Quartet - Pat Metheny Group
Jazz/R&B, review by Gary Kamiya
A dazzlingly eclectic CD by guitar master Pat Metheny (11/27/96)

Joan of Arc Mass/Symphony No. 1 - Paul Paray
Classical, review by Paul Festa
Paul Paray's music can be enjoyed for its own sake; but it might also remind you how much you appreciate Brahms, and Franck, and for that matter, Emily Dickinson. (10/22/97)

Pavarotti and Friends for War Child - Various Artists
Classical, review by Paul Festa
Pavarotti crushes Clapton, battles Minnelli to draw. (12/02/96)

Live at the Warfield, S.F. - Pavement
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Kicking off their sold-out "Brighten the Corners" tour, Pavement loses some (not all) of the cynicism, and inspires newfound faith. Salon contributor Mark Athitakis reports from the Warfield in San Francisco. (04/19/97)

"Brighten the Corners" - Pavement
Pop/Rock, review by David Fenton
Pavement's irresistibly quirky "Brighten the Corners" (2/17/97)

"The Real Mr. Heartache: The Little Darlin' Years" - Johnny Paycheck
Country, review by Milo Miles
The best of Johnny Paycheck: White trash alcoholic mayhem (1/7/97)

Something in the Way - Pearl Jam
Pop/Rock, review by David Fenton
Eddie Vedder is incandescent — too bad the rest of Pearl Jam won't step aside.
Text-only version. (8/26/96)

Ubu Roi - Pere Ubu
Pop/Rock, review by Milo Miles
One of America's most eccentric rock bands, Pere Ubu, comes in from the nuclear freeze.
Text-only version. (9/16/96)

Hans Pfitzner's "Palestrina" - Performed by The Royal Opera
Classical, review by Douglas McLennan
The late composer Hans Pfitzner has always served as the ideal relief pitcher for summer music festivals, but his music was the main attraction at this year's Lincoln Center Festival, where the Royal Opera performed the much-hyped "Palestrina." (07/30/97)

7 Park Avenue - Pete Ham
Pop/Rock, review by Sean Elder
Pete Ham, lead singer of the other Fab Four, offers a glimpse into his more introspective side. (03/26/97)

"Resigned" - Michael Penn
Pop/Rock, review by Charles Taylor
For a (more or less) sensitive-guy/singer-songwriter, Michael Penn has an appealingly untrustworthy side. Combining his self-possessed singing style with orchestrated pop, he becomes both Romeo in black jeans and Casanova in a double-breasted suit on "Resigned." (08/08/97)

Arkology - Lee Scratch Perry
Pop/Rock, review by Roni Sarig
As both a producer and all-around demented genius, the Jamaican-born Lee "Scratch" Perry is without peer. Though "Arkology" captures only a fragment of his career that spans five decades, it includes some of his best work. (08/07/97)

Au Théâtre Champs-Elysées - Michel Petrucciani
Disques Dreyfus, review by Doug McLennan
Pianist Michel Petrucciani understands that having ugly in your pocket helps you appreciate beauty, and on the live recording of his 1994 concert "Au Théâtre Champs-Elysées," he offers fortunately only a little bit of the former and a lot of the latter.(06/18/97)

Omnipop - Sam Phillips
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Songstress Sam Phillips proves that "pop" is not (necessarily) a dirty word. (8/19/96)

Happy End Of The World - Pizzicato Five
Pop/Rock, review by Michelle Goldberg
This Tokyo trio's combination of disco, lounge, '50s sitcom jingles and techno would scream zeitgeist even if they weren't fronted by a gorgeous supermodel-type who sings in Japanese and French. (09/17/97)

Naughty Little Doggy - Iggy Pop
Set the Twilight - Lou Reed
Pop/Rock, review by Sam Hurwitt
Punk forefathers Iggy Pop and Lou Reed show their age. (2/24/96)

