April 08, 2023

Yvette Michele - My Dream (1997) ☠

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: R&B
Label Number: BG2-67487
 ☠: Selected by Lass
© 1997 Loud Records
Although it has a couple of rough spots, Yvette Michele's debut album My Dream is a good collection of contemporary, hip-hop-inflected R&B. Like Mary J. Blige, Michele emphasizes the harder-edged hip-hop rhythms more than most divas, and she has a wonderful voice. Unfortunately, she doesn't always have great material. Still, the best moments on My Dream proves that she could blossom into a powerhouse, given the right material.


 tags: yvette michele, my dream, 1997, flac,
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April 07, 2023

Various Artists - 187 (Music From The Motion Picture) (1997)

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Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Trip-Hop
Label Number: 92760-2

© 1997 Icon/Atlantic Records
Kevin Reynolds' 187 is a film about an inner-city high school teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) who has to face terror from some of the school's juvenile delinquents in order to teach his students. Given the premise, it would seem likely that the accompanying soundtrack would concentrate solely on hard-edged hip-hop and gangsta rap, but 187: The Music bucks convention and is comprised of mesmerizing trip-hop, avant-rap, and hip-hop. Cuts by Massive Attack, Lamb, Everything But the Girl, Miles Davis, and a Prodigy remix of Method Man create a foreboding atmosphere that is nevertheless darkly alluring. The album sustains that mood and, as a result, it's one of the best pop music soundtracks of 1997.

 tags: various artists, 187, music from the motion picture, soundtrack, ost, 1997, flac,
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Various Artists - The Jackal (Music From & Inspired By) (1997)

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Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Trip-Hop, Electronic
Label Number: MCAD-11688

© 1997 MCA Records
Just as the 1997 film The Jackal was an update of the 1973 classic The Day of the Jackal, so too does the accompanying soundtrack album update the sounds, stepping above the usual movie fare with a punchy, edgy, completely contemporary assortment of leading electronica artists who not only enhance the frantic pace of the on-screen action, but give the armchair listener a revved heartbeat as well. Kicking off with Fatboy Slim's "Going out of My Head," with its eye-catching samples from the Who's "I Can't Explain," the rest of the album reels out like some glitter-filled who's who. From Prodigy's "Poison" to the Moby mainstay "Shining," and from the Primal Scream classic "Star" to Black Grape's proactive pot-loving club hit "Get Higher," the usual suspects are fingered. But placing the set apart are a few surprises. Massive Attack's heavy, dub-tinged version of Siouxie & the Banshees' "Metal Postcard," "Superpredators," is an inspired inclusion. Originally only available as a B-side on their 1997 "Risingson" single, it becomes a welcome addition here. Elsewhere it's a refreshing dive into the otherwise unavailable BT/Richard Butler collaboration "Shineaway," while the Chemical Brothers wrap their remixers around the Charlatans UK's retro-rock "Toothache." It's not often that one comes away with the feeling that a soundtrack was compiled not only as a Zen match to its film, but also to serve as an important and incredibly cohesive record of genre -- of a moment in time. Utilizing a varied mix of some of the electronica field's finest artists, The Jackal certainly succeeds -- on both levels.

 tags: various artists, the jackal, music from and inspired by, soundtrack, 1997, flac,
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Paul Weller - Modern Classics (The Greatest Hits) (1998)

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Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock
Label Number: 314-524 558-3

© 1998 Island Records
Wrapping up his contractual commitment to Go! Records, Paul Weller delivered Modern Classics: Greatest Hits, his first compilation of solo material, late in 1998. Modern Classics plays it safe, collecting all of his singles and adding a fine new song, "Brand New Start," which may not at first seem live up to its title, but eventually reveals itself to be a weightier ballad variation of the trad rock of Heavy Soul. Regrettably, the album is not sequenced in chronological order, but there was a consistency to Weller's solo work that makes the compilation hold together well. And while it certainly confirms that his solo work is easily his most conservative music to date, it also proves that it wasn't slight -- these singles are uniformly solid, whether it's the driving "Into Tomorrow," the rugged soul-pop of "Uh-Huh Oh-Yeh," the passionate "Sunflower," the ersatz ELO tribute "The Changingman," or ballads like "Broken Stones" and "Mermaids." Like Snap! and The Singular Adventures of the Style Council, Modern Classics is a testament to Weller's strength as a singles artist and a terrifically enjoyable listen in its own right. [The U.K. edition of Modern Classics included a bonus live disc, culled from various shows, which was every bit as good as Live Wood.]

