20 — North Shore News - Friday, March 31, 2000 AC/DC strut their Stiff testosterone Michael Becker News Edttor mobecker@nusnews.com Bix wee AC/DC — Stiff Upper Lip (Eastwest Records America/Warner Music 2000) Music catego- ry: Hard boogie for those about to rock. Stiff Upper Lip is the L7th album trom AC/DC Fans will find an instant clas- sic. Foes within earshor will cringe and scurry off to the comfort of their Bacharach collections. The new album, recorded in Vancouver at Bryan Adams” Warehouse Studio, is a family affair. It was pro- duced by George Young, brother to guitarists Angus and Malcom. Do not expect evolution- ary momentum from AC/DC. There is a formula to work with and the volt- age-enhaneed lads are no dummies. They do not mess with proven success. We're talking Cretaceous period crotch-rock of the highest order. Sriff Upper Lip is unadulterated testos- terone strut. Thunderous power chords crunch cranial matter without a let up. At 52, former church choir boy Brian Johnson's granite vocal cords have him sounding much like a hoarse Smurf. This is not a bad thing. 7 Tee eR VSS WC BB xkaxx* Steely Dan — Two Against Nature (Giant Records/Warner Music 2000) Music category: Crisp funk-jazz. Steely Dan's phoenix-like rebirth several years ago on the touring circuit pays off with a fabulous set of tresh tracks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen are not the next big thing. Tire Against Nature is rather a confirma- don of a hugely rich musical collaboration that still works. Lyrically, Becker and Fagen are fall of cool irony and Yuppie romanticism, The production is air-tight. In action live on stage a few years ago, Becker showed litde of his guitar handiwork, choosing instead to bring along another player to do most of the work, In studio, Becker's back on bass and lead with a trademark understated excellence. 8 «kkk * Jimmy Reed — Blues Masters: The Very Best Of Jimmy Reed (Rhino/Warner Music 2000) Music category: seminal blues-rock ’n’ roll cross-over, Bluesman Mathis James Reed, born in Dunleith, Mississippi in 1925, managed to place songs during the period from 1953 to 1963 in both pop and R&B charts. Muddy Waters and john Lee Hooker couldn’t match him in their day by the num- bers vet it is they who are the better remem- bered. Buy this disc out to fill in the blanks. Keeping pace with Henry Brant Dear Mr. Goodman, Thank you for your review of Henry Brant’s CRI American Masters series CD (February 18, 2000). i would like to offer some additional information which may clear up 4 recurring. misconception regard- ing his oeuvre. You state, “Many of Brant’s larger than life creations were {emphasis mine: + Henry Brant is very much alive and so is his music; present tense, please!) rarely performed live because of the logistics required in realizing his direc- tions. Orbits (1979) A Spatial Synphonic Ritual for 80 Trombones, Organ and Sopranino Voice is a case in point.” This is not the case at all, as Orbits has enjoyed seven performances to date: three in San Francisco, one in Texas, one in the Augustinerkirche in Vienna and owo in Groningen, Holland (in separate venues). This makes Orbits just the opposite: the case in point of the most frequently played large-scale Brant work. Additionally, Meteor Farin (1982), perhaps Dr. Brant’s most “larger than life” work (for symphony orchestra, large jazz band, nwo chorusés, West African drum ensemble and chorus, South Indian soloists, large Gamelan ensemble, per- cussion orchestra and two Western solo sopranos — I call it his “United Nations” MONTREAL-born composer Henry Brant is now based in California. piece) has been performed five times, most recently last sum- mer at Dartington Hall, England, conducted by Henry Brant and others, and ts scheduled for a 2001 perfor- mance at Trinity College of Music/London. Several of his other larger works have enjoyed (and will enjoy) multiple performances: Litany of Tides (1983) (three performances), Kingdom Cone (1970) (four perfor- mances), Desert Forests (1983) (cight performances), most recently conducted by Kurt Masur with the NY Philharmonic and received with standing ovations at each of its four performances. In actuality, Henry Brant’s large-scale works are not for- bidding logistically; the set- ups may have unusual and specific requirements, but are much less time-consuming than the elaborate and often frustrating elec- tronic music set- ups/sound checks typ- ical of much new music. Once the must- cians are in place as outlined in the perfor- mance notes, things