The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current, October 03, 1994, Image 8

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Newspaper Page Text! i ■ BEST BET > « The Red and Black » Monday. October 3, 1994 SOUND It's Looney Tune night at the Georgia Theatre. Two hours of Warner Brothers classics to watch, just like when you were a kid - only now you can drink beer with your 'toons! Admission is $1.50. Showtimes are 7 and 10 p.m. That's all, folks! Replacements cover album, due in January, will benefit Athens’ Humane Society By RICHMOND EUSTIS Contributing Writer Children by the millions wait for the Replacements to come around, regroup and release a new album. But Jarrod Winter and 16 Athens-area bands may be giving them the next best thing. “Sorry, Ma, Forgot to Let Out the Cat,” a collection of ‘mats covers by such bands as the Woggles, Five-Eight, Lenny and the LaBrea Stompers, is due out next January. Winter and a friend conceived the project last Spring to resurrect the Replacements, give exposure to local bands, and raise money for the Athens Area Humane Society with proceeds from the album. “The Humane Society survives kind of month to month, and it’s hard for them,” Winter said. “I figured this is a way to help all the cats I used to go down and play with.” The tracks on “Sorry, Ma” feature some innovative takes on the original songs. The Woggles, for example, fed the vocals for their cover of “Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out” through an old phonograph. “It sounds really evil,” Winter said. Lenny contributes a spare and delicate cover of “Darlin’ One,” recorded with one acoustic guitar and vocals. Vocalist Elissa Hadley gave an honest reason for her band’s participation. “Paul Westerberg is God, and I want to date him,” she said. “I decided to record ‘Darlin’ One’ because the other bands all seem to be covering the noisier songs. I wanted to remind everyone of Westerberg’s great ballads, too.” The album is being recorded at Rock Central Studios in Athens. “It should be a great album if we can ever raise the money to press it,” said Andy Baker, manager of Rock Central and drummer for the contributing band Vaudeville. Album organizers have planned two benefits to raise money for the project. The first will be Oct. 8 at Frijoleros. Baby Fishmouth, Addison Blue and Five-Minute Major are scheduled to play sets. The second will be a roller-skating benefit on Oct. 11. Individual contributions are also welcomed and can be sent to the Athens Area Humane Society Arts Fund. If Paul Westerberg isn’t cranking out solo works quickly enough to satisfy your craving for the Replacements, it might make sense to help insure this album hits the stands on time. ALBUM REVIEWS Cover girls, rednecks and big hard disks head up the latest releases By CARO THOMPSON Contributing Writer Shawn Colvin, “Cover 0111" (Columbia Records) The title says it all; this is a disc chock full o’covers with nary an original tune in sight. But before you retch and scream “Rip off,” realize these covers are in name only. Shawn Colvin makes use of her deft gui tar playing and soaring voice to turn tunes that could have easily sounded like 100 percent post-consumer waste into covers with her own fresh, original point of view. The first track of “Cover Girl” is a dan gerous one; this is a cover that has the most potential of sounding recycled. But Colvin takes Sting’s pop standard, “Every Little Thing (He) Does Is Magic,” and provides a new spin on an old song, complete with minimal lyric changes and her own charac teristic guitar handiwork. Although “Cover Girl” starts off promis ingly - including the second track, Tom Waits’ “(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night” - the next few tracks slow down as if a red light awaits at the halfway point. The saving grace of the third track, Greg Brown’s “One Cool Remove,” is Colvin’s wise decision to call upon longtime friend Mary Chapin Carpenter to intertwine a duet vocal through what would be an oth erwise skippable tune. Whatever slack collects in the middle of the album is picked up with Colvin’s ren dering of Steve Earle’s “Someday.” Colvin writes in the liner notes that it is “one of