THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9511300175
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: John Harper
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
Does the current state of pop music leave you cold? Feeling guilty about buying reissues of old albums rather than new releases? Can't stand to hear Michael Bolton commit blasphemy by re-recording the classic soul hits of Otis Redding, Percy Sledge and Levi Stubbs?
Don't feel alone. I'm right there with you. The pop music of the first half of the '90s is downright boring.
Here is a list of some of the biggest hits of the decade: ``I Will Always Love You'' by Whitney Houston, ``Everything I Do'' by Bryan Adams, ``I Swear'' by All 4 One and Sheryl Crow's ``All I Want to Do.'' It's a wonder we don't have a nationwide outbreak of sleeping sickness.
But as I tell my friends who often ask me, ``Have you heard anything good lately?'' - seek and ye shall find. Good music is out there.
I admit that my generation is downright persnickety about its music. We were spoiled by the richness of '60s and '70s rock. But that doesn't mean we don't like new music. What it does mean is that new music must be melodic and state a sense of purpose.
Here are some recent releases that I think fit the bill.
``The Ghost of Tom Joad,'' Bruce Springsteen, Columbia Records.
``The Boss'' is back, but not with the big boss sound of his ``Born in the USA.'' On this predominantly acoustic album, Springsteen sings tales of drug-runners, vagrants and immigrants looking for a home.
The tone is decidely dark, but not depressing. He paints Steinbeck-like portraits of the American Southwest and Mexico. With songs like ``My Best was Never Good Enough,'' ``Highway 29'' and ``Straight Time,'' this album will remind listeners of the narrative-style of his ``Nebraska'' album. Commercial radio stations probably won't touch this, so buy the album.
Retrospective,'' Rosanne Cash, Columbia.
Rosanne inherited her dad Johnny Cash's earnestness. In her songwriting and her singing, she manages to be serious without being pretentious. This country-rock compilation offers 15 tracks from her 15 years at Columbia.
Cash writes songs about relationships, both blossoming and fading. ``On the Surface'' and ``What We Really Want'' from her 1991 album ``Interiors'' are two of most honest audio looks at a marriage unraveling, made all the more remarkable by the vocal accompaniment of the man she was divorcing, Rodney Crowell.
Following the divorce from Crowell, Cash released ``The Wheel,'' an album that chronicled the steps and missteps of her new life as a single mother. The album's title track and its haunting ``Seventh Avenue'' are included here.
I confess. Rosanne is my favorite singer on the planet. Check out her rendition of ``I Count the Tears.'' Whitney and Mariah sing from the throat; Rosanne sings from the heart.
The Road Home,'' Heart, Capitol.
In the summer of 1994, Heart joined with producer John Paul Jones to record a series of intimate shows in their hometown of Seattle. The setting was a 500-seat club, ``The Backstage.'' Backed by a four-piece string section, Ann and Nancy Wilson let their folk roots show.
Many of their best songs, ``Dreamboat Annie,'' ``Dog and Butterfly'' and ``Crazy On You'' are given a kinder, gentler reading. These girls were never real rockers anyway, so the acoustic sound is more natural.
Even the '80s middle-of-the-road hits ``Alone'' and ``These Dreams'' sound fine. Without the studio shine that made those songs radio/MTV hits, this album could be subtitled ``Schlockless in Seattle.''
Bryndle,'' Byrndle, MusicMasters Rock.
Do the names Andrew Gold, Karla Bonoff, Kenny Edwards and Wendy Waldman mean anything to you? All four members of Bryndle have been associated with Linda Ronstadt over the years. Edwards played in her first band. Gold anchored her studio band in the '70s. Waldman and Bonoff wrote some of her best songs.
Now, the four have teamed up to record an album full of songs about love, life and family. Nothing fancy here, just four first-rank players singing and playing guitars. Bryndle offers some of the finest close-harmony singing heard in recent years. This may be a familiar journey, but it's a pleasant one.
Anthology,'' The Beatles, Apple.
You saw the special, now hear the album. Culled from the vaults of Abbey Road, the generous 60-song set has outtakes and alternate versions of the Fab Four's hits. ``Please, Please Me,'' for instance, doesn't have John Lennon's famous harmonica work and is slightly slower than the hit version. No better, no worse, just different.
``All My Loving'' is the live version from the first appearance on the ``Ed Sullivan Show.'' Even through the screaming fans, this track shows the band could really play.
Also included is the first ``new'' Beatles' record in 25 years, ``Free as a Bird.'' Producer Jeff Lynne did a remarkable job putting George, Paul and Ringo's voices on John Lennon's 1977 demo tape and giving the record an ``Abbey Road'' feel.
Now That I've Found You,'' Alison Krauss, Rounder.
Country-radio listeners know her, and the rest of the world is catching up. Her fiddle playing and singing are so warm they could melt an ice cream cone in Antarctica. Krauss takes the Foundations' 1969 bubblegum hit, ``Baby now that I've Found You,'' and turns it into a sensuous reading about new love. Pop radio missed the boat on this one. This is the kind of record I dreamed of in my radio programming days in Wanchese. It's not country, it's perfect pop.
Maybe someone on your Christmas list will enjoy one of these CDs. I hope so. I'd also be happy to hear your comments on any of my suggestions. MEMO: John Harper covers Outer Banks entertainment for The Carolina Coast.
Tell him what you think about the state of music today at P.O. Box 10,
Nags Head, N.C. 27959.
ILLUSTRATION: Percy Sledge
Classic soul singer
Whitney Houston
Sleeping pill
by CNB