Artist: Album (label, release date) 1-5 stars
Lenny Kravitz: Greatest Hits [Special Edition] (Virgin, November 8, 2005) ****
T. Rex: The Slider [Expanded Edition] (Rhino/WEA, November 8, 2005) ****
John Entwistle: Smash Your Head Against The Wall (Sanctuary, November 8, 2005) ****
Cat Stevens: Chronicles (A&M, November 8, 2005) ****
Lenny Kravitz: Greatest Hits [Special Edition]
This is a very attractive Kravitz package complete with a bonus DVD featuring six tracks. It's easy to overlook Kravitz sometimes; despite plenty of MTV exposure and an impressive list of hits, he's never really been considered a heavyweight. Also, his retro early 70's funk/psychedelic sound is, by its very nature, backward looking; Kravitz is seldom considered an innovator. Still, as evidenced by this collection, he's not-so-quietly amassed a body of work worthy of an anthology. And he's managed to keep what is essentially a classic rock format sounding fresh. So, "Let Love Rule", a novelty when it was new, sounds like the classic it has now become. "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "Fly Away" also sound like familiar hits from the 70's, when in fact they are inspired simulations. His career has had its ups and downs; his noisy cover of "American Woman" never made anyone forget the Guess Who, and his most recent album, Baptism, represented by "Where Are We Runnin'," got panned, although that song's Rolling Stones vibe works fine. The album's programming is not chronological, probably a good idea. Can't really quibble with the song selection; if Kravitz has been among your guilty pleasures, here's a good guilt-free collection.
T. Rex: The Slider [Expanded Edition]
Rhino/WEA has been busy reissuing the T. Rex catalog; this week, in addition to The Slider, the expanded editions of Dandy in the Underworld, Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, and T. Rex Wax Co. Singles: A's & B's 1972-77, return to the shops as well. The copious amounts of unreleased material appended to these albums in 2002 (Slider received 18 new cuts, compared to 13 on the original album) makes these expanded issues essential for T. Rex maniacs; for normal people, they may be a little much. The Slider is peak period T. Rex, released in 1972. It's a brash record with glam rock trappings, a big meaty sound, and plenty of production surprises. "Metal Guru" opens things up with a catchy pop number with Beach Boys style backing vocals plus horns and strings. "Telegram Sam" pairs a ragged "Bang a Gong" style riff with one of Marc Bolan's best leering vocals. The title track is a spare uptempo bass-drums-and-guitar driven little crunch rocker with Bolan alternating between breathy and buzzed, a good string quartet shows up for the bridge. Even the lesser known songs, "Ballrooms of Mars", "Baby Boomerang", and "Rock On" sound like hits. Bolan/T. Rex never really got the acclaim in the States they had in the U.K., but the music holds up well; it's crisp, hook laden, and not just a little funny. And it's all rock 'n' roll.
Article comments
1 - Vern Halen
Y'know, I STILL don't get T Rex - what's the big deal?