The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 158

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR SUNDAY JUNE 15. 1997 1-3 Philosophy keeps Wu-Tang unified, interesting Mst 10 hovjg: AM Otr EiceUent Sests For tar Cm. Mirtt I ttiti Fik Stan RESA W.IRCOKS 1 DUNN U2 BUFFETT REO DAVI MATTHEWS THE WHO JAMES TAYLOR 433 RACE MORE I WWW Wfc I ww-w ccj2T sst nam 8100 N. KEYSTONE AVE, SUITE 103 lent one. With his patented creamy tone and elegant swoops, Hodges could almost have fit into a "sweet" band.

An original ballad, Figurine, is a good example of that here. But the essential Hodges was also a resourceful, imaginative swinger at moderate tempos. In Triple Play, he's often in that mode in the cozy Fur Piece and several genial, blues-based numbers. His colleagues include the poignantly aging trumpeter Roy El-dridge, the saucy cometist Ray Nance, the rambunctious trombonist Buster Cooper and the elegant pianist Hank Jones. BORED? HAVE FUN MEET QUALITY PEOPLE iJ LEARN A GLOBAL I SOCIAL SKILL Star ratings: good; fair; poor Hundreds in Indianapolis Millions Worldwide "would drink the last drop of my reflections." With a supporting cast that complements Eitzel's style, listeners can't help but savor the reflections of West.

Sammy Hagar "Marching to Mars, The Track Factory MCA Records. Reviewed by staff writer Marc D. Allan. JL JL Given his unceremonious dumping by Van Halen, you'd think Sammy Hagar would be angry. But no.

The Red Rocker actually thanks his old bandmates for "11 wonderful years" and, aside from a couple of fairly vague swipes Little White Lies, Would You Do It for he turns the other cheek. Amid the ZZ Top-style boogie of On the Other Hand, Hagar sings that he counts his friends on both hands. But then someone cuts off one hand, so "now I count my friends on the other hand." The ballad Kama finds him proclaiming, "Love is all you've got to start out in the world and love is all that remains," which may make a good greeting card, but as a song is nothing more than rank sentimentalism. On Both Sides Now, he sings, "We're always somewhere in betweenwe never taste the sweet extreme." But here, some extreme would have helped considerably. Marching to Mars contains 11 unexceptional middle-of-the-road rockers and power ballads.

It's adequate and not unpleasant, but where's the fire? Heavy "Waterbed Hev, UptownUniversal Records. Reviewed by staff writer Lynn Dean Ford. Ballroom Dance 6 Hours1 Month $25 CLEAN HOUSE AND CLEAN UP! STAR and NEWS CLASSIFIEDS CALL 633-1212 Sew Students Only Limited Time Offer. Asleep at the Wheel "Back to the Future Now: Live at Arizona Charlie Las Vegas, Sony Music. Reviewed by staff writer Steve Hall.

Most concert record-r ings bristle with energy; Back to the Future Now suggests that Ray Benson and his band should have slurped up a few pots of espresso before hitting the stage at Arizona Charlie's. Dan Fogelberg with two broken legs and a serious head cold would exude more liveliness. If Asleep at the Wheel was any more laid-back here, its name would be all too appropriate. That's a shame, for as always the band plays intricate western swing so smoothly and easily that you mistakenly think anybody could do it. And singerguitarist Benson has a knack for picking great covers, like Miles and Miles of Texas, Hot Rod Lincoln and God Bless the Child.

It's hard to fault any release containing the novelty tune Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens, the Bob Wills standard Ida fled AND My Baby Thinks She's a Train, a onetime hit for Roseanne Cash. Leroy Preston, who wrote the latter, is one of several pals whom Benson either acknowledges in the audience or invites to sit in. The atmosphere is so casual that it wouldn't be a surprise to hear tourists from Omaha or Poughkeepsie called up onstage next. They should bring some caffeine. Johnny Hodges "Triple Play, RCA Victor Records.

Reviewed by staff writer Jay Harvey. Jl A. A. Particularly attractive among a bunch of RCA Victor reissues on CD is this 1967 recording capturing three studio jam sessions under the leadership of Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington's perennially enthralling alto saxophonist. By definition, jam sessions should be the least suitable kind of jazz performance for preserving on disc.

