance.”
If people are curious about the,
music behind the masks, they can
check out the band’s CDs. They have
two out: 1995’s “The Utterly Fantas
tic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of
Los Straitjackets” and last year’s
“Viva Los Straitjackets.”
The members of Los Straitjackets
are Amis, guitarist Eddie Angel, bass
ist Scott Esbeck and drummer Jimmy
Lester.
Los Straitjackets have played the
Zoo Bar one other time — and broke
an attendance record on a Tuesday
night.
“Lincoln’s definitely one of our
favorite places,” Amis said. “We’re
looking forward to returning.”
Tonight’s show begins at 9:30.
There is a $6 cover charge.
Despite band’s new name,
Fastball’s success sweet
By Cuff Hicks
Staff Reporter
Originally called Magneto USA,
the band known as Fastball has sev
eral reasons for its new name.
“So that journalists could torment
us with their endless baseball analo
gies,” guitarist/vocalist Miles Zuniga
said.
The real story is a little more in
volved.
“There’s a band called Magneto
from Mexico,” Zuniga said, “and
they’ve sold a lot of records, so we
tagged on the USA.
“When we signed with Hollywood
(Records), they told us we wouldn’t
be able to play down there,” Zuniga
said. “And we really want to play
South America and Mexico eventu
ally, so we changed our name.”
Fastball is currently opening for
Matthew Sweet, who is playing a
small “warm-up tour” to precede the
Please see FASTBALL on 13
Movie reveals man’s turmoil with loyalty to family, mob
By Bret Schulte
Film Critic
Based on the autobiography of FBI agent
Joseph D. Pistone, “Donnie Brasco” sets itself
apart from the gangster genre, shining a deeper
light on the dark figures of the Italian mob.
Hollywood recluse Johnny Depp plays the
undercover operative Donnie Brasco. In his first
release from a major studio since the largely
ignored “Nick of Time,” Depp unleashes an
unquestionable performance of a man trapped
between friendship, duty and. family.
Donnie Brasco, after more than two years
trying to penetrate the Italian underground, is
befriended by a local “wiseguy” named Lefty,
played by mobster movie mainstay A1 Pacino.
But Lefty has problems of his own. His
criminal career has stalled, and he is left stand
ing on the fringes of the inner circle as other
guys work their way up. Seeing Brasco as a
means to propel his own career, Lefty tutors
Brasco on the subtleties of the ways of the
wiseguy.
Brasco gradually works his way into the
local mob headed by the ruthless “Sonny
Black,” chillingly played by Michael Madsen. •
Movie: “Donnie Brasco”
Director: Mike Newell
Stars: A1 Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael
Madsen, Anne Heche, Bruno Kirby
Rating: R (violence, language)
Grade: B
Five Words: The gangster genre grows up
Meanwhile his friendship with Lefty contin
ues to strengthen as he is gradually distanced
from both his family and the FBI.
Rather than the typical grandiose Hollywood
portrayal of a reckless and indulgent sprawl
ing mafia family, the film documents a less
glamorous reality of simple, local mobsters des
perately trying to make a buck. They meet in a
seedy bar, rather than an enclosed estate, where
they smash open parking meters and rework
old scams.
The realism of the mobsters strengthens the
credibility of the film, as it becomes plain that
the group is as callous as they are distrustful.
This constant doubt places Brasco at a disad
Please see BRASCO on 13
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