the best songs ever,” and interprets it with the passion and intensity necessary to jus tify her assumption. The final four tracks include *Twilight” (originally recorded by The Band), “If These Walls Could Speak” (penned by Jimmy Webb and recorded by Glen Campbell), David Byrne’s “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," and the highlight of the album, Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.” These are the most acoustic-oriented tracks on the disc and are closest to Colvin’s true musi cal personality. “Twilight,” This Must Be The Place” and “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome...” were recorded live at The Bottom Line in New York City and are perfect examples of where her roots lie and where she feels most at home - onstage. Although “Cover Girl” is nowhere near the definitive collection of songwriting tal ent it could be, Shawn Colvin illustrates ex actly what is most important in the broad realm of music, the writers. She craftily uses both studio and live recordings to make her point. F1U By SCOTT ATKINS Contributing Writer Redneck Greece Delux, “Cold Hard Facts” (SMBT Records) Redneck Greece Delux is one of the most entertaining live bands one will ever have the opportunity to see. When the band comes together, the members metamor phose into evangelists preaching the gospel of such Redneck staples as Pabst Blue Ribbon, truck drivin’, trailer parks and de molition derbies. The band seems to real ly ei>joy themselves, and the fun is conta gious. They’ve just released their second CD, “Cold Hard Facts,” a collection of songs de scribing a strange mix of characters and situations. One of the more interesting characters is described in “(She’s My Little) Dixie Deadhead.” She’s a southern lady with a penchant for “chasing Jack Daniels with LSD” and “tie-dyed rebel flags.” Redneck Greece describes his mother and his upbringing in “Mama Was a Dancer in the Clairmont Lounge.” He talks of his grandfather’s source of income in “Papa’s Aluminum Cans” and of a leg endary figure who provides “a little service to ease a trucker’s mind” in “Rest Area Ruby.” The remaining songs revolve around simply having a good time. The musicianship on the CD is superior, and the 12-member band is surprisingly tight on every track. The production is crisper than what you find on most inde pendent releases as well. The weakest point of the recording is the inclusion of Redneck Greece Delux’s ver sion of the Everly Brothers’ song “It Only Costs a Dime." The vocalists' attempts at harmonizing on this song are, well, less than harmonious. The vocals on all of the songs are of less than operatic quality, but on the other tracks, they actually contribute to the over all feel of the songs. All in all, “Cold Hard Facts” is a fun CD. If you’re expecting something equitable to the band’s shows, this will probably be dis appointing - but then again, most things can’t compare to Redneck live. By LARA CREASY Staff Writer Various Artists. “Big Hard Disk Vol. 2" (Smash Records) I pay my $7 and enter the CD with an attitude. The lights, the heat, the trance all greet me as I shove my way past the sweaty bodies packing the club. Sheep on Drugs’ “Flaming Church” is the first thing I hear, and because of its un exciting beat and cheesy sample loop about the “flaming church of baby Jesus,” I decide to walk around until the DJ spins some thing a little more interesting. Grace Jones’ “Sex Drive (Final Master Race Mix)” isn’t it. Her vocals here are too reminiscent of My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult’s “Sex on Wheelz.” Maybe a mix with more b.p.m. would save the song. The ecstacy is starting to kick in and La Tour’s “E (Sarapjhi Sunset Mix),” with its African-influenced tribal beat, fits exactly what Tm feeling. A Middle Eastern sample pulls me into the song’s ultra-trancy mid dle section for just long enough until the electronic high hat pulls me back out. TTiis song is perfect. If I could just stay in this state all night. I try to ride the mood into Holy Ghost’s “Heavy Water," but even my roll can’t help this seriously trancy song with a totally unimaginative beat. Something about it is too ominous - the sample sounds like wind