Dayton Daily News from Dayton, Ohio • 73

30JMUSICEa RECORDINGS ON REVIEW Good Excellent Fair Poor i K.D. LANG INGENUE SireWarner Bros. (CD and cassette) IN THE STORM EL DEBARGE Warner Bros. Records (CD and cassette) mm LEON RUSSELL ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN Virgin (CD and cassette) IAN MCCULLOCH MYSTERIO SireReprise (CD and cassette) K.d. lang has toned down the torch and turned her back on the twang of 1989's Absolute Torch and Twang, the album for which she received a Grammy Award as Best Female Country Vocalist.

The Canadian singer has jumped genres entirely with her fifth release, Ingenue, opting for a subdued continental sound that transcends her traditional country approach. As its title suggests, the album seems far better suited for a Parisian supper club than the Nashville stage. Lang has restyled herself as a soft-voiced chanteuse, devoid of her former fiery power, as well as her potent sense of humor, which often leaves her languishing in the middle of the road. Her hushed vocals lend themselves to songs such as Save Me and Outside Myself, which, like much of the album, are melancholy meditations on love, or the lack thereof. Miss Chatelaine and Constant Craving retain a similar old world ambiance, but are much less downbeat, and fare better because of it.

Still, lang deserves credit for such a dramatic departure from her previous work, although its timing is questionable given country music's rapidly rising profile. DAVE LARSEN, Pop Music Critic What's gotten into El DeBarge? El DeBarge has changed from just another pretty face with a falsetto sound into a master of funk, maybe even a genius of funk. On an album produced by El De-Barge and Maurice White, the former has teamed with a group of splendid musicians to create an absolute masterpiece. The opening cut, called Elmo Funk, is just a hint of what this work contains. El DeBarge, obviously influenced by the late Marvin Gaye and Prince, uses his voice as an alto-pitched musical instrument to blend with horns, guitars, an organ and keyboards.

The album's best cut is After the Dance, written by Gaye in the mid-'70s. On My Heart Belongs to You, El DeBarge blends with guitarist Thomas Organ and Keith Crouch of the Juice Crew on drums, keyboard and keybass to produce a sexy, rocking sound that borrows obviously from Prince. But the borrowing is OK. The album is a blend of the best qualities of Gaye, Prince, a little bit of the Ohio Players, Sly Stone and Earth, Wind and Fire. This album is about as good as pop music gets.

GREG SIMMS, Staff The top recording hits in this week's Billboard. 1. Jump Kris Kross (Ruffhouse) 2. Save the Best for Last Vanessa Williams (Mercury) 3. Tears in Heaven Eric Clapton (Reprise) 4.

Bohemian Rhapsody Queen (Hollywood) 5. My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) En Vogue (Atco Eastwest) 1. There Ain't No thin' Wrong With the Radio Aaron Tippin (RCA) 2. Take Your Memory With You VmceGill (MCA) 3. Today's Lonely Fool Tracy Lawrence (Atlantic Pro) 4.

Soma Kind of Trouble Tanya Tucker (Liberty) 5. Past the Point of Rescue Hal Ketchum (Curb Pro) 1. Don't Be Afraid Aaron Hall (Soul) 2. Goodbye Tevin Campbell (Qwest) 3. Live and Learn Joe Public (Columbia) 4.

All Woman Lisa Stansfield (Arista) 5. Why Me Baby? Keith Sweat (Elektra) TCPLP'S 1. Adrenalize Def Leppard (Mercury) 2. Human Touch Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) 3. Totally Krossed Out Kris Kross (Ruffhouse) 4.

Lucky Town Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) 5. Wynonna Wynonna Judd (Curb) Leon Russell, who's collaborated with Joe Cocker and George, Harrison and performed with Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, returns with his first album in a decade sounding a lot like Bruce Hornsby. Hornsby named the growling rhythm and boogie pianist as his mentor in a magazine interview, which eventually led the two into the studio, where he served as Russell's co-producer and collaborator on Anything Can Happen. Although Hornsby's signature sound is prevalent on a number of tracks, Russell rises to the top with his own familiar blend of rock, soul and blues. His honky-tonk piano pounding enlivens the opening title track, but the album really hits its stride with the locomotive cadence of No Man's Land and the percolating rhythm of Chuck Berry's Too Much Monkey Business.

Hornsby's overprotective production occasionally seems to hold Russell back, making the ballad Angel Ways a bit bland, and depriving the barrelhouse boogie of Life of the Party of some of its edge. But the verve of Russell's raspy vocals and spirited playing on Stranded on Easy Street and Jezebel makes Anything Can Happen a welcome comeback. DAVE LARSEN, Pop Music Critic Mysterio is Ian McCulloch's second solo release since he left the talented Liverpool quartet Echo and the Bunnymen. McCulloch, the solo artist, uses the same palette to paint Mysterio as he did as bandleader for Echo, but he can't match the stark landscapes of Bunnymen hits like Do It Clean, The Killing Moon and Never Stop. There are several fine cuts on Mysterio from the straight-ahead rock of Damnation to the acoustic jangle of Heaven's Gate.

Pomegranate ends with some Doorsy The End guitar twang without degenerating into the loopy psychedelia that permeates the trendy Manchester scene. With a voice that's a combination of pre-pubescent Jim Morrison and a more insecure, neurotic Bono, McCulloch's well-suited to cover Leonard Cohen's Lover, Lover, Lover. "I said father, change my name the one I'm using now is covered up with fear and filth and cowardice and shame." On Mysterio, McCulloch is content to work the same musical territory Echo covered. Although not devoid of magic moments, Mysterio is a trick done with mirrors that only reflects McCulloch's past. CHRIS HARBAUGH, For i CaM the Top 5 Audio Chart (463-4636.

category 230.1) for samples of the top pop singles, Countdown Singles (2302) for the Top 10 on the pop cnart, and Countdown Albums (2304) for the Top 10 on the pop chart; all updated weekly. UNION BOARD PRESENTS VIOLENT FEMMES LIVE UU (Dayton LesSian and gay Center announces I THE 1992 PRIDE DINNER Jk tvJ Saturday, Juno 13, 1992 Pro Window Tinting Custom truck, car, Van Accessory Paradise. 837-1 354 FRIDAY, MAY 1 8:00 P.M. FIELDHOUSE Next to Silver Spur Irtwftetion at ft 73 1 WinENBERGJJNIVERSITY Hara Ballarvna, Shiloh Springs Road, Dayton Lynn Lavncr In Concert Tickets: 18.00 No Refunds To order tickets send check or money order and self-addressed stamped envelope to: Oayim LtsBian and Qay Ctnttr P.O. Box 1203.

Dayton. OH 45401-1203 HOTLINE: 513228-4875 Ticket Deadline May 1 5th nnnnn TICKETS A HUSH Food News Every Wednesday Dayton Daily News Wortt raw Tim call 1-327 -7815.