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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1988)
Entertainment Songs on Thompson's 'Amnesia hard to forget By Rick Heyman Emerald Contributor Richard Thompson — Amne sia Despite being one of the fin est guitarists alive, Richard Thompson is surprisingly little known. Most rock "guitar he roes" gain attention through flash or speed. Thompson, however, has taste and style — qualities that put him in very exclusive company. His peers are not Malmsteen and Van Halen but Knopfler and Clap ton. Amnesia's songs alternate be tween the brooding and the venomous, and the guitar solos _Record Reviews_ fit the songs' moods brilliantly, shifting from melancholy to stinging. Mitchell Froom's (Crowded House, Del Fuegos) production is stellar, from the rock-solid studio pros used to the arrangements to the exotic (northumbrian pipes and brass quartets on a rock album!) in strumentation that adds exquis ite color without detracting from the mood of the tracks. Although Thompson's latest recordings have lacked the emotional electricity that marked his last record with his wife (1982’s universally ac claimed Shoot Out the Lights). and his first major label solo al bum after their split (1985's bit ter but masterful Across a Crowded Room). Amnesia is a solid, engaging record. Big Country — Peace in Our Time If you’ve heard the first sin Open 24 Hours kinko's Great copies Great people 860 E 15th 5d4 7894 We've got your tan when you want it! SunShowcr on campus •»n» ■ Mi ( inn REAT MOVIES DISCOUNT SHOWS Su-Mo $3 / fu-W-Th $3.50 s = ^ M 492 E 13th ■ Ji w" 686-2458 ★ MAJNKRUUIP * GREAT FOR PARTIES AND BIRTHDAYS ^jAifinrn | all games work: gTQVIUEU | WITH NICKELS | W GAMES ADMISSION >140 5TH STRUT PUBLIC MARKET • EUGENE • 683-8464 gle off of this record, "King of Emotion,” your first reaction may have been similar to mine: "Has it really come to this?” The song kicks off with awful coliseum-rock power chording and climaxes (implodes?) with the inane chorus. Is this really the band that rose to fame in the shadow of U2, sharing U2’s producer and their orientation toward big guitars and big mes sages? Well, the initial shock and suspicion of sell-out dissipates quickly. "King of Emotion” (which, incidentally, isn’t so bad after you've heard it a few times) is an obvious concession to tight radio playlists, but the rest of the record is pure Big Country. The guitar/e-bow sig nature sound is intact, the lyr ics are just as poetic and overarching as ever (try song ti tles like "From Here to Eterni ty," “Peace in Our Time,” and "River of Hope” on for size), plus a now appropriately big drum sound. Neither the writing nor the arrangements have evidenced much growth (save the endear ing electric jig that concludes the album), but ten fiery Big Country cuts and one so-so ra dio song make Peace in Our Time a worthy successor to The Crossing. Michelle Shocked — Short Sharp Shocked Unlike the almost immediate appeal of other recent, excep tional debut albums by women — Sinead O'Connor, Tracy Chapman, and Toni Childs — Michelle Shocked's first studio LP takes awhile to reveal its charms. It’s clear she's not yet in the league of the other three, but it’s also clear she has a lot of potential. Short Sharp Shocked has a couple pleasant if tepid folk songs toward the beginning. By the fourth track, however, she’s all business — ranging from funny to poignant to outraged to insightful. Producer Pete An derson seems to be the crucial ingredient in this venture — Shocked shines only when the instrumentation gives her a background that complements her message. Short Sharp Shocked show cases a musician with a short story writer’s knack for setting and character. She’s charming and witty. She’s outspoken. And once she hones her ear for melody and matures out of an over-reliance on folk-talky tunes that don’t really draw in the listener, she’ll really be someone to reckon with. Bruce Springsteen — Chimes of Freedom (Live EP) This twenty-minute EP (which, by the way, is also available in the new three-inch CD format) is a treasure. Re corded on the Tunnel of Love tour, with proceeds going to Amnesty International, it mixes the new and the old. "Tougher Than the Rest” is performed pretty straight, as is the rarity "Be True" (a great B-side from The River sessions). Bob Dy lan’s “Chimes of Freedom” is given a big, Born to Run-era wall-of-sound (complete with glockenspiel), while Bruce breathes new life into "Born to Run" by downscaling it from an full-band anthem to a solo, acoustic plea for personal free dom and survival. I doubt my two-cents on Bruce will sway anyone — you either love him or despise him at this point. The faithful will r cherish this little “State of The Boss, 1988” souvenir and the rest, well, at least it’s not get ting over-hyped. ■* 1 Goldworks 1502 Willamette Mon-Fri: 10 am-6 pm Sat: 10 am-4 pm 343-2298 All Work Done on Premises n. 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