 tags: paul weller, modern classics, the greatest hits, 1998, flac,
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Various Artists - End of Days Soundtrack (1999)

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Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Alternative Metal, Nü-Metal, Industrial, Hip-Hop
Label Number: 0694905302

© 1999 Geffen Records
End of Days is a typical "Music From and Inspired By the Motion Picture" album. It doesn't really matter whether its songs are in the movie or not, since the goal of the record is to sell Arnold Schwarzenegger's comeback film to an audience of alt-metal fans who were in elementary school when he made his last really "cool" picture, 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. So, it's loaded with new music from Korn, Everlast, Limp Bizkit, and Eminem -- aggressive sensations from 1998 and 1999 that guarantee the attention of adolescent males, thereby creating audience awareness of End of Days. On top of that, there's previously released material from Powerman 5000, Creed, and Rob Zombie (technically, "Superbeast" is a new remix, but it's an old song), plus oldies from Prodigy and Sonic Youth; those may be the two best songs on the record, but they feel out of place alongside all the alt-metal. The album already feels like a strange period piece, but that doesn't necessarily mean the music is bad, either -- in fact, there are a number of strong cuts. But overall, End of Days delivers what it promises, and even if there are several weak throwaways, it still effectively appeals to the aggro-metal demographic that Schwarzenegger needs. But you can't forget about the other big comeback on End of Days: Guns N' Roses, or more specifically Axl Rose, with "Oh My God." (The last thing G N' R recorded, strangely enough, was for another high-profile soundtrack, 1994's Interview With the Vampire, where Axl rearranged and pretty much ruined "Sympathy for the Devil.") Confirming Rose's interest in industrial music, "Oh My God" essentially sounds like Rose catching up to where Nine Inch Nails and Ministry were in 1994, the very year he faded into seclusion. And "Oh My God" is clearly the work of an artist in seclusion, piecing together something he thinks sounds hip and happening. It's overloaded with processed guitars and distorted vocals, yet it's structured like a typical G N' R song; consequently, it seems weirdly out of time. It's a less than satisfying comeback proving just how out-of-step Rose was with nearly every post-Nirvana progression in hard rock and heavy metal.

 tags: various artists, end of days soundtrack, ost, 1999, flac,
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April 06, 2023

Melissa Manchester - Emergency (1983)

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*Reissued on CD for the first time in 2006 by Wounded Bird Records. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Pop Rock 
Label Number: WOU 8094

© 1983-2006 Wounded Bird Records
Melissa Manchester followed her comeback album Hey Ricky and single "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" with this collection of synthesized dance-pop. Released between the 1983 success of the Flashdance soundtrack and the 1984 success of the Footloose soundtrack, the album was rooted in the same sort of quick-step electronic percussion and clouds of icy keyboard textures, with the vocalist a seeming afterthought. It was not music for fans of "Midnite Blue," but unfortunately, it also failed to generate a hit single for teeny boppers, which meant it fell through the cracks commercially, and Arista dropped Manchester after a decade with the label.

tags: melissa manchester, emergency, 1983, flac,
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The Riptides - The Riptides (1983)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 11 tracks total.
Country: Australia 
Genre: Power Pop, New Wave
Label Number: D 19573

© 1983-1992 Regular Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

tags: the riptides, the riptides album, 1986, flac,
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Wreckx-N-Effect - Raps New Generation (1996)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz.
Contains 17 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop 
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: None

© 1996 Geffen Records
Wreckx-N-Effect's fusion of party hip-hop and soulful urban R&B was a revelation on its first two albums, but it has grown tired and predictable on its belated third album Raps New Generation. Few of the tracks demonstrate any lyrical or musical imagination, and the good-time grooves all fall flat -- in short, it sounds like a party you can't wait to leave.

