DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997              TAG: 9703260040

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: MUSIC REVIEW

                                            LENGTH:   95 lines

OLD AEROSMITH LIVES WITH ``NINE LIVES''

Rock/Pop

Aerosmith, ``Nine Lives'' (Columbia)

America's oldest rock 'n' roll adolescents have come up with an appropriate title for their latest effort. Within the past year, the Boston rockers experienced enough mishaps to destroy a dozen bands.

They laid off their longtime manager and canned their producer. They lost a member to depression, were accused of being less than sober and underwent group therapy. They made a controversial decision to release a promo album only to Wal-Mart and remade ``Nine Lives'' because Columbia didn't like it.

But after huddling with record execs, their original proiducer and lyric doctors Desmond Child and Mark Hudson, the band set out to reconstruct ``Nine Lives.'' The result is by-the-numbers Aerosmith.

You can imagine the planning sessions. ``We'll open with `Nine Lives,' an in-your-face nasty rocker. We'll follow that up with a soulful song to show our feel for the blues, then one of those patented rock ballads, like `Crazy.' That'll make a good single. Then we'll throw in a song with a little exotic Indian sound to show our versatility.''

There you have it, an hour's worth of new Aerosmith songs that give off just the slightest whiff of reheated leftovers.

Eric Feber, The Pilot

Queensryche, ``Hear in the Now Frontier'' (EMI)

Have you noticed? Years ending in 7 tend to yield great releases (``Sgt. Pepper's,'' 1967; the 1977 debut of the Sex Pistols; Depeche Mode's ``Music for the Masses,'' 1987). Here's/hear's another.

Taking a break from the conceptual ``Theme Park'' rock of recent years, Queensryche rolls up its sleeves and gets back to work, grinding out reflectively melodic hard-rock.

With Geoff Tate's soaring vocals leading the way, the Seattle quintet takes flight on the chorus of ``Cuckoo's Nest.'' The band is relentless on the unforgiving ``Get a Life,'' then holds up a mirror to society on guitarist Chris DeGarmo's topical ``Sign of the Times.'' The ``new'' approach is most evident on the dark, heavy ``Hit the Black,'' where the ominous realities of heroin addiction are plainly articulated.

Facing the music is what ``The Now Frontier'' is about. Listen up.

Jeff Maisey, The Pilot Blues/Jazz

Deborah Coleman, ``I Can't Lose'' (Blind Pig)

Gutsy title for any album, especially so for a national debut. But with the opening licks of the leadoff title track, Chesapeake blueswoman Deborah Coleman walks the walk. She is nothing if not self-assured.

Her strength, though, isn't in what she does with a guitar, but what she doesn't. Rather than try and overpower like so many ax-wielders, Coleman, who locals may remember from her tenure with Moxxie and Misbehavin,' favors the clean, metallic lines of Albert King or Steve Cropper.

Most of the time, she's just one of the band, creating smooth grooves with fellow guitarist Paryss, bassist Chuck Webb and drummer - love it - Slam. When she does step out, her leads aren't showy or forced. Even the closing ``My Love Belongs to You,'' a soulful instrumental, is tastefully restrained.

Coleman has said that the one area she needs to work on is her singing. You'd never know that here. She wrote seven of the 10 tracks, and, just like her playing, shows the same confidence - by turns sassy and playful. A solid, accomplished debut.

Craig Shapiro, The Pilot

In concert: Deborah Coleman, 9 p.m. Friday at Parker's Bar and Grill, 15617 Courthouse Road, Eastville. $5. Call (757) 678-0120. Take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and stay on U.S. 13 north about 15 miles. Turn left at the sign to Eastville. Parker's will be on the right.

Regina Carter, ``Something for Grace'' (Atlantic)

Regina Carter's 1995 solo debut showcased a violinist influenced as much by Itzhak Perlman and John Blake as Jean-Luc Ponty and Motown. On her soon-to-be released sophomore effort, she serves up another smorgasbord of radio-friendly jazz - from the melodic to the improvisational.

The CD is dedicated to Carter's mother, who insisted her daughter begin piano lessons at age 2 and violin lessons two years later.

A former member of the all-female jazz quintet Straight Ahead, the Detroit-born musician paints landscapes that are alternatingly impressionistic and bold. Indeed, it is this melding of musical strains - the classically-inspired ``Reflections,'' the blues balladry of ``Soul Eyes'' - that enables her to rise above much of what passes for ``contemporary jazz.''

Marvin Lake, The Pilot

In concert: Regina Carter, with guitarist Chuck Loeb, 7 p.m. Saturday at Norfolk State's L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center. $25 plus service charge, $30 at the door; $15 for NSU students. Order at 671-8100. Info: 683-8274. ILLUSTRATION: Debut album of self-assurred

Deborah Coleman is solid effort.

NORMAN SEEFF

Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford

are Aerosmith, America's oldest rock adolescents.

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