Madeline - Randy Weeks'
Country/Folk, review by David Hill
Former Lonesome Stranger Randy Weeks' thin, wobbly voice conveys the pain and emotion of a grown-up cowpunk. (03/20/00)

Pop - U2
Pop/Rock, review by Charles Taylor
U2's "Pop" gives the nod to electronica and captures the end-of-the millenium moment.(3/13/97)

A Retrospective - The Undertones
Pop/Rock, review by Gavin McNett
The Undertones' irresistible teenage kicks (7/29/96)

"Singles Box Set" - Underworld
Pop/Rock, review by Michelle Goldberg
For some reason, the Underworld let remixers with a lot less talent rework the U.K. outfit's songs. (12/07/99)

"Malcolm X Park" "Kustom Karnal" - Unrest
Pop/Rock, review by Joe Gross
From Kiss to loungecore, Kenneth Anger to blaxploitation, Unrest anticipated '90s hipster fads way back ... in 1988. (11/01/99)

Berlin Cabaret Songs - Ute Lemper
Classical, review by Paul Festa
Ute Lemper: Music too degenerate for Hitler (2/21/96)

Best Of, Vol. 1 - Van Halen
Pop/Rock, review by David Fenton
When Van Halen rocked(11/6/96)

Everybody Wants Some - Van Halen
Pop/Rock, review by Gavin McNett
The "Everybody Wants Some" collection drives home the point that it wasn't David Lee Roth's personality alone, but chemistry and -- above all -- songs that drove the 'Halen engine. (10/27/97)

Van Halen 3 - Van Halen
Pop/rock, review by Andrew Hamlin
Van Halen has found a Sammy Hagar-soundalike with ex-Extreme crooner Gary Cherone
(03/31/98)

"Viva Wisconsin" - The Violent Femmes
Pop/Rock, review by Mac Montandon
The Violent Femmes could never get laid, but a new live set remembers that the trio wrote definitive mash songs. (12/20/99)

Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Joey Sweeney
In an era when everyone is cool, "sadcore" musicians rewrite the pathetic story of tortured soul John Denver. (05/05/00)

Gimme Indie Rock Volume One - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Joey Sweeney
The label synonymous with "As Seen on TV" goes after indie rock. Oh, sweet, delicious irony. (04/28/00)

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Album - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Alex Pappademas
RZA's music "inspired by" Jim Jarmusch's "Ghost Dog" lags behind the inspired cuts of the actual film. (04/25/00)

High Fidelity Original Soundtrack - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Michelle Goldberg
Loaded with off tunes by Dylan and the Velvet Underground as well as killer songs by Smog, Stereolab and the Beta Band, the "High Fidelity" soundtrack plays like a perfect mix tape. (04/07/00)

Zero Accidents on the Job: Luaka Bop 10th Anniversary - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Joey Sweeney
Celebrating 10 years of David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, "Zero Accidents on the Job" shows how to do world music right. (03/27/00)

Points in Time, Vols. 4, 5 and 6 - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Amanda Nowinski
The three-disc "Points of Light" comp flies off to an expansive, airy space -- somewhere between jungle, jazz-fusion and outer space. (03/22/00)

Grammy Nominees 2000 - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Jon Caramanica
A compilation of songs from this year's Grammy nominees aims for the hearts of soccer moms and Shrieking Teenage Girls. (02/23/00)

Clicks + Cuts - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Andy Battaglia
"Clicks + Cuts" reconciles avant-electronic music with the politics of dancing. (02/08/00)

Blow'n the Blues: Best of the Great Harp Players, Frett'n the Blues: Best of the Great Blues Guitarists - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Andy Battaglia
Three chords, 12 bars or just one note -- two Vanguard collections promise the essence of the blues. (01/27/00)

INCredible Sounds of Drum 'n' Bass - Various Artists, Mixed by Goldie
Pop/Rock, review by Amanda Nowinski
On "INCredible Sounds of Drum 'n' Bass," mix DJ and jungle superstar Goldie loses the rattle and throb of the street. (01/24/00)

"Early Modulations" - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Michelle Goldberg
"Early Modulations" captures the important (and unlistenable) history of turntablism, electronica and drum 'n' bass. (01/20/00)

