Alanis Morissette [2004] So-Called Chaos

[01] Eight Easy Steps
[02] Out Is Through
[03] Excuses
[04] Doth I Protest Too Much
[05] Knees Of My Bees
[06] So-Called Chaos
[07] Not All Me
[08] This Grudge
[09] Spineless
[10] Everything



amg: Alanis Morissette has often written about affairs of the heart, but she's rarely written from the perspective of being in love, and she's certainly never recorded an album where she seems so in love and at peace as she has with her fourth album, So-Called Chaos. She doesn't hide her romance with Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, perhaps best known as the title role of National Lampoon's Van Wilder, thanking him in the liner notes and alluding to their relationship throughout this romance-heavy record. There are still strands of bitterness, cynicism, and jealously, yet they feel like unfinished business that she's slowly putting to rest. Nowhere is this more true than on "This Grudge," which for all intents and purposes looks like the final chapter in the tale of "The Relationship," the one that fueled "You Oughta Know," since she acknowledges that she's held "this grudge" for "14 years, 30 minutes, 15 seconds" and through "11 songs" and "four full journals" (and, given Alanis' penchant for confession and single-minded obsession, chances are she's not exaggerating). She's not just leaving this relationship behind, she's maturing, and there's a calm directness to much of her writing that leads her to both open-hearted love songs and, occasionally, a sly sense of humor (as on the sardonic opener, "Eight Easy Steps"). Morissette still has a tendency to overwrite and then deliver these tangled tenses in exceedingly odd phrasing — the chorus to "Knees of My Bees" doesn't sound much like "tremble and buckle," it sounds for all the world like "jambalaya, Bucko!" — but that's simply par for the course with Alanis. What's unexpected, though, is the confidence of her music, which recaptures some of the vigor of Jagged Little Pill, as it's brighter, denser, catchier than either of its immediate predecessors, and boasts her most assured singing yet. Even with all this, it's not heavy on immediate singles — the first, "Everything," takes awhile to have its hook settle in — but as an overall record, it's her most satisfying since her blockbuster breakthrough.
(amg 8/10)

Ash [2004] Meltdown

[01] Meltdown
[02] Orpheus
[03] Evil Eye
[04] Clones
[05] Starcross'd
[06] Out of the Blue
[07] Renegade Cavalcade
[08] Detonator
[09] On a Wave
[10] Won't Be Saved
[11] Vampire Love



amg: By Meltdown, Ash were establishing a pattern: each odd-numbered album has been a difficult, rockier affair, while each even-numbered album showed off their sublimely poppy side. So this being their fifth record, it's easy to guess where Meltdown falls — and if you still hadn't figured it out, just check out the faux-metal cover art! Fans of the unexpectedly great comeback Free All Angels might be worried that this is a return to the minor stumble that was the dark and difficult Nu-Clear Sounds — the last "rock" album — but thankfully Meltdown bursts with the hooks and little musical flourishes that have made the more mature Ash records such a treat, and has little of the meandering malaise that marred Nu-Clear Sounds. Lead single "Orpheus" sets the tone — while the verses rage with '70s metal-derived licks, the choruses burst with one of the sunniest and catchiest tunes that Tim Wheeler and company have ever committed to tape. So while "Clones" and the awkwardly political title track rage as hard as anything they've ever recorded — and admittedly sound a bit more AC/DC than Undertones — there's plenty of good songwriting, like on the sweet (really) "Evil Eye," the staccato guitar work on the verses of "Renegade Cavalcade," or the honest-to-goodness string-laden power ballad "Starcrossed." The real shame is that Kinetic Records went broke just before the album was to be released, again robbing the U.S. of a timely release. But Meltdown's quality justifies a hefty import price tag: it's a surprisingly strong and assured record, the kind that — while not the highest point of the band's catalog — will help shore up their building legacy as one of the most consistent bands to emerge from the British Isles in the '90s.
(amg 8/10)

