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Entertainment
Billy Joel catches a flame
"Storm Front" revitalizes Joel's career
by Robb Frederick
Entertainment Editor
Throughout his 1983
courtship of supermodel
Christie . Brinkley,
singer/songwriter Billy Joel
focused his musical abilities
toward life's more enjoyable
facets. The resulting work, An
Innocent Man, illustrated Joel's
honest, youthful jubilance
through songs like "Uptown
Girl" and "Tell Her About It."
This carefree musicianship
continued on the acclaimed The
Bridge and a cooly received live
release, but Joel's eyes have
once again begun to notice the
bitter injustices of modern life.
On Storm Front, his twelfth
release for Columbia Records,
Joel returns to the rebellious
spirit of the angry young man.
His reputable lyrics brim with
images of frustration and
despondency, but his subdued
piano 'technics cushion the
forcefulness of his mecgage:
The clearest example of
Joel's reborn vitality is "We
Didn't Start the Fire," the single
which has propelled Storm
Front onto the music charts.
This song, recalling significant
political and social events from
Joel's forty years, showcases the
singer's lyrical mastery. Joel's
blitzkrieg vocals appear in
couplets representing the annual
impact of political, athletic, and
social occurances.
The topics and events Joel
refers to are often unpleasant, as
his verse for 1963 demonstrates.
"Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British
politician sex / J.F.K. blown
away, what else do I have to
say," he bitterly shouts.
The song's chorus unites
these diverse incidents and
uncovers the track's underlying
theme. In Joel's words: "We
didn't start the fire / It was
always burning since the world's
been turning." These lines infer
that no generation can be held
CONCERT CONNECTION
Dec. 8 Meatloaf, University of Buffalo
8 Bad English, Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh
9 Blue Oyster Cult, Agora Theater, Cleveland
10 The Psychedelic Furs, Shea's Theater, Buffalo
19 Motley Crue, Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo
20 Motley Crue, Civic Arena, Pittsburgh
Feb. 26 Billy Joel, Richfield Coliseum, Ohio
responsible for the current state
of world affairs.
This biting commentary is
immediately followed by "The
Downeaster 'Alexa'," which
brings Joel's frustration to a
more personalized level. The
track describes the challenges
faced by a poor fisherman who
can no longer earn enough to
support his family.
Modernization and government
regulation has destroyed the
man's business, and he can do
nothing but watch his family's
legacy come to an end.
"Storm Front"
revitalizes the piano
man's technique,
returning a
tempestuous edge to
his sound.
The images of despair and
discontent continue on Storm
Front's title track, which returns
to the lonesome sorrow of those
at sea. As the title suggests, the
song's central theme revolves
around a situation which has
been plunged into turmoil.
The central character of
"Storm Front" reflects upon his
inability to appreciate the many
enjoyable aspects of his life,
while he awaits the arrival of a
gale symbolizes his future
troubles.
On the track Lenningrad,
Joel uses the cold war as an
outlet for his anger. The song
explains the plight of a Soviet
soldier who does not understand
the need for his services.
Joel's current fixation with
life's negative aspects may
dominate portions of Storm
Front, but the release also
accomodates an apologetic,
lovestruck aspect of his persona.
On "I Go To Extremes," Joel
shows remorse for a moodiness
which almost reaches the degree
of schizophrenia.
The song "Shameless"
continues this search for
forgiveness as Joel humbly begs
for another chance. Through
lines like "I'd do anything you
want me to / I'd do anything at
all," the track evolves into an
unrestricted profession of love.
"And so it Goes," the track
which closes Storm Front,
returns Joel to his romantic
best, as he dismisses his back
up band and utilizes his piano
ability to create an intimate
work which leaves listeners
with a slight feeling of
uncertainty.
Joefg attempt to return to
his classic rebellious spirit was
greatly assisted by his
enlistment of Foreigner guitarist
Mick 'Jones, who replaces
Joel's longtime partner Phil
Ramone behind the production
boards.
