SOUND CHECK.SADE ``Lovers Live'' (Epic) Three stars This career-spanning 13-track set catches the vibe of last year's ``Lovers Rock'' tour. The Nigerian-born chanteuse chan·teuse n. A woman singer, especially a nightclub singer. [French, feminine of chanteur, singer, from chanter, to sing; see chant.] revives such sizzlers as ``Smooth Operator,'' ``Sweetest Taboo'' and ``No Ordinary Love'' alongside recent gems like ``By Your Side'' and ``Flow.'' The disc is both a Sade best-of and effective concert memento me·men·to n. pl. me·men·tos or me·men·toes A reminder of the past; a keepsake. [Middle English, commemoration of the living or the dead in the Canon of the Mass, from Latin . One early peak is ``Somebody Already Broke My Heart,'' a delicious r&b-tinged number with a buttery vocal and some of the most quietly lethal keyboards since Booker T. took the MGs for a spin. ``Jezebel'' and ``Slave Song'' contain all the emotion of past live performances, while the show-stopper ``Is It a Crime'' is simply spectacular. The only problem is the audience - there's far too much of it. Noise emitted by the unwashed mass obscures many intros and outros. Must we be reminded of the uncouth response of those who cannot sit still until a song is finished? - Fred Shuster KASEY CHAMBERS ``Barricades & Brickwalls'' (Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .) Three and one half stars Wild Australian dingo dingo (dĭng`gō), wild dog (Canis lupus dingo) of Australia, believed to have been introduced thousands of years ago from SE Asia by the aboriginal settlers of that continent; currently regarded as a subspecies of the gray wolf. baby Chambers is already alt-country's next big thing, and this sophomore album backs up the hype. Her busted purr of a voice works equally as well on grr-girl rockers (the title track, ``Crossfire'') and broken wing ballads (the sublime ``Not Pretty Enough,'' the touchingly personal ``Nullarbor Song''). Sometimes Chambers' lyrics betray her youth, especially when she attempts relevance on the hidden track ``Ignorance'' but only achieves naivete na·ive·té or na·ïve·té n. 1. The state or quality of being inexperienced or unsophisticated, especially in being artless, credulous, or uncritical. 2. An artless, credulous, or uncritical statement or act. . Crucially, though, her pure country tunes flirt with genre perfection. Emmylou, watch your back. - Bob Strauss ROBERT BRADLEY'S BLACKWATER SURPRISE
This blind soul-rock singer from Detroit has reconstituted his band into a lush, wall-of-sound consortium that really brings a sense of the cathedral to the dance floor. Bradley's songs are a little eccentric - half the time you're not quite sure what he's singing about, and there are moments when his tobacco-chaw vocalizing gives his words an extra dimension of mystery - but they stir something deep just the same. - Bob Strauss B-52s ``Nude on the Moon: The B-52's Anthology'' (Rhino/Warner) Four stars These brilliant wackos had their recording career summarized a mere three years ago with single-disc hits package ``Time Capsule.'' But one CD was too skimpy skimp·y adj. skimp·i·er, skimp·i·est 1. Inadequate, as in size or fullness, especially through economizing or stinting: a skimpy meal. 2. Unduly thrifty; niggardly. for a band that has produced so much joyfully weird, eminently danceable music, so now arrives ``Nude on the Moon,'' with 35 well-chosen songs spanning their quarter century of music. There are only a few oddities - alternate versions of ``Queen of Las Vegas'' and ``Is That You Mo-Dean?'' and a live reading of ``Whammy wham·my n. pl. wham·mies Slang 1. A supernatural spell for subduing an adversary; a hex: put the whammy on someone. 2. Kiss'' - that don't live up to the originals. Knowing that the B-52's have been around for 25 years might make you feel a little old in the bones, but playing these wigged-out anthems will assuredly work the kinks out in your own private Idaho. - Glenn Whipp SUZZY AND MAGGIE ROCHE, ``Zero Church'' (Red House Records) Three and one half stars The Roches, known for reinventing Handel's ``Hallelujah Hallelujah (hăl'əl  `yə) or Alleluia (ăl–) [Heb.,=praise the Lord], joyful expression used in Hebrew worship; cf. Pss. Chorus'' as a coarse a capella chant, have taken both published and very personal prayers and put them to Suzzy and Maggie Roche's harmonic music. Suzzy and Maggie lead the vocals with outstanding gospel-flavored contributions from Ysaye Barnwell (Sweet Honey in the Rock Sweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman, African-American a cappella ensemble that has been producing music for more than 30 years.Although the members of the group have changed over time, their music has consistently combined contemporary rhythms and narratives with a ) and Dupre. The lyrics span all the emotions ordinary people share with God: hope, fear, sorrow and gratitude. And, as the title suggests, it raises them beyond their common settings of church pews and bedside floors. - Valerie Kuklenski CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) no caption (Sade) (2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers) |
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