Category: Reviews

Artist: Public Enemy Title: New Whirl Odor Label: Slam Jam Rating: 5/10 FILE UNDER: The world needs Public Enemy. OUR LINE: Chuck D. is the most influential and inspirational hip-hop artist of all time. When he drops a lyric he doesn’t do it for payola. He does it to make changes. When is the last […]

Artist: John Fogerty Title: The Long Road Home Label: Fantasy Rating: 8/10 FILE UNDER: The classics from Fogerty and CCR. CORPORATE LINE: This comprehensive retrospective features, for the first time ever, all of the songwriter’s most poignant and enduring hits. Included are seminal tracks from the Creedence catalog, along with the crème de la crème […]

Artist: Chris Botti Title: To Love Again Label: Sony Rating: 7/10 FILE UNDER: The man and his horn. CORPORATE LINE: On his latest collection, When I Fall In Love, the best-selling trumpet virtuoso expands the range of his earlier work with an album devoted to once and future classic love songs, each one performed with […]

Artist: The Veronicas Title: The Secret Life of The Veronicas Label: Sire Rating: 4.5/10 FILE UNDER: Sugar water. CORPORATE LINE: The Veronicas and the girls returned the kudos by signing on board. Work immediately began in Los Angeles on their major label debut, utilizing a team of top-flight producers that included, among others, Max Martin […]

Artist: Johnny Cash Title: The Legend of Johnny Cash Label: UME Rating: 9.5/10 FILE UNDER: Johnny Cash. Period. CORPORATE LINE: Featuring 21 of his recordings on the Sun, Columbia, Island and American Recordings labels, The Legend Of Johnny Cash is the first compilation to include his work on American. Also highlighting the package is a […]

Artist: Lara Fabian Title: Lara Fabian Label: Columbia Rating: 5/10 Lara Fabian has a beautiful voice. Still, it seems like everyone wants to capitalize on Celine Dion’s sound and image now that she has grown larger than life. Fabian is cut from a similar mold, but lacks the songs of her prototype. The songs sound […]

Artist: Brie Larson Title: Finally Out of P.E. Label: Casablanca Rating: 6/10 FILE UNDER: Not Another Actress Turned Singer. CORPORATE LINE: Brie Larson’s infectious debut “Finally Out of PE” is based on her personal experiences and her prolific lyrics are written well beyond her 15 years. Whether it’s the break up power ballad, as documented […]

Artist: Stevie Wonder Title: A Time To Love Label: Motown Rating: 7/10 FILE UNDER: Finally, a new Stevie Wonder album. CORPORATE LINE: Stevie Wonder’s highly anticipated new album, A Time To Love, arrives as a wake-up call to the restorative powers of love, and, according to Stevie, the timing couldn’t be better. “My thing has […]

Artist: Franz Ferdinand Title: You Could Have It So Much Better Label: Sony Rating: 6.5/10 FILE UNDER: The Kinks meet themselves. CORPORATE LINE: YCHISMB sounds like Franz Ferdinand, but not like their first record. It’s unarguably them. It seems impossible for them to play in a room together and for it to not sound like […]

Artist: Ray Charles Title: Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings Label: Rhino Rating: 9/10 Ray is all the rage these days. Even after the film, the hit comeback album and his widely covered passing last year, people just still can’t seem to get enough of the blind R&B crooner. This colossal set not only commemorates […]