ea
      ee
      AgE
      13
     
     
      MAORCE
      AQO@OC«
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      IOUQOWG
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Marcy
      Playground
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Shapeshifter
      (7)
     
     
      EMI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      From
      the
      band
      that
      brought
      you
      “x
      and
     
     
      Candy”
      comes
      some
      more
      of
      the
     
     
      same
      old
      offside
      lyrics
      and
      occa-
     
     
      sional
      straight-up
      rock
      tunes.
     
     
      Even
      with
      several
      boring,
      mean-
     
     
      ingless,
      overwrought
      slow
      songs,
     
     
      this
      album
      is
      still
      well
      worth
      a
     
     
      listen.
      Plus
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      has
      a
     
     
      kick-ass
     
     
      album
     
     
      cover
      to
     
     
      boot.
     
     
      Cool!
     
     
      me
     
     
      ;
      »
      Aucoin
     
    

    
     
      Big
      Bad
      Voodoo
      Daddy
     
    

    
     
      This
      Beautiful
      Life
      (6)
     
    

    
     
      Universal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It’s
      not
      the
      best
      swing
      I’ve
     
     
      ever
      heard,
      but
      BBVD’s
      stuff
      is
     
     
      always
      a
      safe
      bet
      for
      good
      quality,
     
     
      anyway.
      It’s
      a
      good
      CD,
      but
      most
     
     
      of
      the
      songs
      aren't
      as
      strong
      as
      I
     
     
      think
      BBVD
      could
      make
      them.
      Scotty
      Morris
      still
     
     
      makes
      it
      a
      good
      listen,
      with
      a
      nifty
      version
      of
      “Ol’
     
     
      MacDonald”,
      a
      nice
      little
      song
      called
      “Still
      In
     
     
      Love”,
      plus
      some
      different
      and
      energetic
      tunes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      McQuaid
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      could
      listen
      to
      this
      for
      ‘hours...’
      Like
     
     
      many
      musicians
      who
      have
      been
      so
      long
      in
      the
      public
     
     
      eye,
      Bowie
      has
      had
      his
      periods
      when
      he
      was
      less
      notice-
     
     
      able,
      but
      this
      CD
      should
      mark
      his
      resurgence
      into
     
     
      popular
      music.
      Bowie's
      ever
      changing
      style
      has
      created
     
     
      an
      astonishingly
      refreshing
      and
      strong
      album,
      which
     
     
      stands
      shoulder
      to
      shoulder
      with
      all
      of
      Bowie’s
      past
     
     
      achievements.
      Haines
     
    
   
   
    
     
      David
      Bowie
     
     
      hours...
      (8)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EMI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rage
      Against
      the
      Machine
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Battle
      of
      Los
      Angeles
      (9)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Epic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      militant
      treatise
      on
      the
      rotting
      state
      of
      America’s
      inner
      (and
      outer)
     
     
      cities,
      Rage
      pushes
      aside
      Korn
      and
      Limp
      Biscuit
      to
      reclaim
      the
      mantle
     
     
      for
      a
      styie
      of
      music
      that
      they
      alone
      are
      capable
      of.
      A
      kind
      of
      sonic
     
     
      powerhouse
      for
      change
      and
      action;
      the
      band
      may
      be
      the
      only
      chance
      left
     
     
      for
      anything
      truly
      great
      to
      come
      out
      of
      the
      fusion
      of
      rock
      and
      hip-hop.
     
     
      Lead
      Singer
      Zack
      de
      la
      Rocha
      pulls
      no
      punches.
      (
      “I
      lick
      shots
      at
      the
     
     
      brutal
      charade”)
      The
      freedom
      of
      Mumia
      Abu-Jamal,
      the
      railroading
      of
     
     
      Leonard
      Peltier,
      and
      the
      sins
      of
      Christopher
      Columbus
      run
      through
      the
     
     
      background.
      The
      Battle
      of
      Los
      Angeles
      is
      a
      record
      that
      will
      be
      seen
      as
      a
     
     
      true
      statement
      for
      our
      times;
      and
      that
      statement
      will
      not
      be
      kind.
      Blood
     
     
      is
      being
      shed,
      the
      band
      says,
      and
      it
      is
      being
      shed
      by
      all
      of
      us.
      Bruyneel
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ash
     
     
      Nu-Clear
      Sounds
      (4.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dreamworks/
      Universal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It's
      not
      THAT
      bad.
      Some
     
     
      songs
      are
      OK.
      There’s
      some
     
     
      neat
      blends
      of
      rock
      and
      hip-hop
     
     
      in
      it...
      there’s
      a
      good
      visceral
     
     
      scream...
      I
      just
      don’t
      really
      care
     
     
      about
      the
      music.
      It
      didn’t
      do
     
     
      anything
      for
      me,
      especially
      after
     
     
      listening
      to
      Ben
      Harper’s
      CD.
     
     
      Don’t
      buy
      this
      unless
      you're
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rabid
      fan...
      if
      then.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      McQuaid
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ben
      Harper
      and
      The
      Innocent
      Crimi-
     
     
      nals
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Burn
      To
      Shine
      (8)
     
     
      Virgin/EMI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      is
      one
      sweet
      album.
      Poetic
     
     
      songwriting,
      eclectic
      styles,
      and
      of
     
     
      course,
      more
      examples
      of
      Ben
      Harper's
     
     
      amazing
      talent
      with
      6
      and
      12-string
     
     
      guitars.
      The
      songs
      can
      be
      fragile
      and
     
     
      emotional,
      or
      strong
      and
      heavy,
      but
      they
     
     
      all
      stick
      togethaer
      well
      with
      great
      melo-
     
     
      dies,
      mini-soundscapes,
      Harper’s
      great
     
     
      voice
      and
      lyrics,
      and...
      it’s
      just
      good,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OK?
      Take
      my
      word
      for
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rob
      Zombie
     
    
   
   
    
     
      American
      Made
      Music
      To
      Strip
      By
      (7)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Geffen/Universal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ya
      gotta
      love
      Rob
      Zombie.
      You'll
      never
      feel
      ripped
      off
      when
      you
      buy
      one
     
     
      of
      his
      CDs.
      It’s
      one
      big
      piece
      of
      eye
      candy,
      with
      a
      disc
      of
      music,
      too!
      If
      you
      liked
     
     
      Hellbilly
      Deluxe,
      you
      should
      get
      this.
      Some
      of
      the
      songs
      on
      this
      remix
      album
     
     
      were
      better
      than
      the
      originals,
      but
      the
      reverse
      is
      also
      true.
      Therefore,
      only
      a
     
     
      seven.
      Also
      of
      note,
      it
      comes
      with
      more
      of
      Rob’s
      art,
      concert
      photos,
      and
      no
      less
     
    
   
   
    
     
      than
      seven
      naked
      photos
      of
      his
      gal,
      Sheri
      “Kitty”
      Moon...
      if
      you
      like
      that
      kind
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      thing.
     
     
      McQuaid