LENNY
      KRAVITZ
     
     
      Greatest
      Hits
     
     
      Virgin
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      enjoy
      Lenny
      Kravitz
      but
     
     
      have
      never
      bought
      one
      of
      his
     
     
      albums,
      now
      is
      your
      chance.
     
     
      Kravitz
      has
      released
      an
      album
      that
     
     
      will
      keep
      you
      wanting
      more.
      The
     
     
      album
      includes
      the
      song
      that
      made
     
     
      him
      famous
      “Are
      You
      Going
      My
     
     
      Way
      to
      his
      version
      of
      the
      Guess
     
     
      Who’s
      American
      Woman
      .
      And
     
     
      don’t
      overlook
      his
      newest
      hit
     
    

    
     
      Again
      that
      will
      have
      you
      mes-
     
     
      merized
      by
      his
      amazing
      guitar
     
    
   
   
    
     
      playing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -KL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NELLY
      FURTADO
     
     
      Whoa,
      Nelly!
     
     
      Dreamworks
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canadian
      born
      Nelly
      Furtado
      is
     
     
      sure
      to
      reach
      the
      top
      of
      the
      charts
     
     
      with
      her
      debut
      album,
      Whoa.
     
     
      Nelly!
      The
      twenty-one
      year
      old
     
     
      singer
      is
      already
      getting
      rave
     
     
      reviews
      from
      critics
      throughout
     
     
      North
      America
      thanks
      to
      her
     
     
      unique
      voice
      and
      powerful
      lyrics
     
     
      that
      are
      evident
      in
      her
      first
      single,
     
     
      I’m
      Like
      A
      Bird
      .
      Furtado
      hops
     
     
      onto
      the
      latin
      bandwagon
      in
      the
     
     
      Spanish
      song,
      Onde
      Estas.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -KL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      political
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OUTKAST
     
    
   
   
    
     
      >
      Stankonia
     
     
      *
      LaFace/BMG/Arista
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Outkast
      have
      done
      it
      again.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stankonia,
      Dre
      and
      Big
      Boi
     
     
      reinvent
      themselves
      brib-
     
     
      ing
      originality
      and
      lots
      of
     
     
      Southern
      funk.
      The
      Atlanta
     
     
      duo
      use
      past
      themes
      as
      well
     
     
      as
      new
      ones
      on
      another
     
     
      sonic
      adventure
      which
     
     
      begins
      with
      “Gasoline
     
     
      Dreams,”
      a
      hard
      _
      hitting,
     
     
      and
      anti-melting
      pot
     
     
      banger.
      Outkast
      continue
      to
      shine
     
     
      on
      the
      first
      two
      singles
      ,
      the
      upbeat
     
     
      “B.O.B.”
      and
      the
      soulful
      “Mrs.
     
     
      Jackson.”
      The
      latter
      includes
      the
     
     
      hook
      “I’m
      sorry
      Mrs
      Jackson,
      |
      am
     
     
      for
      real,
      neva
      meant
      to
      make
      your
     
     
      daughter
      cry,
      I
      apologize
      a
      trillion
     
     
      time”
      guaranteed
      to
      tug
      at
      more
     
     
      than
      a
      few
      hearts.
      At
      the
      end
      of
      the
     
     
      CD,
      some
      of
      the
      momentum
      weak-
     
     
      ens
      and
      things
      get
      a
      bit
      monoto-
     
     
      nous.
      The
      power
      of
      the
      songs
      on
     
     
      the
      first
      half,
      however,
      more
      than
     
    
   
   
    
     
      make
      up
      for
      the
      weaker
      finish.
     
     
      -JMAMA
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BLINK
      182
     
     
      The
      Mark,
      Tom,
      and
      Travis
      Show
     
     
      Universal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      frat
      boys.
      of
      punk
      have
     
     
      recently
      released
      this
      20
      track
      (plus
     
     
      29
      hidden
      tracks)
      chronicle
      of
      their
     
     
      most
      recent
      tour.
      The
      sex
      jokes
      will
     
     
      appeal
      the
      the
      Britney-lusting
     
     
      young
      boys
      of
      the
      world,
      but
      more
     
     
      mature
      listeners
      looking
      for
      sub-
     
     
      stance
      should
      abstain
      from
      this
      live
     
     
      version
      of
      Blink’s
      repertoire.
     
     
      Despite
      this,
      the
      production
      is
     
     
      excellent,
      the
      album
      flows
      well
      and
     
     
      the
      hidden
      tracks
      have
      their
      funny
     
     
      moments
      (especially
      if
      you
      seek
      to
     
     
      understand
      what
      goes
      on
      in
      a
      13
     
     
      year
      old
      boy’s
      head).
      I’ve
      seen
      the
     
     
      show,
      I’ve
      heard
      the
      album,
      I
      am
      a
     
     
      little
      disappointed.
     
