Daily Staff Writer

“When the Pawn”

Fiona Apple

Poor Fiona.

No matter what she does, this sultry songstress just can’t seem to get anyone to pay attention to her music.

With her 1996 release, “Tidal,” the music industry was more concerned with Apple’s “Criminal” underwear and her lash at the industry in a MTV Award acceptance speech than it was with the fascinating music.

And now with Apple’s latest effort, they’re paying more attention to the record’s 90-word poem that serves as its title.

It’s too bad because while Apple’s videos and poetry might be good, her music is much better.

As an accomplished pianist, moody vocalist and inspired lyricist, Apple is as fiercely talented as they come. She brings all of her facets together on her sophomore effort, demonstrating a higher degree of maturity and polish throughout the album than was displayed at times on “Tidal.”

The lyrics on “When the Pawn …” show marked improvement from Apple’s previous work. They’re more honest, filled with less pretense and display a wider range of emotion.

Apple mixes it up in her writing, displaying variety in her subjects and approaches. She handles standard love-song fare of rejection and desire, but she does so differently than most female songwriters.

On “Paper Bag,” Apple poignantly acknowledges that someone just won’t love her: “Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills/ Cuz I know I’m a mess he don’t wanna clean up/ I got to fold cuz these hands are too shaky to hold.”

And on “Limp,” she sends a chilling message to a man who raped her when she was only 12 years old. “And when I think of it, my fingers turn to fists/ I never did anything to you, man … So call me crazy, hold me down/ Make me cry; get off now, baby/ It won’t be long till you’ll be lying limp in your own hand.”

Apple’s craftsmanship has definitely grown, but it’s still her torch-song voice that’s most impressive.

Her husky alto can alternately croon or scat on only a moment’s notice.

Apple uses her voice as an instrument, imitating the great jazz singers of previous generations.

She deftly bounces through syncopated beats in “Fast As You Can” and then turns around and belts out soulful ballads like “I Know,” making it nearly impossible to get tired of this record.

Now if only people would get over the album title.

4 1/2 STARS

— Sara Ziegler

“‘End of Days’ soundtrack”

Various Artists

TA-DA. The triumphant return of Guns N’ Roses.

Hardly.

Axyl’s big comeback is the hyped track on the new “End of Days” soundtrack, though Mr. Geffen should have listened to the record before making that decision.

It’s not that “Oh My God” is a terrible song but come on, this is Guns ‘N’ Roses. The last time they contributed to a Schwarzenegger film, it was the raucous rock gem “You Could Be Mine,” a staple in the controversial band’s career.

“Oh My God” plunges in comparison to the GNR heyday in the late ’80s.

Axyl sounds powerless without Slash, like a crackhead doing L7 karaoke. Filter with C.C. Deville-like guitar solos.

Luckily, “End of Days” is loaded with monster acts who’ve actually mattered in the ’90s.

Limp Bizkit’s “Crushed,” which puts a “Fly Like An Eagle” twist on a “Re-arranged”-style flowdown, is as good as anything on “Significant Other,” if not better.

“Camel Song,” Korn’s pace-setting opener, rocks will all the vigor of “Got the Life,” with some funky-ass guitar work tossed in the mix.

Everlast and Eminem are also in fine form, building on their recognizable voices with thought-provoking rhymes.

Em boasts he’s “scarier than a white journalist in a room with Lauryn Hill,” in one of the records choicest moments.

Rob Zombie, Powerman 5000 and the upcoming Professional Murder Music provide the required angst for a film titled “End of Days,” while Creed caps the record with the decent power ballad, “Wrong Way.”

But the surprise tune is undoubtedly Sonic Youth’s “Dirty” tune, “Sugar Kane,” a six-minute noise epic reminiscent of “Titanium Expos‚.”

Thurston Moore antes up with a guitar/vocals combo that is irresistible.

Unlike another blonde-haired rocker from the ’80s.

