SOUND CHECK.BARBRA STREISAND Noun 1. Barbra Streisand - United States singer and actress (born in 1942) Barbra Joan Streisand, Streisand : "Live in Concert 2006" (Sony) - Three and one half stars Designed along the lines of an audio-graphical one-woman Broadway show, Streisand's '06 trek showcased five decades of sublime singing. These two CDs from the tour -- featuring an overture, main act and amusing between-song chatter -- are so good that even those of us inoculated against the entertainer's charms will find much to enjoy. Delights among the 23 tracks here take in "Funny Girl," which Streisand hadn't sung since the film, and fine readings of "The Way We Were," "People" and "(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair?" The only drag comes with an appearance by Il Divo Il Divo, Italian for "divine male performer", is an international operatic pop vocal group created by pop impresario Simon Cowell, and signed to the Sony BMG music label. Il Divo is formed by singers Carlos Marín, Urs Bühler, David Miller, and Sébastien Izambard. -- four male models in search of a fashion runway -- who tread all over "Somewhere," "The Music of the Night" and "Evergreen." -- Fred Shuster BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY: "Strength and Loyalty" (Interscope) - Three stars Not much has changed since these guys turned gangsta rap gang·sta rap also gangster rap n. A style of rap music associated with urban street gangs and characterized by violent, tough-talking, often misogynistic lyrics. on its ear in 1994 with a debut filled with a rapid-fire melodic delivery. This comeback effort starts out strong. The tracks "Flow Motion" and "Bump in the Trunk" are convincing street anthems, riding on some of the biggest beats around. One surprise is "Wind Blows," which riffs on Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" with laconic la·con·ic adj. Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise. See Synonyms at silent. [Latin Lac charm. But the album loses momentum with a shift to a contemplative tone reminiscent of work from almost a decade ago. Still, "Strength and Loyalty" will keep Bone loyalists bumping until next time. -- Len Cutler KEREN ANN: "Keren Ann" (Metro Blue) - Three stars Ann won a host of new admirers with 2004's "Nolita," the first all-English album for the Israeli-born artist. That fan base will likely expand with her latest, which finds the singer broadening her horizons with grungy grun·gy adj. grun·gi·er, grun·gi·est Slang In a dirty, rundown, or inferior condition: grungy old jeans. [Origin unknown. guitars, distorted drums, bluesy Dylan-esque harmonica harmonica. 1 The simplest of the musical instruments employing free reeds, known also as the mouth organ or French harp. It was probably invented in 1829 by Friedrich Buschmann of Berlin, who called his instrument the Mundäoline. and even - warning to purists - hand claps. Ann's airy voice remains the central attraction, but she shows impressive growth as a songwriter, too, with the cathartic cathartic (kəthär`tĭk): see laxative. prayer "Between the Flatland flat·land n. 1. Land that varies little in elevation. 2. flatlands A geographic area composed chiefly of land that varies little in elevation. and the Caspian Sea" being the standout. -- Glenn Whipp SCOTT MILLER & THE COMMONWEALTH: "Reconstruction" (Sugar Hill) - Three and one half stars Miller's passionate songs and ultra-tight band sound better than ever on this live set. And his voice is even more effective than on his excellent studio albums. Miller's evocative, sometimes humorous songs about soldiers past and present capture youthful passion in a class with Mellencamp and Seger, and he evidently knows how to throw an Appalachian-tinged party and what the morning after feels like. -- Bob Strauss CAPTION(S): 6 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Barbra Streisand) (2 -- 6) no caption (CD covers) |
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