Twice busted on narcotics-related charges since going on extended leave from Stone Temple Pilots because of—guess what?—drug use, Weiland commits one more crime with this stylistic rip-off of earlier glam-rock betters. (Atlantic)
ERIC CLAPTON
Slowhand was an ironic appellation for one of the inventors of heavy metal; now the guitarist has geared down to slogging speed with this overly long, deeply melancholic downer of a disc. (Reprise)
TORI AMOS
Once again, pianist-provocateur Amos lets her vocal caterwauling and lyric pretensions ("lollipop gestapo") overwhelm her marvelous musical gifts. (Atlantic)
LUTHER VANDROSS
That gorgeous, velvety tenor can still soar; pity that it's wasted here on ballads that range from uninspired to insipid. (Virgin)
NATALIE MERCHANT
Giving her album a title that evokes Hamlet's suicidal squeeze, the onetime hippie diva gets downright depressing with this dirgelike CD. (Elektra)
VONDA SHEPARD
Set against her compulsively confessional costars on TV's Ally McBeal, this sultry blonde bar singer is an alluring mystery. But on disc, she can't hide. These recycled '60s hits ("Walk Away Renee") and imitative originals are no better than hotel-lobby music. (550 Music)
AEROSMITH
Just when they had begun to win respect, the band once dissed as a poor imitation of the Rolling Stones put out a live album at the same time their British counterparts delivered their best concert recording in years. When the smoke bombs clear, Boston's finest sound, as expected, like a poor imitation. (Geffen)
Sorry, Neil, but we preferred the way Sam played it. Diamond's versions of famous film songs ("Moon River," "Unchained Melody") come with IMAX-size, nerve-jangling bombast. (Columbia)
LIONEL RICHIE
The former Commodores singer forgoes the funk and dredges up the kind of languid, molasses-tempo love gushings that made him a solo superstar in the '80s and a stupor inducer in the '90s. (Mercury)
SEAN LENNON
Many wishful critics were so eager to see the son rise, they praised this unfocused, lazy and lackadaisical solo debut effort by the second of John's lads. (Remember Julian?) (Grand Royal)
>[X]Greed overwhelms Girl Power as arenas full of SPICE GIRLS fans are bombarded by video adverts for merchandise and product tie-ins both obvious (zit pads) and odd (Domino sugar). Between the ads: music to merchandise by.
[X]Rock's newest gender-bender, MARILYN MANSON, dons prosthetic female breasts for the MTV video awards.
CELINE’S INFERTILITY STRUGGLE: MY PRIVATE HEARTBREAK
Daily injections, painful tests and four failed IVF attempts: The singer, 41, reveal her dreams for a second baby. ‘I’ll try until it works’
