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      ~
      =
     
     
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      ee
      —
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      ROCK
      AND
      ROLL
      REVIEW
     
     
      -
      Bill
      Shapiro
      (Andrews
      and
      McMeel)
     
     
      By
      Kirby
      Ferguson
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      first
      thing
      that
      struck
      me
      about
      this
      Bill
      Shapiro
     
     
      fella
      as
      I
      skimmed
      over
      the
      back
      cover
      was
      that
      he
     
     
      has
      radio
      show
      called
      ‘‘Cyprus
      Avenue,’’
      which
      isa
     
     
      song
      on
      ASTRAL
      WEEKS.
      I
      figured
      any
      guy
      who
     
     
      names
      his
      show
      that
      has
      gotta
      be
      a
      flippin’
      genius.
     
     
      Well,
      he’s
      no
      genius-
      actually,
      he
      reminds
      me
      of
      me
     
     
      (take
      that
      as
      you
      will)-but
      his
      taste
      is
      indisputable.
     
     
      Shapiro
      spends
      too
      much
      time
      spitting
      back
      Rolling
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stone
      quotes,
      and
      leaves
      me
      wondering
      if
      he’s
      think-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      for
      himself
      or
      just
      regurgitating
      Dave
      Marsh-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      isms.
      He
      also
      talks
      about
      sound
      too
      often,
      using
      such
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mysterious
      descriptives
      as
      ‘‘over-bright’’
      and
     
     
      ‘*boxy’’.
      But
      I
      have
      to
      admit
      when
      he’s
      on
      he’s
      ON;
     
     
      take
      his
      review
      of
      Van
      Morrison’s
      ST.
      DOMINIC’S
     
     
      PREVIEW:
      ‘‘‘Jackie
      Wilson
      Said’,
      ‘Listen
      to
      the
     
     
      Lion’,
      ‘St.
      Dominic’s
      Preview’
      and
      ‘Almost
      Inde-
     
     
      pendence
      Day’’’
      are
      among
      the
      man’s
      best
      work,
      and
     
     
      that’s
      really
      all
      that
      needs
      to
      be
      said.’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      guess
      the
      point
      of
      a
      record
      guide
      is
      to
      point
      out
     
     
      good
      albums
      (I
      deduced
      this
      from
      the
      book’s
      subtitle
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘‘A
      Guide
      to
      Good
      Rock’’.
      Pretty
      clever,
      eh?),
      so
      who
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cares
      if
      the
      reading
      is
      less
      than
      revelatory.
      His
      picks
     
    
   
   
    
     
      are
      pretty
      predictable
      (except
      for
      his
      choice
      of
      SPIKE
     
     
      as
      Elvis
      Costello’s
      masterpiece).
      He
      doesn’t
      have
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      unique
      voice
      of
      Lester
      Bangs,
      Robert
      Christgau
      or
     
     
      Dave
      Marsh,
      but
      that’s
      a
      blessing
      in
      disguise
      some-
     
     
      times-
      we
      don’t
      get
      those
      odd
      picks
      like
      Christgau’s
     
     
      hailing
      of
      Steely
      Dan
      and
      Lynyrd
      Skynyrd.
      Actually,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      is
      the
      best
      record
      guide
      I’ve
      come
      across,
      strictly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      the
      ‘‘guide’’
      sense.
      It’s
      not
      a
      vital
      extension/
     
     
      explanation
      of
      rock
      like
      the
      best
      criticism
      is,
      but
      if
     
     
      you
      base
      you
      purchases
      on
      ROCK
      AND
      ROLL
      RE-
     
     
      VIEW,
      youcan’t
      go
      wrong.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Miss
      X
     
     
      Remember
      me,
      my
      roommate,
      an
      Artie
      and
      I’min
     
     
      Engineering?
      Well
      he’s
      now
      seriously
      thinking
      of
      |
     
     
      dropping
      out.
      Not
      that
      I
      hate
      him
      or
      anything,
      but]
     
     
      keep
      telling
      him
      that
      he
      should.
      That
      way
      I’d
      have
     
     
      this
      room
      to
      myself.
      But
      there’s
      a
      problem,
      his
     
     
      parents
      don’t
      want
      him
      to
      go
      back
      home
      and
      I
      don’t
     
     
      want
      him
      her
      living
      with
      me.
      Can
      you
      once
      again
      he
     
     
      me
      out?
     
    

    
     
      Thomas
      J.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Thomas,
     
    

    
     
      If
      you
      read
      last
      weeks
      Miss
      X,
      I
      can
      assure
      you
      thi;
     
     
      won’t
      be
      pleasant.
      You
      are
      a
      definite
      ***
      hole.
      It
     
     
      would
      be
      a
      good
      idea
      to
      talk
      to
      the
      head
      resident
      an:
     
     
      see
      if
      you
      can
      change
      roommate
      for
      second
      semeste
     
     
      also
      stop
      being
      an
      idiot
      and
      try
      to
      keep
      him
      in
      scho
     
     
      Please
      do
      mea
      favour
      and
      show
      him
      this
      answer.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Artie,
      You
      should
      stay
      in
      school
      the
      alternativ
     
     
      without
      school
      are
      not
      to
      much
      to
      look
      forward
      to,
     
     
      you
      may
      turn
      out
      like
      yourroommate.
      Miss
      X
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Miss
      X
      If
      you
      get
      married,
      will
      we
      call
      you
      M
     
     
      X
      or
      will
      you
      retire?
      By-the-way,
      how
      come
      this
     
     
      great
      paper
      doesn’t
      have
      a
      Mr
      X?
      Let’s
      here
      what]
     
     
      has
      to
      say!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thomas
      J.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      DearT.J.
     
     
      I
      will
      be
      retiring
      but
      not
      because
      I’m
      getting
      marrit
     
     
      I’ll
      be
      retired
      long
      before
      I’m
      married.
      If
      you
      wou
     
     
      like
      to
      be
      a
      Mr
      X
      be
      my
      guest.
     
    

    
     
      Miss
      X
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      21,
      1991
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      3