Common, Barry Manilow have new CDs

NEW YORK - Common, “Universal Mind Control”
Everything's wacky in Chicago hip-hop these days: Kanye West is all mopey and contemplative, while Common has just landed on Planet Rock. "This is that new s--t/It don't feel the same," goes the hook to the title track of the rapper/actor's latest, which, in its employment of the entire soundtrack from the Atari 2600 edition of "Super Breakout," sets the tone for a synthetic, sexified club record that'll probably alarm his fans. As was the case with John Legend, who beamed into the club on his latest, the initial effect is jarring, even in its star's capable hands. But it also settles in nicely. "Announcement" benefits from a slinky beat that lets the MC breathe, "Make My Day" issues some California love courtesy of Cee-Lo, "Gladiator" is a great old-school brag rhyme, and the pro-Obama preacher "Changes" lets the old Common back in the door.

The All-American Rejects, “When the World Comes Down”
The All-American Rejects' 2005 effort "Move Along" spawned a number of radio-friendly hits that appealed to the Vans Warped tour crowd and mainstream listeners alike. "When the World Comes Down" doesn't evince much growth, proffering more of the same hooky pop/rock centered around adolescent love and heartache. Accelerated rockers like "I Wanna" and "Breakin' " are the best of this lot, while on "Gives You Hell," singer Tyson Ritter does his best Freddie Mercury before leading into a stomping, "Beverly Hills"-like chorus. Orchestral flourishes pretty up the otherwise strummy "Sunshine," and guitars are largely absent from "The Wind Blows," adding a welcomed electro twist to the band's straightforward approach to the rest of the songs. The group could benefit from a bit more outside-the-box thinking.

Charlie Louvin, “Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs”
Amid daily news of tragedy and economic collapse, now is either the worst or best time to release a collection of songs about death and mayhem. This album from country legend Charlie Louvin, who began his career with his late brother Ira in the early '40s, is a welcome reminder of traditional American folk music and its role as an ancestor of today's news cycles. Louvin's once-crystalline voice does wear his 81 years, but it also carries deeper understanding of the heartache central to the disaster songs he first recorded decades ago, including the adapted spiritual "Wreck on the Highway," the coal-miners' lament "Dark As a Dungeon" and the tragic waltz "Mary of the Wild Moor." The songs don't vary greatly in rhythm or simple sing-song melody, but they are stories as much as tunes, and Louvin and his first-rate musicians are engaging storytellers.

Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band, “Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band”
This Washington, D.C., crew, assembled by bassist Robert Fox and guitarist Michael Shereikis, was initially inspired by the musical legacy of Nigerian icon Fela Kuti. The album opens with "Struggle," a thunderous bit of Afrofunk that does, indeed, invoke the Fela Kuti vibe. Further adventures in this groove include "Dog Days" and "Weigh Your Blessings," while "Herky Jerky," bristling with heated horn solos, is a potent instrumental number. Chopteeth's reach extends beyond Afrofunk, however. "Upendo" is all about South Africa, including a lyric sung in Swahili. Malian griot Cheick Hamala Diabate joins the band on "Wili Nineh," working a song that, appropriately, praises the band members. The closer, "No Condition Is Permanent," features D.C. rapper Head-Roc in a bangin' rap-Afrofunk fusion that sounds exactly like something Fela would be into, were he alive and kicking.

Barry Manilow, “The Greatest Hits of the Eighties”
Following "The Greatest Hits of the Fifties" (No. 1 debut, 2006), "Sixties" (No. 2, 2006) and "Seventies" (No. 4, 2007), Barry Manilow's "Eighties" debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 this week. His gleeful duet with Reba McEntire on "Islands in the Stream" proves what a master arranger/interpreter he is, taking an overtly familiar hit and recasting it honorably. The same holds true for "Right Here Waiting" and "Have I Told You Lately." Most surprising are "I Just Called to Say I Love You," now a lite rhumba, and "Never Gonna Give You Up," where Manilow busts a groove.

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