| Show t'EFRET NrWSII:E SALT LAKE F Beacham played to a half-fuTheatre and stayed in a motel in a not particularly savory part of ll town A few months after that Isaak suddenly rocketed to the top of the charts with the single "Wicked Game" featured on the soundtrack to David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" movie Then the singer-songwriter- year-ol- d 's album World" which "Heart-Shape- d also included the song made a be- lated trip to the Top 10 Isaak 35 returned to Orlando recently to play an industry party during the National Association of Recording Merchandisers convention His record company installed him at the posh Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress with a publicist in attendance and a reporter from Time waiting to interview him But although longtime cult hero Isaak is now a pop star his new album "San Francisco Days" is in the same vein as his past four records It's full of brooding melancholy gorgeous songs about love Les and loss Isaak's yearnwith their effortless ing vocals stratospheric glides — still recall Roy Orbison Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson and the band led by James Calvin Wilsey's spooky lead guitar still conjures a rocka- billy noir atmosphere Sitting on the patio by the lake at his hotel wearing jeans and a white Isaak seemed pretty much the same guy who told goofy surrealistic stories between songs at the Beacham and after the show jauntily signed an autograph on a purloined set list: "I know all these songs! Chris Isaak" Wishing he had brought his guitar along to the interview Isaak said he could play songs from "San Francisco Days" "I know most of the stuff now" he said "I always think the songs work pretty good acoustically because I write 'em acoustically" Isaak continued "If somebody gets my record and tries to play it on acoustic guitar it shouldn't sound real funky because everything started there" To explain how he doesn't write songs Isaak went into a funny British-accente- monologue d about his imaginary producer Nigel who went to the synthesizer and -- layered and layered anl layered" the song Isaak is at once niellow rhe is from Stockton Calif and mercurial In the course ef discussing his new album he ruminated on the hairnets longhaired guys used to have to wear in the swimming Burt Lancaspool did a dead-oter impression raved about how nice Tom Jones is praised Robert Mitchum's calypso album and sang an impeccable cover of Mitchum's "Thunder Road" After a server brought an elaborately garnished glass of orange juice Isaak assumed a persona and leaned over to say: "I'm telling you honey diamonds bigger than taters — this is the good life! By the time they miss that money " Not surprisingly given his good looks and knack for character Isaak has gotten a few acting gigs He had cameos in "Married to the Mob" and "The Silence of the Lambs" was in the movie "Twin Peaks" and stars in Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci's upcoming "Little Buddha" Now however the new album is his priority Longtime Silver-ton- e members Wilsey drummer Kenney Dale Johnson and bassist Rowland Salley have been joined by sax player Johnny Reno guitar ace Dariny Gatton Hammond E-3 player Jimmy Pugh and others Pugh maLie the biggest d:fference in the scunii Isaak SZlid The ether big chance is that Isaak played niore vitar than before People may think Le's striving for a -- raw" playing style Isaak said but in fact that's just as good as Le gets lies not technically adept so he tries different things such as lots of reverb and tremolo effects -It makes it sound like I'm the right notes even when I'm not" he said -- People like me at guitar stores: I play quietly 1m the only guy I know at guitar stores who goes in picks up the guitar and strums some chords to hear what it sounds like People look over (and say) like: 'He only knows chords!' Isaak said he took more time on "San Francisco Days" than previous albums and he and longtime producer Erik Jacobsen had the luxury of indulging their "uptight" Teutonic sides (Isaak is of German and Italian Jacobsen of Norwegian heritage) Isaak already had started making the w-up to World" when the old album suddenly took off and he ended up touring be ) n hit-ti- follo- "Heart-Shape- d II ' t: ' ()I I t a (1: Makes Exercise More Fun Easier By Rachel L Jones NEWSPAPERS KNIGHT-RIDDE- How many times during the day do you take a deep breath let it out slowly and just relax your mind? Stress bombards us from so many angles that