MIISÌCJ' oar: `ic s and the duo has subsequently nicked for their own. Lemon Jelly master- ALBUMS E S S E N T I A L R E V I E W S minds Nick Franglen and Fred Deakin make springboards out of fragments Edited by Michael Paoletta LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO from every genre and beef up the tid- No Boundaries bits into a nine -course meal, from the POP PRODUCER: Isak Roux meditative to the manic. "'64-'95" is Heads Up 3092 more of a response to the twosome's RELEASE DATE: Jan. 25 previous effort, "LemonJelly.KY"; its DONNY OSMOND South Africa's quintessential singing diversity and range make it a much What I Meant to Say group returns with a project where, as more serious album, though it still PRODUCERS: Donny Osmond, Gary Barlow, the title "No Boundaries" suggests, maintains a fair amount of humor and Eliot Kennedy the legendary all -male vocal ensemble camp. The pair is patient with its beats, Decca B0003737 led by Joseph Shabalala steps outside gradually embracing a style and blend- RELEASE DATE: Jan. 11 its usual repertoire and style. Joined ing it into its next cosmic vision. Being Never say never. Donny Osmond's new by the string section of the English sampled by Lemon Jelly on this aston- album, "What I Meant to Say" -his Chamber Orchestra, other instrumen- ishing new album is nothing less than 54th - debuted in the top 30 in the talists and arranger /conductor /pianist an honor. " '64 -'95" is also available as United Kingdom and spawned a No. 8 Ralf Gothoni, the music ranges from a deluxe CD (with different packaging), single in the breezy, inviting "Breeze GLADYS KNIGHT & THE SAINTS signature tunes of the group's Zulu KENNY CHESNEY a limited- edition vinyl boxed set and as On By." Fortunately, at this point in UNIFIED VOICES Be As You Are: Songs From an Old a visually stimulating DVD.-101 history, most of those who had posters One Voice Blue Chair of teen idol Donny on the wall have PRODUCER: Gladys Knight PRODUCERS: Buddy Cannon, Kenny M83 LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO * grown to appreciate those things that Many Roads MRR0003 ... ENGLISH HAMRF R (TRCFIFSTRA Chesney Before the Dawn Heals Us o are precious and few in the States RELEASE DATE: Jan. 4 BNA 61530 PRODUCERS: Anthony Gonzalez, Antoine today: memorable melodies and pure, Gladys Knight's brilliant, hit -laden RELEASE DATE: Jan. 25 Gaillet, Jean -PhilippeTalaga unaffected singing. And Osmond deliv- legacy has endured for more than Kenny Chesney has copped Jimmy Mute 9281 ers aces, with a dozen personal pop four decades. With "One Voice," she Buffett licks here and there for RELEASE DATE: Jan. 25 anthems, 10 of which he wrote. Most turns her talents to gospel with quite a while to great success. Under the guise of M83, the French are lush ballads, teeming with soaring, richly satisfying results. As founder Here, though, he admirably steps duo of Nicolas Fromageau and satisfying vocals and warm, full- bodied and director of the 100 -voice choir back from the million -dollar main- Anthony Gonzalez compose music for production. 7Wo covers-Richard Saints Unified Voices, she oversees stream country formula to turn out an otherworldly orchestra. "Before Marx's "Right Here Waiting" and "This this multiethnic, musically diverse an often quiet, introspective collec- the Dawn Heals Us" is a fascinating Guy's in Love With You" from Burt group as much as she positions her- tion of self-penned tunes that still listen, a psychedelic journey through Bacharach/Hal David -ice the cake. A self as its focus. Mixing updated, owe much to Buffett. The titles tell time and space, whe.e vintage key- nice change of direction from previous classic hymns ( "Blessed Assurance ") it all: "Island Boy," "Guitars and boards create a mus- -.al dream. With Broadway and covers projects, "What I and contemporary originals (BeBe Tiki Bars," "Sherry's Living in Par- gorgeous melodies ' are alter- Meant to Say" is an inspired effort from Winans' "Right Here Waiting "), SUV iscathamiya ( "tiptoeing ") style (Paul adise." It's still an endearing set, nately grand and haun,. 'g, "Before a performer who has been working his is a perfect counterpart to Knight's Simon's "Homeless ") to "Amazing from the gentle "Old Blue Chair" to the Dawn" is colored with L -rely magic for an astonishing 40 years now. ever-stirring vocals and features Grace" and new arrangements of the wistful "Somewhere in the audible vocals and a choir that sounds And he has never sounded better. -CT several strong soloists of its own. Bach's "Jesu" and the "Sanctus" Sun." "Something Sexy About the just beyond the reach of the living. "He Lives," co-written by Knight movement from Schubert's Rain" is an atmospheric torch song, Walls of guitars cascade around intri- SOUNDTRACK and her husband, William McDow- "Deutsche Messe." The results are while the devil- may -care "French cately constructed pieces, all of it Hotel Rwanda: Music From the Film ell -along with Kenny G and Walter sweetly