Following are reviews, by Deseret News staff writers, of new pop, R&B, rock and soundtrack recordings:
NEW EDITION; "Home Again" (MCA). * * *
In a brutal battle of numbers, New Edition's reunion album, "Home Again," recently wound up on top of the Billboard charts - outpacing the latest from R.E.M., which had to settle for second place.
Once described as a "street-savvy Jackson 5," the members of New Edition - Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronald DeVoe, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell and, later, Johnny Gill - embarked on solo and trio careers during the late '80s. Now in the mid-'90s, they show they can still create great harmonies . . . in noticeably deeper voices than on, say, the 1984 single "Cool It Now."
On the opening cut, "Oh, Yeah, It Feels So Good," the guys wax nostalgic and pat themselves on the back in a faux-live track that's actually pretty fun. The album's first single, "Hit Me Off," bobs through the speakers, while the spoken-and-sung ballad "Hear Me Out" tugs on fans' heartstrings.
"Home Again" seems a pretty much ego-free reunion during which all of New Edition's members have their say, in harmony and rap.
Welcome back, guys.
-Scott Iwasaki
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Phenomenon" (Reprise) * * *
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Tin Cup" (epic soundtrax) * * 1/2
Eric Clapton's excellent "Change the World" anchors the "Phenomenon" soundtrack, but there are some other interesting pieces here, ranging from Bryan Ferry's "Dance With Life" to Jewel's "Have a Little Faith in Me" to Thomas Newman's soundtrack score (scaled down to one cut for this 11-track collection). It's a nice sampler for easy listening.
The soundtrack for "Tin Cup" is also enjoyable, with toe-tappers from the Texas Tornados ("Little Bit Is Better Than Nada") and Bruce Hornsby ("Big Stick"), along with more mellow efforts by Mary Chapin Carpenter ("Let Me Into Your Heart") and Amanda Marshall ("This Could Take All Night"), among others. Uneven, but some goodies are in the mix.
- Chris Hicks
WESLEY WILLIS; "Fabian Road Warrior" (American). *
You can get too much of even a good thing, so getting way too much of a bad thing is an exercise in torture. Case in point: the new release from singer Wesley Willis.
All 24 tracks on "Fabian Road Warrior" use the same synthesized backing tracks (by rightfully uncredited musicians), over which Willis - who has been diagnosed as a borderline schizophrenic - hoarsely screams lyrics, some of them extremely foul, that are supposed to be tributes to musicians he's toured with (Brutal Juice, Silverchair, Rocket From the Crypt) or musicians he adores (Alanis Morissette should be really frightened about this man's love for her!).
At its best, such "music" might be amusing to the "Beavis and Butt-Head" set - for maybe about five minutes. There was really no reason for American Records to release this appalling album, except maybe to exploit someone in need of professional help.
- Jeff Vice
CAKE; "Fashion Nugget" (Capricorn). * * *
Catchy, real and very, very original.
That sums up Cake's new album, "Fashion Nugget." And if radio gets smart and begins to air some of the gems found on this album, Cake could receive some well-deserved praise.
Part of the charm is the underproduction. The tracks sound as if every tune was recorded live. From the opening percussive steps of "Frank Sinatra" to the closing ballad "Sad Songs and Waltzes," the album is alive with twists, kinks and funky attitude.
Rhythm is everywhere. The band seems to pull running grooves from the air as it rolls into "The Distance," "Open Book" and a remake of the Gloria Gaynor hit "I Will Survive."
- Scott Iwasaki
RATINGS: four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.