Pal!:e 5 Retriever February 14, 1977 "Night Moves" Seger Up The Charts Philosophical love Song Gives Musician "Overnight Success" After Ten Years By Glenn Isaacson passage of time and the subjective per­ ception of time, as well as the changing Single of the Week: currents of life as you grow older. "Night Moves" One of the most striking lines in the song ends the bridge: "Strange how the night Single of the Decade might be a better moves, with autumn closing in." This line name for this review. Or perhaps Single of of the song grabs the listener the first time the Century. around, because the threat and the fear in Okay, maybe I'm getting carried away. it are so evident that Seger couldn't just be But whether I'm exaggerating or not is referring to the season of autumn. another matter. I haven't been this ex­ "Closing in" is not a gentle expr~ssion; the cited about a 45rpm record in years. autumn years are coming on fast, hard, It would be senseless to attempt a word vicious, and unstoppable. for word analysis of the lyric. It's better to "Night Moves" hits particularly hard respond to the song as the listener hears it: for me, because I am at the time of life that catching a word here, a phrase there, Seger is longing for. I am nineteen, and being moved along by the music and ab­ seven months from now I won't be a sorbing the meaning and the mood more teenager anymore. That's scary, but it's than consciously understanding it. "Night even more frightening when viewed Moves" is a mood piece; it works on an through the piercing vision of Bob Seger emotional level but also strikes cognitive (who is 32). "Night Moves" acts as a sparks. Mood pieces are in now: "Year of powerful reminder to savor this time of life the Cat" and "Blinded By The Light" are for what it is . two other current hits of this type. You've I haven't even mentioned the music in got to hear them a few times before you this song. Suffice to say the melody is even begin to understand how they work. fantastic, and Seger's raspy singing is "Night Moves" tells of a teenage guy brilliant. The arrangement is delightfully and his "black-haired beauty" girlfriend. understated. The beat is subtle, yet has a It describes teenage activities like making lively strength that makes you want to out in the back seat of the car at a drive-in dance. Soulful female backup singers are movie, which is commonplace fare for used with superb effectiveness, and the rock songs, but it does it in a way that truly piano playing is simply gorgeous. captures the flavor of adolescent feelings. Bob Seeger Michael Marks - CREEM It is heartening to hear a song of this It is important to note that the protagonist quality on AM radio. Unfortunately. the .of the song is an adult man looking back on couJda used a few pounds." But at the and wondered." Then he says "started actual single version of the song is himself. At the beginning of the song he same time, youth is a tantalizingly at­ humming a song from 1962" and we know drastically edited, so that the real shifts himself back in time so he is that tractive time. When he says "in the where his mind is at. Early in the song he meaning of the song is totally lost. If you teenage boy. But as the song progresses summertime" it creates a double entendre refers to lovemaking as "working on want the full length version of the song we realize he's just remembering. (as does almost everything in this song). mysteries without any clues, working on you'lll)ave to buy the Night Moves album He means real summertime, with the night moves" but this appe~ing, semi­ (that's probably not such a bad idea). Through this song Seger views youth as lovemaking in the car and all that, but romantic description also sets us up for "Night Moves" is Seger's fir~t national hit a time of being "restless and bored"; of more importantly he means the sum­ using other people for sex but not really what's to come later. single since "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" mertime of life. - The "night moves" phrase is used again ten years ago. His Live Bullet album of hurting them because sex was all that There is terror in this song, terror of that mattered anyway. This is the singer's and again. But during the bridge in the last year was his first national hit album, sweet sunny summertime being lost song, the phrase is used with an ironic after years of a regional following in the subjective view of his own youth- not forever to autumn. He sees the end of his everyone practiced their teenage lives difference: "Ain't it funny how the night mid-West. This marvelously gifted singer­ youth being heralded by flashes of light­ moves when you just don't seem to have as songwriter has finally made the big time. with sex at the nucleus, but just about ning that are getting closer and closer to evervone can find some truth in the idea. much to lose, strange how the night Bob Seger is here to stay. I predict nothing him' a violent storm. "I woke last night to moves." Ponder the meanings of that: the less than Number One for "Night Moves." Youth is a time of insecurity, worrying the ~ound of thunder, "how far off?"