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4OmnibusThursday, November 1 0, 1 938 Rattle and Hum T T?5c film Tq if Uwhat vmi'vp lppn :-1nnt.mor frr7 By JAF.'.ES DEAN StsffMWter I was trying to figure out what U2 has that other bands do not. What gives it the right to make a documentary backed by a major studio when its albums before The Joshua Tree sold only moderately, and The Joshua Tree itself - one of the greatest rock albums of all time sold no more than any other album released at that time? As far as I can see, 1)25 success has to do with its person ality, which is both sincere and unpretentious, and its music and live performances, which are quite simply with the odd exception better than anything else around. in the light of The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum is a little disap pointing. For a live album, it is unbalanced. It is missing a few of the more crucial songs of the band's recent career, and some of the songs included do not really come across that well. For exam ple, the version of "I Still Havent Found What I'm Looking For" suffers under a gospel interpreta tion. As a studio album, Rattle and Hum offers a change of direction for the band to a more varied and i ' v if'ttf; l -titti,- if It.: to-'-i itt tt lit- .. iff iii it if t i i spontaneous sound, but some songs ("Hawkwind 269," "Angel of Harlem") fail to reflect the depth and power of U2's past material. Nevertheless, the mixture of live and studio songs does show the considerable versatility of the band that will keep it in the spotlight for a little while yet. Rattle and Hum, the movie, complements the album well. Generally, what is missing on the album has been included in the film. There are live versions of "Bad" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" from pre-Josnua Tree material, as well as "Where the Streets Have No Name," "With or Without You" and the underrated "Exit," none of which appear on the album probably because the songs remain fundamentally the same in structure, and simply are not as powerful as "Bullet The Blue Sky." The new material, which was recorded in Dublin, is also enhanced in the film. By showing the spon taneity of the recording, the songs gain an extra dimension, which in the case of The Edge's "Van Die men's Land" is much needed. For the most part, the film demonstrates U2's captivating ability at live performance. After playing live for more than nine years, U2 still plays its music with incredible vigor. As a band, it shows a confidence in front of a huge audience that few other bands come close to achieving. This comes across in the film, and it is no mean accomplishment, in the black and white sequences which, thankfully, are most of the film watching the band play is like having the best seat in the stadium. Every feature of Bono's face is crystal clear, and each note he sings is perfectly audible. And yet there is a comfortable dis Nikki Meets the Hibachi meets By ANNE-RENEE RICE Staff Writer Nikki Meets the Hibachi. Sounds like a horror flick, doesnt it? Not to mention that hibatchi has a funny spelling. Actually it is an up and coming acoustic duo that used to go by the less bizarre name of Gillespie and Tola. Sophomore John Gillespie and senior Elaine Tola are partners in this musical endeavor. They call their style of music "New Folk." "It's an upbeat progressive style," Tola said, "kind of what you would expert out of R.E.M." Both Gillespie and Tola play the guitar Gillespie on lead and Tola on rhythm. They usually have a two-part harmony and some times a three-part harmony when singer Natalie Fair joins them. "We're not a band with technical gadgetry," Gillespie said. "What .'you hear) fcorh us Is real music; ! :tmacfU1tetexJ:- :btgtoe,e3t I 'principles : tance that is lost when it reverts to color. The most interesting parts of the film, however, happen outside the concert stadium. The band's visit to Sun Studios in Memphis has a special sense of occasion. The studio remains exactly the same as when Elvis recorded there, and the Elvis pictures all over the walls add a chilling quality to the songs U2 records. It is interesting that the trip to Craceland is somewhat of a disappointment for the band, especially for Larry Mullens Jr on whom Elvis has clearly had a profound influence. The impromptu concert in San Fran cisco, where the band sings a brilliant rendition of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower," gives a indication of the presence that a band of U2's popularity can have, in Bono's scribbled words, "Rock and Roll" stops the traffic . The most important moments in the film come when the band is not conscious that the camera is watching it More than at any time during the film, the audience is given a true sense of what each member of U2 is really like, we see them backstage; just before an encore in Fort Worth; and when they go through the routine for "When Love Comes To Town," a song Bono wrote for B.B. King. There is an excitement and sense of the present in the words they exchange that is key to under standing the band. After the recording of "l Still Havent Found ...,'the camera follows Bono out onto the streets of Harlem, where he sees a street singer chomping away at "Free dom For My People." It is a short scene, but it leaves the impression that the singer's music is more real Gillespie and Tola play music that still sounds like a real song when it is played on an acoustic