page 14 THE OTHER PRESS Novem ber 30th, 1984 Working’ can be fun! Student productions are notorious for their lack of professional panache. However, they usually redeem them- selves in effort and sincerity, and by JOEL HAGEN Working is a case in point. It’s not flashy,. it’s not great, but it’s a good solid production which is deserving of your entertainment dollar. Working is a musical play based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling tome of the same name. It is a series of vignettes about différent jobs, from the perspec- tive of the people who make those jobs their careers. Each sketch is a com-" bination of song and dance, with some clever soliloquys mixed in. Some of these pieces are excep- tional. The best, | felt, was that of migrant farmworker Emilio, played by Kieron Donovan. He was very convinc- ing, and when he was joined on stage by guitarist Bruce McMillan, it was like icing on the cake. Together they sang a beautiful song, Un Mejor Dia Vendra, in Spanish, and there was a lump in my throat when they finished. The newsboy, played by Rebecca Staples, was also really good, although her role was the antithesis of Emilio’s. Her song was about how much fun it is to throw newspapers into bushes, | instead of onto porches. Backing her up was a chorus of very mobile ‘‘bushes’’, and together, they injected the play with a lot of energy. While there were other good scenes in Working, most notable those about the waitress, the gasman, the fireman, and Joe, the pensioner (performed marvellously by Jeff Schultz), the performance was not flawless by any means. But the problems weren’t as much with the cast as with the play itself. Working just isn’t compelling. Rath- er than being involved with the characters and their feelings, .the audience is put in a spectator role. Somehow, | think that when Terkel wrote the book, he wanted the reader to learn to understand what a job is all about, what it really means. The play doesn’t manage to do this. Perhaps, in the transcription from book to play, the focus that Terkel had achieved was lost. Another thing about Working that takes away from its impact is the music. Some is effective «and gut wrenching, like the Spanish song of Emilio and James Taylor’s touching composition, Millworker. But a lot of it is dull. Lovin’ Al, the parking lot attendant, is victimized by this bad song syndrome. He is a really interest- ing character, but his song lets him down. All in all, though, despite my nitpicking, | liked Working. It was energetic, and it is fun to see what your friends and fellow students can accomplish on stage. And most im- portant, it has a strong finale, essen- tial to a successful play, that makes you walk out of the theatre feeling - good. Working is playing until December 2 in the Performance Theatre on the fourth floor. Showtime is 8:00 p.m. For all those students who want to and tickets can be purchased at the experience live theatre for next to bookstore, and at the door. For ticket nothing (sounds exciting, oui?), this information, — ey Sunday is two for one + That’s just $2.50 per person, with a valid student card. In these inflationary — such a deal should not. be jie wes, et s c ‘ on? a’ Y~ aes vet Scie oie gow’ .& aN? iN There have been some a ie os this fall, most of them from less than conventional artists. To fill youinon these albums the OP. entertainment staff has taken the time to give these works a bit of favourable recognition. Enjoy... THE HONEYDRIPPERS VOLUME ONE All you Led Zeppo freaks hang onto your hats. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page made another record. And Jeff Beck’s on it too. Sounds really scary by DAVE WATSON kids. Must be some of the wildest fret work in history, right? Well slow down, galaxy ranger; this one’s a bit different. This five song, 18 minute EP consists of cover versions of old songs by people you’ ve probably never heard of, except maybe Ray Charles (I hope you've heard of Ray Charles). His I Got a Woman is on here. Some of the other songs are written by Roy Brown, Rudy Toombs, and Da Pomus with Phil Spector (who you should have heard of too). The songs are selected from the early period of rock history and so would seem a natural for a high energy raveup with two ex-Yardbird mem- ‘bers. Unfortunately, over-production and uneven performances limit the final product. | Get a Thrill: Plant sings this one quite well, but the drums are very muffled in the mix. Dull background vocals. Really good guitar solo (sounds like Beck). Mediocre blues piano. Sea of Love:Plant’s vocals slow and drag this one out. The music is well played. 1 Got a Woman: Proves that white men can’t sing the blues. The horns are mixed too high, and sound brassy as a result. Young Boy Blues: This one is really good. If Plant’s voice wasn’t so identi- fiable from the seventies, swear this song came out in 1958. Rockin’ at Midnight: The horns and piano make this song so good that I’m — surprised that Plant can add to it, but he does. These last two songs are the only ones to fulfill the promise of this talented team, and they really strike © the core of authentic rockabilly. The problem with this album is the mixture of three syrupy and overpro- duced songs, all lacking any soul, with two spirited rockers. If you still feel like buying this uneven tribute, try not to pay more than $3.99 for it. : BRUCE COCKBURN STEALING FIRE Bruce . Cockburn’s_ latest album, Stealing Fire is an album worth picking.up. There is not a bad track on the entire album. From the lively and by RHONDA JESCHKE emotional If | Had a Rocket Launcher to the equally emotional but more melodically mellow Nicaragua, Bruce has a message to tell us. His lyrics are phenomenal and deal with the complexity of living in this violent world of ours. The musicianship is excellent as well, -Back up vocalists Shawne Jackson, Collina Phillips and Sharon Lee Williams provide good support, especially on Peggy’s Kitchen Wall and Maybe The Poet. Carole Pope (of Rough Trade), also helps out on a few tracks. Cockburn was recently in Central America on an OXFAM fact finding tour, and a lot of the songs on Stealing Fire are based on his experiences there. In particular, If | Had a Rocket Launcher, represents quite a change from Cockburn’s usual pacifism: ‘‘If | had a rocket launcher...some sonofa- bitch would die.’’ In this track he also relates his beliefs: ‘1 don’t believe in guarded borders and | don’t believe in hate/I don’t believe in generals or their stinking torture states.’’ To indicate his genius it would be best to relate some more of his lyrics. Nicaragua, a highly emotional and beautiful song tells us that ‘‘For every scar on a wall/There’s a hole in someone’s heart/Where a loved one’s memory lives.’ Lovers in a Dangerous Time, one of the more upbeat tracks, is good dance material and as usual, the lyrics are outstanding: ‘‘One day you’re waiting for the sky to fall/The next you’re dazzled by the beauty of it all.’’ Bruce writes all the songs except for two. He shares songwriting credits with Fergus Marsh on the catchy tune ‘To Raise the Morning Star, and the rest of his band helped write Maybe The Poet. In Maybe The Poet, he reminds us: “Don’t let the system fool you/All it want's to do is rule you/Pay attention to the poet/You need him and you know it,’ and combines the lyrics with a sort of reggae-calypso beat. Dust and Diesel is a ballad that also has a strong reggae feel. His band is excellent and the guitar in Sahara Gold, a slower paced song, is exceptional. Try as | might, | can’t find a single . flaw. It is Bruce’s best so far. This folk-rock singer/songwriter/poet has finally got the detention he deserves. He says in song that his main goal is this: ‘‘I want to raise every voice-at least I’ve got to try.’’ He also has a dream: ‘‘One world--one human race/ Swimming in an ocean of love.’’ As an added bonus, for all you bilingual Canadians, the lyrics are provided in both official languages. | would: