Page 4
Entertainment
Withering Roses?
by Robb Frederick
Collegian Staff Writer
Nineteen-eighty-eight wa§ a
profitable year for Guns 'N
Roses. Capitalizing on the\
strength of songs like "Welcome
to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child
0' Mine," the band's LP
"Appetite For Destruction"
enjoyed heavy rotation on AOR
stations across the nation. As an
opening act for Aerosmith's latest
tour, the group eclipsed their
headliners. "Sweet Child 0'
Mine" was chosen as MTV's top
video for 1988, and the music
channel also awarded the group
the honors of being the best new
band.
As one summarizes the
recent accomplishments of Guns
'N Roses, the primary question
that arises concerns the band's.
hope for longevity. Guns 'N
Roses' latest release, "Lies",
helps to answer this question.
The first half of G'NR "Lies"
transports listeners back to 1986,
when Guns 'N Roses released
their first EP, "Live Like a
Suicide." These songs clearly
illustrate the band's
improvements over the past two
years. The four songs
representing "Live Like a
Suicide" are missing the musical
ability shown on "Appetite For
Destruction," so it is not
surprising that the band remained
unknown until their second
release.
The remainder of G'NR
"Lies" is a stimulating acoustic
set which may surprise fans of
Geeks Gone
by A. Thomas Mamaux
Collegian Staff Writer
During the semester break, I
lucked out and came across some
cash during Christmas. Santa was
unknowingly fueling the record
sales of They Might Be Giants,
because I bought their new
album, "Lincoln". They Might
Be Giants (TMBG) first appeared
on the music scene a year ago
with the song "Don't Let's Start".
They now can be seen on MTV
as frantic geek radicals running
around in unison during the new
video "Ana Ng". TMBG are too
smart to become rock idols. On
the -other hand, they are not
serious enough or pretentious
enough to be involved in art
rock. It is a safe bet that their
souls have been taken over by
Andy Warhol.
There: are 18 songs on
"Lincoln". All of the songs are
innovative, but at the same time,
not to be taken literally. One of
TMBG's favorite preoccupations
seems to be making a song and
making fun of themselves in the
process. They could be played on
college radio or at a wedding
reception.
TMBG are John Linnel and
"Appetite For Destruction."
Beginning with the song
"Patience," the group enters a
new musical territory, with
impressive results.
The songs are hindered,
however, by the ever-present "bad
boy" image portrayed by the
band. The album's final cut,
"One in a Million," is an
excellent song spoiled by
excessively biased vocals.
Obscenities are heavily scattered
throughout the acoustic tracks,
thus eliminating the chances of
any radio airplay.
The most ridiculous offering
from G'NR "Lies" is the semi
serious "Used to Love Her."
Describing the emotions of a
man who has killed his girlfriend
and buried her in his backyard,
the lyrics are unmistakably
original: "I used to love her / but
I had to kill her / I had to put her
/ six feet under / and I can still
hear her complain." Just the kind
of ballad every guy wants to play
for his girlfriend. The best song
from G'NR "Lies" is
unquestionably "You're Crazy."
Presented here in its original,
slower-paced form, the song
offers a new perspective to a track
that remained largely overlooked
on "Appetite For Destruction."
Axl Rose's haunting vocals are
superbly complimented by the
ability of G'NR guitarist Slash.
"Lies" has little hope of
equalling the success of its
predecessor. The musical content
is much worse, and th 6 abundance
of obscenities can almost
guarantee that a single will not
Guitar
John Flansburg. Their main
sound comes from the mixing of
guitar and accordion - all of those
lessons as a kid didn't go to
waste, I guess. Over these two
sounds they mix complex
melodies. As silly as the two
men are, they take their music
making process very seriously.
The backing of accordion, guitar,
trumpet, sax, and hand clapping
all have been meticulously
recorded
Their lyrics however are
totally off the wall. Songs like
"Cow town", "Shoehorn With
Teeth", and "Purple Toupee" are
the mainstream of TMBG.
TMBG are time travelers.
They are from the past and the
future. Sometimes they sound as
if they played during the "Big
Band" era, but their thoughts are
of the future.
