SOUND CHECK.Will Smith/``Willennium'' (Columbia) The first thing you have to ask when confronted with any album bearing the Smith name is, whose hooks has he borrowed this time? The answer found on the ``Wild Wild West'' actor-rapper's self-indulgent second effort includes the Clash, Michael Jackson Noun 1. Michael Jackson - United States singer who began singing with his four brothers and later became a highly successful star during the 1980s (born in 1958) Michael Joe Jackson, Jackson and Diana Ross, among others. Don't expect any novel uses of these samples, either. This is rap-lite designed to maximize Top 40 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 sales before anyone realizes the jarring lack of creativity that permeates the endeavor. The plan has apparently worked well, since the album's first single, ``Will 2K,'' which samples the Clash's overly familiar ``Rock the Casbah'' and actually seems novel upon first hearing, has zoomed into the charts. Elsewhere, Fast Willie attempts rapping with guests such as Kool Moe Dee Mohandas Dewese (born 8 August 1962), better known as Kool Moe Dee, was an American old-school rapper prominent in the late 1980s and early '90s. He was born in Manhattan, New York City. In high school in the late 1970s, he met Special K and DJ Easy Lee. , Biz Markie Biz Markie (born Marcel Hall April 8, 1964 in Harlem, New York) is a rapper and DJ, best known for humorous singles such as "Just a Friend". He has been labeled The Clown Prince of Hip-Hop. and Slick Rick
Richard Walters (born January 14 1965), better known by stage names Slick Rick, MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler, is a rapper. with the immediacy of week-old leftovers. Two stars - Fred Shuster Enrique Iglesias/``Enrique'' (Interscope/UMG) Iglesias' first English-language album is a winner and not only because it contains still-welcome hits like ``Bailamos'' and ``Rhythm Divine.'' Iglesias had the good sense to keep the production subtle and rock-based, avoiding the cheesy cheesy (che´ze) caseous. strings, grandiose ballads and cha-cha-cha of similar crossover efforts. Even the Diane Warren-penned duet with Whitney Houston, ``Could I Have This Kiss Forver,'' is vaguely tolerable because, for once, it isn't overblown o·ver·blown v. Past participle of overblow. adj. 1. a. Done to excess; overdone: overblown decorations. b. . Iglesias, whose primary nod to the currently popular Latin sound is flamenco rather than salsa, also offers a convincing take on the gorgeous Bruce Springsteen ballad ``Sad Eyes,'' from last year's ``Tracks'' box set. Three stars - F.S. Larry Rice Larry Rice (born March 24, 1946, Linden, Indiana), is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. Racing career Larry's father Bob got him started in racing. He raced quarter midgets in Indiana prior to turning ten years old. , Tony Rice, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen/``Rice, Rice, Hillman Hillman was a famous British automobile marque, manufactured by the Rootes Group. It was based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry, England, from 1907 to 1976. Before 1907 the company had built bicycles. & Pedersen'' (Rounder) This bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. ``supergroup'' extracts a wide variety of influences from its four very talented collaborators. Individually, these guys have laid tracks with everyone from the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Linda Ronstadt to J.D. Crowe & the New South. Assimilated here with equal degrees of understated passion and confident craftsmanship, those elements of rock, country and bluegrass suggest what riches modern ``country-rock'' might uncover if Nashville and country radio had the guts to pursue them. Standout tracks include the shadowy, Latin-flavored ``The Year of El Nino,'' with author Larry Rice supplying the suavely suave adj. suav·er, suav·est Smoothly agreeable and courteous. [French, agreeable, from Old French, from Latin su weatherbeaten lead vocal, an incisive version of Flatt & Scruggs' ``Be on That Good Road Someday,'' a wryly reflective cover of the Grateful Dead's ``Friend of the Devil,'' and any of the five tracks that highlight Hillman's warmly rugged vocals. Three stars - Reed Johnson Pat Metheny/``A Map of the World'' (Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .) Guitarist-composer Metheny turns in 28 beautifully atmospheric pieces to accompany the forthcoming Sigourney Weaver film. The entire score, Metheny's fourth film soundtrack, is here, along with almost 30 minutes of additional music built around the memorable main themes. Metheny's quietly powerful musical vision of rural Wisconsin, the film's setting, is conveyed by acoustic guitar, stand-up stand·up or stand-up adj. 1. Standing erect; upright: a standup collar. 