through an abandoned house, and Tm not in the mood to be creeped out right now. “Vicious Games (Belly Trippin’ Trance Mix)” by Yello has the same problem at the start, but the addition of several alluring treble beats and a girl’s spooky chants find me dancing before I even realize it. “Hey, isn’t that William S. Burroughs?” my friend asks me. Suddenly I recognize the voice of the great one floating above a somewhat boring beat - but who cares? Burroughs’ “Words of Advice for Young People” has everyone enthralled. He even has advice about Satan: “Any soul is worth saving to a priest, but not all of them are worth buying, so take it as a compliment.” His voice is as entrancing as the beat usu ally is, and even Pete Arden’s dull mix can’t ruin the effect. Sheep on Drugs return next with a wel come 120+ b.p.m. over a Belgian buzz and siren samples that get the floor really mov ing for the first time since La Tour. Yello comes back with “Do It (Blessed and Beaten Mix by Sun Electric),” which works because of the tranciness of a sample used as part of the beat. If you listen closely, you can tell that repetitive noise is really a guy saying “beaten” over and over. Orb’s “Star 6 & 7 8 9” is spun next. “What the hell is this.” everyone wonders, “a reject from an Enya album?” No notice able beat, Caribbean steel drums and a sea gull cry over a girl singing “ahhhhhh?” This is too lame. I’m going to the bar. On the way there, I barely notice the Dead Can Dance-sounding “Mantra” by Material. Some nights in this place are def initely worse than others, I think. “If it weren’t for the drugs, the lights and the beautiful people all around, would I even like any of this stuff?” I wonder. If tonight’s DJ put out a CD, I definitely wouldn’t buy it. Success Starts At... The Red & Black Roger Gary Branch Home: Statesboro, Georgia Profession: Professor and Administrator, Dept, of Sociology and Anthropology, Georgia Southern College Worked at The Red & Black: 1952-1955 Positions Held: Editor/Associate Editor/Asst. News Editor/Sports Editor His Experience: “Invaluable in development of patience, discipline, and management experience. =1=1 TAB cm Go Driving Range. Teaching < Located Beh;r 706 F4 BET lP -enter, Equipment Sales j id Benmgan s 0-7360 II HAVING PROBLEMS? NEED A LAWYER? JAMES M. GREEN Attorney at Law 769-7394 Criminal/DUI Landlord/Tenant Free Initial Consultation OUNSELING & TESTING CENTER) Relationships: It’s Never Too Late To Relate! Tuesday, Oct. 4 2:15-3:15 p.m. Room 145 Tate Center MALE - FEMALE COMMUNICATION Are men really from Mars? Are women really from Venus? In this workshop we’ll look at what contributes to the disappointments and complaints men and women have of each other and what can be done to improve male-female social and personal relationships. Fall Quarter Tournaments Sept. 27 Oct. 4 *Oct. 12 *Oct. 25 ♦Nov. 8 Men’s 9-Ball Women’s 9-Ball Table Tennis* Women’s 8-Ball* Men’s 8-Ball* •Qualify for ACU-I Regional Tournament. $2.00 non-refundable entry fee per tournament. U.Ga.Student and Faculty/Staff only. osner Hall 7:30pm aaontd by Cinematic Arts. $b*r 1st @ 3:00 & 7:30 Native American Cultural Society Monday, Oct. 3 7pm Caldwell Hall Rm. 1081 Native Americans, Descendants, & interested persons invited. WE CASH PERSONAL POST-DATED CHECKS Gateway Jewelry & Pawn 508 North Ave. • 354-4653 & Best Rates on Student fluto Insurance tea. 543-7020 & All Your Hair Needs Nails By For The Entire Family & Style, *1hc. Helynne! Alps Shopping Center Athens. GA Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm Saturday 8am-5pm Closed Sundays No Appointments Necessary! Teri S. Toney Owncr/Operstor 353- 9217 354- 0360 MEXICALI GRILLE! “Home of the Mexican Bulldog" TONIGHT is MELROSE NIGHT Strawberry Margarita Special CATCH IT ON 5 TVs 2139 W. Broad Street (Original Location) • 546-7327 3690 Atlanta Hwy. (By the Mall) • 369-9183 Phi Beta Delta Lecture "Russia: An Uncertain Future” BY Ambassador Tapley Bennett Tuesday, October 4 7:30 P.M. Masters Hall Auditorium Georgia Center for Continuing Education Reception after lecture.

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The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current, October 03, 1994, Image 8