SOUND CHECK.

Byline: - Fred Shuster

Jermaine Dupri/``Life in 1472'' (So So Def/Columbia)

This could've been the hip-hop record of the year. Musically, it just might be. Lyrically, it makes you want to reach for the earplugs. Despite his early years producing teenybop sensation Kris Kross, Dupri has grown into one very nasty piece of business. On his first solo album - which includes cameos from such solid citizens as Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Master P, Mase, DMX, Nas and Too Short - the misogyny is truly stunning. Thing is, the music on such cuts as ``Fresh'' and ``Money Ain't a Thang'' is so good you wish the producer had, at the very least, a mild sense of humor. He doesn't. Every track is filled with the b-word, n-word, m-word, h-word and f-word. There are even interludes featuring phone-machine messages from women making pathetic calls to Dupri, who just snickers. If this is how the sexes relate in '98, we're all in a lot of trouble. One and One Half Stars

Patty Griffin/``Flaming Red'' (A&M)

Unlike her 1996 debut album, which was a collection of minimalist demos, countryish rock singer Griffin's latest is full of big guitars, drums, keyboards, percussion, strings and her marvelous voice. Produced by Jay Joyce, the album features drummer Kenny Aronoff, who's now touring with the Smashing Pumpkins, and the steady support gives Griffin the perfect backdrop to put across this strong set of originals. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Liz Phair/``whitechocolatespaceegg'' (Matador/Capitol)

For her first album in four years, Phair returns with one of the most assured and enjoyable rock efforts of '98. Produced in equal parts by Liz herself, Scott Litt (R.E.M.) and longtime Phair collaborator Brad Wood, the disc takes off from the homespun intimacy of her previous two albums. The sound is fleshed out with liberal use of keyboards and organ, ranging from the sultry title track to the perfect pop of ``Polyester Bride.'' The often poignant lyrics reflect Phair's new life as wife and mother, with all its ups and downs intact, but it's clear she still knows how to rock. Three and One Half Stars

- Fred Shuster

Gregory Isaacs/``Romantic and Righteous Sounds From the Cool Ruler'' (Music Club)

Dubbed the Cool Ruler, reggae singer Isaacs has been crooning since the '70s. Here, he's captured at the dawn of his legacy, when he recorded for Jamaica's beloved Trojan label. Included in this excellent budget-priced set are two of Isaacs' all-time classics, ``Lonely Lover'' and ``All I Have Is Love,'' plus other memorable cuts from reggae's golden age. This 16-track album also features several extended dub versions, including ``My Time'' and ``Never Be Ungrateful.'' Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Catatonia/``International Velvet'' (Vapor/Warner Bros.)

This five-member group from Cardiff, Wales, plays melancholy pop with delightful hooks. On the band's sophomore effort, the mood is upbeat, especially on such standout cuts as ``Road Rage,'' the title track and ``Mulder and Scully,'' obviously inspired by a certain TV show that seems to be popular worldwide. Lead singer Cerys Matthews frequently recalls Bjork's work with the Sugarcubes. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Dixie Chicks/``Wide Open Spaces'' (Monument)

The freshman release from Sony's revived Monument label features polished three-part harmony that draws on all the right influences for a pop-country smash. The Dallas-bred Chicks cover a lot of ground here, from lush tunes like album-opener ``I Can Love You Better'' to a twangy cover of Tom Jans' ``Loving Arms'' and the solid blues of Bonnie Raitt's ``Give It Up or Let Me Go.'' Along the way, these expert country crooners offer the soaring ballad ``Once You've Loved Somebody'' and a rocking ``Let 'er Rip,'' backed by some of Music Row's finest. No wonder the album is zooming up the charts. Three Stars

- Fred Shuster

Squirrel Nut Zippers/``Perennial Favorites'' (Mammoth)

The Squirrel Nut Zippers never meant to be popular - it was just a happy accident. They were churning out loopy, swinging dance music well before Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies came along, and they'll still be playing it when the craze inevitably fades. This, their third album, is full of loose, jazzy charm, and its dozen tight songs build nicely upon each other until the appropriate closer, ``It's Over.'' Singer-guitarists Jim Mathus and Tom Maxwell sing with confidence and enthusiasm on the rousing, Dixieland cut-ups ``Suits Are Picking Up the Bill'' and ``Ghost of Stephen Foster,'' while Katherine Whalen continues to channel Billie Holiday on ``Low Down Man'' and ``My Drag.'' It's a fun, high-spirited album, a work destined to live up to its title. Three Stars

- Glenn Whipp

Barenaked Ladies/``Stunt'' (Reprise)

The follow-up to Barenaked Ladies' live breakout CD, ``Rock Spectacle,'' plays to the Toronto band's strengths: hypertuneful melodies, strong musicianship and sometimes witty - and, on ``In the Car,'' graphic - lyrics. But ``Stunt'' also shows off too much. A lot of the arrangements are busier than rush hour, and good songs like ``One Week'' struggle to stay afloat. Next time Barenaked Ladies ought to heed KISS. Not the glam group, the principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Two Stars

- Howard Cohen 

Miami Herald

Trisha Yearwood/``Where Your Road Leads'' (MCA Nashville)

Instead of filling her sixth studio album with 11 clones of Cher-like melodrama - something that would have been rewarded commercially - Yearwood refrains from coasting. ``Where Your Road Leads'' finds a maturing artist grappling with complex adult emotions in a largely country setting. That said, despite some exquisite moments (the sultry ballad, ``Never Let You Go Again''; the sly ``That Ain't the Way I Heard It''; and the spiritual title track co-written by Desmond Child) ``Where Your Road Leads'' is a slight letdown when compared to her previous two albums. Two Stars

- Howard Cohen

CAPTION(S):

5 Photos

Photo: (1) Liz Phair's new life as a wife and mother is reflected on ``whitechocolatespaceegg.''

(2--5) no caption (CD covers)