Website Update

As mentioned in our last newsletter, we have finished our overhaul of the various websites grouped under the SlothWerks umbrella, resulting in professional, web-standard XHTML and CSS coding. We have also tackled some other web projects under the helm of Peninsular Technologies. Check 'em out...

http://www.slothwerks.com/snowweasel/
http://www.slothwerks.com/smithereens/
http://www.pent.com/conversion/
http://www.michiganspiralscouts.org/

James Awarded Carrier of the Month Award by the Advance Newspaper

As James becomes older, he has been handling various jobs both in school and outside: he works at Mulick Park Elementary as a lunch line serving assistant, and also as a paper deliverer for the Advance newspaper. Recently, due to his sales ability on his paper route (he added more than a half dozen new customers over a several month period), James was awarded the prestigious "Carrier of the Month" award. We caught up with the busy money-maker to record his impressions of all this sudden fame.

THE UNDERGROUND: Do you feel that you're under pressure due to your "Carrier of the Month" award?

JAMES: Yes; I think that people expect more from a Carrier of the Month.

Above: James' ten minutes of fame as a Carrier of the Month in the Advance Newspaper.

THE UNDERGROUND: You are now on the other side of table, so to speak, from your friends at Mulick Park during lunch time. Has your position with your peers changed due to this added responsibility?

JAMES: No, it's only been a couple of weeks. Nothing has changed.

THE UNDERGROUND: Have you changed as a person with all of these jobs this past year?

JAMES: I think so - like, before I won "Carrier of the Month", I usually walked on my paper route; now I run more often to deliver them faster.

THE UNDERGROUND: If you were to give a new newspaper carrier advice regarding the "Carrier of the Month" award, what would it be?

JAMES: Talk to your boss often and keep him or her informed, and just do a good job.

THE UNDERGROUND: Anything else you would like to share with our readership?

JAMES: Your questions are way too serious - and stupid.

THE UNDERGROUND: We appreciate your candid honesty. Now get out of here; we're done with you.

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Heather Offers Live Vocal Performances Free of Charge

As Heather improves her words and sentence structure, she combines her surprisingly advanced dancing and singing abilities into very entertaining a cappella performances. Family and friends thrill to her renditions of "The A-B-C Song", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Elmo's Song", and also original pieces (with the help of her cordless microphone). Sometimes she sings solo, and sometimes accompanied by those surrounding her (quite often Heather gives them little choice). Watch for a local tour schedule soon!

Address Update / Internet Order Coupon

We admit that maintaining an active list of 200 or so addresses for the purposes of keeping in touch with friends and family can be a pretty tedious bit of business. Have you recently moved or are planning to move? Help us out by filling out and sending us this nifty form. Now you may update your current address and contact information and also give us any comments you may have. Do you have suggestions or feedback regarding The Underground Newsletter? Do you no longer wish to receive it? Perhaps you would like to receive it via the internet? Now is the time to let us know.

We spend a lot of time, energy, and resources releasing The Underground - we know that many enjoy reading it, and that's why we continue to write it. Let us know how you're doing too!

http://www.slothwerks.com/newsletter/

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Above: At Binder Park Zoo, the scouts learned games of cooperation, while the adults occasionally were forced to learn patience.

Binder Park Zoo Overnight Safari

Accompanied with members of our scout troop, the Sloth-Ford family traveled to Battle Creek, Michigan for an overnight safari at the Binder Park Zoo. The zoo employees were very patient with our fairly young crew (the safari was designed for pre-teens), and we were able to explore the African area of the zoo before any of the regular visitors arrived. This included watching as the giraffes and many other exotic animals were released into "grasslands" from their overnight homes. Seeing an entire herd of giraffes march proudly together was truly an amazing sight! The safari included many fun activities, and we even were given the opportunity to touch a giant millipede and wild snake! After a late night, an early morning, and dealing with an entire scout troop of kids, the adults were quite happy to get home to rest, even though we learned a lot about animals and the African habitat.

http://www.binderparkzoo.org/

Livingston Taylor LIVE
The Ark, Ann Arbor, August 28th 2004

Livingston Taylor: Berklee College of Music professor, songwriter, performer, and musician. And... oh yeah... brother to that guy James Taylor, who wrote some fairly popular songs back in the day. When most people ask, "Livingston who?", others have been following his career since his debut album in 1970 - and the dozen releases since then. We caught up with one such gentleman, Jerry Ford, who was seen at the concert with his vintage Taylor vinyl LP, and asked him a few questions regarding the performance.