Portishead - Portishead
Pop/Rock, review by Michelle Goldberg
Whereas Portishead's fabulous debut "Dummy" hinted at something frightful and dissolute, the self-titled follow-up could be the soundtrack to a horror movie, with unfortunately few sublime moments to be found. (10/08/97)

Salaam - Positive Black Soul
Rap/Hip-Hop, review by Milo Miles
The Fugees, Busta Rhymes and Positive Black Soul take black music back from the gangstas. (5/13/96)

II - Presidents of the USA
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
A case for term limits. (11/5/96)

Hints on Light and Shadow - Julian Priester and Sam Rivers
Jazz, review by Michael Ullman
Suggestive, challenging, informal and occasional irritating, "Hints on Light and Shadow" is not, as Dexter Gordon liked to say about music he liked, your average B flat. (05/13/97)

The Brown Album - Primus
Pop/Rock, review by Ezra Gale
Primus bassist and vocalist Les Claypool has always written some of the craftiest lyrics around, and "The Brown Album" proves he hasn't lost his knack for satire. (07/18/97)

Chaos and Disorder - Prince
Pop/Rock, review by James Marcus
Prince says Warner Bros. has "enslaved" him, but with "Chaos and Disorder" he's doing his best work in years. (7/22/96)

Emancipation - Prince
Pop/Rock, review by Patrick Macias
Prince's 3-CD set flaunts his new family values. (11/25/96)

Live On Tour - John Prine
Folk/Country, review by Mike Britten
In a world where even John Prine can be found on the Information Superhighway, a disc like the good-natured and laid-back "Live on Tour" may be just the thing to calm you down. (04/23/97)

The Fat of The Land - The Prodigy
Pop/Rock, review by BY Gavin McNett
With "Fat of the Land," the Prodigy proves they're a rock band now, though still a techno-flavored one, with enough hip-hop accents and wiggy wibble noises to make them commercial radio format-busters.(07/11/97)

OK Computer - Radiohead
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
With "OK Computer," Radiohead has finally hit their stride, crafting a dense, dizzying album that smartly welds their modern ennui to complex, intriguing -- and sometimes genuinely frightening -- pop music. (07/17/97)

Restraining Bolt - Radish
Pop/Rock, review by Keith Moerer
Looking at the teen stars of Hanson and Radish as well, as 16-year-old blues prodigy Jonny Lang, it's clear that the youth of these teen idols is supposed to grab our attention -- but they'll be damned if they're confined by it. (06/06/97)

One More Time - Real McCoy
Pop/Rock, review by Michael Ullman
Cynics might expect from this pop trio all the anguish, tragedy and fury of Barbie and Ken dolls dancing to a house beat -- but even cynics will find that wind-up camp works on Real McCoy's "One More Time." (05/14/97)

Hazel - Red Krayola
Pop/Rock, review by Joe Rosenthal
Art rock pioneers "The Red Krayola:" Drunken, inspired poetry (12/16/96)

City Life - Steve Reich
Classical, review by Matthew Daines
Collaborating with conductor Paul Hillier, New York composer Steve Reich embodies both the old and new of his best minimalist works on the colorful "City Life." (04/14/97)

At play in the fields of the bored - REM
Pop/Rock, review Stephanie Zacharek
"New Adventures in Hi-Fi" proves once again that REM is impossible to dismiss.
Text-only version. (9/9/96)

Minstrel of Sincerity - Jonathan Richman
Pop/Rock, review by Sam Hurwitt
Jonathan Richman, the celebrity no one has heard of, croons sad, sweet, irresistible songs.
Text-only version. (9/16/96)

Mixing it Up - The concert for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Pop/Rock, review by Joyce Millman
The concert for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame showcases rock's wide-ranging family.
Text-only version. (9/2/96)

Live at Soldier Field - The Rolling Stones
Pop/Rock, review by Rennie Sparks
It was hard not to love the Stones when they played at Chicago's Soldier Field Tuesday night. At the concert that kicked off their long-awaited world tour, the rock icons were clearly aiming to please (09/25/97)

