by KIRBY FERGUSON

ell folks, I believe we’ve seen the best summer in rock’n’roll in quite some time. I mean really, when have we ever seen the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, The Cure, U2, Faith No More, The Black Crowes and Metallica in the top twenty? It’s a fucking revolution, y’all. Anyway, on to the tune stack... A potential humungoid star in the mould of Prince, Bruce or M.J., Sophie B. Hawkins topped the charts this summer with the Zep beats and yearning chorus of **‘DamnI WishI Was Your Lover.’’ Un- fortunately, Tongues and Tails (6) isa fairly conventional work, somewhat re- deemed by her melodic touches and a great voice that conveys innocence, vul- nerability and toughness. Tails is cer- tainly the work ofa potential great, but until she moves a little further away from the intrinsic banalities of the top ten, that album can Stay right there on that shelf, Mr. Record Store Guy. Presenting the other extreme, is Tori Amos with her second album, Little Earthquakes (5), an ambitious, confessional album that could also be the dawning ofa major new talent. It’s cold, arty and grandiose, with heavy- handed arrangements and while the best songs, ‘‘Silent All These Years’’ and **Winter,’’ are quite beautiful, the rest are aimless, forgettable and not other- wise interesting enough to justify a free- flow. Combining these two extremes is Annie Lennox with her --to me-- shock- ingly good solo debut, Diva (7), which earns my Best Commercial Pop Album of the Year award (topping Michael’s last one). Smoothly forceful state-of-the-art blue-eyed soul, Diva sports anearly flaw- less collection of accessible yet imagi-

native pop packages.

Expecting areturn to ‘‘roots’’ af- ter the To Be Continued box and Two Rooms tribute, Elton John’s latest, The One (3), is, not surprisingly, just more of the same old synthesized, disposable, sterile junk. Mind you, John invests it with some melodies that suggest there’s a minor pop genius lurking in there some- where. But in general The One bopsalong to the inhumanly precise beat of the elec- tric drum, keeping time for the inhumanly precise everything else. About as natural as his new hair-do.

If popsicle pop is what you’re af- ter, check out Lindsey Buckingham’s Out of the Cradle (8), the frosty but tremen- dously tuneful third solo outing from the former Fleetwood mastermind. Filled with Buckingham’s brilliant harmonies, memorable tunes and some odditities to keep one foot outside the mainstream, this nabs the Best Commercial Pop AI- bum thing right outta Annie’s paws.

Almost as worthwhile is Del Amitri’s Change Everything (7), a high spirited sleeper that combines Stonesy rock’n’roll with pop sense and tons of hooks. It’s almost shamelessly radio- friendly, not far removed from, say, Reck- less, but the varied instrumental touches, natural production and the imagination of their songwriting make this an im- mensely appealing, feel-good album, charming in its lack of pretensions.

Released recently was the fourth album from Canada’s own Blue Rodeo. While containing moments that suggesta world class rock band (mainly the slower tunes, like ‘‘Rain Down on Me’’ andthe ~ title track), Lost Together (5) is cursed with bad songwriting, as heard in dread- ful guitar raunch-rockers like ‘‘Reck- less.’’ Also, the album is very derivative; after three albums they have yet to de-