1978 daily nebraskan Wednesday, february 1, Star Trek sans Mr. Spock " 1 ' may prove less enterprising V" V ' W & By Pete Mason All the main characters on the bridge of Entertainment editor the United Starship Enterprise were heroes I have some good news and some bad and each displayed his heroism every week. news. Dr. McCoy dedicated himself to medicine, First, the good news. Star Trek is life and the unassailable fact that there is coming back. Now for the bad news. At nothing more important than the integrity this writing, the show is Spock-less- . of the human heart. The word is that Star Trek will return as Capt. Kirk held one things above all a syndicated series with all the original cast others: his responsibility to his crew and except Leonard Nimoy. his mistress, the Enterprise. The whole Star Trek is phenomenon Scotty believed only in the ship's one of the in television strangest chapters engines and good scotch, while Sulu, Chek-o- v history. During its three-ye- ar run, the show and Uhura dedicated their lives to the broke even in the In the end barely ratings. captain and the service. All were heroes, it lost the race --and all hell broke loose. each with distinctive qualities. Y--: ' NBC was deluged with angry mail. And then there was Spock. Spock un- "Bring Back Star Trek' groups formed all doubtedly is one of the most unique and complex characters ever developed for tele- vision. television. Half human-hal- f Vulcan, Spock was a sort of Dr. Jekyll-M- r. Hyde held in check. His Vulcan side was stoic, analytical and review devoid of emotion. It was in constant con- flict with his human side. n n oOrts and over the country. Corporate executives and Nielsen When through some sort of external disciples scratched their heads and stimulus, the human part of Spock ap- wondered where all those viewers suddenly peared, it gushed out in a fury, much to had come from. They certainly weren't his later embarrassment. cellent reviews. the ingredient that made Star Trek a com- indicated in the ratings. This is the stuff real heroes are made of. plete and perfect recipe --Spock. It was this conflict between emotion and So it's not hard to understand why Everything is up in the air now. If any- That was in 1970. Today they're still total cool which attracted the audience and Nimoy refused to revive Spock in a new one knows when the show will begin, he's scratching their heads. The show went into quickly made Spock a cult leader. Interest- series when approached by Star Trek's not talking. There hasn't been mention of syndication soon after the network ingly enough, Spock's character is essen- creator, Gene Roddenberry. As of this the show in any of the trade papers for dropped it, and it since has commanded a tially the same as television's current cap- writing, he still is adamant in his refusal. weeks. of the audience In of rumors that the new series hefty percentage viewing tain of cool, the Fonz. light I don't want to see Star Trek without wherever it plays. What the hey. .? At will have a new alien on the bridge, a ques- first Nimoy reveled in the character's Spock. I suppose that, on the coattails of It isn't really hard to understand why To- tion remains. Will the show attract the popularity. He once appeared on the Star Wan and Close Encounters, the show the "Trekkies" have on for so long. faithful fans who have been hung night Show in make-u-p and played the waiting years could survive for awhile. But I have too First, at its best, Star Trek was excellent for its return? Spock part to the hilt, not once answering memories of the original. television. The show attracted such My guess is no. Roddenberry has many good a question as Leonard Nimoy. always renowned sci-f-i writers as Theodore been faithful to the basic concepts and the Star Trek already is etched into tele- . After the show was the Sturgeon and Harlan Ellison-hen- ce, fine dropped, Spock integrity of the original program. Often in vision's history book. There would be lived on. went screenplays. legend Nimoy to the Star the last few years, when he has been nothing sadder than seeing its return re- Trek conventions and sat for the fan Second, it had Spock. maga- asked to compromise while negotiating duced to an Lisignificant, antidimactic zine interviews. Star Trek would have been a good show for a fuD4ength movie or for complete footnote. with or without the Vulcan first officer. But Nimoy is an actor who is serious authority over scripts, writers and ideas, he My advice to Roddenberry is to bury But whatever extra, intangible something about his craft and began to realize he has refused. Star Trek for good if