Reviews
Turrentine
No one set the Forum afire
on Friday, Feb. 16, but during
the night there was some hot
jazz played.
Suprisingly, most of the ex
citement was due to a Harris
burg based band. Third
Stream. The featured act, the
Stanley Turrentine Quartet,
did play some fine music but did
not live up to the audience’s
expectations.
The Third Stream, who play
in the Harrisburg area some
where daily, consist of four
men. They include a drummer,
bassist, guitar player and a
person who alternately plays
tenor saxaphone, flute, clarinet,
and synthesizer. They mostly
performed original material
Their particular style of music
can be broadly labeled pro
gressive jazz, though rock and
classical influences are obvious.
In fact the highlight of the show
was an accoustic flute solo that
Best of the Band
in 1976, The Band perfor
med their last concert and
made a live recording entitled
most appropriately, The Last
Waltz. But as well performed as
The Last Waltz was, with its
impressive gathering of musical
talents and guests (such as Neil
Young, Eric Clapton, Bob Dyl
an, Muddy Waters, and Joni
Mitchell), The Band itself could
not be overshadowed. With its
16 years of togetherness on the
road and in the studio, the band
concluded their career as one of
the world’s tightest and most
unique bands ever to record.
The Band: An Anthology, is
to put it mildly, just a sampling
of The Band’s best recordings.
While other bands and solo
artists changed with times and
sank or swam on public appeal,
The Band maintained their vigil
One man’s picture is another man’s news* Two Penn Staters enjoying a
leisurely break between classes in Vendorville. | >gter
disappoints
mixed Grieg’s “Peer Gynt
Suite”, Rossinni's “William Tell
Overture” and jazz improvisa
tions together. Third Stream
played eight songs during their
set which lasted approximately
one hour.
After a half hour intermis
sion, The Stanley Turrentine
Quartet came on, without
Stanley. The Quartet consisted
of a drummer, keyboard player,
bassist and guitarist. While
awaiting Stanley they
performed clean, crisp progres
sive jazz in the style of Chick
Corea. The Quartet’s sound
system was much larger than
Third Stream’s and was capable
of filling the whole Forum with
a wall of sound.
Stanley came out and led
the group through two torrid
jazz pieces, including his most
popular song “Don’t Mess with
Mister T.” After that, however,
the concert began to disappoint
by mike cocciardi
and excellence, and played
what they knew best, and not
what was in vogue at the time.
Some of this influence might
have come from the early tour
ing days with Bob Dylan. It’s
hard to say actually, but this is
one critic who is glad they won
out and played what they play
ed best.
Few artists could match the
vocals of Robbie Robertson’s
rendition of “It Makes No Dif-
ference.” Though the lyrics told
the story of a love lost and
gone, the voice tones are an
even deeper expression of a
sorrow of sadness that goes
beyond the literal moaning of
the lyrics. “The Weight" and
“The Night They Drove Old
Dixie Down” show the versa
tility of The Band in relating a
story via sonds both sad and
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the audience. Though all of
Stanley’s sidemen were more
than proficient musicians, Stan
ley himself did not playt very
much.
Also, Stanley’s choice of
material was poor. His selec
tions included a weak version of
Joe Zawinul’s “Birdland”, plus
other less contemporary pieces.
Most of his repertoire consisted
of slow moving ballroom dance
works. Many rude audience
members walked out before the
set, which only lasted 40 min
utes, ended.
According to sources from
Good People’s Productions,
since the Forum was only about
two-thirds full, it is unlikely
that there will be another con
cert at Capitol Campus this
year, with the possible excep
tion of Spring Concert which is
currently being planned.
cornu- *ith (he accompanying
Vo- projections. “Stage
Fright” is one of the few songs
around thai oepicts the stage
performer and his experience
on stage in front of a demand
ing, expectant audience. Ro
bertson’s nervously high
pitched voice actions produce
an effect that is unmistakably
cohesive with the actual stage
experience of a frightened per
former.
It is sad to realize that this
talent is no more, and that it
will be some time before a band
of this caliber is with us again.
For now, however, there is The
Anthology to bring back those
bright moments and unique
expressions that only The Band
could bring to life in an album
or on stage.
«f »*»»>
Elvis is King
He looks like Buddy Holly,
sings like Mick Jagger, writes
lyrics like Bob Dylan and plays
guitar like John Lennon. He is
the greatest musician to em
erge out of the 1970’s and he
will perform at the Forum in
Harrisburg onWed., March 21.
