AT
the mere age of 25, husband, father and family man Ronan Keating is
considered the elder statesman of Irish pop. Ronan has teamed up with
former New Radical brain Greg Alexander on this second solo album Destination.
Ronan’s collaboration with Greg was cemented with Life Is A
Rollercoaster and it’s a joy that most of the work on this album
is scripted and produced by Alexander. Destination is an
extremely confident album, which shows Ronan’s evolution. His sound
is sassy, vibrant and up tempo, and hints at the ability to go
rockier, an avenue we’d like to see him pursue. Proudly beaming
somewhere between teenage interests and adult contemporary, Ronan
genuinely does seem to have found his Destination.
Deep Forest — Music
Detected
(Sony Music) **
The latest offering Music
Detected continues the world-music potpourri Deep Forest is known
for, though there is pronounced focus on Asian grooves this time. The
album opens with India, showcasing the voice of Mahalaxmi Iyer.
Right from the start you will know that you’re in for a unique ride.
The track also features soulful violin played by Michel Sanchez’s
daughter, Gentle, who takes the background groove to a whole new
level. The second track Music Detected is probably most
characteristic of Deep Forest here, utilising various yodel loops and
synthesised atmospheric sounds. Endangered Species is a
mindblowing remix by Galleon, loaded with heavy beats and guitar
riffs. Music sensation Anggun is featured on the upbeat track Deep
Blue Sea underplayed by a soft soul guitar. Traditional world
rhythms, keyboard notes, computer wizardry and multilingual singing
come together effortlessly and are presented immaculately in this
spirited and festive release.
WW: Tough Enough Vol.2 —
Various Artists
(Universal) **
This is the first product
release by the company, after WWF was sued by the World Wildlife Fund,
that led them to drop ‘F’ from all their merchandise. These hard
rock knocks provide enough musical mayhem to keep those testosterone
levels elevated for weeks. The sequel soundtrack is yet another
aggressive attempt by the WWE to match the aggressiveness of its
supposed athletic soap opera, and for that, the compilation succeeds
quite well. Kicking off the first track, Cold’s growled injunction Gone
Away sets the tone for the whole enterprise. This is agro-rock at
its most belligerent, with buzzsaw guitars and riffs heavier than Rock’s
slam. Highlights include Limp Bizkit’s Crushed, Queen of the
Stone Age’s anthemic Millionaire, Trust Company’s aggressive Falling
Apart and Unwritten Law’s screamfest Dig. Weezer’s Oh
Lisa brings to mind the band’s early days and is such a slice of
old-fashioned head-banging raunch you just might want to scrub
underneath your fingernails afterwards. A memorable dropkick from
the music world.
Ashanti — Ashanti
(Universal)
***
This self-titled and
self-written debut opens with the hot debut single Foolish, which
uses the familiar refrain from Notorious BIG’s One More Chance.
Ashanti’s swooning, soft and at times whisper-delicate voice,
reminiscent of the late Aaliyah, combine well with the mid-tempo melody
of the track. Most songs on the album are very laid back and smooth,
with beautiful effective piano and acoustic guitar tabs. Thank You
is an impressive track where Ashanti shows off her vocal range. Movies
has a Bone Thugs N’ Harmony theme which is sure to become an R&B
anthem. Baby borrows a P Diddy sample and reshapes it to
perfection. Highlights include Scared, Voo Doo, Over and
the headliner Rescue.
Album of the month
Enrique — Escape
(Universal)
Latin singer Enrique
Iglesias broke through into the US market in a big way with his self-
titled album in 1999. He currently stands as the world’s top-selling
Latin artist. His second English album Escape is an exhilarating
ensemble of soulful and up-tempo tracks that will swoon you and get you
up dancing. The first released single Hero, is a gorgeous
declaration of love with an equally steamy accompanying video.Enrique
lays down technically perfect vocals on the dreamy ballad Maybe
and experiments vocally on the Euro-pop influenced tracks. Three songs
on the album are re-recorded in Spanish at the end of the album.The
current hit Love To See You Cry is an album highlight packed with
dance-friendly beats and slurpy lyrics.The album is romantic, it’s
sensual, it’s stylishly charming, and it’s handled well.
— Saurabh & Gaurav
The
Grrr…eat Music Zone Quiz
1. What was the
band called originally before Radiohead?
2. Which club did
RATM’s lead singer perform first?
3. Name Jamiroquai’s
DJ.
4. Which band was
Ron Wood a part of before the Rolling Stones?
5. Who claimed to
be the biggest Red Hot Chili Pepper fan before becoming a member
of the band?
6. Name the
notable actor who played against Michael Jackson in the video
Bad.
7. On which other
band’s album cover did Karen Ann, the cover girl on the first
Roxy Music album appear?
8. What was Ringo
Starr’s first non-Beatle movie?
9. For what
Australian Band did Rod Stewart sing lead vocals on the hit In A
Broken Dream?