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 tags: wreckx n effect, wrecks in, raps new generation, 1996, flac,
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Jesse Powell - 'Bout It (1998)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz.
 Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: R&B
Label Number: None

© 1998 UMG Recordings, Inc.
While new jack swing was urban contemporary's dominant sound in the late '80s and early to mid-'90s, the style that dominated late-'90s R&B was so-called "jeep soul" -- slow-grooving, slow-grinding R&B that was appropriate for cruising around in a jeep. Jeep soul didn't return R&B to the type of greatness that characterized it in the 1960s and 1970s, but it had its moments. One release that was appropriate for the late-'90s jeep soul crowd was Jesse Powell's 'Bout It, which isn't a gem but is generally decent. The singer doesn't incorporate an abundance of rapping (something many jeep soulsters were doing), but his producers do favor a very hip-hop-ish production style on "Up and Down," "I Wasn't with It," and other selections. Powell doesn't provide anything for the dancefloor -- most of the time, he gets into a comfortable medium-tempo groove, whether he's being romantic or overtly sexual. Not a remarkable CD, but competent and usually likable.

 tags: jesse powell, bout it, 1998, flac,
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April 05, 2023

Budgie - Bandolier (1975) ☠

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*German first pressing. 
Contains 6 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Label Number: RR 4100-WZ
☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1975-1990 Repertoire Records
After four albums, Budgie had achieved moderate success in the U.K. with their unique combination of Black Sabbath heaviness, progressive rock flashes, and bizarre sense of humor. But 1975's Bandolier found the band pursuing a more conventional rock sound with a noticeable funk influence. This is most apparent on the guitar-scratching "I Can't See My Feelings" and the finger-snapping "Who Do You Want for Your Love?," featuring a slow groove topped with vocalist Burke Shelley's soulful wailing. While the riff-heavy "Breaking All the House Rules" and the amusing "Napoleon Bona Part 1 & 2" hark back to the band's early days, change was on the horizon. Budgie's creative spark was remarkably absent from subsequent releases for new label A&M, marking Bandolier as the last album of the band's golden age.

 tags: budgie, bandolier, 1975, flac,
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Various Artists - Stealing Beauty (1996)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Post Grunge, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Trip-Hop, Jazz
Label Number: CDP 7243 8 37436 2 9

© 1996 Capitol Records
In such films as Last Tango In Paris and The Last Emperor, director Bernardo Bertolucci has taken special care with the soundtrack music, resulting in albums that stood on their own. Stealing Beauty, on the other hand, is a "music from the motion picture" disc of 12 songs that range from Billie Holiday's "I'll Be Seeing You" to Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." The element that seems to bring the disparate tracks together is an overall low-key moodiness, whether John Lee Hooker or Portishead is performing. The draw for rock fans is liable to be Liz Phair's "Rocket Boy," though there are also some intriguing selections by Lori Carson and the Cocteau Twins, and it's nice to hear Sam Phillips' Beatlesque "I Need Love" again. Still, apart from the film, this remains a miscellaneous collection.

 tags: various artists, stealing beauty, 1996, flac,
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April 04, 2023

The Jam - All Mod Cons (1978) ☠

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*European first pressing. 
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: New Wave
Label Number: 823 282-2 Y
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1978-1987 Polydor
The Jam regrouped and refocused for All Mod Cons, an album that marked a great leap in songwriting maturity and sense of purpose. For the first time, Paul Weller built, rather than fell back, upon his influences, carving a distinct voice all his own; he employed a story-style narrative with invented characters and vivid British imagery à la Ray Davies to make incisive social commentary -- all in a musically irresistible package. The youthful perspective and impassioned delivery on All Mod Cons first earned Weller the "voice of a generation" tag, and it certainly captures a moment in time, but really, the feelings and sentiments expressed on the album just as easily speak to any future generation of young people. Terms like "classic" are often bandied about, but in the case of All Mod Cons, it is certainly deserved.

 tags: the jam, all mod cons, 1978, flac,
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British Electric Foundation - British Electric Foundation: Music of Quality & Distinction, Volume 1 (1982)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Synth Pop
Label Number: CD BEF 1

© 1982-1991 10 Records
Though there are many interesting tracks, Music of Quality and Distinction, Vol. 1 is quite a scattered album, including synthesizer updates of pop classics as well as a few straight-ahead takes with bizarre vocals. Several of the covers turn out quite well, including Tina Turner's "Ball of Confusion," Glenn Gregory's "Wichita Lineman" and Billy Mackenzie's "The Secret Life of Arabia" (from Bowie's Heroes). Paula Yates' tiny voice gives "These Boots Are Made for Walking" a painful lack of aggression, and Mackenzie's rendition of Roy Orbison's "It's Over" turns heartache into hysteria. Most of the songs are familiar, so listeners will at least be able to hum along with Bernadette Nolan's "You Keep Me Hanging On" and Gary Glitter's "Suspicious Minds."

