La la la Shangri-la

SPENDING IT

AS DECEMBER enters the calendar, music companies go all out to re-release umpteen Christmas compilations, no matter if parties tend to groove to newer sounds.

But if new sounds imply C 21's Listen (CDs Rs 350, tapes Rs 135), we are much better off sticking to FM. Sometime last year, we had condemned whoever gave this quasi-talented trio their first recording deal, but sadly, at least in Denmark, they have found favour with the audience.

The guitar-wielding pop trio (though there is no semblance of any guitar play in the saccharine sweet overtures) have song titles that go by the names of "Stuck in my heart", "You are the one" and "She cries", and the vocal quivering and cute looks will probably ensure that they notch up the million mark in Asia once again. But if you have a slightly evolved taste in music, don't 'listen' to them.

Richard Marx too has probably realised while going through his usual life, that lyricism need not always be about longing and yearning, aimed strictly at making younger girls develop ear sore from headphones.

So out comes My Own Best Enemy (CDs Rs 350, tapes Rs 135), a dark and confessional take on life (by the "Right here waiting" man's standards).

By his own admission Marx doesn't like to write 'happy' songs, but if his effort at getting all broody and serious is anything to go by "" you can't really do that with a voice that hasn't gotten over the sweet-smell-of-success hangover.

He will surprise his fans with lyrics like "Days go by in a pulseless haze/ Who's that person that's wearing my face", but an 'alternative Richard Marx' album this certainly isn't.

Nevertheless, it's a welcome break from the stuff that has made him millions and if Richard decides to go as oblique with his tunes and arrangement as his writing in future, his effort will surely be lauded.

Ever since Let It Be got re-mastered and re-released, we knew it was purely a matter of time before re-releases proclaiming 'bonus tracks' would make their rounds.

And John Lennon's Rock n Roll [CDs Rs 400] has a built-in contextuality in the form of a very special Christmas message to Paul, George, Ringo, Yoko and the British. But that's no reason to buy this.

If you haven't heard this classic 'straight rock n' roll' album, this is probably a good time to pick it up. The album, originally John's tribute to his influences Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Ben E King and Buddy Holly, has some fabulous covers like the classic "Stand by me" and "Slippin' and slidin'".

The bonus tracks "To know her is to love her" and "Since my baby left me" are welcome additions, especially the latter, which has a different version than the original. But if you want to hear the best take on "Be-bop-a-lula", we suggest you pick up McCartney's MTV Unplugged. Blind Lennon fans may say I'm biased, but I'm not the only one.

And even if you aren't a blind Mark Knopfler fan, you should nevertheless pick up Shangri-La [CDs Rs 375]. It's important to note that Mark's guitar hand was nearly silenced about a year ago, following a motorcycle accident.

He's okay, though, and the laidback genius continues with his unique brand of cinematic storytelling. Worries remain about how his playing might have been affected "" there are few, if any, six-string acrobatics heard on Shangri-La, but pyrotechnics haven't been his mainstay since he went solo with the evergreen Goldenheart.

He writes songs, not vehicles for showing off his virtuosity, which should no longer be in question anyway.

This is Mark's fourth solo album, and arguably ranks alongside his first effort as his best, with absolute diverse gems like "Boom like that" "" a song about corporate history "" Ray Kroc and the birth of McDonald's, "5:15 am" a gritty crime drama presented lyrically, and the wry "Don't crash the ambulance".

For those who understand the impact one single well-etched note of genius can have on the pregnant canvas of silence, Shangri La is a must buy.