Arcade Fire [2004] Funeral

[01] Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
[02] Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
[03] Une Annee Sans Lumiere
[04] Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
[05] Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
[06] Crown Of Love
[07] Wake Up
[08] Haiti
[09] Rebellion (Lies)
[10] In The Backseat



amg: Fronted by the husband-and-wife team of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, the Arcade Fire's emotional debut — rendered even more poignant by the dedications to recently departed family members contained in its liner notes — is brave, empowering, and dusted with something that many of the indie-rock genre's more contrived acts desperately lack: an element of real danger. Funeral' s mourners — specifically Butler and Chassagne — inhabit the same post-apocalyptic world as London Suede's Dog Man Star; they are broken, beaten, and ferociously romantic, reveling in the brutal beauty of their surroundings like a heathen Adam & Eve. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)," the first of four metaphorical forays into the geography of the soul, follows a pair of young lovers who meet in the middle of the town through tunnels that connect to their bedrooms. Over a soaring piano lead that's effectively doubled by distorted guitar, they reach a Lord of the Flies-tinged utopia where they can't even remember their names or the faces of their weeping parents. Butler sings like Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood used to play, like a lion-tamer whose whip grows shorter with each and every lash. He can barely contain himself, and when he lets loose it's both melodic and primal, like Berlin-era Bowie or British Sea Power. "Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" examines suicidal desperation through an angular Gang of Four prism; the hypnotic wash of strings and subtle meter changes of "Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)" winsomely capture the mundane doings of day-to-day existence; and "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)," Funeral's victorious soul-thumping core, is a goose bump-inducing rallying cry centered around the notion that "the power's out in the heart of man, take it from your heart and put it in your hand." The Arcade Fire are not bereft of whimsy. "Crown of Love" is like a wedding cake dropped in slow motion, utilizing a Johnny Mandel-style string section and a sweet, soda-pop stand chorus to provide solace to a jilted lover yearning for a way back into the fold, and "Haiti" relies on a sunny island melody to explore the complexities of Chassagne's mercurial homeland. However, it's the sheer power and scope of cuts like "Wake Up" — featuring all 15 musicians singing in unison — and the mesmerizing, early-Roxy Music pulse of "Rebellion (Lies)" that make Funeral the remarkable achievement that it is. These are songs that pump blood back into the heart as fast and furiously as it's draining from the sleeve on which it beats, and by the time Chassagne dissects her love of riding "In the Backseat" with the radio on, despite her desperate fear of driving, Funeral's singular thread is finally revealed; love does conquer all, especially love for the cathartic power of music.
(amg 9/10)

Antony And The Johnsons [2004] The Lake

[01] The Lake
[02] Fistful Of Love
[03] The Horror Has Gone

Featuring [02] Lou Reed



amg: Antony and the Johnsons offer up a snapshot of their upcoming full-length I Am a Bird Now, to be released in 2005, with the three-track EP The Lake. Antony's musical adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's poem is a chilling piano/cello/guitar-accompanied lament that echoes the work of fellow David Tibet discovery and frequent collaborator Baby Dee. Similar ground is covered on "The Horror Has Gone," a less gloomy take on the artist's signature brand of pop-cabaret given extra warmth from a lush full-band arrangement. "Fistful of Love," featuring a spoken word intro and typically awful guitar solo from Lou Reed, is the EP's centerpiece. The only track to appear on the forthcoming LP, it builds on the promise of the group's delicious 1997 debut, reveling in its chamber pop debauchery and revealing Antony as one of the most unique and forward-thinking voices in modern music.
(amg 7/10)

Al Jarreau [2004] Accentuate The Positive

[01] Cold Duck
[02] The Nearness Of You
[03] I'm Beginning To See The Light
[04] My Foolish Heart
[05] Midnight Sun
[06] Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive
[07] Betty
[08] Waltz For Debby
[09] Groovin' High
[10] Lotus
[11] Scootcha-Booty



amg: Although centered around songs from the 1940s, Al Jarreau's Accentuate the Positive is another stellar modern jazz album that continues the winning streak he began with his 2000 comeback, Tomorrow Today. Similar to his previous effort, the R&B-infused All I Got, the album features classy production from Tommy LiPuma and a natty cast of backing musicians, including bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Anthony Wilson, among others. Centered around Jarreau's still limber and evocative vocals, Accentuate moves from uptempo bluesy numbers like Eddie Henderson's "Cold Duck" to lush ballads, including "My Foolish Heart" and reworked standards, most notably "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," turned here into a funky and expansive toe-tapper. This is a solid, poignant, and straight-ahead album that showcases Jarreau's unique gift in the best light possible and should appeal to longtime fans and contemporary jazz listeners alike.
(amg 8/10)

