“The Marshall Mathers LP”

Eminem

You probably thought Eminem couldn’t take freedom of speech any further than his 1999 album, “The Slim Shady LP,” but 2000 has brought on even more controversy for this white boy from Detroit.

Before Eminem’s latest, “The Marshall Mathers LP,” was even released, the first single, “The Real Slim Shady,” was already drawing attention from the media and music industry because he attacks female pop star Christina Aguilera, accusing her of having oral sex with MTV’s Carson Daly and Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.

Not only does Eminem tell the world about his hatred for N’Sync, Britney Spears and Aguilera, he also devotes an entire skit and song verse to ripping on the Insane Clown Posse, and he mentions Christopher Reeves twice.

But the way Eminem’s lyrical genius brings these things together is what makes the rips and disses so smart and funny.

The word genius is an understatement for the quality of rapping and rhyming that “The Marshall Mathers LP” brings.

Em’s lyrics on each and every song actually make points and get messages across; they’re not just raps about women, booze and blunts.

By far the best track on the album is called “Stan,” about a fan who sends Em a bunch of letters and tapes, describing his similar life and how Em has influenced him.

The last verse of the song is Em responding to this fan. That verse, and the catchy singing of female singer, Dido, along with the sound of rain in the background make this song absolutely amazing while showing off a more sentimental side of Em.

The points he makes about his influence on people turns the tables on his critics, telling parents not to blame him but to blame themselves.

In “Who Knew,” he sings, “don’t blame me when little Eric jumps off of the terrace/ you should have been watching him/ apparently you ain’t parents.”

Other clever verses from “Who Knew” talk about violence and how it’s all over the place, not just in his raps. He demonstrates how easy it is to bring a gun into the country when he “couldn’t sneak a plastic pellet gun through customs over in London.”

Songs like “The Way I Am” and “Kim” bring out Em’s anger as his rapping is unlike anything heard on “The Slim Shady LP.”

Lighter songs like “The Real Slim Shady” and “Drug Ballad” show Em having a good time with his raps.

Unlike Em’s last album, which consisted of guests on almost every track, only a few songs have others rapping along. “Remember Me” featuring RBX and Sticky Fingaz is the only bad song on “The Marshall Mathers LP,” but “Bitch Please II” with Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and Nate Dogg will be as big as the names involved.

After hearing “The Marshall Mathers LP” one thing is for sure, Eminem is pissed off at a lot of people and a lot of things, but the way he goes about rapping about them is what makes him a genius.

**** 1/2

— Kyle Moss

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“Binaural”

Pearl Jam

If you haven’t faced the fact that Pearl Jam will never sound like their first few albums, most notably the rocking sounds of 1991’s “Ten” and 1994’s “Vitalogy,” you need to, because they are a different band than they once were.

But the softer rock of 1996’s “No Code” and 1998’s “Yield” shouldn’t be expected of their latest, “Binaural,” either. Frontman Eddie Vedder’s vocal prowess will never be the same as the chord-pounding sounds from the group’s early ’90s singles “Evenflow” and “Jeremy,” but “Binaural” definitely has Vedder singing as good as ever, with a more mature sound. The amount of slower songs outweighs the more rocking ones, but with tracks like “Breakerfall” and “God’s Dice” kicking off the album, they set the tone for what is probably some of Pearl Jam’s most rocking sounds since “Vitalogy.”

Vedder’s voice is strong and his maturity allows him to shine on the softer songs, but he tends to lack intensity on the harder ones. Songs like “Light Years” demonstrate his true vocal talent but a song like “Grievance” almost gives off an impression that Vedder is getting old.

Guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard are strong as usual, but only shine through on a few tracks. The first single, “Nothing As It Seems,” has some of the strongest guitar work on the record.

Some of the catchier slow songs are “Thin Air” and “Of The Girl.” With a relaxed yet powerful Vedder singing about love, the songs just flow right through you. “Binaural” is an album filled with great music by very talented musicians and one of the best frontmen of the ’90s. But it doesn’t contain enough awesome material to make it anything special.

When a band like Pearl Jam has been making good music for as long as they have, a strong album is expected, but a great album is what will put it over the edge, and. “Binaural” is not over the edge.

— Kyle Moss

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“‘Til We Outnumber ‘Em: The Songs of Woody Guthrie”

Various artists

Woody Guthrie was the minstrel of the quintessential American experience. He was born in Oklahoma and lived in the Dustbowl and the Depression with his eyes wide open all the while. He saw our country the way it was and still is in many respects.

He wrote romantic songs about outlaws vilified in the popular press who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.

He wrote about the struggle of working men and women who were crushed under the boot heel of strike-breakers and greedy corporate interests.

He wrote about the struggles of migrant laborers years before the rest of the country began to take notice.

