SOUND CHECK : ROCK.

Prince/``Emancipation''

According to some nattering nabobs of negativity, the Squiggle hasn't made a fully satisfying album since ``Controversy,'' despite a dozen or so later attempts. Prince - or whatever he calls himself these days - is simply too prolific for his own good.

``Emancipation'' (NPG), billed as the first release in years that truly reflects Prince's current musical state of mind, is overlong, uneven, often annoying and nowhere as good as ``Controversy'' or ``Dirty Mind.''

Where those early '80s discs still exude large doses of pure, natural soul, much of the three-CD ``Emancipation'' suffers from the use of hideous rhythm machines, tinny synthesizers, insipid, self-important lyrics and soppy, cliche-ridden melodies.

Of more than 35 tracks, only a comparative few deserve return visits, among them the sturdy funk workouts ``New World,'' ``Emancipation,'' ``We Gets Up,'' ``Get Yo Groove On,'' ``Jam of the Year,'' a lovely cover of the 1972 Stylistics hit ``Betcha by Golly, Wow!'' and the swing-style ``Courtin' Time.''

Much of the rest consists of stomach-turning love ballads like ``Dreamin' About U'' and the positively nightmarish ``Let's Have a Baby.'' Two Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Tricky/``Pre-Millennium Tension''

Picking up where the genre-crashing ``Maxinquaye'' left off, the new disc from British trip-hop master Tricky is more abrasive but equally inviting.

There's a strong rock vibe here and less of the trippy atmospherics that made the 1995 album so refreshing. The grooves, drums and material here are more energetic and aggressive.

The Tricky of ``Pre-Millennium Tension'' (Island) jumps from the harmonica-driven jungle rock of ``Sex-Drive'' to an almost Cajun-sounding ``My Evil Is Strong'' to some kind of strange reggae hybrid on ``Christiansands.''

Dense and challenging in places, but ultimately good for you. Three Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Various/``Live From the Music Hall Vol. 3''

Regular in-house performances at album alternative KSCA-FM (101.9) helped cement the station's reputation as this city's most adventurous commercial music outlet. ``Live From the Music Hall Vol. 3'' (KSCA) proves the point.

Artists seem to flourish in the cramped atmosphere of the Music Hall, which is really a hallway between studios at the Burbank-area station. While some artists appear rougher than usual, Sting's track predictably sounds as if it was lifted directly off his last album.

The real standouts here include Howard Jones' quietly inspirational reading of his '80s hit, ``No One to Blame,'' the BoDeans' ``Idaho,'' Jackopierce's ``Trials'' and the Wallflowers' all-acoustic version of its current smash, ``6th Avenue Heartache,'' which comes off like a completely different song.

One drawback is the inclusion of forgettable KSCA-hyped bands Common Sense and Southern Culture on the Skids. The former is a second-rate reggae-influenced outfit, while the latter is a novelty band painfully overplayed on the station. Four Stars.

?13- Elizabeth M. Cosin

Duncan Sheik/``Duncan Sheik''

Newcomer Duncan Sheik is anything but rough. This 26-year-old Southerner's self-titled debut (Atlantic) is filled with the kind of inviting, silky elements that characterized such '70s groups as the Steve Miller Band and the Moody Blues.

Sheik's single, ``Barely Breathing,'' is bolting up the charts chiefly due to a subtle but insidious melody and a catchy dance groove. The same kind of production drives other standouts such as ``She Runs Away'' and ``Home,'' tunes that are bolstered by Sheik's sure, haunting vocals. Three Stars

?13- Elizabeth M. Cosin

urban

Various/``The Best of Rap-A-Lot''

Nobody gets in the holiday spirit like a rap label. Here's a Christmas-ready collection of murder, misery and misogyny from Rap-A-Lot, Dallas' answer to Death Row Records.

``The Best of Rap-A-Lot'' opens with its one stone highlight, the Geto Boys' convincing classic, ``Mind Playing Tricks on Me.'' Another winner, but a tough one to return to, is ex-Geto Boy Bushwick Bill's true-life tale of the drunken shooting that left him without an eye, ``Ever So Clear.''

The rest of this mediocre sampler, which includes three examples of nonsense from the witless Scarface, is best left untested. Two Stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Latin

Selena/``Siempre Selena''

The second posthumous set from the vaults of pop-Tejano superstar Selena has already spawned two hits, but it's clearly second-rate material at best.

Consisting mostly of dreary romantic ballads sung in Spanish and English, the chart-topping ``Siempre Selena'' (EMI Latin) is geared toward fans awaiting the Selena movie due in April.

The packaging is eye-catching, but unless you have a weakness for slow-mo love songs like ``Como Quisiera'' or ``Siempre Hace Frio,'' forget it. One Star

?13- Fred Shuster

jazz

Madeleine Peyroux/``Dreamland''

Listening to Paris-based American chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux with your eyes closed, you could almost believe she's channeling Billie Holiday. Whether this is a good thing is hard to say.

On ``Dreamland'' (Atlantic), Peyroux explores her influences from Lady Day to Patsy Cline to Edith Piaf. In doing so, she sometimes sounds like she's playing roles.

But a closer examination reveals Peyroux's talent goes beyond mere impressions. Adding to what shapes up as an accomplished debut is an impressive backup band that includes guitarists Marc Ribot and Vernon Reid, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, plus horn players Marcus Printup and James Carter. Three Stars

?13- Elizabeth M. Cosin

blues

Guy Davis/``Call Down the Thunder''

Guy Davis won't make anyone forget the greats who obviously inspire his music, but his take on the blues isn't itself forgettable.

``Call Down the Thunder'' (Red House) is an amicable mix of traditional and contemporary blues by a guy who seems to really enjoy what he's doing. It's that and an almost childlike innocence that makes this album so infectious.

Ironically, the best song here is barely blues at all. Davis' own ``The Road Is Calling'' has a great r&b feel that fits so well, one wonders why he doesn't fully explore this style. Three Stars

?13- Elizabeth M. Cosin

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7 Photos

Photo: (1) ``Siempre Selena'' consists mostly of dreary romantic ballads sung in Spanish and English.

(2--7) no caption (CD covers)