The Color and the Shape, Capital 1997 Performance 8 Sound 7 Bob Geldoff called Kurt Cobain "The John Lenon of the 90's". Hardly. The Foo Fighters capture the exciting, grungy hard edged essence of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Sprit" but without the heroin induced self loathing lyric.

XRCD JVC Music (reissue) | Performance 7 | Sound 8 | To add to the growing catalog of super-XRCDs, JVC music has licensed 88 Basie Street, a jazz record featuring the most significant big band leader ever, Count Basie in both a big band and smaller combinations. Two of the cuts also feature the legendary guitar stylings of Joe Pass.

Capitol 1997 Performance 7 Sound 8 Meredith brooks picks up where Sheryl Crow and Alanis Moressette left off in the genre of women with angst. The clear hit on the record is "Bitch". With lyrics like "I'm a bitch, I'm a tease, I'm a goddess on my knees" this cut has the same popular appeal as Alanis' "Go down on you in a theater" phrasing that launched her to the biggest star of 1996.

Almo Sound | Performance 7 | Sound 9 | Passion Dance is an upbeat, spicy and passionate record that is extremely well recorded. Musically, Passion Dance is a throwback to Alpert's very successful records in the 60's with the Tijuana Brass. "TKO" is as exactly as it implies, a knock out with high energy percussion and a killer piano part over which Herb establishes a compelling melody.

First Rays From an Ancient Sun, MCA Records re-release | Performance 7 | Sound 8 | Jimi Hendrix died on September 18, 1970 with only 3 major label record releases (Are You Experienced?, Axis Bold As Love and Electric Lady Land). At the time of his death Hendrix was in the process of making a double album to follow up Electric Ladyland entitled First Rays From an Ancient Sun. The final touches on the project had to be completed by super producer Eddy Kramer and some studio musicians. The music was released separately under the titles of War Heroes and The Cry of Love. For the first time the music Hendrix was working on when he died can be heard, remastered from the original tapes in its entirety.