our bodies and minds are filled with tension We don't even take time to breathe right That's why the ancient Chinese art of t'ai chi called the ultimate exercise is catching on among burnt-ou- t Americans Robert Brown knows that better control of the mind means better physical performance He started taking martial arts classes when he was 8 to offset crippling side effects of polio His unmind-bod- y derdeveloped hamstring muscles made him limp badly and his mom thought karate would help Brown developed good balance and coordination But after 10 years of punching kicking and jabbing he wanted to explore the meditational aspects of the martial arts "Chi" is Chinese for life force energy and you're harnessing your mental energy by practicing this meditational art Focus on controlling your breathing and the fluid moves and postures help strengthen your back chest and diaphragm muscles You become more flexible and because most of the moves stem from the trunk t'ai chi can trim your waistline SUPPLEMENTS MAY "I think what has really gotten the people in my age group who listened to the music that I listened to in the '70s — Eagles Three Dog Night Chicago — that's pretty much what a g lot of country music is today Its the rock music So the fans of that era have come over to the country music side" By Dan Sewell THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 't l JUPITER FARMS Fla — What Reba McEntire describes as being "on hiatus" doesn't sound like much of a break Shooting finished last month for her role in a Burt Reynolds TV movie "The Man From Left Field" and after some concert dates in Nashville Texas and Michigan she's off to California for filming till's July of Rob Rei- easy-listenin- g ' ner's movie "North" "You do so many concert dates in a row and then when you come to do this it's more like a vacation than working" she said between scenes at Reynolds' production studios in rural Palm Beach County McEntire who played a single mother "who talks like I talk" and didn't have a heavy load of lines to memorize savored "the great loca" tion" and atmosphere during filming of the CBS movie Reynolds directed while playing the title role Doing the TV movie was very different from a concert tour in which everything is timed to the minute she said Instead her main challenge is to "chill out" and stay ready to be called for her scenes The country-musipowerhouse who's been dabbling in movies and television for several years sees her acting career as a sidelight that brings her to the attention of even more people "What we've been doing is trying to make the right contacts to do the movies that are appealing to me in the sense of family entertainment That's the Reba side of it And on the professional side of it it's the opportunity to be able to broaden the image of Reba McEntire" she said As the Oklahoma native who grew up on her father's rodeo circuit has moved beyond the singing cowgirl who first made the country charts in 1976 she's helped take country music along with her Country music is the nation's form and McEntire's knack for turning topics such as wife abuse teen suicide elderly neglect and frequently women breaking free of stereotypical roles into hit songs has helped lure new listeners "oh it's just getting bigger all the time" I I 'fi i'I "laid-back- I ' I "'-t- 40 v to 1 1 7 II ' I ir a: l: I f I tar I t an ' -- - m t) c! like Cyber Maxx and Testosto Boost in health-foo- d stores Among folks I know Hot Stuff is a popular supplement It contains concen- trated doses of proteins carbohydrates herbs and exotic items like Mexican wild yam royal jelly and ginseng But be forewarned Dr Margot Putukian of Michigan State University's sports medicine clinic says there's no scientific evidence these protein and amino acid supplements enhance muscle growth or endurance Your body can use only so much protein the rest is excreted by your kidneys Overloading them with protein can damage their filtering systems Putukian says But maybe there's something to the placebo effect If you've spent $60 for a supply of Hormone Hype powder you'll definitely hit the gym three or four times a week to get some return on your investment ACHING JOINTS NEED MORE THAN ELASTIC: Doctors at the two-wee- k Penn State Center for Sports Medicine say that though elastic bandages sleeves and wraps may give a little support they don't stop the joint from moving If you're injured and want to stay active choose a brace T" ''''"hr)yrtr :1 I 1 11t 1!i hse : OVn : prt ‘ke S1 I Leve! a