(3 of 4)
Val Azzoli, co-chairman of her label, Atlantic, says he is "not into the SoundScan game" and isn't worrying about the November CD glut. Besides, publicity-wise, Jewel is well positioned: next spring she'll co-star in her first movie, Ride with the Devil. As long as she resists the urge to make a video for Fat Boy, she seems headed for a long, successful run.
METHOD MAN TICAL 2000: JUDGEMENT DAY [rating: 2 musical notes] PREVIOUS ALBUM Tical, 1994 COPIES SOLD 1.3 million
Sometimes it seems as if every other week there's a new album by a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. How many members are there anyway? Ten? Fifty? This week it's Method Man's turn. His new CD sports an impressive title: Judgement Day. But it has already been trumped in sci-fi wit by the name of rapper Busta Rhymes' forthcoming CD, Extinction Level Event.
Like its title, Method Man's CD is inventive and sometimes involving, but it could use a little more cleverness, a little more style. Method Man's rapping flows well, but his delivery lacks force and his lyrics lack focus. The beats for his songs are straight ahead and rarely take unexpected turns. And the practice of including answering-machine messages from famous people on one's album became a hip-hop cliche soon after the Fugees' Pras did it, and did it well, earlier this year. This album does have moments--the piano tickles on Spazzola, guest singer D'Angelo's soulful vocals on Break Ups to Make Ups--but the moments are fleeting. If you want a really good album that features Method Man, check out the excellent Belly sound track (he's on one cut). If you want a really good solo album by a Wu-Tang Clan member, check out RZA's Bobby Digital in Stereo, due out next week.
Still, Def Jam is going all out to promote Judgement Day. The first video for the album features fiery, elaborate special effects, was shot in France and cost $430,000. "That's as much as we've ever spent on a video," says Def Jam director of marketing Chonita Floyd, "except maybe on LL Cool J."
MARIAH CAREY #1'S [rating: 3 musical notes] PREVIOUS ALBUM Butterfly, 1997 COPIES SOLD 3.2 million
Mariah Carey hasn't matured gracefully, and that has turned out to be one of her most appealing traits. In the past couple of years the now 28-year-old singer has got a divorce, made videos in increasingly revealing outfits and had an on-and-off romance with baseball star Derek Jeter. She has also started to work with performers who have a hip-hop edge, like Puffy Combs and Jermaine Dupri. We like Mariah this way.
Her new album is not a traditional greatest-hits collection, something she makes clear in the liner notes. THIS IS NOT A GREATEST HITS ALBUM! she writes. "I haven't been recording long enough for all that." Instead this career retrospective focuses on her chart toppers, including such familiar ditties as Hero. As Carey acknowledges, some of her best songs were album tracks and not No. 1 singles, so such standout numbers as her seductive Melt Away aren't included here. Too bad. #1's does feature a smattering of new songs, which are mostly pleasant.