Arcade Fire [2003] Arcade Fire

[01] Old Flame
[02] I'm Sleeping in a Submarine
[03] No Cars Go
[04] The Woodland National Anthem
[05] My Heart is an Apple
[06] Headlights Look Like Diamonds
[07] Vampire, Forest Fire



amg: As far as debuts go, the Arcade Fire's seven-song introduction to the world will forever be lorded over by its behemoth older sibling, 2004's commercially and critically lauded Funeral. While the hundreds of people who coveted the self-titled EP prior to its 2005 re-release on the ultra-hip Merge label can rest assured that their copies are indeed original, those who are looking for a prequel to the anthemic, end-of-the-world bombast that emanated like a black-box recorder from Funeral are in for a treat. While there's nothing here that matches the goosebump-inducing electricity that runs through "Tunnels" or "Power Out," there are moments — both musical and lyrical — that portend the fireworks to come. "Old Flame" starts things off innocently enough with a simple melody tied to the even simpler pangs of new love — "My mouth is full/Your heart is an apple" — and "I'm Sleeping in a Submarine" extends that joy with a defiant chorus of "A cage is a cage, is a cage, is a cage!" However, it isn't until the third track that the record begins to take shape — "No Cars Go," with its driving accordion melody line and unified shouts, sounds like the blueprint for Funeral's "Rebellion (Lies)." Régine Chassagne does little to escape the Björk comparisons on the sparse "Woodlands National Anthem," but her distorted, blood-curdling howls on the pulsing "Headlights Look Like Diamonds" are one of the EP's highlights. By the time the listener arrives at "Vampire/Forest Fire," with its familiar themes of pain both spiritual and familial, it's obvious where the band is headed. Like Broken Social Scene or the Flaming Lips, the Arcade Fire are sometimes earnest to a fault. While each of the seven tracks contained herein are fully realized, they are as unfocused as they are beautiful, resulting in an intangible, dreamlike atmosphere that reduces each cut — no matter how deep — down to a mere scratch.
(amg 7/10)

Ash [2003] Intergalactic Sonic 7's

[101] Burn Baby Burn
[102] Envy
[103] Girlf From Mars
[104] Shining Light
[105] A Life Less Ordinary
[106] Goldfinger
[107] Jesus Says
[108] Oh Yeah
[109] Jack Names The Planets
[110] Sometimes
[111] Kung Fu
[112] Candy
[113] Angel Interceptor
[114] Uncle Pat
[115] Wildsurf
[116] Walking Barefoot
[117] Petrol
[118] There's A Star
[119] Numbskull
[201] No Place to Hide
[202] Warmer Than Fire
[203] Where Is Our Love Going
[204] Taken Out
[205] 13th Floor
[206] Stormy Waters
[207] Message from Oscar Wilde
[208] Who You Driving Now
[209] Stay In Love Forever
[210] The Sweetness of Death
[211] Melon Farmer
[212] Nocturne
[213] Gabriel
[214] Coasting
[215] Lose Control
[216] I Need Somebody
[217] Sneaker
[218] Cantina Band
[219] Astral Conversations
[220] Day Of The Triffids
[221] Helloween
[222] Thinking About You



amg: Import? Is that all for this fabulous singles LP? Are they crazy? While the last two LPs have been pretty damn great, Ash has often seemed like a punky 2000s version of a '60s pop group, where each song takes over your radio for weeks. One sugar-rush melody melts into another wall-of-guitar burner with Tim Wheeler's "infectious" happy-go-lucky vocals, and you wonder why they never had a singles LP collection before this! Really, if Northern Ireland-bred and London-based Ash is like a lesser cross between the Buzzcocks' big power and their Ulster forebears the Undertones' "chocolate and girls" sunny disposition, then who put out better singles LPs way back when than those two bands? It's hard to get the unfamiliar to shell out for import LPs when cheaper domestic ones still peek out of the bins. But anyone still undecided or unenlightened about this delightful quartet is well served by this consistent 19-song, big-hook collection. Even the rougher, merely good earlier singles, when they were a kid trio, stand up in the best light. The old likes of "Girl from Mars," "Kung Fu," and "Jack Names the Planets" (all of which they kick harder on now as a quartet), as well as the Ride-like "Oh Yeah," are like a wild boy freshly scrubbed and dressed for a wedding when surrounded by the more recent wonders of the pulsing "A Life Less Ordinary," the breakneck "Burn Baby Burn," the toe-tapping "Walking Barefoot," and the twinkling "Shining Light." And if all that isn't enough, there's Cosmic Debris, a bonus disc of 22 B-sides going back a decade, including some highly unusual picks for covers. This serves the fans and newcomers equally, so there's no argument against it. [The Sony version of Intergalactic Sonic 7"s features two additional tracks, "Get Out" and "Cherry Bomb," that are not included on the Infectious label release.]
(amg 9/10)