all efforts to recruit there was which gave Star Trek its fanatical could be forced into a hole he never could Nimoy are in vain. Most Trekkies would following can be attributed to his charac- crawl out of. In the last few years, he has That's why it seems inconceivable to me rather have fond memories than a half- ter alone. done work on and off of Broadway to ex- - that he would give the go-ahe- ad without hearted resurrection. New drummer, bassist help Mitchell expand musically By Jeff Taebel With the release of Blue, her fourth arrangements and a return to free-flowin- g Manolo Badrena and Alejanro Acuna. Joni Mitchell's music at the beginning of album, she began experimenting with a song style. The Tenth World is followed by her career was characterized by lilting free --form songwriting style, achieving "Dreamland, another rhythm number on vocals, which usually were supported by mixed results. After Blue, she signed with On her latest effort, a two-recor- d set which Mitchell and Chaka Khan sing, her simple guitar or piano David Geffen's Asylum label and embarked entitled Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, accompanied only by the percussionists on a new phase of her career. Mitchell musically stretches out with the and Pastorius, Don Alias and Airto. The Her first Asylum album, For The Roses, help of L.A. Express drummer John Guerin song's engaging lyrics and unique arrange- featured a full band and marked the begin- and Jaco Pastorius, the incomparable ment create a flowing musical effect ning of her musical association with Weather Report bassist. The album's final side begins with the album saxophonist Tom Scott. She followed this The first thing one notices is the spirited title song on which Mitchell and album with two successful releases, Court amazing sound quality of this three-piec- e Pastorius excel instrumentally. Mitchell's review and Spark and Miles of Ateles, which fea- outfit. guitar phrasing and Pastorius incredibly tured Scott and the L.A. Express. Mitchell's guitar sounds crisp and bright imaginative bass work push the vocals to After Miles Of Aisles, Mitchell again as it plays off Guerin 's light, understated new heights. But despite her talents for writing changed direction with her next two drumming. Pastorius roams freely provid- This song is followed by. a somewhat melodies and lyrics, her songs were con- albums, The Hissing ofSummer Lawns and ing the bass and lead, and adds his unique disappointing "Off Night Backstreet, fined to somewhat conventional structures. Hejira. Both featured more spacious touch. which features guest vocalists JJX Souther With this dynamic back-u- p, Mitchell's and Glen Frey. The number seems to vocals soar, especially on up-tem- po num- painfully slug along. It is not one of bers, such as Talk To Me," which high- Mitchell's strongest vocal or lyrical outings. lights side one. The album is concluded in fine fashion Side two consists entirely of 'Yaprika with The Silky Veils of Ardor." Appro-priatcl- y, Plains, which features Wayne Shorter on it is performed by only Mitchell. soprano sax. Her guitar and vocal blend beautifully. The lyrics are interesting but demand As the vocal gen try drops at the end, more attention than the music. Although one realizes that although Mitchell's music it is hard for the song to maintain its does not work listeners into t frcwy, impact for 16:30 occasional orchestral it does have a unique musical and lyrical interludes add a nice touch. sense. One can speculate, that her continued Side three is made interesting by a experimentation and collaboration with rhythmic instrumental called "The Tenth artists like Pastorius and Shorter could World. This drum-dominat- ed piece only result in the production of more fine features Weather Report percussionists albums. UNL music students present clarinet, piano recitals today Two women UNL School of Musk stu- dent, wiH perform in Sheldon Art Gallery dents will present free, public recitals to- Auditorium. day at 3:30 p n. Her program includes Sonata in F Gail Hiddleston, a senior, win play two Major, K. 332 by Wolfgang Mozart, Krcis-krian-a. selections on the dairnet: Chorus No. 2 by Opus 16 by Robert Schumann and H. Vflh-Lobo- s and Sonata in E Flat by Images, Series I by Claude Debussy. Johannes Brahms. l!ewer has played several of these Hiddleston will perform in the Choral selections in master classes with Mozart Room of Westbrook Music Building and expert Thomas Rkhncr, concert artist wul be accompanied by Mary Indermuehle Claude Frandk and William Race, head of Photo courtesy of Atylum Records on piano and Chris Erickson on flute.