I ' e11 enl their body t ter e‘st stanc- se 4 ''''' 141 fi) ' 0 lk1-40-- t 'I' '' ' t "—tor e bat t 4- - to T4 ' it "I'd say 50 percent of my audiences today didn't listen to country music two years ago or if they did they didn't listen much" Sophisticated stage shows and music that tells current stories have helped give country music "a hipness and relatability" "I really like to sing songs that women can relate to but I've found that men can relate to them too Basically its songs about everyday tople's everyday problems" she said McEntire whose latest album "It's Your Call" quickly made not just country charts but overall music charts noted that country rock and other pop artists now compete for much of the same audience izes ' : s third-straig- Reba McEntire's movie career is a way of bringing her to the notice of more people she said she plans to keep to her prolific — "It's Your Call" which schedule recording alfollows her platinum-plubum is her 20th album — and her schedule of 125 concerts a year while trying to do "two or three films" a year McEntire who plays varied acting roles in her music videos wants to make a TV movie that expands upon the story of the wife and mother in her song and video "Is There Life Out There?" The script wasn't ready this year "hiatus" so she during her normal was delighted when she got the call from Reynolds with whom she worked in an episode of the television series "Evening Shade" She hopes to work with different directors and actors to learn more in each role but r McEntire who with her son ShelNarvel Blackstock has a by doesn't expect acting to ever overshadow her music career actress Burt tells me "I'm not a I'm not bad at it and I'm thrilled with that" she said laughing "I don't have any plans to leave my music" Meanwhile k May-Jun- e bt' tize z11 Norc cum - tion- for ry can husband-manage- full-fledge- d NOT BE WORTH IT: I always get a giggle from checking out nutritional supplements with names I1 ' find" c fastest-growin- g With their widening audience and the increased variety of music McEntire and the large new wave of female country stars and male stars such as Garth Brooks Billy Ray Cyrus and Vince Gill (with whom McEntire duets on the hit "The Heart Won't Lie") sometimes hear that they've forgotten their country roots And they sometimes respond that they're growing along with country music "A lot of people have said that IVe gone rock 'n' roll I've gone contemporary I've gotten away from my traditional roots" reflected McEntire whose recordings have roamed to Motown's "Respect" and the torch song "Sunday Kind of Love "'kind maybe they're right I don't know I don't gauge music by categorizing it I like good music I want to sing the best songs I can ' - t d Cotmtry Music Star Takes 'Hiatus' With Movies I 1' ''' 7 1 ' Proper Breathing I i p d r IA hind it for an extra v&ir Iv time he got tack to the hzd written more songs and endi:1 up recording some of them l!e never has dry spelIs as a song--- riter he said — just bad spells "I've written a lot of bad songs The point of writing bad songs is just don't put them on a record If I don't have good songs to make an album I think I'd just rather not make an album Once people buy a record that's bad they stop Like I've bought records by artists and as long as they're good I keep buying them I buy one that's a dud and that's it" There are a lot of high expectafollow-utions for the to "heart-ShapeWorld" but Isaak didn't feel any pressure going in to make it "I always allow myself to want a record to do very well — but at the end of the process It's not at the beginning affecting what you do too much because I think it gets real dopey if you start doing that" Isaak said "So far pretty much everything I've done all the songs Ive done the videos — I never did anything I was ashamed of and put it out I hope I can keep doing that "Sometimes that makes you work slower than other peoplelong-awaite- - iar) Pop Star Cluis batik Keeps Doing What He's Always Done By Parry Gettelman 'Orlando Sentinel Fla — The last ORLANDO time Chris Isaak performed in Orland° in the fall of 1990 he and his crackerjack Silvertone band - Ili c been tody h - - Sjti he or zx:ii:ii o 'Star Trek' Universe Big Enough For By Mike Duffy NEWSPAPERS KNIGHT-RIDDE- LOS ANGELES — As Cmdr Benjamin Sisko on "Deep Space Nine" Avery Brooks has already displayed the right "Star Trek" stuff And it wasn't an easy assignment After all he'd been preceded in the Trekker cosmos by two memorable — and beloved — commanders: William Shatner as Capt James T Kirk on the original "Star Trek- - and Patrick Stewart as Capt Jean-Lu- c Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" But Brooks best remembered for his portrayal of Hawk on TV's "Spenser: For Hire" knew from the start he wanted the role of this strong-willesingle father in outer space "I read it and I was thrilled about it" Brooks said "The writing was extraordinary the story very compelling" "Deep Space Nine" producers Michael Piller and Rick Berman conducted a long thorough search for their newest "Star Trek" hero "We had been looking for a quality that continued with the heroic leadership potential- said Piller "But we knew that very big boots had to be filled We had two great stars in the leadership role of captains and commanders in the past And it was difficult to find someone who really impressed everybody in the room with the presence of command that Avery d did" The key word said Berman is presence "We needed someone who could match or hopefully exceed the sense of presence that Patrick Stewart exudes on a pretty regular basis as Capt Picard" Berman said "We didn't want to go backwards We were looking for a good actor but more than anything we were looking for someone with that sense of commanding presence which this guy seems to give us" Aboard the Starship Enterprise things have always run with a minimum of discord There's a peaceful easy feeling Everyone's in sync Not so on that humongous space station in "Deep Space Nine" Out there adjacent to a wormhole it's more like a rumble in the intergalactic jungle There's hissing and dissing and duplicity because the space station is inhabited by a hectic eclectic assortment of aliens — everyone from Starfleet officers to Bajorans to evil Cardassian interlopers "It's conflict on every level we could e producfind it" said "DS9" er Michael Piller "They are in conflict with their environment They are in conflict with each other — unlike the Enterprise where everyone had the same agentime-warpin- g da" Whether it's on "Star Trek" or The Next Generation" the men and women of the Starship Enterprise enjoy a harmonic work convergence On those series "everybody was basically on a mission and they all got along well" said Piller But on "Deep Space Nine" -- they're thrown together with aliens different together on species All have to the same spare station All of them have co-exi- st Two Ti I t different agendas and different goals" Rick Berman Piller's partner in producing both "TNG" and "DS9" said they had long wanted to offer this conflict twist on the original vision of late revered "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry "Gene was a great believer in not wanting any conflict between the characters on the Enterprise which was very frustrating for us because that's what good drama is borne from" Berman said "And we didn't want to break Gene's rules So there is still not a lot of conflict between Starfleet officers" But the "DS9" conflict definitely bubbles up with regularity between other characters including Starfleet officers and various alien beings casino For instance operator Quark is out to fill his pockets Piller said Odo wants to catch And money-grubbin- g shape-shiftin- g him Most importantly there are the Bajorans and their very different emotional and pyschological makeup "We made the Bajorans a very mystical spiritual people and very different from the humanist logical humans of the 21st century" Piller said "So while we protect the vision of humanity that we inherit from Gene we put that in direct conflict with a very different kind of people" In other words it's cosmic Roddenberry optimism mixed with space station squabbles End result? Ripping good yarns At least that's the plan It's not nice to fool with Capt Jean-LuPicard c ' — - He may get cr real Starfleet snit Or at least f"7tr'k'' famous alter ego - voiced deep-tlui-L- : by some the wrld's — can express his with one very :3 The Next GeneriitiJ for an Emmy Akklrd - : Despite critical "TNG" has been "It has absoh3tc:- raged me- SttvArt s:j1 colleagues in eory overlooked for the writing for the pc:-:rection "I find it incomprcl'straight years the utterly unrecogni:t I gories" So what's the es "One is that it"s another is that its other is that its a se: executive produNir It's a triple "And I think added Berman dicated show — : recognition amen ty which votes s! ii: 1:)7 Awards" Alas to many And those burnli1 voters still find Emmys to shows 11-Aaaaaargh! '1 - |
