30 Greatest Hits Aretha Franklin      Aretha Franklin's voice is an instrument of such exquisite expression that it has been matched but a few times in the 20th century. Borrowing from jazz, soul, R&B, rock, pop, and, of course, gospel--and accompanying herself on piano--she created an artistic vision that was wholly realized. Hits includes most of her chart singles from those incomparable Atlantic years, from "Respect" in 1967 well into the '70s, as well as noncharting classics like "Do Right Woman" and "Dr. Feelgood." This is the definitive introduction to Franklin's artistry, but be warned: get this and you're going to want more. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

All Saints All Saints      The thinking person's Spice Girls? Well, sort of. This eye-catching quartet bears a surface similarity to their British homegirls, but upon closer inspection, the differences start to reveal themselves. The dance floors that spawned All Saints were decidedly less pristine, definitely more prone to being funk-filled, as evidenced by torrid tunes like "I Know Where It's At" and a cover of Labelle's lusty classic "Lady Marmalade." Not that parental guidance is necessary for a trip past the disc's velvet rope. All Saints never stoop to tawdry antics. Rather, they exude the kind of spirited self-confidence--echoed in the tough hip-hop-tinged backing tracks--that gives feeling good a good name. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Baduizm Erykah Badu      Badu and her large turban appeared out of nowhere in early 1997, on a murmuring, romantic album that trod the median between old-school soul and contemporary electronic R&B. Badu's songs, especially the hit "On & On" and the catchy "Certainly," recall Sade in their polished, subtle sexiness. Badu almost never raises her voice--save the occasional "ooh-wee!" exultation--but she skillfully uses repetition and chanting to empower her words. Later portraying a beautiful swamp queen, she was one of the only good things about the movie Blues Brothers 2000. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Enter The Dru Dru Hill      Near-clinical detail are the watchwords on Enter the Dru, R&B quartet Dru Hill's follow-up to their double-platinum debut album. "Is it gonna be on the floor or by the sofa ... by the TV?" If you've kept up with the exploits of pseudo-rude '90s acts on the order of Jodeci and Silk, you know the, er, drill: promises of how the singers are ready to "freak" their ladies vying with whiny ballads, all attempting to demonstrate just how enlightened and sensitive these heroes are. The formula is broken here mainly by an appearance by Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man on "This Is What We Do." Which, in a Wu-mad world, hardly counts as a formula breaker at all. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Greatest Hits [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] Earth Wind & Fire      It's the most complete single-disc collection of EWF chart rockers, and Greatest Hits' splendid remastering makes one of the major exponents of '70s funk positivity sound sparkling. From the driving "Shining Star" to the syncopated mastery of "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" to the slow-jam heaven of "After the Love Is Gone," this is a reminder of what made the group so special. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Greatest Hits Bill Withers      Bill Withers has written two bona fide classics ("Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me"), recorded a slew of memorable hits, and had songs covered by everyone from Joe Cocker to Isaac Hayes to Kiss. Still, he's underappreciated. His voice is smooth, his singing is subtle, and his songs move along over sinuous, sexy grooves. It's all so effortless that it's easy to overlook how substantial Withers's work really is. Never flashy, his best songs burn with a heat that lingers long after the last note has been played. This slender 10-track collection brings together a few songs from his remarkable early-'70s Sussex albums, including such hits and near hits as "Grandma's Hands," "Who Is He? (And What Is He to You?)," and the seriously funky "Use Me," as well as some gems from the later '70s (including "Lovely Day"). Greatest Hits is a nice, succinct introduction to Withers's work, but fans would be better off with the more complete Lean on Me career overview. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Princesses Nubiennes Les Nubians      This gorgeous pair of African princesses are the latest artists with Mother Continent roots--including Baaba Maal, Ray Lema, Youssou N'Dour, Salif Keita, Zap Mama, and Angelique Kidjo--to infuse French music with the soul it would otherwise lack. Unlike those who cut their deep African funk with the cloying sugar of French pop, Helene and Celia Faussart, sisters from Bordeaux, don't give it all up to La Belle France. In clear, warmly intimate, and, yes, Parisian-sexy voices, they snake in and out of each other's way, often coming together to build glorious harmonies, always singing universally uplifting messages [translations in the CD booklet, except for their American-sounding English in "Sugar Cane"]. It's all set in clean-edged, ultrahip, sensitively calibrated tracks that draw on lush soul, steamy funk, beat-driven hip-hop and cool, flowing jazz. But this album is no pastiche of sounds looking to gobble up many demographics. Recorded in France and London, Princesses Nubiennes plays like an extended single--better yet, like a dreamy musical journey through the sounds of the modern-day African diaspora. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

