SOUND CHECK.Byline: Fred Shuster Jimmy Ray/``Are You Jimmy Ray?'' (single) Talk about a tubthumper - if you haven't already heard this infectious pop smash on VH1 or MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. , it'll be wall-to-wall on your radio within weeks, maybe even days. Discovered by the same bloke who unleashed the Spice Girls (but don't hold that against him), Jimmy Ray is a 21-year-old Brit singer who looks something like Morrissey and shouldn't be confused with Sugar Ray, Link Wray or Fay Wray. If Jimmy's terrific rock 'n' r&b-drenched debut single is any indication, this could very well be the most uplifting, groovy and witty pop to come down the pike in ages. The album is due March 10. three stars Madonna/``Ray of Light'' Like the best stuff on 1994's ``Bedtime Stories,'' her previous collection of original material, Madonna's new tracks are fueled by deep, pulsating dance grooves dripping with chilly atmosphere. The first single, ``Frozen,'' is a fine introduction to this seductive sound, fashioned in part by edgy Brit techno producer William Orbit. By using the most imaginative writers and producers in the field, Madonna - in great voice here, incidentally - has a good shot at taking avant-garde dance music to the mainstream. Due for release Tuesday. three and a half stars Fastball/``All the Pain Money Can Buy'' With their sophomore effort, this Austin, Texas, trio successfully blends strong pop hooks, dark lyrical themes and sturdy musicianship for an album that will eventually probably make its way into the top 50. Sparked by the undeniably catchy album-opener ``The Way,'' a top gainer at modern-rock radio this week, the disc illustrates Fastball's artful sense of arranging and variety in such standouts as ``Slow Drag,'' ``Fire Escape'' and ``Damaged Goods DAMAGED GOODS. In the language of the customs, are goods subject to duties, which have received some injury either in the voyage home, or while bonded in warehouses. See Abatement, merc. law. .'' The gallows humor gallows humor, n a dark or morbid sense of humor unique to people who deal with suffering and tragedy—for example, patients who are terminally ill joking about their illness or death as a means of coping with the illness. of ``Charlie, the Methadone methadone (mĕth`ədōn', –dŏn'), synthetic narcotic similar in effect to morphine. Synthesized in Germany, it came into clinical use after World War II. It is sometimes used as an analgesic and to suppress the cough reflex. Man,'' too, wins points for sheer audaciousness. three stars Bessie Griffin & the Gospel Pearls/``Live at the Bear in Chicago'' New Orleans' dazzling gospel chanteuse chan·teuse n. A woman singer, especially a nightclub singer. [French, feminine of chanteur, singer, from chanter, to sing; see chant.] Griffin was often unfairly overlooked in favor of Mahalia Jackson. Here, Bessie makes a grab for the crown in a delirious de·lir·i·ous adj. Of, suffering from, or characteristic of delirium. 1963 club set backed simply by her five-member Gospel Pearls harmony group and a utilitarian piano-drum duo. It's a doozy doo·zy or doo·zie n. pl. doo·zies Slang Something extraordinary or bizarre: "Among the delicious names taken by, or given to, minor political parties in the United States . . . straight from the roof-raising opener, ``Are You Sure,'' a snappy spiritual of unknown origins that might have you dancing around the living room like something out of a documentary on Southern churches. Other memorable tracks include Griffin's ``Same Train,'' ``By the River'' and ``Move Up a Little Higher.'' The good news ends with a glorious ``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. .'' three stars Big Bad Voodoo Daddy/``Big Bad Voodoo Daddy'' With three songs on the solid ``Swingers'' soundtrack and a yearlong residency at the Derby, little big band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O" and "You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three Tonight". The band went from a regular Wednesday night gig at the Derby in Hollywood, playing for a few hundred people, was poised to reap the benefits of the swing revival. Now, after two self-produced indie efforts, the high-living octet An eight-bit storage unit. In the international community, octet is often used instead of byte. (jargon, networking) octet - Eight bits. This term is used in networking, in preference to byte, because some systems use the term "byte" for things that are not 8 bits long. delivers its martini-fueled major-label debut. It's an energetic saxophone-led sound that's stylish, infectious and fun. Eleven of the dozen tracks are originals (the exception is the Cab Calloway classic ``Minnie the Moocher'') and two of the ``Swingers'' cuts - ``You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)'' and ``Go Daddy-O'' - have been re-recorded. three stars Olu Dara/``In the World: From Natchez to New York'' Like Taj Mahal, Dara - father of tough-talking rapper Nas - has global tastes that include blues, jazz, reggae, African and soca. Wielding a mean guitar and cornet cornet, brass wind musical instrument, created in France about 1830 by adding valves to the post horn. It is usually in B flat and is the same size as the B flat trumpet, but has a more conical bore. , the Mississippi singer likes to sing the folk blues above all. On his first album, Dara updates ``Hoochie Coochie Man,'' throws bop trumpet licks into the exhilarating ``Zora'' and wraps things up nicely with the lullaby ``Kiane.'' Ultimately, ``In the World'' offers a tasty travelogue. Freddie Scott/``Cry to Me: The Best of Freddie Scott.'' three stars Within the '60s soul pantheon, unsung heroes hang around the corner, shooting the breeze and crushing out cigarettes. For every big name like Otis Redding and James Brown, there's a James Carr, an O.V. Wright or a Freddie Scott. Blessed with sleek pipes that only got grittier as the years went by, Scott's smoldering smol·der also smoul·der intr.v. smol·dered, smol·der·ing, smol·ders 1. To burn with little smoke and no flame. 2. recordings for the Shout label in the mid-'60s are considered equal to the finest soul platters of the era. However, apart from his r&b chart-topper, ``Are You Lonely for Me Baby,'' Scott's legacy has been overlooked. This superb compilation of 20 of Scott's greatest sides - ``Cry to Me,'' ``No One Could Ever Love You,'' ``Open the Door,'' ``Shake a Hand'' and ``Run Joe'' - goes a long way in righting a wrong. three and one half stars Michael Bolton/``My Secret Passion: The Arias'' First, we had Paul McCartney and his overblown ``Oratorio oratorio (ôrətôr`ēō), musical composition employing chorus, orchestra, and soloists and usually, but not necessarily, a setting of a sacred libretto without stage action or scenery. ,'' followed by Billy Joel's announcement that he's lost interest in pop and will perform only classical music. Now comes bland Bolton's attempt to blend opera with some sort of pop sensibility. Well, get out the air-sickness bags. You haven't heard anything this repulsive since, well, Bolton's previous record. Oh, he's got the money to hire the best, such as the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Steven Mercurio. But you haven't lived until you've heard Bolton slaughter ``La boheme'' in duet with legit le·git adj. Slang Legitimate. opera star Renee Fleming, someone who can actually sing opera. When it comes to arias, Bolton should have kept his passion secret. Zero stars. CAPTION(S): 6 Photos PHOTO (1) Madonna does electronica on ``Ray of Light,'' her new album, due in stores Tuesday. (2 -- 6) no caption (CD covers) |
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