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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2000)
Henley’s new CD ‘end’ of the magnificence ■ With a new album that falls flat, the ex-Eagles’ singer has pulled out of the fast lane and exited the freeway By Scott Pesznecker Oregon Daily Emerald Looking for a CD that will knock your socks off? Need a new sound for your stereo system that is as powerful as it is fresh? Are you eying that new Don Henley CD because you know how good his past work has been, and you’re eager to hear his music after a 10-year stray from songwriting? Obviously, you haven’t sat down and listened to “Inside Job” yet. Because if you had, you wouldn’t be so eager to hear it again. You’d just keep on look ing. Unlike previous albums where Henley’s music has been capti vating, intriguing and incredibly original, this new CD is insult ingly elementary. Henley’s signature songs, such as “The End of the Innocence,” “The Heart of the Matter” and “The Boys of Summer” are de fined with clear, strong vocals and a musical style that strikes chords with most classic rock fans. But not “Inside Job.” Henley sacrificed his powerful simplici ty for utter stupidity. By using computer technology in an at tempt to enhance his voice and instruments, Henley walks a thin line of sounding no different than the “bubble-gum” groups he criticizes. And even worse, his character istic use of 1980s-like back ground instruments — usually one of his music’s strong points — creates a very confusing array of musical noises. Say goodbye to life in the fast lane — I’ll be shocked if this al bum makes it out of the parking lot. Perhaps the biggest disap pointment on “Inside Job” is the song “Goodbye to a River.” This is a song that had great potential, about how society’s need for more power has caused tremen dous environmental damage. But Henley fails to lock mean ing into the music. The lyrics in “Goodbye to a River” are straight forward and boring. Coupled with the song’s slow, tragic mu sic, Henley’s creation seems less like a song and more like an ex pensive public service an nouncement: “Dams are bad!” So, with all that said, if you were looking for the quality sounds and lyrics traditionally found in Henley albums, your best bet would be to buy his greatest hits CD, or wait another 10 years for his next release. If you saw the new Star Wars movie and liked Jar Jar Binks — another product of a perfection ist gone bad — well, Henley’s new CD might be right up your alley. Catching up with the Long Beach Dub All Stars , Courtesy Tribune Media Services The Long Beach Dub All-Stars, composed of Sublime alumni, have planned a summer tour to complement the recent release of their debut CD, “Right Back.” The band changed their name after Sublime lead singer Brad Nowell died in 1996. By Andy Argyrakis Tribune Media Services CHICAGO — The spirit of Sublime lives on as the Long Beach Dub All Stars continue in the tradition of surf and groove inspired alternative rock. Of course, that's no surprise given that Sublime alumni re grouped to form the All Stars af ter the 1996 heroin-overdose death of Sublime singer, Brad Nowell. Band members could have stuck with the name — but de cided to change it as a means of moving on, said Marshall Good man, who played with Sublime in the early ‘90s and later re turned to become a part of the All Stars. He's responsible for the group's drums, turntables and percussion beats. “We changed the name be cause Sublime died when Brad died,” Goodman said. “It's chal lenging in the sense that we don't use the Sublime name on any of our advertisements nor do we mention anything like, ‘We’re the Long Beach All Stars, and we used to be part of Sub lime.’ We do not want to exploit the name just to sell more records. We want to keep the sprit of Sublime alive and keep moving forward in this new di rection.” Indeed the band is moving forward — and is expected to earn even more fans on this summer’s touring circuit. It has kept its original incarna tion's intricate mix of hip-hop, jazz, reggae and rock, but still managed to update its sound on its Dream Works Records debut CD, “Right Back.” The album has spawned three singles, and sales continue to climb with the group’s constant touring. “The members of the group come from all different back grounds and grew up listening to a wide array of music,” Good man said. “When people check out the new record, they will see that mix and a live show will really showcase each band member’s individual talents and instru ment-playing abilities,” he said. The band hasn't forgotten its roots and typically performs a couple of Sublime songs on stage. “We always want to be posi tive with the grooves we pro duce, and I'm at the point in my life where I am blessed with still being able to express myself through music,” Goodman said. r T H I N K Trivia $ CiDonne//. $ Irish pub 2 295 Hwy. 99 North ^ s Starts Thursdays 8:00 pm s • Win Prizes • Win Irish Bucks 0082161 lohn Henry's Dance Nights no cover for women!!1 * “...an unqualified delight university fr°m start t0 finish.” 4W Paul Denison THEATRE ^e\ifcan<l ^ i^vefttures of Eugene Register Guard ^VcUolas Nick/eJ, Robinson Theatre * Part I: May 18, 25, June 1@ 7 May 20, 21, 27, June 3@ 1 Part II: May 19, 20, 26, 27 % Efcj June 2,3 ^7 fVrU^ r2M May 28 @1 UT Box Office: 346-4191 EMU Tickets: 346-4363 Hult Center- 682-5000
