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LITTLE RICHARD

"The Rill Thing" (Collector’s Choice)

"King of Rock and Roll" (Collector’s Choice)

"The Second Coming" (Collector’s Choice)

As the titles attest, by the time of these comeback attempts in 1970, ‘71, and ‘72, Little Richard still had an audaciously flamboyant sense of his musical importance. Commercially, the albums didn’t live up to the boasts, but more often than not the music does: The sets are a worthy corollary to the preening piano-pounder’s seminal ‘50s hits.

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THE GOLDEN SILVERS

“True Romance”

(XL)

A keys/bass/drums trio from North London, the Golden Silvers make wistful, swooning pop marked by barbershop harmonies and singer/songwriter Gwilym Gold’s fixation on magic and myth. Despite the lack of guitar, these songs alternately recall early Blur and Super Furry Animals, Bowie at his most streamlined, and a less smarmy Pulp.

This full-length debut isn’t perfect: The middle few tracks are dull compared with the album’s strong start and finish, though “Shakes” does have its moments. The high point and onetime U.K. single “Arrows of Eros” is buried in penultimate position, its squiggly faux-disco lit up with a horn section.

Largely enjoyable, “True Romance” closes with “Fade To Black,” a sweet entry featuring just Gold’s rubbery voice and gentle piano.

— Doug Wallen, The Philadelphia Inquirer

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RANDY CRAWFORD AND JOE SAMPLE
“No Regrets”

(PRA Records)

It was the 1979 hit “Street Life” that brought singer Randy Crawford together with the Crusaders and their pianist, Joe Sample.

Crawford and Sample reunited first in 2006 with the jazz crossover CD “Feeling Good.” On this CD, she sounds more like a jazz singer, though there’s still a healthy bit of crossover — from blues to gospel to pop — as one might expect from Sample and producer Tommy LiPuma.

Crawford is a bit of a mystery. She’s got solid chops and the ability to convey emotion, but hasn’t broken through.

This set doesn’t solve that problem, but it shows Crawford and Sample in accessible form.
Working here with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Steve Gadd — as on the 2006 set — she maneuvers through “Every Day I Have the Blues” like a jazz chanteuse. She shows some gospel earnestness on “Respect Yourself,” which gets maddeningly repetitive by the end, and squeezes some folky soul from Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel.”

Sample is, as always, a versatile collaborator. The title track, a soulful remake of an Edith Piaf-associated tune, makes for a gentle encounter.

—Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer

PHIL WOODS
“The Children’s Suite”

(Jazz Media)

Saxophonist and composer Phil Woods has tried since the early 1960s to get the rights to put A.A. Milne’s verses in a jazz setting. He finally succeeds here, and the results, with a narrator, two singers, and an 18-piece orchestra, are fun and even uplifting.

Woods, who cofounded the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts in northeastern Pennsylvania, taps players who have played there over the years or gone to one of his camps. Singer Bob Dorough delivers some slinkiness on “Pinkle Purr,” while Vickie Doney sings Christopher Robin’s words in a fresh fashion.

The charts are done in a boppish way, and Woods’ alto still sears after all these years. The cutesy singing gets overdone, but Milne fans ought to appreciate this unusual tribute.

—K.S.

SONNY ROLLINS
“Reel Life” (Concord)

The title track here is a simple melody that could be a smooth-jazz children’s song. But tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins rips a hole through it, turning it so much into an improviser’s ball that one wonders how much the material matters to him.

The sense of surprise is a constant on this brief 1982 session, newly reissued on Concord. Rollins mixes it up with two wildly different guitarists, Bobby Broom and Yoshiaki Masuo. He’s backed by the rock-solid bottom provided by his longtime electric bassist Bob Cranshaw, and the super drummer Jack DeJohnette.

There’s clearly a spin here to be commercial, as on the wildly happy “Sonny’s Side Up.” But Rollins still finds cool things to say. He shows some growling authority on the Billy Strayhorn ballad “My Little Brown Book,” and his requisite calypso, long a constant in his recordings, here is called “Rosita’s Best Friend,” making for a slinky romp.

It’s not the heaviest session for the saxophone colossus,, but Rollins can probably pull fiery lines from the comics.

—Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer

CHICKENFOOT
“Chickenfoot” (Rogers & Cowan)

This debut album from a new supergroup — guitar god Joe Satriani, singer Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony (both formerly of Van Halen) and drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers — is a revival of classic rock n’ roll with a little extra personality and a lot of extra energy.

Satriani’s talent as songwriter and musician has finally found its home alongside his new bandmates, and they all seem to be having fun. The hard-hitting riffs in “Get It Up” and “Turnin’ Left,” coupled with Hagar’s exclamations of “yeah!” and “come on!,” beckon the listener to jam along with the band.