THE UNDERGROUND: This is not the first time you've seen Livingston on stage. The other time was in 1972, more than 30 years ago. How do the two shows compare?

JERRY: Back then, Liv was doing some stuff that was a little bit different. He was playing with one other guy with an acoustic bass. In '72, Liv was working within a more folk-jazz context, whereas nowadays his sound has evolved somewhat and has been influenced by the great old showtune writers such as Hammerstein, Hart, Rogers, and Gershwin.

THE UNDERGROUND: Where did you see him in '72?

JERRY: That was at the Fountain Street Church [in Grand Rapids]. It was around the time that his second album came out - I remember him performing a few songs from it. Liv was only about 17 years old. He performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "On Broadway" as well.

Continued on page five...

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"Livingston Taylor LIVE", continued from page four...

THE UNDERGROUND: Livingston plays both the piano and guitar now. Was this also the case back in '72, and were there any other stylistic changes in how he played?

JERRY: He played both instruments when I saw him at Fountain Street. I'd say that nowadays, Liv has more of a showman style to him - you can see that he's been influenced since then by an older style of jazz. He's more structured now, and more animated on stage. He's very at ease up there... I mean, he does this every day at Berklee. You know, there are performers who just come in, play, and then leave... but then there are those who are there to entertain. I think Liv is in this last category. He's just very personal, very connected - he even had a few folks from the audience come up and sing with him for a few numbers. After the show, I met him in the hallway and asked him, "what do you wish you could do all the time: write, record, perform, or teach?" He said, "writing is my passion - but writing doesn't always pay the bills."

THE UNDERGROUND: So now you've seen Livingston twice and James [Taylor] twice. What marked differences or similarities do you see between the brothers?

JERRY: Well, James has always been a more popular figure. The [James Taylor] shows I saw were both at arenas, so that for one was much different than the two smaller venues where I have now seen Liv. Beyond that, I'd say that James has always had more of a folk-blues background, where Liv is more influenced by jazz and Broadway. I'd say that I came to the Livingston Taylor concert with some expectations, and he didn't meet them... he exceeded them. Both Liv and James are equally as talented as the other, so why did James outshine his brother in terms of popularity? Was it that James hit the scene first, or maybe Liv just wasn't interested in being a big star? I don't think we'll ever really know.

THE UNDERGROUND: We really appreciate your time; thanks for speaking with us this evening.

JERRY: No problem. Now give me back my record.

David Bowie LIVE
The Palace of Auburn Hills, January 9th 2004

It was very, very cold in January when David Bowie slipped over to the Palace of Auburn Hills to perform for a diverse and enthusiastic crowd during his 2004 Reality Tour. Bowie seemed to be completely at ease, bantering with his band on stage and teasing the crowd with the song "Panic in Detroit" (which he said "he just had to perform"). During the amazingly long set (32 total songs, if you include the encore!), the Thin While Duke slipped seamlessly from decade to decade, adding fresh vitality to not only tired hits such as "Let's Dance", but also some dusty covers from the closet ("White Light, White Heat"). Some surprises included an erotic rendition of "China Girl", as well as a stunning performance of "Under Pressure" with Gail Ann Dorsey on both bass and vocals. "Ziggy Stardust" finished off the evening to riotous applause.

As an interesting sidenote: amidst the usual riffraff of vendors, radio stations, and promoters ringing the stadium was a small table distributing information relating to Falun Gong, a Chinese practice used for self-healing and spiritual betterment. I had never heard of it, but further research resulted in rather bleak stories of persecution in China. Bowie's tour percussionist, Sterling Campbell, witnessed the brutality of the government first-hand when he was arrested by police and detained during a pro-Falun Gong rally in Beijing. If you're interested in learning more, check out the website: http://www.fofg.org/.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Christopher Paolini Eragon

Above: Eragon will delight young fans of The Lord of the Rings everywhere.

