SOUND CHECK : R&B VARIOUS/``GO GIRL! SOUL SISTERS TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS''.Some titles, like Aretha Franklin's ``Respect'' and Laura Lee's ``Wedlock Is a Padlock,'' were expected. But where ``Go Girl! Soul Sisters Tellin' It Like It Is'' (Rhino), an imaginative compilation of advice songs from 15 sweethearts of soul, surprises is by digging up obscure wonders from Priscilla Price, Ilana, and the Apollas. Each cut is a gem, especially the early '70s low-lights burner ``Your Turn to Cry'' by Betty LaVette, Lyn Collins' James Brown-inspired ``Think (About It)'' and the Motown-fueled ``Needle in a Haystack'' by the Velvelettes. Of course, you can't go wrong when Ann Peebles, Mable John Mable John (born November 3, 1930) is an American blues vocalist who was the first female signed by Berry Gordy to Motown's Tamla label. Biography John was born in Bastrop, Louisiana, and moved from the south to Detroit to find employment. and Irma Thomas Irma Thomas (b. February 18, 1941, Ponchatoula, Louisiana) is a Grammy Award winning soul and rhythm and blues singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans. are also doing the testifying. A stone knockout. Four stars SOURCE: - Fred Shuster ROCK Tool/``Aenima'' Tool's hideous new album zoomed up the top five the week of release, which either means payola pay·o·la n. 1. Bribery of an influential person in exchange for the promotion of a product or service, such that of disc jockeys for the promotion of records. 2. is back, record companies have finally figured out a way to beat SoundScan or popular culture is now dominated by metal-addled 12-year-olds with money to burn. The answer is probably a little of each, because nobody with any sense could stand to listen to this drivel driv·el v. driv·eled or driv·elled, driv·el·ing or driv·el·ling, driv·els v.intr. 1. To slobber; drool. 2. To flow like spittle or saliva. 3. for more than 30 seconds. ``Aenima'' (Zoo), the second album from these third-rate Nine Inch Nails copyists, is so dull, trite, predictable, pretentious and downright dumb it could drive any self-respecting devil worshiper Noun 1. devil worshiper - someone who worships devils worshipper, believer, worshiper - a person who has religious faith diabolist, Satanist - an adherent of Satan or Satanism to hang up the shroud. SOURCE: F.S. Wesley Willis/``Feel the Power'' Wesley Willis, of course, is the (how shall we put this?) emotionally challenged onetime street musician embraced by the KROQ crowd for his endless series of songs based on his Casio keyboard's presets. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , every number sounds the same. Then there are the lyrics, in which Willis normally just repeats the title over and over again. ``Feel the Power'' (American) contains such silliness as ``Ice Cube,'' ``Snoop Doggy Dogg,'' ``Alice in Chains,'' ``Jello Biafra,'' ``The Thirsty Whale'' and ``Melissa Dragich,'' named for a former publicist at the company. No wonder ``Rick Rubin'' is reportedly trying to unload this label. One star SOURCE: - F.S. Donovan/``Sutras'' Mr. Mellow Yellow is back from the retirement home (``Time for your Van Morrison, dearie. You just sit quietly.''). OK, maybe he hasn't been in a nursing home exactly, but Donovan certainly has been getting lots of rest if ``Sutras'' (American) is anything to go by. It's one of the most teeth-gnashingly peaceful albums we've ever heard, partly because of the softly finger-picked guitar that verges on new age and partly because of Donovan's ``I-love-you-like-the-earth'' delivery. There's only one correct response to this music, and Mr. Leitch was good enough to supply a song about it: ``Sleep.'' One star SOURCE: - F.S. Various/``Shared Vision 2: The Songs of the Rolling Stones'' Today, the tribute album is ubiquitous. At least this one devoted to the Rolling Stones Rolling Stones, English rock music group that rose to prominence in the mid-1960s and continues to exert great influence. Members have included singer Mick Jagger (Michael Phillip Jagger), 1943–; guitarists Brian Jones benefits a good cause: Lighthouse Inc., a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. that helps the vision-impaired lead independent lives. ``Shared Vision 2: The Songs of the Rolling Stones'' (Mercury) contains an eclectic mix of obscure and famous acts, and while it's not without a few gems, the 15-track disc is spotty at best. Crank up the volume on Buckwheat buckwheat, common name for certain members of the Polygonaceae, a family of herbs and shrubs found chiefly in north temperate areas and having a characteristic