COUNTRY/FOLK
CRITIC'S CHOICE
Harris, 56, is of an age and stature at which she should be allowed to do pretty much whatever she wants. Which is exactly what she does on this follow-up to 2000's Red Dirt Girl. Her 20th studio album is a polyglot collection that ranges from romantic songs to Celtic-flavored folk numbers to such vaguely religious tunes as "Time in Babylon." It is a thoroughly unclassifiable album—and a thoroughly beautiful one. Harris's voice remains remarkably true and expressive, and her lower register, in which she sings most of the disc's 11 songs, suggests a maturity and sophistication while never seeming aloof. Whether she's reaching back on traditional tunes like "O Evangeline" and "Plaisir d'Amour" or trying new material like "Here I Am" and "Little Bird," she sounds sure; she never sings anything you don't believe. As a testament to Harris's standing as a country-folk doyenne, several female artists lend a hand. Linda Ronstadt, a longtime Harris collaborator, sings on "Strong Hand," a stately tune dedicated to the late June Carter Cash; Jane Siberry provides guest vocals on the hymnlike "Lost unto this World"; and former Luscious Jackson frontwoman Jill Cuniff cowrote "Time in Babylon." But it is Harris herself who steals the show, wielding that ethereally beautiful voice much as Gabriel was said to wield his trumpet. She will make you feel as if you have truly stumbled into grace.
Alejandro Sanz
LATIN POP
On No Es lo Mismo (translation: It's not the same), Spain's Alejandro Sanz continues to set himself apart from the Latin-pop pack. With sophisticated songcraft and versatile musicianship that Ricky and Enrique would give their bon-bons for, Sanz is his own hombre. The singer, who wrote all 12 songs in addition to playing flamenco guitar and tres (a three-stringed Latin instrument), brings his unique talent to a varied set that showcases his raw, raspy vocals. You won't need to understand the Spanish lyrics to appreciate the breezy tropical rhythms of the Cuban-inspired "Labana" or the hip-hop, jazz and rock melange of "Try to Save Your Song," which features a guest rap in English by GQ. Sanz, who swept the Latin Grammys in 2001, isn't a technically perfect singer; he strains to hit notes on the eco-conscious ballad "Sandy a Orilla do Mundo" (Sandy at the shoreline of the world) in a manner that might incur Simon Cowell's wrath. And he ends the disc with "Si, He Cantado Mal" (Yes, I have sung badly). But what he may sometimes lack in pitch, he more than makes up for with passion.
Nickelback
ROCK
With "How You Remind Me," these Canadian rockers soared to the top of the pop charts and ruled radio, scoring the most-played song of last year. But don't bank on Nickelback repeating such a feat with this formulaic follow-up to 2001's 5 million-selling Silver Side Up. The poor man's Metallica, Nickelback cranks out headbangers that are heavy on guitars and light on ingenuity. Songs like the first single, "Someday," have enough melodic hooks to appeal to pop ears but won't linger after the 3½ minutes are over. At least singer-guitarist Chad Kroeger, who wrote almost all the lyrics, brings an urgency to his vocals. Still, this is a Road that has been much too traveled.
Bette Midler
POP/JAZZ
It's hard to imagine anyone who would have been better for this Rosemary Clooney tribute than the Divine Miss M. With just the right combination of swing and sass, Midler perfectly captures the spirit of the pop-jazz chanteuse, who rose to fame in the '50s and died at 74 last year. The disc reunites Midler with Barry Manilow, who produced her first two albums. Manilow coproduced this CD, plus he sings and plays piano on a playful, punchy version of "On a Slow Boat to China." Midler seems to be having a blast with these faithful yet fresh renditions, making Clooney classics like 1951's "Come on-a My House" inviting once again.
Anthony Hamilton
R&B
Since his little-heard 1996 debut XTC, Hamilton has sung backup for D'Angelo on 2000's Voodoo tour and supplied guest vocals for 2Pac, Eve and Nappy Roots. But the R&B singer-songwriter, who comes from Charlotte, N.C., finally steps back up front on this, his second disc. With his grits-and-gravy voice, Hamilton serves up savory Southern soul like "Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens," on which he promises a girl that he will satisfy her sexual appetite. Churchy organs, greasy guitars and Hamilton's country perspective enhance the down-home vibe, which at times brings to mind a young Bill Withers or Al Green (whose "Free at Last" is sampled on "Mama Knew Love"). Hamilton also recalls D'Angelo with his neosoul arrangements on songs such as the slow jam "I Tried." Even so, he's still not quite in D'Angelo's league.
Martina McBride
COUNTRY
"This One's for the Girls," one of 12 tracks on Martina, sounds as if it could be the theme song for The View. That doesn't bode well for McBride's first studio disc since 1999's Emotion. "She's a Butterfly" and "Reluctant Daughter" also tend to the pedantic, and McBride's penchant for histrionics doesn't make them any more subtle. "God's Will," about an impaired boy, is especially on the preachy side. The romantic rocker "Learning to Fall" changes the pace somewhat. And it comes as a most pleasant surprise when McBride covers "Over the Rainbow," albeit in a strangely truncated arrangement. While many vocalists tend to oversing the song, McBride reminds us that she can be restrained and intelligently evocative when she applies herself. Mostly, though, McBride seems to choose and perform material with the prospective video in mind. One can only hope that someday she shuts herself in the studio with just a good guitar player or pianist and makes an album that way.
DMX
RAP
Although this is reportedly supposed to be DMX's final album, the hardcore rapper fails to go out on top. Having gone Hollywood in recent years (starring in last winter's Cradle 2 the Grave), DMX has fallen off his rap game with 2001's The Great Depression and now this not-quite-Grand disc. His beats sometimes sound dated, while his violent, homophobic and profanity-laced lyrics (one track, "F—-Y'all," uses the F-word some 50 times) don't pack the same impact. With his guttural growl, DMX still possesses one of the most ferocious deliveries in rap on blazing cuts like "Where the Hood At." But he gets shown up by hip-hop's reigning champ, 50 Cent, on the gangsta highlight "Shot Down."
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett, the man whose hair height once rivaled Marge Simpson's, is back with My Baby Don't Tolerate, his first disc of original material since 1996's The Road to Enseñada. The singer is currently on tour through next month.
ON BEING A HOMETOWN BOY "I live in the Houston area. My family has been there since the 1840s. Being there on an old family place is really important to me, and [this CD] is really about that,"
ON HIS FAMOUS COIF "The hair used to stand up a little taller. I haven't ever really used products. The main thing about having curly hair is that you just always wish it were straight."
ON JOHNNY CASH "Johnny Cash was so nice to me. Rosanne Cash introduced me to him, and I got to do several things with him over the years. I got to make the induction speech when they inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
ON FAITH HILL VERSUS SHANIA TWAIN "I've been around Faith more than I've been around Shania, and I think Faith's a great singer."
ON MP3S VERSUS CDS "I got an iPod during this project, and it was really useful in being able to quickly access things that we were working on. But for personal use, I still carry around CDs. I'm slow to be converted."
ON EX-WIFE JULIA ROBERTS "She's married, and I'm in a committed relationship, so it's none of my business to talk about her."
- Contributors:
- Ralph Novak,
- Chuck Arnold,
- Mark Dagostino.
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!