But no collection is complete without a few, and this is an excel- Let's Dance Club 259-1147 Universal Records DIRECT: Heavy D's Waterbed Hev is not as explicit as some of today's urban music, but he doesn't shy away from sexual content. step up a rung on his climb to the top. Wise move. McCain sounds more electric than on his debut album, Honor Among Thieves, but doesn't get carried away and maintains his sense of lyrical purpose. The first two songs a Pearl Jam-like See The Sky Again and quick Grind Me In The Gears set the wheels in motion.

Then, on Punish Me and Take Me, he lets his voice do the rocking with raspy roars. He enhances the effect by keeping it in check on the other tunes. McCain is best when he tells stories and conveys messages. His fond reminiscences on Cleveland Park are fun; his lyrics about ruining the environment on Darwin's Children are compelling; and his affirmations of love on What Matters and I'll Be are moving. He is far from reaching the top, but such improvement is a step in the right direction.

lEGIN PROGRAM! Wu-Tang Clan "Wu-Tang Forever, Loud Records, RCA. Reviewed by staff writer Scott Miley. It's been four years an(j fjve solo projects since Wu-Tang reignit-ed hip-hop, drawing from kung-fu comic books and an obscure Sixth Century tale of Chinese rebels seeking world domination. What's surprising on this follow-up is that nine distinct personalties have hung together to create a unity not heard since Public Enemy. The monk-like clan stresses discipline from the mix of Muslim and Mafia respect in Wu-Revolutiono Raekwon's admonition to prison inmates in A Better Tomorrow: "You can't scheme your life away because your seeds grow up the same way." Wu-Tang, often confusing with its own slang, sharpened its lyrical swords.

"I bomb atomically Socrates' philosophies And high prophecies," declares Inspektah Deck in Triumph. In Black Shampoo, a husband knows how to romance his wife as she comes home from work: "No dishes in the sinkupper lower left right neck back rub Calgon take me away." There are violent street tales here and explicit warnings of punishment (to those who wear the Wu T-shirts but don't practice the lifestyle). But Wu-Tang Forever details the rewards of control particularly when control is practice by a unified group of friends. These nine characters could split to pursue solo careers. Instead, they're acting out their rather impressive philosophies collectively.

Mark Eitzel "West." Warner Bros. Records. Reviewed by staff writer Scott Bacon. fcrr-lf you're a fan of good songwrit-ing, Mark Eitzel's West will set you on your ear. The breathy, nasally former American Music Club singer's vocals are certainly nothing to write home about, but this guitar poet's off-the-cuff musings are on a level with few equals.

Eitzel, known for his droll, low-key style, is joined by R.EM's Peter Buck and the side project Tuatura, who dress up the 12 tracks with a mix of styles and tempos. Buck and Eitzel wrote the songs over three days last fall. Here you'll find such pensive Eitzel staples as Old Photographs, whose "black and white convictions" bring clarity to the singer's emotion-clouded memories. There's the sweet upbeat guitar number In Your Life and the slow sizzle of Free of Harm, where psychoanalysis of Eitzel's between-the-sheets prey gives way to bluntness: "I know I'm a little shallow." Some mean jazz provides the backdrop to childish fears on Three Inches of Wall. Keeping up with Eitzel can be tough.

On Stunned Frozen, he's like a brooding painter who casts aside not-quite-finished portraits for a fresh canvas. Later he sings of a stranger staring at his window who t. 4997 Waterbed Hev is sup A-12 posed to be rapper fecforing Snoop Doggy Dog, Prodigy, Tool, Tricky, Korn, Julian and Damien Marley, and the Uprising Band ST" iULY 23 NOON JUNIOR BROWN Heavy D's bedroom album, the one on which he reminds us that The Overweight Lover can get as steamy as Jodeci or LL Cool J. Thankfully, he's not as explicit as some of today's urban music. But he is more direct than usual.

Check out this line from Don't Be Afraid: "You feel like sex tonight?" He raps about "whipped-cream dreams" on Shake It, and then tells a woman, "you can get it if you want it" on Keep it Comin'. That's about as explicit as Heavy gets in this 12-track collection. He's not exactly hard, but he's no geek, either. On the title track, he raps about getting his nerve up to ask a woman her name, and then promises, "You'll be screamin' Waterbed Hev all night long." Otherwise, Heavy pours his sing-song raps over the engaging sound we've come to expect melodic with hooky samples, nice background vocals and bass that won't destroy your speakers. Edwin McCain "Misguided Roses, Atlantic Records.

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