He gets to bang Gwen Stefani whenever he wants, so no wonder it’s taken dreamy ex-Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale so long to release his debut solo album. In fairness, the betrothed couple have been active co-parents in recent years.

The '90s success of Bush was the beginning of the meltdown of grunge. Their songs were genuine enough, but they certainly lacked everything that made Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains the genre’s heroes.


“Can’t Stop The World” immediately makes you imagine the opening credits of a teen coming-of-age television series a la Dawson's Creek. There’s not a track that doesn’t feature Rossdale’s contrived, trumped-up plaintive vocals.

“This Place Is On Fire” might be the standout track, featuring heavy-synthed, multi-tracked vocals that Queen might not have minded as a B-side. However, it is the overall mellowness of the album that really makes the album come across so stale.

Gavin Rossdale is arguably a good singer, but he remains in a rut.

“The Way That I Love” is already a hit, but “So Over You” has the r&b diva-in-training/actress returning with some serious muscle behind her. Much of the album is radio-ready, but the songs resonate with melody and confident vocals. There’s much more passion to this singer than we might’ve realized before.

This makes No. 28 for Capitol’s hugely successful series of over-played Clear Channel anthems. From Chris Brown (“With You”) to OneRepublic (“Stop and Stare”), the latest hits are included, but you also get a double-dose of John Mayer, whose “Say” is made the collection, as well as his guest-contribution on Fall Out Boy’s “Beat It.” However, Mayer isn’t the only two-fer in this compilation: Chris Brown’s hit-duet with American Idol doll-face Jordin Sparks, “No Air” adds to the star power. Additionally, there’s a little country (the husky-voiced Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This”) and some shit: Britney Spears’ “Break The Ice.”

Just as with Top-40 radio, which lost its cred when Reagan was still in office, dance-music generally ain’t what it used to be either – and this collection of bygone dance-gems illustrates to shameful clarity. The trend today seems to be about glorifying any remixed, no matter how uninspired, pop hit of any girl-pop star. These songs reflect an era when genuine, inspired tracks were written for the harshest of critics: The clubber. Barbara Tucker’s “I Get Lifted” sounds more straight outta’ church than ever, and Junior Jack (“Club Mix”) never disappoints. Other tracks include: ATFC Presents Onephatdeeva (“In & Out Of My Life”)’; Armand Van Helden (“Witch Doktor”); The Muthafunkaz featuring Marc Evans (“I Don’t Want You Anymore”). 45 tracks in all in the three-disc set.

Shame on Berry Gordy for not allowing musician-credits on all those legendary Motown hits of the ‘60s and ‘70s. But more people know who the long-unofficially dubbed “Funk Brothers” are today, and the surviving guys who comprise Motown’s multi-talented rhythm section have steadily been getting their due a lot in recent years – thanks to eye-opening documentaries and good press. Guest vocalists help guitarist Eddie Willis, bassist Bob Babbitt and drummer Uriel Jones – the multi-racial line-up who was doin’ it long before Stax Records made similar history – play a New Year’s Eve show in Orlando, Florida, blazing through many Motown hits – all of which they played on the original hit versions: “Shotgun,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Signed Seal, Delivered,” “Dancing In The Streets,” “Yon Can’t Hurry Love” and several more. All assembled on a very well-mixed live-album and companion DVD.

The multi-syllabically-gifted speed-rapper has issued what could almost be described as a “ring-tone collection,” which features 37 sample-tracks of recent catalogue, albeit edited and mixed well. Many of the tracks barely clock in at two minutes, so beware.

Weezer has maintained remarkable staying power over the past decade, and these Rick Rubin-produced anthems are as brilliantly sophomoric as ever. Still, “Cold Dark World,” a slow-groove lament, elevates them to a new level of maturity and musicality. What these guys have against actually naming their albums puzzles folks, but it’s become somewhat of a running joke, but their rock certainly is not.