APRIL 17, 1975
.._. 7 . - _ _ -. _ •- • - - • - -•••••-•• • ••••
• READER REVIEWS
11
Pepper Flies
THE GREAT WALDO PEPPER
Directed by George Roy Hill
This is a movie that you should not wait to see on Channel
100.
The main impact of the film (and quite an impact it is,
too), is the aerial photography; the dizzying sensations of
speed and acrobatics coveyed by the cameras mounted on
the stunt planes themselves comprise a cinematic thrill that
is not to be missed.
Go stoned and sit down in front
Particularly amazing is the outside-loop sequence that
makes you certain that your hair is dangling above, your
head and that at any moment you will fall out of your seat
and splatter into the ceiling. For the sheer wonder and
beauty and power of flight, for the god-like glory in the
aerial dogfight, for the highest grace of life and the tragedy
and honor of death, go see this movie.
That is what is good about the film.
What is OK about the film is the story, acting and
direction. Nice, but nothing to get excited about. Robert
Redford as Waldo puts on a good show and manages to pull
off his characterization without merely duplicating the
same old character he has used in other films, in fact, this is
probably one of his best efforts
The script is mediocre, not because it isn't written well,
but because the theme displayed in the film Ps the same
theme that has ridden around on every other movie about a
flyboy ever made: the incurable glory of flight, the need of a
hero for that glory and its denial by society.
It is, however, one of the few films around that is actually
worth the money to go see. If it's still at the UA theatre, to
there--They have a larger-than-average screen for a double
cinema and they're lonely for people from Capitol Campus.
CM'T TAKE SOI'VINEX
Chicago VIII
Chicago
Columbia
Well, Chicago has returned in their eighth vinyl
expedition, creatively entitled Chicago VIII. This new
album marks a return to blandness for this once
innovative octet from the Windy City.
After Chicago 111 back in 1970, the group seemed to go
pretty much down the musical drain, with occasional
flashes of their early brilliance. The last year, they
rebounded in a fair-to-good Chicago VII, which left me
hoping they could keep it up. Unfortunately, they
couldn't.
Although it's only a one-record set, it wears on one's
nerves about as badly as two records would. It's the kind
of album that can lull one to sleep if he sits down for a
serious listening session. It's so bad that the entire first
side is indistinguishible from one song to the next.
However, things aren't all that bad for the entire album.
If you're awake enough at the end of the first side to
change the record, the beginning of the second side will
jolt you back to complete consciousness. "Harry
Truman", its opening cut, although by no means
spectacular, is just different enough to make one notice.
It's Chicago's most blatant nostalgia-song, and it makes
Truman sound like some kind of a Messiah. And all this
contributes to its most defeating aspect, its triteness.
Following "Harry Truman" is the only really good and
original cut on the album, Terry Bath's "Oh Thank You
Great Spirit". It's a bluesy type of thing which sounds like
a furthering of the style exhibited in "I've Been Searchin'
So Long" off of Chicago VII. If the entire VIII LP had
followed this line, it just might have come off as a great
record.
On Cut #3 of Side 2, the characteristic blandness of the
first side returns and stays through the end of the album.
The remaining three cuts are just so much noise, with the
only thing of interest being the string arrangement on" Old
Days", which is straight off "Searchin'...'.
All-in-all, Chicago VIII is a poor value if you count your
gold in music. But it does have a poster and iron-on patch
inside for those of you turned on by that kind of
commercial draw. 'ln considering the real attributes of
this album, all I can say is that it's a nice record to put on
when a friend stops in to just talk. It makes good
background noise.
I just hope that if you buy it, you don't get ripped-off
like I was. My copy didn't even have the iron-on patch.
Just a poster and lousy music.
-Jim Bollinger
by P.R.J. Smith
TAKE C)I4IC4GO
C. C. READER
America
Hearts
Warner
America has finally released an album of the same
quality as their first two. Many of us, who were truly
impressed by the excellent harmony and tight musician's
hip of these first two, were rather disappointed with Hat
Trick and Holiday. Hearts seems to have recaptured the
sentiment and style' of the earlier LPs. America has the
interesting ability of being able to blend under one format
both mellow mood music and very funky rock. On the
mellow side, Hearts adds to the already impressive list -
"Daisy Jane", "Midnight", "Tomorrow", and "Seasons",
all of which typically include excellent orchestration. The
rockers of the album include "Half a Man" and "People in
the Valley". Ranging between these extremes are "Old
Virginia" (REMEMBER "Ventura Highway"?), "The Story
of a Teenager" (written for the film of the same name) and
"Sister Golden Hair", which will undoubtedly be one of
America's most successful 45's. Try listening to this one
on a beautiful spring day with a bottle of Rose and some
lady friends (or gentlemen - for you few female readers). It
fits the occasion.
