velop
      their
      own
      personality.
      Of
      course,
     
     
      they
      pull
      it
      all
      off
      with
      panache,
      but
      the
     
     
      songs
      are
      lacking.
     
    

    
     
      The
      clunker
      of
      the
      season
      has
      to
      be
     
     
      Joe
      Cocker’s
      latest
      phlegm-fest,
      Night
     
     
      Calls
      (1),
      an
      ersatz
      collection
      of
      his
      usual
     
     
      bluesy
      reworkings
      of
      material
      ranging
     
     
      from
      Elton
      John’s
      ‘‘Don’t
      Let
      the
      Sun
      Go
     
     
      Down
      on
      Me’’
      to
      Blind
      Faith’s
      ‘‘Can’t
     
     
      Find
      My
      Way
      Home.’’
      The
      soft
      and
      smooth
     
     
      from
      Joe:
      s.vai
      hen-he.lets.
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      who-do-ya-call-em.
      It’s
      a
      surprisingly
     
     
      emorable
      set
      of
      songs,
      from
      the
      jaunty
     
     
      Buitar
      chords
      of
      ‘‘Certain
      People
      I
      Know”’
     
     
      0
      the
      touching
      balladry
      of
      ‘‘I
      Know
      It’s
     
     
      onna
      Happen
      Some
      Day.”’
      Morrissey
      is
     
     
      he
      object
      of
      adoration
      by
      a
      subculture
     
     
      lying
      for
      a
      genius--unfortunately,
      this
     
     
      hin’t
      one.
      But
      Your
      Arsenal
      hits
      its
      mod-
     
     
      Pst
      mark
      and
      should
      be
      latched
      onto
      by
      his
     
     
      ans
      like
      a
      cozy
      security
      blanket.
     
     
      The
      new
      Singles
      soundtrack
      (7)
     
     
      potlights
      the
      current
      sound
      du
      jour:
      the
     
     
      beattle
      metal
      scene.
      The
      sound,
      as
      I’ll
     
     
      all
      it,
      can
      hit
      like
      a
      fucking
      hammer,
      but
     
     
      de
      lack
      of
      variation
      and
      ponderous
      tem-
     
     
      POS
      can
      test
      the
      endurance.
      Still,
      their
     
     
      hit
      (especially
      Pearl
      Jam’s)
      is
      some-
     
     
      imes
      brilliantly
      arranged,
      and
      unlike
     
     
      most
      metal,
      they
      do
      rock.
      Singles
      presents
     
     
      S
      with
      nice
      small
      doses
      of
      a
      genre
      that’s
     
     
      best
      experienced
      in
      small
      amounts.
      Add-
     
     
      ng
      variation
      to
      the
      soundtrack
      are
      two
     
     
      00d
      new
      songs
      from
      former
      Replace-
     
     
      ents
      singer/songwriter,
      Paul
     
     
      Westerberg,
      and
      ,less
      logically,
      acarbon
     
     
      opy
      of
      Led
      Zep’s
      ‘‘Battle
      of
      Evermore”’
     
     
      ud
      straight
      offa
      Are
      You
      Experienced,
     
     
      ‘May
      This
      Be
      Love.”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Burning
      Questions
     
     
      Graham
      Parker
     
     
      The
      follow-up
      to
      last
      year’s
      exceptional
     
     
      yy
      Lightning,
      Graham
      Parker’s
     
     
      rning
      Questions,
      continues
      in
     
     
      same
      vein
      with
      his
      usual
      brand
     
     
      ongued
      love
      songs
      and
      compul-
     
     
      play.
      Warm,
      punchy
      pop,
      kindof
     
     
      otsy
      Attractions,
      Questions
      is
     
     
      of
      his
      more
      varied
      albums,
      as
     
     
      ¢
      lovely
      strings
      of
      ‘‘Long
      Stem
     
     
      is
      best
      album
      since
      Squeezing
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      More’s
      latest,
      Angel
      Dust,
      real-
     
     
      deas
      presented
      on
      their
      some-
     
     
      iteresting
      but
      so-so
      1989
      effort,
     
     
      al
      Thing.
      A
      powerful
      hybrid
      of
     
     
      funk,
      metal,
      rap
      and
      soaring
      pop
      harmo-
     
     
      nies,
      the
      album
      climaxes
      with
      the
      trio
      of
     
     
      “*Small
      Victory,’’
      ‘‘Crack
      Hitler’’
      and
     
     
      ‘*Jizzlober,’’
      each
      song
      more
      furiously
     
     
      intense
      than
      the
      one
      before.
      Potent
      stuff.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (8)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kiko
     
    

    
     
      Los
      Lobos
     
     
      Yes
      indeed,
      the
      summer’s
      top
      offering
     
     
      comes
      from
      what
      I
      like
      to
      refer
      to
      as
      the
     
     
      Chicano
      R&B
      version
      of
      the
      Band,
      as
     
     
      heard
      in
      the
      warmth,
      subtlety
      and
      emo-
     
     
      tional
      resonance
      of
      Kiko.
      Los
      Lobos’
      lat-
     
     
      est
      is
      actually,
      believe
      it
      or
      not,
      rap
      influ-
     
     
      enced,
      if
      only
      in
      the
      everchanging
      sonic
     
     
      surfaces
      and
      peek-a-boo
      instrumental
     
     
      cameos.
      The
      oddly
      shaped
      compositions
     
     
      combine
      with
      a
      unique
      melodic
      sensibil-
     
     
      ity
      (blessed
      with
      David
      Hidalgo’s
      effort-
     
     
      less
      tenor)
      to
      make
      this
      pretty
      visionary
     
     
      stuff.
      It’s
      only
      rival
      for
      Album
      of
      the
     
     
      Year:
      Springsteen’s
      Lucky
      Town.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (9)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dirty
     
    

    
     
      Sonic
      Youth
     
     
      Topping
      its
      formidable
      predecessor,
      Goo,
     
     
      Sonic
      Youth’s
      latest,
      Dirty,
      is
      their
      most
     
     
      purposeful
      juggernaut
      of
      wounded
      guitars
     
     
      yet.
      Essentially
      sounds
      like
      a
      war
      zone
     
     
      with
      rhythm
      (but
      not
      much).
      The
      guitar
     
     
      album
      of
      the
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (8)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Check
      Your
      Head
     
     
      Beastie
      Boys
     
     
      Back
      to
      reestablish
      your
      belief
      that
      rap
      is
     
     
      a
      fresh,
      vital
      musical
      form
      are
      the
      Beastie
     
     
      Boys
      with
      Check
      Your
      Head,
      the
      best
      rap
     
     
      album
      since
      Fear
      of
      a
      Black
      Planet.
      A
     
     
      thrilling
      listening
      experience,
      it’s
      essen-
     
     
      tially
      a
      formless
      ride
      through
      the
      Beasties’
     
     
      favourite
      sounds,
      including
      lots
      of
      high-
     
     
      hat,
      funky
      bass
      and
      big,
      hard
      Zep
      beats.
     
     
      Call
      me
      nuts
      but
      I
      think
      this
      is
      super.
     
     
      Dynamics!
     
    

    
     
      (9)