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-