Album Reviews
Eros Ramazzotti `E2' SonyBMG
This is an assorted collection of Italian singer/songwriter Eros Ramazzotti's hit songs commemorating the 25th anniversary of his debut. The two-CD album consists of 14 hit songs including ``Non Siamo Soli,'' a duet song with Ricky Martin.
The album also carries four new songs including ``Ci Parliamo Da Grandi'' composed and produced by renowned musician Guy Chambers with impressive melodic lines based on a slow tempo.
``Dove Si Nascondono Gli Angeli'' and ``Il Tempo Tra Di Noi'' are typical Ramazzotti styles, featuring dramatic and exotic canzone rhythms. Also, Ramazzotti turns ``L'Aurora'' into a delightful party song and also retouches various rock numbers including ``Dove C'E'Musica'' and ``Taxi Story.''
-Chung Ah-young
Abba `Number Ones' Universal
This album is a rare chance to hear Swedish pop band Abba's best hit songs carefully selected on two CDs and a DVD.
It consists of 30 hit numbers such as ``Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!'' ``Mamma Mia,'' ``Super Trouper'' and ``I Do, I Do, I Do.'' It also includes music videos of 19 number ones and rare TV clips.
The first CD has 18 catchy hit numbers while the second CD contains 12 songs, which were selected from the group's regular albums such as ``Another Town, Another Man'' from the album, ``Ring Ring'' (1973), ``Rock Me'' from the 1975 album ``ABBA'' and ``Slipping Through My Fingers'' from their last album, ``The Visitors'' (1981).
Bow Wow & Omarion `Face Off' Columbia
Rather than compare ``Face Off'' to Jay-Z's former teaming with a less-legally entangled R. Kelly, there's a better way of considering the collaboration between rapper Bow Wow and former B2K singer Omarion. Namely, shouldn't two guys who have had trouble creating a satisfying album on their own try to share the workload?
In this case, it turns out to be a good decision. ``Face Off'' is in no way a surprise, stuffed with the expected boasts about cash and chicks, from two ex-teen stars still desperate to shed their kiddie images. However, the pair picked good sources for the highly derivative backing.
``Hey Baby (Jump Off)'' jacks the beat from LL Cool J's ``Going Back to Cali'' for an entertaining, if shallow, update, while ``He Ain't Gotta Know'' takes its Southern bounce and strong synth melody from T-Pain, who produced, and the brash, brassy ``Number Ones'' sounds like a Jay-Z outtake given new life. The surprising thing is that the two don't indulge in more ``Girl Is Mine''-style banter; ``Bachelor Pad'' is the only real example.
-Dan LeRoy
Distributed by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service