Bridges to Babylon- Rolling Stones
Pop/Rock review by Sean Elder
Maybe it's comforting to know that rock 'n' roll's elder statesmen can still crank out rock riffs and boozy ballads in their sleep -- but it's too bad they have to take that judgment literally. Sean Elder makes an arhument for early retirement.(11/05/97)

Dedicated to the One I Love - Linda Ronstadt
Pop/Rock, review by Joyce Millman
Linda Ronstadt joins a generation of rockers with a brand new reason to sing "Baby I Love You." (6/10/96)

Brand New - Salt-n-pepa
Pop/Rock review by Gina Arnold
Salt-n-Pepa is the more empowered, more thoughtful, and ultimately higher artistic expression of the Spice Girls pop-like confectionary -- but to knock either is to be on the wrong side of the argument. (11/13/97)

The Fawn - The Sea and Cake
Pop/Rock, review by Terri Sutton
The Sea and Cake has jilted New Wave bounce and tickle for a more subdued, almost atmospheric groove on "The Fawn." (04/04/97)

1+1 - Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock
Jazz/R&B, review by Ezra Gale
On "1+1," Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter are at it again, and in contrast to some of the pair's recent solo efforts, it's the kind of work that reminds us of why these two jazz giants are so revered in the first place. (07/23/97)

Songs in the Key of Springfield - The Simpsons
Soundtracks/Compilations, review by Milo Miles
With its mix of satire, rip-offs and wickedly dark lyrics, "Songs in the Key of Springfield" fine excuse to immerse yourself in the Simpsons universe. (03/31/97)

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 -Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Classical review by Paul Festa
At the very least, Bruckner's is an Old Testament god, full of fire and brimstone and willing to use it along with a brass section armed with Wagner tubas. This music uses religion the way a Puritan preacher does: to scare the pants off you (11/19/97)

Spice World - Spice Girls
Pop/Rock review by Gina Arnold
Salt-n-Pepa is the more empowered, more thoughtful, and ultimately higher artistic expression of the Spice Girls pop-like confectionary -- but to knock either is to be on the wrong side of the argument. (11/13/97)

The Anthology of American Folk Music - Harry Smith
Folk, review by Alex Abramovich
Even today, 45 years after it's initial release, an entire generation of musicians inspired by Harry Smith lapse into reverential, religious terms when speaking of "The Anthology of American Folk Music" -- and record stores are having a hard time keeping the Smithsonian's reissue in stock. (10/06/97)

Dots and Loops - Stereolab
Pop/Rock, review by Joshua Klein
On their latest release, "Dots and Loops," England's prolific smart-poppers have found use for things long ago dismissed or discounted as outmoded: antiquated analog synthesizers, cheesy cocktail jazz, crusty Krautrock, even hand-me-down Marxist ideology (09/23/97)

Sweet Sixteen - Royal Trux
Pop/Rock, review by Charles Taylor
The Royal scam: '70s boogie from post-punk pranksters (2/19/96)

Sarge - Charcoal
Pop/Rock, review by Staphanie Zacharek
Gentle bravery beyond belief (02/05/97)

SaxEmble - SaxEmble
Jazz/R&B, review by Milo Miles
Sax appeal for the acid-jazzers, neoboppers and moldy figs (12/6/96)

Quartets for Four Solo Voices - Franz Schubert
Classical, review by Michael Ullman
The vocal quartet was one of the most popular musical genres in Schubert's Germany, and no one but Schubert could have written the gracefully flowing melodies so beautifully rendered here by the New York Vocal Arts Ensemble. (04/30/97)

The Beautiful Thing - Stephen Scott
Jazz/R&B, review by Andrew Gilbert
Thelonius would be proud: Young piano master Stephen Scott comes of age. (01/31/97)

Do It Yourself - The Seahorses
Pop/Rock, review by Natasha Stovall
A passel of English blokes as dedicated to the revival of opulent '60s Brit-pop as John Squire's Stone Roses ever were,the Suire-fronted Seahorses rev up jangly guitars and fat choral vocals like Vespa scooters on "Do It Yourself." (06/24/97)

