SOUND CHECK.

Taj Mahal/``Senor Blues''

Whenever somebody tries to educate through music, look out. But bluesman Taj Mahal gets it right most of the time as he attempts to establish the foundations for much of today's hip-hop, country and jazz. The album kicks off with the folk-flavored ``Queen Bee,'' a Taj original cut by the artist once previously in the '70s. Next up is James Brown's syncopated funk classic ``Think,'' followed by the infectious '50s party track ``Irresistible You.'' Other highlights include Delbert McClinton's ``Real Bad Day,'' which is transformed into a smoky blues, while jazz pianist Horace Silver's title track is given a convincing once-over. Three stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Bill Frisell/``Nashville''

Tasteful modern jazzer Bill Frisell has assembled some of the best acoustic players in Music City for his first venture into country music. Posed on the cover as Bob Dylan did for the superb ``Nashville Skyline,'' Frisell, considered one of the most innovative guitarists around, creates a beautiful chamber piece that recalls the earliest folk traditions. As usual, Frisell solos as if he's cutting glass, and special guests include dobro king Jerry Douglas and vocalist Robin Holcomb on such standout tracks as ``Brother'' and Neil Young's ``One of These Days.'' An instant jazz, folk, country and new age classic. Four stars

?13- Fred Shuster

UB40/``Guns in the Ghetto''

We're not sure how true to their roots the members of UB40 stay on the group's 16th album, which suffers from dance hall-itosis, the dreaded scourge of so much modern reggae. While the British pop-reggae outfit was never strictly a roots-rock band, UB40 boasted an earthy quality even on such chart-toppers as ``Red Red Wine'' and ``Here I Am.'' But ``Guns in the Ghetto'' overuses electronic drums, an uninspired, tin-sounding effect that instantly dates so many reggae recordings. A few tracks stand out, including the earnest ``I've Been Missing You,'' but others veer too far off course. Two stars

?13- Fred Shuster

John Hiatt/``Little Head''

Coming off the critically applauded ``Walk On,'' John Hiatt had a tough task ahead of him in trying to duplicate that type of breezy, rockabilly-infused material. And on ``Little Head'' (Capitol), Hiatt pulls it off - almost. ``Pirate Radio'' and ``Woman Sawed in Half'' may be some of the best stuff he's ever done, but for every three peaks comes a valley to bring the proceedings back to a screeching halt. Those lapses are few, however, and, overall, this latest from one of rock's most talented songwriters should satisfy Hiatt's most ardent fans. Three stars

?13Stuart Levine

Prodigy/``The Fat of the Land''

Electronica lands its first No. 1 in the States when this album by English rave outfit Prodigy debuts on Billboard's chart this week. But enthusiasts of techno and its offshoots - house, ambient, jungle and drum-'n'-bass - will barely be able to claim its success as a victory for their form. ``The Fat of the Land'' owes less allegiance to electronic dance and a far greater debt to the accessible side of Ministry-style industrial rock. The cacophonous, guitar-driven ``Firestarter,'' a hit single earlier this year, is included here, but it's primarily a mediocre update of Ministry's blistering ``N.W.O.'' with a better video and dopey, snarling vocal hook. The current single, ``Breathe,'' features Keith Flint's same numbing vocal, but a cheesy '70s-styled wah-wah guitar riff and rumbling bass line lend it charm - if not totally removing its inherent disposability. Prodigy might hedge its bets by emphasizing conventional instrumentation over artificial, but ``The Fat of the Land'' also stands up better to repeated listens. Three stars

?13- Howard Cohen 

Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Echo & the Bunnymen/``Evergreen''

In what feels like some sort of twisted time warp, post-new wave Brit rockers Echo & the Bunnymen have returned with the aptly titled ``Evergreen,'' which revives the band's lush, ornamental pop and Ian McCulloch's dramatic, downcast vocalizing; it all serves to cast a dark pall over the current surge of charming, squeaky-clean Britpop. Capturing its moody nuances best on the tender ballad ``Forgiven,'' guitarist Will Sergeant also steps out, showing he's still got his muscles intact with the textured riff work of ``Altamont.'' Awash in strings and horns, the arrangements throughout waft slowly past or escalate

into whirling pools of darkness. What ``Evergreen'' best represents is that Echo & the Bunnymen can still manage to elevate its doom-ridden pop to majestic heights. Three stars

?13- Vickie Gilmer

Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Dar Williams/``End of the Summer''

East Coast pop-folkie Dar Williams has expanded her horizons with her third album, which boasts a contemporary collection of songs utilizing a sprawling cast of musicians. Williams says she writes songs as if assembling junk sculptures, but the work here reveals a rare thoughtfulness. She never abandons her folk roots, even while delivering such full-sounding pieces as ``Are You Out There,'' the wry ``Party Generation'' and the title track. Three stars

?13- Fred Shuster

Manhattan Transfer/``Swing''

This group's one personnel change in its 25 years came when Cheryl Bentyne joined in 1979. The quartet has now performed from Watergate to Whitewater, and none of its tapes is worth erasing. Bentyne and her mates - Janis Siegel, Alan Paul and Tim Hauser - have achieved an awesome synchronicity. They make a pleasant brew of such classics as ``Java Jive,'' ``Choo Choo Ch'Boogie'' and ``A-Tisket, A-Tasket.'' Some arrangements have too much girlish falsetto, and the CD often seems a bit safe, suffering from a touch of Whiffenpoof conservatism. But the musicianship is at a sterling level, and it rocks in a double-breasted, pleated-pants kind of way. Three stars

?13- Karl Stark

Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Geraldine Fibbers/``Butch''

Carla Bozulich, lead singer and creative spirit for Geraldine Fibbers, emerges as a songwriting force to be reckoned with on the band's sophomore effort. Gone is the languorous roominess of the debut, here replaced with scabrous bursts of close-quartered aggression (``I Killed the Cuckoo'') and daunting tales of family, power and love (``Toy Box,'' the country death song ``Pet Angel''). It's material that defies sexual compartmentalization and predictable stereotypes through its brazen openness. But even at its most intimate (the title track or the closing instrumental ``Heliotrope''), the Fibbers' fire still burns hot, the slowed strains gently stoking the fading embers of Bozulich's blaze. Three stars

CAPTION(S):

7 Photos

Photo: (1-6) No caption (CD covers)

(7) Bill Frisell's ``Nashville'' is a chamber piece that recalls the earliest folk traditions.