The Electras
The Electras
Waterston Communications
I'd hate to think that something I ill advisedly did in high school would come back later to haunt me. The Electras, featuring John Kerry on bass, recorded one album in 1961, sold about 500 copies at high school dances and then languished in obscurity until the presidential race ramped up in 2003. There's nothing here for Kerry to be too embarrassed about-it's not as awful as one might expect but it's also not nearly as special as something like The Langley Schools Music Project. The six-piece earnestly works its way through 13 mostly instrumental tracks, such as "Sleepwalk" and "Shanghaied," inspired by The Ventures and other bands of the time. For fans only, it's available at www.theelectrasrockandrollband.com. --Douglas Adams
8 Ball and M.J.G.
Living Legends
Bad Boy
Creators of crunk? Partially. Living Legends? Maybe in their own minds. Staples of Southern rap? Definitely. Eightball and M.J.G. have been at the fore of the Dirty South since 1993 with their first album, Comin' Out Hard. On their latest release, Living Legends, the group enlists the help of P. Diddy (does P. stand for politician?), the prince of pop hop (insert eye roll here). Aside from a couple trademark Diddy "Yeah, ahh hah, I like that" lines, the rap mogul lets Eightball and M.J.G. do their thing. Living Legends is full of pimptastic tales, deep-fried beats and an overall sound that, while slightly glossy from the Diddy, is still "dirty." The lead single, "You Don't Want Drama," is a synthesizer-dominated track with a chorus that belies Diddy's obvious attempt to create an anthem. However, the MCs shine on tracks that are less club driven and more introspective. "Memphis City Blues" recounts life in the Deep South and relates the struggles of a hustling rap group that grew up in the shadows of Memphis's rich blues tradition. And it is Memphis's music history that Eightball and MJG wish to continue. Just don't call them living legends quite yet. --Mike Reeder
Helmet
Size Matters
Size Matters delivers the same groin-bashing rhythms and surgically fingered leads from earlier LPs (Meantime, Betty, Aftertaste), but the angry ennui of Hamilton's vocals has given way to a new expressiveness. Hamilton states, "I was using my voice as a rhythmic instrument with less regard for the meaning of the words. Now I appreciate clarity." Size Matters opens with several tracks that follow the tried and true Helmet formula, ending the long drought for thirsty fans. "Enemies," the best track on the CD, shows the band's ability to reinvent themselves while still paying homage to their roots. A few songs get sticky, but ultimately, this is a protein-packed banquet fit for the most voracious of musical carnivores. It takes the edge off your hunger, yet leaves you craving for more. --Laurie Hassold
The Manhattan Transfer
Vibrate
The Manhattan Transfer has pushed the boundaries of vocal music in the context of jazz, pop and other styles since the '70s. As a result, the vocalists have earned a healthy collection of Grammies and fans worldwide. Throughout their latest release, Vibrate, the group explores the traditional and progressive sides of jazz, plus shades of Latin, world and pop music. It opens with a track that hits the ear with the classic Transfer sound--bright, ear catching and balanced to harmonic perfection. And although they progress into different flavors, that finely tuned vocal mastery stays strong. www.telarc.com
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Shaheedullah and Stereotypes
Penalty Recordings
Ali Shaheed Muhammad will always be associated with A Tribe Called Quest. Shaheedullah and Stereotypes shows that Muhammad is not satisfied being a hip-hop Greg Brady. This album has a definite Tribe flavor, especially strong on the first four tracks. The relaxed groove, jazzy riffs and laid-back rhyming are all there. It's still good to listen to, especially on Lord Can I Have This Mercy. Muhammad does not settle for rehashing ATCQ, though, as the rest of the record progresses through various musical influences. There is some of the neo-soul sound that was the basis of Muhammad's most recent group, Lucy Pearl. Define Our Love is in that vein, but it has a simple two-note riff that brings a Hindi music feel and certain completeness. Some relatively aggressive driving-beat hip-hop comes into play as well. It doesn't all work, but it is given cohesiveness through live instrumentation that is simple on the surface but has some definite teeth behind it. Muhammad is not a great rapper, but he has an inviting style reminiscent of Plug One. The vocal tracks, featuring average guest MCs and mostly generic melodies, are what keep Shaheedullah and Stereotypes from being a great effort. --Erik Cho
On the 70th anniversary of the completion of Popov's Symphony No. 1, Leon Botstein and the London Symphony Orchestra bring the work to life on a recording that also includes Shostakovich's Theme and Variations, Op. 3. Popov's Symphony No. 1 was the work on which he expended the most effort and which earned him the greatest notoriety. The Theme and Variations, Op. 3 (entitled simply Variations for Symphony Orchestra on the manuscript) is probably Shostakovich's most scholastic, and therefore least characteristic, work. The pairing of these two contemporaries on one recording is fitting. www.telarc.com
Leon Botstein/London Symphony Orchestra
Popov: Symphony No. 1, Op. 7 and Shostakovich: Theme and
Variations, Op. 3