9 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 11, 2001 Underneath, The Verve Pipe; RCA Records By Robyn Melamed Daily Arts Editor Just when you think The Verve Pipe will be forever labeled a one hit won- der, they come back with eleven new tracks in Underneath. Unfortunately, even after this album, the status of The Verve Pipe remains the same. The album gets off to an OK start with the song, "Only Words." For a brief moment you might even get into this jam, and get excited for what is to come. As the song gets going, however, you'll realize the problem: It is quite hard to pay attention to the lyrics when you're anticipating the howlings of Sting's sidecar on "Desert Rose," Cheb Mami. Next up on the album is the boppy, poppy, "Never Let you Down." Once again, at first it is deceiving to the ear. You'll start to move in your seat and maybe even get up altogether, but slowly you'll realize that this song will soon end up on the next Freddie Prinze Jr. soundtrack. Complete buzz kill. The song, "Underneath," for which the album is titled, is one of the only songs that saves this album from being a perfect candidate for the dumpster. It's a slow, ballad-like tune that brings closure to an album that should've closed about eleven tracks ago. This album might be a perfectly fine favor for a seventh grade girl's party, but as far as quality, originality and taste are concerned, it just doesn't do it. And for the record, "The Freshman" was a really good song. Grade: C- IKE TURNER HERE AND Now Here and Now, Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm; Ikon Records By Lyle Henretty Daily Arts Editor Sixty-nine-year-old Ike Turner has been in the music business for a long time. Like fellow near-septuagenarian Little Richard, he has claimed that he invented Rock 'n Roll. Here and Now, his first album in years, proves that he definitely did not invent funk-infused jazz, nor did his back-up band, The Kings of Rhythm. Not to say that the album is bad, but for someone who claims to be such a revolutionary you'd expect something more than left-over "Blues Brothers" riffs and passable piano solos. Turner himself plays piano, guitar, bass and drums at various points on the eleven tracks. His gruff voice would make him perfect to play a blesman in a movie, but he brings nothing new to the genre. His fairly impressive horn players are a treat on several tracks, yet the band never surpasses the mediocre. For the uninitiated, one could do worse than Turner's highly listenable album, but one should not go out of their way. Grade: C- Silver Side Up, Nickelback Roadrunner Records By Rob Brode Daily Arts Writer This is how the new Nickelback album reminds me of every rock record released in the '90s: Buzzsaw guitars, studio slick drums and gui- tarless verses, pushed by punchy bass lines that explode into a guitar driven chorus of raging testosterone or flannel wearing insecurity. If not for the name on the front of the album and the lack of the Eng- lish accent, one could swear that Sil- ver Side Up was the new Bush album (it'd be a step up from The Science of Things). Not that Bush patented the rock sound they flaunt. They stole it from Pearl Jam, who stole it from Nirvana who stole it from the Pixies. This album is every bit as good as Pearl Jam's Ten but plagued by the fact its 2001, not 1991. Countless bands have ridden the same rock wave to great success. Their sound is old hat but they wear it well. If you're not caught up in Radiohead and can still appreciate a good guitar rock album the new Nickelback rocks, albeit in a familiar fashion. Grade: B The Blueprint, Jay-Z; Roc-a-Fella Records By Dustin Seibert Daily Arts Writer I have not once ever been moved by an album enough to listen to it from beginning to end without touching the skip button ... until now. Imagine my utter shock that resulted from being so immersed in The Jiggaman's sixth solo effort The Blueprint, a surprisingly stunning follow up last year's dismal Dynasty album. I have been forced to shit on Jay-Z for quite a while; he has always pos- sessed so much talent that he, in my opinion, chose to throw out the window for the sake of the mean green. He has dominated the commercial radio waves for the past three-and-a-half years with hit platinum-selling albums, making himself and his Roc-a-Fella dynasty household names. The sad truth, of course, is that tons of airplay doesn't necessarily amount to quality, and this is why we have seen a pathetic, unchar- acteristic showing from Jay-Z from his last two albums. I think that, some- where deep inside, he recognizes this, and has made a conscious effort to rec- tify the problem. While his Hard Knock Life album was more of a compilation than a solo album, he manages to go thirteen tracks (with two hidden) with only one guest. No duil Mcmphis Bleek. No boring Beanie Sigel. No tracks designed for the commercial audience. It is as if he completely discarded the formula that made him rich and decided to go back to the essence. It also seems as if he knows what a quality track consists of, and realizes that he hasn't been pushing that quality material for some time now. It's as if he said to himself, "Shawn, you made this money. You won this audience. Now it's time to take 'em all back to Reasonable Doubt." He describes this album as his life on record (thus the title), and it is definitely his most personal, heartfelt album to date. Listen to him verbally decimate rivals Prodigy and Nas in "Takeover." Listen to him light up Timbaland's dis- tinguished production in the banger "Hola' Hovito." Just listen to the soul- ful, unconventional "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Heart of the City" to fully under- stand how Jigga is coming with his this time around! Everyone's favorite angry white boy even comes blazing as the album's only guest lyricist in the moody "Renegade." The truth is, Jay-Z literally blew my mind with this new release, and he will undoubtedly develop an untouchable status as a result, single-handedly com- pensating for an otherwise disappoint- ing year of music. It will be difficult for anyone to top his album for the remain- der of the year. Massive bootlegging of the album, however, has caused him to push the release date up one week, so people ... do the honest thing and actu- ally purchase this gem ... understand that it is well worth it. Sound-Dust, Stereolab; Elektra By Gina Pensiero For the Daily British band Stereolab's new album, Sound-Dust, is pure bliss for any listener who is a sucker for cover- art, European stuff and that relentless indie mantra of experimentation. Reminiscent of fellow euro-artists Air or The Beta Band, the album teeters between cheerful electronica, melodic pop and elementary key- boardscapes. Funky breakdowns and standout percussion highlight Sound- Dust. Basically, it's Radiohead on prozac with a French chick singer. The instant hook song on the record is the well-chosen first single, "Captain Easychord," in which Seaya Sadier croons the simple koan "let live what must live/die what must die" followed by a string of incompre- hensible French phrases. Another track of interest is the hyp- notic "Double Rocker" which fuses intertwining vocal tracks with a calm and sleepy melody then surges into an upbeat retro-tinged bridge. Undoubtedly, Stereolab continues their innovative existence as a band on Sound-Dust, while providing feel good grooves for any slightly off-cen- ter listener. Grade: A- Grade: A h' ti f i e l d ( ./ / i v e i ,:s y/p worl Envy goes both ways. THE Spring Semester FLORENCE .............. .........January - May Short-Term / Summer ITALY ..........May 22 - June 22, June 26 - July 27 NORTHERN IRELAND .................May 17 - 31 ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands .......May 25 - June 22 TRFI AND ---fl--. Ma2 4 -9.limpjn 7 .Nna7 - 9 NOLOGUES