West Virginia cave. Adopted by the family of the town's vet, Edgar--as he comes to be known--actually goes on to acquire an education and even falls in love with the vet's daughter, all the while struggling to keep his blood thirst under control. Things end tragically--unsurprisingly, interspecies romance is still battling considerable prejudice in this country. Composer-lyricist Laurence O'Keefe came up with catchy songs that owe a lot to late 1960s and early '70s rock musicals such as Godspell and even The Rocky Horror Show . Skillfully walking the thin line between over-the-top camp and actual emotion, O'Keefe has written a wonderful little musical that cleverly deals with issues of difference and community values. As weird as it sounds, we foresee quite a future for Bat Boy in amateur pr...  (less)

album is perfectly suited to Top 40, Spanish and adult-contemporary radio--all at the same time. At times tracks such as "Onda" and "Dime Mi Amor" recall 1970s-era Santana, but the Boys are at their best on "Heaven," the feel-good first single, and "La Contestacion," a yearning ballad matched by pleading instrumentation. As a bonus, this Special Edition includes Spanish versions of "Heaven" and "More Than Love," but the real highlight is a Southern-fried take on Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line." That the boys manage to make the classic song their own is no small feat. There's also a DVD featuring thoughtful live performances and music videos that offer a glimpse of the Boys in action. --Joey Guerra  (less)

Bands Tour around the Release. "it's Not So Much a Case of 'most Likely To'. Boy Kill Boy Are Being Talked About as Rock's 'most Definitely Going To'. - Nme  (less)

else--Jimi Hendrix was one fine blues guitarist. Combining the fluid lines of B.B. King with the spikiness of Hubert Sumlin and the crying tone of Elmore James with his usual synapse-frying intensity, Hendrix manages to both honor the music tradition while remaining uniquely himself. These studio outtakes and warm-ups (plus one previously released track, the magnificent "Hear My Train a Comin'") include a playful "Mannish Boy," the slow burn of "Once I Had A Woman," and a metallic "Bleeding Heart." --Steven Mirkin  (less)

Catch Bull at Four proves that the Cat had seen darkness, too, and that those darker elements had become more pronounced than they'd been in the past. His vocal style shifts from the cool croon that made Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat top sellers to a harsher, almost growling delivery. The album's standouts--the wistful reverie "Sitting" and the delightfully infectious "Can't Keep It In"--are resolute in lyric and melody. Rambling, mystical odes such as "The Boy with a Moon & Star on His Head," "Angelsea," and "Sweet Scarlet" offer quaintly romantic imagery and lavishly undulating melodies. But it's the mercurial dynamics and driving melody of "18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)" and the bitter conviction...  (less)

if his lyrics are often comical. This 22-song collection includes both his hits and his greatest performances. Top-quality musicians abound: Early 1949 cuts feature Ernest Tubb’s guitarist Billy Byrd and Roy Acuff’s Smoky Mountain Boys; his own talented Country Boys included at various points Grady Martin, Red Taylor, Tommy Jackson, Buddy Emmons, Harold Bradley, Cecil Brower, and Pig Robbins. His spirited vocals roll through traditional Acuff-influenced country, proto-rockabilly, Western swing, and earnest (if not overblown) ballads. Rather than polish up his hillbilly background, he flaunts it for all to notice. This pint-sized package packs a mean punch. --Marc Greilsamer  (less)

Boy and a Thin White Duke. He went on to invent synth-pop with Tony Visconti and Brian Eno and then disappeared behind the make-up of Pierrot when the New Romantics mixed all of his eras together. And then, he became a truly global megastar in the 80s. This collection contains four UK No. 1s, 15 Top 10, six Top 20 and 14 Top 75 hits; 338 weeks of UK chart history. But David Bowie could never be contained by statistics alone: any collection that contains Starman, The Jean Genie, Fame, "Heroes", Sound and Vision, Ashes To Ashes, Under Pressure and Let's Dance spells it plainly - this is a collection of some of the greatest and best-known music of the 20th Century by one of its very finest performers. 57 tracks in total. EMI. 2005.  (less)

identity crisis when lead singer Dawn Robinson left the band in 1997. In 2003 the band was able to regain their equilibrium after Rhonda Bennett, a former regular on the Jamie Foxx Show, joined founding members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron in the line-up after talks with Robinson and other original member Maxine Jones fell through. Though Robinson’s dash and sass is sorely missed, this new configuration blends pristine vocal arrangements and close jazzy harmonies that approaches some of the original band’s best moments. While there’s some real gems on the disc--like the coy-but-clever "Ooh Boy," the arch ache of "Dissed Him," and the spiteful "All You See," which is as sneering as anything Missy Elliot is putting out--much of the disc just doesn't li...  (less)

a void left by The Beatles when they broke up in 1970. Throughout the early ’70s, several bands, most notably Badfinger, Raspberries and Big Star, established the sound of Power Pop, with a whole array of like-minded bands emerging in the later part of the decade. Groups like Cheap Trick, The Knack, The Romantics, Dwight Twilley, Raspberries, and Badfinger had the biggest hits, but The Flamin’ Groovies, Shoes, and 20/20 among others became Power Pop favorites. This is the first comprehensive single disc overview of Power Pop ever assembled. It includes just about every major band of the genre and is filled with non-stop Power Pop classics. Featured here are several tracks previously unavailable on CD, including the single version of The Knack’s Top 10 hit "Good Gir...  (less)

that the boomer pinup boy has continued his metamorphosis. Signed to Jive Records, the label that spawned the careers of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, Bolton enlists the services of Swedish pop Svengali Max Martin, the man who penned Spears's "Oops!... I Did It Again" and the Backstreet Boys' "Shape of My Heart." Superstar producer Mutt Lange wrote the title track and manned the boards, while Lange's spouse, Shania Twain, and Richard Marx made writing contributions. As a result, Bolton has ended up with a pop confection that could top a cake. Ardent, heartfelt, and as transparent as a bride's peignoir, Only a Woman Like You for the most part shows the singer at his very best. Like a hero lifted out of the pages of a Harlequin rom...  (less)

of Waiehu," by Ekolu, Bruddah Norm’s "Lonely," Kohomua's "Hold Me In Your Arms," and "Mystic Man" by Three Plus. The sweet island sound of "Honey" is true blue Baba B.while Kawika Regidor’s silky voice is totally "Amazing." Ka’ala Boys take us back to the country on "Kamuela Yodel," and Heart and Soul’s ukulele rhythms on "Hele On Down to Hawai’i Nei" will have you feeling sand between your toes. The lovely ladies of Reality celebrate their sassy side on "This Good Thing." Pati, with a little help from Hawai’i’s own mega star, Fiji, puts his island R&B stamp on Henry Kapono’s classic, "Gotta Get Away." Vaihi's "When I'm Alone," with it's hauntingly beautiful melodies, will give you chicken skin. True to f...  (less)