"'The Sopranos': Music from the HBO Original Series" - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Joe Gross
"The Sopranos" features the best songs on TV. How come none of them made it to the soundtrack? (01/04/00)

"The New Latinaires 2" - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Michelle Goldberg
On the "The New Latinaires 2," transnational artists fusing Latin, house and electronic music suggest that the Ricky Martin explosion was not a fluke. (12/17/99)

"End of Days Original Soundtrack" - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Britt Robson
Despite Axl Rose's screeches, the "End of Days" soundtrack is only semi-apocalyptic. (11/30/99)

"Poor Little Knitter on the Road: A Tribute to the Knitters" - Various Artists
Rock/Pop, review by Brett Anderson
The Knitters broke from X and the Blasters to find classic country. A new slew of alt-country bands is repaying the favor. (10/26/99)

"Woodstock 99" - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Andy Battaglia
"Let me stand next to your fire" and other joyful idiocies prop up two CDs' worth of Woodstock 99 live cuts. (10/21/99)

"Geology: A Subjective History of Planet E, Volume 1" - Various Artists
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by Amanda Nowinski
Carl Craig and a new Detroit techno compilation examine past futures and futures past. (10/20/99)

"Saturday Night Live: The Musical Performances" - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Robert Wilonsky
"Saturday Night Live" has 24 years of the best acts in rock 'n' roll on tape. Too bad none of that made it onto a new two-CD compilation. (09/29/99)

"Stigmata" - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Michelle Goldberg
Who dropped the Bomb? The "Contents Under Pressure" compilation oddly normalizes hip-hop's avant-garde (09/03/99)

Contents Under Pressure - Various Artists
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by D. Strauss
Who dropped the Bomb? The "Contents Under Pressure" compilation oddly normalizes hip-hop's avant-garde (08/26/99)

Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons - Various Artists
Country/Folk, review by David Bowman
More than 25 years after country songwriter Gram Parsons died, Emmylou Harris still carries a torch for him. (08/12/99)

Freedom Blues - Various Artists
Jazz/World, review by Jon Dolan
"Freedom Blues" presents the tunes of South African jazz artists under apartheid -- and they sound a lot like John Coltrane. (08/04/99)

Unknownwerks - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Amanda Nowinski
A new Astralwerks compilation takes the electronic pulse of underground urban America. (07/22/99)

Bleecker Street: Greenwich Village in the '60s - Various Artists
Country/Folk, review by Robbie Woliver
Greenwich Village folk tribute covers Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and Tim Buckley. But how can Chrissie Hynde and Marshall Crenshaw, among others, forget that some art belongs to its creator? (07/02/99)

Oh, Merge: A Merge Records 10-Year Anniversary Compilation - Various Artists
Rock/Pop, reviewed by Wendy Mitchell
Now celebrating a 10th anniversary with a compilation featuring Rocket From the Crypt, Superchunk and Neutral Milk Hotel, Merge Records is the little label that could, and did. (07/12/99)

Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me - Various Artists
Soundtrack
Have Dr. Evil's corporate toadies stolen the "Austin Powers" soundtrack from Mike Myers? (06/11/99)

The New Latinaires - Various Artists
Jazz
"The New Latinaires" fuses Latin jazz with electronic ingenuity. (05/21/99)

Felicity - Various Artists
Rock/Pop
"Felicity" totally kicks "Dawson's" ass. (05/20/99)

This Note's for You, Too!: A Tribute to Neil Young - Various Artists
Rock/Pop
If this collection of Neil Young covers inspires even one listener to write a new, original song, then the tribute, and the genre as a whole, is redeemed. (05/11/99)

Delphonic Sounds Today! - Various Artists
Rock/Pop
Innovative indies pay tribute to Del-Fi's wonderful amalgam of primitive rock 'n' roll, vintage surf and twang, prime-time sleaze and dream teens. (04/27/99)

Virgin Voices - Various artists
Pop/Rock
On "Virgin Voices" the same kind of underground artists that Madonna once mined for sound and image attempt to take back the songs that they helped inspire. (04/13/99)

Drinking From Puddles - Various artists
Pop/Rock
This Kill Rock Stars compilation is a glorious collection of live, in-studio recordings from Portland's KBOO. (04/13/99)