He wrote songs for children, poems and stories about the value of words and music in our lives.

He wrote and sang songs that live with us today, most notably “This Land is Your Land” sung by nearly every grade-schooler in this country in spite of the fact that Woody Guthrie was a clearly a “small C” communist.

“‘Til We Outnumber ‘Em: The Songs of Woody Guthrie” is a live tribute album celebrating Guthrie’s induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. The recordings come from the ceremony itself and contain performances by Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie, Indigo Girls, David Pirner, Tim Robbins and Bruce Springsteen.

The songs on this album are interpretations of the originals, but for the most part, the departures are not significant as there are no electronica versions on this album. All of the tracks are performed as they were written: for one singer with a guitar.

Between the tracks are readings by Woody Guthrie’s son Arlo, Tim Robbins and others. They read Guthrie’s poems and essays about freedom as well as tell stories about their experiences with Woody Guthrie.

One of the sweetest is by Arlo Guthrie, who says that what he got most from his father was what he took from his father’s work: a sense of the responsibility that comes with being really free.

“Hard Travelin’ Hootenanny” opens the album and is performed by the entire group of performers. It is largely the definition of a hootenanny and everyone from Springsteen to Robbins takes a turn on the microphone while the audience gets riled up.

Billy Bragg’s version of “Against the Law” harkens back to Bragg’s “Angry Young Man” days when he used to perform with just his guitar and his passionate, thickly accented English.

David Pirner’s “Pretty Boy Floyd” is one of the better tracks on the album. For a guy who was a grunge icon, Pirner sounds like he really gets this stuff.

Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco may do the most of any of the artists to show Guthrie’s influence on them in “Ramblin’ Round” and “Do Re Me.” These contemporary folk artists owe a great deal to Guthrie and their songs are some of the most heartfelt on the album.

The only downside of this album is there are only 11 songs, it really leaves you wanting more, which is ultimately the point.

**** 1/2

— Greg Jerrett

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“Silver and Gold”

Neil Young

Neil Young’s back and, like a fine wine, aging nicely.

“Silver and Gold” has all the quality of a 1953 Dom Perignon at only a fraction of the cost.

Popping the cork off this one gives the listener no sense of buyer’s remorse as with some other dinosaurs who haven’t aged quite so well.

The album is entirely acoustic and is such a mellow and relaxing musical experience that to listen to it while drinking coffee would result in a bizarre synergistic effect like taking speed and valium at the same time.

It’s gold from top to bottom and side to side.

This is the kind of music David Crosby listens to while he tries to wait patiently for major organs. Somebody needs to give Eminem a copy of this so he can see what real music is and shut the hell up.

When ancient man tried to conceive of the universe and only came up with a finite model with the earth at the center of it all, it was only because they did not have access to “Silver and Gold,” the new album by Neil Young.

If they had, they would surely have figured out that there is something in the universe greater than man and that thing is Neil Young.

If you are the proprietor of a coffee shop and have not reserved a copy at your local corporate death record store, get in your SUV and drive like the wind because the kids are going to want to sit and listen to Neil for hours while spending money on your goods.

Buy it, stick it in your CD player and leave it there for all eternity, it’s that good!

— Greg Jerrett

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“Last Date”

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris is the female Neil Young of country music, a vocalist of some renown who has been coming into her folksy own in recent years.

This is not one of those CDs. But wait, there’s more.

This CD is a re-release of a classic live performance from 1982 when Harris was touring with the Hot Band.

It is for Harris what “Live at Budokan” was for Cheap Trick and if you are a fan of country music, you probably already know that.

“Last Date” hasn’t been available for years and was never available on disc until now. The CD contains two bonus tracks bringing the total up to 14, but even without them, the album is full to the brim with rich country goodness.

For 1982, this collection of songs is ahead of its time. It does have a great deal of that “Tammy Wynette is my hero” flavor, but Harris still shines through, especially on track six, the Bruce Springsteen classic, “Racing in the Street.”

Harris adds her own piquant after taste to the Boss’ gritty, working-class anthem and takes it up a notch in spite of what Boss fans might tell you, but then again they are usually a biased lot obsessed with maintaining the purity of Springsteenism and alienating everyone else by forcing him down their throats at every opportunity. Well, it won’t work.

When Harris performs “I’m Movin’ On,” it really is like she has tapped into the spirit of the road not normally embodied by grungey hippie-looking dudes like Willie Nelson.

But when you have spent as much time on the road staring at the bottom of a bottle as Harris has, you too will have earned the right to sing road songs like a sprite hopped up on gin and juice and whatever else the drummer left in the medicine cabinet.

This album makes listeners want to go out and tour with the Hot Band themselves, but don’t do it. That way lies madness. Rather enjoy this tasty treat from the sanctity of your own home.

— Greg Jerrett