*ECHO
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Warner Bros. RecordsTom Petty is one of those lucky artists who doesn’t have to explain himself. He doesn’t have to follow or even set fashion; instead, his fans meet him totally on his terms. That said, with a sound that’s true to his songbook, Petty’s latest, “Echo,” hits stores today.
What is lovable, maybe admirable, about Petty, is that at 48 years old, the man hasn’t given up making youthful declarationslike: Don’t tread on me; that he’s still searching for the perfect American girl; that rebels make life interesting; that he reminds you that you can desire and fear love in the same sigh.
On “Echo,” Petty is at his best in the selections where he tells stories of women. Not to get too deep into Tom’s head, but it seems as if he’s attempting to unravel what it’s like to be a woman in a man’s world.
Since he’s a guy, Petty’s conclusions are totally suspect, but for us muddling men who have little concept of girl rage, these songs are revealing and demand that we re-examine our attitudes. This is hardly the first time Tom has worn petticoats (think of his big hit “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”), but, presented prominently here in a trio of tunes, “Free Girl Now,” “Lonesome Sundown” and “Swinging,” the theme has clearly grown in importance to Petty.
The singer and his well-oiled Heartbreakers have some fun doing sonic tributes to the styles of Springsteen in “About to Give Out,” and to Petty’s personal hero Bob Dylan, especially on “Billy The Kid.” But for the most part the music here dovetails nicely with the rest of the last 20 years of Heartbreakers songs. It’s interesting to note that nearly every tune has a melody so simple that it seems possible for even a one-fingered piano player to deliver the beauty of the music.
Listen for the “Echo” title track and the pop peppy “This One’s for Me.”
*I AM
Nas
Columbia RecordsNas is young, black and angry. Nas is a New Yorker. Nas is mad as hell, and he isn’t going to take it anymore. That’s what “I Am” says in rhyming couplets that snarl and claw at the underbelly of urban life.
Nasir Jones, once Nasty Nas, now just Nas, is a correspondent reporting from the urban wars, where money is power and life is cheap. The disc is riddled with harsh language and slivers of hope.
Nas is one of hip-hop’s best street preachers, and throughout this disc he attempts with nimble elocution to impart this message: Stand together and stop killing each other. That’s easier said than done, but in “Small World” the message is as clear as in “We Will Survive.” The latter of those songs finds Nas, who was reportedly very affected by the deaths of Tupac and Biggie, trying to make sense of their murders.
On his debut disc, Nas chronicled a shootout in the not-Billy Joel-anthem “N.Y. State of Mind.” Now, two albums later, Nas treads that familiar killing ground with “N.Y. State of Mind II.” It isn’t quite as powerful as the original, but it still packs a shocking punch as this MC from the Queensbridge projects lists all of his friends who have died on the streets of New York.
The disc isn’t without a lighter side.
On “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” Nas tells the story of true love, marriage, children and, ultimately, divorce. Nobody dies here except maybe Cupid, and in spite of Nas spelling out of the “F” word in the active tense in the chorus, it’s a very touching tune.
If you don’t like rap, steer clear. Otherwise it is one of the better, more street-savvy and, yes, more thoughtful hip-hop albums of the year.
*SONGS FROM THE MOUNTAIN
Dirk Powell, Tim O’Brien, John Herrmann
Howdy Skies RecordsFans of the National Book Award-winning “Cold Mountain,” by Charles Frazier, will tell you the novel is an inspiring story. So much so, in fact, that three proponents of old-time folk music – Dirk Powell, Tim O’Brien and John Herrmann – have stitched together a mountain quilt of tunes that would have fit into any scene in this Civil War-era novel.
On this easy-to-listen-to companion disc to the book, the fiddles are lonesome, guitars ring in the background, and the banjo and the mandolin are instruments that often take the lead in this very uncommercial albeit beautiful genre of American folk music. Throughout the 18 tracks of this collection, one can hear the Celtic influence in the music developed by the Scottish/Irish immigrants who settled in the mountains of western North Carolina.
The trio (with a little help from friends) presents the old-time music with extreme attention to historical authenticity, which adds unusual depth to Frazier’s novel. The collection is as varied as the music from a long-ago church dance, including ballads, jigs and hymns, some with vocals, many just instrumental.
Because of the book’s soaring popularity – it has even been licensed to Hollywood – there are heaps of marketing agreements attached to attached projects. That said, it isn’t all that surprising that the disc is only available in a combination package that includes a copy of “Cold Mountain” in paperback. The record company insists it’s a free copy of the book, but don’t expect this disc in the $11 sale racks. Also, because of the weird packaging, it might be easier to find the combo in bookstores than in the usual record outlets.
*NEW POP SUNDAY
Sponge
Beyond RecordsOn “New Pop Sunday,” Motor City’s Sponge delivers the required hooks for pop-powered music-television videos, but even after listening to the disc half a dozen times, those catchy phrases – and they are catchy – somehow slip from memory.
Charging through their brief, 11-song collection, the band at times recalls electric R.E.M., with hints of Stone Temple Pilots and a side of Aerosmith. Stylistically, it’s a nice slice of modern rock that’s ready-made for radio. What is disturbing is that in concert, Sponge, which has always been a top guitar band, projects so much more power than what was captured on this scrubbed clean, nearly antiseptic,thin studio collection.
If you’re a sap for upbeat, cleverly crafted pop rock (without a hint of soul) Sponge is the band to Squeeze.
