RETRIEVER Features m PAGE 8 NOVEMBER 20, 1990 Have you heard the word? Spoken-word return on CD well. Island Records compiled the Marc Ribot and Gary Windo's by Sammy The unaccompanied, later disc words of Burroughs and Ginsberg progressive compositions highlight displays Kerouac in a splendor of and had them set to glorious this work with spontaneous feels Prestianni spontaneous prose delineating the original music compositions. Bur- within the tight musical structures Retriever Staff Writer many facets of the human character roughs'"Dead City Radio" features boldly accenting Ginsberg's verse. and portraying perfectly the cool a few unpublished works, a couple The poetry selections span the Spoken word albums are spastics of bop jazz in words no of excerpts from the infamous poet's career drawing from four nothing new to the recording music critic could ever touch. The "," as well as other decades of his "Collected Poems." world, but the recent efforts bard's voice is amiable and enjoy- pieces from writings dating no later Some of the pieces seem as if they and reissues on CD from masters able. His words trail into sentences than 1986, save the thoughtful "Ah were devised for sound and song of the , Jack like a runaway locomotive guided Pook the Destroyer" from '82. at the outset, particularly "Com- Kerouac, William Burroughs and by a higher power; they never bump On the cover photo Burroughs plaint of the Skeleton To Time" , are as intense and into each other or fall on them- looks ancient, but his recent words with its refrain, "Take them, said enticing, if not more so, than any selves, only surge forward like a prove him to be venerable and the skeleton/But leave my bones I've ever heard. beneficent tidal wave. productive in his old age. His voice alone," and "Refrain" with its tight Rhino Records' "The Jack The only drawback in the collec- is both powerful and haunting as rhyme form and chorus, "Shadow Kerouac Collection" is a triple CD tion might be "Blues & Haikus" as he layers provocative and often changes into bone." reissue of Kerouac's complete it seems a bit trendy or beatnik horrifying images throughout his But the most blatant of these, and recorded works, with a few outtakes dated as the sax players lay down narratives. The NBC Symphony least effective, is the anti-bomb near from the sessions: the 1958 "Poetry melodic chaos after Kerouac's Orchestra, , rap chant with its boogie/disco For The Beat Generation" with poetic images or observations. The and others add to the intensity of rhythm and question/reply struc- Steve Allen tinkling light jazz on fragmentary nature of this disc his words with mesmerizing sonic ture on "Whom bomb? We bomb the piano; the 1958 "Blues & doesn't captivate as magnetically as passages. "Dead City Radio" is a them?" or "What do we do? You Haikus" with the bent horns of Al do the other two. The selections refreshing gift from a prolific fiction bomb! You bomb them!" Regard- Cohn and Zoot Sims; and the finest from the Steve Allen show and the writer who digs into the conscious- less of the complaints or reserva- one, which dates 1959, the unac- Brandeis University forum display ness of man and emerges with real, tions one may harbor towards companied "Readings by Jack Kerouac as the personable writing often dark, truths. Ginsberg's stark honesty, his poetry Kerouac On The Beat Generation." personality he became. The entire Ginsberg's "The Lion For Real" takes on a fresh, striking quality This exquisite compilation includes collection lends an insight into the features transcriptions of the poems with the expert musicianship a book of about thirty pages of rare writer's reading style and intelli- included, sOme interesting liner represented on this CD, thus mak- photos, quotes and thoughts of gent, humorous personality that notes and the most diverse and ing it a vital addition to your other writers and musicians on the will prove to be a great discovery challenging musical accompani- literature or music collections. Father of the Beat Generation,. as for generations to come. ment of all of the CDs. Bill Frisell,

photo courtesy of Warner Bros., Inc. is the voice of "The Nutcracker Prince," a new animated film from Warner Bros, based on the E.T.A. Hoffman story. Other voices in the cast include Peter OToole, Phyliss Diller and Columbia Megan Fellows. The film opens tomorrow, November 21. resurrects the Blues by Rob Going ape over a Thornton 'Gorilla' exhibit Retri r Staff Writer Pan two in a IHOpart series sense of what it takes for these Last week. | reviewed the by Teddy animals to survive in the wilds. His "Masters of the Blues" series shots of newborns are especially by Telstar Records. Telstar Durgin impressive. They weigh only four did an excellent job on that series, Retriever Editorial Staff to five pounds, as the exhibit says, and they have done justice to the and are cared for at all times by Chess name. Inspired by this blues their mothers. But the rate of renewal. Columbia Records has Baltimoreans have been development is roughly twice as been looking back in their own going ape over a photo fast as that of a human baby. The archives, and have come up with exhibit at the Maryland display then follows the gorillas a series ol really old recordings that Science Center. Michael Nichols' at different stages of their lives. they call the "Roots n' Blues" series. "Gorilla: Struggle for Survival in In the few weeks that it has been The music they have unearthed the Virungas," reminiscent of the at the Center, the exhibit has dales back as far as the 1920s and Sigourney Weaver film Gorillas in become one of it's most popular '30s, and the recordings are the the Mist, is an amazing collection features. "Gorilla" will run beginnings of blues as we know it of photos taken from some sur- through December and then will one or two people.armed with an prisingly close angles. be moving on. It is produced by acoustic guitar and a song. The first Nichols, hailed as the "Indiana the California Academy of two releases are called Legends of Jones of photography," has gone Science in San Francisco and is the Blues, Volume One and Slide to great lengths (and considerable traveled by the Aperture Founda- Guitar: Bottles, Knives and Steel, danger!) to capture these won- tion. For more information, con- (others to be available soon). drous creatures on film. Through tact the Science Center at 685- The most interesting release is the his pictures, people can get a real 2370. Slide Guitar CD. This has all sorts ol acoustic blues tunes that feature artists who use