6 Monday, October 26,1998
Vanilla Ice comes back and colder
than ever on
By Brad Moist
Assistant Editor
Well, the man that told us to
“Stop, collaborate and listen” is
back at it again. Vanilla Ice has re
turned to the music scene with his
newest project, Hard to Swallow.
First let me say, “do not
be alarmed,” for the once
cheesy lyrics and flashy
clothes that made Vanilla
Ice popular is not what
you’ll find on his newest
venture. Instead you will
find aggressive and direct
lyrics backed with slam-
ming hardcore music that is
dark and scary.
Producer Ross Robinson
explained it best by saying,
“What could be more punk
rock than producing a Va-
nilla Ice album?” And if
you know music, then
you’ll know that Robinson
has produced such hardcore
acts as Koßn, the Deftones
and Limp Bizkit bands
that have brought forth to
the mainstream music scene a style
of underground music that blends
rapped, sung and screamed lyrics
with music so intense it’ll knock
you off your seat.
Robinson does not disappoint in
his latest production effort, which
is perhaps the greatest challenge he
has ever undertaken. Just imagine
trying to produce an album for an
artist that has been labeled an out
cast and a one hit wonder. Not only
is he producing an album, but he is
reinventing an artist at the same
time. Though don’t forget it is Va
nilla Ice himself who has changed
his musical direction. But at the
same time it is still hard to forget
the shaved eyebrows and baggy
windpants that made him who he
is, or should I say, was. For that art
ist no longer exists.
To fully appreciate this album,
one must have an affinity for this
style of music. Second, one must
completely remove any old visions
and sounds you have of Vanilla Ice.
Third, listen to the album as if you
were just listening to the newest
hardcore act. Because if you do that,
The Chameleon Club presents...
Mightyhead
w/ Dilton
on Thurs. Nov. 5
at 8:00 pm
All Ages $5
Hard to Swallow
then I can’t see how you won’t love
this album. If you are true punk,
then Hard to Swallow is just for
Vanilla Ice leaves the flashy, girly
lyrics behind this time. Instead he
attacks the industry, critics, hypo
crites and posers of the world. You
'allow hit stores on October 20
and was produced by Ross Robinson
can plainly hear the anger in his
raps, as well as when he screams
like a bat out of hell.
His emotional pain growing up is
extremely vivid on the track
“Scars” as Ice rips through the line:
“Mother, did as good as you could,
after all the abuse I still understood,
3 times divorced, and 3 times a kid,
gave us more love than our father
ever did.” Though as he expresses
his anger, he expresses his love for
his own family by screaming out
“True to my family, stay true, stay
true.”
On “F —k Me” Vanilla attacks
those who jumped on the band
wagon and the critics by stating
“Like Ginuwine, you tried to ride
me like a pony. I’m the only one
who’s gonna shine. So forget it you
critics who weren’t with it.”
The music is just plain intense on
this track, and all thanks go to
Robinson and Ice for putting to
gether one heck of a studio band.
There is enough intensity with
enough melody on each track to
slam you and catch you grooving.
Fans of old school will be pleased
Big Tubba Mista
w/ Brown Derby Junction
on Thurs. Nov. 12
at 7:30 pm
All Ages $6
MUSIC
to hear that track seven is in fact
the lyrics of “Ice, Ice Baby” but
reved up and retitled as “Too Cold.”
The album is worth it just to hear
this track.
It is quite an experience to hear
some of the most famous lyrics ever
set to music that is, for all intents
and purposes, very
hardcore. The guitar riffs
on this track will stick in
your mind all night along
with the words that
started it all for Rob Van
Winkle. But "ice, ice
baby" will mean some
thing totally different
once you have heard this
version.
So, if you are down
with old school, and you
are totally punk, then this
is a must get. Vanilla Ice
is back ya’U. He erases
all memories of being a
one hit wonder with Hard
to Swallow, becasue Ice
is finally who he is mu
sically and lyrically. Va-
nilla lets it all out with no
compromises or remorse through 11
hard-hitting tracks.
Go out and get this disc. It is by
far one of the best comeback al
bums ever.
Manson back on
WVU newsstand
From the Associated Press
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. An
entertainment newspaper with a 5-
inch photo of nude shock-rocker
Marilyn Manson masquerading as
a woman was returned to West Vir-
ginia University newsstands, nine
days after a student-union supervi
sor had them pulled.
Spokesmen for Charleston-based
Graffiti said the issue with the
Manson ad was distributed to ev
ery college in the state, and WVU
officials were the only one to com-
plain.
“I think it’s just kind of a slap in
the face of the students at WVU,”
said operations manager D.B.
Shawver. “Who are they to decide
what should or should not be avail
able?
“I personally didn’t find the ad
particularly attractive, either. But
it’s not a graphic representation of
Kastle pounds the keys
in Gallery Lounge show
Pianist Richard Kastle recently made a visit to Penn State Harris
burg. His performance on Oct. 14, in the Gallery Lounge was the
first performance in a series of concerts entitled “Live in the Gallery
Lounge.” The event was sponsored by SGA and Student Activities.
Kastle’s distinct style of playing classical pieces as well as his
own while dressed as a modem day punker (dyed hair and all) has
brought him much success. He has had the opportunity to go on tour
as the opening act for Jay Leno, as well as appear on The Tonight
Show.
He opened his performance in the Gallery Lounge with an origi
nal composition entitled “Atlantis.” A piece that was so creative you
could almost hear water in the music. His set included Scott Joplin’s
“Maple Leaf Rag” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
"Live in the Gallery Lounge" will host the local acoustic alterna
tive act the Tony Perry 3 on Mon., Oct. 26, and jazz artist Sarah
Pillow on Wed., Nov. 18. All shows start at noon.
sex or murder or anything like that.
It’s just a strange photograph,” she
said.
An unidentified information desk
supervisor at the WVU student
union, the Mountainlair, ordered the
current issue removed after students
and visitors complained, university
spokeswoman Becky Lofstead said.
The complaints were not directed
solely at the ad but also toward a
story about how to find a homo
sexual partner, she said.
“Apparently, that was offensive to
a lot of people who were picking it
up and reading it,” Lofstead said.
The supervisor, whom the univer
sity declined to identify, made a
judgment call to appease those
complaining, she said.
But because the free monthly
publication had been approved for
distribution by a student advisory
board, it was returned to the
Mountainlair, Lofstead said. A
newsstand in the Mountainlair sells
The Capital Times
photo by Kim Glass
Marilyn Manson on the cover of
his latest album, Mechanical
Animals
Playboy and other adult magazines,
she said.
The ad, paid for by the record
chain Disc Jockey, featured various
CD covers, including Manson’s
“Mechanical Animals” and Sheryl
Crow’s “The Globe Sessions.” It
appeared in 75 U.S. newspapers.