3 1/2 STARS

— Corey Moss

“This Beautiful Life”

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

First noticed on the “Swingers” soundtrack and then semi-responsible for the revival of swing in the ’90s, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is back with its sophomore release, “This Beautiful Life.”

Not much has changed in the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy formula since the debut, but it’s a pattern that seems to work. On songs like “What’s Next?” and “Still In Love with You,” Scotty Morris’ distinct voice hums along with the same upbeat horns and fancy percussion that made the first album so popular.

The record does have some major downsides. There is almost no evolution in Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s sound, so the new release, although somewhat rich in content, offers nothing new.

The songs lack the zip and catchy quality of the self-titled album.

The album does have a few solid swing tunes including “I Wanna Be Like You” and “Big Time Operator.” The horn section blasts out a very catchy sound and Morris’ vocals will send you piling on the dance floor on the former, which claims the title of most danceable track on the album, while the latter boasts playability reminiscent of BBVD’s first album.

Unfortunately, the album comes off as slightly disappointing because of the hype the band received from its last album.

A sophomore jinx may be waiting in the wings for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

2 1/2 STARS

— Dewayne Hankins

“American Made Music to Strip By”

Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie continues his tradition of putting out an album of alternative mixes right on the heels of the album it parodies.

This special mirror effect is starting to wear thin. Who cares about some DJ’s interpretation of “Living Dead Girl?”

It’s like going to the dollar theater to see a movie you just saw for full price a month ago.

However, on the critical merit of the mixes themselves, the album scores well and Zombie can get the names to do remixes that are a departure from the original.

This time around we have God Lives Underwater’s interpretation of “How to Make a Monster” and Limp Bizkit DJ Lethal’s stirring rendition of “Meet the Creeper.”

This kind of variety makes an album of remixes worth the three hours you had to work at Mickey D’s cleaning out the fryer to make the money to buy it.

The tracks are good and funky, and if Zombie manages to make a few bucks on the deal then good for him.

Who hasn’t been sitting around listening to “Hellbilly Deluxe” and thought to themselves, “This is a good album but what it really needs is three more versions of ‘Superbeast’ to make it complete?”

The new mixes do add dimension to the artist’s previous work, and the Pink Pussy Mix of “Meet the Creeper” is so good you’ll freak.

Zombie takes his cinematic styling to the next level by including remixes you may have heard in such films as “The Matrix.” The CD has all the nostalgic charm of “Kiss My Ass” or “If I Were a Carpenter” without all of the sticky sentimentality.

“American Made Music to Strip By” is definitely worth the time if you like Zombie so much hearing the same songs two or three times with different effects is your bag.

3 STARS

— Greg Jerrett

“Dogma – Music from the Motion Picture”

Various Artists

“Dogma” is a disappointment to anyone who was looking forward to another groundbreaking soundtrack from the director who gave us “Clerks,” “Mallrats” and “Chasing Amy.” Those were soundtracks to be reckoned with, and fans had every right to expect something similar on Smith’s fourth stab at silver screen magic.

The entire album is incidental music from the score with the exception of a particularly boring Alanis Morissette song called “Still” as in “Hey, I still to this day remember when Alanis Morissette was ‘still’ good.” It is more of her new-age nonsense and poor man’s odes to multiculturalism and world beat.

The rest of the album is competent for an incidental music film score, but Kevin Smith fans aren’t really into that; and if they were, this album doesn’t have anything that will trip your trigger, Roy Rogers.

In fact, it is pretty syrupy and lame even for a second rate film score. It sounds like it was hashed out over the weekend after too much Chianti. It’s largely one for one.

One exception is “Mooby the Golden Calf,” a children’s choir version of Gilbert and Sullivan giving tribute to the Golden Calf. It is virtually unintelligible nonsense and even if it were audible and amusing, the effect certainly wouldn’t hold up under multiple listenings.

Go see “Dogma”, but whatever you do, don’t be tempted to buy the soundtrack in the heat of passion straight out of the theater unless you REALLY like the instrumentals.

2 STARS

— Greg Jerrett

Ratings based on a 5 STAR scale.