The Basement Tapes - Sebadoh and Scrawl
Pop/Rock, review by Milo Miles
Persistence pays off for two veteran indie rockers, Sebadoh and Scrawl.
Text-only version. (9/23/96)

Pete - Pete Seeger
Country/folk, review by Sam Hurwitt
Pete Seeger, the folk legend and onetime Red Scare target, sounds great on his first studio album in 17 years. (5/27/96)

Other Songs - Ron Sexsmith
Pop/Rock, review by Keith Moerer
With his tremulous voice and hushed melodies, Ron Sexsmith proves he knows all about love's rough patches, but that he's stuck it out -- a course with its own mix of sacrifice and reward. (06/23/97)

K - Kula Shaker
Pop/Rock, review by Keith Moerer
They'll feel dumb when hash wears off. (11/26/96)

Shocked, Shaken and Stirred - Michelle Shocked
Pop/Rock, By Cynthia Joyce
Michelle Shocked talks about declaring war and finding peace. (10/14/96)

Brand New Knife - Shonen Knife
Pop/Rock, review by Michelle Goldberg
In the heydey of sarcasm-sick American bands, no one comes close to Shonen Knife for pure cotton-candy punk exhilaration.(3/25/97)

Anthology: The Colpix Years - Nina Simone
Jazz/R&B, review by Steven Stolder
Three decades of rage and passion: A sterling Nina Simone collection (12/19/96)

The Aeroplane Flies High - The Smashing Pumpkins
Pop/Rock, review by Gavin McNett
New Smashing Pumpkins: Smells like 5-CD hubris. (12/3/96)

Gone Again - Patti Smith
Pop/Rock, review by Stephanie Zacharek
Patti Smith's new "Gone Again" is a meditation on grief that gets richer and simpler each time you listen to it. (7/1/96)

Becoming X - Sneaker Pimps
Pop/Rock, review by Hans Eisenbeis
The trip-hop trio's debut stays true to the po-mo brew (2/27/96)

Winter Pageant - The Softies
Pop/Rock, review by Mark Athitakis
Cuddly punk torch songs (3/7/97)

Straightaways - Son Volt
Pop/Rock, review by Jay W. Babcock
Great records come from living life, not from driving by it, and as Son Volt's "Straightaways" suggests, the road and its rigors may be the artistic kiss of death for a band perpetually on tour. (05/12/97)

Chocolate Supa Highway - Spearhead
Jazz/R&B, review by Donnell Alexander
Former Disposable Hero Michael Franti brings his adventurous spirit to Spearhead's head-nodding hip-hop on "Chocolate Supa Highway." (04/24/97)

Strand - The Spinanes
Pop/Rock, review by Cynthia Joyce
"Strand," the new album by the Spinanes, proves that Rebecca Gates is not just another Angry Woman Rocker. (2/24/96)

"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space," - Spiritualized
Pop/Rock, review by Joshua Klein
With "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space," the third album by Spiritualized, leader Jason Pierce continues his quest for the ultimate musical high. Building upon the heady mix of Suicide, the Velvet Underground and '60s garage rock mined by Pierce's old band, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized incorporates additional elements of blues and gospel, giving the music an even more overt spiritual nature.(08/11/97)

68 Million Shades - Spring Heel Jack
Pop/Rock, review by Milo Miles
Spring Heel Jack: Non-stop drum 'n' bass head trip (02/03/97)

Looking For The Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen
Pop/Rock, review by Adam Block
Baby, the Boss was born to slum. (12/30/95)

200 More Miles - Cowboy Junkies
Gentle Creatures - Tarnation
Country, review by Sam Hurwitt
Sam Hurwitt mainlines the Cowboy Junkies and Tarnation. (12/2/95)

