SOUND CHECK.Chic/``Live at the Budokan'' (Sumthing Else) This was the final concert by disco-jazz outfit Chic to feature founding bassist Bernard Edwards Bernard Edwards (October 31 1952 – April 18 1996) was born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of Chic and on his own. He died of pneumonia while touring in Japan. , who died in his Tokyo hotel room after the 1996 gig. It was a star-studded send-off and highlights of this live set include extended versions of glorious Chic hits like ``Good Times,'' ``Chic Cheer'' and ``We Are Family'' (featuring vocal group Sister Sledge Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four singers, all of whom are sisters: Kim, Debbie, Joni, and Kathy Sledge. ). The only misstep - a cover of Jimi Hendrix's ``Stone Free'' that spotlights Steve Winwood on vocals and Slash on cliche-ridden lead guitar. The musicianship of Chic guitarist-producer Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers (born September 19 1952 in New York City) is a prolific and influential musician, composer, arranger, guitarist and music producer, and co-founding member of the seminal multi-platinum hit R&B band Chic , Edwards and drummer Omar Hakim Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959 in New York City) is a Mexican drummer noted in jazz, jazz fusion and pop music. Among the notable artists he has played with are Sting, Weather Report, Mariah Carey, Madonna, David Bowie, Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, Dire Straits and many others. throughout keep this album percolating. Three stars - Fred Shuster Stan Getz and Chet Baker/``The Stockholm Concerts'' (Verve) In 1983, troubled trumpeter Baker joined the Getz quartet for what was supposed to be a 35-date European tour. The insecure Getz never liked Baker, though, and dissolved the partnership halfway across the continent. This three-disc album provides a fascinating glimpse into the teaming with two complete concerts performed early in the tour. The first disc features Getz's masterful tenor work with his talented band: pianist Jim McNeely, bassist George Mraz and drummer Victor Lewis. Baker arrives and, with his ravaged rav·age v. rav·aged, rav·ag·ing, rav·ages v.tr. 1. To bring heavy destruction on; devastate: A tornado ravaged the town. 2. voice, croaks through ``Just Friends'' and a poignant ``My Funny Valentine,'' both of which are repeated during the second concert. When the two perform together - the swinging ``Sippin' at Bells'' and a plaintive plain·tive adj. Expressing sorrow; mournful or melancholy. [Middle English plaintif, from Old French, aggrieved, lamenting, from plaint, complaint; see plaint. ``Dear Old Stockholm'' among several others - it's fascinating to hear the distinct styles mesh and tangle. With 23 cuts and 16 different songs, this is a treasure for anyone who loves these two jazz masters. Three and one half stars - Glenn Whipp Julian Lennon/``Photograph Smile'' (Fuel 2000/Universal) Beatles offspring Lennon seems to have been out of the limelight for half a lifetime since releasing his well-liked debut album, ``Valotte.'' Three albums followed; none made an impression. With ``Photograph Smile,'' Lennon successfully returns with 14 songs of heartfelt, melodic pop that deal mostly with love won and lost. (There is one environmental anthem.) If John's oldest son received too much attention when he burst onto the scene 15 years ago, it's also true that he deserves some airplay air·play n. The broadcasting of an audio or audiovisual recording on the air over radio or television. airplay Noun the broadcast performances of a record on radio and acclaim for this taut, tuneful and ultimately honest collection. Lennon has matured in his craft, taking a sad song (or three) and making it better. Three stars - Glenn Whipp Wilco/``Summerteeth'' (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. ) There was no way Wilco was going to top ``Being There,'' its magnificent double-album masterpiece from two years ago. So Jeff Tweedy and company have made the best move they could under the circumstances - change focus, almost entirely, and go for at least one hit. There are more than a few obvious winners on ``Summerteeth,'' Wilco's third effort, especially the opening infectiousness of ``Can't Stand It'' and the Jeff Lynne-ish rockers ``I'm Always in Love'' and ``ELT'' - which isn't a misspelling mis·spell·ing n. 1. The act or an instance of spelling incorrectly. 