'Ch'iccigo Victimize,d· By Art

Chicago XI (CBS) , orie cannot help but think 'that Chicago not know how to perform. "Chicago XI" serious symphonic setting. "Portrait" is By Bernie Russell heard the Eagles' orchestral beginning to is by no means a terrible record (Chicago Schickele's sixth P.D.Q. Bach record and "Victim Of Love" and said "Hey, that's fans will love it), it would have just been the gimmick is starting to wear a little Chicago, one of rock's most durable deep! Let's do that too!~' This classical a much better album if Chicago had not thin. Included in "Portrait of P.D.Q. groups, has been accused recently of music does not even fit in with the soul tried to be so deep and moving and ar­ Bach" is a kidding of Bach's musical ylaying it too safe-sticking too closely sounding tune that it introduces, "Little tistic. masses in "Missa Hilarious," also ' "Eine to the same tried-and-true formula that One." It just seems to have been put in to­ Kleine' Nichtmusik," "Echo Sonata;" made their music so popular in the late show the critics that Chicago can be Shorf Cut and "A Consort of Choral Christmas Sixties. Some critics feel that the mix­ every bit as "artistic" in their music as "Portrait of P.D.Q. Bach" Music." Anyone who likes classical ture of brass and guitars that made the Eagles are in theirs. , - (Vanguard)-Professor ' Peter Schickele music and does not mind hearing it Chicago's sound so fresh and different in A rock act should play the music that (and his character ofP.D.Q. Bach) is the parodied will enjoy "Portrait of P.D.Q. 1969 has become stale and 'boring over it is good at playing. Chicago has always Steve Martin of ,classical music. Bach." An even funnier record than this the years, mainly because the group 'has been best at up-beat, brassy musiC? ... or Schickele specializes in parodoes of clas­ one is "P.O.Q. Bach: An Hysteric refused to go.to the trouble of changing slow love ballads. It is a shame that sical music by using strange instruments 'Retum"-an album Schickele recorded a and expanding it as time passes. Well, criticism has pushed them to try dif­ (like nose flutes) and crazy words (" few years ago when the gimmick was still Chicago must have read those criticisms, ferent styles of music that they simply do Taragon of virtue is full") in mock fresh. '~ because their newest album, "Chicago a XI" is an attempt at making music that does not sound like "the same old Chicago." Half of the ten songs on "Chicago XI" are done in their usual "Saturday In the Park" - "If You Leave Me Now" style. ' The other five songs are Chicago's at­ tempts to be "artistic;" infortunately, the group works too hard at being' profound in these songs and most of them are more self-consciously "msy" than "artistic." The new single "Baby, What A Big Surprise," is the befiJt of the "same old Chicago" songs on "Chicago 'XI." Similar to "If You Leave Me Now" "Ba­ by What ~ Big Surprise" goes th~t so~g one better by having complex vocal har- , monies in addition to the beautiful orchestration. Another good cut is' "Take Me Back To Chicago." This song starts with a smooth quiet pace that quickens until a lo~d ending that is made especial­ ly lively by Chaka· Khan's backing vocals. "Mississippi Delta Blues" is fast brassy Chicago in-the mood of "Saturday In The Park;" ."Till the End of Time" and "This Time" are also typical Chicago songs with slow, steady beats and loud, but not intrusive, hom accom­ paniment. All of. these songs are plea:­ sant, not innovative, but pleasant: The most successful of the artsty-style songs on "Chicago XI" is "Takin' It On Uptown." In it, Chicago comes about as close as it can, to sO.!lnding like Led Zep- ­ pelino The lead vocals are screechy and the accompaniment is only that of high­ volume electric guitars. "Takin' it On ~ullig~n's Stew N~eds Salt Uptown" is the type of song that people would say "That's Chicago?" when they ' By Kathleen .Wamock ment is a mixture of the old fashioned to take advantag~ of her. The coach, heard it. "Vote for Me" is an up-beat Mulligan's Stew, 9pm Tuesday, NBC sitcom and some of the new cliches, i.e., Mike Mulligan (Lawrence Pressman) song about future world unity, similar to , ABC's Family has spawned several the cute teenybopper feminist, .the Far­ seems to be a decent sort, one of those Three Dog Night's "Black And White." imitations, which aren't so bad - Family rah lookalike, a working mother, and a stem disciplinarians 'with the proverbial The melody isn't bad but the words are is a good show. The imitators sometimes son who plays in a rock band. heart of goM. really sappy, "I'll work for global aren't. The latest entry in the Family The actors who portray the characters Of the crop of kids, three of the seven peace/And sweet release/Of lov.e and lookalike cofltest is Mulligan's Stew. add a touch of reality to the proceedings. are the good-looking president-of-the­ human kindness in us all." , See, this football coach's sister and Elinor Donahue (from Father Knows class type, while the other four are cute "The Inner Struggles ,Of A Man brother-in- law get killed, so the coach Best - remember?) is the coach's wife. little oddballs of varying degree. For in­ Prelude" has to be one of the heaviest ti­ and his wife must take in the four She works, mothers, and takes dance stance, one has a lisp, one is fat, one is 8 tles to a song every written. "Inner orphans. The coach's name is Mulligan, classes - just like the women in the ' Vietnamese orphan and one is the Kristy Struggles ... " begins with a complex therefore, Mulligan's Stew get it? Geritol commercials. Only Donahue McNiahol type. symphonic introduction. Listening to it, The result of this "family" entertain- stands up for her rights when the kids try The similarities between all of the characters and other TV characters are all fairly obvious. You vaguely sense ele­ ments of . The Brady Bunch and The Hi'teAttempts To Uncover Myths Partridge Family (one of the characters, Suzanne Crough, used to be a regular on By Steve Miller becomes obvious there is no such afraid to tell their lovers what they would that show) and every family show with 8 The Hite Report, Shere Hite , archetype, that each of the women like to do or be, sexually. laugh track dating _ back to Father Not too many years ago there a book presented in the book is an individual The Rite Report is not easy reading, Knows Best. known as Naked' Came The Stranger. and at the same time shares similar sex­ but it is compelling. Some ofthe respon­ The plots are either reworked old ones The book dealt with sex and was ul­ ual concepts. dents were not good writers, but they or the current "in" ones. One episode timately famous because of the fact that Unlike Naked Came the s.tranger, The were candid and shed light on problems had the kids worried about a friend who more than twelve writers worked oh it, Hite Report contains bits and pieces of of sexuality. Some answers were vague, was the victim of child abuse. Another all working under a single pen name. tragedy and comedy, and signs of love wordy, requiring editing, this could mean episode was