European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Caught in the act the alarm whose music is often compared to that of u2, rocks hard in concert. A amps Michael Abrams at times it seemed More like a religious experience than a Rock concert. A packed House swayed to the music and Sang the chorus of almost every song. The bics flicked on each slow number. On the fast ones the fans worked themselves into a frenzy until they slam danced to the beat. Meet the alarm. For the past nine years this Welsh band often compared musically to u2, has been on the verge of commercial Success. But somehow it has managed to elude the group. Perhaps this is because the alarms four albums a declaration strength Eye of the Hurricane and change a have been a Little uneven in song selection. Or perhaps it is because not enough music fans have seen the alarm perform live. From the first chords of change the title track of the new album to the final notes of Bob Dylan a knocking on heaven s door 135 minutes later the alarm put on the classic Rock a no Roll show in Frankfurt West Germany on Friday. Mixing ballads with rocking numbers the alarm a Mike Peters on vocals and acoustic guitar Dave Sharp on Lead guitar Eddie Mcdonald on Bass twist on Drums and a guest keyboardist a kept the audience dancing and singing along. The bands mixture of love songs like rain in the summertime and the political anthems the stand and 68 guns echoes the music of Dylan and Bruce Springsteen As much As it does u2. And the fans Are just As frenetic. By the time Sharp taking Over Lead vocals on one step closer to Home was Halfway through the song the audience Sang verse and chorus for him. And Long after the band left the stage the crowd still chanted knocking on heaven s door. The Dylan song a Long time alarm show closer came As no suprise. What was surprising was the Choice for first encore Neil Young s recent hit rocking in the free world. But on the other hand that is perhaps the perfect Way to describe an alarm concert. A by Michael Abram Serma Bombeck its the season of the gardening Cata logs. You know the ones i mean. They re the tomes that arrive when the Snow is falling and tease you with pictures of pansies the size of satellite dishes and a 7-year-old child dwarfed by a Border Plant. If these mail order nurseries were doing a profile on people they hoped to seduce id be it High school graduate. Native intelligence. Loves Flowers has Blind Trust in anyone who has dirt under his fingernails and wears a land s end shirt. Must be willing to believe a even that Jaclyn Smith shops at k Mart. Must follow directions and Plant bulbs when told yet have courage to face disappointment that when she never sees them she either planted them upside Down or they came up and died while she was in the Shower. I honestly believe that the ability to grow things is a gift like drawing blood or making pie dough without measuring. Some have it and some Don t. I m too inhibited to Pinch too cheap to thin and too timid to prune. Plants have to be the ultimate Challenge. They done to bark when they re thirsty scratch at the door when they want air or Sunshine or bring you their dish when they re hungry. That s Why i can t figure out How some Plant people know what plants Are thinking and the rest of us Are just out of it. I took a Plant Back to the supermarket the other Day that died before i could unpack my groceries. The Man in produce who sold it to me said Quot it should be obvious that it s stressed  the Plant had t done anything but ride in the front seat of a car for eight blocks. Quot How do you know that7&Quot i asked Quot just look at it Quot he said. Quot its drooping and the leaves Are Curling. It s probably not Happy with its present  i told him Quot in a not Happy with my present location either but i done to look that  he Felt the leaves and looked at me. Quot death by dust is a terrible Way to  that s another thing. How come everyone in this world has a time to die but when a Plant expires someone Points a Finger at you and says Quot you killed it Quot so Why do i fill an order Blank every Winter with a wish list of bulbs and annuals i guess i can t get out of my mind the Story of a British housewife who bought a Small Plant for her living room. It seems it was a fats a Japonica which grows 5 feet a year on a pint of water a Day. When the Plant grew to 17 feet Long she called the Parks department to coax the Vine out of her window and Load it on a truck and take it away. Quot it was a part of the family Quot she said Quot but it had to  it s the dreams of which Garden Cata logs Are made. C 1990 Erma Jombock it it Ludo 0 h 0 0 0 of it i 0. 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Customer savings in fiscal 1990 already total qty Stop in and save at a stars and stripes Bookstore today my. A i airs and stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores wednesday March 14, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17