I Thought The Music Mattered! A Fall Music Preview
by Andy Moseley - reprinted with permission from the October 2000 Mariners’ Log
I recall a time when music sold because it was good. Today, though, it seems that music sells because of the artist. Let’s face it, the Backstreet Boys could put out an entire CD of them singing “On Top of Spaghetti” and it would top the charts for months. For those of you who are fans of the boy bands, they won’t disappoint this fall. Even for the rest of us, there’s plenty of music coming out during the big fall music sales rush. Some of it is good; some of it... well, it’s not. If it were newspaper, you’d use it to ine the bottom of the bird cage. This preview lets you know what’s out and what’s not. For reference, release dates are in parentheses.
We start out with the ever-so-popular rock-and-pop scene. Some would call it a disappointing fall season, with Britney Spears and *NSYNC out of the race since they went with spring releases instead. Don’t let that hold you back, though; there’s always another boy band and another teen pop girl to give you some inspiration. When Britney isn’t around, Christina Aguilera is there. Christina is taking a different approach with a Spanish-language album. Mi Reflecjo (available now) includes her popular hits “Genie in a Bottle” and “I Turn to You” in Spanish, as well as brand spankin’ new songs. Who cares if we can’t understand it; let’s buy it anyway!
There’s plenty of guy popsters for the girls to go crazy over this fall. Coming right off their promotion with Burger King are the Backstreet Boys, who will bring their currently untitled album (November 21) straight to number one. Fellow boy band 98 Degrees, led by Nick Lachey (“oh, he’s soooo hot!”), bring us Revelation (available now). The Ohio foursome focuses on upbeat songs this time around, a decided change from the ballads they’ve been known for. If groups don’t do anything for you, you can always shake your bon-bon to good ol’ Ricky Martin, who’s untitled album (November 11) looks for another “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” Good luck.
Straying somewhat from bubble-gum land, we land in Canada with the Barenaked Ladies. Following their big album Stunt and the hit single “One Week”, the guys return two years later with Maroon(available now). There’s no sign that says this album won’t be a huge success; the Ladies are huge, even if they are not only men, but also fully dressed.
The mother of pop herself, Madonna, is back on the dance floor with Music (available now). Her eighth album is full of what should become dance club favorites, including the current single “Music.”
If you’d rather rock, why not do it to an album titled Chocolate Starfish and the Hot-Dog Flavored Water (October 17)? Fred Durst and the guys of Limp Bizkit are back and also basically guaranteed to land at number one on the charts when this album goes live. Joining them in the combined rock/hip-hop race is Everlast, who brings us Eat at Whitey’s (October 17), the followup to his hit 1998 album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. One sign of success: Carlos Santana makes a guest appearance.
If those doesn’t entice you, I’m sure Heart of a Woman (October 24) by Kathie Lee Gifford is going to thrill you. Can she survive without a day job with Reege? Consult your nearby Magic 8-Ball for the answer, because I’m staying as far away from this one as I can.
Remember the Spice Girls? That’s okay, nobody does. They are back-minus Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell-with their album Forever(November 7). They were already given a Lifetime Achievement award at the Brit Awards, but will fans here in the states remember them?
Jennifer Lopez will try to continue to show that she can act AND sing by releasing her second album, A Passionate Journey (November 7). I don’t know if it is good news or bad that Lopez is writing a lot of the songs herself.
The scariest guy in music, Marilyn Manson, is also back with Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (November 11). If that title didn’t confuse you enough, I’m sure his actions will.
Also a lock for the number one spot, if at least for a week, is the Dave Matthews Band. Dave and friends will release an as-yet untitled album (December 12) to follow up the hugely successful summer tour. The album has been delayed several times (it was originally scheduled to be released over the summer before the tour kicked off), so look for numerous surprises.
Other pop/rock albums scheduled to make an appearance in the fall include: Righteous Love by Joan Osbourne (available now), Selmasongsby Bjork (available now), The Harsh Light of Day by Fastball (available now), Warningby Green Day (available now), Kid Aby Radiohead (available now), You’re the Oneby Paul Simon (available now), Breach by The Wallflowers (October 10), Vapor Transmission by Orgy (available now), Sing When You’re Winningby Robbie Williams (October 24), All That You Can’t Leave Behindby U2 (October 31), Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars by Fatboy Slim (November 7), Lovers Rock by Sade (November 11), Songs From an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Times for a Bad Attitude by Everclear (November 21), plus albums from Fuel, Van Morrison, Collective Soul, nine inch nails, Shawn Mullins, and Hootie and the Blowfish.
The rhythm & blues and rap scene will have plenty of hot beats to get down to (I sound so hip, huh?). Boyz II Men have decided to come back out of the rock they have been under for three years to release Nathan Michael Shawn Wayna (available now), bringing their heart-wrenching love ballads back to battle the fresh-faced boy bands.
Did momma say knock you out? Ask LL Cool J; he’s back with G.O.A.T.Beware of Dog (available now). Finally, someone rapping about Mickey Mouse! If you would rather listen to the teacher than the student (something I suggest here on campus, by the way), Snoop Dogg has Last Meal (November 21). Master P might have said it best to Entertainment Weekly: “This record is going to be da bomb.” Since his NBA career failed so, so miserably, Mr. P himself will try to get some sales with Ghetto Postage (November 21). Don’t look for the next “I Believe I Can Fly” on R. Kelly’s TP-2.com (November 7). Kelly’s new album returns to the sexual, raunchy sound he once made famous.