2. Taken, done, or used while standing: a standup supper; a standup bar. bass and chamber orchestra. Three stars - F.S. Korn/``Issues'' (Epic/Immortal) The Brits call this sort of one-dimensional drivel driv·el v. driv·eled or driv·elled, driv·el·ing or driv·el·ling, driv·els v.intr. 1. To slobber; drool. 2. To flow like spittle or saliva. 3. jock-rock, meaning Korn, Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock provide little more than rage-filled nonsense designed for taking off one's shirt and stumbling around a muddy field on too much warm beer. It made perfect sense Bakersfield's hideous Korn unveiled new material from their dreadful fourth album, ``Issues,'' on TV's ``South Park'' recently. The loony I'm-OK-you're-OK lyrics and one-chord thrash of songs like ``Beg for Me,'' ``Make Me Bad'' and ``4 U'' fit right in. One star - F.S. Tal Farlow/``On Stage'' (Concord) The late Farlow, a self-taught guitarist who never learned to read music, was a late bloomer who didn't start playing until his 20s. However, by the time he was 30, the inventive guitarist was showing deft speed, a knack for great melodies and an unearthly sweet tone. This straight-ahead live effort finds Farlow playing his heart out on a selection of standards and originals. Three stars - F.S. Soundtrack/``The Bone Collector'' (Decca) Soundtrack/``Happy Texas'' (Arista Nashville) Soundtrack/``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' (Sony Classical) Massive Attack pal Craig Armstrong devised the haunting, electro-tinged score to the Denzel Washington murder mystery ``The Bone Collector.'' Armstrong's eerie soundscape sound·scape n. An atmosphere or environment created by or with sound: the raucous soundscape of a city street; a play with a haunting soundscape. , full of blips, beeps and gray washes of synthesizer synthesizer Machine that electronically generates and modifies sounds, frequently with the use of a digital computer, for use in the composition of electronic music and in live performance. , could give you the chils even if you haven't caught the film yet. Three and one half stars Soundtrack/The ``Happy Texas'' soundtrack, on the other hand, is a well-constructed collection of solid contemporary country from Kim Richey and others. Again, the disc holds together even without exposure to the comedy. Three stars Soundtrack/``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' The score to the forthcoming ``The Talented Mr. Ripley'' is a nice collection of classic jazz and immediately appealing orchestral elements. It's also noteworthy for containing Matt Damon's Chet Baker-esque vocal debut. Three stars - F.S. Various/``20th Century Time Capsule'' (Buddha) Just in time for backyard burial comes this set of sounds and songs that helped define the last 100 years. Divided chronologically by decade, the disc features music - from ``Over There'' (1917) to ``Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In'' (1969) to ``The Macarena'' (1996) - and historic soundbites like Charles Lindbergh's address after his first trans-Atlantic flight, Nixon's ``Checkers' speech'' and Rodney King on the Los Angeles riots. Three stars - F.S. Melanie C/``Northern Star'' (Virgin) As a member of the Spice Girls, Melanie ``Sporty'' Chisholm is known as the one who can actually sing. She's the Spice called on to belt out the power riffs, and in that context, she shines, adding a vocal presence as well as a legitimacy that the all-gal pop group needs. But on her solo debut, Melanie faces a different standard: She simply must make the listener want to hear her sing. It's a test she doesn't quite pass, though her efforts make it clear that she'll probably be worth listening to in the future. Two stars - Teresa Gubbins Dallas Morning News CAPTION(S): 7 Photos Photo: (1) no caption (Will Smith (2 -- 7) no caption (CD covers) |
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