Daily Staff Writer

“Time Out of Mind”

Bob Dylan

It’s been a long time since Bob Dylan has released an album this good and it’s about time he did. Dylan has become a legend in our society, with lyrics that are pure poetry and music capable of stirring the soul.

There are plenty of songs on “Time Out of Mind” that are heartwarming. They aren’t as revolutionary or activist as Dylan’s earlier stuff, but the music is still top-notch and his lyrics are still as insightful and lush as they ever were.

“Love Sick” is an example of this. The song creates an eerie atmosphere (partly due to a Hammond B3 organ) that comes complete with great rhythm guitar riffs and a light breeze of drumming. It is reminiscent of Julee Cruise’s “Twin Peaks” material or Leonard Cohen.

“Highlands,” “Make You Feel My Love” and “Standing In The Doorway” are also good songs. “Standing…” is especially noteworthy because it is the first time on the CD Dylan’s voice strays from a cigarette and whiskey-soaked drawl.

Unbelievably, Dylan’s voice sounds pretty good on nearly every song. “Million Miles,” a blues influenced jam fest with all the trimmings, also shows that his voice isn’t nearly as shot as everyone believed it was.

“Dirt Road Blues” thrives with a loud bass section (which overpowers the vocals). It is a catchy song with great acoustic guitar playing, courtesy of Dylan.

“Cold Irons Bound” is a lukewarm rocker, filled with spirited vocals, decent drumming and a catchy organ.

The moodiest songs on the CD are “Can’t Wait” and “Not Dark Yet.” The former is a descent into the hopelessness of time (it is also littered with delightful surface tension), while the latter showcases raspy Dylan vocals, signature poetic lyrics and a mellow, soulful melody.

“Til I Fell In Love With You” is the best song on the CD. Its slow-burning, bluesy tone is accentuated with the classic Dylan whine and enough rhythm guitar and organ bridges to feed music leeches for years.

Overall, the CD is a fairly solid collection of witty lyrics and heartfelt music. It might not be Dylan’s best work (“Blonde on Blonde”) and it may lack the activist spirit, but it is definitely worth checking out.

4 stars out of five.

— Ben Jones

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“So Much For The Afterglow”

Everclear

One of the first CDs I ever reviewed was of a relatively unknown trio from Portland, Oregon, known as Everclear.

The record was called “World of Noise” and kicked off with the tune “Your Genius Hands” — one of the most innovative rock songs I had ever heard.

The guitar work was so incredible and the voice of Art Alexakis was a perfect match. I instantly became an Everclear fan and have followed the band since.

The Everclear I once loved became the Everclear I cringed at a year and a half ago when the band released “Sparkle and Fade” — the most commercial, radio-friendly record of the year.

But the band is back at what it does best with the release of “So Much For The Glow.”

Alexakis displays tremendous song-writing ability, both musically and lyrically, particularly on songs such as “One Hit Wonder” and “Normal Like You.”

“Everything To Everyone” is Everclear’s best radio release to date, taking full advantage of sound effects, a wicked bass line by Craig Montoya and a catchy chorus courtesy of Alexakis.

“So Much For The Afterglow,” the song, is a step in an entirely different direction for the band. The song begins in a Beach-Boy-harmonizing fashion and takes off into a beautiful twist of Weezer and Green Day rolled into one.

“El Distorto De Melodica” is also something new for Everclear, as an entirely instrumental tune. And the cool thing about the song is it rocks, even without lyrics.

“So Much For The Afterglow” has a lot of the signature Everclear solo-guitar intros with Alexakis’ voice laid on top, which sound as clever as usual.

If only the band would write another “Your Genius Hands.”

3 1/2 stars our of five.

— Corey Moss

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“Jerky Boys 4”

Jerky Boys

If you’re into baudy, foul-mouthed humor that could make Howard Stern blush, “Jerky Boys 4” will tickle your rib bone until it falls out.

Jerky Boys have practically patented the idea of making “jerk” phone calls with the idea of taping people who either respond to ridiculous questions or give ridiculous answers — a gimmick so successful it even parlayed them a feature motion picture, which flopped.

“What do you mean, why do I yell and scream and curse? You don’t like that this is the way I come off? This is me, I’m sorry if I offended you,” character Frank Rizzo sarcastically says after harassing an applicant for the Jeopardy! game-show for four minutes.

Dead pigeons up the ass and broken, dirty thermometers are the stuff these guys are made of. The sound effects are over the top, just like the acting.