Other R&B/rap albums to be on the lookout for include All Money is Legal by Amil (available now), Hey Kandi...by Kandi (available now), Let’s Get Ready... by Mystikal (available now), Shyne by Shyne (available now), The W by the Wu-Tang Clan (November 7), Restless by Xzibit (November 7), Mama’s Gun by Erykah Badu (October 31), Stankoniaby Outkast (October 31), The Wonderful World of U by Usher (November 14), Scorpion by Eve (December 5), plus albums from Ja Rule, Queen Latifah, Gineuwine, K-Ci & JoJo, Redman, and Blaque.
Do you prefer a little guitar and fiddle to record scratching? Well, country music has a slow fall season scheduled. With the pending retirement of Garth Brooks and hot summer tours of Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and the Dixie Chicks, the big artists haven’t really had that much time to record any new material. That’s okay, though; Willie Nelson is always around. The guy who came up with the Farm Aid concept brings us Milk Cow Blues (available now), which definitely sounds very country by title alone. Willie will be competing with two of country’s older citizens. Merle Haggard goes for a comeback with If I Could Only Fly (October 10). Haggard describes his new album as not sounding like good country or rock & roll. Yeah, way to boost those records sales, Merle. Johnny Cash will try out American III: Solitary Man (October 17), featuring guest appearances by Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow. Emmylou Harris is trying to say that girls can compete as well with her Red Dirt Girl (available now). Other country artists bringing out new material in the fall include Lyle Lovett, Travis Tritt, Sara Evans, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Alan Jackson.
Does the whole studio-recorded sound drive you crazy? Don’t worry, there are some live albums making their way to the stores this fall as well. Barbra Steisand will trot out Timeless - Live in Concert, a double CD of the concerts she held in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve as well as New Year’s Day. If you want to rock instead, Pearl Jam will release TWENTY-FIVE different double-CD sets. Each one will be one of the 25 European concerts they held between May 23 and June 29. The set hasn’t been named as of the time I’m typing but is available now. Fellow rockers Blink-182 will have Blink-182 Live: The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back) (November 7). If the title doesn’t make you want to buy it, I don’t know what will. You can also expect live albums from The Allman Brothers Band with Peakin’ at the Beacon (October 24), Underworld (now), Morphine (now), Cypress Hill (December 12), the Chemical Brothers (sometime in November), and Call (November 7).
You can always go for those boxed sets and compilation albums. After all, sometimes just one artist isn’t enough. Come on, would you have bought Monsters of Rap solely because Vanilla Ice is on it? Didn’t think so. The obvious big seller will be Beatles One (November 14), a tie-in to the publication of the Beatles’ first-ever autobiography. The set will include all 27 songs that went to #1 in either the U.S. or U.K. How about a four-disc Jimi Hendrix set instead? Experience (now) includes 56 rare tracks. Little Feat’s Hotcakes & Outtakes: 30 Years of Little Feat (now) is also a four-disc set, including such hits as “Dixie Chicken.” The popular NOW That’s What I Call Music pop compilation will have it’s fifth version hit stores in time for big Christmas sales. Also available in boxed-set form are Kenny Chesney (now), Soul Asylum (now), Billy Idol (October 24), Lenny Kravitz (October 24), Megadeth (October 24), and Los Lobos (November 7).
It’s never too early to put out those winter holiday albums, either. As usual, the stars are coming out. As if a Spanish album isn’t enough, Christina Aguilera is going for overkill with the release of My Kind of Christmas (October 24). It is in English, by the way, very pop-sounding English. They aren’t the Dixie Chicks, but they are a country girl group trio. SHeDAISY will try out an album to be named later (but available now; newspaper schedules do weird things to you) including their ‘99 hit “Deck the Halls.” Fellow country top seller Billy Gilman-all 12 years of him-releases his second album of the year with Classic Christmas (October 17). Rosie O’Donnell has her second celebrity-filled Christmas album in as many years with Another Rosie Christmas (October 24), including guest appearances by the Dixie Chicks, Jewel, Ricky Martin, Macy Gray, Jessica Simpson, Marc Anthony, and Destiny’s Child. Also making holiday appearances this year are Linda Ronstadt (October 10), Yolanda Adams (October 10), and Lynyrd Skynyrd (now). Another item of note: Shania Twain has delayed her Christmas offering until 2001 or later.
So there you have it, new music from every genre. Backstreet Boys to Snoop Dogg, Dave Matthews Band to Emmylou Harris, Madonna to Jimi Hendrix, and Christina Aguilera to... well, Christina Aguilera, it’s all there. What music will be hot and sell well? The obvious icons-Backstreet, Dave Matthews, Limp Bizkit-will, of course, do great. There will also be those surprise hits (Kathie Lee? Nah...). Any way you look at it, the fall music scene is going to be fun to watch. After all, there’s finally a new album from the Spice Girls!
