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Rihanna, Shakira, Kraftwerk and more
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Nov. 24-30, 2009
By Kurt B. Reighley
Special to MSN Music
"The wait is over ..." repeats Rihanna on "Wait Your Turn," the second track from "Rated
R." Was it worth it? The fourth full-length from the Barbados-born pop icon is
the first since her highly publicized split from Chris Brown, and that ordeal seems to have galvanized the
singer. She sounds angry and hurt, and throws around a lot of swear words.
She gets plenty of all-star assistance: Ne-Yo wrote and produced the creepy "Russian Roulette";
Slash fires off some generic riffs on "Rockstar 101"; and one of the album's
best moments, "Cold Case Love," comes courtesy of Justin Timberlake. What you don't hear much of are the
killer hooks that made "Good Girl Gone Bad" so unstoppable; even at its angriest,
nothing here approaches "Breakin' Dishes." Despite its title, "Rated R" isn't as
edgy as it could be.
If anyone has a right to sing "the wait is over," it's Shakira. The release of "She Wolf," her third
English-language album, was postponed so many times that it seemed
inevitable the final product would disappoint. But you know what happens when
you assume. Like the hit single of the same name, "She Wolf" offers up a nifty
selection of lightweight yet catchy electronic jams, augmented with Latin and
dance hall touches. Plus there's the out-of-sync charm of her ESL lyrics, which
range from name-dropping Matt Damon ("Men in This Town") to using three-dollar
words like "lycanthropy," to heighten her idiosyncratic appeal. Despite the fact
that she co-wrote and co-produced all but one song, and kept her pool of
collaborators small, the album feels a little disjointed, but rarely dull.
No, wait; you know who really has the right to sing "the wait is over"? Kraftwerk fans. The remastered back catalog from the
groundbreaking German electronic quartet, arguably the most important group of
the rock era after the Beatles, has been delayed for years; a lucky few critics got
review copies as far back as 2004. Released to coincide with the 35th
anniversary of their cult hit "Autobahn," "The Catalogue" box set includes
beautifully upgraded editions of eight classics, including "Trans-Europe
Express" and "The Man-Machine." And be advised: Because of U.S.
licensing restrictions, only five of the eight are sold separately. If you want
"Computer World," "The Mix," or "Techno Pop" (issued in 1986 as "Electric
Café"), you'll have to splurge on the whole box.
Remember when the No. 1 search terms on the Internet were
"Britney," "Spears," and "naked"? Sort of makes you appreciate when someone as
unpolished as Susan Boyle becomes a cyber-sensation. First the Scottish
singer ignited YouTube, landing more than 300 million hits with her
little "Les Misérables" ditty. Now her full-length debut, "I Dreamed a
Dream," is setting records as the most preordered album in Amazon.com history.
In addition to her signature tune, Boyle's 12-song set includes several sacred
classics ("How Great Thou Art," "Amazing Grace"), interspersed with unique
interpretations of the Rolling Stones ("Wild Horses") and, um, Madonna ("You'll See").
What do Adam Lambert and Susan Boyle have in common? Both found fame
courtesy of Simon Cowell, creator of their respective launching pads,
"American Idol" and "Britain's Got Talent." Happily, similarities end there.
From its Sylvester-goes-New-Wave cover art to the saucy electro-strut of the Lady GaGa-penned "Fever," the Idol finalist's "For Your
Entertainment" offers a welcome reminder that rock 'n' roll is supposed to
be fun. Even silly. Just listen to the way he ecstatically tears into the
opening cut, "Music Again," written by Justin Hawkins of the Darkness (speaking of silly glam-rockers), or Pink's confrontational contribution, "Whataya Want From Me."
Lambert's album may not be rocket science, but it sure sounds jet-propelled. And
don't worry, "2012" fans: His closing-credits power ballad, "Time for Miracles,"
is tacked on as a bonus cut.
Since we invoked Lady GaGa: As a consumer, the trend of re-releasing hit
albums in "deluxe," "collectors," "expanded," "special" editions with extra
tracks tacked on, to rejuvenate or sustain sales, galls me. But as a
mouth-breathing fan boy? I have to admit GaGa's "The Fame Monster" is a case of
making a good thing better. I know everyone's cuckoo for the art-damaged "Bad
Romance" bath haus video, but "Video Phone," her duet with Beyoncé, is the tune blowing up my iPod. And props to GaGa
for making the eight-song add-on available separately, for those fans who
already bought "The Fame" in the first place.
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