Following are reviews by Deseret News staff writers of new pop and rock albums:
P; "P" (Capitol). * * 1/2
Keanu Reeves is a movie star with a band (Dogstar), so why can't Johnny Depp do the same? He did, and the band's name is P.
Actually, those two have it backwards. The usual route for a musician to hit the screen is become famous in a band and make a motion picture debut. Jon Bon Jovi did it earlier this year in "Moonlight and Valentino," David Bowie did it numerous times, including turns as a vampire in "The Hunger" and a warlock in "Labyrinth."
But just as the situations are reversed, so is the quality of music. It needs some fine-tuning.
Still, P, is a band that's not too likely to get pigeonholed. Many styles rustle through the album's tracks. Everything from reggae ("Jon Glenn") to country ("Mr. Officer") to blues ("White Man Sings the Blues") are heard among the Velvet Underground rip-offs ("Save Cigarette Butts") and a take on the '70s (a campy version of Abba's "Dancing Queen").
The album isn't bad and features guest artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea on bass and former Sex Pistols guitarman Steve Jones, but let's just say Depp would be probably more interesting acting the role of a musician on the big screen. - Scott Iwasaki
ORIGINAL CAST; "Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Lieber and Stoller" (Atlantic Theatre). * * * *
This terrific two-disc effort collects nearly 40 pop songs from the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for the stage production "Smokey Joe's Cafe."
You may not know Leiber & Stoller by name, but you'll recognize an amazing number of classic rock 'n' roll songs here, which range from "Love Potion No. 9," "Charlie Brown," "Jailhouse Rock," "Spanish Harlem," "Stand By Me," "Fools Fall in Love," "Poison Ivy," "Yakety Yak," "Little Egypt," "Hound Dog" and many more, to a number that are less familiar but no less enjoyable.
To get an idea of what to expect with this fabulous trip down Nostalgia Lane, try to imagine the Manhattan Transfer doing "Grease." The talented cast is first-rate, displaying a bright sense of humor and wonderful vocalizations, and the album is loaded with numbers that will make you want to jump up and dance. - Chris Hicks
LIVING COLOUR; "Pride" (Epic). * * 1/2
It's funny how bands that were once the talk of the country vanish. Living Colour is one of those that hit hard, became a crossover fave and, with a few duds, lost favor.
So when the disbanded band decided to fulfill a contract agreement with another release, it's no wonder the result was a sort of greatest hits. But in this case, "greatness" applies to only about eight of the 17 tracks.
Sure the breakthrough rampage of "Cult of Personality," the funky "Funny Vibe," the playful "Glamour Boys," the band's theme, "What's Your Favorite Color?" and the socially conscious "Open Letter to a Landlord" grace this disc - and it isn't surprising all those songs were found on the the band's debut, "Vivid." But that's pretty much it for the highlights.
Other tunes worth mentioning include the catchy refrain of "Pride" from "Time's Up" and the industrial feedback of "WTFF," from the album "Stain."
But when the previously unreleased songs pop up, fans will know the band told the truth when it said it couldn't continue because it had lost its creativity.
"Release the Pressure," "Sacred Ground" and "Visions" just rehash the once bright and fresh Living Colour sound. - Scott Iwasaki
TOAD THE WET SPROCKET; "In Light Syrup" (Columbia). * * 1/2
It's not really an album with new stuff per se, but the latest release from Toad the Wet Sprocket is still a new release.
Comprised of B-sides and outtakes, "In Light Syrup" is an assortment of Toad's staple sound, which opened the door for others such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Freddy Jones Band and the Dave Matthews Band.
The collection's good, but not great. The charm of the album is how rough some cuts can be. But fans won't mind. The collection of "limbo songs," none of which appear on any Toad album, is pretty fun to hear.
"Good Intensions," originally recorded for the album "Fear," even-tual-ly found its way to the TV show "Friends"; "Brother" was heard in the Mike Myers flick "So I Married an Axe Murderer," and "Little Heaven" was planted in the forgettable "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Two cuts, "Chicken" and "Are We Afraid," have been heard before by those on the band's mailing list, but the other seven will be new to most ears. - Scott Iwasaki
RATINGS: four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.