SOUND CHECK.

GRAM PARSONS: ``The Complete Reprise Sessions'' (Reprise/Rhino) - Four stars

We're assuming you're one of the truckers, kickers and cowboy angels who own and treasure their single-disc two-fers of Parsons' solo albums, ``GP'' and ``Grievous Angel.'' And given that Parsons fans tend to be obsessive about their cosmic cowboy, we're assuming you also own Rhino's splendid two-disc ``Anthology,'' which collects Parsons' work with the Byrds and Flying Burrito Bros., as well as the aforementioned albums.

So, you're rightly wondering, why bother with this splendidly packaged three-disc collection? Housed in an oversize, clamshell box, ``Reprise Sessions'' (in stores Tuesday) contains the remastered albums with their original artwork, supplemented by a just-OK radio interview.

It's the third disc that's the lure -- 15 alternate takes spotlighting the improvisational skills of Parsons' crack band while he and Emmylou Harris discover the magic of their intertwined voices. It's not revelatory, but poor ol' Gram -- he sure could sing.

-- Glenn Whipp

JOSH RITTER: ``The Animal Years'' (V2) - Four stars

Ritter's fans have likened the 29-year-old singer-songwriter to a Gen-X Bob Dylan for years. And with ``The Animal Years,'' his first album for a major label, he finally lives up to the comparison. Save for a few falsettos, Ritter doesn't sing so much as he talks beautifully. Words dominate his sound, layered delicately over harplike acoustic melodies, some drums and the occasional piano chord. If his earlier work had a glib, whimsical lilt -- this is the man who wrote a song comparing the powers of love to fusion and photosynthesis -- ``The Animal Years'' has a more mature, probing tone.

The centerpiece, ``Thin Blue Line,'' is a poetic, 11-minute ``Divine Comedy''-like journey through the hell of the war on terror. Ritter may not quite be Dylan yet, but he's getting close.

-- Emmanuelle Soichet

GORDON GOODWIN'S BIG PHAT BAND: ``The Phat Pack'' (Immergent) - Four Stars

Running a big band is kind of like juggling flaming chain saws -- who's to say which is more difficult? Gordon Goodwin -- CSUN alumnus, Grammy (``The Incredibles'') and Emmy winner -- gives way more than the proverbial 110 percent with his 18-piece Big Phat Band. ``The Phat Pack'' CD clocks in at 75 minutes -- they don't get any longer -- with swing, Latin, funk, a Looney Tunes tribute, and even orchestral excursions. The band is tight, the solos thrilling, and the special guests (Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn, Eddie Daniels, Take 6) at their very best. A bonus DVD features a complete surround-sound mix, videos, Gordon's audio commentary, games (yes, games) and more.

-- Steven Rosenberg

TONY ALLEN: ``Lagos No Shaking'' (Honest Jon's/Astralwerks) - Three stars

Among the most distinctive drummers on the planet, Allen manned the engine room in the late Fela Kuti's great Afrobeat ensembles of the '70s; that's him behind the traps on such classics as ``Zombie,'' ``Shakara'' and 28 other Fela long-players. On his latest as leader, Allen fronts a full-size Nigerian band, and the resulting ``Lagos No Shaking'' (meaning ``Lagos is OK'') is arguably the most instantly accessible African music CD of the year. The bar is set high with the impossible-to-resist opener, ``Ise Nla,'' which thunders with blasts of tough horn riffs, subtle polyrhythms, elegantly syncopated guitar and gorgeous call-and-response vocals -- the hallmarks of Afrobeat. Nothing else on the disc attempts to compete with this stellar high-energy workout. The other 10 tracks, while enjoyable, cover midtempo modern r&b and more traditional sounds but never approach the full-throttle peaks of that incredible first track.

-- Fred Shuster

ALLISON MOORER ``Getting Somewhere'' (Sugar Hill) - Three stars

Though trace elements of her country past can still be heard, Moorer's latest album is primarily a rocking affair. Produced by her husband, Steve Earle (his signature Moog raga is detectable on the couple's co-written ``Fairweather''), it's a collection of the brandy-throated singer's own compositions about taking charge of one's life and becoming your own woman. This theme reaches particularly poignant heights with the back-to-back tracks ``New Years Day'' and ``How She Does It,'' both of which reference Moorer and songstress sister Shelby Lynne's childhood with an abusive, eventually murderous father. A worthwhile departure for a great voice that's often struggled with inadequate material.

-- Bob Strauss

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(1) no caption (GRAM PARSONS)

(2) no caption (CD covers)