february 4.2000 - J a a t a n t. 3 g
m u sh
This album morphs the best of two
worlds— the musical underground and
aboveground— in a swirl of sounds and per
sonalities. Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brown-
stein lays down a spooky, interesting guitar
track on “The Skin,” and punk cheerleader
Kathleen Hanna rocks out on “Stepping Up
to the M ic.”
“Hope,” the most memorable song on
Featuring..., stars Lois Maffeo as a sultry
slow-jam singer. T he melody allows the
multitalented Maffeo to explore her range
and fluidity while sounding like a Top 40
temptress— yes!
Featuring... is a promising pickup. It’s
important to remember that behind all
these great guest performances is Schuster, a
talented artist himself.
S he ’ s S o C ontrol
Sub Debs • K Records
I appreciate what the Sub Debs stand for. To
I me, their dress and demeanor at a November
1 show indicated a mockery of the mainstream,
a denouncement of the classic American pretty
girl. That’s pretty cool, as far as image goes.
But when it comes to the actual music, I’m
picky. There is some inspirational material on
the Sub Debs’ first record, She’s So Control, but
the majority is sadly tiresome and similar-
sounding.
The song “Don’t Mess with Us” is actually
one of the winners. First it revs up with an
ecstatic drumbeat, then cranks into high gear
when the guitars crash in. T he epitome of
revisited ’80s pop-punk, the song flows with
good energy. “Let’s G o ” is another great rocker.
These two gems are shadowed, however, by
WoniyN's Niqhr
ThuRsdAy
C ome
on
dowN
J o in C onnie &
L av r íe
a forest of duds. Many of the other songs blend
together because of their similar tempo and
lyrical choices. I think I counted three songs
that use the same chord progression.
“Into the Night” is a slower, contemplative
breath of fresh air at the end of the CD, but it
doesn’t redeem the aural displeasure that is the
rest of the album.
TU ere ' s F vn
to óe
fovNd
I sn ’ t S he G reat :
O riginal M otion P icture S oundtrack
Burt Bacharach • Decca Records
icture a tall, gorgeous Just Out staff writer.
Now picture that same staff writer snoring
like a bear. Finally, picture that staff writer
snoring like a bear while listening to the
soundtrack of the recently released Bette
Midler flick Isn’t She Great. (Excuse me, but
isn’t the phrase supposed to have a question
mark attached to it?)
Burt Bacharach is obviously a
well-known, talented guy. I don’t
mean to slam him by slamming a
soundtrack he so carefully com
posed, but boredom is a difficult
mental state to ignore. I’m sure
these songs fit well with the plot
and atmosphere of the movie, but
without the visuals to aid the lis
tening experience, I’m left with a
tired look in my eyes and a slowly
descending droplet of drool con
nected to the edge of my lip.
Excluding some fantastic guest
appearances by Dionne Warwick
and Vanessa Williams, I suggest
this soundtrack be called Isn’t This
Boring (without a question mark).
S03-3GS-9721
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