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New CD releases from Phil Collins, TLC, Madonna, Pearl Jam?!?! What year is this?!?

Today’s New Releases
Of all of today’s new discs I have to admit that I really like…and don’t hate me for this…the new Phil Collins. It is just good to hear his voice again.
It’s also good to see that Pearl Jam haven’t stopped the downward career trajectory path that they began after their second disc. Each one of their releases has done worse than the one before.
And there are other good things coming out today as well. Take a look!
Here are the new CD releases for Tuesday, November 12th, 2002:
PHIL COLLINS- TESTIFY: Adult contemporary titan Phil Collins is back this week with “Testify” (Atlantic), his first all-new solo album in six years. The set also marks the first release of new Collins music since the 1999 soundtrack to “Tarzan,” which won the artist an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy on the strength of the single “You’ll Be in My Heart.” Much of it is exactly what you’d expect from Collins, and that is exactly what I wanted. I quite like this disc.
JAY-Z- THE BLUEPRINT 2- THE GIFT AND THE CURSE: This is a sequel of sorts to 2001’s Grammy Award-nominated “The Blueprint” and its a double-disc collection, the first for a Def Jam artist. In addition to Beyonce Knowles, who appears on first single “’03 Bonnie & Clyde,” the album features appearances by Dr. Dre, Rakim, Truth Hurts, and Lenny Kravitz. There are all different types of music on there, from rock to soul to reggae — it’s very experimental.” Unfortunately there is too much filler on this set. It would have been an awesome single disc release.
TLC- 3D: There was a point when Arista considered compiling a TLC greatest-hits package and adding on the new songs that the trio had recorded before the untimely death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in April. But that notion was tabled. For remaining members Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, there was nothing to discuss. “When the greatest-hits idea was put out there, I said, ‘It’s not time for that now. I’m not done,'” Watkins recalls. “Nobody knows Lisa better than us girls. She’d have said, ‘Girl, you better get out there and finish [an album]’.” The result of Watkins’ and Thomas’ inspirational momentum is TLC’s fourth full-length, “3D.” A little more than half of the 13-track album was completed before the car accident in Honduras that left Lopes dead. She already had conceived the title, devised the visuals, and written six songs, including lead single “Girl Talk.” Envisioned by Lopes as another look at the three different personalities that comprise TLC, “3D” finds the threesome once again setting their sexy, sassy, girls-just-want-to-have-fun attitude to music while also showing a vulnerable side. The dishy “Girl Talk” — described by Watkins as “No Scrubs, part two” and peppered with Lopes’ signature salty rap — takes male half-steppers in relationships to task, while the lush “In Your Arms Tonight” calls to mind old-school Prince. “Damaged,” one of the six songs Watkins penned, paints a moving picture of a woman who is scared to go forward with a new relationship. After several listens I still can’t think of this as anything other than a way to capitalize on the death of Lopes. The tunes are good, but I wish they had waited until at least late NEXT year to release this CD.
PEARL JAM- RIOT ACT: Seven albums into its career, Pearl Jam has yet to surrender to the musical complacency that often comes with advancing age. The first single “I Am Mine” is an awesome track, but the rest is “been there, done that.” Perhaps its time for Pearl Jam to call it quits.
Additional noteworthy titles hitting stores this week include:
— A new album from Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, “Under Construction” (Elektra), featuring the hit “Work It.”
— The latest sets from modern rock acts 3 Doors Down (“Away From the Sun”), Crazy Town (“darkhorse”), and Saliva (“Back Into Your System”).
— Dancehall star Sean Paul’s “Gimme the Light.”
— TV-bred boy band O-Town’s “02.”
— The soundtrack to the upcoming James Bond film “Die Another Day,” featuring the title theme by Madonna.
— The Artemis label debut from veteran rock outfit the Pretenders, “Loose Screw.”
— A four-CD collection from Irish vocalist Enya, “Only Time.”
— A concert set from Jimi Hendrix, “Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight.”
— A double-disc best of from Elton John, “Greatest Hits 1970-2002.”
— A holiday collection from Barry Manilow, “A Christmas Gift of Love.”
— Chewin’ The Fat by Rapper Fat Joe.