Soundtracks,
ska dominate
new releases
By Jim Zavodny
Staff Reporter
After seeing the list of new
albums released during the last two
weeks, you’ll wish you hadn’t spent
all of your money on that silly spring
break trip.
Last week’s lot of releases fea
tured many big names, including
some older groups, a few bands on
the up and up and enough ska to
bring a grown man to his knees.
“Meet the Deedles” is a ska/surf
soundtrack with new tracks from the
Mighty Mighty Bosstones,
Goldfinger, Save Ferris, Hepcat, the
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and a band
named Homie, which includes mem
bers of Weezer.
Matador re-releases three albums
from the generally offensive
thrash/trash band Pussy Galore,
which was Jon Spencer’s crew before
he formed the Blues Explosion.
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tion of new music, today’s releases
seem kind of tame.
English pop group Pulp leads this
week’s group with the release of then
new album, “This Is Hardcore.”
The new release column from
two weeks ago incorrectly stated that
Scott Weiland’s new solo album
came out March 17. Unfortunately,
the release of “12 Bar Blues” was
pushed back to this week, and it was
n’t the first time the album’s release
date had been delayed.
EMI Records debuts three more
albums this week in its series called
“The Essential.” Duran Duran, the
Pet Shop Boys and the Red Hot Chili
Peppers are EMI’s featured artists,
and the albums are said to include old
material, unreleased tracks and some
live stuff.
And finally, the music from the
motion picture soundtrack “City of
Angels,” Nicolas Cage and Meg
Ryhn’s new film, contains new music
from U2. Sarah McLaehlan anH
Paula Cole.
New Releases: March 24,1998
Cornelius: “Fantasma”
(Matador)
DAS EFX: “Generation EFX”
(EastWest)
God Lives Underwater: “Life in
the So-Called Space Age”
(1500/A&M)
Reverend Horton Heat: “Space
Heater” (Interscope)
Journey: “Live” (Columbia)
Movie Soundtrack: “Meet the
Deedles” (Mercury)
Pussy Galore: “Dial M for
Motherf***er,” “Right Now!” and
“Sugar S*** Sharp” (Matador)
SEMISONIC: “Feeling
Strangely Fine” (MCA)
The Specials: “Guilty ’Til Proved
Innocent” (Way Cool/MCA)
Superdrag: “Head Trip in Every
Key” (Elektra)
New Releases: March 31,1998
Various Artists: “Butter”
Soundtrack (Relativity)
Various Artists: “City of Angels”
Soundtrack (Reprise)
Duran Duran: “Night Versions:
The Essential” (EMI)
Montel Jordan: “Let’s Ride”
(RAL/Mercury)
Pulp: “This Is Hardcore” (Island)
The Red Hot Chili Peppers:
“Under the Covers: The Essential”1
(EMI)
Scott Weiland: “12 Bar Blues”
(Atlantic)
Enhanced ‘Grease’ strong on style
By Jason Hardy
Film. Critic
Hot rods, horny girls and
goofy guys were a recipe for film
success 20 years ago, and the re
release of “Grease” shows little
has changed since then.
In 1978 “Grease” debuted on
the big screen and grossed more
than $340 million, becoming the
biggest-grossing movie musical in
the history of film. Now, celebrat
ing its 20th anniversary, “Grease”
is being re-released in theaters
around the country to bring back
the moves and the music that made
it famous.
Though most people have
probably already seen “Grease”
on television, seeing it in theaters
is a new experience. The colors
have been enhanced, and it fea
tures new digital sound.
For die-hard fans, seeing it on
the big screen is a must. But what
about people who thought it was
good, but don’t have a Web page
dedicated to it? Is it worth it to pay
$5 to see it again?
Yes.
Seeing this film in the theater
is like talking to an old buddy
who’s cracking new jokes. Though
the lines are the same, seeing them
done in vibrant new color and
enhanced sound on a huge screen
makes them seem funnier than the
first time they were delivered.
The big screen highlights
sometimes-overseen “Grease”
details by making them larger than
life. When Leo (Dennis Stewart),
the leader of the Scorpions, makes
his first appearance, the pits on
his face seem big enough to get a
Courtesy Photo
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (left) and John Itavolta star in “Grease,” the most successful film musical of all time. The
film was re-released March 27 in honor of its 20th anniversary.
truck stuck in.
The pants look tighter, the
dance scenes are overwhelming,
and Kenickie’s (Jeff Conaway)
car, Greased Lightning, looks
more bitchin’ than ever.
The enhanced color and digital
sound also help to make this re
release worthwhile.
From the bright whites and
reds of the Rydell High Rangers’
letterman sweaters to the pink
shades of Frenchy’s (Didi Conn)
hair, the colors create a ’50s feast
for the eyes. The white of Danny
Zuko’s (John Travolta) teeth is
almost angelic.
The digital sound not only
enhances the songs, but also
makes the roaring engines and
squealing tires sound incredibly
real.
As a whole, seeing “Grease”,
on the big screen is a great time
for people who Ve loved it for
years and people who are just now
taking notice.
All of the elements that made it
Tbs Facts
Title: 'Grease'
Stars: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
Director: Randal Kieiser
Rating: PG
Grade: A
FW* Words: ‘Grease” is better than ever.
famous 20 years ago are back and
jigger than ever.
Concert to offer
music students'
original works
From, Staff Reports
Tonight, the University of Nebraska
Lincoln School of Music presents
Graduate Student Composers night at 8 in
Kimball Recital Hall. Students of profes
sors Tyler White and Randall Snyder will
offer original works composed predomi
nantly in late 1997 or early 1998.
Pieces include Barb Churchill’s “The
Promise,” featuring Churchill, clarinet;
Rafael Mevorach’s “Duet for Clarinet,”
featuring Erica Corwin and Todd Alva,
clarinets; Julie Johnson’s “Shahkbazyan,”
ieaiuring janene sneiaon, soprano,
Marcos Krieger, organ and Deena Reedy,
flute; Sheldon’s musical settings of
“Prayer 2,” (text by Christina Rosseti) and
“O Burning Mountain” (text by Mechtild
of Magdeburg), both songs featuring
Sheldon, soprano, Krieger, organ, and
Reedy, flute; Mohd Ramil Buyong
Kahar’s “Tun Fatimah Srikandi Bangsa,”
featuring En Liang Ching, vocal, Becky
Smith, violin, Susanna Lee, harmonium,
Kahar, percussion and Eric Smith, per
cussion; and Nonglak Prasopsook’s “The
Hermit Crab,” featuring Milvia
Rodriquez, piano and Patricia Bastos,
piano.
Admission to the performance is free.
Correction
\ N. # w\. • . ' - - .. • j
In Monday’s edition of the Daily
Nebraskan, an article listed an incorject
location for Saturday’s performance by the
St. Petersburg Quartet. The group is per
forming at Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery.
i-am-1
Mark Eitzei f
“Caught in a Trap and I Can’t Back Out
’Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby”
Matador Records
Grade: C+
Before collaborating with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck
on last year’s critically acclaimed album “West,”
Matador records approached former American
Music Club frontman Mark Eitzei with the idea of
recording an EP that would help Warner Bros.
“Caught in a Trap,” which is less optimistic
than the poppy and R.E.M.-like “West,” is mostly
a one-man show, with Eitzel and his acoustic gui
tar accounting for six of the album’s 11 tracks.
Eitzel gets back to the basics on the new album,
and like most of Eitzel’s music, the lyrics are quite
depressing.
The acoustic tracks that grace “Caught in a
Trap” are worthy of praise, but the album shines
during the four numbers in which Eitzel brings in
James McNew of Yo La Tengo on bass and Sonic
promote
Eitzel’s music.
Warner
Bros, agreed
under the con
dition that the
record didn’t
interfere with
the production
of “West,” and
after Eitzel and
Buck wrote and
produced the
album, Eitzel
began work on
“Caught in a
Trap.”
Matador’s EP
idea turned into
an album after
Eitzel started
writing the
songs for
“Caught in a
Trap,” which
was named
after an old
Youth s Steve
Shelley on
drums. The
songs
“Queen of
No One” and
“Cold Light
of Day” are
where the
album gets
interesting,
as Eitzel
relaxes
because all of
the songs’
attention
isn’t on his
voice, and it
soars.
While lis
tening to
“Caught in a
Trap” you
feel as if it is
just Eitzel
and you sit
ting in a
Eivis manira
and is Eitzel’s fourth solo album and 11th overall.
The songs for the two records were actually
recorded around the same time, but the difference
is incredible. “Caught in a Trap” is just as good if
not better than “West,” especially because Eitzel
wrote, recorded and played nearly every track on
the new album.
a room while
he pours his heart out. Eitzel should; have consid
ered finishing the album witnMcNew and
Shelley, but then it would have lost all of the inti
macy that Eitzel worked so hard at during the
album’s recording.
- Jim Zavodny