[ NEW ON CD ]
Strokes’ second effort
keeps the same style
A handful of interesting releases come out today:
>> Topping the list, it's The Strokes' long-awaited sophomore album, "Room on Fire." The reason for the two-year delay between albums is due to the band's initial sessions with famed Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich not panning out -- they then recruited "Is This It?" chief Gordon Raphael to finish up.
Expect more of what made the band popular -- the new album reportedly very much mirrors their debut, with no radical stylistic departures, no guest stars or cover songs -- it even clocks in at the same length as "Is This It?" at 35 minutes.
The first single/video is "12:51," originally titled "Supernova." Raphael said the song "represents several songs recorded with regular guitar put through fuzz boxes, making it sound like keyboards. And the way the guitar melody combines with the voice on that song is just crazy. ... It sounds like a guy with a synthesizer in his throat. They're sticklers for tone."
>> Wyclef Jean's fourth album -- and first CD through his newly established Clef/J Records partnership -- is "The Preacher's Son," featuring collaborations with Scarface ("Next Generation"), Patti LaBelle ("Family Reunion"), Redman ("Baby Daddy") and Sharissa ("Take Me as I Am"). Jean reportedly ascends a pulpit on the album to proselytize and fantasize about a world free of gang violence, poverty and corruption.
>> On the reissue front, there's something yummy for everyone. Rap and hip-hop fans should love the deluxe, two-CD edition of Eric B. & Rakim's classic "Paid in Full" and the "Ultimate Run-D.M.C." with a limited-edition DVD included. Rockers of all persuasions should know about Fleetwood Mac's deluxe, two-CD editions of "Rumours" and "Tusk," the deluxe version of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and R.E.M.'s "In Time: The Best of 1988-2003," with two new, previously unreleased tracks recorded in Vancouver, "Bad Day" and "Animal."
And the Rhino label releases an ambitious four-CD collection called "No Thanks!: The '70s Punk Rebellion." It was originally titled "Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated?" -- the famous quote spoken by Johnny Rotten at the end of the Sex Pistols' final-ever live show in San Francisco -- but Rotten (John Lydon) nixed that idea in the bud, plus not allowing any Pistols songs to be used for the project.
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