Drummer
mixes blues,
college classes
By Brian J Shu It-.
■ n i’i.irtl -
U of Texas. Arlington
i ’hn> Hunter lieat Ins drumbut he
loathed what he heard K rustrated. he
threw his sticks icross the playroom
and pounded the tom-toms until reach
mg exhaust ion
That w as II \ ears ago Hunter was s
I would hejtrm im mind what I want
ed to play and I would hear what I was
placing. and I hilled It lie said
Now. alter a decade n| practli e. t he I'1
veai old business sophomore is a pro
lessionaI drummer wit h t he blues hand
i old Him Steel
loarnmg percussion principles from
a veteran performer helped Hunter
overcome his impatience
I (I lies drummer Do vie Brain hall, who
was dating Chris' mother taught him
drum beats holding the bo\ ' small
hands over the drumsticks during
lessons
Dovle would leave for a week, and
then bed come back By then, I d have
the drum beat down. Hunter said.
I bis zeal to learn impressed his men
tor
When 1 started pi.tying the drums I
wanted to learn as much is 1 could as
last as I could. ' Bramhall remembers
('hns bad that same desire
'1 was always going to nightclubs
w at clung I )ovle play.' 1 lunter said M v
goal was to lie pist like lum
. i.
..ml that w hen he liegan playing, music
had little to do with his new hubby
'The first time Chris sat behind the
drums, he tust started hanging on
them." she said.
Logan noticed her daughter could
work with the drums lietter than < ’hris
could 'His sister was really trying to
carry a heat and hear the different
sounds Chris was just hanging on
them." Logan said "Hut she lost inter
est
('hris never did If he ever had. ('old
Blue Steel might not have a permanent
drummer today
Hunter offered to help the hand one
w eekend w hen Bramhall. who had lieen
tilling in w ith Cold Blue Steel, was busy
with his ow n group
We said, He\. Chris, can you hold
dow n the gig" and he said. Yeah, sure, ~
bass player Tony Dukes said.
Then school work w as another gig that
had to lie held dow n
"I never liniked at drumming as tak
mg awa\ from anything II anything, it
enhances nn school work. Hunter said
-l know the music business isnt some
thing I would want to always have to
rely on
He said a business degree would lie
ideal for a musician and help him w ith
negotiations
But pursuing the degree and a musi
cal career it the same time has meant
some sacrificing of sleep
Hunter's mother noted, "It can't lx>
easv having an H a ni class after being
out until i in the morning He has
amazed me in his judgment and ability
to t ake care of himself
Gorky Park, the first Soviet band to release an album in America
OURTESY POLYGRAM RECORDS
From Russia with rock
F3y Wendy Greene
• olumbiu Spectator
Columbia U.
Rock n roll doesu t need repressive
authnntv to lie groat: the illusion -verves
.is well as tile real thm^ Sure, voting don
lion -Ion may have hated hie- parents on
occasion, or may have done a tew reliel
lions things 11ke cutting classes or delac
mg desktops But he also was probably
considered a pretty well-adjusted kid,
with all the standard choirlxiv trustra
t ions.
Soviet hand (iorky I’ark. m their self
titled dehut album, took Boil Jovi as a
role model However, (iorky Bark, the
first Soviet hand to release an album in
\mertca. is authentically reltelhous
Founding mcmliers Alexei Belov and
Nikolai, whilem a pre (!ork> l’ai'k group
called Moscow, were forbidden to plav
rock n roll In the Soviet government
( (lllnals said the "look" of rock was not
acceptable liecause it made kids gocra/>
and created an uncontrolled environ
ment The two. nevertheless, continued
to play clubs and arrange music (brother
hands
One of the groups they collalmrated
with was led In Stas Namin. now (lork>
1’arkS manager NaminS group.
Flowers, sold more than 12 million sin
gles in Kiissia Indore the government
cracked dow n
I he trio later founded Uorky Bark,
and m addition to selling millions of
See GORKY PARK Page 11
Soundbites
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Mother's Milk
This latest collection of punk-funk
from Los Angeles’ Chili Peppers
finds is a step backward "Magic
Johnson," for instance, is a grating
earache of a rap which glorifies the
LA. Lakers. Certainly a talented
group, the Peppers have once again
failed to match the jagged grooves of
their first record, still their finest
work. ■ Bill White, The Emory
Wheel, Kmory U.
Janet Jackson
Rythmn Nation 1814
Janet Jackson, the prototype for
female dance artists like -Jody Watlev.
Paula Abdul and Sheena Easton, con
tinues to grow with this album.
Although Rhythm Nation IH14 fails to
fully realize its conceptual and musical
aims, it is Jackson's best effort.
Producers Jimmy Jam and fern' Lewis
return to provide grooves that are more
expansive and developed than those on
Control, most songs run past five min
utes and are full of pulsating bass lines
and churning drums. Lyrically,
Jackson displays a social conscience,
discussing issues like drugs, crime,
family deterioration and education.
The Knowledge" says it plainly “We
are in a race between education and
catastrophe." Only her thin voice,
which frequently lacks conviction,
holds things down. Nevertheless, a
great record. ■ Craig Hausman, The
Daily TYvjan, U. of Southern California
Wine, cheese,
high fashion —
and rock music9
By Elisabeth Vincentelli
■ the D.i v Targum
Rutgers U
Let ' lace it. France has never spelled
R O L L for Americans It's the count r\
nl v, me and cheese, t he kingdom of per
manently dressed-up fashion victims
and obscure post-modernist philoso
pliers
But have vou ever heard of any French
rock bands''
Am visitor to Paris has for years been
able to hear a curious mix of wimpy con
tinental pop called In rarirti' In the
locals1 and international mega stars
such as Dire Straits, the Cure or
Madonna But there is also non a ere
ative, diverse and healthy alternative
French music scene, thriving despite the
absence of college radio
Several groups are now on I S record
laliels, including t he elect romc-oriented
Trisomie 2 1 nn the Wax Trax label i and
the exuberant t lallic outfit Les negress
es vertes soon to he released In Sire livin'
here From the anarcho punk spirit
exemplified hv the incredibly populai
Berliners Nmrs to the steamy dance
music played b\ Kassa\ >zt>uk. the parts
music from the French West Indies c the
French are now succeeding m carving a
niche on t he European scene
Even t he old school ol rnnclt' is getting
better and better, with people as
l ruguavan-born Kill Medeiros and her
tropical funk, or even the Velvet
l nderground-mfluenced Ft lenne I )aho
file French still can't play straight
"rock, butt hex have Income pretty good
at perverting it and even more impor
tant, they are finally writing decent
lyrics in their native tongue on a lieat
faster than Ab Way" penned by a
Frenchman, mcidently r
I yes Satellites are part of the Bondage
roster and product1 a joyous, humorous,
somexx hat anarchic brand of rhythm n
blues, something vou wouldn't expect
the French to tackle. Showing a cartoon
ing sense of humor, they even make fun
of “les amencains " Their houses are
bigger they're more comfortable their
ice-creams are bigger therefore people
are happier "
See FRENCH ROCK. Page 11
ujuvuest AM
Janet Jackson