4Play

Sept. 5, 2007

Dean Martin – Forever Cool – Capitol
Teaming up Martin’s original, distinctive vocals with new arrangements and modern collaborators, this special set is both a tribute to Dino and an interesting experiment in musical pairings. While the idea, overall, is a great one, the album itself is hit or miss. The hits include “Who’s Got the Action” with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, on which the horns are sassy and the big-band feel is perfect; “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” on which Shelby Lynne steps out of her typical genre to vocally dance with Dean; and “Arrivederci Roma,” on which Tiziano Ferro conjures up warm, leather-armchair tones to compliment Martin’s. Missing the mark are “Baby O” with Paris Bennett, on which the American Idol singer is in well over her head; “Baby It’s Cold Outside” which includes Martina McBride’s sorely mismatched country tones; and the two bland pairings with actor-turned-singer Kevin Spacey, which are neither here nor there.

Plain White T’s – Every Second Counts – Hollywood
New buzz bands hop (sorry, couldn’t resist) out of nowhere all the time, but it’s a staunch few that can live up to the press hype. Will White Rabbits show longevity, or merely fade into the same place as past hot topics? Only time will tell for sure, but with this album, they’ve got a darned good shot at the former. Highly reliant on the lower tones of the piano - which makes for a nice, big, dark tone - this band writes well and encase their compositions in a large-scale, melodramatic cape that leaves plenty of room to showcase their songs’ hooks and interesting twists. “Navy Wives” even adds a bit of ska, “March of Camels” calls in a little reggae, and “Dinner Party” throws in an unexpected organ - it’s all not what you’d expect, and the album’s all the better for it.

Ringo Starr – Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr – Capitol
The backbeat Beatle went on to have, if not a critically-acclaimed solo career after the Fab Four’s demise, at least a populist one, and this set includes 20 of the tracks (released between 1970 and 2005) that Ringo fans probably treasure as much as Ringo’s rings themselves. Infused with a sense of nostalgia and a bit unpolished in the production department at times, the tunes here veer widely in songwriting quality, with one of the head-shakers being the weirdly country-esque “Beaucoups of Blues” - but there are definitely songs here of note, as well, including a couple of bonafied Beatles-influenced Top Ten hits (“It Don’t Come Easy” and “Back Off Boogaloo”), and the catchy, cheeky, Lennon-penned “I’m the Greatest,” plus Starr’s effective remake of Johnny Burnett’s dusty oldie “You’re Sixteen,” and his great George-Harrison-co-written standout, “Photograph.”

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – Lifeline – FV Records US
Singer-songwriter Ben Harper turns out another set of blues-soul-influenced pop-rock songs with this set - there aren’t any great strides forward here, but it is, instead, more of the quality that listeners have come to expect from Harper and his Criminals. The opener, “Fight Outta You,” draws the listener in with a hushed verse vocal that recollects the low tones of Love and Rockets’ hit “So Alive,” while “Fool for a Lonesome Train” pulls in a harmonica to enhance the song’s old-school, retro bluesman sound. Elsewhere, “Say You Will” couples rapid-fire lyrics and girl-group backing vocals in the chorus with the feel of a late-night speakeasy jam, and “Heart of Matters” shows Harper opening up as he pours his relationship worries and insecurities into song. The real surprise here is that the album was completed in only a week, yet it is a Ben Harper set that can stand right alongside the rest of his albums to date.