Page 8A
s'moosel
Wednesday, October 9, 1996
Bird's EyeView
They're more than Jim Ryun's sons. They're Ned and Drew Ryun. And they're...
GOING THE DISTANCE
By Neal Shulenburger
ed and Drew Ryun, 23-year-old twins, no longer are running in their father's shadow. you participate in the KU track program, but not to try to
break their father's records.
When people think of track and field at the University of Kansas, they think of Ned and Drew's father, Jim Ryun. Ryun holds virtually every KU distance running record in both indoor and outdoor track. While at the University, Ryun posted the world records in the indoor and outdoor 880-yard, 1,500-meter, the mile and two-mile, as well as the outdoor three-mile and 5,000-meter races.
Ned and Drew plan to follow their father's footsteps when they run track and field for the University this year. The twins run many of the same events as their father did, including the half mile, the mile and occasionally the mile relay. They are practicing with the cross country team and plan to run with the team in competitions, pending approval of the NCAA.
Ryun was a three-time Olympian, 1964, 1968 and 1972. He won the silver medal in the 1968 1,500-meter event. His 3:55.3 mile time still is the fastest ever posted by a high school runner.
"It's kind of funny," Drew said.
"Ned was a valedictorian at
Lawrence High, and we're not eligible
to run."
The NCAA is still trying to determine how to handle the year of home schooling the twins received in high school.
"They just want to be sure that we can prove we have taken all of the core requirements," Ned said. "Hopefully, they'll let us run soon."
The Ryun twins also have an advantage that most other athletes do not. When they graduated from high school, they did not go straight to college. Instead, they took time to travel and work in various locations, including Alaska. As a result, they entered the University as 23-year-old freshmen.
Track and field and cross country coach Gary Schwartz said that being 23 would help.
"They're older and more mature and have had a lot more experience in life," Schwartz said. "Athletically, the older you are the stronger you are. Their extra years will do nothing but help them."
Coach Schwartz said he didn't think Jim Ryun's success would affect the twins.
"They know where they are and what they want to accomplish," he said. "They are very independent people, and they won't confuse what other people think they can do and what they think they can do."
Ned said that through the years they had gotten used to dealing with the added pressure of being Jim Rym's sons.
"We really have found our identity, that is, who we are and who God has made us to be." Ned said. "We have come to accept that, so we really don't worry about running as fast as our dad."
With his track career far behind him, Jim Ryun is running for the 2nd District U.S. House of Representatives seat. His sons are active on the campaign trail.
"The only drawback with going to KU so far is that we haven't been able to work as much on the campaign as we wanted to." Ned said. "We were very active in the campaign this summer during the primaries. When school began, it really knocked our time down."
The two often went door to door, handed out leaflets, and even were asked to speak in forums when their father was not available, they said.
"Now our time is limited, so we just make time to help him out when we can," Drew said. "Friday nights we try to get into the campaign office and work for maybe a few hours, but schoolwork doesn't let us do too much more."
School, however, has changed all of that. The Ryun twins only help with mailings on Friday nights.
At least for now the, Ryun twins will continue living at home and splitting time between cross country, track and their father's campaign.
Geoff Krieger / KANSAN
Top: Ned and Drew Ryun stand next to their father's picture on the wall in Allen Fieldhouse. While at KU, Jim Ryun posted the world records in the indoor and outdoor 880-yard, 1,500-meter, the mile, two mile, as well as the outdoor, three mile and 5,000-meter races. Above: Ned and Drew plan to run track and field for the University this season. But despite their father's fame, they both have a good sense of who they are and what they want to do.
Critical Volume
rmoczudk@falcon.cc.ukans.edu.
Music reviews by Robert Moczydlowsky rmoozurk@falcon.cc.ukans.edu.
Archers of Loaf All the Nation's Airports (Alias/Electra Records). Recently, the major-label music industry has resorted to a flavor-of-the-month marketing strategy highlighting individual hit songs instead of well-developed studio albums. While this approach is great for selling records, it can be disastrous for still-developing bands. If a band isn't given time to establish an independent and consistent sound, it most often becomes identifiable by its hit song (read: Nada Surf, Blind Melon, etc.).
But there are bands, like Archers of Loaf, that have managed a considerable level of success with the opposite approach. Its plan is simple: Don't record any songs that could possibly become hits and upstage the album. It's not a philosophy that produces platinum records and stadium tours, but for a band interested in making good music without a lot of commercial trappings, it works nicely.
On their latest album, All the Nation's Airports, the Archers take
True to the Archers' style of recording albums rather than songs, this record has no singular standout tracks. In an increasingly song-oriented world; that's probably the best thing one could say about this album. Overall, out of 10: 7, and rising.
us on a 47-minute tour of almost every imaginable musical style, from the delicate piano ballad Chumming the Ocean to the sequencer and feedback-filled rocker Strangled by the Stereo Wire.
Tool Aenima (Zoo Entertainment). And since we're speaking of bands that don't fall into cut-and-dried musical categories, we should examine the latest album by Tool.
