offering "(You Drive Me) Crazy" will probably disappoint those who were hoping for the more recent "Oops!... I Did It Again"). This disc, where the Italian group Eiffel 65's dance-pop smash "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" lives in the same space as Blink 182's "All the Small Things," Ben Harper's "Steal My Kisses," and Macy Gray's "I Try," is like channel surfing during drive-time radio hours and scoring with every hit of the "seek" button. --Beth Massa  (less)

friends) can mix and mingle with rap, turntablism, trip-hop, and--of course--tongue-in-cheek humor. And while this idea may sound original, its name came straight from an episode of Chris Elliott's short-lived sitcom Get a Life . Elliott--the goofball writer and cameo guest for David Letterman--springs up a few times on the disc in the form of a few vocal samples, but mostly this show is centered around the guests: Encore provides the disc's best rap on "Waterworld," Grand Puba and Sadat X (from Brand Nubian) perform "Once Again" on top of a sample of Three Dog Night's "Old Fashioned Love Song," and DJ Shadow does his usual magic with the 1200s on "Holy Calamity." Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto), Mike D., Sean Lennon, Alec Empire, and even Father Guido Sarducci are...  (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)

like "High Noon" and "Pre-Emptive Strike." Now, a full six years later, he's back with a follow-up that is every bit as impressive as his debut, albeit in a different way. Once again, the producer has pushed his sampler to the limits, but this time he's brought with it a deeper, hungrier, more bad-ass spirit that's rarely found in modern dance music. There's a fabulous '80s vibe throughout (principally on tracks like "Monosylabik" and "You Can't Go Home Again"), along with the expected forays into b-boy culture (check the growling, massive "Treach Battle Break" and the funky-ass "Mashin' on the Motorway"). While it's identifiably Shadow, it ain't Endtroducing...Part 2 . It is, however, a worthy and i...  (less)

his soft, calming tunes. Give a Hot Country Star these songs, and their simple truths about love, faith, and country life would seem like platitudes. However, in the caress of Williams's warmhearted baritone, they come off as sincere, timeless nuggets of wisdom. With the barest of accompaniment, Williams took 10 of these 12 songs to the top of the country charts (while the remaining pair reached No. 2) in the '70s and '80s. Though he penned hits for many others, his own smashes usually came courtesy of writers such as Bob McDill and Wayland Holyfield, though Williams, a Texas native, clearly relates to their unpretentious, bucolic sentiments. Throughout, Williams gives good ol' boys back their good name and women back their dignity, and through the strength of h...  (less)

talented, charming. Their self-titled debut CD was a top 20 hit on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number seven on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Chart. Their images graced fanzine covers month after month and they created a frenzy everywhere they went. They even caused the shut down of a Minneapolis mall when some 2000 fans rushed the stage during a free concert there. After a seemingly unending round of tours and promotional appearances and a successful alliance with the Disney phenomenon known as High School Musical, the five Breeding brothers of B5, consisting of Dustin 19, Kelly 18, Patrick 16, Carnell 15 and Bryan 13, are back, all grown up and showing off a new mature sound. Their sophomore album is set for release on Diddy’s Bad Boy Records and the title, ...  (less)