Puff Daddy: (Arista)
Sean "Puff Daddy" Coombs is hip-hop's wannabe major player, the businessman who wants to be the divine rhymer, a would-be icon for any kid who wants mo' money and no problems. He may cut it when it comes to deals, but cutting an album which will stand the test of time (or even the 52 minutes it takes to get through this CD) is another matter. While there are few of those mawkish tributes to his old pal, murdered rapper the Notorious BIG, there's also little indication that he has anything new or exciting to offer. The beats are streamlined and glossy, and guests (Nas, Busta-Rhymes etc) may be on standby to add some slight substance to Puffy's sense of hurt bravado, but the overall feeling is one of the bland leading the bland. You know it's time to turn off when Puffy sets to butchering a Public Enemy classic.
Jim Carroll
Aslan - Made In Dublin (EMI)
Aslan fans must be a spoilt rotten lot: in recent times, they've had a Best Of album featuring their favourite band's greatest hits and near-misses; remixes of This Is and Crazy World; a biography, entitled Aslan's Crazy World; and now a live album and video from their five-night stint of unplugged concerts at Vicar St earlier this year. Almost makes you wish you were a devoted fan yourself. Made In Dublin is an immaculate document of the band in full acoustic flight, featuring some of their finest tunes, including Lucy Jones Part II, Down On Me and Hurts Sometimes; after more than 10 years in the game, Aslan have it down to a fine art, and they manage to thrill the crowd without stooping to show-off tactics or rock concert cliche. Cover versions of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here and The Rolling Stones' Angie wrap up the proceedings nicely.
Kevin Courtney
The Faces: The Best of The Faces: Good Boys . . . When They're Asleep (Warner Archives/Rhino)
The Faces had two phases: first, there was their poptastic 1960s incarnation as The Small Faces, with Steve Marriott on vocals; then there was their early 1970s rock'n'roll lad persona, led by the cheeky, cocky partnership of Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. The Small Faces may have had Itchycoo Park and Lazy Sunday, but Rod'n'the boys had a football which they kicked around cheerfully on Top Of The Pops. This album comes from the same era as Stewart's early solo albums, Never A Dull Moment and Every Picture Tells A Story, but songs such as Stay With Me, Cindy Incidentally and Pool Hall Richard have a slightly rawer edge than, say, Maggie May or You Wear It Well. Problem is, with so few familiar songs among these 19 tracks, this album could easily be mistaken for a brand new Black Crowes opus.
Kevin Courtney