NOISE

What can you say about the Four Tops that hasn't been said before? The quartet has been around unchanged for four decades, with hit after hit, starting with "Baby I Need Your Loving." But Lawrence Payton died from liver cancer in 1997 and was replaced by Theo Peoples. Levi Stubbs dropped out long ago after battling prostate cancer and suffering a stroke. More recently, Renaldo "Obie" Benson died of lung cancer. That leaves only Abdul "Duke" Fakir as the last original member. It's past time to retire gracefully.

House of Blues September 1

The Entrance: With bumping drums in the background, Evans appeared from stage-left. With her newly slim physique covered in a mini one-piece outfit, she sizzled with hits like "Burnin' Up." She then slowed it down with what she called "baby-making music," with old-school joints "Soon As I Get Home" and "Come Over."

The Lyrics: "Won't you come over/ Won't you come over/ Baby I just wanna make sweet love." I know some of you steamed up a few windows while listening to this song.

The Fanatic: "Faith is one of the few artists who actually sound exactly like the record. With all the machines these days, you never know what you're gonna get. I love her!"

The Exit: Miss Evans showed her spiritual roots to cap off the evening, with one of her latest hits, "Again," singing my favorite line in her unique, melodic tone: "I've learn so much from my mistakes/ That's how I know He is watching me."

Like a superhero with a secret identity, Butch Vig, mild-mannered drummer for techno-rockers Garbage, has a much more high-profile alter ego:

He's a superstar producer and was the man behind the boards for a number of the most significant albums of the alt-rock era. Here are just a few of Vig's superhuman producing feats:

Smashing Pumpkins, Gish (1991)

Nirvana, Nevermind (1991)

L7, Bricks Are Heavy (1992)

Sonic Youth, Dirty (1992)

Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream (1993)

Helmet, Betty (1994)

Soul Asylum, Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995)

AFI, Sing the Sorrow (2003)

Wrote his first record in the bathroom of an apartment he shared with a roommate.

Wanted to have the same haircut as Michael J. Fox's character in Secret of My Success, and wrote Fox asking for advice.

Has said seeing Fox's Marty McFly character play "Johnny B. Goode" in Back to the Future inspired him to pick up the guitar.

Was sent by his parents to therapists to get him to stop playing the guitar.

His band is called the Super Pals.

Dark New Day


Twelve Year Silence (2 stars)

Made up of former members of Sevendust, Stereomud, Skrape, Doubledrive and even the one-time touring bassist for Creed, Dark New Day distills all of the worst qualities of today's radio-friendly hard rock into the most generic rock record of the year. Slick, competent and completely forgettable, Twelve Year Silence makes heavy metal sound as unexciting and bland as elevator music.

Oasis


Don't Believe the Truth (3 stars)

The one-time (self-proclaimed) greatest band in the world has fallen pretty far since their mid-'90s heyday, and their sixth album isn't going to put them back on top of the charts. It is, however, less stylistically excessive than their recent releases, and has a loose energy that falls in line with garage-rock revivalists. There's nothing approaching the transcendence of the band's early work, but songs like the cheeky "The Importance of Being Idle" and the soaring "Keep the Dream Alive" come close enough.

Graham Colton Band


Drive (2.5 stars)

Heartache is a seemingly endless vein for song writers, and it's one this Dallas quintet mines better than most on their debut album. The bulk of the credit doubtless must go to producer Brendan O'Brien, who has worked with rockers from Bruce to Pearl Jam to Rage Against the Machine. The group has solid drum and bass lines but lead singer Colton sounds like he's playing the part for teenyboppers. Which, of course, means they're destined for success.