With the likes of Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and even The Polar Express gracing the silver screen, it was inevitable that the magical realm of fantasy would shoot ahead as a favorite genre for young readers. Paolini draws heavily on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien to create a world that is familiar to readers of fantasy fiction - elves, wizards, dwarves, humans, et cetera interacting within a medieval-styled setting - but also with a twist to make things interesting enough to keep older readers glued to the page. In this case, it is Paolini's painting of dragons, their abilities, and their history that grants a breath of fresh air to the standard fantasy stylings.

The main character, Eragon, is a young man around the age of 15, and thus creates an automatic appeal for young adult readers who share in the character's frustrations at the cusp of manhood. Eragon's quest to figure out his own destiny becomes the reader's as well, and over the span of more than 500 pages we are introduced to memorable characters such as Brom, a wise teacher with a hidden past; Solembum, a werecat with remarkable and mysterious abilities; the Shade, a powerful half-human wizard whose dark powers have corrupted his spirit; and of course Saphira, a glistening female dragon whose loyalty is as ferocious as her hate of evil. Paolini spends a good amount of time developing his characters and the world around them, and thus we feel a strong connection with not only the central protagonists, but also their enemies as well.

Paolini's world of Alagaësia, overall, may not lack the heavy depth of Tolkien's Middle Earth, but the attention granted to Eragon and other characters may reach out to readers turned off by the epic scope of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I look forward to the sequel, which is due out in stores in August of 2005. Three out of four stars.

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson Peter and the Star Catchers

Another book involving a young, male central character is Peter and the Star Catchers, touted as the "prequel" to the popular Peter Pan story by J. M. Barrie. Ridley Pearson, an adult mystery writer, and Dave Barry, a popular humor columnist and author, seem like an unlikely pair to write a book for young adults. But the novel is excellent, and a fairly quick (and very entertaining) read. As one would expect from Dave Barry, there is an enormous amount of sarcasm and wit drenched on every page, but the thing that really keeps the book moving along is the concept of the global underground society of the Star Catchers, who are indirectly responsible for the creation of the isle of Neverland. Misadventure after misadventure lead to the formation of all of the elements in the classic Peter Pan tale: mermaids, primitive savages, Captain Hook, Peter's flying ability, Tinkerbell, the giant crocodile, and much more. And after all is said and done, we are left asking, "can't there be another prequel?" Three out of four stars.

Book Reviews continue on page seven...

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Book Reviews, continued from page six...

Eoin Colfer The Books of Artemis Fowl

Again, placed in the "young adult fiction" area at your local bookstore, are a series of books by Eoin Colfer, previously an elementary school teacher from Wexford, Ireland. From the first few chapters, one is under the impression that this may, in fact, be a modern fantasy story with characters such as goblins, faeries, centaurs, gnomes, and trolls as characters. Quite the opposite: Colfer spins a delightful series of tales that are more science fiction than fantasy, with a generous splash of suspense and devilishly wicked (and oftentimes crass) humour thrown in for the fun of it.

Artemis Fowl is a young boy whose keen intellect is equal to (or greater than) Mozart or Albert Einstein. Unfortunately, he is also the heir apparent to a vast criminal empire renowned throughout the world, and with his father missing and his mother slipping into madness, he is more than happy to slip his feet into a plot to make the Fowls the richest and most powerful family in Europe. We assume that there would be little to stand in his way - except for a hidden race of technologically advanced lifeforms that have been living on Earth for thousands of years. If this prospect isn't enough to perk a young reader's mind, then the colorful characters, brilliant schemes, exotic settings, and plot twists surely will. The only possible gripe one might have is that Colfer may have gone just a step too far with his sometimes bizarre and eccentric characters and occasionally campy dialogue, but let's face it: diminutive, laser pistol-wielding faeries harnessing nuclear-powered propulsion systems are not easy to swallow either. It's better to simply savor the flavor, force it down, and bite right in again for more! Three out of four stars.

