"'Allegro Spurioso'--that's the punkdisco-reggae hit that can't seem to leave everybody's lips as they exeunt omnes from Paine Hall each Tuesday and Thursday. Yes, it's 'Disco Music 1,' and, with Disco still riding the crest of popularity that made "A Fifth of Beethoven" a fave-rave among Music concentrators a few years back, this little oeuvre of a gem of a course may very well make it into the Confi Guide next year. That thumping bass, those strings-from-outa-nowhere--Garshk-only-knows ol' Schubert--if he had it to do all over again--woulda called it 'Schubert's Unfinished Disco Symphony.' "

This friend of mine, he can't get over it. Signs up to take Music 1--"A Survey of Western Music"--Pass/Fail, no less, and now he claims to be an expert on the whole sweep of Western Music and stuff. On top of that, he's convinced that all they're playing in there is the "extended-play," disco versions of the classics. Not even six weeks in there, and already he's Murray the K, up on his high moped. This friend of mine, he couldn't tell an E-Flat Sonata from E. Frank Sinatra from a can of V-Flat Soda, just between you, me and this turntable.

***

On a sort of serious note, it was extremely saddening to learn of the passing of several members of Lynyrd Skynyrd last week, and extremely distressing to learn that seven billion copies of their (in context) tasteless new album, Street Survivors--the cover of which depicts the group going up in flames, and which was billed as a "smash hit" in an ad in the Times two days after the accident--have been hustled into immediate production. Record company types can be a sick group of people, what?

***

Firefall tonight at the Orpheum; Punkpin decorating contest at the Franklin Park Zoo tomorrow night; Chicago, unlike Bertha, is coming around here anymore on November 8; semi-colon; Charlie Daniels at the Orf on the Fifth; Joan Armatrading (tremendous voice), The Ramones (cute mugs, Rockwell likes 'em) and The Talking Heads (former Modern Lovers included, for those who remember, those who care) are all up-and-coming; Firefall cancelled [drat]; Styx the 4th at the Orf; at the Paradise: Southside Johnny like right now or something, Chris Hillman, Sea Level and Mink De Ville coming up, not to mention Charles Mingus and Larry Coryell, and Pheobe Snow, and the Gentle Giant. Queen is not not not not to be missed at the Garden on the 12th. I've told you too much already.

These retirement rumors may or may not be about a week premature. Quote me and I'll sue, Later, Rich