Be Here Now: New Album Releases Snapshot Review 11-12-13

The BEAT-les -get it? It’s a pun

On Air – Live At The BBC Vol 2 – The Beatles – How obsessed you are going to be over this second volume of live recordings by the Beatles for the BBC will depend how you feel about the concept of John Lennon playing a chugging guitar riff for two and a half minutes on “Lucille” while McCartney scratches his voice at the top of his range and Harrison takes the garageish of breaks or Lennon taking the lead on “Words Of Love” or….- A+

Tommy Super Deluxe – The Who – A live show from 1969 won’t get you to shell more bucks here, Pete Townshend’s demos might – A

ARTPOP – Lady Gaga – It may overdo it, it may flounder, but on at least half the songs she scores big time – A-

Homegrown – Chris Miller – If you like Mac Miller, sorta  white middle rapping without Eminem’s flow, you’ll like this – C

Inside Llewyn Davis – Various Artists – Fake folk from the Coen Brothers movie,  pretty but vacant – C

Church Clothes Vol 2 – Lecrae – This should settle your problems with hip hops shallow lyrical content, Christian music goes Southern rap – Crunk not crack – B-

Direct Hits – The Killers – The worst U2 pretenders ever manage three direct hits on this greatest package,  though the demo for “Mr. Brightside” is the only thing that needs your attention – D+

Sail Out – Jhene Aiko – Greeted like a hero at Drake’s gig, this EP is very pretty if somewhat light r&B. It is like she reverses the rap paradigm so the sample takes center stage – B

Young N Stupid EP – Mainstream cute guy AOR ballads – C-

The Art of Letting Go – Kellie Pickler – American Idol alumni with more back bone than he average country reality singer – B-

Winter Loversland – Tamar Braxton – Tamar released a credible r&b album earlier this year, this awful Christmas record sure ain’t it – D

Trill O.G. The Epilouge – Bun B – Old fashioned Gangsta Part III, nice to hear the late Pimp C on “Cake” – C-

Snow Globe – Erasure – Bips boops bops and jingle bells, some original – B-

Covered – Katey Sagal – Hey, she doesn’t destroy “For A Dancer” – C+

The Best Of – Keane – Keane exist so Chris Martin can tell another musician “grow some balls” – D+