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Live And More: Encore!
Since her '70s heyday as disco's reigning diva (and one of its most adventurous artists), Donna Summer has scored the odd hit: "She Works Hard for the Money," "This Time I Know It's for Real." She's still best remembered for the likes of "Last Dance," "Dim All the Lights," and "I Feel Love," though, and this VH1-tie-in comeback bid concentrates on full-bodied if somewhat murkily mixed versions of those classics and their kin. The two new studio cuts that round out the disc are OK at best, although they do display Summer's ability to adapt to changes in pop-dance sounds. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Live In Texas
One decade's oddity is the next decade's institution. Or at least that's been the case with Lyle Lovett. The Lone Star eccentric emerged in the 1980s ostensibly as a country artist, but it became clear pretty quickly that a Southern accent and a pair of cowboy boots does not a Nashville favorite make. In time, however, Lovett's free-range brand of swing, blues, gospel, folk, and whatever has been embraced by a coterie of fans who have as little interest in genres as their hero. Live in Texas is something of a valentine to them--as well as an in-concert 13-year career summary for the uninitiated. Rife with live staples ("That's Right," "If I Had a Boat," "She's No Lady," and "North Dakota," which features an appearance by Rickie Lee Jones), the 14-track showcase certifies what loyalists have known for years: Lovett is one of the best bandleaders around. He and his crack crew get big and get small as needed, punching up uptempo numbers with brass or stripping down to the bare essentials for ballads. Taking it all in, one can't help concluding there's absolutely nothing odd about that. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Millennium
For their hard-core under-18 fans, of course, the Backstreet Boys are all that, and a bag of chips and free soda to boot. Millennium, the follow-up to the quintet's umpteen-million-selling debut, offers more reasons why so many of the rest of us have found a place for them in our hearts. The Boys' ultrapackaged look and up-to-date production underscore the quality of their best tracks; only a churl could deny that "I Want It That Way" is one fine radio-aimed declaration of love, or that "Larger Than Life" makes the most of its Daft Punk sample and double-edged acknowledgment of Backstreet followers' loyalty. And who can resist an album-closer like "The Perfect Fan," Brian Littrell's ode to his mom? Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Mirrorball [ENHANCED CD]
Grafted from McLachlan's supremely satisfying 1998 performances, Mirrorball is drawn almost equally from the multiplatinum Surfacing and its superior predecessor, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. (Included also is the lovely, hard-to-come-by "I Will Remember You.") Live, a haunting ballad such as "Possession" becomes a fevered, aggressive bit of psychedelia. "Hold On" reveals new depths when performed behind the beat with morphing time signatures and driving piano. McLachlan's warmly expressive voice is still at the epicenter of her performances. She roams through these 14 songs with agile ease, riding the rails between singing for dramatic arena effect--huskily growling, airily trilling--and knowing what to play down with her sensually controlled crooning (witness such gems as Fumbling's title song and "Good Enough"). Overall, McLachlan's vocals match the heavily percussive intensity of her band and the build of her backing vocalists, producing a more spacious sound than the precise pitch rendered on her studio recordings. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Notting Hill: Music From The Motion Picture
[SOUNDTRACK]
It's hard not to start feeling sentimental after hearing the loose collection of love ballads that comprise the Notting Hill soundtrack. The romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant is filled with the modern sounds of love--as sung by everyone from pop harmonizers (Boyzone, 98 Degrees) to classic soulsters (Bill Withers, Al Green). The Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" adds a garage-rock edge, but if you're not up for slow-burning love tunes, this soundtrack probably isn't for you. Two guitar-based score tracks from composer Trevor Jones fill out Notting Hill and add nice instrumental touches to the disc. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Ricky Martin
Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin's self-titled first English-language album is a triumph of an omnivorous world-pop sensibility--but more important is that at its best, it's a real kick. The first single, "Livin' La Vida Loca," employs a revved-up ska tempo to praise a girl whose "lips are devil red (and) skin's the color of mocha." Martin is no less irresistible on the disc's other uptempo numbers, such as "Spanish Eyes," "The Cup of Life" (the 1998 World Cup theme which with he stole the Grammy telecast a few months before this CD's release), and the Soul Coughing-indebted "Shake Your Bon-Bon." Ricky Martin loses momentum with its draggier ballads--even the much-touted Madonna duet, "Be Careful (Cuidade con Mi Corazon)," doesn't spark--but overall, it deserves its inevitable multiplatinum success. Click here for more RICKY MARTIN Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Significant Other [EXPLICIT LYRICS]