-I sat about one's looks: I was a little too tall, What's Happening SGA Reachi~g Their Goals by Mary Tilghman serve on a committee to name several of bv Ben Malinowski ESSEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE When Tim Kernan and Tony Coe were the buildings. The Board of Regents has BALTIMORE FILMFORUM The American College Theatre Festival running for the offices of SGA president backed the suggestion, according to Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1972 film will be held at Essex Community College's --and vice president, they had five main Kernan. The Merchant of Four Seasons will be the Community Center Theatre on Thursday - goals in their platform: investigation of A bill was introduced into the Maryland next offering of The Baltimore Film through Saturday, February 17-19, at 8 pm student complaints, legal-aid bureau House of Delegates to guarantee that one Forum on Monday, February 21, at8 pm at and Sunday, February 20, at 7 pm. closer ties with the Board of Regents' of the two student regents positions on the Center Stage. Admission is by mem­ more effective faculty evaluation by Board of Regents would rotate between bership only, the student membership is students, and more efficient use of student UMBC, UMES, and UMAB. Tony Coe, $15. BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART , SGA Vice-President, spoke before the Buster Keaton's film The General will activities fees. ARENA PLAYERS In his State of the Government Address Ways and Means Committee in support of It's Showdown Time, a play by Don be shown on Saturday, February 19, at 2 last semester, Kernan expanded the this bill, according to a previous issue of Evans, will be presented Friday through pm in the Museum auditorium. Admission the Retriever. (February 7, 1977--Gold) is free. programs. Grants were awarded to Sunday, February 18-20, by the Arena WUMD to set up a student radio station A search committee for a student regent Players. For more information, call 523- America's Pop Collector, a film about was formed early last semester at UMBC Robert Scull, will be shown on Sunday and a University of Maryland Student 6245. Alliance was proposed. He suggested to submit recommendations for an ap­ ARTS TOWER February 20, at 3 pm in the Museum pointment to the Board of Regents. Tim Auditorium. naming the buildings on campus. A A one-man show of paintings by Don screening process was planned in hopes of Kernan and James Motsay were selected Whittler will run through March 9 at the a UMBC student · serving as a student by the committee, according to a previous Arts Tower, Gallery, 21 E. Eutaw St. The regent on the Board of Regents. Retriever article. (December 13--Fedor) exhibit is free. Gallery hours are Monday see page 6 Restructuring the Judicial branch of the Kernan has ordered a restructuring of through Friday 9 am4pm. SGA was "a subject of high importance," the entire judicial system of the SGA. Kernan said in his address. Measures to "Students' rights of due process are being update the SGA constitution were also violated," he said. He expects the move to recommended. be controversial since he has ordered a Need a more conven-ient place ·to live? "We've been applauded" for the work on whole branch of the student government to forming a University of Maryland Student be abolished and a new system to replace Alliance, Kernan said. The alliance should it. provide a base for students' proposals, and The new system will include: a also, a forum for the discussion of residenc_e hall board, a traffic board, a problems common to all University of student organization board, and a campus Stop! I have an exam ... Maryland campuses. judicial board. The present judicial sytem This year's SGA did more with $75,000 does not comply with the standards set by than last year's government did with the Board of Regents Legions Report; "the $80,000, according to Kernan. "We exer­ new system will comply," Kernan said. cised our rights to cut out expenditures "I probably won't be able to rewrite the that are ridiculous." The cabinet post of Constitution," Kernan said. "Too many director of intercollegiate affairs was also more important matters have to be han­ abolished. "They (the past directors) did dled;" though he does hope to get it absolutely nothing," he said. rewritten. WUMD has been given approximately According to Kernan, of the five goals of $9,500 to expand and begin operation as a his election platform, the legal aid bureau carrier current station that can be picked is in operation,. ties with the Board of up on AM radio. Regents will be improved with the As -for naming the buildings at UMBC, student regent appointments and student Male and Female: dorm space available immediately. Kernan called it "a very political issue." activity fees have been used more ef­ Buildings could be named after persons fectively, according to Kernan. Contact Office of Residential life, Dorm III. who give endowments to the university he As for investigation of student com­ said. Also, "by naming Q1e buildings, plaints", "when a student comes in here (455-2591 ). you're trying to change the image of the with a problem, it get$ sQlved," Kernan campus." Four students will be selected to said. - ~