Following are reviews of recent pop, rock and movie soundtrack recordings by Deseret News staff writers:

LENA HORNE; "Lena Horne at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" (TCM Music/Rhino Movie Music) * * * *

VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Cabin in the Sky" (TCM Music/Rhino Movie Music) * * *

Lena Horne fans, prepare to go nuts.

The latest collaboration from Turner and Rhino is "Lena Horne at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer," which has pulled together in one neat package her solo performances from movies filmed during Hollywood's so-called "golden era," when Horne was the first black artist to sign a long-term contract (1942-56).

Included are familiar songs from such musicals as "Panama Hattie," "Cabin in the Sky," "Till the Clouds Roll By," "Words and Music," etc., as well as outtakes that were left on the cutting-room floor and a delightful booklet (with an introduction by Horne herself).

Hearing Horne in her prime performing "Somebody Loves Me," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Where or When" and many more is a singularly exciting experience. Even a critic with a thesaurus must resort to the obvious - Wow!

At the same time, TCM/Rhino is releasing the soundtrack from the 1943 film "Cabin in the Sky" (complete with photo-filled booklet), which, in addition to Horne, features Ethel Waters, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Rex Ingram, Duke Ellington and the Hall Johnson Choir and all of the instrumental interludes. If it's not redundant in this context, fans will be in heaven. (If you're just interested in Horne, all of her solos from this film are included on "Lena Horne at MGM.")

- Chris Hicks

SKINNY PUPPY; "The Process" (American). * * *

The last Skinny Puppy album is a crafty vessel of apocalyptic and moody tunes. Though the album was finished months after vocalist Dwayne R. Goettel's fatal heroin overdose last June, "The Process" sounds alive as ever.

With jackhammer effects, squeal-ing dial tones and gothic techno rages, Skinny Puppy gives songs such as "Jahya," "Cult" and "Death" almost tangible textures.

The doodling and militant "Process" and empty raves of "Cur-cible" also bring out the dreary, dank darkness of depression and chaos.

While the music biz is full of techno-industrial bands striving to become the new Nine Inch Nails or Stabbing Westward, Skinny Puppy has managed to stay true to itself and fans with "The Process." The album is fit to be the band's final effort and Goettel's swan song.

- Scott Iwasaki

MARC SHAIMAN; "The American President" (MCA Soundtracks) * * *

Marc Shaiman's stately score for "The American President" at times gets so big that you may feel it should be in support of a David Lean epic instead of a movie about romance and politics in the White House, a movie that only rarely ventures outside. But it's a highly listenable collection of themes, ranging from the aforementioned overblown sections to lush romantic orchestrations to light piano pieces.

Old-fashioned, cornball stuff (especially the arrangement of "I Have Dreamed," deliberately invoking another era) . . . which may explain why I liked both this album and the movie.

- Chris Hicks

HAMELL ON TRIAL; "Big As Life" (Mercury). * * *

Picture this: a rock album with no drums. Then, when you think you have the style all figured out, in comes some folk, blues and story-telling ramblings.

Confused? Don't be. It's all part of Hamell on Trial's latest album, "Big As Life." Ed Hamell plays one deadly guitar. If he's not strumming surf-punk licks or finger-picking intricate intros and interludes, he's jabbering away about Count Basie ("Big As Life"), social misfits ("Pet Rally"), the music business (the Lou Reed-inspired ditties "Z-Roxx" and "Piccolo Joe") and gives Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" a workout on a hidden track at the end of the album.

The album has color. And Ham-ell's guitar craftily rips the tunes to shreds. Guitar lovers will want to put this album on a pedestal. Other musicians will find the arrangements moving and vibrant, and poets will write the fan club for a copy of the libretto.

- Scott Iwasaki

MICHAEL CONVERTINO; "Bed of Roses" (Milan) * * *

A number of lovely, heartfelt tunes mark the score for "Bed of Roses" as Michael Convertino strives for an old-fashioned feeling that fits the movie's story of reluctant romance.

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The main theme (initially represented on the first cut, "Boom") has a haunting quality, while a more-amusing melody (as in the second cut, "Tuesday") crops up occasionally to lighten things up.

Songs are sprinkled throughout - "Independent Love Song" by Scarlet, Sarah McLachlan's "Ice Cream," Daniel O'Brien's "Killing Time" and "Nervous Heart" by the Borrowers - and are quite enjoyable in this context. A nice mix.

- Chris Hicks

RATINGS: four stars (* * * * ), excellent; three stars (* * * ), good; two stars (* * ), fair; one star (* ), poor, with 1/2 representing a higher, intermediate grade.

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