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Michael Penn creates
a name for himself
by Robb Frederick
Entertainment Editor
Some things, fortunately,
do not run in the family. As
brothers Sean and
Christopher Penn easily
mastered the art of "moronic
jocular" acting, their older
sibling Michael spent his
time in another type of
studio, creating an intimate,
soul-searching album which
salvages hope for the Penns'
family name.
On March , his RCA solo
debut, Michael Penn
combines his Beatlesque
writing with a basic acoustic
arrangement to produce
honest songs with universal
appeal.
Penn's work begins with
"No Myth," March's catchy
debut single. The track,
which has received heavy
rotation on both radio and
video markets, has been
forceful enough to establish
Penn as a promising new
artist.
Penn's vocals, backed by
a minimalized
instrumentation, illustrate the
emptiness which
accompanies the demise of a
serious relationship and the
frustration of beginning
another.
This melancholy subject
matter carries into "Half
Harvest," which emphasizes
the narrator's feelings of
disappointment at the end of
a relationship.
'"Cause when this whole
production closes / this
innocence fails, / (and we
weren't supposed to)," Penn
morosely sings.
The tempo of March
accelerates on "This &
That," a track which is
propelled by Penn's forceful
guitar chords and an
irresistible chorus.
"Brave New World,"
perhaps the disc's most
powerful track, captures the
essence of Bob Dylan's
occasional rebellious,
frenzied delivery.
The song finds a glimmer
of hope in the midst of
Armageddon as a man
attempting to escape "the
third world war" is
momentarily distracted by a
beautiful woman taking
similar action.
Penn races through his
lyrics, pausing for breath
only during the song's
summarizing chorus.
"This may not be my best
day / but this ain't no golden
age / You looked pretty on
the freeway / Let's drive into
the brave new world," he
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Just Read It
sings.
Although the subject of
much of Penn's writing
revolves around the
disintegration of emotional
relationships, his
compositions are presented
in an upbeat manner which
disguises the unpleasant
undertones.
March's most upbeat
moment comes during the
song "Big House," which
fondly recounts the
childhood pastime of ringing
doorbells and running. The
track describes the price of
maturity and a yearning for
returned innocence.
Penn's vibrant vocals are
emphasized by the release's
sparse instrumental
accompaniment. The tracks
on March utilize the basic
performance structure to
compensate for the lack of
contributing musicians.
Along with his vocals,
Penn provides guitar work
and drum programming for
the entire release, as well as
most of the bass.
Penn's primary
accompaniment comes from
collaborator Patrick Warren,
who contributes to the
release's intriguing sound by
playing his Chamberlain, a
primitive synthesizerlike
instrument.
Warren has worked with
Penn since their union in the
early eighties with the L.A.
band Doll Congress.
The band's substandard
success led the pair to
dissolve the group, allowing
Penn to further hone his
individual writing skills.
Penn's refined lyrical
style provides a mature,
deeply emotional basis for
the material on March.
But the metaphors he
chooses are at times too
abstract for simple
comprehension. The songs
initially seem meaningless,
and only a thorough reading
of Penn's lyrics (mercifully
provided in the disc's sleeve)
allows listeners to truly
appreciate his use of the
language.
Although sometimes
frustrating, this flaw does
little to detract from the fresh
musical perspective
showcased on March. The
release initially appears as an
energetic mixture of pop
culture and traditional
romanticism, but further
listening reveals a degree of
potential rarely noticeable on
a debut recording. This will
definitely not be the last
release Michael Penn signs
his name to.
Entertainment
Richard Gere meets a
Pretty Woman
by Christi Luden
Collegian Staff Writer
What would be the first thing
to come to your mind if you
heard about a man who hired a
hooker for a week while on a
business trip in Hollywood,
California? Probably the same
demented ideas as most people in
the world. Now, erase those
thoughts from your mind and
replace them with happiness,
sadness, and anger all at once.
The emotions are wonderfully
portrayed in the new release
Pretty Woman.
Richard Gere plays Edward, an
extremely wealthy business
tycoon who is about to land the
biggest deal of his life. Due to
his most recent accomplishment,
he is spending a week away from
his New York home attending
business dinners and parties. His
girlfriend dumps him because she
talks to his secretary more than
she talks to him, so he is
frustrated and searching for a date
for the week.
This is where Vivian (Julia
Roberts) comes into the picture.
Vivian is a high school drop-out
who comes to California chasing
a man she loves. The relationship
fails, and Vivian, who is to proud
to return to her home, finds
herself alone. After getting a few
waitressing jobs, she meets Kit,
who introduces her to the world
of prostitution.
One evening, as Vivian and
Kit are hanging out on their
street comer, a very expensive car
speeds by and comes to a stop.
Vivian approaches the car and
finds Edward, who has never
driven a standard, fiddling with
the gear shift. Vivian asks if she
can help him, and personally
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shows him directions for a fee of
$2O.
When the pair reaches
Edward's hotel, he asks Vivian to
stay the night. She happily
agrees and they proceed into his
exotic hotel.
Picture this: a rich man in a
three-piece-suit walks into a
Beverly Hills hotel with a
woman in a skin-tight mini-dress
and long black boots. The laughs
start as man of the stuffy old men
and women gasp at this
"horrible" sighL
The night is not a typical one
for Vivian. Edward orders
champagne and the two proceed
to watch "I Love Lucy" on
television. Eventually, a night of
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i — i
passion erupts, after which
Vivian gets ready to leave.
"Gets ready to leave" are key
words here. Edward's lawyer calls
to inform him of a business
dinner that evening with a pivotal
man in Edward's deal. Since
Edward needs a date, he tells
Vivian to name her price. She
responds be setting a fee of
$3OOO fra* the week.
The following day, Edward
hands Vivian a substantial
amount of money and tells her to
buy some new clothes. She goes
to the swanky Hollywood stores
wearing her "work clothes” and is
treated rudely by every
salesperson she meets. Therefore,
she returns with nothing.
Near tears and very
disappointed, Vivian returns to
the hotel and is confronted by
Barney, the manager. Barney calls
a friend in the hotel and arranges
for Vivian to get an evening
gown. Barney also gives her
etiquette lessons and coaches her
on appropriate language and
manners.
When Edward returns from his
office, his breath is taken away
by his beautiful "employee."
The rest of the week is filled
with parties and dinners which
provide many funny and delicate
moments between these
seemingly different people.
Finally, Vivian does the two
taboo things in a hooker's life.
She kisses Edward on the lips and
tells him she loves him.
According to Kit, who gives a
surprise visit, Prostitutes are not
to get too close to their clients.
The relationship also affects
Edward's life. His lawyer and
friend notices a preoccupation and
softening in his buddy Edward.
To everyone's surprise the
workaholic even calls to take a
day off.
Everything goes well until the
week comes to a close. Edward
and Vivian disagree on their
hopes and plans for the
relationship, and the film
postpones the traditional happy
ending that the audience hopes
for.
Producers Amon Milchan and
Steven Reuther, assisted by the
direction of Gary Marshall, do a
superb job of developing the
characters in a way which
promotes mixed emotions in the
audience. The delicacy and awful
truths of prostitution, wealth, and
prejudice come into play to create
a must-see movie for audiences of
all types.