SOUND CHECK.NELLIE McKAY: ``Pretty Little Head'' (Hungry Mouse) - Three and one half stars She's pro-gay marriage, anti-vivisection -- and not afraid to sing about it. That's McKay, the sweet-voiced singer-pianist who persuaded Sony to issue her first CD -- the great ``Get Away From Me'' -- as a double disc. For this second effort, the label balked at the double-set treatment, and Nellie took her 23 tracks and walked. On her own label -- and as her own producer -- ``Pretty Little Head'' is full-strength, unfiltered Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. Remove this template after wikifying. This article has been tagged since McKay. She's political and very personal in this bushel of songs that bounce from pure '60s pop to hard rock and the occasional rap. And in true Nellie fashion, things go from sweet to disturbing and back again with regularity. As a bonus, she and Cyndi Lauper duet on ``Beecharmer,'' and k.d. lang guests on ``we had it right.'' -- Steven Rosenberg GEORGE WINSTON: ``Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions'' (RCA See RCA connector and video/TV history. Victor) - Three stars Right about now, millions of people are digging out their copies of Winston's ``December,'' the pianist's beloved 1982 soother. But anyone looking for a change of pace from the introspective in·tro·spect intr.v. in·tro·spect·ed, in·tro·spect·ing, in·tro·spects To engage in introspection. [Latin intr piano man should check out ``Gulf Coast Blues,'' easily the most un-Winston-like album in his career. Here Winston pays tribute to his Crescent City favorites -- Professor Longhair, James Booker, Henry Butler and the like -- delivering a set that shakes, rattles and rolls. The highlight is a 12-minute deep blues reading of ``When the Saints Go Marching In "When the Saints Go Marching In", so well-known that it is often referred to merely as "The Saints", is a United States gospel hymn that has taken on certain aspects of folk music. ,'' proving New Age guys have soul, too. Start the party with this one. -- Glenn Whipp CHRIS PUREKA: ``Dryland'' (Sad Rabbit Music) - Three stars A New England folkie folk·ie also folk·y n. pl. folk·ies 1. A folk singer or musician. 2. One who is an enthusiast of folk music. adj. with a parched parch v. parched, parch·ing, parch·es v.tr. 1. To make extremely dry, especially by exposure to heat: The midsummer sun parched the earth. , wounded voice and a mean way with an acoustic guitar, Pureka makes romantic depression seem, somehow, invigorating. Her literate, brokenhearted bro·ken·heart·ed adj. Grievously sad. brokenhearted Adjective overwhelmed by grief or disappointment Adj. 1. laments dominate the disc, but a lovely, haunting memory piece about her grandma and a cover of Gillian Welch's ``Everything Is Free'' provide some different shades of blue. Pureka plays the Knitting Factory in Hollywood on Tuesday. -- Bob Strauss CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 3) no caption (CD covers) |
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