DECEMBER - 6 - 1974
Goodnight Vienna
Ringo Starr
Apple
It's just about that season when all the formally recognized
charitable organizations make their prescences felt. Recently, a
much less formal charity returned to the scene when Ringo Starr
released his second solo rock-album, Goodnight Vienna. As you
will recall, last year Ringo assembled some of the biggest em
pressarios in pop music to donate to, and help contrive his first
album-venture into the world of rock, including old friends
Messrs. Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney, 3 4 ths of a quartet once
known as the Beatles.
Well, again this year, Mr. Starr has attempted the same feat,
albeit not achieving the same landmark results. In Goodnight
Vienna, Ringo again assembles some of rock's biggest biggies,
who donate their services to their favorite charity (Ringo)
however, he only manages to get halfof the Beatles (including
himself) to give him a hand. But he does manage to pull in such
well-known names as Billy Preston, Harry Nilsson, Dr. John,
Nicky Hopkins, Elton John, and, of course, John Lennon.
On first hearing Ringo's new album, one is stricken by the ap
parent half-assedness of it, because, at first, it seems like the
second side is extremely good vs. the apparent ineptitude on the
first side. But after a few times around, one can really appreciate
this album's consistency.
My first reaction to side One was that Ringo should have left and
turned it all over to his backup band. It seemed at first that the
music was terrific, while Ringo's voice did naught but destroy its
effectiveness. After a few listenings, however, I began to see the
beauty in Ringo's voice, how its simplicity and rough smoothness
actually enhanced such tunes as the title cut (written by Lennon),
"00-Wee" (by Poncia-Starkey ), and "Occapella", which features
a cameo vocal by Dr. John. Even so, Ringo still bombs on the other
two cuts on this side: "Snookeroo", written by Elton John-Bernie
Taupin, which Ringo just can't phrase correctly, and which he
makes more comical by his ineptitude than it was meant to be;
and Roger Miller's oldie, "Husbands and Wives", where Ringo is
just too schmaltzy for words.
On Side Twe, I was struck immediately by its apparent contrast V.
to Side One. This apparent contrast quickly became more fuzzy,
however, as I began to discern the first side's high-points, and the
second side's low spots. Still, Side Two is the better, and on it,
Ringo manages to generate enough energy and interest to carry
one thro the rest of the albujg. .
The best song on the album, "All By Myself", leads off the
second side, and then he hits us with the only completely self
composition Ringo has on this album, "Call Me"."Call Me" is a
strange song. It sounds too trite to be believed, so I didn't believe g!
it. I think it's designed to be some kind of self-satire on Ringo's ,
Beatle-writing and-singing days. It seems to have traces of
"Octopus's Garden", "Don't Pass Me By", and even "Step
Lightly" (from Ringo). This side is rounded out by his current AT- it
40 entry; a Hoyt Axton composition which is a nice piece of light
comedy; and a Nilsson composition, which is kind of schmaltzy, 3i i;
but not too bad. The album finishes with a reprise of the title track,
when Lennon admonishes everyone "Once more, with Gusto".
On the whole, this album's not too bad, but its no masterpiece
(Ringo might have been closer to that). Of course, I don't for once e
believe that Ringo ever even wants to produce a masterpiece; he '`£
just wants to have fun. Although it first impressed me as being a
Jekyll & Hyde type of work, Goodnight Vienna turns out to be a
nice decent, fun album. Just what everyone expects from Ringo. 'k
More Women enter engineer
University Park, Pa. -- While
engineering still appears to be
a male bastion, women are
beginning to wake up to this
profession's job opportunities,
says Dr. Nunzio J. Palladino,
dean of the College of
Engineering at The Penn
sylvania State University.
He offers some statistics to
illustrate his point.
Since 1967, the enrollment of
freshman women in
engineering has risen from 0.4
to 7.6 percent at Penn State
Campuses, he reports. In 1967,
only five women were enrolled
in engineering at the
University; in 1972, there were
13; and this year, the female
freshman enrollment has
jumped to 96. ,The number of
freshmen women enrolled in
engineering at the University
Park Campus, for example,
has jumped from 0.7 to 4.8
percent since 1967--from two
Awn ho
-Jim Bollinger
to 66 women
"The fact that women
currently comprise less than
one percent of all U.S.
engineers," says Dean
Palladino, "is probably due to
a preconceived image of
engineers which .does not in
clude women."
Dr. Palladino thinks there's
a misconception on the part of
the general public that
engineering jobs require more
brawn than brain.
"The mental labor usually
far outweighs any sort of
physical exertion, and most
engineers work in offices, not
at construction sites." says Dr.
Palladino.
Penn State is among various In an ugly and unha p p y
universities throughout the world, the richest man can
country which are inducing purchase nothing but ug
women to enter this formerly liness and unhappiness.
male oriented profession. -George Bernard Shaw.
C.e: READER '
' ' •
e::.:W§fes
Band Day at
tm, Z l, k) ,
A Photo-essay by Reader Lensmen
eolli
v
4t.
Photo by Prouser
Penn State's rugged defense pressures Ohio's quarterback. Penn State won 35-16 on
a cold, but sunny, Band Day 1974.
Jim Curley (28) fights for yardage against Ohio University on Band Day
Band in saluting PSU's
Brochures on opporti
engineering are sent
sylvania high school
and seniors and to woi
express interes
engineering. The Ui
has also produced a
radio and television
what the engi
profession has to offer
"But despite the
we're trying to e
qualified women to accept the
challenge of the engineering
profession," says Dr.
Palladino, "the College of
Engineering does not maintain
a double standard. Our women
are treated the same as the
men."
University Park:
WATERGATE COSTS
Investigating the Water
gate scandal has cost the
American taxpayer more than
$1 million and is expected
to run up a tab of $4 million
or $5 million before the
case is closed.
A smart man figures out
his excuses ahead of time.
** * *
PAGE FOUR-
r & Prouser
Penn State coach, Joe Paterno, paces
the sidelines as his team rides to a
35-16 victory over Ohio University.
* * *
Humor is a rare gift; if
you can laugh at the world,.
and yourself, you're lucky.
** * *
Worthless
A nickel goes a long way
these days—you carry one
for a long time before find
ing anything it will buy.
-Press, Oskaloosa, la.
4iet