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Tuesday, September 4, 2001
Outside the box

RZA'S RHYTHMS, CLEVER ALTER EGO FALL FLAT
   "Digital Bullet" (Koch)
   * * 1/2 (2 1/2 stars)

   The much-praised producer of the Wu-Tang Clan has dropped his second solo album. While much better than some of the post-Wu efforts by other ex-members, RZA's rhymes can't carry an entire album. Operating as his alter ego Bobby Digital, RZA gets a bit too clever. His "deep" lyrics come off more as bizarre than anything else.
   But when he's on, he's one of the best around. "Show Your Love" and "Can't Lose" show RZA at his classic best, mixing funky samples and thumping bass with bold and brazen braggadocio. "La Rhumba" tosses some Latin flavor into the mix. The best tracks on "Digital Bullet" are those on which RZA drops the beats and Wu friends ODB, GZA, Master Killer and Method Man drop by to do the rapping.

   MUSIC IS THE MESSAGE IN MAX'S 'STEREOTYPE'
   "Stereotype Be" (ForeFront)
   * * 1/2 (2 1/2 stars)

   A member of contemporary Christian supergroup D.C. Talk, Kevin Max distinguishes himself from his former band in "Stereotype Be." From "Return of the Singer," a radio-friendly tune that fuses world rhythms and techno beats to great success, to "Shaping Space," a Ziggy Stardust-style pop number, Max displays his range with an eclectic repertoire. It's an ambitious album that covers a lot of ground, and the only terrible miss is the a cappella "Union of the Soul," which comes off like a worse yet version of an already bad poem by Jewel. Depite occasional references throughout to salvation and such, it's clear that Max wanted the focus to be his music, not his message.

   WORLD BEATS SPICE PARKER'S LATEST WORK
   "The Simple Life" (Label M)
   * * * (3 stars)

   Jazz percussionist Leon Parker is known for his minimalist approach to drumming, but his new album is a complex hodgepodge of styles that's as good as anything he's ever done. An amazing album that showcases the cornucopia of talents at Parker's disposal, "The Simple Life" is a burst of fresh, new sounds that stay enough within the jazz tradition to be accessible. Recording on the streets of New York City, live and in the studio, Parker adopts Afro-Cuban beats, Middle-Eastern melodies and classic bebop in his approach to his original songs as well as compositions by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. This isn't the type of jazz you play in the background while going about daily chores - "The Simple Life" is a CD you'll want to sit down and listen to with the volume cranked and your complete attention.
   - Staff writer Brendan Walsh

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