The quartet’s topic choice ranges from a more serious look at the world in “Running Out” to lusting after a rough, tough gal in “My Kinda Girl.”

Satriani’s fretwork is as startling as ever, and the funk-inspired drumbeats that are Smith’s trademark add a modern twist.

Not every song is memorable, but this debut makes it clear that these guys have decades of talent and indefatigable energy. Chickenfoot has added a new chapter to a classic sound, and it’s pretty refreshing.

— Stephanie Rosenblatt, The Miami Herald

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Running a bit behind on this. Sorry ...

ASTRID WILLIAMSON

"Here Come The Vikings"

(One Little Indian)

From her beginnings with the British band Goya’s Dress, Astrid Williamson has established herself as a seductive and sensitive vocalist whose flexible voice can soar to ethereal heights. Her previous work, particularly 2006’s "Day of the Lone Wolf," has tended to be lush and melancholy. But on her fourth solo album, "Here Come The Vikings," she often rocks out — to mixed success.

On the one hand, the jangly pop of "Sing The Body Electric" and the rumbling, reverberating "Slake" work well, as do the Tori Amos-like piano ballads that are more typical of Williamson’s prior work. But the buzzing "Shut Your Mouth" seems a willful ploy for modern-rock airplay, and Williamson’s weakness for lyrical cliches disrupts several songs. It’s hard to overcome awkward lines like "They say a little information can be a dangerous thing / but first impressions seldom are proved wrong," and "Falling Down" doesn’t.

— Steve Klinge, The Philadelphia Inquirer

DAVID SERBY

"Honkytonk and Vine"

(Harbor Grove)

If you didn’t surmise from the title of his new album that David Serby is from Southern California, then the music should provide more of a tipoff. Like his earlier work, it’s a classic style at the intersection of Buck Owens’ Bakersfield twang and the progressive traditionalism of more recent artists such as Dwight Yoakam and Gary Allan.

Serby manages to bring a fresh voice to it all, and why not? His life could be a country song — or several: put up for adoption at 6 months, a bad early marriage, finding out his biological father was also a country musician. Singing in a dry tenor, he digs into age-old country themes in crisp, catchy fashion, from revving up the barroom bonhomie with "Permanent Position" ("sittin’ in this honky-tonk ...") to wallowing in heartache with "I Only Smoke When I’m Drinking." Serby didn’t turn to music until after he hit 30, but this late bloomer has obviously found his calling.

—Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer

DIANA JONES

"Better Times Will Come"

(Proper American)

The hopeful note of the title song, which leads off Diana Jones’ new album, seems at odds with much of what follows: an adopted child (like herself) seeking family, a trapped miner expressing his love for his wife in his final hours, an abused wife threatening vengeance, a lament for a ravaged Appalachia. But it turns out to ring perfectly true, one element of the rich emotional tapestry that Jones weaves through this spare, spellbinding set.

The simple acoustic arrangements and Jones’ even, low-key delivery evoke old-time folk and mountain music, linking Jones to a long tradition. But with the brilliant economy and literate grace of her writing she creates vivid, breathing portraits, bringing out eternal truths that make this ancient style still resonate powerfully.

— N.C.

KASABIAN

"West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum" (RCA/Sony)

Kasabian’s mix of electronica and psychedelic rock is on full display on their third CD, "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum."

Comparisons to Primal Scream and The Stone Roses have followed Kasabian since the release of their 2004 debut. Ably blending rock hooks with layered electronics, Kasabian’s sound can definitely be described as, well, primal.

What stands out are the poetically charged vocals of frontman Tom Meighan, who has never been shy about touting his band’s chops and offers plenty of innuendo about everything from sex and stardom to drug use and its inevitable come down.

"Underdog" opens the disc with fist-pumping electronics (as Meighan boasts "Kill me if you can") before sliding into the trippy and pulsating "Where Did All The Love Go."

"Fast Fuse" is all fuzzed-out cockiness, "Take Aim" hits a tight groove with dirty acoustic guitars, and "West Ryder Silver Bullet" offers lush orchestration floating over a simple rhythm.

"Secret Alphabets" manages to rock behind sweeping atmospherics, "Fire" alternates between minimal acoustic guitars and funk-rock swagger, and disc closer "Happiness" builds into a gospel-choir spiritual.

Unwise comparisons may follow Kasabian, but these lads from Leicester are proving a singular force to be reckoned with.

— John Kosik, Associated Press
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VARIOUS ARTISTS

"Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm" (Vanguard)

In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Bob Dylan spoke of his deep connection with Doug Sahm, and you can hear some Sahm influence on his new album. Dylan isn’t part of this tribute, but a host of other rock and roots luminaries do the late, great Texas groover proud.