Alanis Morissette [2002] Feast On Scraps

[01] Fear Of Bliss
[02] Bent For You
[03] Sorry To Myself
[04] Sister Blister
[05] Offer
[06] Unprodigal Daughter
[07] Simple Together
[08] Purga Torying
[09] Hands Clean (Acoustic)



amazon: This isn't quite a live album, greatest hits, or rarities package, although it contains plenty of material that falls under all three columns. Rather, Feast on Scraps is a generous serving of everything Alanis. Its centerpiece is a CD featuring eight previously unreleased songs that were recorded during the Under Rug Swept sessions, plus an acoustic take on the hit "Hands Clean." Among the highlights here are a nasty Jagged Little Pill throwback called "Sister Blister" and a warmly seductive folk number approximating Joni Mitchell called "Offer." Then there is the DVD, brimming with superb live performances of sleek, dark pop hits such as "You Oughta Know," "Head Over Feet," and "Thank U." The set is rounded out with some delightfully candid behind-the-scenes footage (watch Alanis break down in tears during the writing of "Surrendering") that will make her fans gasp in delight.
(amg 6/10)

Alvin Lee [2002] The Anthology

[101] Keep On Rockin'
[102] Wake Up Moma
[103] On The Road To Freedom
[104] Play It Like It Used To Be
[105] Real Life Blues
[106] Back In My Arms Again
[107] Ain't Nobody's Business
[108] Long Legs
[109] Put It In A Box
[110] Boogie All Day
[111] Love Like A Man
[112] Jenny Jenny
[113] Love The Way You Rock Me
[114] The Bluest Blues
[201] Shot In The Dark
[202] My Baby's Come Back To Me
[203] You Told Me
[204] Madness
[205] Hear Me Calling
[206] Let It Rock
[207] I Don't Give A Damn
[208] Midnight Special
[209] Help Me Baby
[210] I'm Going Home



amg: Because of his spotlight-hogging singer/songwriter/guitarist/frontman status in the popular Ten Years After, Alvin Lee seemed a natural for solo success. But, through a series of well meaning yet increasingly spotty albums released on a variety of labels — none of which seemed to want to promote him — Lee's career has been of interest to die-hard British boogie blues lovers only, which makes this 25-year double-disc summary of his dozen or so post-TYA albums so welcome. Typically, when artists choose selections for their own compilations, as is the case here, the tracks aren't those that fans might have picked. But Lee does an admirable job, not only in his mixture of undiscovered treats and some previously unreleased material, but in the non-chronological sequencing that helps this collection flow. Sure, the boogie quotient is evident, but after all, that is what Lee does best. So even when he's simply recycling a Chuck Berry riff on "Play It Like It Used to Be" or his own licks on some live Ten Years After material, he makes the best of a rather weak voice and the limitations that come with the genre. More problematic is the lack of specific track personnel, or even explicitly stating what album every tune is from, in the notes that Lee pens for each song. And why is disc two less than 50 minutes long when there was plenty more material to choose from? In fact, there are curiously no selections from his early effort In Flight, one of Lee's more popular releases. Of particular interest, though, are two tracks where friend and neighbor George Harrison adds his distinctive slide guitar ("Real Life Blues" and "The Bluest Blues"), which are obscure gems well worth rediscovering. Lee experienced a bit of a comeback in 2004 with the release of his In Tennessee project, in which the guitarist played with renewed vigor in the company of some Sun session men. This album closes with a fiery version of his most recognizable song, "I'm Going Home," from that disc. It is an appropriate way to conclude this generally excellent recap of Alvin Lee's inconsistent but surprisingly productive solo career through 2004.
(amg 9/10)

