14
      Entertainment
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      30,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sound
     
     
      BOPinions
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mike
      Beagan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Howdy
      there,
      loyal
      readers.
      I
      have
      a
      another
      strange,
      international
     
     
      ensemble
      of
      artists
      to
      review
      this
      week.
      I
      don’t
      have
      any
      colourful
      anec-
     
     
      dotes
      or
      segues
      into
      the
      action
      this
      week,
      so
      I’ll
      just
      shut
      up
      and
      start.
     
    

    
     
      Boukman
      Eksperyans
      Libete
      (Pran
      Pou
      Pran’l!)
      /
      Freedom
      (Let’s
     
     
      Take
      It!)
      (Mango/Island)
      is
      an
      interesting
      release
      from
      Haiti.
      The
      lyrics
     
     
      are
      all
      in
      Creole,
      but
      they
      are
      very
      melodic
      and
      skilfully
      sung.
      The
      music
     
     
      relies
      heavily
      on
      a
      plethora
      of
      percussion
      instruments,
      as
      well
      as
      guitars,
     
     
      keyboards
      and
      a
      female
      chorus
      of
      background
      vocals.
      With
      each
      of
      the
     
     
      band’s
      nine
      members
      playing
      several
      instruments
      (they
      all
      play
      percussion)
     
     
      the
      sound
      is
      very
      full,
      and
      pleasing.
      Most
      of
      the
      songs
      are
      political
      in
     
     
      nature,
      and
      the
      last
      track
      (Jou
      Male)
      was
      banned
      by
      Haiti’s
      military
      govern-
     
     
      ment.
      This
      fantastic
      and
      informative
      album
      is
      dedicated
      to
      the
      band’s
      bass/
     
     
      drum
      player
      who
      passed
      away
      due
      to
      the
      lack
      of
      medication
      caused
      by
      the
     
     
      American
      embargo
      against
      Haiti.
      I
      recommend
      Libete.
      .
      .
      to
      all
      who
      want
     
     
      something
      different.
     
    

    
     
      “And
      now
      for
      something
      completely
      different,”
      as
      John
      Cleese
      used
     
     
      to
      say.
      Spinner
      (All
      Saints/Gyroscope/BMI)
      is
      a
      “reapproaching”
      of
     
     
      Brian
      Eno’s
      original
      film
      score
      to
      the
      movie
      Glitterbug.
      Eno
      has
      allowed
     
     
      bassist
      and
      producer
      Jah
      Wobble
      to
      reaproach
      the
      score
      with
      a
      pretty
      free
     
     
      hand,
      with
      less
      than
      wonderful
      results.
      I
      was
      surprised
      that
      artists
      of
      this
     
     
      skill
      could
      produce
      an
      album
      so
      poor.
      These
      instrumental
      tracks
      come
      off
     
     
      as
      very
      plastic
      and
      boring.
      They
      convey
      no
      emotion
      to
      the
      listener,
      and
     
     
      therefore
      are
      completely
      forgettable.
      Brian
      Eno/Jah
      Wobble
      Spinner
      is
     
     
      one
      to
      be
      left
      on
      the
      shelf.
     
    

    
     
      Thin
      is
      how
      I
      would
      best
      describe
      the
      sound
      of
      Life
      (Stockholm/
     
     
      Polygram),
      the
      debut
      release
      from
      Sweden’s
      The
      Cardigans.
      The
      Cardi-
     
     
      gans
      fuse
      pop
      and
      jazz
      into
      a
      sixties
      sounding
      style
      of
      their
      own,
      which
     
     
      reminds
      me
      of
      a
      bad
      lounge
      act.
      Wire
      thin
      guitar
      sounds,
      elevator
      music
     
     
      keyboard
      harmonies,
      and
      Nina
      Persson’s
      babyish
      vocals
      combine
      for
      the
     
     
      most
      superficial
      album
      I
      have
      herd
      in
      years.
      Needless
      to
      say,
      they
      are
      chart
     
     
      toppers
      in
      Europe.
      I
      was
      completely
      disgusted
      by
      their
      sacrilegious,
      muzak
     
     
      cover
      of
      Black
      Sabbath’s
      classic
      metal
      anthem
      “Sabbath
      Bloody
      Sabbath”.
     
     
      What
      did
      Ozzie
      ever
      do
      to
      them.?
      Life
      is
      sad,
      and
      I
      wish
      it
      would
      end.
     
    

    
     
      Lastly,
      I
      have
      Papa
      Wemba’s
      Emotion
      (Virgin/Realworld).
      Although
     
     
      a
      gifted
      singer,
      Zaire’s
      Papa
      Wemba
      is
      a
      little
      misguided
      with
      this
      release.
     
     
      Papa
      wants
      to
      be
      a
      star,
      and
      has
      therefore
      intentionally
      created
      a
      commer-
     
     
      cial
      album.
      The
      music
      is
      bouncy
      and
      very
      percussive
      in
      a
      pseudo-dance
     
     
      style,
      but
      comes
      across
      as
      superficial.
      Although
      most
      of
      the
      lyrics
      are
      in
     
     
      Papa’s
      native
      Lingala,
      he
      includes
      a
      few
      English
      verses
      as
      a
      “wink
      at
      the
     
     
      international
      market
      I’m
      aiming
      at.”
      Papa
      even
      attempts
      Otis
      Redding’s
     
     
      “Sad
      Song”
      in
      his
      native
      tongue.
      It
      doesn’t
      work.
      Despite
      the
      skill
      of
     
     
      musicians
      featured,
      this
      release
      has
      little
      of
      the
      Emotion
      that
      the
      title
      prom-
     
     
      ises.
     
    

    
     
      That’s
      all
      that
      I
      have
      on
      tap
      for
      this
      week.
      Hopefully
      the
      next
      batch
      of
     
     
      discs
      will
      be
      of
      higher
      quality.
      Until
      next
      time,
      Peace
      &
      Love,
      and
      keep
     
     
      your
      stick
      on
      the
      ice.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "It
      Only
      Happens
      In
     
     
      The
      Night"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Steve
      Ellis
     
    

    
     
      I
      have
      never
      felt
      so
      much
      like
      a
     
     
      voyeur
      as
      I
      did
      while
      watching
      The
     
     
      Night
      Room.
      This
      production,
      staged
     
     
      by
      Primus
      Theatre,
      is
      an
      exploration
      of
     
     
      the
      deeper
      and
      darker
      aspects
      of
      love
     
     
      and
      sexuality.
      Watching
      it,
      you
      get
      the
     
     
      feeling
      that
      you
      have
      stepped
      inside
      of
      a
     
     
      man’s
      dreams.
      Uninvited.
     
    

    
     
      Viewing
      the
      performance
      really
      is
     
     
      an
      experience
      which
      must
      be
      described
     
     
      from
      the
      start.
      When
      the
      ticket
      pur-
     
     
      chase
      is
      made,
      each
      patron
      is
      assigned
     
     
      to
      one
      of
      four
      colour
      groups
      with
      no
     
     
      explanation
      given
      as
      to
      why.
      Partici-
     
     
      pants
      wait
      in
      a
      room
      away
      from
      the
     
     
      actual
      performance
      venue,
      until
      one
      by
     
     
      one
      each
      colour
      group
      is
      led
      away
      to
     
     
      the
      staging
      area.
     
    

    
     
      The
      staging
      area
      itself
      is
      a
      marvel
     
     
      of
      sorts.
      It
      is
      a
      white
      tent
      containing
      a
     
     
      labyrinthous
      array
      of
      white
      sheets
     
     
      leading
      into
      a
      central
      burlap-covered
     
     
      square
      with
      athletic-type
      stands
      in
      each
     
     
      of
      the
      four
      corners
      for
      seating.
      The
     
     
      seating
      is
      such
      that
      you
      can
      watch
      the
     
     
      reactions
      of
      people
      who
      are
      across
      room
     
     
      from
      you.
      The
      lighting
      is
      dim,
      adding
     
     
      to
      the
      mystery
      and
      anticipation.
     
    

    
     
      Then
      the
      performance
      starts.
      A
     
     
      man,
      the
      dreamer,
      wanders
      in.
      He
      enters
     
     
      and
      exits
      the
      central
      square
      through
      the
     
     
      white
      sheets.
      In
      his
      travels
      he
      encoun-
     
     
      ters
      spirits
      and
      a
      host
      of
      bizarre
      human
     
     
      characters
      all
      of
      whom
      share
      with
      him
     
    
   
   
    
     
      words
      of
      wisdom
      and
      experience.
     
     
      Whether
      they
      actually
      help
      him
      or
     
     
      confuse
      him
      is
      not
      entirely
      clear.
      What
     
     
      is
      clear
      is
      that
      each
      encounter
      uncovers
     
     
      a
      weakness
      or
      desire
      in
      the
      dreaming
     
     
      man.
     
    

    
     
      The
      story
      is
      told
      mostly
      through
     
     
      dialogue
      and
      expressive
      vocalizations.
     
     
      Few
      props
      are
      used
      and
      each
      one
      serves
     
     
      multiple
      purposes.
      Efficient,
      yet
     
     
      sufficient.
     
    

    
     
      Themes
      alluded
      to
      in
      the
      play
     
     
      include
      homosexuality
      and
      love-
     
     
      inspired
      murder.
      In
      one
      segment,
      love
     
     
      is
      compared
      to
      a
      bull-fight.
     
    

    
     
      I
      was
      really
      impressed
      by
      the
     
     
      performance.
      I
      was
      amazed
      at
      the
     
     
      intensity
      with
      which
      the
      five
      actors,
     
     
      Donald
      Kitt,
      Tannis
      Kowalchuk,
     
     
      Stephen
      Lawson,
      Karin
      Randoja,
      and
     
     
      former
      PEI
      resident
      Ker
      Wells,
      per-
     
     
      formed.
      Equally
      amazing
      were
      the
     
     
      vocal
      abilities
      of
      the
      actors.
      Some
     
     
      sounds
      erupted
      from
      their
      bodies
      that
      I
     
     
      didn’t
      think
      a
      human
      was
      capable
      of
     
     
      making.
     
    

    
     
      Primus
      performed
      The
      Night
     
     
      Room,
      subtitled
      ‘‘a
      labyrinth
      of
      de-
     
     
      sire’,
      in
      the
      Alumni
      Gym
      from
      January
     
     
      19-21.
      They
      are
      an
      eight
      year
      old
     
     
      company
      which
      has
      been
      described
      as
     
     
      ““Winnipeg’s
      leading
      alternative
      thea-
     
     
      tre’’
      by
      the
      Toronto
      Star.
      They
      are
     
     
      currently
      on
      a
      cross-Canada
      tour.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WIN
      FREE
      MUSIC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      of
      the
      most
      overlooked
      bands
      of
      1995
      is
      becoming
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      most
      sought-after
      bands
      of
      1996.
      EVERCLEAR
     
     
      is
      the
      band,
      Sparkle
      and
      Fade
      is
      the
      album,
      and
      the
      Panther
     
     
      Prints
      and
      EMI
      Music
      Canada
      want
      to
      give
      you
      the
      chance
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      own
      your
      very
      own
      copy
      of
      the
      CD.
     
    

    
     
      Rolling
      Stone
      said:
      Everclear's
      music,
      like
      that
      of
      Nirvana
      and
     
     
      Sugar,
      conveys
      a
      palpable
      sense
      of
      fury
      and
      frustration.
     
    

    
     
      Austin
      Chronical
      said:
      Everclear
      is
      one
      of
      the
      best
      live
      bands
     
    
   
   
    
     
      touring
      the
      country
      today.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Panther
      Prints
      said:
      Sparkle
      and
      Fade
      is
      an
      outstanding
      release
     
     
      virtually
      exploding
      with
      raw
      emotional
      power.
      Heavy
      guitar
      driven
     
     
      sounds
      combine
      successfully
      with
      deep
      and
      realistic
      lyrical
      poetry
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      form
      a
      very
      fulfilling
      album.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
      can
      win
      one
      of
      five
      copies
      of
      Everclear
      Sparkle
      and
     
     
      Fade
      by
      naming
      two
      of
      the
      Panther
      Prints'
      former
      names,
      and
     
     
      in
      the
      mail
      slot
      of
      room
      06,
      Main
      buildin