R.E.M. was unplugged before unplugged was cool. But now that so many of the band's alternative-rock peers are jumping on the trend—Alice In Chains' early-'92 Jar of Flies EP and Nirvana's Unplugged in New York is due in November—the acclaimed foursome have gone electric.
Monster, R.E.M.'s ninth studio album, is its most amped release yet. Cuts like "Crush with Eyeliner," "King of Comedy" and "I Took Your Name" sport a rough, industrial sound. Front man Michael Stipe's compressed vocals seem to have been recorded from Walkman headphones as his bandmates indulge in a punk ethic missing from recent R.E.M. albums. Stipe sounds assured and sexy on "I Don't Sleep, I Dream," especially when he slips into falsetto on the chorus, and his undecipherable vocals on the frenetic rocker "Star 69" recall R.E.M.'s early days.
Lest the fainthearted tune out, though, Monster also includes a few quieter moments: "Strange Currencies" is familiar power pop, and the gospel-tinged "Tongue" soars on a lovely organ melody. Ultimately the overall sound of Monster is more striking than any of its individual songs. Still, R.E.M. deserves applause for recording bold music and not just coasting on its rep. (Warner Bros.)
Roger Clinton
At last we have the recording debut of the First Brother. The puzzle is why we had to wait so long. After all, if one accepts the truism of the title, this must have been an astoundingly easy album to make.
For the most part, Roger favors a simpy, syrupy pop style that often echoes bad '70s Top 40 music, such as his curdled cover of Blues Image's "Ride Captain Ride." After you hear him "rap" on "Different Man," though, the '70s suddenly seem awfully good. But it's when R.C. tries to get soulful, as on "Mystery to Me" and the title track, that he seems more clueless than Inspector Clouseau.
Clinton's timbre might best be described as a very diminished cross between Dion and Journey's Steve Perry. At least his recorded voice is smooth and his pitch approximate. But anyone who has experienced Roger live and un-filtered knows that his showing here is more a testament to the refining powers of the modern recording studio than it is to any sudden transformation in his talent. What we have here is the aural equivalent of Billy Beer. (Pyramid/Rhino)
Kostas
Here's the first album from a cherubic 45-year-old who has written at least a dozen Top 10 country hits for Patty Loveless ("Blame It on Your Heart"), Dwight Yoakam (the Grammy-winning "Ain't That Lonely Yet") and others. Kostas sings in a reedy, affecting contralto; if you didn't know better, you'd swear you were hearing Anne Murray with a cold. With its quavery vulnerability, Kostas's voice is more distinctive than the pipes of most of the stars for whom he toils. Dwight Yoakam's a great singer, but Kostas's version of "Ain't That Lonely Yet" just may make your neck hairs stand up. He's a taste worth acquiring. (Liberty)
Roxette
Sweden has contributed its share of sugar to pop music. First, Abba churned out candy-coated harmonies and a string of hopelessly catchy hits during the '70s. By the end of the next decade, Roxette's Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson were the Swedes to rock to. More recently, Ace of Base, Abba's photogenic heir, has dominated the airwaves—and stolen some of Roxette's chart thunder—with bubblegum world pop.
Now Roxette returns with a fourth album of potentially guilty pleasures. Drive-time throwaways like "Sleeping in My Car" and "I Love the Sound of Crashing Guitars" sport write-them-in-your-sleep hooks, while psychedelic grand ambitions set in on the Beatles-esque "Love Is All." As with the duo's previous work, Crash! Boom! Bang! hits its best notes when Fredriksson is at the mike. Her vocals on the ballads "Run to You," "What's She Like" and the title song are more subtle and graceful than her partner's grating, affected rasp. Alas, Roxette's sweet flavor doesn't last very long. Soon after the record's over, some Ace of Base tune will probably be spinning in your head again. (EMI)
Larry Adler and Various Artists
Harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler first played "Rhapsody in Blue" at a 1934 party with none other than the song's writer, George Gershwin. Sixty years later, Adler is remembering his friend—and celebrating his own 80th birthday—by putting together an album on which he accompanies today's pop music royalty as they croon Gershwin's classics. To be sure his dream became reality, he enlisted the aid of world-class producer George Martin, and together they have created The Glory of Gershwin, a convincing homage to the great composer.
In updating Gershwin's repertoire, the strongest singers—like Oleta Adams, Kate Bush and Elton John—fare best. Others simply struggle: Carly Simon adds nothing new to "I've Got a Crush on You," and jazz musician Courtney Pine contributes a wooden "Summertime" instrumental. Throughout, Adler's mouth organ enhances the performances. It's jumpy and playful, backing Robert Palmer on "I Got Rhythm" and Sting on "Nice Work If You Can Get It," and thanks to Adler's loose, versatile style, always hip enough to charm Gershwin lovers and punk-obsessed twentysomethings alike. (Mercury)
>George Martin
NOW, AN AMERICAN INVASION
AS PRODUCER AND ARRANGER FOR THE Beatles, George Martin had a hand in crafting some of pop music's most enduring tunes. Now, as producer of The Glory of Gershwin tribute album, the 68-year-old Martin has tackled the works of pianist George Gershwin and his lyricist brother, Ira. "There are so many Gershwin songs that I love," says Martin, who lives in his native London with his wife of 28 years, Judy Lockhart-Smith. "When I was 16, I had a band and used to play Gershwin numbers. He's always been one of my idols."
When ace harmonica player and Glory organizer Larry Adler asked him to produce, Martin couldn't resist. But even Martin's experience as a behind-the-scenes Beatle didn't quite prepare him for the challenge of updating Gershwin classics with 15 such diverse talents and personalities as Sinéad O'Connor, Meat Loaf and Peter Gabriel. For example, Cher, who sings "It Ain't Necessarily So," initially felt jittery about recording with a live orchestra—something she had never done in her long career. "She asked, 'What are they doing here?' " Martin recalls. "I told her if she didn't like what the band did she could change it. But she got into the swing and started enjoying it."
Martin himself is definitely still in the swing of things. Last March he picked up a Grammy—his fourth—for producing the Broadway cast recording of Tommy; his third book, The Summer of Love: The Making of Sgt. Pepper, is due out later this year. And while a few big names remain on his wish list, Martin says he's not greedy: "A few slipped through the net. The Beach Boys. Dylan. Streisand. But I've had more than my share of great people."
- Contributors:
- Jeremy Helligar,
- David Hiltbrand,
- Tony Scherman.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