Alison Moyet [2002] Hometime

[01] Yesterday's Flame
[02] Should I Feel That It's Over
[03] More
[04] Hometime
[05] Mary, Don't Keep Me Waiting
[06] Say It
[07] Ski
[08] If You Don't Come Back To Me
[09] Do You Ever Wonder
[10] The Train I Ride
[11] You Don't Have To Go
[12] Bilan



amg: After a near-nine-year layoff, Alison Moyet's fifth solo album is a posh, lavish, elegant affair that shows she's lost none of her chops throughout the long layoff. Production by the Insects, best known for their soundtrack work, adds a torchy, dreamy quality to these tunes, all but two of which were co-written by the singer. Between the intricately crafted songs, the ornate production, and Moyet's soulful voice, this is arguably her most fully realized and cohesive work. Strings, keyboards, and multiple guitars layer into a big, lush, sophisticated sound perfect for Moyet's husky voice. While there is nothing that reminds the listener of Yaz, the synths, drum programming, and loops recall the more techno aspects of her old band, while adding an organic, if not quite rootsy, feel. If Dusty Springfield still made records in the millennium, it's likely they would be similar to Hometime. Personal yet expansive with just the right touch of ghostly R&B, this is a remarkably moving collection of European-style ballads. Somewhat reminiscent of Portishead's live work, Moyet sinks into these tracks as if lounging in an overstuffed chair. The elements combine most poignantly on the stirring "If You Don't Come Back to Me." With its hypnotic strings, reverbed guitar, and jazzy bass, it seems like she's interpreting an existing classic instead of writing a new one. Classy, subtle, yet often mesmerizing, this album is never less than affecting. It strives to be — and often is — a perfect vehicle for Moyet's talent, reaching heights that have only been hinted at in her previous work.
(amg 8/10)

Audioslave [2002] Audioslave

[01] Cochise
[02] Show Me How To Live
[03] Gasoline
[04] What You Are
[05] Like A Stone
[06] Set It Off
[07] Shadow On The Sun
[08] I Am The Highway
[09] Exploder
[10] Hypnotize
[11] Bring Em Back Alive
[12] Light My Way
[13] Getaway Car
[14] The Last Remaining Light



amg: It's subtle, but telling, that the cover of Audioslave's eponymous debut is designed by Storm Thorgerson, the artist behind Pink Floyd's greatest album sleeves. Thorgerson, along with Roger Dean, epitomized the look of the '70s, the era of supergroups, which is precisely what Audioslave is — a meeting of Rage Against the Machine, minus Zack de la Rocha, with former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. Though both bands were leading lights of alt-metal in the '90s, the two came from totally separate vantage points: Rage Against the Machine was fearlessly modern, addressing contemporary politics over Tom Morello's hip-hop-influenced guitar, while Soundgarden dredged up '70s metal fueled with the spirit of punk. That these two vantage points don't quite fit shouldn't be a surprise — there is little common ground between the two, apart that they're refugees from brainy post-metal bands. Of the two camps, Chris Cornell exerts the strongest influence, pushing the Rage Against the Machine boys toward catchier hooks and introspective material. Occasionally, the group winds up with songs that play to the strengths of both camps, like the storming lead single "Cochise." For Cornell fans, it's a relief to hear him unleash like this, given the reserve of his brooding solo debut, but this is hardly a one-man show. The Rage band, led by the intricate stylings of guitarist Tom Morello, gets their chance to shine, including on numbers that are subtler and shadier than the average Rage tune. Which brings up the primary fault on the album: Perhaps Morello, and perhaps the rest of RATM, are technically more gifted than, say, Soundgarden, but they never sound as majestic, as powerful, or as cinematic as what Cornell's songs need. His muted yet varied solo album proved that he needed muscle, but here it's all muscle, no texture or color. Consequently, many of the songs sound like they're just on the verge of achieving liftoff, never quite reaching their potential. There are moments, usually arriving in the first half, where Audioslave suddenly, inexplicably clicks, sounding like a band, not a marketer's grand scheme. Still, these moments are few and far between and it's hard to get through this album as a whole. By the end, it's clear that this pairing was a clever idea, but not an inspired one.
(amg 6/10)

