PAGE 6 — THE DECREE — APRIL 27,1990
'Scatterbrain' willing to take risks
By MARK BRETT
In America these days, it
seems that we’re expected to toe
the line; those who take risks or
go against the flow are regarded
as trouble-makers. People in au
thority seem mortally afraid that
someone will be offended by
something that is said or written,
and they go out of their way to
make sure that such things are
suppressed.
Using such catchy phrases as
“libel” or “editorial policy,” they
practice their peculiar brand of
censorship on almost everything
we see, hear, or read. These
forces are even at work on this
very campus (not that I’d name
Review
any names, of course; that might
be deemed offensive. Besides,
you know who you are.) This
practice leads to an illusion of
mutual kindness that just doesn’t
exist and, more disgustingly, to a
stifling mediocrity.
Fighting this oppression on
the musical front is a group called
Scatterbrain. With a style that
combines thrash-metal grunge
with rap harmonies, they’re sure
to immediately alienate half of
their potential audience and ev
ery hit-minded record company
executive in the nation. Their
debut album. Here Comes
Trouble, seems to be very con
scious of all this, since it’s pri
marily about freedom of expres
sion.
This theme is presented in the
strongest terms in “Good-bye
Freedom, Hello Mom,” a song
about the many “protective”
regulations passed in the last few
years that have violated many of
our basic rights. Here Scatter
brain lashes out at such policies
as record labeling, helmet and
seatbelt laws, anti-bortion laws,
the drinking age, and the “Just
Say No’ campaign, all enacted in
the name of the public good.
This song is full of good lines,
so much so that it’s tempting to
simply quote the entire thing and
let it sp^ for itself. However,
I’ll quote the two lines that best
convey the message; “1984 has
passed, forget about Big Brother/
Welcome to the 90’s where the
government’s your mother,” and
“First amendment casualties, but
they won’t be the lasl/Kiss the
Bill of Rights goodbye it’s disap
pearing fast.”
While the group is criticizing
the laws, they are not necessarily
supporting the activities re
stricted by them. Rather, they are
supporting the individual’s rights
to do as he pleases, no matter how
stupid or life-threatening such
activities may be.
This attitude is demonstrated
on two other songs. “Here Comes
Trouble” and “Outta Time.” The
first presents a life of drunkeness
and violence for what it is: a stu
pid, self-destructive activity. The
second is apparently narrated by
the Grim Reaper as he gleefully
watches someone slowly deterio
rate through a life of drug addic
tion. Both songs take a realistic
stance, as both the good and the
bad aspects of alcohol and drugs
are shown.
Of course drugs make you feel
good; if they didn’t, no one
would get addicted to them. The
price is your Ufe. This contradic
tion is crystallized in the line
“How could something good be
bad?/That question drove ya
mad.” An attitude quite a bit
more complicated than “Just Say
No,” and one that makes a lot
more sense.
The album also confronts con
formity in “That’s That,” a night
marish view of life in modem
America. From the opening lines,
“Color by numbers, stay inside
the lines/Ya got a question?
Check the rulebook, see the
grand design,” we are presented
with a string of phrases urging
conformity. Each phrase, how
ever, is so cliche-ridden that the
whole becomes meaningless in
the need. This, of course, only
makes the point since most jar
gon of this type has little thought
behind it and is mainly designed
to stick in the mind through its
very familiarity.
You only realize how well
Scatterbrain has done their job
here when you find yourself sing
ing the mindless chorus for no
apparent reason; “Hey kids,
check it outAJpside down or in
side out/This is it, is what it’s all
about/Strike one, strike two,
strike three you’re out.”
The really amazing moment
on Here Comes Trouble, how
ever, is in “Down with the Ship
(Slight Return.)” An attack on the
music industry’s habit of forcing
new bands to use an akeady-es-
tablished “sound,” this song is
made up of nothing but various
distinctive guitar and drum rifts
from famous rock tunes of the
past.
The vocals, barely squeezed in
between overpowering riffs,
chastise the industry for such ul
timately self-destructive habits.
The title is a tribute ultimately
self-destructive habits. The title
is a tribute to the much-copied
“Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)”
by Jimi Hendrix. The guys obvi
ously had a lot of fun with this
one.
The album includes quite a
few “fun” songs. “Earache may
Eye” is an adaptation of a tune by
Cheech and Chong. “Don’t Call
Me Dude” attacks that infamous
and all-preventing catch-phrase
of the 80’s, “Dude.” “Drunken
Milkman” is a sort of Jim Morri
son-like drugged beatnik poem,
believe it or not.
Finally, we have “Mr.
Johnson and the Juice Crew,”
which is about that distinctly
male organ Dean Marron won’t
let us roll condoms over. Though
this song seems rather pointless
at first, in the end it becomes a
commentary on all those over
sexed rock stars out there. The
final line of the song bears this
out when, in reference to “Mr.
Johnson,” vocalist Tommy
Christ sings “Girls can’t keep
their hands off him and neither
can I.”
Scatterbrain shows a lot of
guts and intelligence with their
debut, and will probably continue
to do so in the future. Unfortu
nately, they’ll also probably con
tinue to be widely ignored. Un
less, that is, some brain-dead disc
jockey makes a comparison be
tween them and the Red Hot
Chili Peppers. Then they might
get some coat-tail support. Ironic,
no? Oh well. There are lots of
worse groups to be associated
with, I suppose. New Kids on the
Block comes to mind...
Cars reveal true
campus character
By DANIELLE MECKLEY
One interesting aspect of North Carolina Wesleyan
College is its cars. If the automobile reflects the per
sonality of the driver; then Wesleyan’s cars reflect a
very curious character.
Wesleyan’s cars are unique because an uncom
monly large number of them are luxurious. A BMW is
not an unfamiliar sight on Wesleyan’s campus. Al
most daily, a slick black Beamer sits aloof and digni
fied in front of the Admissions Office.
On certain nights, one can see another BMW, the
silver green color of the U.S. Treasury building on the
back of a crisp $10 bill, parked behind the cafeteria.
And who hasn’t yet noticed the radiant orange Vette
lounging in the parking lot like a chilly orange pop-
sicle under a warm summer sun?
Wesleyan’s license plates are just as interesting.
Some people truly identify with their cars, and want to
tell the entire automotive world who they are. HAH-
LEE. KMW. SUZY 65. K SHARON. MARUA.
KATIE.
Some plates express personal credos: O LET IT
BE. D DOORS, and AUDACITY. I NEED B.
BUMPNIT.
Certainly one of the most individualized automo
biles on campus is Dr. Finney’s Toyota truck. Al
though from far away it appears harmlessly normal,
this illusion is broken on closer inspection. The li
cense plate displays the obscure message, DR? DR?.
The cab hails a green flag, weathering from the flaps
and claps of riding through the wind towards that
eternal battle. Which battle is uncertain.
North Carolina Wesleyan CoUege offers the benefit
of a small school’s ability to seek and give personal
attention. It seems Wesleyan’s cars also participate in
this search for individualized attention.
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