Word: irishness
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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LIKE AMERICA, AUSTRALIA IS A melting-pot nation, populated by immigrants from various countries--including Ireland. It is not entirely surprising, then, that some Australian cultural forms greatly resemble those of the Irish. One example of such cultural emulation is All Fools Day by one of Australia's most popular underground bands, the Saints. Although the Saints hail from down under, their latest musical effort would rather roam the green hills of a certain Northern land--preferably by the side of Van Morrison, Ireland's greatest singer...
Take "See You In Paradise. "Not only is that the sort of title a hippie mystic like Morrison would invent, but the opening piano chords mimic the Irish guru's "Bright Side Of The Road" with no mean precision. Similarly, "First Time," a rave up with some inspired drumming, sounds like it was written after a careful analysis of "Wavelength," and "Celtic Ballad" could be a cut on any one of Morrison's albums...
Despite this failing, however,All Fools Day is an album with its heart in the right place. In a year when Bono Vox is being hailed as the great Irish singer, it is nice to hear from a party like Bailey who realizes what great soulful vocals are, even if he can't always muster them up himself. Sometimes, good rock music is simply a matter of choosing your heroes well...
...fare in London's tabloids is designed to titillate and tickle. Officials in Dublin, however, were not amused by one story appearing last week in the Sunday People, a racy Fleet Street rag. The paper charged that for more than four years the passport officer at the Irish embassy in London had sold false Irish passports to foreigners. The price: as much as $24,000 apiece. The story further alleged, although it provided no evidence, that the official, Kevin McDonald, 37, may have sold some of the bogus documents to "Libyans, Iranians, Lebanese and others" from states associated with terrorism...
Perhaps that is why Ben Evett '86, a charter member of Robert Brustein's Institute for Advanced Theatrical Training, has decided to stage Faith Healer in the Adams House basement. This two hour talkfest consists of four reminiscences about Francis Hardy (Ben Evett), an itinerant Irish faith healer whose ministrations actually succeed from time to time. Hardy, his wife Grace (Rebecca Clark), and his manager Teddy (Linus Gelber) recall his life, culminating in a disastrous return tour to Ireland. Each character gives his version of the events, with Hardy going first and last; like the famous Japanese short story...