SOUND CHECK.Christina Aguilera/``Christina Aguilera'' (RCA/BMG) Blue-eyed ex-Mouseketeer Aguilera is the latest teen star to land a No. 1 single; the infectious dance-pop smash ``Genie in the Bottle'' has held the top spot on the nation's chart for more than a month. But as this sassy sas·sy 1 adj. sas·si·er, sas·si·est 1. Rude and disrespectful; impudent. 2. Lively and spirited; jaunty. 3. Stylish; chic: a sassy little hat. self-titled debut suggests, Aguilera won't be lip-synching alongside fellow ex-Mouseketeer and teen superpower Britney Spears anytime soon. See, this kid can actually sing, a talent that sets her apart in the overheated o·ver·heat v. o·ver·heat·ed, o·ver·heat·ing, o·ver·heats v.tr. 1. To heat too much. 2. To cause to become excited, agitated, or overstimulated. v.intr. teen market. In fact, pop's next female superstar boasts a soulful streak a mile wide and the most assured sets of pipes possibly since Mariah Carey. Growing up in suburban Pittsburgh, Aguilara (who's half-Ecuadorian and half-Irish) began belting out crowd-pleasing show tunes, blues and r&b in her pleasingly honeyed hon·eyed v. A past tense and a past participle of honey. adj. also hon·ied 1. Containing, full of, or sweetened with honey. 2. Ingratiating; sugary: honeyed words. alto early in life. The album, which was released Tuesday, sparkles, from the upbeat hit single to the guitar-driven fun of ``What a Girl Wants'' and the gospel-tinged ``So Emotional.'' Finally, here's a teen act adults won't be embarrassed to admit they like all the way through. Three stars - Fred Shuster The Hippos/``Heads Are Gonna Roll'' (Interscope) On the indie ska compilation scene, Van Nuys' six-piece Hippos HIPPOS Health Information Packet Posted On Seat have been a featured attraction for years. Using loud guitars, vintage keyboards, a three-piece horn section In a symphony orchestra the horn section is the group of musicians who play the horn (sometimes referred to as the French horn). In non-Classical musical groups, the horn section and two harmony singers, the band writes and plays lively, playful music that appeals to kids across the country. For ``Heads Are Gonna Roll,'' the Hippos' second album and major label debut, the band's pop instincts are allowed to roam while standouts like the first single, ``Wasting My Life,'' along with ``Struggling'' and a nifty cover of the chestnut ``Always Something There to Remind Me'' should keep the Hippos on stomping terms with stages from coast to coast. Three stars - F.S. Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris/``Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions'' (Asylum) No disrespect meant to Dolly Parton par·ton n. Any of the point particles believed to be a constituent of hadrons, now known as quarks. No longer in technical use. [part(icle) + -on1.] , but jettisoning the third wheel of their Trio supergroup has freed Harris and Ronstadt to explore more adventurous notions of what Emmylou's mentor, Gram Parsons, called cosmic American music. Ronstadt's voice is only slightly less powerful today than it was at its ``Hasten Down the Wind'' peak. Wisely, she channels her still abundant vocal energy into unique and subtle phrasings here. Of course, that's always been the more ethereal Harris' forte, but singing so much with the formidable Ronstadt forces her to be more assertive than usual, with bracing results. As you'd expect, angelic harmonies abound on covers of Sinead O'Connor's ``This Is to Mother You,'' Leonard Cohen's ``Sisters of Mercy'' and Roseanne Cash's title song, while ``Raise the Dead'' is yet another haunting Harris composition about departed music greats. Perfect as all that sounds, though, it's the least-predictable songs - like the French-inflected war lament ``1917,'' and the borderline goofy, sexily syncopated syn·co·pate tr.v. syn·co·pat·ed, syn·co·pat·ing, syn·co·pates 1. Grammar To shorten (a word) by syncope. 2. Music To modify (rhythm) by syncopation. radio track ``Sweet Spot'' - that make this Glyn Johns-produced album a vital work as well as a gorgeous vocal showcase. Four stars - Bob Strauss Richard Bona/``Scenes From My Life'' (Columbia) Multi-instrumentalist Bona's ``Scenes'' are storied remembrances of growing up in Cameroon, West Africa West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. , sung in the language of Douala, his native tongue. While other musicians from Cameroon favor a danceable, high-energy multi-guitar assault, Bona seems to be striving for the soft-spoken adult-contemporary market with lilting material and subtle jazz-tinged arrangements that sometimes recall Sting. There's another connection, too - Sting drummer Omar Hakim Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959 in New York City) is a Mexican drummer noted in jazz, jazz fusion and pop music. Among the notable artists he has played with are Sting, Weather Report, Mariah Carey, Madonna, David Bowie, Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, Dire Straits and many others. helps out on a couple cuts, along with members of the New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Symphony and saxophonist Michael Brecker Michael Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane,"[1] . Two and one half stars - F.S. Syl Johnson/``Talkin' Bout Chicago!'' (Delmark) Johnson, one of the great Chicago r&b singers, cut some of his best work in the '70s for Al Green producer Willie Mitchell's Hi Records label. His songs have been covered by everyone from Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang (born Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr. on January 29, 1981, in Fargo, North Dakota) is a Grammy-winning American blues guitarist and singer. to Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (born November 8, 1949) is a nine-time Grammy award-winning American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist who was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Broadway musical star John Raitt. to Boz Scaggs. With a dozen new originals, a return to the '70s with a remake of his Hi hit ``Diff'rent Strokes Diff'rent Strokes was a popular, American sitcom that aired on the NBC television network from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986, when the series was again cancelled. ,'' and a tribute to blues great Magic Sam, ``Talkin' Bout Chicago!'' offers state-of-the-art blues and some of the most straight-ahead playing we've heard in a while. Johnson really puts a song across, as evidenced by such winners as the soul-drenched title track, penned for departed bluesman Junior Wells. Three stars - F.S. Nicolette Larson/``The Very Best of Nicolette Larson'' (Rhino/Warner Archives) In-demand harmony singer Larson died suddenly in December 1997 at age 45. Her Top 40 hits included a cover of Neil Young's ``Lotta Love'' and a duet with Michael McDonald on ``Let Me Go, Love.'' Both songs are included in this recommended 16-track best-of, but there are other more revealing highlights, such as Larson's cover of Lowell George's ``Two Trains,'' a gorgeous reading of the Louvin Brothers' ``Angels Rejoiced,'' and a 1978 live take of ``French Waltz'' with all-star backing. Three stars - F.S. Joe South/``Retrospect: The Best of Joe South'' (Koch) Those are Southern blue-eyed soul man South's guitar licks on Bob Dylan's ``Blonde on Blonde'' as well as classic records by Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and others. As a solo act, his hits included the Grammy-winning soul classic and universal plea for tolerance ``Games People Play Games People Play can refer to:
- F.S. CAPTION(S): 5 Photos Photo: (1) no caption (Christina Aguilera) (2--5) no caption (CD covers) |
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