    

    
     
      -SKM
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      their
      fourth
      album,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FATBOY
      SLIM
     
    

    
     
      Halfway
      Between
      the
      Gutter
      and
     
     
      the
      Stars
     
     
      Astralwerks
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ground
      and
      failed
      to
      crossover
      into
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      promised
      electronic
     
     
      music
      revolution
      of
      the
      nineties
      for
     
     
      the
      most
      part
      remained
      under-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      mainstream
      except
      in
      commer-
     
     
      cials
      for
      sneakers,
      cars,
      and
      on
     
     
      film
      soundtracks.
     
    

    
     
      The
      one
      _
      exception
      is
     
     
      Fatboy
      Slim
      (A.K.A.
      Norman
     
     
      Cook),
      who
      had
      commercial
      suc-
     
     
      cess
      and
      club
      hits
      by
      combining
     
     
      big
      break
      beats
      with
      60's
      soul
      and
     
     
      psychedelia
      on
      Better
      Living
     
     
      Through
      Chemistry
      and
      You've
     
     
      Come
      A
      Long
      Way,
      Baby.
     
    

    
     
      On
      his
      previous
      singles
      and
     
     
      remixes,
      Norman
      Cook
      introduced
     
     
      elements
      of
      techno
      to
      kids
      that
     
     
      watch
      Much
      Music,
      and
      broke
     
     
      some
      dance
      music
      rules
      by
      kicking
     
     
      out
      jams
      with
      prominent
      guitar
     
     
      sampling
      and
      beats
      that
      went
     
     
      beyond
      the
      regular
      kick
      drum-
     
     
      thump
      of
      house
      and
      techno.
     
    

    
     
      Cook's
      style
      was
      undeni-
     
     
      ably
      accessible
      to
      everyone
      from
     
     
      hip
      hop
      heads,
      rockers,
      and
      fans
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bubble
      gum
      pop
      music.
      But
      on
      his
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      latest
      album,
      Halfway
      Between
      the
     
     
      Gutter
      and
      the
      Stars
      his
      style
      lies
     
     
      somewhere
      between
      his
      under-
     
     
      ground
      club
      roots
      and
      mainstream
     
     
      pop
      status.
      :
     
    

    
     
      His
      skills
      at
      making
      catchy
     
     
      hits
      are
      what
      set
      him
      above
      his
     
     
      techno
      contemporaries
      and
      big
      beat
     
     
      imitators,
      but
      this
      album
      lacks
      any-
     
     
      thing
      that
      will
      get
      much
      airplay.
     
     
      His
      attempts
      to
      collaborate
      with
     
     
      artists
      like
      Macy
      Gray
      and
      Bootsy
     
     
      Collins
      makes
      me
      appreciate
      him
     
     
      better
      as
      a
      remixer
      than
      a
      producer.
     
     
      Gray
      overstays
      her
      welcome
      on
      the
     
     
      two
      songs
      she
      provides
      vocals
      for.
     
     
      And_
      Bootsy
       Collins'
      song,
     
     
      "Weapon
      of
      Choice"
      is
      a
      bland
      dis-
     
     
      appointment
      from
      one
      of
      funk's
     
     
      most
      eccentric
      bass
      wizards.
     
    

    
     
      In
      "Bird
      of
      Prey"
      Cook
     
     
      tastefully
      uses
      samples
      of
      Jim
     
     
      Morrison
      without
      being
      indulgent
     
     
      or
      tacky
      like
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      tracks
     
     
      on
      this
      album.
      The
      most
      indulgent
     
     
      track
      is
      "Song
      For
      Shelter,"
      a
     
     
      hideous
      spoken
      word
      piece
      that
     
     
      tries
      to
      spiritually
      glorify
      the
     
     
      excesses
      of
      dance
      culture.
     
    

    
     
      This
      album
      attempts
      to
      give
     
     
      religious
      significance
      to
      techno
      on
     
     
      a
      couple
      tracks
      by
      using
      gospel
     
     
      samples.
      Fatboy
      Slim
      and
      techno
     
     
      music
      of
      the
      nineties
      reached
      their
     
     
      peak/died
      during
      the
      "Rockafella
     
     
      Skank"
      dance
      sequence
      in
      the
      film
     
     
      She’s
      All
      That.
      Despite
      the
      spiritual
     
     
      references
      in
      Halway
      Between
      the
     
     
      Gutter
      and
      the
      Stars,
      Cook
      and
     
     
      techno
      music
      show
      no
      promising
     
     
      signs
      of
      a
      resurrection
      in
      the
      year
     
     
      2000.
     
    

    
     
      -SML