Fish Trees Water Blues - Various Artists
Jazz/World
Elders like John Lee Hooker and Mavis Staples rub elbows with Ani DiFranco and Keb' Mo' for a good cause. (04/08/99)

Treasures Left Behind: Remembering Kate Wolf - Various artists
Country/Folk
Lucinda Williams and Nanci Griffith are among those lending their considerable talents to the interpretations of Wolf's touching, deceptively simple songs.
(09/23/98)

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts form the First Psychedlic Era - Various Artists
Pop/Rock
Seventy-something classic and forgotten missives from the rumpus rooms of America in the years 1965-68.
(09/16/98)

Amp 2 - Various Artists
pop/rock
The uncut stuff has more ideas, true, but the "electronica" on "Amp 2" has hooks, and that's all pop asks for (06/17/98)

"The Horse Whisperer" Soundtrack - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Joe Heim
Whatever its merits as a movie are, "The Horse Whisperer's" remarkable soundtrack is one the most honest and moving collections of western and country music to ever accompany a film (04/06/98)

60s Girl Groups - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Donna Gaines
The Girl Group era is often dismissed among feminists and rocker grrrls alike as the golden age of codependency training for women, but on "60s Girl Groups" the sicky-sweet lyrics and sassy, sexy attitude coalesce into a heartfelt statement of female teen torment, hope and defiance
(01/19/98)

Godzilla: The Album - Various Artists
Pop/Rock
A dozen seemingly unrelated new songs whose only mission is to stick somewhere to the charts (06/03/98)

Jewish Music:Serge Gainsbourg-Various Artists
Pop/Rock review by Douglas Wolk
What musicians love most about Serge Gainsbourg's records is their arrangements, and occasionally the temptation to re-create them proves too great -- but the arrangers who take the greatest liberties on "Great Jewish Music" come out the best. (11/07/97)

Lounge-a-palooza - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Dawn Eden
With acts like Ben Folds Five, James Taylor Quartet and Esquivel, "Lounge-a-Palooza" -- the first major label compilation to cash in on the lounge music revival -- makes a grand attempt to attract both trendies and true believers. (10/01/97)

Paint It, Blue: Songs of the Rolling Stones -Various Artists
Pop/rock review by David Pulizzi
It must be a pleasure for the Rolling Stones to sit back on the tour jet with "Paint It, Blue" on the headphones, listening in wonder as their old heroes chase their coattails for a change (12/10/97)

Beg, Scream and Shout - Various Artists
Jazz/World, review by Douglas Wolk
Almost every track on the wonderful "Beg, Scream & Shout!," a 6-CD set in a very cute "45 box" package, is somebody's long-unheard favorite song. It includes 144 '60s soul singles (by 144 different artists), almost all chart hits in their day -- but almost all unknown now. (08/19/97)

All Over Me - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Michelle Goldberg
From Riot Girl to Righteous Girl: No other collection of songs has ever expressed the poignant agonies and sheer rage of girlhood like these from "All Over Me." (05/06/97)

"Being John Malkovich" - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Michelle Goldberg
Creepy and romantic, subtle and strange, the music from "Being John Malkovich" is good enough to stand on its own.
(12/24/99)

Jazz Celebration - Tribute to Carl Jefferson - Various Artists
Jazz/World, review by Andrew Gilbert
All that jazz: A glowing tribute to the founder of Concord Jazz (12/12/96)

Just Say Noel - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Charles Taylor
Beck, Aimee Mann and Sonic Youth warble Xmas classics. (12/10/96)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Stanley Booth
-- called simply The Book in Savannah -- is now The Movie. And the accompanying soundtrack will make Johnny Mercer spin in his grave (11/21/97)

Art of Noise: The Drum And Bass Collection - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Gavin McNett
Art of Noise tribute: Like monkeys screwing with the sequencer. (01/15/97)

Mandela — The Soundtrack - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Joe Heim
Mandela Unbound: The heart and soul of South African pop music (01/14/97)

Suburbia OST - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Michelle Goldberg
Music to hate life to. (2/7/97)

Generations 1 - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
"Generations I": Do-gooder punks (2/24/96)

"Good Will Hunting" Soundtrack - Various Artists
Soundtrack review by Cynthia Joyce
Without six songs from indie rocker Elliott Smith, the "Good Will Hunting" soundtrack would have been little more than the sum of a cross-marketing agreement's parts (12/23/97)

"Jackie Brown" Original Soundtrack - Various Artists
Soundtrack review by Natasha Stovall
Featuring 13 songs plucked from the late '60s/early '70s black soft-soul golden years, the "Jackie Brown" soundtrack showcases Quentin Tarentino's near unrivaled skill in making a mix-tape (12/22/97)

The King's Record Collection Vols. I and II - Various Artists
Pop/rock, review by Mark Athitakis
The "King's Record Collection" doesn't clear up any of the enigmas that surrounded Presley's life, but it does uncover a small bit of what the young Elvis wanted to accomplish as a musician
(03/27/98)

Largo - Various Artists
Country/Folk
A pleasing collection of folk-rock performances that fit into the rootsy Americana format (06/03/98)

Lost Highway Original Soundtrack - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Milo Miles
A chain of snarls and murmurs that entertains even as it signals the no-turning-back normalization of a fine movie-music weirdo, David Lynch. (3/24/97)

Closed on Account of Rabies - Various Artists
Sountrack review by Douglas Wolk
"Closed on Account of Rabies" works as a reclamation of Edgar Allan Poe for the world of sound: the croak of an insistent, dark bird that won't go away (12/04/97)

Rare on Air - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Douglas Wolk
Live Cowboy Junkies and Guided by Voices (3/17/97)

Soundtrack from "The Big Lebowski" - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Keith Moerer
In contrast to the film, where stars pretend to be "characters," "The Big Lebowski" soundtrack is full of genuine oddballs and geeks.
(03/05/98)

Soundtrack to "The Saint" - Various Artists
Soundtrack, review by Hans Eisenbeis
Just when you thought you'd heard enough about the next big thing, Hollywood gets hold of it and swings it by the tail 'til it's dead -- this time, it's "The Saint's" electronica soundtrack. (06/02/97)

The Sugar Hill Records Story - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Grandmaster Flash, the Sugarhill Gang and other classic rap (3/14/97)

Will Sing for Food - Various
Country
Fifteen artists pay tribute to the tunes of Dwight Yoakam (06/10/98)

September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Stephanie Zacharek
Diverse and uncategorizable -- spanning his earliest, edgy collaborations with Bertolt Brecht and his later Broadway compositions, with their breathtaking emotional depth -- Weill's work practically invites the brainy kind of playfulness found here. (09/15/97)

VH-1 8-Track Flashback: The One-Hit Wonders - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Gavin McNett
The "VH-1 8-Track Flashback: The One-Hit Wonders" collection is packed with so many ace songs, it makes you wonder why the artists were never able to ride them to stardom
(01/16/98)

Tommy Boy's Greatest Beats, Volume 1-4 - Various Artists
Pop/Rock
A retrospective, from Afrika Bambaataa to Coolio, compiles the songs that ruled rec centers, lunchrooms and malls since the early '80s. (10/14/98)

We Will Fall: The Iggy Pop Tribute - Various Artists
Pop/Rock, review by Gavin McNett
If tribute albums are the standardized fitness test of the rock academy, then Joan Jett, 7-Year Bitch, and Monster Magnet prove they're in top shape on "We Will Fall: The Iggy Pop Tribute." (09/29/97)

Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1 - Various Artists
Hiphop
An innovative compilation that proves hip-hop is back in decent shape (05/27/98)

Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger - Various Artists
Pop/rock, review by Mark Athitakis
The famous and not-so-famous rock and folk musicians who try their hand at the Seeger catalogue are talented, talented, so talented, they mostly wind up subverting the lovely simplicity that is Seeger's trademark
(03/16/98)

'Rushmore' Original Soundtrack - Various Artists
Soundtrack
This is the work of someone who cares about music, who ferreted out great forgotten songs (half of them by British Invasion bands), rather that plucking cuts from best-of compilations
(02/02/99)

Live at Carnegie Hall - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Pop/Rock, review by Pete Golkin Recorded at New York's music temple in October 1984, "Live at Carnegie Hall" was Stevie Ray's professional bar mitzvah. And presiding over it all was the great rabbi himself, John Hammond, Sr., who had steered the likes of Count Basie and Bob Dylan through the same rites of passage. (09/08/97)

Rambler 65 - Ben Vaughn
Pop/Rock, review by Joe Heim
Using his Rambler as a recording studio, Vaughn gets his engine-revving act into gear. (3/03/97)

New York Underground - "Little Louie" Vega
Pop/Rock, review by Jeff Stark
"Little Louie" Vega's mix of early '90s dance remembers a time when electronic music was still sexy. (10/01/99)

Nine Objects of Desire - Suzanne Vega
Pop/Rock, review by Joshua Klein
Suzanne Vega escapes the folk-rock label with the streamlined, stylish cacaphony of "Nine Objects of Desire."
Text-only version. (9/9/96)

The Screaming End: The Best of Gene Vincent & his Blue Caps - Gene Vincent
Pop/Rock, review by Keith Moerer
More dangerous than Elvis: The king of rockabilly lust. (01/21/97)

Rufus Wainwright: Live on KCRW - Rufus Wainwright
Rock/Pop
Aimed at fans, this little EP features live songs off Wainwright's self-titled debut, along with some radio chitchat.
(08/05/98)

Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright
Pop/Rock
Rufus Wainwright, the openly gay son of the world's crankiest living folksinger, Loudon Wainwright III, writes parlor pop for the lovelorn (05/20/98)

White Pepper - Ween
Pop/Rock, review by Seth Mnookin
The brothers Ween might be living in the shadow of Frank Zappa, but they still sound like they're shocked by their own shtick. (05/02/00)

Paintin' the Town Brown - Ween
Pop/Rock, review by Andy Battaglia
Cheech and Chong meet Leiber and Stoller. On "Paintin' the Town Brown," the brothers Ween plug in for a two-CD live in-joke. (06/21/99)

The Mollusk - Ween
Pop/Rock, review by Roni Sarag
Made both before and after the water pipes burst in their winter beach house/studio, it's no surprise that Ween's "The Mollusk" is thoroughly soaked with wet metaphors -- but the best part is hearing how much fun Gene and Dean are still having. (07/03/97)

Extremely Cool - Chuck E. Weiss
Pop/Rock
Weiss is a boon to those demented blues aficionados who prefer their music served up with equal parts gibberish and attitude (03/02/99)

Hell Among the Yearlings - Gillian Welch
Country/Folk
The spirit and sound of early Carter family and traditional bluegrass.
(07/29/98)

Revival - Gillian Welch
Country/Folk, review by Lori Leibovich
Country-folk neo-traditionalist Gillian Welch's dazzling debut. (4/22/96)

Swingin' on the Strings: The Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant Collection, Volume 2 - Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant
Country/Folk, review by David Hill
Session men Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant hot-licked Hollywood -- and escaped the long arm of Nashville. (06/17/99)

Eventually - Paul Westerberg
Pop/Rock, review by Stephanie Zacharek
Former Replacement Paul Westerberg is in recovery. And on his new CD he's not afraid to show it. (4/29/96)

BBC Sessions - The Who
Pop/Rock, review by John Perry
"BBC Sessions" captures the tension and drive of the Who's unlikely marriage of pop smarts and rock violence. (02/22/00)

Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 - The Who
Pop/Rock, review by Scott Rosenberg
The Who live at the Isle of Wight: An angry, soaring "Tommy" (12/20/96)

Being There - Wilco
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Wilco's new double CD is a woozy and wondrous roots-rock sojourn.
Text-only version.(10/28/96)

Life is a Carnival - The Wild Magnolias
Jazz/World
New Orleans' Mardi Gras Indians have created a training ground for local funk. This rough blend of hot R&B, Caribbean voodoo and street-tough parade sentiment comes from the city's premiere musical tribe (03/16/99)

The End Of Summer - Dar Williams
Pop/Rock, review by Steve Matteo
On "The End of Summer" Dar Williams proves to be one of the best-kept secrets of the singer-songwriter genre. Much like Roseanne Cash and Amy Rigby, Dar Williams writes refreshingly unadorned and honest portrayals of women over 30 facing life in the '90s with wisdom, humor and unpretentious introspection. (08/05/97)

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams
Country/Folk
The path to Lucinda Williams' "Car Wheels" was paved with good intentions
(07/01/98)

Wilderness - Tony Williams
Jazz/World, review by Michael E. Ross
The creative spirit of Tony Williams, the late jazz drummer and father of fusion, is captured on "Wilderness." (3/10/97)

Musings of a Creekdipper - Victoria Williams
Pop/Rock, review by Natasha Stovall
Victoria Williams very much believes in the running commentary of everyday life, and "Musings" is her personal radio broadcast
(01/14/98)

Imagination - Brian Wilson
pop/rock
"Imagination" is an admirable but flawed attempt to call up the ghosts of "Pet Sounds" (06/17/98)

New Moon Daughter - Cassandra Wilson
Jazz/World, review by James Marcus
Cassandra Wilson's subtle, offbeat "New Moon Daughter" is a worthy successor to "Blue Light 'Til Dawn," the quirky album that won Wilson an audience outside the jazz ghetto. (3/9/96)

The House of Tomorrow - Nancy Wilson
Pop/Rock
The raucous echo of Heart's heavy-metal influence lingers on this spare record recorded in front of a small audience in Los Angeles in 1997
(01/26/99)

Positively Na Na - Tommy Womack
Rock/Pop
Plenty of boozing, lack-of-sex laments and rhythms that make you drum your steering wheel.
(08/05/98)

Good Music - Ray Wonder
Pop/Rock, review by Alex Abramovich
Now that the new Swedish record company North of No South, or NoNS, is bracing itself for an all-out assault on our shores, it's a good time to ask why Sweden has long been such an anomaly in the global music market
(01/07/98)

Egyptology - World Party
Pop/Rock, review by Richard Overton
A lone musician that refers to himself as World Party, Welshman Karl Wallinger sifts through the ashes of his musical ancestors on "Egyptology." (06/26/97)

Wu-Tang Forever - Wu-Tang Clan
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by Zev Borow
It was starting to look like hip-hop, for all its vigor, emotion, and sheer dope style, was on the verge of buckling under it's own weight -- but now, finally, from off in the distance comes the Wu-Tang Clan with their latest "Wu-Tang Forever." (06/17/97)

Carnival - Wyclef Jean featuring Refugee Camp All-Stars
Hip-Hop/R&B, review by Natasha Stovall
Fugee Wyclef Jean's "Carnival" is a collection of intricately mixed tracks that weaves traditional Caribbean music with healthy chunks of classic pop chestnuts and endless samples so fleetingly familiar, they dance right on the tip of your tongue. (07/25/97)

Beyond and Back: The X Anthology -X
Pop/rock review by Gary Kaufman
There are some interesting demos and rehearsal tapes from the late '70s on "Beyond and Back: The X Anthology," a two-CD attempt to tell the story of Los Angeles' finest punk band without resorting to a greatest hits format (12/11/97)

Apple Venus - XTC
Pop/Rock
XTC sound, as always, so amazingly vibrant, so timeless (in a kind of apres-Beatles, postmodern kind of way), so unlike a band that hasn't released new material in seven years (03/09/99)

Transistor Blast - XTC
Pop/Rock
A long-winded summation of the band's years on the Virgin lablel, with BBC studio recordings and live broadcasts, and not a dud among them
(01/19/99)

A Long Way Home - Dwight Yoakam
Country
Dwight Yoakam's seventh batch of new songs is made memorable only by his smooth tenor (06/10/98)

I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One - Yo La Tengo
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Still experimenting after 10 years, Yo La Tengo broadens their reconnaissance on "I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One," where folk, electronic, and latin music all find their way into the mix. (04/28/97)

Hourly Daily -You Am I
Pop/rock review by Gina Arnold
If you have a penchant for '60s mod bands and a fondness for clever wordplay, the bestselling Australian band You Am I will give you a severe upward mood swing (12/15/97)

"A Ma Zone" - Zap Mama
Jazz/World, review by Banning Eyre
Afro-European world music queen Marie Daulne and Zap Mama travel from Mother Earth music novelty to international hip-hop group. (10/25/99)