 tags: british electric foundation, music of quality and distinction volume 1, vol 1, 1982, flac,
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Modern Art - Underwater Kites (1982)

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*Reissued on CD for the first time 2017 by 
Lion Productions with remastered audio. 
Contains 15 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Post Punk, Synth Pop
Label Number: COLOR CD 05/LION

© 1982-2017 Lion Productions
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 tags: modern art, underwater kites, 1982, 2017, flac,
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Paula Perry - Tales From Fort Knox (1998)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz. Contains 17 tracks total. 
This album was originally slated for a 1998 released but was shelved. 
Promotional copies were pressed on CD but were later destroyed by the record label.

Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop 
Label Number: None

©1998-2020 X-Ray Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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 tags: paula perry, tales from fort knox, 1998, flac,
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April 02, 2023

Tucka Da Huntaman - Concrete Jungle 1995 (2022)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Bandcamp. 
This album contains several unreleased tracks that were recorded in 1995. 
Contains 12 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop 
Style: Hardcore Hip-Hop
Label Number: None

© 1995-2022 Smoke On Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

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 tags: tucka da huntaman, concrete jungle 1995, 2022, flac,
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World Renown - World Renown (2023)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Bandcamp. 
This album was originally slated for a 1995 release but was shelved. 
It has been released for the first time in 2023 by Smoke On Records. 
Contains 15 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop 
Label Number: None

© 1995-2023 Smoke On Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 

 * Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


 tags: world renown, world renown album, 1995, flac,
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Charli Baltimore - Cold As Ice (1999)

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*This is a digital store download purchased from Qobuz. 
Contains 20 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop 
Style: Pop Rap, Gangsta Rap
Label Number: None

© 1999 Untertainment Records LLC
On Cold as Ice, Charli Baltimore proves that she has more to talk about than the rumored relationship she supposedly had with the late great Notorious B.I.G. While she is already known for her "expensive taste" and "pretty face," Charli demands respect for her lyrical skills, although she does use her feminine charm to first capture listeners' attention. On her debut album, the Philly native lays complex rhymes over both hardcore and crossover beats to make for a well-balanced debut. Charli's strongest moments are on songs like "Have It All," where she reveals her true self, Tiffany Lane, by professing her own life stories and troubles. Here, Charli comes across as sincere and emotional. The radio-friendly tracks, like the Teddy Riley-produced "Feel It" and the Noreaga and Cam'ron collaboration "NBC," allow Charli to compete in the same ring as female heavyweights like Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown. And of course, Charli has to show her street side to gain hip-hop credibility on songs like "Thorough Bitches," where she joins forces with some of the hardest female rappers out there (Da Brat, Lady of Rage, Gangsta Boo).

 * Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled. 


 tags: charli baltimore, cold as ice, 1999, flac,
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April 01, 2023

Various Artists - I Shot Andy Warhol - Music From & Inspired By The Motion Picture (1996)

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Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock 
Label Number: 92690-2

© 1996 TAG/Atlantic Records
I Shot Andy Warhol has the elements that every tribute album strives to capture: great bands interpreting great songs while injecting enough of their own personalities to make the recording and listening processes worthwhile. From Luna's smooth version of Donovan's "Season of the Witch" to Wilco's rendition of the Neil Young-penned "Burned" to Ben Lee's channeling of the Small Faces on "Itchycoo Park," no one missteps in their attempts to pay homage to the original artists. Even Jewel proves capable when tackling Donovan's "Sunshine Superman," which along with R.E.M.'s take on the Troggs' "Love Is All Around" and Bettie Serveert's interpretation of Bob Dylan's "I'll Keep It With Mine," rounds out the cover portion of the album. Also included are classic tracks from the Lovin' Spoonful, Love, MC5, and Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, as well as original tracks by Pavement and Yo La Tengo. Fittingly, the Velvet Underground's John Cale scores the "I Shot Andy Warhol Suite."

 tags: various artists, i shot andy warhol, music from and inspired by the motion picture, ost, soundtrack, 1996, flac,
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Various Artists - Songs From Dawson's Creek Volume 2 (2000)

