 Crash Test Dummies, Give Yourself a
Hand (Arista
1999) - The Canadian quintet known as Crash
Test Dummies enjoyed huge success
with their 1993 recording, God Shuffled His Feet,
which included the hit single, "Mmm Mmm Mmm."
The group's
fourth album finds the band in a funky mood, part
alternative, part experimental, part rock. Leading all is the deep baritone
of singer Brad Roberts, who now makes his home in Harlem
(quite a culture change for the native of Winnipeg, Canada).
 Give
Yourself a Hand was recorded last fall in Los Angeles
by producer Greg Wells.
The band also includes Ellen
Reid, Benjamin Darvill, Dan Roberts
and Mitch Dorge.
For inexplicable reasons, the album artwork is cheesy and cheap; there
are no pictures of the band, and no meaningful recording information.
This looks like a debut album from an independent label, rather than
the product of band that has sold millions of records.
 Yet
the songs are solid. "I Want to Par-Tay!" finds Brad Roberts
working in his funky, late-night rap, while "Just Chillin'"
and "Get You in the Morning" feature the lovely voice of singer
Ellen Reid, the first in a smooth late-night, finger-snapping groove,
the second in an uptempo ballad style.
Explains Brad Roberts, "When I hear people walking down the street
rhyming and rapping in a completely free-style way, it rubs off. The
rhyming I do on the new record definitely came from that. When you start
rhyming, the songs come together much more quickly. So in a way, this
new style of working just kind of fell in my lap, like a big present."
These are not your father's Crash
Test Dummies, which is to say,
don't come looking for the alternative-oriented sound captured by Jerry
Harrison on God
Shuffled His Feet. This
is a different Crash Test Dummies, accessible and eclectic, funky and
friendly. Look for Give
Yourself a Hand.
 Cesar Rosas, Soul
Disguise (Ryko
1999) - Cesar Rosas, the guitarist and singer-songwriter for stalwarts
Los Lobos,
has released the first solo effort from the Wolfpack. Staying true to
Rosas' signature sound of rock and blues, with elements of norteno and
barrio blues, Soul Disguise is a solid serving.
Formed in 1974, Los
Lobos have achieved renown with
such albums as Kiko and How
Will the Wolf Survive? Cesar also plays in Los
Super Seven, a Tex-mex combo featuring Freddie
Fender and
Joe Ely, and produced two
albums for Chicano rockers the Blazers.
 Cesar's steady hand
is reflected on songs like "Shack and Shambles," "Adios
Mi Vida," and "Little Heaven." And that's one of the
beauties of Rosas' musical efforts: He blends old and new in a seamless
style.
Musicians on Soul
Disguise include Flaco
Jimenez on squeezebox, Victor
Bisetti and Aaron
Ballesteros on drums, Jimmy
Roberts and Jack
Freeman on sax, Lynwood
Slim on harmonica, Larry
Taylor on bass, and Rudy
Rosas and Eddie
Baytos on Hammond B-3 and
piano.
Explains Cesar, "I've always wanted to make
a solo record . . . I am a big blues and roots music fan, and I've always
wanted to make a record consisting of those styles." Give Soul
Disguise a try.
 Latin Playboys, Dose
(Atlantic
1999) - Heading further into the realm of experimental are the Latin
Playboys, comprised of David
Hidalgo, Louie Perez (both
from Los Lobos),
and musicians and producers, Mitchell Froom
and Tchad Blake.
A giant experimental jump from the days of Kiko (recorded in 1993), Dose (the second release from Latin
Playboys) takes a Latin trip through exotic and challenging territories.
Says, "We finished 'Kiko' and that was such a great experience, I guess it kind of bled over into what became
Latin Playboys. We realized we could do whatever we felt like, just anything goes. It felt liberating."
 Adds Froom,
"There is a lot of raw beauty to it. It's also funny, in a very free-spirited way. I was trying to figure
out how to articulate it, and it's kind of like the 60's, where the idea was to make music that gives you the idea
that anything is possible."
And Dose is certainly a free-wheeling collection.
Clocking in at 35 minutes, the 13-song collection includes such tracks as "Nubian Priestess" and "Tormenta
Blvd." Explains Froom, "It's raw, like folk art. People have described the first one as music that could
have been unearthed on a tropical island. I think this is more urban, more in the American culture."
With guest appearances from Tracy Bonham (violin on "Fiesta Erotica"),
Jerry Marotta (drums and
percussion "Lemon 'n Ice"), and Wendy & Lisa (vocals on two tracks,
including "Lemon Trip"), the new album slides all over the musical landscape, creating a fusion of rock
and roll, jazz and R&B that can only be described as experimental. Though not accessible to the mainstream,
Dose has its beauty.
 Century of Country: The Country Music Encyclopedia on CD ROM
(Dreamworks
1999) - Century of Country
is an interactive CD ROM that contains the comprehensive collection of facts and information about the history,
the artists, and the business of country music. Drawn from the best-selling reference book, "Definitive Country:
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Country Music" by Barry McCloud, the CD ROM is a polished effort that raises the bar.
Century of Country is co-branded with country.com, the website for CBS cable networks TNN and CMT. The heart of the CD ROM is an artist profile
section with information about 1,300 country artists, including biographies, discographies and recommended albums,
and 800 artists' photographs.
 Also
included are fan club listings for 333 artists, together with an industry address book with contact information
for more than 1,300 record companies, fan clubs, artist managers, booking agents and radio stations. Not as strong
are the audio interviews (45) and videos from the Country Music Association Awards shows (36), though the videos
have some historical appeal.
I got flawless performance from Century of Country. Though it's a bit on the
pricey side (the suggested retail price is $29.99), serious country fans and budding country musicians will find
the quality in this production.
- Randy Krbechek © 1999
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