SOUND CHECK : POP.Rage Against the Machine/``Evil Empire'' Rage Against the Machine landed such a knockout with its 1993 self-titled debut that it would seem churlish churl·ish adj. 1. Of, like, or befitting a churl; boorish or vulgar. 2. Having a bad disposition; surly: "as valiant as the lion, churlish as the bear" Shakespeare. to expect lightning to strike twice, and alas, ``Evil Empire'' (Epic) is a dud. The debut's hard-core rap/metal hybrid proved fearsome, angry and dangerous, but this time, Rage, with its nasal rapper Zack de la Rocha (from the diaphragm, Zack), brings nothing new to the table. Some of the blame belongs to ubiquitous producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots (abbreviated STP) was a popular Grammy Award-winning American hard rock band in the 1990s and early 2000s, consisting of Scott Weiland (vocals), brothers Robert (bass guitar, vocals) and Dean DeLeo (guitar), and Eric Kretz (drums, percussion). ), who softens Rage's attack. If ``Rage'' assaulted you, ``Evil Empire'' wants to fit in. That's not to say the new CD is ready for radio. Political tracks such as ``People of the Sun,'' ``Revolver'' and ``Vietnow'' still punish, but this time it's all so generic. Two stars SOURCE: - Howard Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. Cracker/``The Golden Age'' Cracker's fantasy is that you can thumb your nose at the world and suffer no consequences. On that premise, the band created two wickedly fun - if musically unoriginal - post-punk, country-rock albums. In ``The Golden Age'' (Virgin), the joke's on chief songwriter and lead singer Dave Lowery low·er·y also lour·y adj. Overcast; threatening. , 35, as he surveys what his attitude has wrought. In ``Nothing to Believe In,'' he shouts desperately, ``I got nothin' to believe in, except for you.'' In the dirge dirge n. 1. Music a. A funeral hymn or lament. b. A slow, mournful musical composition. 2. A mournful or elegiac poem or other literary work. 3. ``Dixie Babylon,'' he details a casual sexual encounter and concludes, ``I have always taken more than I have given back.'' Nary nar·y adj. Not one: "Frequently, measures of major import . . . glide through these chambers with nary a whisper of debate" George B. Merry. a witticism here. The musical arrangements, in which post-punk romps are buttressed by strings, mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. The Mellotron supervenes the Chamberlin, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard. and synths, are Cracker's most sophisticated to date. The sonic architecture isn't overwhelmed by Lowery's introspection, but it's close. Two stars SOURCE: - Faith Quintavell JAZZ Sonny Rollins/``Plus 3'' Nobody treats a melody the way Sonny Rollins does. He just pushes it along like a snowball and watches it grow and grow. Take the first cut on ``Plus 3'' (Milestone), ``What a Difference a Day Made'': After stating the theme, the saxophonist moves inside it, prods it with touches of soul and cajoles it into a blues before handing off to always-in-demand pianist Tommy Flanagan. That's classic Rollins, and so is the rest of the album, which, by the way, takes its name from the two trios that accompany him. ``Biji,'' a new composition among six covers and two originals, alternates between funk and swing. Perennial Rollins sideman side·man n. A member of a jazz band who is not the leader or a featured soloist. Al Foster's booming electric bass, a no-no in most bop circles, supports the composer's peppy, upbeat melody. Flanagan provides contrast, swinging in the funk sections and pounding out choppy block chords during the swing. Give this disc to that special naysayer nay·say tr.v. nay·said , nay·say·ing, nay·says To oppose, deny, or take a pessimistic or negative view of: They will naysay any policy that raises taxes. who insists that jazz musicians can't carry a tune and watch them get carried away. Three stars SOURCE: - Marc E. Lee Zanne Massey/``Safe to Imagine'' Zane Massey lives in Chicago, but it's his birthright to project the big sound of a Philly tenor saxophonist. Son of one of Philly's finest, the late trumpeter and composer Cal Massey, Zane grew up hearing tenor sax man John Coltrane woodshed wood·shed n. A shed in which firewood is stored. intr.v. wood·shed·ded, wood·shed·ding, wood·sheds Slang To practice on a musical instrument. Noun 1. in his home. Zane Massey's big tone, so apparent on his 1993 Delmark debut, ``Brass Knuckles,'' continues its fearless freestyling here. Massey is an acute player who can express ideas with stunning quickness, yet never sound hurried or strained. Honks and other free-jazz elements are presented as accents. Massey articulates cleanly and clearly even at high speed. He makes excellent use of space and can also play sweetly, as on his dad's tune, ``Lady Charlotte,'' written for Zane's mother. Zane Massey's own composing skills are showcased on ``Telekinetics,'' which juxtaposes tight, coiled themes hard by one another. SOURCE: - Karl Stark COUNTRY Brooks & Dunn/``Borderline'' If you'll overlook its cliched cli·chéd also cliched adj. Having become stale or commonplace through overuse; hackneyed: "In the States, it might seem a little clichéd; in Paris, it seems fresh and original" bumper-sticker mentality lyrics - primarily beers, babes and Broncos (haven't these dudes heard that country has advanced thematically?) - Brooks & Dunn's fourth CD (Arista arista (ä·riˑ·st ) offers distinctive pleasures. Such as a punchy punch·y adj. punch·i·er, punch·i·est 1. Characterized by vigor or drive: "He speaks in short, punchy sentences, using plain, populist words that excite" cover of the late B.W. Stevenson's 1973 pop hit, ``My Maria,'' which tops the original. Or the driving honky-tonker ``White Line Casanova.'' Also, ``A Man This Lonely.'' Despite an intro sounding a bit like the Eagles' recent ``Love Will Keep Us Alive,'' it's as fine a country ballad as you'll hear on the radio, and considering this duo's popularity, you will hear this stuff ad nauseam all year. Be grateful it's well-crafted and catchy and that the vocally solid Ronnie Dunn handles most of the leads rather than partner Kix Brooks, whose singing is as flat as Kansas. Two stars SOURCE: - Howard Cohen Cheri Knight/``The Knitter'' Cheri Knight - once with the Boston alternative-country outfit Blood Oranges - steps out on ``The Knitter,'' and brandishes a big, bruising Neil Young-influenced sound. Produced by ubiquitous roots knob-twiddler Eric ``Roscoe'' Ambel (the Bottle Rockets, Go to Blazes), ``The Knitter's'' (East Side Digital) best songs - the ominous ``Wishing Well,'' the spare yet insistent ``Last Barn Dance'' - build to powerful, fatalistic fa·tal·ism n. 1. The doctrine that all events are predetermined by fate and are therefore unalterable. 2. Acceptance of the belief that all events are predetermined and inevitable. conclusions. Knight is comfortable with old country and bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. forms, and on ``That I Might See'' she moves toward graceful pop. ``The Knitter's'' steady, unwavering tempos and forlorn mood can work against it, but, otherwise, it's a powerful debut. Three stars SOURCE: - Dan DeLuca CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1) Rage Against the Machine uses a rap/metal hyb rid to address tough issues. (2) Cracker, another hybrid group, performs post-punk, country rock. |
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