Florida-bred metal-rappers Limp Bizkit sold a million-plus records of their debut largely on the strength of a George Michael cover song. But the band indeed had "Faith" and the group's second outing proves that the Bizkit have the goods. Still, it seems as if boastful frontman Fred Durst is loading the band's deck again, this time by including scads of guest vocalists, such as Stone Temple Pilots' singer Scott Weiland, Method Man from Wu-Tang Clan, and Korn's Jonathan Davis. (In fact, Korn gave Limp Bizkit a leg up in the industry.) But the 16 diverse yet cohesive tracks on Significant Other don't need any help. Not as heavy as their mentors Korn -- or as they are on their debut -- Bizkit give Everlast a run for his money on the tuneful and appealing "Rearranged." "Just Like This" is another winning hip-hop and rock entry, while the amusing and memorable "Nookie" (as in "I did it all for the nookie") has self-deprecating lyrics not unlike the Offspring's "Self-Esteem." Bizkit segues with ease from pleasing rock and hip-hop amalgam to spooky Tool territory on "Don't Go Off Wandering" to moshable moments in the entreaty "Show Me What You Got." Significant Other may be hard to categorize, but it's easy to like. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
- Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture [SOUNDTRACK] [EXPLICIT
LYRICS]
For anyone who enjoys the irreverent humor of South Park, there's plenty of it on this soundtrack. Stan, Kenny, Kyle, Eric, Sharon, Sheila, Terrance... all step up to the mic and deliver in a way the Chipmunks (their obvious musical influence) would never dare. The use of certain four- and five-letter words make this a less-than-appropriate gift for young 'uns, lest you be misled by the characters' cartoon status. Musically, it's mostly swooning cartoon music capped by the incessant ranting of the main characters. By the time you get to Michael McDonald, you may wonder what this "sophisticated" adult-contemporary singer is doing among the children of South Park and Saddam Hussein. Even Isaac Hayes performs not as a late-night Lothario but as his South Park character, Chef. His track is one of the eight that don't appear in the film but have been added to flesh things out. Weirdest of all: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush performing a straight rendition of "O Canada." Huh? Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Supernatural
The Arista debut of Carlos Santana and band gives fans of the soulful guitar vet two albums in one, but it's a decidedly good-news, bad-news proposition. First, there's a fine collection of late-'90s-model Santana --tastefully tooled songs driven by Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms ("[Da Le] Taleo," "Africa Bamba," "Migra," "Primavera," and the emotionally charged instrumental "El Farol") that allow Carlos plenty of elbowroom for his passionate soloing. Then there's the collection of tracks featuring a lineup of de rigueur alternative and hip-hop stars, including Dave Matthews, Everlast, Rob Thomas, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Eagle Eye Cherry. To their credit, Matthews ("Love of My Life") and Eagle Eye Cherry ("Wishing It Was") muster enough chemistry to make the fusion work. But the rest of the collaborations feel like an unnecessary stretch to reach out to a younger demographic that El Jefe has little trouble attracting on his own terms. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Surrender
Surrender kicks off with a nervous, vibrating whine that brings to mind the first three seconds of Hendrix's "Foxy Lady." But it's just a tease; on their third album, techno's Chemical Brothers have all but turned their back on the rock muscle that earned 1997's Dig Your Own Hole gold status in the U.S. Oh, there are guest rock vocalists galore--New Order's Bernard Sumner, Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval, and Oasis's Noel Gallagher--but only the latter brings out the crunching big beats that the Chems all but invented. The rest of Surrender hews closer to the thinner, synthesized textures of the electro revival that's swept the dance-music world. Much of the time that's just swell. The leadoff track, "Music: Response," is a seamless trip back to 1985, complete with vocoderized singing and Morse-code beeps. And Sumner's "Out of Control" replicates the thrill of hearing the gloomy Joy Division morph into a swell synthpop band. But without the propulsion that their trademark aggression usually provides, the Chems just barely come up with enough ideas to carry the listener all the way through an album, much less rock a dance floor for an hour at a time. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records
Soundtrack [SOUNDTRACK]
If anyone belongs in the "Whatever Happened To?" category of a game show, it's Phil Collins. Back in the 1980s, Collins was everywhere, having retinkered Genesis into a smooth, hit-making machine and embarking on a solo career that redefined adult contemporary music. He's still been busy, but nowhere near the spotlight. His latest project has been writing five songs for Disney's animated Tarzan . "You' ll Be in My Heart"--presented here in two versions, one with actress Glenn Close--is exactly the sort of ersatz orchestrated power ballad you expect from this sentimental guy. A duet with 'N Sync in "Trashin' the Camp" (also issued in two versions) is Phil's concession to the kids. Producer Mark Mancina's instrumental score mixes the expectant ambient sounds of the jungle with the slowly unfolding sounds of daybreak and jungle rhythms (provided by Collins on drums) that denote inevitable conflict. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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The Irish Tenors
