By
      Scott
      MacDonald
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Various
      artists
     
    

    
     
      Keep
      it
      Slammin’(Sony)
     
     
      Created
      to
      capitalize
      on
      the
      commer-
     
     
      cialism
      of
      this
      summer’s
      World
      Cham-
     
     
      pionships
      of
      Basketball
      held
      in
      Toronto,
     
     
      this
      CD
      contains
      +
      a
      versatile
      13
      man
     
     
      (song)
      roster.
      Up
      front
      it
      starts
      off
      with
     
     
      a
      mixture
      of
      funk
      (Devon’s
      ‘‘Keep
      It
     
     
      Slammin’’),
      old
      school
      rap
      (Kurtis
     
     
      Blow’s
      classic
      ‘‘Basketball’’)
      and
      hip
     
     
      hop
      (US3’s
      ‘‘Cantaloop’’)|
      Toss
      in
      a
     
     
      little
      alternative
      (Red
      Hot}
      Chili
      Pep-
     
     
      pers’
      ‘‘Magic
      Johnson’),
      rap
      (Lords
      of
     
     
      the
      Undergrounds’
      “‘
      ykillz’’),
      and
     
     
      jazz
      (the
      Harlem
      Globetrotters’
      theme
     
     
      ‘Sweet
      Georgia
      Brown’’)
      offthe
      bench
     
     
      and|
      you
      have
      a
      winning
      lineup.
      The
     
     
      perfect
      CD
      to
      listen’
      to
      while
      shooting
     
     
      hoops
      in
      your
      driveway.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (4)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chapter
      29
     
    

    
     
      Scenery
      (Crystal
      Palace)
     
    

    
     
      While
      listening
      to
      this
      album
      I
      was
     
     
      suddenly
      flooded
      with
      memories
      of
      the
     
     
      summer
      before
      I
      went
      into
      grade
      seven.
     
     
      Then,
      it
      hit
      me:
      these
      guys
      are
      a
      bad
     
     
      ‘90’s
      version
      of
      a
      combination
      of
      two
     
     
      bad
      ‘80’s
      groups:
      Platinum
      Blonde
      and
     
     
      A-Ha!
      Their
      mindless
      lyrics
      go
      very
     
     
      well
      with
      the
      crappy
      syntho-pop
      melo-
     
     
      dies
      that
      they
      try
      to
      pass
      offas
      songs.
      In
     
     
      fact,
      the
      titles
      of
      the
      first
      two
      songs
     
     
      pretty
      much
      sum
      up
      the
      entire
      album:
     
     
      “*Useless
      Party”’
      and
      ‘‘Waste
      of
      Time.”’
     
     
      (1)
     
    

    
     
      October
      4,
      1994
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ectic
      circus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Boogie
      Monsters
     
     
      Riders
      of
      the
      Storm:
      The
      Underwa-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ter
      Album
      (EMI)
     
    

    
     
      Nothing
      but
      a
      generic
      De
      La
      Soul
      bunch
     
     
      of
      wannabe’s
      attempting
      to
      be
     
     
      philosopha-rappers.
      They
      fail
      to
      pull
      off
     
     
      the
      street-smart
      sound,
      and
      overall
      their
     
     
      CD
      belongs
      in
      the
      bottom
      of
      a
      lake.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (2)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Various
     
    

    
     
      Reggae:
      Classic
      Song
      in
      a
      Reggae
     
     
      Groove
      (EMI)
     
    

    
     
      Reggae
      used
      to
      be
      a
      form
      of
      music
     
     
      termed
      as
      alternative.
      On
      this
      CD,
     
     
      though,
      the
      best
      term
      would
      be
      com-
     
     
      mercialized.
      It’s
      the
      type
      of
      music
      that
     
     
      you
      would
      find
      ina
      waiting
      room
      featur-
     
     
      ing
      songs
      like
      Phil
      Collins’
      ‘‘
      Another
     
     
      Day
      in
      Paradise’,
      the
      Kingsmen’s
     
     
      ‘‘Louie
      Louie’?
      and
      Rod
      Stewart’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “*Some
      Guys
      Have
      All
      the
      Luck’’
      done
     
     
      in
      Jamaican
      style.
      It
      even
      features
      the
     
     
      eternal
      (infernal)
      disco
      ‘classic’
      ‘“The
     
     
      Tideis
      High’’
      by
      Blondie.
      You’re
      going
     
     
      to
      hear
      this
      while
      waiting
      in
      many
      eleva-
     
     
      tors.
     
    

    
     
      (2.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Magic
      Affair
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      Culture
      Beat
      (another
      German
      group),
     
     
      although
      not
      as
      successful.
     
     
      (3.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Buckshot
      LeFonque
     
    

    
     
      Buckshot
      LeFonque(Columbia)
     
     
      The
      Tonight
      Show’s
      Branford
      Marsalis
     
     
      fuses
      basic
      jazz
      and
      bebop
      with
      the
     
     
      harder
      driving
      sounds
      ofrap
      and
      hip
      hop
     
     
      to
      create
      funk
      worthy
      of
      Herbie
     
     
      Hancock.
      Excellent
      listening
      music,
     
     
      need
      I
      say
      more?
     
    

    
     
      (4.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      LOILZUAP
      IS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SO
      Youlyyssw
      jeossatuy
      &
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eadats
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SMOUTI20S>