SOUND CHECK.

BOB DYLAN: ``Live 1964: Concert at Philharmonic Hall'' (Columbia/Legacy) - Three and one half stars

It's hard to imagine any wildly inventive and politically astute songwriter like the one found in this archival set being promoted by a major record company today. Too subversive and unpredictable might be the corporate response to an artist who names names and gets to the heart of institutional racism, corruption and greed in his material. The 23-year-old Dylan here was at the peak of those powers. Accompanied by nothing more than guitar, harmonica, illegal smile and, on four songs, Joan Baez, Dylan offers pungent readings of protest-era gems ``Who Killed Davey Moore,'' ``The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll'' and the always-relevant ``A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall,'' songs that still apply 40 years later. Even better are gutsy versions of the dizzying milestones ``Gates of Eden'' and ``It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)'' months before their vinyl release. The crowd at New York's Philharmonic Hall plainly doesn't know what's hit 'em - but we do. One of the best '60s Dylan sets.

- Fred Shuster

BILL CHARLAP: ``Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein'' (Blue Note) - Three and one half stars

Pianist Charlap continues his run of excellent, elegant recordings, tackling the timeless complexities of Bernstein's great songbook. Charlap, working again with the top-notch rhythm section of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington (they're not related, though they play like they've known each other their whole lives), delivers on the expected ``West Side Story'' songs, the Afro-Cuban reading of ``America'' being the standout track. But it's his wistful version of ``Some Other Time'' that leaves the greatest impression, stabbing you in the heart with its poignant romanticism.

- Glenn Whipp

DILATED PEOPLES: ``Neighborhood Watch'' (Capitol) - Three stars

Southern California, this one's for you. The third release from the Los Angeles-based hip-hop collective slathers street smarts over turntable scratches, funky bass lines and soul-arized grooves, circa 1970s, evoking summertime in the palm-tree-lined concrete jungle by the sea. These L.A.-centric rhymes are upbeat and positive: ``Pace yourself, so you could face yourself, run hard, you really only race yourself'' goes the opening track ``Marathon.'' Other standouts include ``Tryin' to Breathe,'' ``World on Wheels'' and the title track, which contains canned elements from ``Night Games'' performed by blues man Bobby ``Blue'' Bland. In stores Tuesday.

- Sandra Barrera

SOUNDTRACK: `THE LADYKILLERS'' (DMZ/Columbia) - Three and one half stars

Producer T Bone Burnett, the man behind the successful music of another Coen Brothers film (``O Brother, Where Art Thou?'') has turned attention from roots music to gospel for this set, and the results are for the most part joyous. A bit of an eclectic mixture, Burnett is better off when he sticks to more traditional forms. The inclusion of the Nappy Roots, a hip- hop collective from Kentucky who are on three of these 18 cuts, illustrates just how divergent the genres are, especially on a number like ``Trouble of This World (Coming Home),'' which tries to combine the two and doesn't work for either form. Still, there is so much to like, starting with a cut by the Soul Stirrers, the gospel group that the great Sam Cooke began his career with from 1950-56. Listen to his sublime vocal on ``Any Day Now'' and you've found the epitome of soul. There's also Blind Willie Johnson's upbeat ``Let Your Light Shine on Me,'' which begins sweetly before his voice suddenly turns into a bluesy growl only to end sweetly again. It then segues into a rousing version of the same song by the Venice Four with Rose Stone and the Abbot Kinney Lighthouse Choir, who perform a number of lively songs here. Throw in Claude Jeter and the Silvertones' bluesy ``A Christian Plea'' and what you have is inspirational.

- Rob Lowman

DAVID BYRNE: ``GROWN BACKWARDS'' (Nonesuch) - Three and one half stars

Since his days as Talking Heads head man, Byrne has charted a meandering musical course, while championing world music with his Luaka Bop label. ``Grown Backwards'' gives us what we've come to expect from the fertile mind of Byrne - the unexpected, beginning with two arias, one by Bizet, the other by Verdi. While Domingo has no worries of competition, the loveliness of the opera melodies comes through and their inclusion illustrates how the singer-songwriter is willing to take chances. It's not surprising then that the arias complement Byrne's own music, from the sharp, politically observed ``Empire,'' with its majestic horns, to the humorously jaunty ``Glad'' (``I'm glad when the sex is not so great'') to the multirhythmic ``Lazy'' to the surreal ``Tiny Apocalypse,'' which recalls a Heads song like ``Once in a Lifetime.'' There may be some irony meant in the title ``Grown Backwards,'' but the music shows the already accomplished Byrne is clearly going forward.

- R.L.

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Associated Press

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