NEW MUSIC NEW MUSIC NEW MUSIC

Seal IV - The fourth offering from Seal is a breath of fresh air. On this album, Seal works closely with keyboardist Mark Batson to produce a cleaner, uncluttered production, compared to the massively overdubbed, multi-layered Human Beings album from 1998. The process of creating the past few releases was apparently a fairly painful experience for Seal, whose relationship to production maestro Trevor Horn began to suffer due to creative control conflicts. Apparently this tension has eased, and in Seal's favor: the sound crafted on this album is much brighter and uncluttered, with both fun and infectious pop tunes ("Let Me Roll") as well as the standard ballads ("Touch"). Through all of it, Seal's beautiful, soothing voice takes the front seat, as well as on the new acoustic companion disc to Seal's first greatest hits collection. Bravo, and thanks again! Three and a half out of four stars.

Jill Scott Beautifully Human - This second installment from Ms. Scott and "Jazzy" Jeff Townes is a wonderfully crafted set of smoothly produced tracks, ranging from old school urban house to classy jazz-infused R&B. The boisterous, beautiful Scott continues to lend her pen to the subjects of love, life, and family with humour and wit. While her age and point of view place Scott as a contemporary soul artist (she toured with The Roots), the music reaches out to a more mature crowd who remembers the infectious jazz-pop of such groups as the Dazz Band, Dayton, and the Crusaders. With Raphael Saadiq (Tony! Toni! Tone!), the Scott/Townes sound has evolved since Scott's first LP "Who Is Jill Scott?", taking the rough edges of her versatile style and replacing them with further depth. Scott sometimes croons and sometimes belts it out with the best of them, but at all times she invites the listener into her warm pleasure pad of frank sensuality. Yowza! Three and a half out of four stars.

New Music continues on page eight...

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New Music, continued from page seven...

Sweetback Stage 2 - Sweetback's first album was released in 1996, allowing fans of the band Sade to discover that Paul S. Denman (bass), Andrew Hale (keyboards), and Stuart Matthewman (guitar, sax) form an integral part of the sound of the band Sade. Not only that, but with the Sweetback project, the Sade sound was expanded into an electronic, jazzy, urban style of R&B featuring vocals from future star Maxwell and many others. The newest offering from Sweetback is a similar collaborative project, featuring the breathy Aya and the gritty Chocolate Genius on vocals. While the music on the album offers a great degree of variety (ranging from solid contemporary R&B to unabashed pop to bluesy, moody instrumentals), the collaborations on this album unfortunately do not hold up to the smash debut release. Even after repeated listenings, the off-key, heartfelt wrangling of Chocolate Genius comes across less artfully than I think the band intended, and Aya's birdlike voice is much more suited as a background vocal than lead. The album does contain some shining moments, however: the cut "Love Is the Word" (a spin-off from the famous tune by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees) is smooth, playful candy for the ear. But overall, this album disappoints - and follows the same avenue of decline as the most recent releases by Maxwell and Sade. On the other hand, with such blockbusters as Love Deluxe and Urban Hang Suite under their belt, we can at least be a little forgiving of this trio in their attempt at trying something out that's just a little bit different. Two and a half out of four stars.

David Bowie Reality - The past ten years have been interesting in our attempt to follow the Thin White Duke. 1993 to 1999 brought us everything from sophisticated jazz-pop to industrial noise to jungle techno and then back to conventional pop-rock. Still unsatisfied, in 2002 Bowie hooked up with Tony Visconti, the keyboardist / producer who worked with Bowie and Eno to create the classic albums Low, Heroes, and Lodger in the late 70's. Reality is the second Visconti-produced LP since that time, and substantially more upbeat than the first (the dark and brooding Heathen). Reality's musician line-up is a who's who for the past 20 years: Earl Slick on guitar (who worked on the 70's Visconti albums), Visconti himself, Mark Plati (Bowie's bass player in the mid-90's), and Gail Ann Dorsey on vocals (who joined up with Bowie on Earthling). It is much harder, however, attempting to nail down the sound of this record, and this is a good thing - it means that finally Bowie is allowing himself to just be... himself. The tracks are, overall, modern rock: the heavy-riffed "New Killer Star" and "Pablo Picasso" open the album, but the acoustic-tinged "Days", the Heathen-esque "Loneliest Guy", and the quiet and melodic (yet edgy) "Bring Me the Disco King" even out the sound to bring us what is probably the most solid release from Bowie in half a decade. Perhaps Bowie is finally at peace with his inner selves after all of this time? Three out of four stars. (A review of Bowie's Reality Tour is available on page five.)

Sting Sacred Love - Sting continues to re-invent himself on his third collaboration with Kipper, the keyboardist/producer that brought a more contemporary sound to Sting's cross-genre style beginning with the hit release and single Brand New Day. Only Sting could sing lush harmonies with the stunning Mary J. Blige, jam with the flamenco guitarist Vincente Amigo and contemporary sitarist Anoushka Shankar, flow with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and bassist Christian McBride, and allow electronica producers B.T. and Dave Aude to remix his tracks into bass-thumping club anthems - all on the same release. On Sacred Love, Sting's playful sense of humor is infused within his own compositions (he references the old Police ditty "Walking in Your Footsteps"), and we are further treated to first-person epic tales (the story within a story "Stolen Car [Take Me Dancing]", in the vein of "Tomorrow We'll See" from Brand New Day) and disturbing tales of tortured lovers ("Inside"). After 25 years of recording, the man remains a heavy-hitting, award-winning artist of grand proportions - the guy everyone wants to collaborate with. Will he never stop? Four out of four stars.

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Music Reviews: Oldies But Goodies

Paul Simon The Paul Simon Collection - Warner Brothers' attempt at covering 20 years of post-Garfunkel Paul Simon music can be argued as imperfect, but it's an excellent (and fairly inexpensive) opportunity for those wishing to own his radio gems from the 70's as well as catch up with his recent work for the past decade. The tracks are sequenced in the order in which they were released, which doesn't necessarily lend to an easy flow from one cut to another; rather, we are simply stunned by the level of artistry that Simon has produced consistently since 1972. Wonderfully playful cuts such as "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard", "Kodachrome", and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" are mixed with the melodic ballads "Something So Right" and "Hearts and Bones"; in addition, we are treated to a virtual world tour of musical styles from Jamaica ("Mother and Child Reunion") to South Africa ("Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes") to Brazil ("Spirit Voices"). Those lucky enough to pick up a copy with the limited edition bonus disc may also enjoy live renditions of Simon & Garfunkel hits "Mrs. Robinson" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water", recorded between 1999 and 2001. Possibly the most incredible thing about these recordings is the breadth of musical ambition - yet through it all, the humble, quiet, and understated voice of Paul Simon brings us candid and honest views of the world in which we live. Simply amazing. Four out of four stars.

Chicago The Chicago Transit Authority / Chicago II - For fans of experimental fusion in the vein of Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Three Dog Night, Chicago's first two double-LP releases (The Chicago Transit Authority in 1969 and Chicago II in 1970) are masterpieces, and the perfect backdrop to the volatile social and political movements occurring at that time. With three vocalists and seven total musicians trained equally in the musical spheres of pop, rock, jazz, blues, and even classical compositions, Chicago crafted a unique sound made whole under the direction of the talented James William Guercio. Terry Kath's exploratory guitar hooks, Robert Lamm's unique piano compositions, Peter Cetera's warm voice and throbbing bass lines, Danny Seraphine's tight drum work, and of course the heavy-hitting horn lines of James Pankow and Lee Loughnane all combined to form everything from socially conscious anthems ("Someday") to lush ballads ("Memories of Love"). The depth of the arrangements lend to multiple listenings that bring to light something a little different every time. Whether you sing along to Cetera's sweet tenor vocals or hum along to the swinging horns, Chicago's message from the late 60's is still valid today: can we dream of a time when all people are free? There are few bands in existence these days with this sort of musical legacy, and the 2002/2003 remasters of Chicago's back catalogue (many with additional tracks) prove it. Four out of four stars.

Above: Chicago's albums from '69 to '71 were masterpieces of experimental fusion.

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