April 20, 1978
DISC ussions
By Greg Hall
London Town-Wings (Capitol
Records)
Paul McCartney's new
product is pure pop pabulum;
sugar-sweet, easily digested,
and totally disposible. Earlier
in the Era, when the Beatles
were composing and recording,
this may have been known as
"bubble-gum'music.
Hit singles on London Town
number two or three, a
practice - turned - philosophy
which has become the new
McCartney legacy. It is the
singles that will sell this album
to a new, younger audience
vaguely aware , of the Beatles,
while the late teen audience
and their "elders" will buy it for
the name, reputation, and
associated history.
This commercial concept
has been McCartney's secret of
longevity and continued suc
cess. Hit. singles aside, it will
have to be the name alone that
carries the weight (or more
often non-weight) of the
material. McCartney's main
problem is not in catering to too
wide an audience-others have
done it with little or no sacrifice
of creative force.
The problems that burden
McCartney stem from McCart
ney stem from the imbalanced
framework of Wings. On
London Town, the group has
l ki
MARK SHER M . ''S
lONE MENUUM
lAtianUt-SA. Harrisburg, Penna. 171001
formally been reduced to
McCartney, his wife Linda, and
Denny Laine. McCartney car
ries the lion's share of writing
and instrumental chores, while
the other two are assigned to
augment the overall sound. If a
position is not found for one or
both members in a specific
song, it seems for the finished
produit he would write one or
more parts to give them
something to do.
Burdening himself with
providing roles for two minor
figures, while at the same time
elevating them as principles of
equal stature is the key to
Wings' mediocrity. Imbalances
are most obvious where the
music on the album calls for at
least a competent treatment to
give it life, but does not receive
it due to insufficient talent or
incapable hands. As an artist of
any importance or respect,
McCartney would be better off
as a solo performer, surrounded
by studio musicians.
Southern Winds--Maria
Muldaur (Warner Bros.
Records)
With Southern Winds,
Maria Muldaur has made a
satisfying record, her best
overall effort since the now
classic first album that featured
"Midnight at the Oasis."
Emphasis on the new album,
Phone (717) 852-7714
• New and used stringed Instruments
• Lessons in all styles
• Expert repair and supplies
• Bluegrass records and tapes
• Friendly pickin' parlor
ARTS and CULTURE
In a time when even the
small record companies are
putting out albums of a more
commercial appeal there is still
a trickle of authentic folk music
which permeates the total
output. Rounder recently re
leased a two volume set
entitled The Old Originals,
Rounder 0057,0058. These field
recordings were collected by
Tom Carter and Blanton Owen
from the southwest corner of
Virginia and northwest North
Carolina. This region is broken
down into sub-regions and each
sub-region is discussed in
detail. The idea here is to
present music from counties
and parts of counties not yet
preserved as part of the folk
heritage of this area. The
names of the performers on this
alb* will not, co re bright
lights, moreAutn likely they
will sound uncommon.
The music covers a great
Spill of .stzift • Tkere are fife
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•
C.C. Reader
her fourth, is on short,
intelligent pop songs with tight
arrangements and instrumental
support. Her voice can be
wispy, willowy, seductive,
burlap-rough, or downright
tough, depending on her
interpretation of a song.
Producer Chris Bond and
Muldaur have chosen a
widely-varied repertoire to
showcase her vocals, from a
diverse collection of writers
ranging from Leon Russell to
J.J. Cale. Her many styles,
influences, and moods are
linked by unity of production as
well as by logical, tempo-ori
ented ordering of unrelated
material and songs that
complement one another.
Muldaur and her band will
appear for two shows in
Hershey next friday evening.
(See Cultural Events for time
and place). To see her in
concert should provide you
with an evening of good
entertainment.