Fittingly, the cast is Lone Star-centric, with the likes of Alejandro Escovedo, Flaco Jimenez, Delbert McClinton, and Jimmie Vaughan. Outsiders include Dave Alvin, Los Lobos and Little Willie G., who gets things off to a raucous start with a Ry Cooder-backed take on the Tex-Mex stomper "She’s About a Mover," Sahm’s signature hit with the cheekily named Sir Douglas Quintet. The performances all serve to remind that Sahm was a hipster with a heart: As he gleefully mixed rock, country, R&B, and conjunto, he made sure the grooves were deep and infectious, even when the deceptively substantive lyrics belied the good-time feel of the music. In other words, he really did keep his soul.

— N.C.
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ASHLEY CLEVELAND

"God Don't Never Change" (Koch)

She has won the Grammy for best rock gospel album three times, but
Ashley Cleveland has never delved into black gospel as fully as she does
on God Don't Never Change.

With her husband, the noted guitarist Kenny Greenberg, again acting as
producer, the Nashville-based Cleveland's latest album brings new
vitality to vintage material. The electric but bracingly stripped-down
arrangements occasionally do rock, but mostly Cleveland and her cohorts
bring out the blues in this gospel. It's a natural fit for Cleveland and
her strong, smoky alto - you could picture her as a modern blues diva or
blues-rocker (check out her knockout version of "Gimme Shelter" on
YouTube), if she weren't busy resurrecting songs by Blind Willie Johnson
and Mahalia Jackson. And for all the new edge brought to these songs,
they still pack the same spiritual uplift.

- Nick Cristiano,The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Because I know what the future will be ... at least on our Saturday Extra pages.

MICHELLE SHOCKED

"Soul Of My Soul" (Mighty Sound)

Michelle Shocked’s timing is off, and for a musician that’s not good. A year ago, her impassioned swipes at the Bush administration could have provided a soundtrack for the Obama campaign, but in 2009 they sound outdated. Also moldy is Shocked’s channeling of Pat Benatar, Joan Jett and Blondie. And while the song "Paperboy" delivers steamy double entendres, the title is yesterday’s news. What’s a paperboy?

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Check tomorrow's paper for wire reviews on the latest from Del The Funky Homosapien, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Dailey & Vincent and Ciara. Till then, here are the ones that wouldn't fit on deadwood.

MIKE JONES

“The Voice” (Swishahouse/Asylum Records)

The Houston rap scene made a big splash in 2005, pushing out numerous acts from Slim Thug to Paul Wall to Chamillionare. But the one who arguably led the uprising was Mike Jones, known for his repetitive boast “Who? Mike Jones.”

His popular phrase and knack for catchy hooks on songs like “Back Then” and “Still Tippin” helped him surge to platinum status on his debut “Who is Mike Jones?” And his strategic marketing scheme of giving out his personal phone number to the public also played a part in his claim to fame.

That worked four years ago. Now with his new album “The Voice,” Mike Jones returns with some premiere guests (Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Trey Songz) and producers (J.R. Rotem and Mannie Fresh), but his new disc falls short with subpar wordplay by the Houston emcee.

Though there’s decent production, Jones barely shows any growth since his last outing, displaying very simple rhymes and unappealing hooks on “Happy Birthday” and “Swagg Thru Da Roof.” He even brags during almost every song about selling 2 million records on his last CD. With material like this, it’s doubtful he’ll be able to make such boasts on his next record.

— Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press

THE NEW  YORK DOLLS

“’Cause I Sez So,” (Atco)

These Dolls are antiques now, but they’re priceless.

Formed in 1971, The New York Dolls helped launch the glam-rock movement along with Kiss, David Bowie and Alice Cooper, yet they imploded long before any of their peers, breaking up in 1977 after two seminal albums.

Reformed in 2004 with original members David Johansen (vocals) and Sylvain Sylvain (guitar), the Dolls second album since then defies easy categorization. The title track blends Ron Wood-ish guitar riffs with a snarling punk sensibility. “Better Than You” evokes The Ramones’ cover of “Needles And Pins,” and Johansen even sounds like Joey Ramone on the track.

“Lonely So Long” revolves around country steel guitars, while Johansen whistles the main melody line of “Temptation To Exist” over a cha-cha beat. And if drunken staggering had a soundtrack, it would sound exactly like “This Is Ridiculous,” in which a down-and-outer bemoans his lot in life.

“Drowning” blends a Stones-like “Paint It Black” mysticism with Johansen’s own “We Gotta Get Outta This Place” vibe. The album also includes a ska remake of “Trash,” which was on their 1973 debut disc.

“Exorcism of Despair” closes the album with flail-and-wail guitar and drums fury.

— Wayne Parry, Associated Press

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