Albums reviewed in this section will be previewed on
Friday, April 18, at 1:35 pm.
Opera Program
Mesmerizing
revue, "From Figaro To Funny Girl" in the Gallery/Lounge
"From Figaro to Funny Girl" was a musical
presentation performed on April 10, by Beverly Flower and
Jesse Coston. Two programs were performed. A
lecture/demonstration at 2 pm in the gallery lounge, and a
formal concert in the auditorium in the evening.
To say the least, I was mesmerized. Those two very
talented performers exhibited to me a warmth that's not
normally experienced between artist and audience. Their
repertoire consisted of opera selections to Broadway
show tunes. The guest Curtis Opera Company members
charmed me to a point of capturing my complete,
undivided attention. The Cultural Committee's special
concert of Beverly Flower and Jesse Coston has
implanted upon me a curious desire to attend some opera.
That's what a concert is all about. Programs like this are
what makes colle,e life come alvie.
Mark
Macchioni
Twain
Lives
WILL STUTTS IN "AN
EVENING WITH MARK
TWAIN"
Will Stutts will appear
April 21st at 3pm in 'the
auditorium in a special
presentation as Mark Twain. ,
- Stutts originat
ed his "Evening With Mark
Twain" several years ago
while doing intensive re
search on the great Ameri
can humorist. Stutts has
performed his show well
over 300 times in a dozen
states to thousands of
delighted theatre goers.
PAGE
Ambrosia
20th Century Records T-434
EMI ST-11368
Presently in the music
industry there seems to be a
decided lack of new talent.
There are, I am sure, sound
reasons for this - perhaps
the "non-existant" reces
sion, a vinyl shortage or even
musical regression - but In
any case, this conditon is a
definate drag for the
Rock-n-roll connoisseur (no
pun on the N.Y. Dolls
intended).
Hopefully the release of
such albums as Ambrosia
and Pilot indicate a policy
change! It's terribly
refreshing to listen to an
excellent album and realize
that there are no recog
nizable names listed on the
jacket.
Ambrosia consists of four
musicians: Joe Puerta -
bass and vocals, David Pack
- guitars, vocals and
keyboards, Christopher
North - keyboards and
vocals, and Burleigh Drum
mond - percussion, bas
soon, and vocals - all of
whom are quite capable in
both performance and com
position (all selections were
written by the group). The
group's general style re
sembles that of Emerson,
Lake & Palmer, however the
material is original enough
to mark Ambrosia as a
distinctly different group.
The individual songs fit
basically into three cate
gories: Mood - e.g. "Lover
Arrive", symphonic rock -
"World Leave Me Alone",
and top-40 - "Nice, Nice,
Very Nice". Perhaps the
best cut on the LP is "Mama
Frog" which incorporates
excellent harmony, some
fine moog work, and even
(for all you Alice in
Wonderland freaks) a recita
tion of the Jabberwock.
Ambrosia is a definite must
for all classical rockers.
Pilot on the other hand
consists of David Patton,
Bill Kyall and Stuart Fox
mixed with orchestration
conducted by Richard Hew
son. Their style is primarily
top-40. However, they
exhibit some very tight
playing and mixing, really
fine vocal harmony, and very
rocking rythms—all of which
are required to get a top 45.
Instrumentation ranges from
typical guitar/ bass numbers
to rather intricate usage of
harpsichords and synthe
sizers. Although lyrically
many of the songs lack
depth, they still come across
as pleasing, light music.
The best cuts are "Magic"
and "Just a Smile", both of
which are getting some AM
playtime.
1
i Student Teaching
Applications are being
accepted for student teach- 1
ing for the 1975-76 year.
Please pick your student I
teaching application mater- I
ials up from Mrs. Mary Vogel
in W-357 immediately.
I