Billboard CD reviews

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Chris Cornell's second solo album suggests a folk record from the early '60s (and the title suggests a Kansas cover lurking about somewhere). But the music inside is strictly crunchy, dare-we-say-grungy rock straight out of the '90s that Cornell helped shape with Soundgarden. "Ghosts" sports a nostalgically Seattle-ish minor-chord riff and appropriately soaring chorus; "No Such Thing" out-Velvet Revolvers Scott Weiland; and meaty-sounding ballads "Disappearing Act" and "Silence" end the record in unusually strong fashion. Elsewhere, the headline-grabbing cover of "Billie Jean" is well intentioned but still a little silly, although it boasts a crazy,

Eddie Van Halen-sounding solo. The best thing here is "You Know My Name" from last fall's "Casino Royale,": which is some of Cornell's most uncomplicated and accessible music to date.

ARTIST: BIG & RICH

ALBUM: BETWEEN RAISING HELL AND AMAZING GRACE

Big & Rich's third album is an amazing collection of widely divergent songs. On one hand there's the bare-bones, Texas shuffle version of AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" and on the other, there's reggae/rap mixed with steel guitar on "Please Man," featuring Wyclef Jean. John Legend provides an a cappella intro on the uplifting "Eternity," while "Faster Than Angels Fly" is the tragic tale of star-crossed lovers. Rich takes the lead on first single "Lost in This Moment" and delivers the song with grit and substance. And with Big Kenny channeling a Southern fundamentalist preacher on the intro, "Radio" rocks in the tradition of "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)."

ARTIST: T-PAIN

ALBUM: EPIPHANY

T-Pain is a troublemaker who prides himself on pretty women, possessions, partying and sex. These frivolous musings take center stage on "Epiphany," which finds the Tallahassee, Fla.-bred vocalist on the hunt for more late-night trysts ("Back Seat Action," "69") and downright mischief. Similar to his omnipresent mentor Akon, T-Pain has effectively branded his Roger Troutman-esque vocal style into something instantly recognizable. But this studio-processed sound becomes bothersome on tracks like the reggae mishap "Shottas." As usual, his lyrics are far from profound -- on "Show U How," he claims, "I can turn a he into a housewife any day." But while alcoholic excess bares itself repeatedly -- "Bartender," "Tipsy" and the Yung Joc-featured hit "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')," attempts at depth (like "Suicide," a song about

HIV) prove that T-Pain's time is better spent at the bar.

ARTIST: MICHAEL BRECKER

ALBUM: PILGRIMAGE

Tenor sax master Michael Brecker died in January, but before he hung it up, he recorded "Pilgrimage," one of the finest albums of his remarkable career. Joined by Jack DeJohnette, Brad Mehldau, Herbie Hancock, John Patitucci and Pat Metheny, Brecker laid down nine original jazz gems for the ages. A good entry point is "Tumbleweed." The ensemble performance is dizzying. DeJohnette and Patitucci deliver the propulsion, Brecker soars, and Mehldau is perfect. The groove blazes with a final vamp that'll blow your hat in the creek. "When Can I Kiss You Again?" is a languid, pensive tune, highlighted by wonderfully colored solos from Metheny, Hancock and Brecker. The closer and title track is the last tune Brecker recorded. His tone is beautiful and fluent, the vibe is by turns wistful and expansive, and, again, the ensemble effort is flawless.

ARTIST: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

ALBUM: LIVE IN DUBLIN

The Springsteen camp continues to mine gold from the artist's inspired 2006 "Seeger Sessions," this time with soul-stirring performances from Dublin. More Bourbon Street than E Street, the Boss and his ragtag 18-piece band have a ball ripping through all the album cuts plus a cadre of seasoned originals. Highlights include a smoldering "Eyes on the Prize," a righteous "O Mary Don't You Weep," a Katrina-fied "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live" and a show-stopping "Jacob's Ladder." The politically charged Celtic ballad "Mrs. McGrath" is predictably well received, as is a zydeco-inflected "Pay Me My Money Down." Musically sound takes on "Atlantic City" and "If I Should Fall Behind" suffer from awkward phrasing, but the dour "Highway Patrolman," a folkie "Growin' Up" and thrilling "Blinded by the Light" soar.

ARTIST: CARL THOMAS

ALBUM: SO MUCH BETTER

On his indie debut, the follow-up to 2004's "Let's Talk About It,"

Carl Thomas offers the same sincerity and raw intensity that made us swoon in the first place. Lines like "Baby, I can't take the thought of losing you / 'cause I know that it would break my heart in two" are pretty sappy, but it's refreshing to hear testimonials like "I Just Want You to Know," which finds Thomas confessing that his days aren't complete unless his lady assures him of their love. He splits the difference on "Oh No (You Can't Be Serious)," telling a soon-to-be-ex lover, "You left my heart in shambles," but not before cockily declaring, over whipping congas and electric guitars, that she'd be crazy to give up on a love like theirs.

Reuters/Billboard