World Party's Debut Is Full of Self- Mockery and Dylan Mimicry Fllflld
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THE RETRIEVER FEBRUARY 1Q. 1986 PAGE 3 ENTERTAINMENT Ex-Waterboy's Revolution World Party's debut is full of self- mockery and Dylan mimicry by Jeff Trudell Unfortunately, on Private Revolu- enough style to have a personality of tion, World Party's debut album, its own. In this way it is the only song Don't let the name World Party Wallinger's attempt at eclecticism re- which is reminiscent of Wallinger's fool you — first of all it's not a reggae sults more in disunity than in pleasant days with the Waterboys. And with all band, and second, it's not really a variation. Wallinger's variations seem the vocal styles Wallinger utilizes (half band at all but Karl Wallinger, former a little too diverse to have been com- a dozen?) I would hope that "All bass and keyboard player for The piled into one album. Waterboys. The real question is Come True" represents the definitive Karl Wallinger, and is a vocal style he whether he chose a pseudonym out of Most of the songs on Private Revo- modesty or shame. lution, despite their energy, could be will nurture and perfect in the future when and if he decides to evolve a Wallinger, Welsh by birth, has described as generic pop; which is not personal style (or even a personali- played for The Waterboys on two to say that these songs are wholly albums, A Pagan Place, released in unappealing — "M aking Love (To the ty). 1984, and This is the Sea, released in World)" and "This is the Sea" can be "It Can Be Beautiful" and "Dance 1985, both on Island records. This is genuinely fun to listen to, in a mind- of the Hoppy Lads" are examples of the Sea proved quite successful, and less sort of way. It's just that they are, the extremes and subsequent grating contains what is probably the Water- for the most part, indistinguishable clash in styles which results on Private boys' two most reknowned singles from one another. If Wallinger can be Revolution. "It Can Be Beautiful" is a "The Whole of the Moon," and the said to have a pervading style, it pseudo-soul number instrumentally, title cut. would not be some "x" factor that but contains mindless hippie lyrics But apparently mere critical ac- unifies his songs, but a slickness that sung in the style of Marvin Gaye. song is traditional Irish or Welsh folk, may be Wallinger's way of letting us "Hawaiian Island World," which is claim, the promise of future success, blends these tunes into the same "Dance of the Hoppy Lads" is a very Pogue-like. But unlike the Po- know his roots, but unfortunately it is a country-tinged ballad, is one more and a back seat to Mike Scott did not song. pleasant transitional instrumental, gues, who include traditional Irish blatant, displaced, and tends to diso- example of negative contrast and self- content Wallinger, who was given Amid the generic pop sound, showcasing Stephen Wickam's fiddle as a component of nearly all rient the listener. defeatism in Private Revolution. The credit for cowriting only one song on though, one song is notable — "All adroitness with the violin, which he their work, Wallinger has thrown this Just as blatant is Bob Dylan's in- lyrics of the song deal with the dangers the last Waterboys album. Come True" — the only song with also plays in "All Come True." The onto the album from out of the blue. It fluence on Wallinger, which innun- and negative effects of escapism, yet dates most of the second side of the we are supposed to take the lyrics of album. "The Ballad of the Little Man" the utopia-vision Private Revolution, would have been a classic Dylan song "Making Love (to the World)," and if only Dylan had sung it (though World Party seriously? Wallinger is Radio Days depicts '40's nostalgia Wallinger's emulation of Dylan's either mocking himself, or a vocal style is impressive enough for it hypocrite. (It is no surprise that the by Paul Grden nates between the settings of Allen's emerge, and this is where Allen slows Days, allowing the audience to expe- to nearly pass for Bob Dylan). last line of the song makes an allusion the pace down and allows the cha- boyhood home and the radio studios, rience the memories rather than hav- Following is a cover version of to masturbation). Woody Allen sure has been busy contrasting Allen's ethnic, neurotic, racters to come to the fore front. Here, ing the memories explained to them. Dylan's "All I Really Want to Do," these days. Beginning in 1983 with his It would be fitting to express my lower-middle class upbringing with the film finally takes shape. Another strength of this film is its which ironically comes across more as documentary parody Zelig, Woody feelings for Private Revolution by the glamour and extravagance of the At this point Allen allows us to see cast, most of whom are veterans of a parody of Dylan than a tribute to has written and directed five films in quoting the last verse of the last song lives of the radio stars. The film also his childhood family as more than Woody Allen films. Mia Farrow gives him, the latter of which was undoubt- on the album, while at the same time the past five years (a formidable task chronicles the experience of Aunt Bea eccentric caricatures; he starts pre- a pleasant comic performance as Sally edly Wallinger's intention. The instru- considering the fact that Stanley Ku- demonstrating Wallinger's typical on her quest to find and marry Mr. senting them as people rather than White, an aspiring radio star ham- mentation is far too elaborate, with a lyric style: brick has directed only five films in the Right, and of Sally White as she uses memories. The humor also gains pered by a squawkish, Brooklyn ac- distasteful, almost offensive flourish past twenty years). After he made any means possible to achieve radio greater depth and poignancy as it cent. of horns and piano keyboards at the oh why why why? Zelig, Allen released Broadway Dan- stardom. comes from the characters rather than conclusion. Despite Wallinger's un- Why why why why why ny Rose'ml%4, The Purple Rose of Radio Days is a nostalgic film, and Other good performances are given from the situations. Allen also in- by Dianne Wiest as Aunt Bea, and by canny immitation of Dylan's vocal Woh-oh-oh-ay-ay-oh-oh Cairo in 1985, and the much ac- while it does manage to evoke the cludes a very powerful sequence of a style, the fact remains that if I wanted Why Why Why claimed Hannah And Her Sisterslast atmosphere and spirit of the past, it Julie Kavner and Michael Tucker as news broadcast concerning the plight the bickering parents of Woody Al- to listen to Bob Dylan I would put on Why Why Why year. Radio Days, his latest film, is a occasionally falls into the trappings of of a girl who is trapped down in a well. a Bob Dylan record. Say why why why? nostalgic ode to his childhood and to self-indulgence. This self-indulgence len's childhood alter ego. Carlo Here Allen shows us the power of DiPalma's cinematography captures the years before the reign of televi- is most noticeable in the beginning of radio to bond and unite people, as we sion. the film, where as the narrator, Allen the rich, warm colors of the period in see families sitting attentively by their which the film is set, and the sound- Radio Days spans a period beginn- himself, infuses the film with a rapid- radios, listening with solemn concern ing in the late 1930's and ending in the fire succession of tidbits and anec- track is flavored with the smooth to the news updates about the search sounds of many of the pop and jazz early 1940's, that time of transition dotes which are at times humorous, for the girl. It is a very chilling scene. when the United States was leaving but overall do not amount to anything standards of that era, all helping to the Great Depression and entering substantial. Most of these throwa- Allen ends the film with a wistful imbue within the film a feeling of World War II. This is also the time of ways are less than a minute long, and and touching scene in which his family authenticity. Woody Allen's boyhood, a time when are presented in such a scatterbrained, celebrates the new year of 1944. Allen Although Radio Days is a he would spend much of his days nonsequitur manner that a sense of vividly conveys the feeling of yeste- somewhat uneven film, it remains a listening to the adventures of the direction is never established. ryear and of the universal longing to respectable effort containing enough Masked Avenger and Biff Baxter on Only about halfway through the return to the past. It is here where charm, humor, and skillful evocation the radio. Radio Days basically alter- film does the semblance of a plot Allen finds the strength of Radio of the past to be worth seeing. 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