RECORD REVIEWS

Celine Dion
All the Way -
A Decade of Song
Sony

Ms Dion, the Canadian diva who has dominated music in the 1990s with her own unique brand of love songs, is reportedly taking a well earned break from the music industry.
So it only seemed proper to do the right thing by the poor overworked lass and present a kind review of her efforts over the past 10 years, even though her music has never, ever, appealed to me.
Then I saw her wedding on television, that huge thing in Las Vegas or wherever it was with camels, dancing girls and her and Mr Dion being carried like they were royalty.
*GAG*!
It was fairly disgusting, and hence my objectively has just flown out the Bug office window. And particularly after she said she was leaving music to get away from the spotlight, as one astute Channel Nine reporter observed.
Anyways, as the title suggests, this CD is a collection of her greatest hits with some new songs thrown in as a last hurrah.
All her hits are there - Beauty and the Beast, Think Twice, The Power of Love and of course that immortal classic from Titanic, My Heart Will Go On, which still manages to bring a tear to the eye after a couple of years.
The pick of the new songs is the half decent That's The Way It Is, and All the Way.
I'm sorry, but it is just too hard to look past that wedding farce. Particularly since it really makes you think, how long will her break last? Probably all of two weeks, until the spotlight she is leaving lures her back once more.

Bug rating: 2.5/5 (2 deducted for the wedding).
Michael Gordon-Brown

The Paradise Motel
Reworkings
Vital

This CD is not really Paradise Motel at all, but a collection of their songs reworked by other artists.
In a way this was disappointing – having never heard of The Paradise Motel, I was looking forward to hearing some of their own songs.
But in another way, it was good because the end result was pretty fair and very interesting, and definitely not for all tastes.
Hailing from Melbourne, Paradise Motel formed in 1995. Band members are Matthew Bailey, Charles Bickford, Matthew Aulich, Merida Sussex, Tim O'Shannasy and B.J. Austin.
Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo starts the dark and weird tone of the album with Lee's Trees. Mark Eitzel (Cities) and EchoBoy (Derwent River Star) are the pick of the rest, with their contrasting and equally unusally styles that can't really be described.
Each song on this album seems to compete for bizareness, with unusual lyrics and beats dominating.
Reworkings will definitely not appeal to everyone, but it is an interesting listening experience.

Bug rating: 2.5/5
Michael Gordon-Brown

Beastie Boys Anthology :
The Sounds of Science
EMI

The hip hop trio that gave hope to all those wanna-be white boys out there have compiled a two CD epic featuring plenty of their songs.
It's a package guaranteed to keep their fans happy.
Beastie Boys started of as a hardcore band but now firmly call themselves "Just Three MC and one DJ".
Not only did they make their name in music with their own style of hip hop, but band members, Mike D (Mike Diamond), MCA (Adam Yauch), and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) have consistently done what others like Vanilla Ice and Informer couldn't – stayed popular, out of jail and alive.
During the 80s, Diamond and Yauch formed the band Beastie Boys and with help from Kate Schellenbach on drums and guitarist John Berry, hip hop's future was set.
The most refreshing part of this particular collection is that not only their hits have been included – though Body Movin' (Fat Boy Slim Remix) and the positively excellent Intergalactic are still there, as is Fight for Your Right (To Party).
Beastie Boys have also included some unknown songs, like Bodhisattva Vow, some that crashed and burned and some of their new songs, including alive.
My favourite without a doubt is Hello Nasty, truly a great hip hop song.
I gave this CD half marks simply because they just don't have the range that other bands do – each of their songs do sound strikingly similar even for hip hop.
Being a metal head, though, I might be a bit biased so if you dig hip-hop and have the other Beastie Boys albums then get this now!

Bug rating: 2.5/5
Chris Gordon-Brown

Billy Bragg
Reaching To
The Converted
Rhino/Mushroom

This is by far the best Billy Bragg CD I'v ever listened to.
It also just happened to be the first, but certainly won't be the last.
Bragg's rather unique brand of soft-rock, folksy ballads are easy on the ear and enjoyable and interesting to listen to. It is his smooth style that appeals most of all, with the majority of his songs boasting a political message of some sort without being overly preachy.
Born in England in 1957, Bragg has had a long and successful career, with Reaching To The Converted following Mermaid Avenue (1998) and Bloke on Bloke - Limited Edition (1997).
Shirley gets the album off to a cracking start, assisted by its zippy pace, great lyrics and fine guitar melodies, with what I am sure is a tambourine rattling away in the background. Heart Like A Wheel drops the pace down to a garden variety love song, but not for too long as Bad Penny rips the CD back to its generally fast pace - clearly Bragg's strength. There is also a completely unique version of Walk Away Renee - make sure you listen to the lyrics.
He sings something about Mr. PotatoHead? Well, it's better to hear it for yourself.

Bug rating: 3.5/5
Michael Gordon-Brown

LeAnn Rimes
Country Classics
Curb

This offering from America's country singing teen queen is nothing but a shameless rip off of classic songs, and offers nothing new including any proof of any talent Ms. Rimes may possess, except to look pretty and blond - only kidding.
Although the album is essentially a rip off, with LeAnn recreating classic songs in her own style, she does have an excellent voice and looks pleasant enough.
Now 17, Rimes burst on to the scene with 1996's Blue, an album which sold a zillion copies and sent America on a country music frenzy. She also managed to pick up a few Grammys and a host of other awards as well.
And while it is extremely doubtful that Country Classics will repeat her previous success, it is a strong enough album to please her fans. Let's face it - the songs are classics after all, and it seems mandatory these days that old songs will be recreated. So why not sit back and enjoy the ride.
The timelessly superb Crazy is there, as well as She's Got You, Your Cheatin Heart and I fall to Pieces also getting the Rimes treatment.
Rimes fans, country fans and teenage boys should buy this album. If not for the songs, then her picture on the cover, and even more pictures in the little booklet that come with the CD… even some mildly raunchy ones.

Bug rating: 2.5/5
Michael Gordon-Brown