2A Thursday, November 21,1986 Daily Nexus for a future, “ someone to believe in,” for “ love ... hope ... strength ... someone to live for.” He sings of Add the glowing touch to Alarminy §tren9^ being “ a lonely man walking lonely streets” and of the unease he feels when he steps out into the w orld. His Thanksgiving. Day the Raven left the Tower and concerns are not too off-base — in W alk Forever By My Side — they fa c t, he is righ t on ta rget. P e te rs has are the epitomy of a refined Alarm. the strength to sin g o f weakness — a The tunes are ballads — slow, hard song to sing — especially in comforting, oozing with sincerity. such upwardly mobile times when The acoustic guitar blues coupled men and women are cast as Send the with tender lyrics and Mike Peters’ superpeople and society has no hometown whining, pleading voice patience for the confused or the Harvest Glow create a pair of lullaby tunes surely weak. He rejects the plastic heroes Bouquet or to charm the heart. It’s quite a and the “ cruel world that kicks a change from the banner-waving, man when he’s down.” And he any other revolution-seeking rebels who confesses the unthinkable in our day sounded-off so desperately in The of independence: “ For I alone can’t warm flower Declaration. face the future/I need your But don’t worry. There has not strength/ To help me make it arrangement... The Alarm — Strength been a loss of Alarm energy. It’s through.” In our cool, fast-paced and order early Wow. Talk about being worth the there and is as honest and tough as world of synthesized bands that two-year wait. Sure, there were a ever. The other eight tunes ring of gloss o v e r the absolute rea lities, Th e for the holidays. few EPs in between to curb the Dave Sharp’s boot-stomping guitar Alarm’s honest tunes have again cravings, but no LP news. I’ll admit and Peters’ boyish, rebellious shined through. And it’s a refreshing I was more than a little worried. A vocals. But instead of proclaiming sound after a two-year wait. lot of harm — internal changes, the bandwagon cries for societal The bottom line is that Strength fâwMHàt 1 University Village Flowers big move for commercial success — change, so characteristic of rings of hope. In the end, despite the 7127 Hollister Avenue can happen in a band’s two year Declaration era albums, The Alarm confusion, the protest, and die pain Ó&mml absence. But rest assured. The has tightened the focus of their of dealing with an infected society, Near Lucky’s Alarm is back and as strong as ever. message. Protests of injustice and The Alarm won’t leave listeners Strength is precisely that: strong. the squalor of wartime are still stranded. The LP echoes of hope and 968-1011 The band has changed some, but underlying concerns, but issues of the strength of the individual to only for the better. They have far Strength are closer to home — bring about change. “ We are all the from sold out and far from com­ Britain’s treacherous economy, the cause, the solution to reality.” mercialized their sound. The Alarm resulting unemployment, and the The album sleeve brags some geat has put to rest the myth that they are pain of class-distinctions that action shots o f The A larm , but i f you only another U2 prototype; they separate families and lovers. The can sacrifice some study hours have proven they have the strength lyrics are simple, honest, clear, and during Dead Week, the band will be to stand alone and make their stand. to the point. in action downtown. The Alarm and The quartet stepped out on a limb But in exposing such sincerity, guests The Cruzados w ill play Santa with this second album, and the The Alarm also reveals their con­ Barbara’s Arlington Theatre Sun­ move proved more than successful. fusion and unrest with so much of day Dec. 1. The show starts at 7:30 Spin die B-side and listen for The their surroundings. Peters cries out p.m . — L isa M ascaro remotely close to a guitar. Maybe they just forgot how to play the You're In For A Shock guitar. Either way the only two The M otels — Shock Robbers,” I knew that the Motels songs that hold any m erit are the hit What’s happened? What used to be had made a wrong move by making single “Shame” and “New York one of the leading new wave bands to Scott Thurston the so-called Motel 6. Times.” Both of these victims of em erge from the L .A . basin has now Properly entitled Shock, the new Motel boredom seem to emerge with become a monster of pop radio. the playfulness that Martha Davis Headed by the sultry Martha Davis, can sometimes produce, one of her mother of two teen-age children, the