His name is Elvis Costello
and if you haven’t heard him on
your radio it’s no surprise to
him. As he says in his song
“Radio, Radio”: “The radio's in
the hands/of such a lot of
fools/Trying to anesthetize the
way that you feel.” Of other
more popular groups such as
Boston, Costello says, "They
may sell 9 million records, but
they’re about as exciting as a
plate of tripe. Rock ’n’ roll is
about sex and they might as
well be eunuchs. They’re just a
wet dream for an accountant.”
His heroes range from Joni
Mitchell to David Bowie be
cause of their willingness to
take chances with their music.
Elvis is strange. Who else
would say Chicago is his favor
ite American city because the
people were rude and who
hates the West Coast because
people were so friendly. “If one
more person said ‘have a nice
day’ I thought I might kill him”
Costello said.
But though one cannot deny
the bizarreness of Costello, one
also cannot deny his colossal
talent. He has been hailed by
everyone from Bob Dylan to
the New York Times as one of
rock’s greatest new musicians.
Costello has three albums to
his credit. His first, My Aim Is
True is full of songs about love
and frustration. The song from
which the title line is taken,
“Alison” has been recorded as a
soft-rock ballad by Linda Ron
stad. When sung by Costello
however, the lyrics merge with
his staccato voice and form a
sharp, bitter edge on such lines
as: “Well I’ve hear you’ve got a
husband now/and you’ve left
your sticky fingers lying in the
wedding cake./You used to hold
him right in your hand/but he
took all he could take.”
Other songs on the first
album concern the drudgery of
working: “Welcome to the
working week./Oh, I know it
don’t thrill you/I hope it don’t
kill you” and sexual frustration:
“Don’t you know that Ive tried
and Ive tried and I’m still
mystefied./Ican’t do it anymore
Hubba Hubba
On February 13 the oldies
but goodies were revived by
Shanana at the Hershey Park
Arena.
Appearing with these fabu
lous greasers was Dr. Hook.
The arena was packed with
fans of all ages, not one seat
was empty. The crowd cheered
as Bowzer and his gang came on
stage.
Shanana like many other
grou. s enticed the audience
into active participation. They
held a dance contest. Santini,
Donny and Denny went out into
the crowd and choose three
girls to dance with. The win-
and I’m not satisfied." The
music encapsulating these lyr
ics is hard and basic rock’n’roll
reminiscent of the early Rolling
Stones hit “Get Off of My
Coud.“
On Costello’s second album,
his band added an organ which
acts as a fog clouding and
distorting the driving rock ’n’
roll beat. As good as the first
album is, the second album
is better. The album, This
Year’s Model, continues to in
clude songs about sexual frus
tration and the social conditions
of the world. Line’s such as “I
don’t want to be your lover/I
just want to be your victim”
Stark sexual im
agery, usually of masturbation
as symbol of sexual frustration
is also evident as in the song
“Pump it Up“ (Pump it up/until
you can feel it,/Pump it up
when you don’t really need it ),
the song “The Beat” (“Have you
been a good boy/Never played
with your toy/ Such a pleasure
to employ”) and “Lip Service”
(Lip service is all you ever get
from me.”)
Costello’s third album was
just released with the first
200,000 copies containing a bon
us LP of Elvis live at Hollywood
High. The album originally en
titled Emotion Facism but
changed due to record company
pressure to Armed Forces - is
much more complex than the
first two. Costello’s voice and
lyrics carry the same punch as
before but the music is ar
ranged more abstractly.
Elvis wrote all the songs on
the album but one “What’s so
Funny About Peace, Love and
Understanding” which was
written by his friend and pro
ducer Nick Lowe. As in the
previous records, none of the
songs are longer than three
minutes and the songs again
are about the frustrations of
being human, “Accident will
happen/we’re all just hit and
run.”
Though musically the album
is different from the first two,
the energy is still there. I’d
advise anyone who is into rock
’n’ roll to purchase all three and
learn what rock’s about. If one
is into rock ’n’ roll, it is a good
sound investment
by sue middleton
ners were Santini and his girl
The prize was a spotlight dance
with Lenny.
The guys in Shanana are
real showmen, they changed
their clothes various times and
each one of them sang a solo at
least once.
The stage was set up like
the alley they are in on their
T.V. show. It was equipped
with a trash can and a parking
meter.
The group performed for an
hour and a half straight. It was
an exciting and envigoFating
night.