Starting out as a grad student in English lit and a Rhodes Scholar (he went to Oxford a full decade before Bill Clinton—and inhaled), Kristofferson made a most atypical journey to Nashville in the late 1960s. But the Texas-born would-be novelist turned songwriter brought an offbeat lyricism to traditional country themes of loss, loneliness, sin and redemption. And though his output plummeted as he launched his career as a movie actor in the mid-'70s, Kristofferson created a small but glittering cache of tunes that are among the saddest and sweetest ever written. Now 63, Kristofferson revisits his classics in this new recording of world-weary, lovelorn numbers such as "Sunday Morning Coming Down," "For the Good Times" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night." With spare accompaniment and restrained vocal backup by folks like Jackson Browne, Vince Gill and Matraca Berg, Kristofferson sounds as rough-edged and soulful as he did 30 years ago.
Bottom Line: Silver-tongued devil still has bite
Puff Daddy (Bad Boy/Arista)
Possessing one of the hottest hands in hip hop, New York City record producer Sean "Puffy" Combs has built a one-man music empire, producing bestselling albums for everyone from Mary J. Blige to his late protégé Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace). In 1997, Puffy struck platinum with his own solo debut, No Way Out, an album that, despite his vocal shortcomings, displayed a successful brand of pop-savvy rap, fashioning many of its hooks from samples of classic rock riffs by the likes of the Police and David Bowie. But the hip-hop scene is driven by trends, and Puffy's light-touch sound, heavy on name-dropping lyrics, has been drowned out lately by the hammering of a tougher, leaner lot of up-from-the-streets rappers. So now comes Combs with a sophomore solo CD that embraces this harder trend. Fortunately, he leaves the thuggish posturing and the more down-and-dirty raps to an all-star lineup of guests including Busta Rhymes and Redman. As a producer, Combs makes many of these 19 tracks sizzle. But as a rapper his vocals are weak and his material mostly pointless. Full of self-indulgent nonsense, the album finds Combs repeatedly referring to himself as a Christ figure while playing the role of a dangerous public enemy. Neither pose suits him well. Next time, Combs should stick to what he does best, namely making hits for other people.
Bottom Line: Forever is a long listen
Meshell Ndegéocello (Maverick)
Best known for her hit 1994 duet with John Mellencamp (on a version of Van Morrison's "Wild Night"), Ndegéocello (pronounced n-day-gay-o-cello) has not been especially prolific since wowing critics with the jazzy folk-funk of her Grammy-nominated 1993 debut, Plantation Lullabies. With just one other album to her credit (1996's Peace Beyond Passion), the 31-year-old singer-songwriter and bassist makes a grand return with a moody, meditative album that recalls the resonant blues of Nina Simone. This time, Ndégeocello (originally Michelle Johnson—she took the name from a Swahili phrase meaning "free as a bird") adds rich classical hues to her already shimmering palette.
Bottom Line: Meshell, ma belle
Bif Naked (Lava/Atlantic)
Album of the week
There's something about Biffy. A big-eyed girl with a taste for tattoos, lip jewelry and see-through goth-garb, the planet's best-named rocker (née Beth Hopkins) introduces herself in hand-lettered album notes (which also feature doodled self-portraits and drawings of her two dogs) as "a nice girl with a nice upbringing." At 27, she is a normal, red-blooded (North) American girl (she lives in Vancouver) who happens to speak several languages, snowboard, listen to devotional Hare Krishna music and eat only rice and fish.
What she doesn't mention in her liner notes but spells out on every track of this major-label debut album is that she is a terrifically engaging singer-songwriter: Bif crafts vivid lyrics ("Remember the time we made love in the roses? [and you took my picture in all sorts of poses!]"), sings in a just-a-girl lilt like No Doubt's Gwen Stefani and gives Joan Jett a run for her hard-rock money.
Bottom Line: Biffy is spiffy
Bryan White (Asylum)
Not many male pop singers need their image toughened up as much as White. With his frail, Andy Gibb tenor and overrefined white-bread look, White is not likely to be confused with John Michael Montgomery, Tim McGraw or any of Nashville's other macho singers. So the addition of heavy-metal(Megadeth) veteran Dann Huff to White's production team isn't as bizarre as it might seem.
In fact, Huff's contribution is subtly positive as he helps White construct a sturdier sound on such tunes as "The Stayin'," "Love Me Like You Mean It" and "Love Happens Just Like That." While the energy boost enlivens "Shari Ann" and the title track, White is still no candidate for the Lollapalooza tour. But he is showing a healthy willingness to make productive changes.
Bottom Line: Softie beefs up
>FULL CUP: A DECADE OF GANG STARR Gang Starr (Noo Trybe/Virgin) The rap duo's sparse, muscular and jazzy odes are collected here (with three new tunes) on a shining best-of collection.
LYING TO THE MOON & OTHER STORIES Matraca Berg (RCA) Fans longing for new material from this gifted but currently unsigned singer-songwriter will have to make do with this reissue of past goodies.
BIGGER & BLACKER Chris Rock (Dreamworks) There's a riot goin' on as the comic dissects social, racial and sexual mores on his third CD.
- Contributors:
- Steve Dougherty,
- Amy Linden,
- Ralph Novak.
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!