delivered with that gorgeous Kissing Life" is delivered with a designed to capture a schizophrenic PRODUCERS: various Afanasieff-is a powerful, benedic- and unmistakably Ladysmith sound, confident, laid -back flair. It goes flash of emotion somewhere between Commotion CR005 tive ballad. Here Knight touches, as but too often the sheer beauty of its without saying that the record is serenity and anxiety. The act's sec- RELEASE DATE: Jan. 11 she has for years, that nameless, voices are lost in a wash of glittering flawlessly produced, and after a ond U.S. release is as bold and Mixing original and traditional songs transcendent place that is the very strings, winds, piano, harpsichord, remarkable decade of hits, Chesney adventurous as last year's "Dead drawn from R &B, pop and world essence of true heart and soul. One harp and varied percussion that adds has earned the right to make a Buf- Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts," a music, this album aurally paints the voice, indeed. -GE little to its performance. -AT fett record if he wants to. -RW showcase for a duo seeking to rede- action in the lauded film "Hotel fine electronic music. -TM Rwanda," a true story based on hotel manager Paul Rusesabaginá s rescue tion hand in eight of the 10 cuts on "Hold Tight," Geary's songwriting and Love Open the Door." Calexico deliv- efforts during the 1994 Rwandan Faithfull's new album. This winning delivery recall such top contemporary ers a jaunty uptempo interpretation of COUNTRY genocide. An impressive lineup - collaborative combination makes practitioners as Ron Sexsmith. Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us including Wyclef Jean, Jimmy Jam & "Before the Poison" even stronger than "Ghosts" also evokes Van Morrison, Apart." Joseph Arthur's plaintive * DAVID FRIZZELL Terry Lewis, Deborah Cox and Ugan- its 2002 predecessor, "Kissin' Time," but particularly his early -1970s era. Per- singing of the Smiths' "There Is a Confidentially da's Bernard Kabanda -helps tell an with production and arrangements that haps most satisfying about the album Light That Never Goes Out" keeps the PRODUCER: David Frizzell inspirational story that embodies are minimalist, dark and desolate. Har- is that such a project can be released lyrics "If a ten -ton truck/Should kill Nashville America 50877 myriad emotions. The urgent drum vey's lead track "The Mystery of Love," in 2005 at all -apart from occasional the both of us /To die by your side ... RELEASE DATE: Jan. 25 beats on opener "Mama Ararira" by nominally a love song, still sounds drum programming, these are fully the pleasure, the privilege is mine" Veteran country stylist David Frizzell the Afro -fusion Afro Celt Sound Sys- oppressively grim, while the title track organic, natural- sounding recordings; from getting too gruesome. Jim re- emerges on the Nashville America tem set the scene, further under- hints at a cataclysmic personal event at vocoder, synthesizers and other sound White's sensual Creole twist to Bill imprint with a sturdy collection of scored by Jean's moving "Million the cause of her emotional descent. But manipulators need not apply. "Ghosts" Withers' "Use Me" makes exploitation classic country graced by his expres- Voices," Cox's plaintive plea on while despair is the overriding tone-as is a collection of superb songs deliv- feel like foreplay, and Mindy Smith's sive tenor and likable 1970s -era retro "Nobody Cares," Tilly Key's heartfelt signified in the cacophonous rap "Des - ered with a quiet intensity that will "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley production. Warm flamenco guitars "Ne Me Laisse Pas Seule Ici" and peranto"- Faithfull always triumphs, in endear itself to listeners. -CW Square" is a lounge- smooth, starry- add flavor to the atmospheric "Warm Andrea Guerra's hopeful "Children music if not in mood.-R3 eyed ode to love at first sight. -CLT Spanish Wine," while rockish guitars Found." The true testament of an VARIOUS ARTISTS and organ add bite to the roadhouse engaging soundtrack is its ability to * MARK GEARY Sweetheart: Love Songs saga'Boogyin' & Woogyin'." The real- underscore a film's action yet remain Ghosts PRODUCERS: various DANCE /ELECTRONIC ities of aging are humorously compelling on its own merits. This PRODUCERS: various Starbucks Hear Music 190327 addressed on the wry "It Takes Me All album does just that. -GM Signature Sounds SIG 1290 RELEASE DATE: Jan. 18 * LEMON JELLY Night Long," and "Run Like the RELEASE DATE: Jan. 25 Starbucks Hear Music has brewed a '64 -'95 Wind" is a panoramic midtempo. But * MARIANNE FAITHFULL New York -based Irishman Mark Geary, second edition of its "Sweetheart" PRODUCER: Nick Franglen Frizzell is at his best on soulful bal- Before the Poison a recent finalist in Disc Makers' Inde- album (in as many years) by having XL Recordings IFXLCD182 lads, like the warm title cut and the PRODUCERS: various pendent Music World Series (of which another group of selected artists RELEASE DATE: Jan.