United Tenors – Fred Hammond – The Gospel stars singing Tenor here include Dave Hollister and Fred Hammond, the latter's secular God, Love, Romance from last year was chock filled with great songs. Which can't be said for this album floundering, not on singing or production, both of which are very good, but on lousy songs of worship – B
Based On A True Story… – Blake Shelton – If you are gonna open your album with a yodel of red-red-red neck and immediately follow it by claiming nobody listens to the Beatles down South, you better have some damn great songs on your album. Shelton's got em. Not just for the Red State, these are one gem after another, even if lines like "I hear his voice when I put it to my shoulder, a gun's like a woman it's all in how you hold her"on "Granddaddy's Gun". One of the best country songs you are gonna hear, if you wanan step out of your comfort zone,s tep out here. ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
Precious Moments Vol II – Alan Jackson – Alan Jackson is one of the top country boys working today. I put him right after George Strait. But his voice isn't write for spirituals and if the standard bearer is George Jone's The Gospel Album, Jackson is for fans only and even they must be wondering why he didn't dig deeper. Of course, Jackson doesn't have Billy Sherrill producing – C
Girl Who Got Away – Dido – Like Beth Orton if Beth Orton wasn't such a tall of water. As tedious a piece of bland out singer songwriter by the popular UK singer – C
Sacrifice – Saxon – Between parody and self-immolation, this is such an old fashioned metal album from the former New Wave metalers. This is what Frodo has on his walkman – B-
Comedown Machine – The Strokes – I've read the reviews, I've heard the excuses. And the truth is, coming from a guy who LOVED Julian's solo album, this sucks – D+
Wild & Free – A Rocket To The Moon – A lousy piece of rock and roll product that probably has an audience somewhere – D
Afraid Of Heights – Wavves – Around a third of this is very good mood for moderns where the song eventully emerges if you give it a chance, and maybe a third flops, and maybe a third is somewhere in the middle – B+
Delta Machine – Depeche Mode – An album for the fans… who can keep it – C
No Matter How Far – David Archuleta – Still off on doing Missionary work, this is an odds and sods from the last coupla years. "Heart Falls Out" isn't bad – C-
Native – Onerepublic – Unbearable gooey pop ballads – D
I Am Not A Human Being II – Lil Wayne – It has been years since Weezy has proven it and he fails to prove a damn thing except he is an egomaniac druggie past his prime. I don't mind misogony or drugs in music, if I did I couldn't review rap or rock, but I loath stupidy, and this guy is an idiot. Having said that, a coupla songs are pretty good, "Hello", maybe "Wowzerz" – C-