pungent juice containing oxalic acid. Species native to the United States are most common in the West. Zydeco's Cajun version of ``Beast of Burden'' or Social Distortion's in-concert cover of ``Back Street Girl'' and all is forgiven. Almost. But skip the Feelies' ``Paint It Black,'' unless you've always wondered what the song might sound like in punk form. And Tom Jones' cover of ``(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'' is embarrassing, made even worse when followed by the Neville Brothers' soulful live reading of ``You Can't Always Get What You Want.'' On the upside, Johnny Cash's ``No Expectations'' is perfectly suited to the Man in Black, while offerings from Dramarama (``Memo From Turner'') and Marianne Faithful (an eerie live ``Sister Morphine'') are solid. L.A. Guns' ``Around and Around'' is fun, too. Two stars SOURCE: - Elizabeth M. Cosin JAZZ Kevin Eubanks/``Live at Bradley's'' Leading TV's ``Tonight Show'' band for Jay Leno Jay Leno (born April 28, 1950) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer who is best known as the current host of NBC television's long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. Biography Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York. certainly hasn't harmed the straight-ahead jazz Straight-ahead jazz is a term used to refer to a widely accepted style of jazz music playing that can be thought of as roughly encompassing the period between bebop and the 1960s styles of Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. chops of congenial guitarist Kevin Eubanks Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), is an American jazz guitarist who has been the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno since 1995. . Here, captured on stage at an intimate New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of club with a superb two-piece rhythm section Noun 1. rhythm section - the section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments percussion section, percussion section - a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class , Eubanks stretches out on extended readings of the traditional ``Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child'' and Lionel Hampton's ``Red Top.'' Several gorgeous Jim Hall-Ron Carter duet albums and the simmering groove guitar style of Grant Green are recalled during pianist James Williams' ``Alter Ego A doctrine used by the courts to ignore the corporate status of a group of stockholders, officers, and directors of a corporation in reference to their limited liability so that they may be held personally liable for their actions when they have acted fraudulently or unjustly or when ,'' another lengthy workout on the excellent ``Live at Bradley's'' (Blue Note). Great for fans of jazz guitar or just plain jazz. Four stars SOURCE: - F.S. Ornette Coleman/``Sound Museum: Hidden Man'' and ``Sound Museum: Three Women'' Ornette Coleman, who started a jazz revolution in the '50s by ignoring the rules of standard harmony, melody, form and pitch, is back with an acoustic outfit that recalls his lean, classic bands. The lineup on these two albums is surprising: Detroiter Geri Allen plays piano - Coleman's first use of the instrument in 37 years - with bassist Charnett Moffitt and drummer Denardo Coleman (Ornette's son). In a typical burst of whimsy whim·sy also whim·sey n. pl. whim·sies also whim·seys 1. An odd or fanciful idea; a whim. 2. A quaint or fanciful quality: stories full of whimsy. , both albums for the Harmolodic/Verve label consist of nearly identical tunes, though the interpretations vary greatly. To my ears, ``Three Women'' is superior. The group improvisations sound alternately tentative and forced on ``Hidden Man,'' as if everyone is still getting acquainted. The larger problem is Denardo: He isn't nearly as sophisticated a musician as his father or rhythm mates. Too often, he interrupts delicate bits of interplay with inappropriate fills or ill-timed bursts of texture and rhythm; he doesn't really swing either. It's not that there aren't moments throughout both CDs when everything comes into focus - it just doesn't happen enough. Two stars CAPTION(S): 7 Photos Photo: (1) 1960s singing sensation Donovan returns witha mellow album titled ``Sutras.'' (2) No caption (CD of ``Go Girl Soul Sisters Tellin' It Like It Is'') (3) No caption (CD of ``Aenima'') (4) No caption (CD of ``Feel the Power'') (5) No caption (CD of ``Shared Vision 2'') (6) No caption (CDof ``Live at Bradley's'') (7) No caption (CD of ``Sound Museum: Hidden Man'') |
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