MARCH 14, 1975 _.. Dr. McDern. ~ Provost of Capitol Campus, Dr. Oswald and Dr. Winston Richards before a working luncheon attended by Faculty Council members. Enrollment predictions for Capitol according to Dr. Oswald will reach about 3,000 students by 1980. Among other topics discussed during Oswald's visit included a possible name change from Capitol Campus to Penn State University- Harrisburg. Also in the near future, joint pro grams with Hershey Medical Center were discussed. ••• Journey To Happy Valley "THE Paperwork was taken care of before 1w and Provost McDermott, right, look of C.C.' . READgR =2llll=l bum, but that's what I'm doing with Elton John's Empty ,ky. This album was originally released in 1969 in England, 1, until recently, it could only be found in the import sections of a few record stores. Which is really a pity, since this an admirable set of early Taupin-John compositions. ' Empty Sky is Elton's very first album. The only member of his current band with him at the time was drummer Nigel Nson, and he only plays on one cut. It's pretty easy to see why Empty Sky was held onto for so long: it's not really commercial material. It's a concept album of the sort that 'only an established artist can turn into a success. It was obviously written by the artists for the artists. It Is several truly beautiful cuts, and a couple of light rockers, but nothing in the "Bitch is Back" or "Honky Cat" vein. Empty Sky is like a musical book of poetry which absorbs the listener and takes him-her along on a trip thru life, revealing how the poet thinks, and letting us see with 'le poet's vision. The music on each and every cut acts as ie catalyst between the poet's words and the listener's ,nses. This is a very high-quality album with some of the best music I have ever heard on a rock-album. As flutes play 'across the plains of our minds on "Hymn 2000," Bernie Taupin takes ,hypocrisy and religion to task. On "Val le, Elton's harpsichord reveals to our inner sight the iista of that mythological kingdom, while on the titre cut, ,Bernie's wistful fantasies are driven home on one of the closest thing to hard rock on the album. This song is ef fective, but perhaps over-long. The end of the first side is an unwanted burdensome in terruption of our fancy-flight. But the second side opens ,ith a musical transport back to childhood and the melodious corporealization of the universal fear of (morrow. "Sails" is Elton's early "Honky Cat": a real Icker, although more toned down than his later works. is one is of an encounter with a Lucy on the docks with lulls and features a lively wah-wah-echo guitar section. is one is followed by another smooth poem, "The Scaf- Thum, "Skyline Pigeon". This one song is the epitome of he whole album's concept. It's a reworking of the freedom , me from "Empty Sky", but here, Elton's voice and usic inject the yearning of ultimate freedom felt by bryone into the listener's very soul. The device here is a ied pigeon crying to be unchained and allowed to see Igs he's only dreamed of. The fervent voice of Elton ,hes finely with the beauty of his harpsichord and the ,emnity of his organ to produce one of the most moving - is ever done by John, or, for that matter, anyone. after the pinnacle reached by "Skyline Pigeon" Elton 's on a spiral course down to the end of our musical •ney in a trilogy labeled "Gulliver-Hay Chewed -ise". "Gulliver" is a soft funeral lament which echo phases into "Hay Chewed," a nice piece of instrumental jazz. As it fades out, it's replaced by a series of very short reprises of every cut on the albuM, in chronological order from "Empty Sky" to an echo fade-in of Gulliver's finale, which ends the album. m4bse to Condidate Empty Sky is a vinyl jewel. It's the kind of album that is rare enough to make it totally unique. Although it may or may not achieve the commercial success of all his other albums, I still believe Elton John deserves all the critical acclaim he gets for this album, for it was on this, his very first, that he proved his true musician's merit (and worth). Nominate■ Candidates for Promotion Does candidate teach in two programs (1/3 tiara or note) Duplicate cre•ent ■ • and send to second Review Committee may seem a Id/' before Elton glides into my favorite song on the PAGE ew a six-year -old o rev range Elton John's new single, "Philadelphia Freedom", contains a "live" per formance by John Lennon. On the 'B' side of this single is a rendition of the old Beatle hit "I Saw Her Stan ding There". This version features Lennon as the lead singer and guitarist and Elton John in harmony. It was recorded at the final show of the 1974 Elton John Tour in Madison Square Garden in New York.
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