better qualities. Motels appear to be drowned by a Aside from this wimpy mediocre case of over-production brought to effort, the Motels are dynamic live. you by disco-king Ritchie Zito. Martha Davis demands full at­ Shock, the latest effort by the tention on stage and the rest of the sextet, is weak in every sense of the band just seems to fall into the word. No longer can one hear such backdrop once this sexpot hits the rockin’ songs, like “Mission of stage. So beware — the Motels, or Mercy” and “People, Places, and rather Martha Davis, is definitely Things,” but rather we have to sit worth seeing live. through nine or ten songs that were But for those people who beg to written in the hope of pop success. differ with me (on the album that is) They weren’t even really geared you can catch the Motels this Sun­ FRIDAY (11/22) & SATURDAY (11/23) towards the pop crowd but rather album w ill come as a shock to those day, the 24th with the Del Fuegos at 7 * 9 * 1 1 PM ★ $3 o r $ 2 .5 0 w/ghost costume the easy-listening on the verge of the who enjoyed the versatility of the the Arlington Theatre. Definitely not —CAMPBELL HALL— Ben-Gay crowd. This wouldn’t be all previous Motels’ records. It’s one one of my favorites, the Del Fuegos Spon sored by E picurean S o cie ty that bad either if it weren’t for the pop lullabye after another from the return to Santa Barbara to bring need to have every Motel play a Duranish title track to “ Annie Told their version of Boston rockabilly designated instrument. For some Me” to “ My Love Stops Here.” Boy, pop. Best know for their beer reason I found the Motels’ sound to I wish these humdrum ballads, commercial, the Fuegos have just be more complete when they were a drowned by synthesizers would stop released their second album which NEW RELEASES quintet and I think “ All Four One” is coming. AJso, they list three Motels everyone seems to be talking about. living proof that the Motels can as playing the guitar. You could Who knows, I might just be in for a NOW IN STOCK: exist, or should exist, as a quintet. have fooled me, because I only shock. Ever since the first spin of “Little heard two songs that had anything — Cesar Padilla ________ LP’s and CASSETTES________ THE CLASH - “ Cut The Crap” SA DE-“ Promise” ------LOW COST------ PAT BENETAR - “ Seven The Hard Way” PET SPANDAU BALLET - “ Hits” VACCINATION JETHRO TU LL-“ Hits” By: Santa Barbara County Pet Vaccination Clinic & Animal Concerns ASIA-“ Astra” THIS YES- “ 9012 Live” SATURDAY _______ IMPORTS and SINGLES_______ N O V . 2 3 r d You CAN Afford To THE DAMNED • ALTERED IMAGES • JOHN FOXX • Protect Your Pet! TRIO • ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN • Puppies & Kittens Should Begin JOHN CALE • FLESH FOR LULU • ALISON MOYET • Their Shots at 8 W eeks Old FEES: Rabies $4.00 SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES • THE CREATURES • DOGS: DHLLP & P $7.00 TANGERINE DREAM • COCTEAU TWINS • ELVIS COSTELLO CATS: FV-RCP $6.00 Cat Leukemia $10 ea. 3 Shot Series (Prepaid) $25 LOCATION: ___________COMPACT DISCS_________ University Village Plaza 7127 Hollister 0 , MIAMI VICE • ABC • MARVIN GAYE • (Near Thrifty’s) ‘ “ “ 1*1 STEPPENWOLF • SAGA • NEW ORDER • Also: San Roque Plaza 11:30 AM -1:00 PM ZZ TOP • A-HA • SHIELA E. • and San Ysidro Pharmacy 2 -3PM OUTFIELD • LIONEL RITCHIE (Foothill & San Ysidro, Montecito) PLEASE...» Dogs on Leashes _____ » Cats in Carrying Cases 910 Embarcadero del Norte • Isla Vista Open 10-10 Daily *12-8 Sundays • 968-4665 Daily Nexus Thursday, November 21,1965 3A Husker Du — effective harmonizing all pervade Tis the Season to Shop at throughout the album, lending a pop presence to the overall production. A m erican For example, “Hate Paper Dolls” mature, powerful voice that stands with its jostling rhythms rumbling out from the morass of hard-edged at a rockabilly pace, meshes a American bands. Who else could pen distorted guitar riff perfectly within MENS WEAR such lyrics as, an otherwise clean production mix. "Only angeIs have wings girl • Formal Wear • Dress Wear • Casual Wear • And poets have all the words Initially the song “Divide and • Plus a whole lot more! • Theearthis made for the two of us Conquer” , a song of overt political The shy is made fo r the birds commentary, seems repetitive. Yet 5773 Calle Real, Golta • 967-9275 You’ve given me so much happiness repeated listenings illustrate that That I'll wrap it up and give you this the repetiton actually entices and song entrances the listener, ultimately You gotta grab it with both of your emerging as one of the stronger hands songs.