2. A word spelled incorrectly. Noun 1. of ELO ELO Electric Light Orchestra (band) ELO Epitaxial Lateral Overgrowth ELO Extended Learning Opportunity ELO Enabling Learning Objective ELO Environmental Liaison Officer ELO Emisora Libre de Orcasitas but an acronym that does echo a Lynne solo tune, ``Every Little Thing.'' The album is a knowledgable shot in the dark. It may not create any new subgenres, but it certainly maintains a high level of greatness. Three stars - Ben Wener Orange County Register TLC/``FanMail'' (LaFace/Arista) It's tempting to take the low road here with obvious title puns - junk mail, mixed bag, return to sender - but ``FanMail'' offers larger targets. Such as how TLC's potty-mouth prattling on ``I'm Good at Being Bad'' sounds about as menacing as Marie Osmond and as sexy as Bill the Cat. Or the redundancy of actually using ``silly'' in the title of the inane, faux-Japanese ``Silly Ho.'' Despite the inflammatory personal lives of T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli, their range of convincing studio emotions seems limited to syrup. Fortunately, though, they have Babyface. His ``Dear Lie,'' ``I Miss You So Much'' and ``Unpretty'' save ``FanMail'' from constituting a complete waste of plastic. Otherwise, these three women come off as cartoon characters who couldn't take Lisa Simpson in a fair fight. One and one half stars - Fred Beckley Philadelphia Inquirer Van Morrison/``Back on Top'' (Pointblank/Virgin) The first thing you have to accept is that Van Morrison is never going to make another ``Moondance,'' much less an ``Astral (language) Astral - A programming language based on Pascal, never implemented. ["ASTRAL: A Structured and Unified Approach to Database Design and Manipulation", T. Amble et al, in Proc of the Database Architecture Conf, Venice, June 1979]. Weeks.'' From about ``Avalon Sunset'' (1989) onward, we've seen the later version of Van - the man who still loves the delicate hum of an organ but wants it surrounded by strings. Still, this is the most listenable lis·ten·a·ble adj. Being such that listening is pleasurable: an undistinguished but listenable soundtrack. lis Van album in a long time. It literally has everything: great bluesy rock, tender love, deep thought and a couple of cool tell-offs. He's both an innovator and his own fiercest rival, but he can still make gorgeous music - and much of ``Back on Top'' will ultimately rank with the best of Van Morrison's later years. Three stars - Ben Wener Orange County Register The Roots/``Things Fall Apart'' (MCA MCA in full Music Corporation of America Entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in Chicago in 1924 by Jules Stein as a talent agency. In the 1960s it bought Decca Records and Universal Pictures, and today it produces films, music, and television shows. ) This fourth set fulfills the Roots' vision of hip-hop as both art and culture. Shifting acoustics and energies from track to track give the album an extraordinary sense of immediacy, bringing to life scenes from hip-hop's present and past that take listeners from the intimacy of a one-mike boite boîte n. A small restaurant or nightclub. [French, from Old French boiste, box, from Late Latin buxida, from buxis; see box1.] to the echoing spaces and raucous, block-party vibe of a marathon freestyle session. Album opener ``Act Won (Things Fall Apart)'' offers a portrait of a world coming apart - the first sign of change - conveyed by a sonic and vocal rawness that also represents the early, unrefined days of hip-hop. Yet, the spelling of ``Won'' attests to the group's persistent positivity, its belief that the center will hold after all. Lead single ``You Got Me,'' featuring Erykah Badu, is the most obviously commercial track, but it's no sellout. Rather, it's a paradigm of hip-hop aural love and the inspiration for a heart-stopping tour de force of a video. Three stars - Billboard XTC/``Apple Venus Vol. One'' (TVT TVT transmissible venereal tumor. ) The '90s have not been kind to XTC XTC See Ecstasy, MDMA. . For surviving members Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, it has been a decade marred by illness, marital collapse, and the bitter departure of longtime guitarist Dave Gregory. Not to mention the five years the band refused to record a note for its old record company, in protest of its contract. With all those lemons, Partridge and Moulding have fashioned a tart lemonade. Expanding on the precious baroque-pop of the last few albums, ``Apple Venus Vol. One'' is an orchestral parade of sumptuous strings, richly rendered harmonies, and pastoral melody. In short, XTC has mastered the emerald-pasture whimsy whim·sy also whim·sey n. pl. whim·sies also whim·seys 1. An odd or fanciful idea; a whim. 2. A quaint or fanciful quality: stories full of whimsy. that is the birthright of the British - imagine the Moody Blues scoring ``Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.'' Even the most sour sentiments are delivered with a certain Beatlesque sweetness, proving, if nothing else, that art need not be as messy as life. Three stars - Jonathan Valania Philadelphia Inquirer CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: no caption (Wilco) |
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