Talk about a band that does its own thing on its own terms. In the four years since Tool first came onto the scene with the EP Opiate and its full-length album Undertow, it has managed to push the envelope of hard, aggressive rock to unthinkable levels.
edjtSwitch
While most heavy metal bands
might be content to let a catchy guitar hook become more important than the song's message, Tool writes songs toward a singular, emotional, exploratory purpose and no one element — be it vocals, guitar or drums — is given more importance than another. Factor in the dark, often frightening subject matter, and you get sophisticated music that makes you think and feel in ways that you'll likely find equally addicting and repulsive.
In short, these guys are some of the most talented, unique musicians in modern rock.
The album is nearly 78 minutes long and ought to be measured in movements rather than songs. If you buy it, make time to listen to it. Only then will you be able to appreciate what just might be the best rock album of 1996. Overall: 9.
Safety Orange April '96, Limited Edition EP (Sixth Sense Studios), and The Switch Lydia's Basement (self-produced cassette). In
recent years, all references to the Lawrence music scene have inevitably mentioned the Bottleneck and Red House Recording Studio. These were the two places where you could be heard and recorded, and these were the two places where local artists established a local following. But lately, and ever-so-quaintly, Sixth Sense Studios has emerged as an alternative to what has been seen as the only way to succeed locally.
In recent weeks the studio has released new material from two nontraditional local bands, funkrockers Safety Orange and The Switch, a band that features a self-described "expatriate British astrophysicist* lead singer and local folkrocker, Megan Hurt, on violin. The Safety Orange EP and the six-song cassette from The Switch were produced and mixed by Safety Orange singer and guitarist Steve Gooding. And both show his better-than-average skill in the studio.
If you're a fan of Safety Orange, you might want to check out this April '96 live recording. It shows the inevitable evolution of a band after a year of live shows and experience. Watch for this band to open shows for more funk-oriented acts in the future.
As far as the Switch tape goes, there definitely have been worse demo tapes circulated in Lawrence. Last Wednesday, The Switch opened for Todd Newman at the Granada. Though its set was too loud and poorly mixed, the band showed a much wider musical range than heard on the tape.
Contributed art
The bottom line? The tape is good, but the live show is better.
A look at the inside of the Archers of Loaf CD cover.
All in all, it's nice to see bands doing their own thing in the local clubs instead of doing their best to fit in. And it's great to see another studio in town open up to local rock. That's good news for everybody, bands and music fans alike. Safety Orange, Overall: 7. The Switch, Overall, with tons of potential: 6.
Night View
THURSDAY
Cowboy Mouth, 9:30 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $5 and $6.
Your guide to the Lawrence nightlife
WEDNESDAY
■ Trainwreck, 8 p.m. at the Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
Jesse Jackson 5 and 10
p.m. at the Granada, 1020
Massachusetts St. Cost:
$3 and $4.
*Billy Ebeling, 9 p.m. at the full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
*Gary Grannell, 10 p.m. at The Jazwhass of Lawrence, 926 1/2 Massachusetts St. Cost: $4.
■ Blue Stew, 9:30 p.m. at
The Bottleneck, 737 New
Hampshire St. Cost: $2.
■ Almblade & Cruso at the
Coffeehouse at Ecumenical
Christian Ministries, 1204
Oread Ave. Cost: $5
students, $8 general admission.
Carol Dressler, 7 p.m. at Bambino's Italian Cafe,
1.801 Massachusetts St.
Free.
FRIDAY
Bopularity, 10 p.m. at the Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
Justin Case, 10 p.m. at
The Jazzhaus of Lawrence,
926 1/2 Massachusetts
St. Cost: $4.
**Danger Bob & Pamper the Madman, 9:30 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $4 and $5.**
**Alonzo, 7 p.m. at Bambino's Italian Cafe, 1801 Massachusetts St. Free.**
SATURDAY
Band That Saved the World, 10 p.m. at the Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
setts St. Free.
John Cale, 10 p.m. at The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Cost: $13.50 advance tickets.
Babes in Toyland, 9:30 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost:
$7 advance tickets.
Kevin Cloud, 7 p.m. at Bambino's Italian Cafe,
1801 Massachusetts St. Free.
SUNDAY
Let's Go Bowling with Cherry Poppin Daddies, 10 p.m. at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Cost: $7 and $8.
Madball, 9:30 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: Cover.
Alonzo, 7 p.m. at Bambino's Italian Cafe, 1801 Massachusetts St. Free.
MONDAY
Organ Concerto Concert:
KU Symphony Orchestra
and Concert Wind Ensemble
with soloists, 7:30 p.m.
at the Lied Center. Cost: $4
students and seniors, $6
general admission.
Faculty Recital, 7:30 p.m.
at Swarthout Recital Hall
in Munyah Hall. Fee.
Steve Wynn, 9:30 p.m. at
the Bottlemanz, 737 New
Hampshire St. Cost: $5 and
$6.
TUESDAY
Organ Recital, 7:30 p.m.
at the Lied Center. Cost: $6
students and seniors; $6
general admission.
Mr. Cardy, 8 p.m. at the Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St. Freel
Dave Stephens Swing Quartet, 9:30 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $3 and $4.
Lord of Word and the Disciples of Bass, 10 p.m. at The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Cost: $5.