Live At Luther College Tim Reynolds, Dave Matthews Band      Unplugged and set apart from his bandmates, Dave Matthews is transformed from a fusion rocker to something of a fusion folkie. Indeed, this two-disc, two-man concert recording (cut in Iowa in the winter of 1996 and shelved for nearly three years) posits the South African-born bandleader less as a Blues Traveler fellow traveler than a dexterous, jazz-inflected minstrel in the tradition of Tim and Jeff Buckley, Terry Callier, and Ellen McIlwaine. As with those considerably less-successful performers, multiplatinum Matthews is enticed to soar ever higher by his considerable vocal prowess. Ultimately, Matthews takes his tunes in dizzying directions because he can! All those exhibitions of elasticity have earned Matthews disdain in less-is-more circles. Here, however, more than ably complemented by frequent DMB guest and fellow Charlottesville, Virginia, denizen Tim Reynolds, Matthews virtually bursts through 23 tunes that leave his audience wanting more. They needn't worry: even his worst critics wouldn't accuse Matthews of being stingy when it comes to music. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Live on Two Legs Pearl Jam      Seventy-one minutes of live Pearl Jam plus an unreleased song? It's aural nirvana for fans of the reclusive, integrity-driven Seattle quintet. Pearl Jam are nothing if not passionate and unabashedly rocking, and this 16-track offering, recorded during their Yield tour, illustrates why the mumbly voiced rock deity and his band of merry men inspire such ardor in their followers. Eddie Vedder's emotive vocals, Mike McCready and Stone Gossard's raw and raging fretwork and edgy, catchy, whisper-to-a-scream dynamics are deftly and inspiringly captured. Though a few staples (including "Jeremy") are missing, songs running the gamut of the band's seven-year career--from "Corduroy" to "Nothingman" to the Neil Young-penned "F*ckin' Up"--more than make up for any exclusions. The breadth and scope found on Live on Two Legs (a take on the Queen song, "Death on Two Legs"?) proves the once über-"alternative" Pearl Jam have struck a loud chord in the mainstream...and that's not a bad thing. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Ray Of Light Madonna      Never underestimate Madonna's power of persuasion: By nearly all critical accounts, Ray of Light, Madonna's first album of new material since 1994's Bedtime Stories, and her first since motherhood, is her richest, most accomplished record yet. While Ray of Light is being tagged as Madonna's big leap into electronica, it's important to note two things: First, her music has always had close ties to dance culture, and, second, her collaborator William Orbit is no Chemical Brother. Though it has all the latest blips, bleeps, and crackles electronica has to offer, Ray of Light is still largely an adult album, completely within Madonna's realm. Still, Orbit's tasteful sonic constructions provide Madonna with her most adventurous, hippest musical backdrop ever. What's more, the arrangements and production are understated enough to highlight an even bigger development: Fresh from singing lessons on the Evita set, Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity have never been stronger. But larger pipes don't necessarily make for deeper, truer music. Never a master lyricist, Madonna's words have worked best when they've practically been slogans ("Vogue," "Express Yourself"). This time she goes for more emotional depth, and even tries her hand at ethno-techno-mysticism ("Shanti/Ashtangi"). She largely stumbles, however. The tone conveyed on songs like "Nothing Really Matters" is a self-centered pat on the back that belies her claim to a newfound altruism. It's enough to make you wonder, now that Madonna's given up being our material girl, if maybe she's set her sights on becoming the center of our spiritual world too. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Spirit Jewel      It's time for an update of our image of Jewel, the ingenue who set the music world on fire with her 1995 debut album, Pieces of You. After all, that effort consisted primarily of songs Jewel had written several years before, some of them dating back to her days as a free- spirited waif living in a van on the beach in San Diego. Now, at 25, she's become a sort of guru for self-expression and full disclosure, revealing perhaps too much of herself in see-through dresses worn to awards shows and a critically drubbed (yet bestselling) book of poetry. Spirit makes plain why Jewel's well-intentioned yet sometimes facile lyrics strike a chord with her audience while her poetry lies flat on the page. On songs like "Deep Water," "Hands," and "Down So Long," her words are borne aloft by sparkling melodies and her soaring voice, making even the most cynical observer take a schoolgirl-notebook image such as "your heart like grape gum on the ground" or an unreassuring platitude like "If I could tell the world just one thing / It would be that we're all OK" somewhat in stride. On Pieces of You, Jewel posed the musical question "Who will save your soul?" On Spirit, it sounds like she wants to do it herself. And the truth is, if you don't overanalyze it, the album does act as a sort of balm for wounded psyches or maybe a primer for raising your own inner child. Maybe she's right and we are all OK. Who knew? Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Stunt Barenaked Ladies      The Ladies have done more than lie in bed the way Brian Wilson did; they've spent some quality sandbox time mastering the intricacies of catchy pop records, hooks and all. Sounding at times like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young after a week in the Caribbean, the Ladies mix a dash of rap with a pop backbeat on "One Week," while "It's All Been Done" is classic 1960s Top 40, right down to the "woo-hoo-hoo" backing vocals. The lyrics are the hidden joy on this record, with lines like "I love you more than I did the week before I discovered alcohol" and the male voice singing about tying his pantyhose around his neck. The songs are well crafted and the production flushes out the Ladies' hidden musical talents, resulting in their best effort since Gordon. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie Alanis Morissette      When Alanis Morissette visited Mother India in 1997, she gained new composure and, in a state of numinous bliss, wrote 17 songs for Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, each suffused with the search for enlightenment and self-knowledge. To the likely dismay of many fans, Morissette now rages at herself. But this long-awaited follow-up to 1995's record-smashing Jagged Little Pill is far from a disappointment. Imbued with dark, swirling psychedelic licks borrowed from Jimmy Page's song book, the disc is paradoxically both more enigmatic and revealing than Pill. And while Junkie shows that Morissette is no less stingy about revealing herself to her fans--her staccato stream-of-consciousness style is again employed to surrender her secrets and foibles a little too easily in these tales of abuse, lost love, and self-flagellation--Junkie also makes one wonder what this musical sphinx holds back. In "Baba" she takes on competitive spirituality, sneering at the fashionable grasp for enlightenment. "Would Not Come" returns to a similar theme--taking us on a tour of her diary. "Would Not Come" and "Your House" offer the only hints of sexual innuendo. The only revenge she wreaks on an errant lover is in the percussive "Are You Still Mad," this time dishing up a much subtler payback than on "You Oughta Know." The record's standouts, meanwhile, are "Thank U" and the hip-poppy "So Pure." One complaint (and there is only one): Morissette's rapid-fire wordplay is at times engulfed by ponderous instrumentation. The worldbeat rhythms and elaborate guitar play add fresh twists to the album, but they also sometimes bury her message. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Surfacing [ENHANCED CD] Sarah McLachlan      There's the requisite number of gorgeously melodic and deeply heartfelt songs here--the addictive "Sweet Surrender," the Hollywood-style ballad "I Love You," the sad, profound "Angel," the flat-out spectacular "Witness." McLachlan's not prolific, but this short, bittersweet album proves again that what she and producer Pierre Marchand do release is cut from the finest of cloth. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

