October 1980 page 8 daily nebraskan thursday, 30,

Contemporaryprimal blues artistrocksLincoln Collins had all the slick guitar moves By Pa( Niggins down cold. (Keith Richards would be green with envy.) Albert Collins and the Icebreakers put on a exhibition of blues blistering primal Acknow ledges locals Collins' as one of reinforcing reputation Collins also made an attempt to the finest blues artists last contemporary acknowledge various Lincoln acquaintances at the Drumstick . Tuesday from the local blues subculture which was a nice touch showing genuine friendliness. Collins is a modern day successor to all During this the audience was even more en- the great blues of the past which form the thusiastic in their vocal i espouse. basis for modern day rock 'n' roll, soul, R Collins' material is mainly original with and B and the like. As the saving goes, the a few standards and a sly sense of humor. Am' blues never die, and as long as Albert An interesting facet is provided by Mrs. urn Collins continues his virtuoso playing, the Gwendolyn Collins who co-writ- much ot blues tradition will live on. the material, including the instant classic " "Mastercharge Blues." 3f' - life. r "The Icebreakers" are a very hot back- up band. Included among them is legend- ary sax player A.C. Recti, who has per- review formed on many other artists records. The 1 bass player, John Ciayden and drummer, Casey Jones anchored a steady rock heal. J They are also in demand as sessions play- Sf The show began in the usual blue ers and have recently recorded with format with the Icebreakers back-to-the-roo- only onstage. crooner Lou Rawls on a ts then They proceeded to play a very hot L.P. instrumental allowing the audience to get loose and anticipate the star's appearance. At the Collins top jumped onstage and proceeded to Albert Collins and the Icebreakers re- blow the roof off of the place. cord on Alligator Records, a small label based in Chicago that is recognized for be- ing sympathetic and fair to their artists, which is rather a Hendrix style rare. Alligator provides that enables a decent Collins' forte is wrenching some incre- national distribution be dible stinging sounds out of his guitar and amount of records to sold. featuring extensive use of reverb and echo Albert Collins and the Icebieakers' in the style of Jimi Hendrix. His playing albums have been consistently praised by ability would blow most rock guitarists off the critics who put them at the top of the the stage. modern blues along with Son Seals and Jimmy Johnson. Collins is a master showman who obvi- Collins deserves this high regard as he ously enjoys himself onstage. He had an dishes out a high voltage show that would enormous guitar cord that allowed him to stun a lot of unsophisticated rockers. Years -- 2 take a 360 degree tour of the bar, which ago Lric Clapton was considered the best astounded some folks in the more remote white blues player: the senile old hack Photo by John Natvig sections when they looked up and noticed should be forced at gunpoint to listen to Albert Collins and the Icebreakers played last Tuesday at Lincoln's Drumstick. that all those great sounds were coming Albert Collins and remember what serious tfrom just a few feet away. music is. 'Song of the South'romanticizes slave system By Jennifer Bauman even than in the greater degree early parts Song of the South does not hold up well tion is so enjoyable, it's too bad that this of With (tone the Wind. The slaves arc for adult audiences. Furthermore, it is sad wasn't a revival of Fantasia, or Song of the South is like the little girl shown as Sleeping fully content to work themselves to see tiny children in the audience Beauty, or even Snow White instead of this in the old rhyme: when it is it is to ueatn tor the white masters. soaking good, They don't up the racist Old anima- - film. when is message. Disney dangerous very very good, and it bad it is deal with any problems of their own (e.g., horrid. unhappiness at the treatment they receive, r T ' The film is Walt weariness from long These I vis, ' , Disney's 1946 inter- working hours). i rt .., Ytt P . t o pretation of a few of Joel Chandler Harris' slaves undergo the biggest trial when young is a bull. It's all ir Uncle Remus stories. Harris' work (from Johnny injured by very Ma - the LS80's) was an attempt to set down the sorrowfull. but not for the reasons the filmmakers ;j folktales, legends, and proverbs of blacks intended. , I in Georgia, while retaining the black dialect as Harris' ear understood it. Patronization of blacks The Uncle Remus tales are nearly as This was one the first serious of good as the romanticization of the slave to do this, and Harris' intentions attempts system and the patronization of blacks are were But the so probably good. language is bad. The cartoon characters are entertain- suniliar to the minstrel shows', it is hard to well-draw- ing and The bright technicolor the fables themselves from the de- separate hues are more suitable in the animation gradation of minstrelsy. than in the live action, and the cartoon se- y v The Disney people don't do anything quences do not suffer from the use of this cheap day-for-nig- ht filters that are used in rt to remedy problem in Song of the South. If anything, ihev heighten it. the plantation scenes.

Live and animated The sequences of Uncle Remus in Brer In an attempt to keep costs down, the Rabbit's world were filmed with the actor animated Uncle Remus stories are inter- in front of backdrops painted to look like spersed among live action sequences. These cartoon background. After the final edit- form a frame for the stories and deal with ing, the animated creatures were drawn on the life of Johnny, a young white boy top The result is that the drawings and the growing up on plantation. When Johnny real figure mesh perfectly. is unhappy, Uncle Remus tells him a Brer Rabbit story and indirectly gives him ad- James Baskett as Uncle Remus is about vice on handling his problems. the only appealing character in the film. In fact he's the embodiment of the This is the first Disney film to perfect depart mother well from strictly animated and grandparent. Johnny's might footage points have been cloned from the cast of the way to later Disney films that have no Ordinary and is such a little animation at all Lore The Cat People, Johnny prima (The Hug, donna that it seems miraculous that Uncle from Outer Space). Some might say that Remus can stand sitting around jawing Song of the South is the beginning of the with him. end of quality Disney films.

Unfortunately, the bulk of the film is in The only good thing about Song of the the live action sequences rather than in ani- South is the cartoon fables. If you enjoy mation, and while the latter are quite good, the animation that has come out of Winnie the former are deplorable. the Pooh and the Dr. Seuss stories, you may like these. But, be lorewarned that In Song of the South, plantation life there are of in long periods sickening story . Photo courtesy of Walt studios and the slave are romanticized to an Uncle Remus is the Disney system between. perfect grandparent" in Walt Disney Sng of t!H South