Beck
Guerolito (3.5 stars)
Considering his standing as one of alterna-rock's preeminent studio magicians, Beck would hardly appear a prime candidate for a various artists' remix disc. His songs—particularly those co-produced by sometime partners the Dust Brothers—already feature enough offbeat flair and eccentricity as to render such a project seemingly redundant.
So it's something of a surprise that Guerolito, a track-by-track reimagining of March's Guero, works as well as it does. Where the 13 cuts on the source CD were marked by a surprisingly flat sameness, the sonic formula on the redux varies greatly from tune to tune.
As with any such enterprise, the individual results range from stellar (Air's ethereal treatment of "Missing" and El-P's beat-driven reworking of "Scarecrow") to woeful (Beastie Boy Ad-Rock's grating take on "Black Tambourine" and Subtle's overreaching stab at "Farewell Ride").
The album's heavy hitters, such as Scottish maestros Boards of Canada or DJ-of-the-moment Diplo, don't disappoint. But ultimately it's lesser-known acts like Manchester electronic collective Homelife and self-described "robotic Nintendo rap crew" 8Bit that make Guerolito such an unexpectedly strong listening experience, one more appealing in many ways than the original.
Korn
See You on the Other Side (2.5 stars)
On their first album since the departure of founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, Korn take advantage of the reduction in their number of guitarists to reduce the influence of the guitar on their sound. Rather than replacing Welch, the band relies solely on remaining guitarist James "Munky" Schaeffer and turns outward for musical assistance. Writing and producing team The Matrix, best known for working with pop stars like Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears, turn up as co-writers on all of the album's 14 songs and co-producers on about half.
While the result is not exactly the pop-star makeover that The Matrix gave Liz Phair, it is a more polished and processed version of the group's metal sound, with singer Jonathan Davis' trademark wail wrangled into a more palatable and melodic tone, and the angsty lyrics mostly left behind. There's an industrial feel to the tracks that makes the band sound like a second-rate Marilyn Manson, and the 14 songs quickly devolve into sameness. Rather than take interesting risks, Korn have just watered down their sound, delivering an album that's neither innovative nor engaging.
Patti Smith
Horses/Horses, 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition (5 stars)
From her first words, "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine," Patti Smith's Horses is one of the greatest albums ever made in the rock era.
In 1975, long before the Ramones had recorded a note or the Sex Pistols even formed, Smith brought together her obsession with vatic pronouncement, beat poetry and Nuggets rock. Thirty years on, the disc has not lost an inch of its power to motivate, inspire or disturb. Even the cover, including the beautifully androgynous photo of Smith taken by the late Robert Mapplethorpe, still seems to scream a fresh challenge.
The real treat here is not, however, the original Horses; that is already available in a fantastic single-disc remaster. Rather, the reason old fans and those willing to be transformed by Smith's power need this special Legacy Edition is the inclusion of a bonus disc featuring Smith's first official concert release recorded in London in 2005.
In a passionate performance that deserves a place alongside the original, Smith takes on and updates (fitting in references to George Bush, Blackberries and her dearly departed) Horses in its entirety, with a band that includes original raggedy guitar player Lenny Kaye, former Television virtuoso Tom Verlaine and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Essential!