smooth surfaces on the strings, either a bottleneck, a kniie or a little bottle. The amount ol skill that the players had was and These Three Men still is astonishing. photo courtesy Michael Nichols/Magnum Photos, All of the musicians can and do One of the photos of a gorilla infant in Michael Nicholsamazing exhibit, now on view in the Maryland dare to be cute! Science Center. (see BLUES, page 9) Danson and , and Television is overflowing with by Teddy her mother (, in a them, movies can't get enough of Durgin much larger role). them and there's always commer- But mom has a new man in her cials (don't get me started). Just Warp speed ahead! Retriever Editorial Staff life, a snooty, English millionaire once, I'd like to see some ugly kids (but he's cute!), who plans to send get a part! But, of course, Three Is it possible to die from an Mary to (gasp!) boarding school. Men and a Little Devil Child Sci-fi TV takes a Quantum Leap forward overdose of cuteness? Well, But one of the three men has fallen probably wouldn't be very successful. annoyed by Al, an observer from of his birth, and only as far ahead chances are if you survived in love with her too (and it's so as today. He never leaps into cute!), and must overcome his Of course, if it's babies that you Sam's own time. Al, as played by , you'll likely by Teddy Dean Stockwell, is hilarious as the anybody famous, and never make it through it's sequel, Three bachelorhood to ask for her hand. prefer, the infant Mary makes an appearance during the opening Durgin woman-chasing, wise-cracking mil- changes any landmark, historical Men and a Little Lady. Actually Three Men and a Little events (although one time, he saved credits, taking her first steps (they're Retriever Editorial Staff itary man, who appears in the form The cuteness factor is raised to Lady is a worthy sequel, maintain- of a hologram (Sam maintains a certain Dr. Heimlich from chok- new heights in this follow-up to the ing the same air of humor and light- so cute) and going to her first baseball game. By having her contact with his own time through ing using a strangely familiar, biggest film of 1987, as adorable hearted fun as the first one had. In the '60s, science fiction tele- brain wave transmissions) that only maneuver.). little Mary has matured to the age Robin Weisman plays the five-year mature into a five-year old, the vision reached a high with Star sequel avoids the obvious second Sam can see and hear. NBC did a dastardly deed by of five, and is about to begin school. old Mary, as your average, stereo- Trek, The Twilight Zone, Lost If this all seems confusing, that's moving Quantum Leap from it's Of course, she is once again under typical cute kid (although she does round of baby jokes and finds new in Space and The Outer Limits. But ground. because it is (at least to people Wednesday, 10 p.m. slot, where it the care of those three loveable guys act circles around Guttenberg). You for years, the on air sci-fi has been viewing the show for the first time). flourished, to Fridays at 8 p.m., (who have matured to the age of know, I'm getting a little tired of The best thing about the Three disappointing, ranging from the Men movies, however, is still the For instance, Sam looks like Sam usually reserved for some David seven), played by , Ted seeing all these.adorable little kids. Star Wars rip-off Battlestar Galac- to the viewer except when he looks Hasselhoff bomb, where it's flound- performance of Tom Selleck as tica to the goofy Buck Rogers Peter,the architect. Selleck has the in the mirror; then he looks like the ering. The series was nominated for remake. But in the last few years, character who's life he leaps into. six Emmy Awards last year, includ- best rapport with the little girl, and science fiction has made a come- really gets to show a kind of light- And to the other people in the story, ing: Best Drama, Best Actor (Bak- back, turning out some fine he looks like that character too (or ula) and Best Supporting Actor hearted vulnerability in his scenes material. with her (and her mother). This is else they'd be really confused!). (Stockwell). It definitely deserves a Actually, one of the best shows But despite the initial confu- look! by far his best film role to date. on the air right now is a science- is much better this sion, Quantum Leap is one of the Another show that deserves a fiction show: Donald Bellisario's most entertaining and thought- look (a real quick one) is The Flash. time as the actor, and biological Quantum Leap. Bellisario, creator father of Mary. His character is not provoking hours on television. Sam an innovative, stylishly photo- of Magnum P.I., came up with the is played by Scott Bakula, a former graphed adventure based on the DC that far off from his Sam Malone/ idea for this innovative show, which Cheers role, only he doesn't score Broadway musical star, who's been Comics superhero. The show just started it's third season. The nominated for a Tony Award. On focuses on police chemist Barry as much. Actually, Danson has a program follows Sam Beckett (not big part in the climactic wedding the show Bakula (which rhymes Allen, who becomes blessed (or the playwright), a scientist who with Dracula) has leaped into the cursed) with super-human speed ceremony, creating perhaps the theorized that time travel could be funniest scene of his career. bodies of such diverse people as a after he was struck by lightning possible within one's own lifetime. black, pre-civil rights chauffeur, a while experimenting with some Three Men and a Little Lady is But when his time experiment goes not a great film, but it is a good Vietnam veteran (in an episode in unknown chemicals (Don't you haywire, Sam finds himself leaping which Sam got to save his own hate it when that happens?). one. It's surprisingly funnier than into other people's lives and assum- the original, and tells a much more brother), a movie stuntman, a Former soap opera hunk John ing their identities. Each week, he Mafia hit man, a baseball player Wesley Shipp (try saying his name straight-forward story (the last one gets to change things a little, but photo by Gene Trindl *- had a needless drug smuggling and even a beauty queen. Under 10 times real fast) stars as the Flash, always for the better. Bellisario's Law, Sam can only Steve Guttenberg, Tom Selleck, Robin Weisman and Ted Danson subplot). If it's laughs you're look- He is aided, abetted and often in Touchstone sequel "Three Men and a Little Lady." ing for, look to these Three Men. travel as far back as 1953, the year (see SCI-FI, page 9)