move forward very smoothly; the compos- er carefully and sys- tematically planned it this way because he realizes he will not be allotted any more rehearsal time than that afforded conven- tional non-spatiat works. As far as your sug- gestion that the spatial music of Henry Brant (as represented in microcosm by the three works on the CRI CD) is a sort of “version of Sun Ra,” firstly, any perceived resemblance must be purely coincidental, as most certainly neither one of them has ever heard the other’s music (nor, 1 would guess has Sun Ra stud- ied the work of Charles Ives or Henry Brant visited Saturn); secondly: it would be more accurate, certainly, to say that Sun Ra’s music is a “version of Henry Brant,” as Dr. Brant has been an active composer of spatial music since the early *50s, producing 100 works for various spatial deployments, acoustical combinations and performing forces (and of non-spatial music since the early °30s, producing an addi- tional 200-some composi- tions). Kathy Wilkowski, Assistant to Henry Brant Pr ésented b NORTH S HO € Sport Awards The North Shore Sport Awards is a celebration of sport achievement at all levels; community, high school, provincial, and international and includes categories for coaching and officiating. It is designed to recognize the outstanding achievements of North Shore athletes. GENERAL NOMINATION CRITERIA All nominees should be considered amateur by the definition of the provincial or national sports organizations © Please fill out a separate form for each nomination. © A person can be nominated in one category only. » Nominees must bave a strong North Shore connection (born, lived or living) to be considered. » Results will not be the only criteria for selection. © Nominees acbievement of year 1999 only will be considered. © Visit our website to get a fill list of criteria. NOMINATION CATEGORIES YOUTH FEMALE Females under 18 years & under (as of December 3tst, 1999) YOUTH MALE Males under 18 years & under (as of December 31st, 1999) OPEN FEMALE Females 19-39 years OPEN MALE Males 19-39 years MASTER FEMALE _ Fenrales 40 years and older MASTER MALE - Males 40 years and older COACH : Only coaches who are NOCP certified or are pursuing certification will be considered for recognition. OFFICIAL : _ Nominees to be considered will include - __ those who, in the process of officiating, . ~ ¢ . educate and encourage athletes and.” coaches to play fair, and speutators to demonstrue responsible behaviour. COMMUNITY SPORT VOLUNTEER May include any volunteer ospanizer, trainer or manager who has made 2 significant contribution to a sport organization on the North Shore in 1999. COMEBACK AWARD Any female/male who has overcome 4 significant obstacle to return to 2 high level of competition, the recognition of which could inspire others who face similar or other obstacles. TEAM Any amateur team competing ir. an f ~_ arganized lesgue during 1999. The phrase _ “team” in these selections will not be - a interpreted 2s 2 group of individual -. competitors (such as BC Sid team) but -- limited to the commonly known team sports * such as basketball, volleyball, sooner efc, © ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY." - Any ferale/male. physically or meatally : challenged, who has made a significant mardi spit he Rot Store “PAIR PLAY: ny tam or nda ta demons . the values af good sportsmanship and fair : play over a “win at all costs” aninide |" - during competition. Nominations will be” considered that tell a verifiable story that - modeled such values for others, and that could be used by coaches and parents to teach such values to young athletes : NORTH SHORE SPORT AWARDS NOMINATION PORM’ Nomination Deadiine; Thursday Ror 6. 2000... ,: : Nominee's Name _ Address: - oa Telephone Sport(s) represented | Chub or Team m represented Address — City. » E-mail address: » Telephone _ This form must be completed i in full and must have a brief typewritten summary af the nominee's accomplishments. Nominations can be dropped offat any”: North or West Vancouver rcoCenire, West Vancouver Memorial Library or at the.” North Shore News. Nominations t will not be accepted verbal or by ‘elegans woata snoae: | | Sport Awards The North Shore Sport Awards ceremony will take place ao "April 29th, 2000, 7:300m at Ice Sports North Shore, : : 2411 Mt. Seymour Parkway. For more information please call Bernie Duffy at the Grant Connell Tennis Centre, 983-6480; . or e-mail to duffyb@northvanrec.com ' To register your attendance at the ceremony, please call 987-play (7529).