guitar. How many of van Haien's songs would survive without Eddie's electronic toys? Because the duo operates with out a lot of high tech equipment, it depends primarily on talent "We really focus on our talent to carry us through where electric guitars and synthesizers would otherwise help," Gillespie said. Gillespie and Tola knew each other by face from class, but it was at the now-defunct Cat's Cradle that they decided to get together for a musical powwow. "It was one fateful night that we met there," Tola said. They started out playing just for fun. Then Nikki and the Hibachi decided to perform. The duo has gotten a taste of success with gigs at mrdbcfe;C&;Bookstbre and 'atr tortimbte- street-Bakerfc coffeehouse. vvWi and more honest than anything U2 could do. It is unglamorous, deep-rooted and completry vivid, and Bono is humbled in its pre sence, in all these moments, the power of the documentary is at its strongest, and the film is fascinating. Unfortunately this fascination is not sustained throughout. The gospel rendition of "I Still Havent Found . . ." doesnt work on film. It should be more remarkable than it is. But that may be the fault of the incongruous conductor of the choir, who destroys the dichotomy between the two different forms of music The interviews with the band leave much to be desired. They are treated with an unnecessary degree of flippancy by both the band and the director, and they fail in the all-important task of penetrating the aura of the band. When the band does talk about what is at the heart of its music, it comes briefly and late in the film, and consequently disturbs the balance that has so carefully been created. For example, the influence of Martin Luther King Jr. is dealt with for such a short time that it comes off as a half-hearted gesture more than a tribute. Bono's angry speech about the glorification of the IRA by Irish Americans who have not been home for 20 or so years seems overly political in the context of the rest of the film, in pinpointing a specific group of people, the rest of us feel like we are overhearing a verbal assault that we should not be hearing. As a whole, 26-year-old director Phil Joanou has done a pretty good job. Undoubtedly, he has captured the essence of U2 in its "Because our friends support us so well, we want to work hard -we're definitely taking things more seriously," Tola said. Seriously enough that they have just gotten a manager who is compiling an advertising kit for them. Plus, a demo tape with four of their songs has been added to WXYC's repertoire. Hearing your music on the radio for the first time can be quite a thrill. "I thought, Oh my God, if s real. It sounds just like us!" Gillespie said. It seems Nikki and the Hibachi are on the right track for a career in music Their immediate goal is to get a good base here in the Triangle. They hope playing at La Terazza and The Brewery will soon be on their agenda ' "we" would really like to play inf AtlaVitaiob; because it'S a ttaveh for- NeWfolk.-'Tola said- 'V v exhilarating live performance, in this respect, he is lucky to have the use of film over video, in particular, the black and white segments create an amazingly vivid picture and achieve a degree of realism that video cannot touch. Joanou tries extremely hard to maintain a rhythm to the film by mixing the live material with other footage of the band. He also indulges stylistically by inserting jump-cuts, keeping in shots that slip out-of-focus for a second, and letting the camera roll on as long as possible in an attempt to catch an unguarded moment of truth. Though the film is for the most part a little too conventional considering the artis tic potential of this type of film, Joanou has succeeded in using his stylistic qualities to add a sense of freshness to the film, thus raising it above the level of ordinary documentary filmmaking. The most disappointing aspect of the film is the lack of insight into the band. The film becomes consumed by U2, the band, and not by U2, a bunch of guys who grew up with nothing in Dublin and are now the most publicized rock band of the '80s. Joanou never manages to drag out the real drive of each member of the band to give them a sense of individuality in the context of the band. There are brief glimpses from time to time, but nothing certain. By the end of the film, we are no more aware of the people behind the band than if we'd gone to a concert But then that is probably just how the band wanted it in its place, however, is some of the best-filmed and most vibrant concert footage of a great band that anyone , who likes U2 will almost certainly relish. New Folk Both Gillespie and Tola want a long-term musical career together. But they realize that ifs a gradual process and they'd rather have slow solid success rather than instant success, which often flops. "That's why we go against the grain just a little," Tola said. She explained that if people come out to see Nikki and the Habachi, it's because they genuinely like the band and its brand of music They're not com ing out because New Folk is the current trend in music Gillespie and Tola are testing the water a bit. If you're in the mood for a little swim in New Folk waters, you can catch Nikki and The Hibachi at the Cabaret in the Union tonight The w cil p.mv ana irs FREE
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Nov. 10, 1988, edition 1
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