Billboard 200, make room for Respert Reviews

This week in CD Review we are going to take a look into a compilation album from the Ruff Ryders, the dark guitar sounds of KoRn, and the beautiful opera singing of Andrea Bocelli. Again, the ratings are as follows:
*=poor, don't even think about it
**=okay, might be worthy to buy
***=good, worthy to be bought
****=great, definite buy
*****= classic, memorable CD

Ruff Ryders: Ride or Die Vol. 1

Ruff Ryders

DMX brought a new hard-core sound to rap in 1998 with It's Dark and Hell is Hot. Being a part of the rap clique known as the Ruff Ryders, DMX and a group of new artists bring to us the new compilation CD entitled, Ruff Ryders: Ride or Die Vol. 1 on Interscope Records. The album hit the top of the Billboard 200 chart for the past two weeks. Featured on the album are a host of well-known artists, such as, DMX, Jay-Z, and Mase; the album also features new artists who make up the Ruff Ryders clique, such acts as Eve, the Loxs, and Drag-on. The group is based in New York.

The first single from the album, "Ride or Die", has a unique video that shows the members of Ruff Ryders as runaway slaves, who live on throughout the years in spirit by sliding from one person's body to another. As each rapper finishes their part they bump into another member who then attaches itself to the next rapper; each verse is traded like this.

A talented young man named Swiss Beats produced many of the beats on the album from Ruff Ryders. On one hot track, titled "What Ya Want" props are given to him in the chorus. Newcomer Eve performs the track, and she brings it with strong lyrics, "Leaving scared/Mommy taken all of this here/All this fame I'm hungry, hope you cats is prepared." The beat on this one has a Spanish-style, and it's one that will have you bouncing. Other tracks on the album include, "Jigga'" (performed by Jay-Z), "The Hood," and "Platinum Plus."

Rating: ***

The Family Values

KoRn

The new album from the maniac creations of KoRn entitled, The Family Values on Epic Records has just been released. This heavy metal act hails out of Southern California, and they appear at number four on the Billboard 200 chart. The group consists of the lead vocalist and bagpiper Johnathan, drummer and percussionist David, bassist Fieldy, and guitarists Head and Munky.

Since 1994 when they released their debut self-titled album, the five members of KoRn have made a reputation for dark themes and heavy guitar. Heavy-metal slowly faded from the high popularity it had in the early 80s, but this group has brought it back. This album meshes dark, urban rhythms with violent guitars, and the sharp howl of Johnathan wildly stabbing across the resurrected heavy-metal sounds

"Freak on a Leash" and "Got the Life" rings with electric guitar sounds and is a definite indication of heavy metal on this album. Another track entitled, "All in the Family" showcases the urban style of the album; Johnathan sings the verse of the song as a rap that leads into a chorus of an obvious heavy metal sound. "So I hate you," he yells across the track, "And you hate me/So what, so what/'Cause it's all in the family." The track "Children of the Korn" features well-known rapper Ice Cube, once a part of the controversial rap group N.W.A., who gained notoriety for their anti-police messages.

The group's tour in 1998 was respectfully named the "Family Values Tour" with such artists as Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, Incubus, and Orgy. The tour received mixed views from critics, including one who stated that the tour should have been called the "Family Dysfunction Tour." On the tour, KoRn railed against abusive parents, and Ice Cube ripped on those who are supposed to protect and serve.

After seeing the video on MTV's Total Request Live, on which it came in at number one, I found their music to be the multi-cultural "baby" of heavy metal. It has all the right mixtures of metal and rap and hopefully they can keep these concepts and release an album that's filled with it.

Rating: ***

Songo

Andrea Bocelli

This CD is in a category of its own compared to the previously reviewed CDs. Andrea Bocelli is a tenor opera singer from the Pisa region of Tuscany, Italy; He was born there September 22, 1958 and grew up on a farm where his father, Sandro Bocelli, still tends to a small vineyard, and where Sandro makes a wine called 'Chianti Bocelli'. His parents encouraged him to take piano lessons because the young Italian showed rare musical talents. He later learned to play the flute and saxophone.

He studied at the University of Pisa and graduated with a Doctorate of Law. He studied law for about a year before taking on his musical aspirations. Bocelli was discovered in 1992, and he broke barriers for future performers.

Bocelli was featured on many famous opera singers' albums, such the recordings of Luciano Pavarotti and Zucchero Fornaciari, who discovered Bocelli in 1992. Bocelli created albums on his own too, including, Bocelli, Viaggio Italiano, and Romanza. He has made a total of seven CDs and one DVD (A Night in Tuscany).

His new release titled Songo on the Philips label is only a continuation for this talented, international singer. The album appears at the number ten spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart. After hearing a few pieces from the album, I have to say that his voice is romantic, emotional, and evocitive. The ballads on the album include "Canto Della Terra," "The Prayer" (featuring Celine Dion), and "Nel Cuore Lei" (featuring Eros Ramazzoti). The passion on the album can be heard if you listen to him sing, the emotion of his voice made me shiver. The strength of his voice roars through the full sounding orchestra. He is a modern singer that is well-loved and will be for a long time.

Rating:****