10. What was Swirl
360’s 1998 hit album called?
Answers
1. On a Friday
2. Lericsis
Lounge
3. DJ-Dzire
4. The Faces
5. John
Frusiante
6. Wesley Snipes
7. The
Hoople by Mott the Hoople
8. Candy
9. Python Lee
Jackson
10. Ask Anybody
Top 10 singles
1. Hot In Here Nelly (NM)
2. Without Me Eminem (FD)
3. I Need A Girl P Diddy &
Ginuwine (CU)
4. A Thousand Miles Vanessa
Carlton (FD)
5. By The Way Red Hot Chili
Peppers (CU)
6. Just A Friend 2002 Mario (NE)
7. One Last Breath Creed (CU)
8. Hella Good No Doubt (FD)
9. No Such Thing John Mayer (NM)
10. Oh Boy Cam’ron feat. Juelz
(NE)
Legend:
(CU) Climbing Up (FD) Falling Down
(NM) Non Mover (NE) New Entry
AT
the mere age of 25, husband, father and family man Ronan Keating is
considered the elder statesman of Irish pop. Ronan has teamed up with
former New Radical brain Greg Alexander on this second solo album Destination.
Ronan’s collaboration with Greg was cemented with Life Is A
Rollercoaster and it’s a joy that most of the work on this album
is scripted and produced by Alexander. Destination is an
extremely confident album, which shows Ronan’s evolution. His sound
is sassy, vibrant and up tempo, and hints at the ability to go
rockier, an avenue we’d like to see him pursue. Proudly beaming
somewhere between teenage interests and adult contemporary, Ronan
genuinely does seem to have found his Destination.
The latest offering Music
Detected continues the world-music potpourri Deep Forest is known
for, though there is pronounced focus on Asian grooves this time. The
album opens with India, showcasing the voice of Mahalaxmi Iyer.
Right from the start you will know that you’re in for a unique ride.
The track also features soulful violin played by Michel Sanchez’s
daughter, Gentle, who takes the background groove to a whole new
level. The second track Music Detected is probably most
characteristic of Deep Forest here, utilising various yodel loops and
synthesised atmospheric sounds. Endangered Species is a
mindblowing remix by Galleon, loaded with heavy beats and guitar
riffs. Music sensation Anggun is featured on the upbeat track Deep
Blue Sea underplayed by a soft soul guitar. Traditional world
rhythms, keyboard notes, computer wizardry and multilingual singing
come together effortlessly and are presented immaculately in this
spirited and festive release.
This is the first product
release by the company, after WWF was sued by the World Wildlife Fund,
that led them to drop ‘F’ from all their merchandise. These hard
rock knocks provide enough musical mayhem to keep those testosterone
levels elevated for weeks. The sequel soundtrack is yet another
aggressive attempt by the WWE to match the aggressiveness of its
supposed athletic soap opera, and for that, the compilation succeeds
quite well. Kicking off the first track, Cold’s growled injunction Gone
Away sets the tone for the whole enterprise. This is agro-rock at
its most belligerent, with buzzsaw guitars and riffs heavier than Rock’s
slam. Highlights include Limp Bizkit’s Crushed, Queen of the
Stone Age’s anthemic Millionaire, Trust Company’s aggressive Falling
Apart and Unwritten Law’s screamfest Dig. Weezer’s Oh
Lisa brings to mind the band’s early days and is such a slice of
old-fashioned head-banging raunch you just might want to scrub
underneath your fingernails afterwards. A memorable dropkick from
the music world.
This self-titled and
self-written debut opens with the hot debut single Foolish, which
uses the familiar refrain from Notorious BIG’s One More Chance.
Ashanti’s swooning, soft and at times whisper-delicate voice,
reminiscent of the late Aaliyah, combine well with the mid-tempo melody
of the track. Most songs on the album are very laid back and smooth,
with beautiful effective piano and acoustic guitar tabs. Thank You
is an impressive track where Ashanti shows off her vocal range. Movies
has a Bone Thugs N’ Harmony theme which is sure to become an R&B
anthem. Baby borrows a P Diddy sample and reshapes it to
perfection. Highlights include Scared, Voo Doo, Over and
the headliner Rescue.
Latin singer Enrique
Iglesias broke through into the US market in a big way with his self-
titled album in 1999. He currently stands as the world’s top-selling
Latin artist. His second English album Escape is an exhilarating
ensemble of soulful and up-tempo tracks that will swoon you and get you
up dancing. The first released single Hero, is a gorgeous
declaration of love with an equally steamy accompanying video.Enrique
lays down technically perfect vocals on the dreamy ballad Maybe
and experiments vocally on the Euro-pop influenced tracks. Three songs
on the album are re-recorded in Spanish at the end of the album.The
current hit Love To See You Cry is an album highlight packed with
dance-friendly beats and slurpy lyrics.The album is romantic, it’s
sensual, it’s stylishly charming, and it’s handled well.