Lisa Stansfield - Lisa Stansfield
Pop/Rock, review by Charles Taylor
On her recent self-titled release, Lisa Stansfield makes mature make-out music and some of the lushest dance music around. (08/01/97)

Dots and Loops - Stereolab
Pop/Rock, review by Joshua Klein
On their latest release, "Dots and Loops," England's prolific smart-poppers have found use for things long ago dismissed or discounted as outmoded: antiquated analog synthesizers, cheesy cocktail jazz, crusty Krautrock, even hand-me-down Marxist ideology. (09/23/97)

Police Academy - Strontium 90
Pop/Rock, review by Gavin McNett Strontium 90 was, by any sane standards, an unremarkable example of a bad sort of thing. But in the end -- and buried in every track of "Police Academy" is a hint of it -- glory would get her hooks into the boys who would later become known as The Police. (09/10/97)

Stravinsky in Moscow - Igor Stravinsky conducting the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and The USSR Symphony Orchestra
Classical, review by Michael Ullman
Because these rare Russian performances were as much political as musical events, Stravinsky didn't say a word about the musical experience. Nonetheless, the concerts were important, if for no other reason than because after this visit, his music began to be played in his homeland once again. (08/20/97)

Static and Silence - The Sundays
Pop/Rock, review by David Bowman
Remarkably similar in sound and texture to their previous albums, the Sundays' new LP "Static & Silence" is as lush and as wistful as a college freshmen's diary, carefully timed to blare out of dorm rooms all autumn. (09/22/97)

Indoor Living - Superchunk
Pop/Rock, review by John Cook Superchunk isn't just run-of-the-mill college band stuff anymore, as they prove on the more polished and produced "Indoor Living." (09/11/97)

Mirador - Tarnation
Pop/Rock, review by Douglas Wolk
When Tarnation lead singer Paula Frazer croons on the band's third release "Mirador," she's so filled with lonesome cowgirl emotion that at times it sounds like heaven itself is crying. (04/16/97)

Retreat From the Sun - That Dog
Pop/Rock, review by Stephanie Zacharek
Even though you hear lots of girlish innocence and longing on That Dog's "Retreat from the Sun," the specter of bad-ass desire is never far behind. (05/28/97)

House of Music - Tony Toni Toné
Jazz/R&B, review by Jennie Yabroff
Tony Toni Toné's latest is all talk, no action. (11/12/96)

Triumph of the Weird - They Might Be Giants
Pop/Rock, review by Sam Hurwitt
More songs about Nixon and girlfriends from alt-rock's original free spirits, They Might Be Giants
Text-only version. (9/23/96)

Michael Tilson Thomas
Classical, review by Douglas McLennan
If classical music is going to survive in the modern culture it has to appeal to new audiences, and Michael Tilson Thomas has demonstrated some encouraging success with that challenge. His Mahler, Copland and Prokofiev discs have all been on Billboard's Best Seller list, and the Prokofiev won a Grammy this year for best orchestral performance. (07/02/97)

Alma Brasileira: Music of Villa-Lobos Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Classical, review by Paul Festa
Michael Tilson Thomas' shining interpretation of Villa-Lobos (2/26/96)

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943): Piano Concerto No. 4, Corelli Variations, Piano Sonata No. 2, Prelude in C-sharp mino - Michael Tilson Thomas
Classical, review by Michael Ullman
These performances are technically flawless, lyrical and full of dramatic tension -- and would have been nearly revelatory 50 years ago. (2/25/98)

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
Soundtrack, review by Brad Weiners
Drug binges? Road craziness? Yawn. (12/4/96)

"Curtains" - Tindersticks
Pop/Rock, review by Allen Sheetz
Irony and pathos -- strange bedfellows in contemporary British pop music -- commingle like ingredients in an extra dry martini on the London-based Tindersticks' third full-length release, the crafty and pointillistic "Curtains." (07/16/97)

Surrender to the Night - Trans Am
Pop/Rock, review by Robert Levine
Beyond Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Trans Am heads prog rock's second wave. (01/23/97)