The Best Of 1980-1990 [Limited] U2      One need hear only the first notes of this collection--the Edge's ringing guitar notes ushering in "Pride (In the Name of Love)"--to be taken back to 1984: Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher rule the Western world, the L.A. Olympics is the top sports story, and Ms. Pac-Man reigns at arcades. In rock & roll, there's U2 growing in stature with each new tour and title. Even doubters of the Irish lads have to concede that together they formed the one '80s band with the skill and sense of scale to take over the airwaves and concert stages in a decade of diminished expectations. This 15-song '80s best-of assortment (stick around for the hidden track) spans the decade, reaching back to 1980's "I Will Follow," when Bono and company were peach-fuzzy and earnest as choirboys, and tracking their path through their most glaring misstep, 1988's overblown Rattle and Hum. The limited-edition second disc is the real treat for stalwart fans. It's laden with odds and ends, highlights of which include some spot-on covers (Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot," the old pop hits "Everlasting Love" and "Unchained Melody") and misplaced originals (the great '82 B-side "Trash, Trampoline, and the Party Girl"). The group's more jovial '90s recordings provide evidence that U2 shine brightly when they don't take themselves too seriously. These likable leftovers prove that was true in the '80s, too. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

The Book Of Secrets Loreena McKennitt      McKennitt's recordings always have the quality of a spiritual sojourn; her songs are those of a seeker, whether she's setting Yeats, Scripture, or her own words to her compositions. It's this that attracts people to her music, and The Book of Secrets is no exception, whether it's the lazy rhythms of "Marco Polo," the sober joy of "The Mummers' Dance," the poignancy of "Skellig" or "Dante's Prayer," or the drama of Alfred Noyes's "The Highwayman." "The Highwayman" is a particularly strong effort, especially in comparison to her earlier setting of "The Lady of Shalott"; McKennitt has become much more skilled at musical narrative. This is music that can be enjoyed on many levels, from McKennitt's growing skill as a composer to the deeper questions posed by her lyrics. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live, 1966: The "Royal Albert Hall Concert" [BOX SET] Bob Dylan      The greatest live recording in rock & roll history was--officially, at least--buried in the vaults of Columbia Records for more than a quarter of a century. But no more: Live 1966: The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert has surfaced on two discs mixed and mastered from three-track source tapes that put the myriad pirated recordings to shame. More important, Live 1966 documents a momentous artistic showdown between a willful, inflamed, and utterly fearless performer and his headstrong core following. The Dylan of the mid '60s had made the leap from socially conscious voice of his generation to surrealistic electric poet, a transformation that was met with contempt by a vocal element of his audience. The most telling moment of the recording centers on the standoff: A folk zealot in the audience shouts, "Judas!" earning cheers from the contentious crowd. Dylan responds by snarling, "I don't believe you. You're a liar," then turns to his group, the Hawks (soon to become the Band), and, as the intro to "Like a Rolling Stone" takes shape, commands, "Play loud!" A crucial moment and, time has demonstrated, the correct call. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

The Dirty Boogie Brian Setzer      Brian Setzer has spent much of his career revving up already hot retro styles to a booming pitch. While this generally worked in his early years with the rockabilly Stray Cats, it largely fails with his swing orchestra. Louis Prima--whose "Jump Jive an' Wail" is faithfully remade here--wasn't exactly the king of subtlety himself, but even he might have covered his ears at the blare produced by the combination of Setzer's (admittedly sharp) guitar playing and a too-bright horn section. A couple of The Dirty Boogie's cuts are cute ("You're the Boss," an Elvis Presley/Ann-Margret duet, is recast for Setzer and No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani), but fans of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy might think twice. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Up R.E.M.      After R.E.M.'s somewhat ambitious 1996 album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, failed to ignite Billboard's Hot 100, you might have figured the band would return to the rock-solid bombast of Monster or the consumer-friendly pop of Green. But R.E.M. have enough cash not to worry about commercial failure, and they've already been to the top of the mountain, so for now they'd rather explore its lush valleys and secret caves. Up is an atmospheric journey as impressionistic as Enya and as evocative as John Barry. Some critics have compared it with the band's delicate and emotionally revealing gem Automatic for the People, but Up is more ambitious and creative. Sure, most of the songs are pastoral, but they're undercut with drama and sonic experimentation. The melodies are generally spare, the beats sparse. Guitars flicker in and out, providing tension and dynamics, while quivering strings, layered keyboards, and washes of feedback color the songs like textured lines of paint in an oil portrait. The only blatant pop song is the single "Daysleeper." The rest of the album ebbs and flows, each song a separate component of a complete artistic expression. The sound may be influenced by guitarist Peter Buck's cinematic jazz side project Tuatara or by Michael Stipe's celluloid excursions, but its source doesn't matter. What's important is that more than a decade after their sell-by date, R.E.M. continue to challenge and inspire. Things are definitely looking up. Click here for more information or to order this CD.

Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies   Cherry Poppin' Daddies      One of a handful of pop groups in the latter half of the 1990s to exploit the renewed interest in American roots (swing, big band, soul) music, this Eugene, Oregon ensemble scored big with a neat modern update of the old school. Purists take note: Cherry Poppin' Daddies built a following by touring with third-wave ska outfits like Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish, prompting main Daddy Steve Perry to wryly call his group "third-wave swing." But post-Swingers dance fanatics (rockabilly retro-cats, modern-day sockhoppers, and Royal Crown Revue boosters) don't sweat the particulars. Charged horn arrangements, bouncy rhythms, and saucy verve effectively recall masters like Basie, Cab, and Ol' Blue Eyes while injecting an unmistakable post-punk ethic. 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 - Page 2    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 SOUNDTRACKS     NEW 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 CLICK HERE FOR POP MUSIC CD's - Page 1

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