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Mary J. Blige, Music from 'Nine', Eminem and More
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Dec. 22-28, 2009
By Kurt B. Reighley
Special to MSN Music
Lil Wayne's "Rebirth" has been delayed ... again ...
but that doesn't stop Weezy from popping up on two of this week's new titles.
Related: View Lil Wayne photos | Search for more on Lil Wayne
First up, you'll find him on "Relapse: Refill," swapping rhymes with Drake, Kanye West, and Eminem on the hit four-way "Forever,"
one of seven cuts amended to the expanded edition of Shady's chart-topping
full-length from earlier this year. With "Relapse 2" on hold until 2010, this
stop-gap should satisfy dedicated fans with additions including "Taking My Ball"
(as featured on the new DJ Hero game) and the dizzying "Hell Breaks Loose"
featuring Dr. Dre.
Related: View Eminem photos | Search for more on Eminem
With the movie "Precious" popping up on many film critics' year end best-of
lists, the timing seems ideal for a new album from Mary J. Blige, who contributed the churchy "I Can See
in Color" (co-written with Raphael Saadiq) to its soundtrack. The ninth studio
record from the queen of hip-hop soul, "Stronger With Each Tear," features many
collaborators from her 2007 hit "Growing Pains," including Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Stargate, Ne-Yo, Johnta Austin, and Sean Garrett. Also pitching in are T.I., Trey Songz, Jazmine Sullivan, Darkchild, and Polow
Da Don. Aside from "Color," the fourteen tunes include the defiantly
self-assured "I Am," and the recent club banger "The One," wherein featured
guest Drake tosses off a lyrical nod to Wayne ("rockin' out like a White
Stripe").
Related: View Mary J. Blige photos | Search for more on Mary J. Blige
A memo from the Department of Nitpicky Details: Why is the new Dave Matthews Band box set called "Europe 2009," when
in fact it basically documents just two live dates from that tour? Perhaps
"Lucca and London 2009" just seemed too clunky? This four-disc set includes
three CDs recorded at the group's July 5 gig at the Piazza Napoleone in Lucca,
Italy, an epic set that encompasses both DMB favorites as well as material from
their recent #1 album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King." The DVD component,
"Across the Pond," documents the June 26 show from the 02 Academy Brixton in
London (plus a few extra tunes). Matthews and friends return to Europe in early
2010, starting with a February 13 show in Stockholm.
Related: View Dave Matthews Band photos | Search for more on Dave Matthews
Band
Alt-metal quartet Mudvayne follows up "The New Game" with a self-titled
full-length, produced by Jeremy Parker (Slipknot, Evanescence). Maybe the boys didn't put much thought
into what to call their fifth album, but they sure burned through brain cells
coming up with the packaging: All the album art and text is printed in ink that
reacts under black light. (If you don't live near a Spencer Gifts, you can
always buy a deluxe edition which comes with one. Honest.) Singer Chad Gray has
said that the eleven new songs -- including "Beautiful & Strange" -- are
"more retro" sounding than their more recent offerings, while drummer Matt
McDonough claims "that this album is the best that the band has recorded since
our second album, 'The End of All Things to Come'."
Related: Search for more on Mudvayne
You know who kind of rocks, even though you might not expect her to? Kate Hudson. Playing fashion journalist Stephanie
Necrophuros in the motion picture "Nine," the actress rips into "Cinema Italiano" with jazzy
gusto. Based on the hit Broadway musical (which was inspired by Fellini's
autobiographical masterpiece "8½"), the film also stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, and Sophia Loren -- all of whom are featured on the
stellar soundtrack. Admittedly, Loren's turn on "Guarda La Luna" can't touch her
1960 comedic duet with Peter Sellers, "Goodness Gracious Me," but there's a
dignified charm to her delivery, pitched somewhere between spoken word and Julie London at her laziest. And kudos to Fergie, who portrays the prostitute Saraghina, for
slathering on the cheese for her campy number "Be Italian." Brava!
Related: Search for more on "Nine"
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