LENNY KRAVITZ Greatest Hits Virgin

If you enjoy Lenny Kravitz but have never bought one of his albums, now is your chance. Kravitz has released an album that will keep you wanting more. The album includes the song that made him famous “Are You Going My Way to his version of the Guess Who’s American Woman . And don’t overlook his newest hit

Again that will have you mes- merized by his amazing guitar

playing.

-KL

NELLY FURTADO Whoa, Nelly! Dreamworks

Canadian born Nelly Furtado is sure to reach the top of the charts with her debut album, Whoa. Nelly! The twenty-one year old singer is already getting rave reviews from critics throughout North America thanks to her unique voice and powerful lyrics that are evident in her first single, I’m Like A Bird . Furtado hops onto the latin bandwagon in the Spanish song, Onde Estas.

-KL

political

OUTKAST

> Stankonia * LaFace/BMG/Arista

Outkast have done it again.

Stankonia, Dre and Big Boi reinvent themselves brib- ing originality and lots of Southern funk. The Atlanta duo use past themes as well as new ones on another sonic adventure which begins with “Gasoline Dreams,” a hard _ hitting, and anti-melting pot banger. Outkast continue to shine on the first two singles , the upbeat “B.O.B.” and the soulful “Mrs. Jackson.” The latter includes the hook “I’m sorry Mrs Jackson, | am for real, neva meant to make your daughter cry, I apologize a trillion time” guaranteed to tug at more than a few hearts. At the end of the CD, some of the momentum weak- ens and things get a bit monoto- nous. The power of the songs on the first half, however, more than

make up for the weaker finish. -JMAMA

BLINK 182 The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show Universal

The frat boys. of punk have recently released this 20 track (plus 29 hidden tracks) chronicle of their most recent tour. The sex jokes will appeal the the Britney-lusting young boys of the world, but more mature listeners looking for sub- stance should abstain from this live version of Blink’s repertoire. Despite this, the production is excellent, the album flows well and the hidden tracks have their funny moments (especially if you seek to understand what goes on in a 13 year old boy’s head). I’ve seen the show, I’ve heard the album, I am a little disappointed.

-SKM

On their fourth album,

FATBOY SLIM

Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars Astralwerks

ground and failed to crossover into

The promised electronic music revolution of the nineties for the most part remained under-

the mainstream except in commer- cials for sneakers, cars, and on film soundtracks.

The one _ exception is Fatboy Slim (A.K.A. Norman Cook), who had commercial suc- cess and club hits by combining big break beats with 60's soul and psychedelia on Better Living Through Chemistry and You've Come A Long Way, Baby.

On his previous singles and remixes, Norman Cook introduced elements of techno to kids that watch Much Music, and broke some dance music rules by kicking out jams with prominent guitar sampling and beats that went beyond the regular kick drum- thump of house and techno.

Cook's style was undeni- ably accessible to everyone from hip hop heads, rockers, and fans of

bubble gum pop music. But on his

Cadre

latest album, Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars his style lies somewhere between his under- ground club roots and mainstream pop status. :

His skills at making catchy hits are what set him above his techno contemporaries and big beat imitators, but this album lacks any- thing that will get much airplay. His attempts to collaborate with artists like Macy Gray and Bootsy Collins makes me appreciate him better as a remixer than a producer. Gray overstays her welcome on the two songs she provides vocals for. And_ Bootsy Collins' song, "Weapon of Choice" is a bland dis- appointment from one of funk's most eccentric bass wizards.

In "Bird of Prey" Cook tastefully uses samples of Jim Morrison without being indulgent or tacky like the rest of the tracks on this album. The most indulgent track is "Song For Shelter," a hideous spoken word piece that tries to spiritually glorify the excesses of dance culture.

This album attempts to give religious significance to techno on a couple tracks by using gospel samples. Fatboy Slim and techno music of the nineties reached their peak/died during the "Rockafella Skank" dance sequence in the film She’s All That. Despite the spiritual references in Halway Between the Gutter and the Stars, Cook and techno music show no promising signs of a resurrection in the year 2000.

-SML