What makes the album funny is you wouldn’t think anybody would believe these phone calls, but people actually do.

“I think you have to shoot these people,” says a cleaning lady after hearing character Tarbash get beat over the head with a frying pan.

This CD is also an enhanced CD release, which includes games and more of the Jerky Boys prank material.

So calling all “flat-chested, tap dance freaks,” get off your ass, Jerky, and pick up “Jerky Boys 4.”

3 stars out of five.

— Steve “Flash” Juon

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“Bean, The Album”

Various Artists

Mr. Bean was always an entertaining comedy, so I’m not sure where the soundtrack went wrong. It certainly isn’t engaging or funny.

Rather, it serves up a platter full of lukewarm pop songs and regurgitated hits.

There is absolutely no reason why some of the material on this CD should ever have seen the light of day. Songs (I use that in the loosest definition) like OMC’s lackluster and ignorable “I Love L.A.” hinder what should have been a good soundtrack, taking Mr. Bean’s humorous show into consideration.

But Bean’s (the movie dropped the Mr.) slanted humor is missing from the soundtrack. There are a few snippets of movie dialogue inserted haphazardly here and there, but none of it is funny.

What is funny is some of the other garbage on the disc. Boyzone’s “Picture of You” is a botched combination of not-so-catchy pop, horns and a cliched melody. Louise’s “Running Back For More” is another annoying pop song that is unbearable to listen to.

10cc’s “Art For Art’s Sake” delivers a lukewarm Devo atmosphere, a few quirky vocals and an uninteresting melody. The same goes for Blair’s “Have Fun Go Mad,” a pathetic R&B tune, and Gabrielle’s “Give Me A Little More Time,” which comes across as a horrible Michael Jackson parody.

There are also plenty of greatest-hit covers. Among these are Wet Wet Wet’s butchering of the classic Beatles’ tune “Yesterday.” The group manages to eliminate all of the song’s harmony and beauty, turning a magical song into driftwood.

Susanna Hoffs offers a rendition of “Stuck In The Middle With You” (originally done by Steeler’s Wheel). The cover version offers an unique flavor to the original by throwing in a few Creedence Clearwater Revival guitar samples. Hoffs has a beautiful voice but destroys the song by making it horrendously bouncier than the original.

Rounding out the covers category is Alisha Attic’s “He’s A Rebel,” which lacks the spirit of the original. At least the producer had enough sense to use original versions of the Beach Boys’ classic “I Get Around” and Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking On Sunshine” (which was a bad song to begin with).

A few mediocre songs, Howard Goodall’s “Bean Theme (Mad Pianos)” and “Thomas Jules-Stock’s “That Kinda Guy,” aren’t enough to save this disc from belonging in a bonfire. Neither is Bean’s collaboration with Bruce Dickinson’s (Judas Priest) group, Smear Campaign.

1/2 star out of five.

— Ben Jones

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“The Sureshot Redemption”

Dres

Bah bah Black Sheep, do you still have any pull?

Perhaps singularly North Carolina’s most famous MC, Dres of the group Black Sheep made such No.1 party/club anthems as “The Choice is Yours” and “Similak Child,” which rocked jeeps from coast to coast.

Dres has chosen an interesting path to make his comeback — he established Black Pearl Records to print and distribute his record and the Web site, www.dres. com, to market and promote his new product.

Now solo, but still keeping the name Black Sheep alive for recognition, Dres flexes the same kind of laconically smooth skills that made his flow distinctive and celebrated, while also keeping it versatile with a broad variety of topics.

“As my identity coincides infinity, I’ma set it free, speaking with kinetic energy,” Dres raps on “As I Look Back,” a jam that speaks to his own direction change in life.

Creativity is definitely the name of the game — you won’t catch Dres using cliched gangster-rap phases or underground independent-artist anthems like “represent” or “keep it real.”

Dres would certainly have an excuse.

Peep songs like “Confessions,” where Dres discusses the pursuit of material gains, “Sky’s the Limit” where fellow North Cakalaka emcees like Molecules (from The Legion) flex word-play ability.

Dres hasn’t lost a step from the days of Black Sheep. As he says himself, “I laid low for six years, was in no rush to drop an album.”

Like a finely aged wine, it was certainly worth the wait — so check out the Web site and see if you can feel Dres’ pull, too.

4 1/2 stars out of five.

— Steve ‘Flash’ Juon