ELKS PAIUtt
414-4141,
Mein-
Ker 0 eS et
fihowt "MC ' -itt;o
Photo Exhibit Winners Announced
The current exhibit in the
Gallery Lounge consists of
photographs made by students
in six MM 480 Photography
courses since Winter 1977. The
show is organized by the
Humanities Program. This year
the Faculty Committee on
Achedemic and Atheletic
Standards, Awards and Scolar-
By Bob Buckingham
CULTURAL
EVENTS
April
20 Irish balladeer Hugh Ward in concert, Capitol Campus,
Auditorium. 8 p.m. Free.
21 Average White Band in concert, Millersville State College,
Pucllo Gym, 9 p.m.
28-29 Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman" presented by Lancaster
Opera Workshop at Fulton Theatre, Lancaster.
28 Pure Prarie League/Robert Klein in concert at Lebanon
College, 8 p.m.
28 David Bromberg/Maria Muldaur in concert at Hershey
Community Theatre 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.
May
5 Renaissance in Concert-F & M College, Mayser Center,
Lancaster 8 p.m.
April
23 Author Joyce Carol Oates, readings and commentary, free, at
Millersville State College, 8 p.m. Lyte Auditorium.
20-23 Graphic Images of Japan-Community Gallery of Lancaster
13 W. Grant St. Free.
SHOWS IN PROGRESS
Vincent Smith, N.Y.C. artist, Dana Room F & M College,
Lancaster Daily 1.6 p.m.
Ceramics Invitational Show, Skyes Gallery Millersville State
College, M-F 8 a.m.-12, 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays also 7-9 p.m.
Linda Cunningham, N.Y.C. artist, Tuemelley Gallery, 137 E.
Grant St., Lancaster.
Exhibit "Faces of China" - 200 photographs of China 1860-1912,
Phila. Museum of Art.
April
21 Film "Masculine/Feminine" HACC 8 p.m.
21 Films "Shipshot" and "Fritz The Cat" at Student Memorial
Center, Mrnersville State College, •$l.OO 7:30 p.m.
ships provided funds for ten
awards of $3O each for purchase
prizes. The winning photo
graphs will remain on campus
for permanent display. Our
judge this year is Sharon
Ament, Harrisburg photo
grapher. The show will remain
on display through Friday,
April 21.
14'; rafi4q.Pweb3s
pieces and even piano and
harmonica solos. The booklet
which accompanies each record
details information on the
performers and their stylistic
differences. These people are
not important for the commer
cial qualities of their music, but
they are important in that they
function to preserve a musical
tradition.
As one might expect, the
range of performance varies.
There are some fine moments
and a fair share are merely
adequate. If your interest is in
the roots of bluegrass and
modern stringband music, this
album will prove to be
interesting and fun.
Stoneman is a name long
associated with country music.
Ernest V. Stoneman could have
been called a hustler. He saw an
industry booming and spent his
life trying to cash in. He formed
a family bated which still exists
playing a commercial form of
bluegrass. Ernest V. Stoneman
is gone though, but as this
shaskrt forgotten.
MUSIC AND DANCE
FILM AND DRAMA
This year's award winners
Richard Coogan
David Elrod (2 awards)
William Lenio
Elwood Meanar
Ingeborg Miller
James Moore
Cindy Nero
William Vogt (2 awards)
Ernest V. Stoneman And His
Blueridge Corn Shuckers,
Rounder 1008 documents
"Pop's" early career. His early
groups had many different
names and included any one
who was free to record. Like
A.P. Carter, Stoneman collect
ed, covered and wrote many
new songs out of the great body
of traditional music, and Khale
Brewer, Uncle Eck Dunford
and George Stoneman were
among the side men he used.
Though today Stoneman is
dead, his family band just
released an album on the CMH
label and his daughter Ronnie is
a featured banjo picker on Hee
Haw. His late son Scotty was
one of the hottest fiddlers in
bluegrass and many folks still
get excited when the name
Stoneman comes up.
This set is a good
representation of the man's
early work and a fine 1p of old
time music. The enclosed
booklet goes into detail on a
man that led an interesting and
vartAbialital
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