SOUND CHECK.Byline: - Fred Shuster Steve Poltz/``One Left Shoe'' Poltz, best-known as co-writer of Jewel's ``You Were Meant for Me'' and a longtime member of San Diego's Rugburns, turns in a gentle and amusing acoustic collection that avoids the furrowed-brow introspection of similar singer-songwriter debuts. Outstanding moments here include ``Forbidden Fruit forbidden fruit fruit that God forbade Adam and Eve to eat; byword for tempting object. [O.T.: Genesis 3:1–6] See : Apple forbidden fruit God prohibits eating from Tree of Knowledge. [O.T. ,'' a poetic tale of an encounter with a prostitute that boasts some simply gorgeous imagery, and such wry, tuneful songs as ``Silver Lining,'' ``Impala impala, species of antelope, Aepyceros melampus, closely related to the gazelle and found in the savannah and bush country of E and S Africa. It is the antelope most commonly depicted in illustrations and in motion pictures. ,'' ``Kicking Distance'' and ``Broken Hearts and Painted Nails.'' Three Stars God Lives Underwater/``Life in the So-Called Space Age'' Los Angeles-based duo GLU (language) GLU - A practical coarse grain implementation of the Lucid dataflow language for networks. is a rarity in the electronica genre. The band mixes in electric and acoustic guitars, subtle original melodies and thought-provoking lyrics for what may turn out to be one of the best-received discs of its kind this year. KROQ and other alt-rock stations have jumped on ``From Your Mouth,'' with its placid-sounding keyboard line resembling a Prozac tablet dissolving in your brain. It's just one of many effective tracks here. GLU celebrates the release with a free show 3 p.m. Tuesday at Tower Sunset. Three and One Half Stars - Fred Shuster Johnny Winter/``Live in NYC NYC abbr. New York City NYC New York City '97'' Winter's snarling snarl 1 v. snarled, snarl·ing, snarls v.intr. 1. To growl viciously while baring the teeth. 2. To speak angrily or threateningly. v.tr. guitar and speed-of-sound solo style hasn't aged well. The problem isn't that there's no room for thrilling guitar stars today, it's that Winter's chops are somehow diminished. He just isn't as exciting in 1998 as he was on those first couple of albums for Columbia in the late '60s and early '70s. Yet, the Texas-born albino albino (ălbī`nō) [Port.,=white], animal or plant lacking normal pigmentation. The absence of pigment is observed in the body covering (skin, hair, and feathers) and in the iris of the eye. string-shredder plugs onward, filling this new live trio effort with such blues standards as Freddie King's ``Hideaway,'' Jimmy Reed's ``The Sun Is Shining'' and Elmore James' ``The Sky Is Crying.'' For Winter fanatics only. Two Stars - Fred Shuster Marc Cohn/``Burning the Daze'' Cohn, handed the kiss-of-death best new artist statuette at the 1991 Grammy Awards for his hit single ``Walking in Memphis,'' reinvents himself after a four-year sabbatical. Back again with clever arrangements and creative emotive songwriting, pianist-singer Cohn adds a jazzy jazz·y adj. jazz·i·er, jazz·i·est 1. Resembling jazz in form or nature; rhythmical. 2. Slang Showy; flashy: a jazzy car. touch to standouts like ``Already Home,'' sparked by cool harmonica harmonica. 1 The simplest of the musical instruments employing free reeds, known also as the mouth organ or French harp. It was probably invented in 1829 by Friedrich Buschmann of Berlin, who called his instrument the Mundäoline. work. John Leventhal (Shawn Colvin) and Patti Griffin help out. Two and One Half Stars - Fred Shuster Jolene/``In the Gloaming'' This Charlotte, N.C.-based guitar quintet plays down the Southern qualities of its music, but the gloominess pervades nonetheless. Winning tracks include ``Two Sisters & the Laureate,'' album opener ``Pensacola'' and ``Ouisch.'' If you like Son Volt and R.E.M., you'll dig Jolene. Two and One Half Stars - Fred Shuster Robert Lockwood Jr./``I Got to Find Me a Woman'' Lockwood, who despite the album title is actually more sophisticated than many blues artists who opt for standard 12-bar outings, has developed from rural country blues act to well-rounded musician. Here, he offers a lovely Robert Johnson medley, ``Kindhearted kind·heart·ed adj. Having or proceeding from a kind heart. See Synonyms at kind1. kind Woman Blues,'' and ``Walkin' Blues,'' where he exchanges his usual 12-string electric guitar for a six-string and plays sizzling siz·zle intr.v. siz·zled, siz·zling, siz·zles 1. To make the hissing sound characteristic of frying fat. 2. To seethe with anger or indignation. 3. slide. Other goodies include ``Bob and B.,'' a duet with B.B. King, and the driving title track. Two and One Half Stars - Fred Shuster Rebekah/``Remember to Breathe'' This 25-year-old Cleveland native's debut might draw comparisons to other young female singers, but Rebekah has come up with something fresh. The radio-friendly ``Hey Genius'' seems an instant hit, but the sultry ``Sin So Well'' and the pop-rock title track are equally good. Produced with an ear toward the charts by Matthew Wilder (No Doubt). Three Stars - Fred Shuster Mike Ireland & Hollar/``Learning How to Live'' Incorporating not just the swagger and swing of Ernest Tubb and Buck Owens, Ireland's debut brings on four string-sweetened tracks and a heart firmly in tune with country's roots. The pained weeper ``Worst of All'' is one clear standout, while the cynical ``Headed for a Fall'' showcases an arsenal of classic honky-tonk riffs and roadhouse road·house n. An inn, restaurant, or nightclub located on a road outside a town or city. roadhouse Noun a pub or restaurant at the side of a road Noun 1. rhythms. The No Depression contingent will like this one. Three Stars - Fred Shuster Otis Clay/``This Time Around'' Gospel-drenched soul man Clay reteams with great Hi Records producer Willie Mitchell for 13 Southern soul-style gems. A first-class Memphis rhythm section drives such fine material as ``You're the One I Choose'' and ``I Can Handle It,'' both penned by Willie Hutch hutch 1. standard cagelike accommodation for rabbits. 2. light, movable cabin for calves or pigs; to provide shelter and warmth for animals at pasture. hutch burn . Clay is in good form here, but the ultimate Clay album remains the vinyl version of ``Soul Man: Live in Japan.'' Two and One Half Stars - Fred Shuster Charlie Haden and Kenny Barron/``Night and the City'' Bassist Charlie Haden has fashioned another remarkable duet dialogue, following brilliant albums he has made recently with Pat Metheny and Hank Jones. Here he joins pianist Kenny Barron for seven beautiful ballads recorded live at New York's Iridium iridium (ĭrĭd`ēəm), metallic chemical element; symbol Ir; at. no. 77; at. wt. 192.22; m.p. about 2,410°C;; b.p. about 4,130°C;; sp. gr. 22.55 at 20°C;; valence +3 or +4. in 1996. The duo creates sensitive readings of such standards as ``Body and Soul'' and ``The Very Thought of You,'' but the real highlights are the musicians' own compositions - Barron's ``Twilight Song'' and Haden's ``Waltz for Ruth.'' An elegant, polished work. Three and One Half Stars - Glenn Whipp CAPTION(S): 7 Photos Photo: (1) God Lives Underwater God Lives Underwater was an industrial techno rock band from rural Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia), formed in 1993 by band members David Reilly and Jeff Turzo. marks the release of ``Life in the So-Called Space Age'' with a 3 p.m. Tuesday performance at Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. (2--7) no caption (CD covers) |
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