Buzz Book Review Classics at the Movies at Meng Buzz CD Review: The Killers

........................................... p.7 10.12.06 Meng Hosts Orchestral Classics TSU Pub Serenaded Oct. 4

By Kevin col e Daily Titan Staff Writer TheBuzz@dailytitan.com

It was Classics at the Movies at Cal State Fullerton’s Meng Concert Hall.

The idea for the theme was arrived at after discussions between the conductor and the chair of the music department.

The performance was sold out in the 800-seat hall, which can be tuned by moving the acoustic canopy up and down in addition to the curtains on the side, chair of the music department Marc Dickey said.

The acoustics are designed to have the hall sound the same no matter how many seats are filled.

The sellout crowd first heard the overture from the Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Among the movies it was used were 1983’s Trading Places, and 1993’s Last Action Hero. It’s also a very good study of Mozart’s work, concert master Daniel Noh said.

“It helps us to get involved musically and technically,” he said.

Noh was the first chair among the violinists.

By his side for the next piece, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 by Sergei Rachmaninoff was Rob Watson, professor of music and keyboard area coordinator.

The work was used in 1953’s The Three Loves and 40 years later in Groundhog Day.

It took 90 days to practice and memorize the piece, Watson said.

He selected it after a discussion with Kimo Furumoto, music director and conductor.

“Rachmaninoff himself was a superb pianist, and he actually had recordings of it as well, which were excellent. I enjoy hearing those,” Watson said.

Noh said the orchestra never gets bored with what he described as a great piece all by itself.

“I don’t think there was one moment when you lost the crowd, it was just so intense, and I think it was a lot of fun, very musical stuff,” Noh said. Fun and valuable experience was what the conductor and music department chair thought the orchestra would gain from playing with a pipe organ.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The Killers’ new album, Sam’s Town, has deviated so much from their original sound that their music just becomes a faint pigment of the neo-’80s pop that made their first album, Hot Fuss, a multiplatinum hit.

Technically, the band seems grown up with new elements derived from musical giants U2 and Bruce Springsteen.

But, unfortunately, the band has deviated so much from Hot Fuss that their new album is really more of a Killers-esque sound than a genuine Killers flair.

The album, by itself, is not badly made. It’s actually far from it. Lyrically, the album is quite superb with tracks that highlight vocalist Brandon Flower’s poetic capability with lyrics like “They say the devil’s water, it ain’t so sweet / you don’t have to drink right now / but you can dip your feet / every once in a little while” in “When You Were Young.”

Many of the songs are actually quite catchy and are full of impact and energy, reminiscent of the same brilliant, up-tempo tunes from Hot Fuss.

With elements from the music giants emanating from each rift and chord, some of the songs, though different, can be quite appealing and catchy. The track “Why do I Keep Counting,” for example, has a rock-opera feel that is akin to Queen’s glam-rock style.

Dickey said he plays the organ at the First Congregational Church in Long Beach.

The organ part of the Symphony No. three in C minor Op. 78 by Camille Saint-Saens was played by Dickey.

It was adapted and used in 1995’s film Babe.

While it’s not a big solo piece, it plays a prominent role in the symphony as one more instrument in the orchestra, and that’s why it’s called the organ symphony, he said.

It was a wonderful experience for the students to play with a pipe organ, Dickey said.

Furumoto said though he’s a violinist himself, his focus is on the entire orchestra.

“I am always interested in the full orchestral color and fabric. [...] I love the violin part, but I also like to hear the harp, clarinet and trombone solos. I am interested in all of those colors, not just the violin,” Furumoto said.

The next musical performance at the Meng Concert Hall will be A Celebration of the Piano with Rob Watson, Alison Edwards & Sergey Martinchuk on Oct. 28.

By Paol o Andres Daily Titan Staff Writer TheBuzz@dailytitan.com

Sadly, this same inspiration can be quite detrimental since the band incorporates some of the more outdated styles of past bands.

Though Hot Fuss also integrated an old school sense to it, their ’80spop feel actually mixed well because of the country’s recent appeal to the ’80s culture.

This time though, the band has gone even further back with their use of Springsteen-style melodies.

Unfortunately, the Killers have missed their mark on this one since it seems that people are not yet ready to head that far back in the musical timeline.

All-in-all, their new album is a hit-or-miss kind of affair that will both titillate and frustrate new and old fans alike. Killers Sam’s Town Strays from Hot Fuss neo-’80s LISTEN ONLINE NEW KILLERS @ WWW. MYSPACE.COM/DAILYTI- TANBUZZ

Photo by Suzanne Sullivan

Marcus Johnson drums durng Serenade Me Cadence’s Becker Ampitheatre performance at CSUF while Trevor Ford plays guitar in front of him.