Ash [2002] Free All Angels

[01] Walking Barefoot
[02] Shining Light
[03] Burn Baby Burn
[04] Candy
[05] Cherry Bomb
[06] Submission
[07] Someday
[08] Pacific Palisades
[09] Shark
[10] Sometimes
[11] Nicole
[12] There's a Star
[13] World Domination



amg: This is a happy kick, with big guitars and big attack and onrushing energy, and it's no tedious retro punk record, either. Seven years out of high school, and high a-top the Brit charts in their teens, the mid-20s Irish boys (and English girl) haven't lost any of their pop (either sense of the word). No, they've stepped it up a notch, while adding layers of a post-Nirvana/Jesus & Mary Chain firewall that sounds modern. Most of all, leader Tim Wheeler's sunny melodies, so rare for music this aggressive and harsh, come to him so unequivocally that he should have to donate the excess he wrote for this LP to some public trust. Free's high-action burners would make anyone want to sing: big wall-bangers like the utterly panting, lascivious "Cherry Bomb," the 1964 Beach Boys-inspired "Pacific Palisades," the dashed love of "Nicole," the bravado of "World Domination," the Undertones-esque "Walking Barefoot," the nasty edge of "Shark," and most of all, this LP's out and out bomb, the well-titled "Burn Baby Burn." In the spirit of Hüsker Dü, China Drum, Compulsion, and Replacements, these songs are hard-hitting yet in the pocket — and Ash adds its trademark youthful enthusiasm, shining out of these grooves like a signal flare. And to keep Free from getting samey, they add some full-on dreampop in the single "Shining Light," and lull-out in the sublime strings-comely "Someday," "There's a Star," and the demure, purring "Sometimes." And as a changeup, there's the way-kinky, dance-groove rumpshaker, "Submission," with drummer Rick McMurray and bassist Mark Hamilton pounding the funky rock groove like a sped up Stone Roses' Mani and Reni. These flavors insure that the bursting crank-up of the bangers are that much more electrifying. Ash are even more hot-rod now with more experience. They're a great rock 'n' roll band by any measure.
(amg 8/10)

Aerosmith [2002] O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits

[01] Mama Kin
[02] Dream On
[03] Same Old Song & Dance
[04] Seasons Of Wither
[05] Walk This Way
[06] Big Ten Inch Record
[07] Sweet Emotion
[08] Last Child
[09] Back In The Saddle
[10] Draw The Line
[11] Dude Looks Like A Lady
[12] Angel
[13] Rag Doll
[14] Janie's Got A Gun
[15] Love In An Elevator
[16] What It Takes
[17] The Other Side
[18] Livin' On The Edge
[19] Cryin'
[20] Amazing
[21] Deuces Are Wild
[22] Crazy
[23] Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)
[24] Pink [South Beach Mix]
[25] I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
[26] Jaded
[27] Just Push Play (Radio Remix)
[28] Walk This Way [With Run DMC]
[29] Girls Of Summer
[30] Lay It Down

amg: As the sixth domestic Aerosmith hits collection and the first to feature selections from both their Columbia and Geffen years (not to mention that it's the second double-disc retrospective released within eight months), The Ultimate Aerosmith Hits should live up to its title — and it does, for the most part. Over the course of two discs and 30 songs, almost all the heavy-hitters are hauled out, from "Mama Kin" to "Jaded," including both versions of "Walk This Way." Some of the songs are presented in a remixed form — "Draw the Line," "Pink," "Just Push Play" — but all of the new mixes are good, possibly even improvements, and the new song, "Girls of Summer," is strong (its companion, "Lay It Down," isn't as noteworthy). So, all the parts are in place — why doesn't it feel definitive, then? After all, there are no big songs or hits missing (apart from the cover of "Come Together," which isn't much of a loss), just fan favorites and album tracks like "Lord of the Thighs," "Lick and a Promise," and "Chip Away the Stone" (and nothing from Done With Mirrors, for that matter). The reason it doesn't feel definitive is that the classic Columbia recordings are wrapped up by track ten, and then the best of their late-'80s comeback is wrapped up by the end of the first disc, which leaves disc two pretty much devoted to everything from Get a Grip on — an era not widely considered their best, even though it had a number of hits, plus a couple of good songs along the way ("Crying," "Deuces Are Wild"). So, even though this delivers everything it should and will certainly be the one Aerosmith disc most casual listeners will need, it doesn't quite capture the essence of the band the way their greatest albums do (whether they're Rocks or Pump).
(amg 9/10)

