SOUND CHECK.Dido/``No Angel'' (Arista arista (ä·riˑ·st ) The semaphorically sem·a·phore n. 1. A visual signaling apparatus with flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, as one used on a railroad. 2. named Dido is a smoky-voiced graduate of England's trip-hop scene (she helped brother Rollo and his band, Faithless; he returns the favor by co-producing about half these tracks). Their loss is our gain. Dido's voice shares certain qualities with Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. O'Riordan, without the unlistenable un·lis·ten·a·ble adj. Being such that listening with comfort or pleasure is impossible: an unlistenable operatic solo; an unlistenable diatribe. bray the Cranberries diva sometimes lapses into. It's the same smoke and quaver and heavily textured alto that wraps around the words of a song about heartbreak or hope. The many highlights here include the nasty reverse psychology of ``Don't Think of Me,'' the unapologetic title track and the lilting longing of ``Here With Me'' (among the most-added tracks at adult-alternative radio this week). For such a beautiful bird, Dido's song is sad and lovely. Three and one half stars - David Bloom David Bloom (May 22, 1963 – April 6, 2003) was an NBC journalist (co-anchor of Weekend Today and reporter) until his sudden death in 2003 at the age of 39. Early life Jamiroquai/``Synkronized'' (Work/Sony) Silly-hat r&b singer Jay Kay and his Brit soul-pop outfit Jamiroquai not only struck gold with the electro-funk ``Deeper Underground'' track used on the ``Godzilla'' soundtrack, it also gave him a new direction. With ``Synkronized,'' Kay's fourth and most accomplished release, the accent is on white-hot funk and disco stomp, typified by first single ``Canned Heat'' and the equally memorable ``Supersonic.'' In fact, many of these tunes could be from an imaginary lost Average White Band album. Jamiroquai - who appear July 7 at the Greek Theatre - take a step in the right direction. Three stars - Fred Shuster Loudon Wainwright III/``Social Studies'' (Hannibal) Perennial grouch Wainwright III has been skewering targets of all sorts for so long that son Rufus has grown up enough to put out his own acclaimed album. Here, Daddy Wainwright covers some overly familiar territory - Tonya Harding Tonya Maxine Harding (born November 12, 1970) is an American former figure skater. Despite a tough childhood in an unstable family, as well as being plagued by asthma (aggravated by smoking), she became an elite figure skater. She won the U.S. , the O.J. Simpson trial, the invasions of Panama and Iraq, Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. (born October 18, 1921) is a former five-term Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was considered one of the leading figures of the modern "Christian right". and the NEA NEA abbr. 1. National Education Association 2. National Endowment for the Arts NEA (US) n abbr (= National Education Association) → Verband für das Erziehungswesen censorship fight - as if he were clearing out the cupboard of topics he's been stacking up for a decade. The lyrics, as always, are clever and funny, but their musical side won't stand up to repeated listens, nor will their punch lines. That said, some of his more reportorial songs about real life - ``Carmine carmine /car·mine/ (kahr´min) a red coloring matter used as a histologic stain. indigo carmine indigotindisulfonate sodium. car·mine n. Street,'' ``Pretty Good Day'' and ``What Gives'' - are thoughtful, wonderful songs that will stay fresh for years. Two and one half stars - D.B. Frank Sinatra/``Sinatra '57: In Concert'' (Artanis/DCC) This concert, long a favorite on the bootleg circuit, finds Sinatra working with the incomparable Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was a well-known American bandleader, arranger and orchestrator whose career spanned from the late 1940s until the early 1980s. - a rarity, since Riddle rarely left the studio and accompanied Sinatra on the road. That alone makes this an essential recording. The 19-song, hourlong program features the usual suspects (``I've Got You Under My Skin,'' ``I Get a Kick Out of You,'' a work-in-progress version of ``One for My Baby,'' which Sinatra would record a year later), as well as rarely performed gems like ``I Won't Dance'' and ``It Happened in Monterey.'' Sinatra wasn't in tip-top form; a cold limited his range. (After missing one note during ``My Funny Valentine,'' he complains, ``I think I've got a shot glass stuck in my throat.'') Still, the feeling is there, The Voice in all its emotional expressiveness and thrilling beauty. This is one for the ages. Four stars More Sinatra: Reprise re·prise n. 1. Music a. A repetition of a phrase or verse. b. A return to an original theme. 