pop rock

Gnarls Barkley - "The Odd Couple" - (Atlantic)

As hard as it might be to believe, almost two years have passed since the release of "St. Elsewhere," the debut from DJ Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green, better known as Gnarls Barkley.

The duo's first CD yielded the mega-huge single "Crazy," which is no doubt being played at a club somewhere in the world as you read this sentence.

A lot of fans wondered if Gnarls Barkley's follow up release could possibly measure up to "St. Elsewhere." After listening to that sophomore effort, "The Odd Couple," several times all the way through, I have to answer that question with a resounding "no."

This isn't to say that "The Odd Couple" isn't worth checking out. Indeed, the music contained on the new CD, a wonderful mix of R&B, electronica, and rock that delicately smacks you upside the head, is worlds better than much of what passes for music these days.

While there are even some truly catchy moments that will no doubt receive airplay on the radio and in the clubs, tracks such as "Going On," there is no "Crazy" to be found on "The Odd Couple."

Oh, and did I happen to mention thank goodness for that? In this bottom-line world where you're only as good as your last million-selling single, it is nice to see that Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo didn't resort to trying to make "St. Elsewhere II." Other standout tracks on this CD, which is every bit as fun and eclectic as its predecessor, include "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)," "Who's Gonna Save My Soul," and "Blind Mary." It's wonderfully mixed up music from a pair of artists who aren't afraid to be goof-offs in the studio, and yet still deliver a polished set of songs in the end. (B+)

Download These: "Going On," "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)," "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"

americana

Ray Davies - "Working Man's Cafe" - (New West)

I was talking to a thirty-something acquaintance the other day, and happened to mention that I was listening to the new Ray Davies CD in order to review the album.

"Who?," the friend asked.

"Ray Davies, the guy from the Kinks," I replied.

"Oh," she said, her expression brightening, "Those guys who did 'Come Dancing' back in the '80s?"

And there you have it. Apparently we have two schools of Ray Davies fans — those who remember The Kinks as one of the first true punk rock bands ("Lola," "You Really Got Me"), and those who remember a semi-annoying yet honestly nostalgic song from the '80s. I'm going to throw a new group into that mix. How about Ray Davies: Americana artist? I say this because a slew of folk in their teens and twenties just might get a whiff of the music on "Working Man's Cafe" through the Internet or on satellite radio, and will hopefully like it, yet never realize Davies' connection to either of the other two groups. I can live with that.

For those wondering how Davies sounds on this new disc, the truth is that he is so clear and coherent, that one could be forgiven for forgetting The Kinks altogether.

Davies' music on "Working Man's Cafe" isn't Americana in the country sense that most people associate with that label, but rather a wonderful mix of folk and rock with songs that don't try too hard, and yet are not throwaways at all. The best of the lot are "Vietnam Cowboys," "In a Moment," and "Imaginary Man." Many of Davies songs explore the current image of the United States as seen by a bemused tourist. The fact that Davies was shot in New Orleans' French Quarter a couple of years ago while chasing a purse snatcher likely figures heavily into his song inspirations.

I'd still love to see a Kinks reunion, but I'd also see Davies play solo in a New York minute. Like former Men at Work front man Colin Hay, Davies has come into his own as a solo player. (A-)

Download These: "Vietnam Cowboys," "In a Moment," "Imaginary Man."

classics live

Simon & Garfunkel - "Live 1969" - (Columbia/Legacy)

There is a moment toward the end of "Simon & Garfunkel Live 1969" where Art Garfunkel introduces "one of our new songs," and even before he begins to sing the opening piano strains identify the tune as "Bridge Over Troubled Water." While hearing that song will raise goose bumps on just about any thinking person whether it is the first or the fiftieth listening, one has to wonder what was going through the minds of the crowd at New York's Carnegie Hall on November 28, 1969 as they heard that tune for the first time.

On the CD there is thunderous applause even before the song's last note has begun to fade.

That was the thing about Simon & Garfunkel though; few other musical acts have defined a generation, nor have they been able to maintain the level of popularity of Simon & Garfunkel, despite the fact that the duo has performed and toured together less than ten times since their 1970 breakup.

"Live 1969" collects 17 classic Simon & Garfunkel tunes from the historic tour that year, recorded in different cities, but with the end result being what sounds like a perfect performance. It's the live album that Simon & Garfunkel fans have literally been waiting almost 40 years for, and the CD does not disappoint.

Classic tunes one would expect, such as "Homeward Bound," "Scarborough Fair/Canticle," "Mrs. Robinson," "The Boxer," and "The Sound of Silence" are here, but some of the CD's best moments come with the lesser-known songs included here. "At the Zoo" showcases Paul Simon's complete mastery of songwriting, while the one-two punch of "Why Don't You Write Me" and "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" are as charming as the cover of Gene Autry's "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine" that follows them.

Though both artists continue to record and tour separately, their back catalog as a duo continues to sell well. With any hope Simon & Garfunkel will tour again to let yet another generation experience the magic created by those two voices. Even if that never happens, one need look only as far as this superb live document to witness the genius of Simon & Garfunkel. (A)

Download These: "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "At the Zoo," "The Boxer"