Arts & Entertainment
Steve Skinner's Disc Spin
SA Press Published "Quilt"
Elisabeth Ross
Reviews by Steve Skinner
Sting
“Nothing But The Sun”
A&M Records, Tapes, and CDs
Sting has returned in familiar
form. This double length album breeds
some of his purist jazzAock fusions to date.
It far from compromises to the success
of his previous masterpiece, “Blue
Turtles.” In fact, “Nothing But the Sun”
returns in a roundabout way to the point
where Sting left off in “Blue Turtles.” His
role of non-conformancy to the norm in
rock’n’roll music today is an act of sheer
supremecy.
The tracks contained in the
framework (actually busting to get loose
from the hinges) come together in a
magical revival of the soul side of the
popular jazz music scene. I offer to you the
walking bassline (which Sting does best
him- self), the crash of cymbals, and the
lurking air of an arrogant and even whis
pering wind section which blows the dust
off most of today’s stuff. The inner (soul)
cuts here are rare in today’s mix-happy,
electric-whizz, beat box rhythm matrix one
can’t help but notice on every turn of the
dial.
Enough of the generalities in
today’s music scene... This (double-sided,
double-density) directly digital disc spins
some amazingly soft lows and powerfully
explosive highs. The individual tracks
stream into a whole. First off, the jazz line
is apparent, almost from the opening
breaths, on “Lazarus Heart.” The tempo
slows on “Be Still My Beating Heart,” only
to refuse a lit torch light with growing
consistency and fun on “Englishman in
New York.” The “alien” line rolls along
behind a bouncy, sophisticated bassline.
Each side contains only three tracks - an
ususual double length album. However,
each track assumes ultimate responsibility
for the whole. Take another side for in
stance. This one yields cuts that could pose
as Police covers (heaven forbid!). Try
“History will Teach us Nothing,” This one
brings back a reggae style Sting does best -
a spring and a leap with every swing in the
bongo beat. “They Dance Alone” is a
destined “Miami Vice” classic; one listen
and you’ll know why. “Fragile” is by far
my favorite from the disc. It com- bines a
jazzy sophistication with soulful, hearty
English accented vocals that interlude a
listener into a lost passive- ness. “We’ll
Be Together,” the pop-funk smash, and a
three cut splash finale featuring none other
than “Sister Moon” rounds out this delight
ful collection of rhythms, textures, and
mixtures which break a new front in the
combination of jazz and soul available at
your local record store. Best of all, it’s
available just in time for Christmas.
Robbie Robertson
“Somewhere Down the Crazy River”
Geffen Records
Solo sessionist, Robbie
Robertson, returns from a long winded
absence on the new music scene. He was
once a member of the 60’s band. The Band,
before it became The Band. Under-stand?
On this one, you’ll find a deci
sively American, big-town approach, full
of late-night, dark, scratchy, otherwise
spoken vocals. Amazingly, a melody floats
around behind all of this gruffness, enough
to make a worthy effort of it all.
His songs have an eerie depth
about them, based on his unique tongue,
which takes this one away from the main
stream of popular music today. On the new
album, he is joined by the likes of Peter
Gabriel, U2 (yes, U2), Maria McKee of
Lone Justice, and the BoDeans. And just as
amatterbyofpassing..! hear he’s opening
for U2 in Hampton on December 11th and
see Disc Spin - page 12
A noted voice for women in the
South, Ruth Moose has recently published
a new book of short stories entitled The
Wreath Ribbon Quilt” that will come out
in November from the St. Andrews Press in
Laurinburg.
Moose writes stories and poems
that depict the lives and feelings of women
in the South through the voice of
experience. She has published over 300
poems in the “Atlantic Monthly,” “Red-
book,” “Ohio Review,” “South Carolina
Review,” and other places.
David Rigsbee, director of the
St. Andrews Press, said, “Moose writes as
warmly as a kitchen stove and as unexpect
edly as a UFO.”
Moose has published three other
books: “To Survive” from Bookmark
Press at theUniversityofMissouri,Kansas
City; “Finding Things in the Dark” from
Briarpatch Press, Davidson N.C.; and
“Writing A-Z” from Castle Publications in
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Moose has worked on various
anthologies of poetry, including the “An
thology of American Magazine Verse”
and “Yearbook of American Poetry” and
“Signs Along the Way: 400 Years in North
Carolina.”
Moose has done readings at
Wingate College, Queens College, the
Spoletto Festival, Charleston, S.C. in
1983, and other places. She has worked as
poetry editor for the Arts Journal since
1985.
Moose won a PEN award for
short story, and has recently been awarded
a writing fellowship grant from the N.C.
Arts Council and the National Endowment
for the Arts.
“Publishing a book of short sto
ries is a long, hard road,” said Moose. “It
took 3 years to get this book to press. Isn’t
that the gestation period of an elephant?”
Ruth Moose is the mother of two
sons and lives with her husband in a house
they designed in the Uwharries of N.C. She
is reference librarian at Pfeiffer College,
Misenheimer, N.C.
“The Wreath Ribbon Quilt” will
be available at finer stores every where in
November.
Call for Scripts
The Theatre Department, in co
operation with the Writer’s Forum and
Monday Night in the Arts, will be
sponsoring a series of origional script
readings during the Spring ’88 term.
We plan to highlight the talents of
area play Wrights, so if you have a promis
ing piece—one act or full length—please
submit it to 'Janice Burgess in the Humani
ties and Fine Arts Division in Vardell Hall
by January 11,1988.
Selections will be made by the
playwrighting committee coordinated by
Janice Burgess and including Joseph
Bathanti, D.K. Beyer, and Rob Engelson.
Each selected script will be cast,
rehearsed, and then presented as reader’s
Theatre on successive Monday nights
during Spring Term. The schedule will be
posted by Feb. 4,1988.
This call is open to students,
faculty, staff, and area residents. For more
information, contact Janice Burgess and
ext. 327.
McNair's Department
Store
Wishes the students, fac
ulty and staff at
St. Andrews a
Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year