The Collegian Wednesday, September 20, 1989
Entertainment
Sire
new
Various artists contribute to "Just Say Mao"
by Rob Farnham
Collegian staff writer
Cassettes still hold the largest
share of the market, and vinyl
LPs are still available if you're
willing to look for them, but the
hot format in the music industry
at present is the compact digital
audio disc, or CD.
Aside from the tremendous
dynamic range and virtually
noiseless sound reproduction
made possible by the digital
encoding of music, CDs have
other characteristics, such as track
programmability and a potential
recording length of 80+ minutes,
which the recording industry
hopes to use to increase the
acceptance and market share of
the format.
Sire Records' vehicle for .
promotion, both of the CD and
of its own artists, is the compact
disc sampler. "Just Say Mao
(Volume 111 of Just Say Yes) " is
the latest in their series of
compilations of rarities, remixes,
and B-sides from the many
performers the label represents. It
provides an excellent opportunity
for CD buyers to hear new talents
without committing to the price
of a whole album, and also for
fans of particular Sire artists to
expand their collections.
With normal album-length
(40-45 minutes) CDs often
costing $l5 or more, the 78
minutes and 17 tracks of "Just
Say Mao" seem like quite a
bargain at a recommended retail
price of $7.98. While such
collections are almost inevitably
uneven in quality, most listeners
should be able to find several
enjoyable tracks, along with
perhaps one or two they simply
"Uncle Buck" moves in
by Christi Luden
Collegian Staff Writer
In today's movie world, there
are a lot of different opinions
circulating about a lot of different
movies. No one's opinion is
right or wrong, it's just a case of
personality or preference. I ran
into this dilemma while viewing
a recent comedy, "Uncle Buck."
Some said it was stupid while
others said it was extremely
hilarious.
The story begins with a typical
family of five who recently
moved to a large house in the
suburbs. Both parents work and
apparently earn substantial
salaries. This doesn't seem to
please., the children though,
because they'd rather have their
parents around than be left to fend
CD sampler offers
music at small cost
can't stand. You pay your money
and you take your chances.
Among the bigger names
appearing arc Depeche Mode
(whose "Everything Counts"
appears in its new and mostly
instrumental "Bomb-Beyond-the-
Yalu-Mix" version), college-radio
heroes the Replacements (with an
"I'll Be You" B-Side called "Date
to Church," a unrepentantly
sloppy one-take raveup), and
legendary Velvet Underground
founder Lou Reed (who
contributes an incendiary live
version of his angry
"Strawman").
While the established acts
acquit themselves well on "Just
Say Mao, " much of the best
material comes from artists who
are relatively unknown, or who
have devoted but small cult
followings.
The remix of "Accidentally
4th Street (Gloria)," by Figures
On A Beach is one of the
highlights; a burst of punchy,
melodic synth/guitar-pop with an
extraordinarily catchy singalong
chorus.
Dayton, Ohio's, Royal
Crescent Mob chimes in with the
cheerfully inane damped-string
shuffle of "Nanana," an account
of one man's dream of fame as a
fashion designer. It seems kind of
dumb, but it's a fun sort of
dumb.
Perhaps the disc's most
engaging departure is the extended
remix of "Whistling For His
Love," by the thoroughly
unclassifiable Danielle Dax, who
sets mysticism and folklore to a
fortissimo piano-bass and a
danceable beat and carries the
melange with her remarkable
voice.
for themselves.
Just as the causes for the
family's unhappiness arc
introduced, the phone rings and
mom and dad have to go away,
because grandpa just had a heart
attack. Since the children have
just started at their new schools,
their parents feel it's better to find
someone to stay with them
instead of uprooting the family
once again.
When all attempts to find a
competent babysitter fail, Uncle
Buck(John Candy) is called upon
to watch his nieces and nephew.
Mom detests her husband's
brother, but she is in a hurry to
get to her father, so she
reluctantly agrees to leave Uncle
(continued on page 8)
Other quality contributions
include a remix of Throwing
Muses' guitar-driven "Dizzy,"
Nasa's swirling, thundering
"Insha-Allah" (Arabic for "II
Allah Wishes"), and a Morrissey
B-side, "Lucky Lisp," that is
superior to most of his "Viva
Hate" album.
There are disappointments
among the 17 tracks, such as The
Ocean Blue's bland "Between
Something and Nothing," but
fewer than one would expect from
a single-label compilation
covering such a wide stylistic
range. Aside from the value of
the disc for the excellent music it
contains, which alone makes it a
bargain, it may prove very
helpful in future CD purchases. If
you own a disc player and are
feeling musically adventurous,
you could do much worse than to
say yes to "Just Say Mao."
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Entertainment Briefs
Neneh Cherry drops tour spot
Pop songstress Neneh Cherry has been forced to drop her
position as an opening act for the Fine Young Cannibals.
After collapsing backstage at the September 6th MTV Music
Video Awards show, Cherry was diagnosed as having
Lyme disease.
Van Halen reunion denied
Guitarist Edward Van Haien recently squelched rumors that
vocalist David Lee Roth would be returning to the band.
After a well-publicized split between Roth and Van Halen,
the original band frontman began to spiral into a musical
drought.
Industrialists attack Dr. Seuss
Leaders of the Laytonville, California, timber industry hope
to ban "The Lorax" by children's writer Dr. Seuss. They
deem the book offensive and unneccesary because it depicts
a negative image of the timber industry.
New releases slated
Several new releases will soon be arriving in music stores.
On October 2nd, Tracy Chapman will release "Crossroads,"
the follow up to her award-winning debut. The Grateful
Dead arc scheduled to release "Built to Last" on October 31.
Other new works include Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood,"
Aerosmith's "Pump," and "The Seeds of Love" by Tears
For Fears. Whitesnake will also debut its new line-up
including guitarist Steve Vai, who recently quit David Lee
Roth's band.
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