2. A recurrence or resumption of an action. tr.v. has reissued four titles from its ``Entertainer of the Century'' series. ``Sinatra-Basie'' (Three and one half stars), ``Francis A. & Edward K.'' (Three and one half stars), ``The Concert Sinatra'' (Three stars) and ``Sinatra Swings (Swing Along With Me'' (Three stars) are all fine albums with much-improved, remastered sound. It would be nice, though, if Reprise put a little more care in the packaging, including information other than the original liner notes liner notes pl.n. Explanatory notes about a record album, cassette, or compact disk included on the jacket or in the packaging. . (Musician listings for the Basie and Ellington collaborations should have been a no-brainer.) - G.W. Miles Davis/``Panthalassa: The Remixes'' (Columbia) This album of remixes of remixes of the jazz icon is so iterative it makes my head spin like Linda Blair's. Here, mixmasters take the fascinating ``Panthalassa'' album of remixed Miles (done this winter by Material boy Bill Laswell) and do their own dirty work. The five lengthy, techno/ambient results include one by Laswell himself, with others by Doc Scott, DJ Cam, Jamie Myerson and the duo of King Britt/Philip Charles. Mostly, the otherworldly tones of Miles' spacey spac·ey adj. Slang Variant of spacy. Adj. 1. spacey - stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug spaced-out, spacy unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles" ``In a Silent Way'' masterpiece and subsequent electric-period albums float across loping beats like a rowboat reverie on a cloudy afternoon. Essential? Nah. This is strictly for the hard-core Miles-ophile. But it's nice to know the master's voice lives on in so many ways, eight years after his too-early death. You can't silence the great ones. Two and one half stars - D.B. Andy Summers/``Green Chimneys'' (RCA See RCA connector and video/TV history. ) This 13-song tribute to jazz great Thelonious Monk showcases Summers' formidable interpretive skills. The former Police guitarist exuberantly explores both Monk classics (``Rhythmaning,'' ``Brilliant Corners'') and little-known treasures (``Shuffle Boil,'' ``Boo Boo's Birthday,'' the title cut) in ways that put a fresh spin on these masterful compositions. The grooves range from hip-hop to calypso Calypso, in Greek mythology Calypso (kəlĭp`sō), nymph, daughter of Atlas, in Homer's Odyssey. She lived on the island of Ogygia and there entertained Odysseus for seven years. to dense sonic collages. The album's highlight is a haunting ``Round Midnight,'' featuring a beautifully lush vocal from Sting, Summers' former partner. It all adds up to Summers' most cohesive album yet as a leader. Incidentally, Summers appears Saturday at the Baked Potato in Hollywood. Three and one half stars - G.W. The Cars/``The Cars: Deluxe Edition'' (Rhino/Elektra) The Cars have never been a band to evoke too much nostalgia. They weren't a great live act and most of their music doesn't have the kind of warmth that translates to those shiny-happy '80s revivals. Whatever. This two-disc reissue of their classic debut shows why - for a brief, shining moment anyway - this was a band that straddled the line of rock and punk rather brilliantly. The hits (``Good Times Roll,'' ``My Best Friend's Girl "Best Friend's Girl" was the third single by British rock band Electrasy. It was released via two compact discs through MCA Records in 1998. Track listing CD 1
- G.W. CAPTION(S): 4 Photos Photo: (1) no caption (Dido) (2--4) no caption (CD covers) |
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