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Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock, Alternative Rock
Label Number: CK 85149

© 2000 Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax
Songs From Dawson's Creek, paced by the already established hits "I Don't Want to Wait" (Paula Cole) and "Kiss Me" (Sixpence None the Richer), not to mention its association with the popular television series, then nearing the end of its second season, was a gold-selling Top Ten hit in the spring of 1999. A year and a half later, Dawson's Creek was still leading off the WB network's Wednesday night lineup, and Songs From Dawson's Creek, Vol. 2 was released the day before the fourth season premiere. Even more than its predecessor, the album is basically a Sony label sampler, baited with a couple of familiar songs (notably, lead-off track "I Think I'm in Love With You" by Jessica Simpson), but primarily devoted to gaining exposure for developing acts on the rosters of Sony's various imprints. Among the likelier ones are a few performers already gaining attention for their debut efforts: Evan and Jaron's "Crazy for This Girl" was getting airplay on adult contemporary radio, and Wheatus had scored a modern rock radio hit with "Teenage Dirtbag" by the album's release date, while Nine Days' "If I Am" was the follow-up single to their hit "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)," and Lara Fabian's "Givin' Up on You" was drawn from the debut album that had previously spawned the dance hit "I Will Love Again." And not every participant was brand new, Shawn Colvin and the Jayhawks counting as veterans.

Even if it seems that the album contains one track from practically every new album Sony was promoting in the fall of 2000, there is some justification for the statement in the company's press release accompanying it that "the songs were chosen for their... relationship to the themes of the show." Over and over, the songs express youthful attitudes in all their earnestness and naiveté. Love is eternal: "I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you," sing evan and jaron; the Jayhawks add, "We're gonna stay together for a million years"; and Nine Days reassure, "I will never leave you." Five for Fighting, meanwhile, depicts teen angst in "Superman," plaintively whining, "It's not easy to be me." Even Wheatus, with a good deal less sincerity, sets "Teenage Dirtbag" at the prom, and Mary Beth Maziarz's cover of the Monkees' "Daydream Believer" refers to "a homecoming queen."

The music for these songs tends toward catchy, guitar-dominated pop/rock, though the compilers, true to the TV show's early theme, "I Don't Want to Wait," have included several piano ballads with female vocals, no doubt hoping that "Givin' Up on You," "Daydream Believer," or Colvin's "Never Saw Blue Like That" can replace it in listeners' hearts. And maybe one of them will, but if not, there are other commercial possibilities here and plenty of music that's right for the Dawson's Creek demographic. (One of a dwindling number of releases with CD-ROM multimedia content, the CD features a screensaver and an uplink to the Dawson's Creek website.)

 tags: various artists, songs from dawsons creek volume 2, vol 2, 2000, flac,
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Various Artists - Like Mike: Music From The Motion Picture (2002)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B
Label Number: CK 86676

© 2002 So So Def/Sony Music Soundtrax
So So Def boss Jermaine Dupri rounds up a number of playful pop-rap songs for the Like Mike soundtrack, unsurprisingly including a number of Lil' Bow Wow performances. The 15-year-old rapper stars in the film so it's expected that his contributions will be significant, and indeed they are, beginning with "Basketball," the album's opening song. Here Bow Wow, Fabolous, and Dupri drop a verse each about their passion for the game, while Fundisha sings the hook. A little bit later in the album come the two standout Bow Wow songs, though: the Neptunes-produced "Take Ya Home" and Just Blaze-produced "Playin' the Game." Both songs feature top-notch production and incredibly catchy hooks, so much so that the former became one of Bow Wow's biggest hits yet. Elsewhere on Like Mike, Dupri includes so-so songs by TQ, Mario, and Solange, three artists likely to appeal to the same listeners who like Bow Wow. But the real surprise comes late in the album with Nas' "Rule" and TCP's "Hoop It Up," both much more adult than the preceding songs. The previously released Nas song, which interpolates Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," falls a bit short of being another "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" for the New York rapper, but it's still quite moving. And the TCP song is a fast-paced bass song that concludes the soundtrack perfectly, embodying the heart-racing nature of basketball.

 tags: various artists, like mike, music from the motion picture, ost, soundtrack, 2002, flac,
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