SOUND CHECK.

SPOTLIGHT ON...Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes/``Live at the Greek'' (Musicmaker.com)

The show had moments; the album is a record-breaking event. The Internet-only ``Live at the Greek'' became the largest-selling custom CD and paid download ever when it was released recently. Fans may either purchase a premade 18-track double-CD version or create their own custom album of newly recorded, classic Zep and vintage blues tunes recorded by Page and the Crowes during sold-out shows at the Greek last October. The compilation featuring two hours of music can only be purchased online at musicmaker.com.

So how is it? Surprisingly good. At the Greek, it was easy to overlook how tightly the Crowes played and how carefully the band followed Page. Here, in energetic standouts like ``Heartbreaker,'' ``You Shook Me'' and the terrific ``Out on the Tiles''/``Whole Lotta Love'' medley, the band fires on all cylinders while the usually sloppy Page is straight to the point. Three stars

- Fred Shuster

Suba/``Sao Paulo Confessions'' (Six Degrees)

One of my favorite corners of international music is samba from Brazil. Another favorite is trip-hop from Bristol, England. When Bristol and Brazil come together, as they do on this gorgeous disc, I must make my own Sao Paulo confession: I'm infatuated. Somehow, no one figured out how complementary these sounds from opposite hemispheres could be until this Slavic ex-pat in Brazil's largest city did the honors. The result is exotic and spooky, danceable in a swayingly soulful way, deeply grooving and implacably cool in the face of heat. Think James Bond at Carnival. The only bad thing about this disc is there won't be another: Suba died in an apartment fire shortly after finishing the album. At least he left us this gem. Three and one half stars.

- David Bloom

AC/DC/``Stiff Upper Lip'' (Elektra)

More than 25 years after brothers Malcolm and Angus Young formed AC/DC, the leather-lunged Aussies continue to outlast musical trends by sticking to simple, old-fashioned hard rock. On their 17th album, little has changed - and fans will cheer. Straight-ahead metal 'n' flash is the order of the day on such roaring riff-rockers as the great title track, ``Meltdown'' and ``Hold Me Back,'' which sound as if they've all been around at least since ``Highway to Hell.'' All hail rock 'n' roll. Three stars

- F.S.

John Scofield/``Bump'' (Verve)

Bill Frisell/``Ghost Town'' (Nonesuch)

Onetime Miles Davis sideman Scofield is no stranger to funk, especially after appearing on some of the late trumpet legend's grooving-est early '80s albums. On his new record, the always reliable guitarist brings elements of funk, groove and jazz together in a dozen originals that benefit from a slight Latin tinge. Set-opener ``Three Sisters'' has a nice New Orleans feel (when it comes to funk, there's no getting away from the Meters) while the thoughtful ``Chichon'' (Spanish for ``bump'') goes for a more atmospheric sound. The alchemy continues with standouts ``Fez'' and the wah-wah drenched ``Blackout.'' In stores Tuesday. Three and one half stars

Although he's cut a string of wonderful collaborative records in recent years, ``Ghost Town'' is Frisell's first solo release and, predictably, it's a winner. The reflective jazz guitarist and composer here takes on originals and covers of new and old favorites with characteristic understatement. Rounding out such originals as the six-minute ``Ghost Town''/``Poem for Eva'' are welcome interpretations of the Hank Williams standard ``I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry,'' John McLaughlin's beautiful ``Follow Your Heart'' and a remarkable reading of the Gershwins' ``My Man's Gone Now.'' Four stars

- F.S.

Various/``Asian Travels'' (Six Degrees)

Asian Underground, which blends traditional South Asian sounds with U.S./Euro techno, ambient and dance club tracks, represents another delightfully unpredictable mix of sounds from disparate corners of the musical universe. This 10-song compilation zips over the top of this bubbling subgenre in nice fashion, getting two-for-one props by showcasing songs by pioneers, remixed by other pioneers. There's stuff here like Fun Da Mental's ``Ja Sha Taan,'' which crosses the ecstasy of traditional Qawwali vocals with dance loops, remixed for maximum effect by Transglobal Underground. Other notables: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Michael Brook; Banco de Gaia; Shankar; a Talvan Singh remix of Ghoom Charakhana; and State of Bengal's remixes of DJ Cheb i Sabbah and Delirium. By no means definitive, the disc nonetheless offers a tantalizing glimpse of another fascinating musical melange. Try a taste; it's like a bowl of vindaloo curry in London's East End. Three stars

- D.B.

Jeffrey Osborne/``That's for Sure'' (Private Music)

While r&b singer Osborne hasn't been away as long as Steely Dan, this album, like the Dan's new effort, returns Osborne to the kind of music he was making at the peak of his chart powers in the mid-'80s. Osborne has always been one of our top ballad singers, and he hasn't lost his touch here on his first album of new material in nearly a decade. The dozen cuts (10 by Osborne) are a satisfying mix of silky midtempo percolators and smooth ballads revolving around the power of love. The album closes with a treat for longtime fans - a seven-minute live version of his LTD hit, ``Love Ballad.'' Osborne's is a voice that still matters. Three stars

- G.W.

Supreme Beings of Leisure/`'Supreme Beings of Leisure'' (Palm)

There's nothing lazy about this sleek, dance-minded debut. The band's sly mix of brisk pop-tronic grooves, a funky-chic '60s sensibility that borrows from Shirley Bassey, Shankar and Lalo Schifrin, oddball instrumentation and occasional samples, makes for a consistently enjoyable noise. Highlights include ``Never the Same,'' ``Golddigger'' and ``Strangelove Addiction,'' all of which have received deserved airplay lately. Take a leisurely gander at these beings. They're supremely sublime. Three stars

- D.B.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1) no caption (Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes)

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