Their "Dial-A-Song" is a
feature that soon all bands will
use.TMBG simply record a new
song each day and leave it on
their answering machine so that
anyone can call them up.
They might be giants, they
might be fools, they might be
worshipped, or they might really
suck.
be released. The timing of the
album's release was a poor choice
that may doom this musical
effort. The band is still reaping
the benefits of "Appetite's"
immense success, and the song
"Paradise City" is just beginning
to rise on video and singles
charts. The continued prosperity
of the group's breakthrough could
easily overshadow their new
release. If the release of G'NR
"Lies" had been delayed, the
album could have gained a great
deal4nore attention.
G'NR "Lies" is a decent
enough release to prove that
Guns 'N Roses is more than the
average heavy metal band, but
this can not be appreciated if the
group continues to over-saturate
the music scene. Eventually,
fans will tire to constant
exposure to the band, and another
group will become the prominent
force in heavy metal.
lit
E
V
I
E
W
S
The Collegian, Wednesday February 15
by Darrell J. White
Collegian Staff Writer
***
Talk Radio Directed by Oliver Stone. Starring Eric Bogosian.
Rated R for profanity, mature situations.
• Oliver Stone's Talk Radio attempts to do what Stone's past films
have done: explore the deepest realms of human nature, good and evil.
Disappointingly, the same cinematic magic that turned Platoon into a
harrowing experience of dehumanization and Wall Street into a
Shakespearian morality play is relatively absent in Stone's latest
work. Yet Talk Radio is worth seeing for the lead performance alone,
that of radio talk show host Barry Champlain by newcomer Eric
Bogosian.
Oliver Stone will win no awards for directing this film. His work
is no more than adequate; this may be because he is working with an
adaptation and wishes to remain faithful to the original. (Talk Radio
is also a play written by Eric Bogosian, which, in turn, was adapted
from the book, Talked to Death: the Life and Murder of Alan Berg
by Stephen Singular.)
The first half of the film is exposition. The audience learns about
Barry, his show, and the people he works with at KGAB in Dallas,
Texas. We learn that Barry is to radio as Morton Downey Jr. is to
television. He exploits the callers to his show; he twists their words,
ha insults them, and ultimately hangs up on them. The subject
matter of his show is usually a controversial topic, such as the
slums, welfare, etc. and what should be done about it. Barry's style of
talk tends to breed hard feelings in many of his listeners. The scenes
when he speaks with his enemy listeners are the only ones that keep
the audience interested. One gem appears when so-called "redneck"
(voiced marvelously by Rockets Redglare) threatens Barry's "Jew ass"
on the air, making mention of a package in the studio and the
necessity of a bomb squad. The package contains a dead muskrat and a
Nazi flag. These scenes are nice touches, but don't appear often
enough to save the first half of the film.
At this point, I noticed that the movie seemed to be rather
aimless. Simultaneously, Barry felt that his life was rather aimless.
(If Stone did this for effect, he did it too subtly. He wasted forty-five
minutes of film) It is here where the audience is jerked awake by
Bogosia~. His performance goes *into overdrive With - such - intensity
that it penetrates to your very soul.
Barry seems to feel trapped in the style that has kept him in radio
for five years. He wants to really discuss these issues, not just rant
over them. Bogosian slowly begins to turn his character inward,
until Barry seems to be teetering on the edge of sanity. In one
startling monologue, Barry violently condemns his audience and
pleads with them, knowing that no matter how much he abuses
them, they will come back for more.
"Go away!" he screams, and the scream echoes in his
consciousness. The audience can feel for Birry at this point, and even
more so when he seriously tries to help a caller who wants to stop
raping women, but can't, and the caller hangs up. "Another lost
soul," he utters to his microphone, his voice laden with emotion. He
seems to seriously want to mend his ways, but most listeners don't
believe him. By the time he does, it is too late. This stuff is serious
acting that grabs you and shakes you.
LArsg°F REASON LYZe.gultaes,
"You GO Plus* NZivt &R oz T vE warm vow,
PzTuv FORK ROA Z A U. Stme NHS MAti OFF 1;
Talk Radio