The collaboration between
Joel and Jones has revitalized
the piano man's technicque,
returning a tempestuous edge to
his sound. The difference is
notable from the opening bars
of "That's Not Her Style," the
track which opens Storm Front.
The song begins with a
blues-influenced harmonica
which is joined by a slide guitar
and Joel's keyboards. The subtle
traces of blues remain
throughout the track, but the
tempo converts the piece into a
rousing extract of rock and roll.
This energetic opening sets
the tone for the remainder of
Storm Front. Throughout the
release, Joel details the
unpleasantries which
occompany ordinary life, and
his frustration fuels the bitterly
narrated products of his reborn
vitality.
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1
The Collegian Thursday, December 7, 1989
Chevy Chase
stays home for
the holidays
by Michael Gettleman
Collegian Staff Writer
As the holiday season moves
into full swing, the new
Christmas movies are working
their way into local theaters. The
most hype thus far has come
with National Lampoon's
Christmas Vacation.
Stars Chevy Chase and
Beverly D'Angelo return as Clark
and Ellen Griswald, the goofy
parents trying at all costs to give
their children the all-American
everything, as they did in their
previous two films. This time,
they tackle Christmas.
The film opens with the
Griswalds going into the woods
in an attempt to find the perfect
family Christmas tree. While out
trudging through the snow, they
finally set sight upon their
evergreen. It is at this point that
they discover that they have
neither an ax nor a saw. So they
uproot the thing and load it upon
their family truckster. As it turns
out, this sapling was about
twenty feet tall and a bit too huge
for their modest one-story family
room. Eventually, they do trim it
down.
Clark's dream of the perfect
Christmas includes, of course,
lots of relatives, no matter how
much chaos they may cause.
Both sets of grandparents
converge upon the Griswald
home and wreak havoc. They
agrue and fuss and fight
throughout their week-long stay.
Even Clark's second cousin,
played by Randy Quaid, comes to
town with his wife and two kids
in their lovely mobile home.
Quaid returns to play the same
disgusting character that he
portrayed in the first film.
The family gathering is
completed when an old, deaf,
senile great-aunt arrives with her
husband. She is celebrating her
80th Christmas and adds a nice
touch by letting her patriotism
shine through at not-so
opportune moments.
Another aspect of this film
deals with Clark's work life. With
his development of a time
released coating for cereals to
keep them crunchy, he's counting
on a nice Christmas bonus. The
money from this has already been
spent on a swimming pool, a
life-long dream of Clark's.
Clark's boss, played by Brian
Doyle Murray, is the typical
hard-nosed penny. pincher who
had decided to cut out bonuses
this year in favor of a
membership in the Jelly of the
Month club. This twist provides
an interesting sequence of events
for the film's finale.
Another subplot involves the
neighbors of the Griswalds. They
are the stereotypical yuppie
couple who are very anti-
Christmas, pro-self. They catch
some of the Griswalds yuletide
spirit, quite unwillingly. They
are humorously overpowered by
Clark's Christmas light display, a
surprise found in the second
Griswald family tree, and a visit
by some officers of the Chicago
police department.
This movie is filled with
many very funny scenes which
are written in the familiar style of
National Lampoon magazine. Cat
explosions, wildlife in trees, and
the effects of pine sap on your
hands are just a few of the
wonderful gags that have appeared
in some form on the pages of the
magazine.
Chevy Chase suceeds in
providing the family with a
wonderful Christmas, and he
also provides a nice performance.
He frequently returns to his oldest
trick, the pratfall which is
reminiscent of his days with
Saturday Night Live. Anyone
who enjoys seeing Chase perform
will enjoy his antics in this
movie.
Christmas Vacation isn't a
classic, but there are some
hysterical moments which are
worth seeing, such as Clark's
adventures while trapped in the
attic, or his attempt at putting up
a light display. Once again, me
folks at National Lampoon have
suceeded in making fun of some
of the more enjoyable aspects of
fife.