Rock guitarist Eric Clapton. His friends call him "Slowhand," his fans call him "God." Whatever name he goes by, Eric Clapton is at or near the top of any list of the greatest guitar players in rock history. Clapton started out playing blues with the Yardbirds (For Your Love) in the early 60s, then played with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers before forming Cream, one of the 60s most influential bands (Crossroads, White Room).
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new album from the Mekons (pronounced MEE-kons). The Mekons formed in England at the height of the punk movement. Their musical style embraces punk, country, reggae and just about everything else. The one unifying theme in their music is politics, particularity the politics of the music industry. The new album is called "The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll."
Film critic Owen Gleiberman reviews two new cynical comedies: "The War of the Roses." It stars Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas as the once-perfect couple going through the world's ugliest divorce, and Danny DeVito as divorce lawyer caught in middle. And "She-Devil" starring Meryl Streep, Roseanne Barr, and Ed Begley, Jr.
Tom Shales, Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic for the Washington Post. He has a new collection of essays, "Legends: Remembering America's Greatest Stars," which takes a look at such stars as Jackie Gleason, Bing Crosby, Natalie Wood, and Gilda Radner.
Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews an English translation of the novel, "The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman," by Polish writer Andrzej Szczypiorski. Although it was a bestseller in Europe, the novel was banned in Poland because of the writer's involvement with Solidarity. With the recent political changes, Szczypiorski's book is now published in Poland and in July he was elected to the Polish Senate.
French actress Isabelle Adjani. Her most famous role was in the film "The Story of Adele H." Her latest film, for which she won the French equivalent of an Oscar for Best Actress, is about the life of Camille Claudel. Claudel was French sculptor Rodin's mistress and a sculptor in her own right.
Academy Award-winning film director Costa-Gavras. His films include, "Z," "State of Seige," "Missing," and "Betrayed." His new film, "The Music Box," stars Jessica Lange as an attorney who must defend her Hungarian immigrant father against accusations of committing a series of war crimes.
Rock singer, guitarist and record producer Dave Edmunds. Although he was born in Wales, his music is influenced by the American roots of rock and roll. As a producer, he's worked with the Stray Cats, The Fabulous Thunderirds, and he produced the come-back albums of the Everly Brothers and Dion. In the 1970's, he got together in London with Nick Lowe and formed the band Rockpile. Edmunds has a new album coming out soon on Capitol called "Closer to the Flame." It's his first in five years.
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead takes a historic look at boogie-woogie piano music. Includes such piano players as Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, and Jimmy Yancey.
Artist-teacher Tim Rollins and his student Carlos Rivera. In collaboration with his South Bronx high-school students Rollins has created "excellent...slightly miraculous art." ("New York" Magazine). Since 1981, the group known as K.O.S. (for Kids of Survival -- mostly black and Puerto Rican students), has had showings of its work in over 50 shows. Now there's a showing of their own, "Amerika," in New York.
Television critic David Bianculli considers the networks' penchant for the docudrama and looks at NBC's upcoming movie, "Howard Beach: Making the Case for Murder."
Actress and comedienne Lily Tomlin. For years she's been doing her impressions of such characters as Ernestine, the nasal telephone operator on "Laugh-In." Now she's doing a whole cast of characters in the revival of her one-woman show, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe."