Aztec Camera [2001C] Best Of

[01] Somewhere In My Heart
[02] Oblivious
[03] Good Morning Britain
[04] Working In A Goldmine
[05] How Men Are
[06] The Birth Of The True
[07] Pillar To Post
[08] Walk Out To Winter
[09] All I Need Is Everything
[10] Deep And Wide And Tall
[11] Jump
[12] Killermont Street
[13] The Crying Scene
[14] Spanish Horses
[15] Reason For Living
[16] We Could Send Letters



amg: Originally issued in Japan in 1999 (and later in the U.K. in 2001), The Best of Aztec Camera is an excellent overview of Roddy Frame's songwriting vehicle, collecting 16 tracks from throughout the group's history (up through 1993's Dreamland). The 1983 debut, High Land, Hard Rain, remains the best introduction to Aztec Camera's brand of witty, sophisticated, jazzy pop, but anyone wanting to dig deeper is easily advised to come here next.
(amg 8/10)

Antony And The Johnsons [2000] Antony And The Johnsons

[01] Twilight
[02] Cripple And The Starfish
[03] Hitler In My Heart
[04] Atrocities
[05] River Of Sorrow
[06] Rapture
[07] Deeper Than Love
[08] Divine
[09] Blue Angel



amg: Antony & the Johnsons have put together an elaborate assortment of artsy, sweet, and odd songs on their debut album. Antony's voice is a stunning musical instrument, sounding as feminine as it does masculine. Occasionally, he pulls out all the stops and affects a successful, soaring vocal style. The atmosphere of the album is dark yet somehow uplifting. The music, mostly slow, quiet jazz, played on a piano, harp, cello, flute, clarinets, saxophone, violins, and drums (in addition to some guitar work) occasionally matches Antony's bombastic vocals. Song titles like "Cripple and the Starfish," "Hitler in My Heart," and "The Atrocities" give an idea of the tone. "Hitler in My Heart" sees Antony searching for a "piece of kindness" but finding Hitler in his heart, before relating that "from the corpses, flowers grow." No matter what those lyrics suggest, the song itself begins as a playful, spooky art experiment before revealing itself to be a touching, introspective ballad. "Divine," an ode to the late, transvestite actor, is less amusing than one would think; somehow Antony makes lyrics like, "I hold your big fat heart in my hands" and "I'll swallow sh*t" appear respectful. There's not a dull moment to be found on the album, and "Blue Angel" closes the album in the only way possible, with wails and laments of "I'm on fire." Judging by the artwork and photographs included with the album and press reviews of live performances, there's a great deal of sexual ambiguity at work in the band's dynamics. Perhaps this same ambiguity is the driving force of the band's art. Whether that's the case or not, the band and the singer have mastered their sonic attack and created an extremely compelling debut album.
(amg 8/10)

Aimee Mann [2000] Bachelor No. 2 Or The Last Remains Of The Dodo

[01] How Am I Different
[02] Nothing Is Good Enough
[03] Red Vines
[04] The Fall Of The World's Own Optimist
[05] Satellite
[06] Deathly
[07] Ghost World
[08] Calling It Quits
[09] Driving Sideways
[10] Just Like Anyone
[11] Susan
[12] It Takes All Kinds
[13] You Do

Featuring [05] Grant Lee Philips [06] Juliana Hatfield



amg: It's no shock that Aimee Mann's Bachelor No. 2, or the last remains of the dodo sounds identical to her songs for Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, since it was written and recorded at roughly the same time (the two records share four songs). Yet Bachelor No. 2 is hardly a retread, having its own identity and flow; it's more intimate, a little more fragile, a little more craftmanslike — more like an Aimee Mann record, really. That, of course, is not a bad thing, especially since Mann has never sounded as assured as she does here, nor has she ever had a better set of songs. Surprisingly, this cohesive album was produced by a handful of different producers and Mann collaborated with three songwriters (Jon Brion being the most noteworthy of both categories). It sounds like the work of one writer and one production team, which is testament to the fact that Mann has finally found the ideal sound to match her literate, mildly self-deprecating, clever, melancholy, melodic style. Bachelor No. 2 is crisp, clear, and direct, but deceptive. It's hardly a guitar-and-voice record, there are layers of details in the arrangements, particularly in how the various guitars and keyboards weave seamlessly together. There has never been a better sound for her songs, and she's never been more consistently compelling as a writer either. To call Bachelor No. 2 a masterpiece may be overstating the matter somewhat, since an album this unassuming (but not unconfident) is too intimate to be labeled as such, yet it isn't hyperbole to call it the finest record Mann has made to date.
(amg 9/10)