Does the thunderous music pouring forth these days from strange-named bands and unfamiliar singers seem as if it's coming from another planet? Long for more sedate fare - say, new versions of gentle golden oldies or time-tested standards? Well, believe it or not, a few new albums have been released with you in mind.

ON McLEAN; "For the Memories, Volumes 1 & 2" (Gold Castle Records); Produced by Dave Burgess and Larry Butler.

Don McLean's fondness for songs of the not-so-recent past was evident on albums like the pickin'-and-grinnin' classic "Playin' Favorites" and 1981's "Chain Lightning," and that affection gives a glow to his generous new anthology of oldies, "For the Memories." McLean, who rose to renown as a songwriter who also sings, is not usually a breathtaking vocal stylist, and these are not knockout remakes destined to supplant the originals _ but it's certainly a pleasant collection.

McLean had a big hit years ago retooling Roy Orbison's "Crying," and followed that up with a new version of "Since I Don't Have You." So, in "Volume 1" of "For the Memories" he dips into the trove of songs from that same general era _ the '50s and early '60s. We get Elvis Presley's "Don't," Ricky Nelson's "Travelin' Man" (McLean's range and timbre are really quite close to Nelson's), Sam Cooke's "What a Wonderful World," and "Crazy," the Patsy Cline hit written by the young Willie Nelson. But best of all, McLean is backed by the Jordanaires (Presley's longtime backup group), whose warm harmonies really fill out the arrangements.

If anything, "Volume 2" _ reaching back into the '30s and '40s _ is even more fun. McLean chats his way into "If I Only Had a Match," then renders familiar and obscure delectables by George and Ira Gershwin ("Someone to Watch Over Me," "Somebody Loves Me"), Irving Berlin ("Count Your Blessings," "Change Partners"), Hoagy Carmichael ("Stardust") and others. Again, the Jordanaires add measurably to the many cuts, but pianist Tony Migliore and the various guitarists also deserve praise for their complementary performances.

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BOBBY SHORT; "Bobby, Noel & Cole" (Atlantic Records); Produced by Lew Hahn.

If anything, the two-volume set "Bobby, Noel & Cole" proves Bobby Short is scrumptiously attuned to the songs of Cole Porter and Noel Coward. Whether the songs are wry and worldly or cleverly romantic, Short's animated supper-club warble suits them to a T. The intimate setting _ Short's buoyant piano supported only by subdued percussion and bass _ is just right. In brief, he's their ideal interpreter.

This collection, available on cassette and compact disc, is actually a repackaging of two double albums circa 1972, "Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter" and "Bobby Short Is Mad About Noel Coward." The songs, mostly from Coward and Porter's many plays and revues, include both familiar and unfamiliar examples of their amusing craft, like Coward's "Something to Do With Spring" and "If Love Were All," and Porter's "You've Got That Thing" and "Let's Fly Away."

Short's stylized approach may not be to absolutely everybody's taste, just as these sophisticated songs aren't for everyone. But for those already inclined, and for those to whom the concept appeals, "Bobby, Noel & Cole" may be just the thing.

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