SOUND CHECK.ASHANTI: ``Chapter II'' (Murder Inc./Def Jam) - One and one half stars MONICA MONICA Cardiology A WHO initiative–Multinational Monitoring of Trends & Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease–which evaluated the effects of various factors on mortality in Pts MIs : ``After the Storm'' (J/BMG) - Two stars To prove a theory this reviewer has long held, the latest discs from pop- r&b songbirds Ashanti and Monica were slipped into a CD player on random play along with ``The Hulk'' score as a control. Identifying the differences in vocal skill, production and song quality was easy - except for a single hard-rock track, ``The Hulk'' is instrumental. The other two, well, it's feasible not even their moms could tell 'em apart. Both hit albums are filled with forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget by-the-numbers candy-pop, formula pillow-talk and more leg than the Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon is an annual marathon held in Los Angeles, California since 1986. It was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. The race starts at about 8:15AM and runs through Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, the Crenshaw district, and . Monica, last heard from during 1998's Brandy vs. Monica border skirmish after combining on a hit song, has the edge since she's plainly a stronger singer and chose not to clog her album with the inane spoken-word skits that make Ashanti's ``Chapter II'' something of an ordeal. Exec producer Missy Elliott gets the best out of Monica on the standout ``Get It Off'' while Ashanti is too often saddled with the tiresome emissions of a gangsta-rapper unfortunately named Chink Santana Originally out of a go-go band from Washington, D.C., Andre Parker, better known as Chink Santana, was an original member of the rap group, CCOC (Cap City Outzyda Clique). When Irv Gotti, CEO of Murder Inc. to make her effort one to come back to. - Fred Shuster CAFE TACUBA: ``Cuatro cuat·ro n. pl. cuat·ros A small guitarlike instrument of Latin America, usually having four or five pairs of strings. [Spanish, from Latin quattuor, four; see quatrain.] Caminos'' (MCA MCA in full Music Corporation of America Entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in Chicago in 1924 by Jules Stein as a talent agency. In the 1960s it bought Decca Records and Universal Pictures, and today it produces films, music, and television shows. ) 1/2f=Helvetica Condensed con·dense v. con·densed, con·dens·ing, con·dens·es v.tr. 1. To reduce the volume or compass of. 2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten. 3. Physics a. BoldFrom the opening moments of this 14-track set, the first studio recording from the Mexican art-rock quartet since 1999's Grammy-winning ``Reves/Yo Soy,'' it's easy to see why Cafe Tacuba has been embraced by people on both sides of the border. This is a great band. Period. Joined by longtime producer Gustavo Santaolalla, as well as David Fridmann (Flaming Lips) and Andrew Weiss (Ween), the band continues to experiment with various styles, employ sound effects and evoke different moods. Standouts include the Eastern-influenced ``Hoy es,'' the crunching guitar-rock of ``Que Pasara'' and the day-dreamy ``Mediodia,'' the latter of which is a lush palette of rounded bass lines, jangling jan·gle v. jan·gled, jan·gling, jan·gles v.intr. To make a harsh metallic sound: The spurs jangled noisily. v.tr. 1. guitars and bell- chimes topped by the emotive vocalization vocalization to make a vocal sound; a form of communication. Studies of feline vocalization have identified murmur, vowel and strained intensity patterns. excessive vocalization of Ruben Albarran (aka Elfego Buendia). His signature punk rasps are interchanged with sweet coos on the mid-tempo rock opener ``Cero y uno,'' and he breathlessly scats and pants over the oompah oom·pah also oom·pah-pah n. A rhythmic sound made by a tuba or other brass instrument. [Imitative . techno beats of ``EO,'' which sounds like something out of a classic Atari video game. It's just what you'd expect from Cafe Tacuba. - Sandra Barrera WILLIE NELSON & RAY PRICE: ``Run That By Me One More Time'' (Lost Highway) - Three and one half stars WILLIE NELSON & FRIENDS: ``Live and Kickin' '' (Lost Highway) - Two and one half stars While the rest of the country may think it's America's birthday, in places like Austin and Nashville they've been celebrating Willie's big 7-0 for months. And now the discs are here. Columbia Legacy has reissued four classic albums, most notably ``San Antonio Rose,'' the country crooner's slickly sublime 1980 collaboration with former boss Price. The old smoothies got together again for the new ``Run That By Me,'' and while not as perfectly countrypolitan polished as ``Rose,'' this scruffier after-hours (but still sober) affair has an old-boys-ain't-lost-it flawlessness that's a joy. On the other end of the spectrum, the sloppy, sometimes surreal pairings of Nelson and guests like Wyclef Jean and Steven Tyler on the TV concert album ``Live and Kickin' '' can sound like caterwaulin'. But there are enough interesting duets - with Price, Paul Simon, Norah Jones, Diana Krall and Elvis Costello and more - to reward committed listening. Happy birthday, already. - Bob Strauss CAPTION(S): 7 photos Photo: (1) MONICA Arnold Tuner/WireImage.com (2) ASHANTI (3 -- 7) no caption (CD covers) Steve Grayson/WireImage.com |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion