RTS The story of "Heaven and Earth" is much more human than Oliver Stone's previous movies, yet the finished product is not as brilliant. Down By Law Blue Epitaph If Down By Law sounds like the Descendents, All, The Chemical People, et al, there is one very simple reason - Down By Law comes from a very convoluted family tree that starts with the Descendents and stretches through a handful of punk bands. Like their predecessors and contemporaries, Down By Law play ultra-produced, harmony-rich punk rock which their label, Epitaph, seems to be a breeding ground for. Lyrically, Down By Law's new release "Blue" resembles All, using themes that question modern life. Unlike All, Down By Law doesn't 'actually give specific messages - they only raise general problems. All these questions are the same, and, in fact, the lyrics could be rearranged completely and the songs would re- main the same. For example, "What are we doing here?" (from "Looking For Something"), "Will we everknow a brighter future?" (from "At Home in the Wasteland") and "Are we mak- ing adifference or wasting our time?" (from "The Greenest Field") are un- answerable questions, and Down By Law's continual use of these themes becomes tiring and cliche. There is no substance to these lyrics. The music on "Blue" is good for ultra-produced, harmony-rich punk rock. Highlights include "The Last Brigade" (is that an AC/DC riff!?), "Straw" and the acoustic (that's "un- plugged" for all you MTV addicts) "Dead End." But "Dead End" returns once again to the never-ending ques- tions with "Will I see better days?" If anyone out there has answers for Down By Law, please write them. They seem almost too desperate for solutions. - Matt Carlson Quiet Riot Quiet Riot: The Randy Rhoads Years Rhino Among most music fans, Quiet Riot is only known for their endearlingly stupid hits "Cum On Feel Tha Noize" and "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)," but before they achieved success in the early '80s they were a formidable, if flawed, heavy metal band with one musician that separated the rest of the crowd - Randy Rhoads. Rhoads was a brilliant, innovative guitarist whose impact on heavy metal guitar in the last decade is nearly incalculable. With his two albums with Ozzy Osbourne, Rhoads forged new techniques in speed-picking and also brought a number of classical influences into heavy metal guitar. Sadly, Rhoads was killed in an air- plane accident just as his career was beginning to take off. While Osbourne's 1986 live album, "Trib- ute," remains the best place to hear why Rhoads is revered among heavy metal guitarists, the lovingly produced "Quiet Riot: The Randy Rhoads Years" is essential for fans of the late musician. All of the material on this compi- lation is before Quiet Riot hit the big- time; neither of their big hits are avail- able here. What is available is a wealth of previously unavailable material from the late '70s, when Randy Rhoads was developing his stagger- ing technique. Neither of Quiet Riot's first two albums have ever been re- leased in America. "The Randy Rhoads Years" collects highlights from those records with the addition of five previously unreleased tracks, including the ten-minute guitar solo, "Laughing Gas." While some of the songs may be cliched, there is no denying the power of Rhoads' talents. Anyone who has ever been awed by his fret-work will find much to treasure on this release. - Tom Erlewine Various Artists Judgment Night Soundtrack Immortal/Epic Soundtrax Let's be honest - the soundtrack for "Judgment Night" is a brilliantly calculated piece of product. No one would have noticed an action movie starring Emilio Estevez and Denis Leary if it wasn'tconnected with this album of collaborations between rock and rap artists. While the collabora- tions look great on paper, on record they sound very weak. None of the tracks sound as if the two artists were in the studio at the same time. On nearly every song, the raps sound as if they were added as an afterthought. Another strike against the album is how most of the songs are blatant reproductions of Public Enemy and Anthrax's groundbreaking "Bring Tha Noize." Cypress Hill re- tains their lazy, stoned groove on both of their tracks. On "I Love You Mary Jane," they completely dominate Sonic Youth.- it sounds no different than a straight Cypress Hill track. However, even the druggy "I Love You Mary Jane" sounds pre-pack- aged by the movie's producers and the record label, aimed directly at the lucrative alternative market. Out of all the songs on "Judgment Night," only Mudhoney and Sir Mix- A-Lot's "Freak Momma" sounds like a genuine collaboration. With its huge, stupid guitar chords and idiotic cho- ruses and verses, it is the only true rock & roll moment on an album that plays it entirely too safe. - Tom Erlewine Rush Counterparts Atlantic Anthem Twenty years after their self-titled debut, Rush is still at it. Their distinct progressive sound and style have earned them a spot in rock history, but their recent releases have been rather dry and undynamic and may have permanently tarnished their reputa- tion. Long-time Rush fans may be sur- prised by the sound of the first two singles, "Stick It Out" and "Animate" which glisten with a modern, alterna- tive edge that luckily does not sound contrived. Rather, with their straight- forward heavy-rock feel, the songs sound like a throwback to Rush's first three releases. "Stick It Out" drives hard, unconsciously imitating a Soundgarden groove. The first song, "Animate" has Alex Lifeson's trade- mark arpeggiated chords, but Geddy Lee's bass line, a continuous 16th note strum, gives the songs a fresh flavor. However, these two songs are among the few that differentiate this disc from any of the past five. "Counterparts" is concerned with personal relationships, a far cry from the technological concerns of past recordings. "Alien Shore," a love song as only Rush can deliver, includes the lyrics "For you and me, sex is not a job description." In general, the lyrics are not as complex, but continue to be as hokey as usual. A few of the remaining nine songs come close to saving the record. An acoustic tune called "Nobody's Hero," about a gay man who dies of AIDS, is a quality song. "Double Agent" has a See RECORDS, Page 8 s- - -- - - - - - - n I