Forty years after the Clancy Brothers found popularity singing traditional Irish folksongs to an American audience, along comes the Irish Tenors, the trio of John McDermott, Anthony Kearns, and Ronan Tynan. Backed by plenty of coverage of on public television, the three tenors perform a soothing and nostalgic mix of Emerald Isle tunes--from "Danny Boy" to "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," along with a few surprises. Recorded live at the Royal Dublin Society Main Hall with a light orchestra, the album gives each of the three vocalists his chance in the spotlight. Fans of John McDermott should be sure to seek out the artist's solo discs, which are far more intimate (and musically diverse) fare. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Voice Of An Angel
Those leery and weary of tasteless crossover need not shudder at the sight of this disc, which has sold over half a million copies in Europe. There's none of the softcore kiddie porn that came with Vanessa-Mae or the heavily packaged faux romanticism of Andrea Bocelli. (That of course doesn't necessarily mean that you'll want Voice of an Angel.) This 12-year-old Welsh soprano is so uncloyingly cute and has such an appealing personality (with just enough touch of cheek) that you'd almost rather have her as a dinner guest than on your CD player. Her small, attractive, sometimes unstable but always sincere soprano perhaps went to the top of the British charts because it clicks into the boy-soprano choir tradition so prevalent there, especially since many of the selections are sacred items such as "The Lord's Prayer" and "Ave Maria." And Church may pick up some fans thanks to the tail end of Celtic chic, with the Welsh folk songs and the rendition of "Danny Boy." But this promises to be yet another short-lived media phenomenon, rather than the beginning of a lengthy career. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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When I Look In Your Eyes
Years after the '90s, the decade will be remembered for the rise of pianist-vocalist Diana Krall. Simply put, this British Columbian-born artist is one of the most engaging musicians to emerge from the heap of scat-happy singers high on pyrotechnics, but short on poetry. Stamped with the imprimatur of the Nat King Cole trio and blessed by her apprenticeship with the late West Coast piano giant Jimmy Rowles, Krall simply sings songs the way they're supposed to be sung: with devotion to the lyric and with attention to the groove. This CD finds Krall in familiar company with compatriots Russell Malone (on guitar), bassist John Clayton, drummers Lewis Nash and Jeff Hamilton, and vibraphonist (and former Bill Evans associate) Larry Bunker--all supported by Johnny Mandel's svelte string arrangements. Krall and crew take Irving Berlin's chestnut "Let's Face the Music and Dance" and the Sinatra-signatured "I've Got You Under My Skin" south to Brazil via a sexy bossa nova. Malone's lush guitar accompaniment complements Krall's heartfelt delivery on "When I Look in Your Eyes," and Michael Franks's "Popsicle Toes" dances courtesy of Hamilton's drum work. "Devil May Care," "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)," The Best Thing for You," and the stridish "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" groove with a minimum of waste, while Mandel's simpatico strings steal the show on "I'll String Along with You," "Pick Yourself Up," and "Do It Again." All of which further illuminate the cool fire from this fine gift from North of the Border. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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Return Of The Grievous Angel: Tribute
To Gram Parsons
The gentle hand of Emmylou Harris guides this tribute to ill-fated country-rock avatar Gram Parsons, which goes a long way toward explaining why this star-studded salute avoids the pitfalls that befall many such projects. Harris got her start harmonizing with the patron saint of alternative country, contributing mightily to Parsons's two early 1970s solo albums and reviving selections from his small-but-indispensable oeuvre throughout her career. She has a vested interest in finding a true connection between her former benefactor and this cast of Parsons partisans. Here she bands together a flock of followers who range from obvious offspring (Wilco, Gillian Welch, Whiskeytown) to not-so-evident disciples (Beck, Pretenders, Sheryl Crow). Parsons's partner in the Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman, teams with Steve Earle on "High Fashion Queen," and David Crosby (like Parsons and Hillman, an ex-Byrd) joins Lucinda Williams on "Return of the Grievous Angel." Harris harmonizes with Beck on "Sin City" and shares the mic with Crow on "Juanita," one of the collection's highlights. Ultimately, Harris has assembled a homage that would've pleased her old mentor. Click here for more information or to order this CD.
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