R. [EXPLICIT LYRICS] R. Kelly      A double disc may seem indulgent after barely a decade in the biz, but after meandering through the commercial minefields of innocent fun (1992's Born into the '90s), pure raunch (1993's 12 Play), and pop crossover (1995's R. Kelly), Kelly has come close to the perfect mix--and if it takes two discs to do so, why not? There are still moments of indulgence (the forced theatrics of "The Opera"), and the occasional venture into mediocrity ("Did You Ever Think?"), but the sheer funk of tracks like "Home Alone" (a head-bobber featuring Keith Murray) and "Dollar Bill" (featuring--surprise!--Foxy Brown) allows you to overlook such cracks in the formula. Other bit players in this star vehicle include Cam'Ron, Noreaga, Jay-Z, Nas, and (yes) Celine Dion. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Songs In The Key Of Life Stevie Wonder      One of the first albums to debut at No. 1 in Billboard, Songs in the Key of Life was the highest high-point of Stevie Wonder's career. More sprawling than Innervisions and Talking Book, this 2 LP-plus-EP was also less of a consistent stunner than either of those masterworks. That Songs retains an enormous amount of visionary relevance, though, is demonstrated not only in Coolio's borrowing of "Pastime Paradise" as a template for "Gangsta's Paradise," but in the cold-as-ice synthesized string quartet of "Village Ghetto Land." This is Stevie, so naturally that cut's anger is balanced by the ultra-buoyant "I Wish," "Sir Duke," and "Another Star." Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Synkronized Jamiroquai      With songs that fall exactly in between Michael Jackson's Off the Wall period and A Taste of Honey, Jamiroquai's Synkronized is a funk-disco inferno that is distinguished from its 1970s counterparts only by its 1990s production. It contains all the same ingredients: wah-wah guitar, electric piano, soft-sided strings oozing out melody, pot-bellied bass, and a blasted-out horn section that evokes images of three guys stepping in sync while their sequined flairs swipe over white patent-leather loafers. While the funk is steamy enough to flatten the tallest 'fro, Jamiroquai's impeccable ability to emulate Stevie Wonder's vocals brings on the cool side. But the album isn't all about a time warp. Just when you think Jamiroquai isn't going to step a toe beyond 1978, "Supersonic," the seventh track, throws down an acid-house riff that works in didgeridoo and a synthed-out cow bell. "Where Do We Go from Here" rocks with a leap-frogging blues piano and tangy bongos. The album's grand finale, "King for a Day," is a regal rock-operatic excursion embellished with fully orchestrated piano and strings. Overall, this Jamiroquai jamfest is an irreplaceable summer-in-the-city album. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Travelling Without Moving Jamiroquai      Adding pop savvy to their soul-disco mix, Jamiroquai grabbed the attention of MTV and Top 40 radio and won a Grammy with this platinum-selling album, their third. It's a fine record, with warm keyboards, sweet strings, and irrepressible grooves grounding Jay Kay's sublime vocals and fueling the hits ("Virtual Insanity," "Cosmic Girl," the title track). That voice--elastic, jazzy--is the fire of the band, but immaculate guitar sounds, snappy backup vocals, and clever old-school soul samples (Eddie Harris on "Alright," Esther Phillips on "High Times") are the details that create perfection. Balancing the dance-ready, radio-friendly tracks are the ballads "Everyday" and "Spend a Lifetime," the reggae-styled "Drifting Along," and a couple of didjeridoo instrumentals. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Lean On Me: The Best Of Bill Withers Bill Withers      Composer of two bona fide classics ("Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me") as well as tunes covered by everyone from Joe Cocker to Kiss, Withers sings with smooth, subtle phrasing that moves along over sinuous, sexy grooves. At times it all sounds so effortless, it's often easy to overlook how substantial his work really is. Never flashy, Withers's best songs burn with a kind of heat that lingers long after the last note has been played. This 18-song collection brings together a healthy collection of songs from this soulful singer/songwriter's remarkable early-'70s Sussex albums, including such hits and near hits as "Grandma's Hands," "Who Is He? (And What Is He to You?)," and the seriously funky "Use Me," as well as some gems from the later '70s (including "Lovely Day"). If you're weighing Lean on Me against the 10-song Greatest Hits, opt for this, the more generous option. Click here for more information or to order this CD. MUSIC LINKS BACKSTREET BOYS - CDs - Videos - Books      BESTSELLERS - Page 1     BESTSELLERS - Page 2    RHYTHM N BLUES - Page 1     RHYTHM N BLUES - New and Notable    BRITNEY SPEARS      CELINE DION - Page 1     CELINE DION - Page 2     CELINE DION - Biography    COUNTRY MUSIC - Page 1     COUNTRY MUSIC - New and Notable     COUNTRY MUSIC - Page 2    DANCE AND DJ     DANCE AND DJ - New and Notable      HIP HOP MUSIC - New and Notable     JAZZ MUSIC - Page 1     JAZZ MUSIC - Page 2     JAZZ MUSIC - Page 3    JAZZ MUSIC - New and Notable     JENNIFER LOPEZ - Page 1     JENNIFER LOPEZ - Page 2    MARIAH CAREY - CD's and DVD      MARIAH CAREY - Video and Books     MOVIE SOUNDTRACKSNEW AND FUTURE RELEASES     NOTTING HILL - Soundtrack,Video,DVD,Books     POP MUSIC - Page 1     POP MUSIC - Page 2     POP MUSIC - New and Notable     RICKY MARTIN      ROCK MUSIC - Page 1 ROCK MUSIC - New and Notable - Page 1     ROCK MUSIC - New and Notable - Page 2 SARAH MACLACHLAN - Page 1     SARAH MACLACHLAN - Page 2     SHANIA TWAIN    WHITNEY HOUSTON

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