The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 89

CHICK COREA-GARY BURTON LYRIC SUITE FOR SEXTET ECM EURHYTHMICS TOUCH RCA Corea and Burton paired together for fter last year's meteoric rise of the singles, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and "Love the first time on ECM in 1972 with the beautifully realized classic "Crystal Silence," and they got together again in is a Stranger," Eurhythmies, aka Ann Lennox and Dave 1979 with two more albums. And now 'Lyric Suite," a lush, fully realized seven- BILLYS SWEET WfflSTLESTEPPEN. THE CRYSTAL BELLWE MISS YOU JULIA part work with the two musicians in the full strength of their mature creative powers. It was written by Corea who uses a string quartet as a foil and a fill-in for his own powerful and romantic piano style reminiscent of early-20th century composers like Debussy and early Stravinsky, or perhaps learned from his old teacher Salvatore Suolo. Corea has used string quartets before but not so well integrated as they are here.

His own playing fits right in for the most part particularly a moving section called "Brasilia," an offbeat poignant composition underlined by i v. v. vy Fred Sherry lugubrious cello. Burton on vibes is a saving element. He often plays outside the quartet with a tendency to ele vate it, forcing them to reach for him.

to try to keep him within sight. He is that rare laid back player who can swing with anyone but coolly, cool to Gorea's hot, and light to the quartet's rotund tonalities. It's a marvelous excursion, another milestone for the variegated Corea, a triumph for the unflappable Burton, and joy for the rest of us. Ray Murphy Stewart, put together a live band and took to the road. On stage a surprisingly emotional Lennox attacked -her songs with breathless passion with the three singers in The Croquettes adding soulful backup.

The funky bass and drums, as well as the vocals, breathed life into the nearly bloodless vinyl versions. It was hoped this next record would deliver the live show's drama, but it fails. The album may be more complex in its use of keyboards and guitar, but the music is coolly mechanical. Lennox sings with emotion but gets little help from the instruments, while her lyrics speak mostly of non-involvement or numbness from love's hurt. "No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken is practically a chant to ward off evil relationships.

In the slow dirge "Aqua" the singer seems too dazed to escape her plight. "Here Comes the Rain Again" is the most satisfying moment with an energetic string section circling the vocals. But mostly this is semi-vapid dance music from a band that's capable of much better. Carter Alan HOWARD JONES NEW SONG (EP) ELECTRA ASYLUM Techno pop is ubiquitous today with good looks being more important than musical content. Luckily, Howard Jones does not fall into this category.

His new four-song EP contains intelligent lyrics' accompanied by lively rhythms. The title cut, a big hit in Europe, is an upbeat dance tune with lyrics that deal with nonconformity, throwing off "mental chains." Evidently. Howard wants to be more than just a pretty face but why the orange and blond spiked hair? The second cut, "Change the Man," describes modern political events, like nuclear war, and criticizes the apathetic "armchair blamer." An extended version of "New Song" and the final cut is an eerie song about life in modern soci1 ety when society imposes prefabricated identities and norms on the individual, and the question is. "Who is to say what is what?" This album is intelligent without being overwhelming, with a great dance beat. Marcla Smith COREA lyrical strings LENNOX warding away evil CLASSICAL JULIA HARMARI OPERATIC ARIAS HUNGAROTON ow that we don't have the Met ropolitan Opera tour to kick around any more, maybe it's time to reflect on some of the nice things about it.

Take UJ JOHN HAMMOND JOHN HAMMOND LIVE ROUNDER The most surprising thing about this record is that after 20 years John Hammond is still playing pure country blues and he is playing them better than ever before. His guitar work has a rhythmic drive unmatched by any other acoustic player. His harmonica cries on the slow ilues and jabs and weaves around the guitar on the upbeat dance tunes. Strong as the instrumental work is, Hammond is first a singer, and it is his voice that carries this album. Singing Lemon Jefferson's "One Kind Favor" he makes it his own.

taking it out of the folk museum and chilling the listener with its stark imagery. His version of Willie Dixon's "Shake for Me" makes you want to get up and move; and when he sings Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On" it's a brand new blues rather than a country standard. This album is Hammond at his best and that's as good as it gets. Elijah Wald DELIA BELL DELIA BELL WARNER BROTHERS This is a must-buy for hard-core country fans. Delia Bell is a discovery of Em-mylou Harris who produced the album and sang harmony on several cuts.

From the opening strains of "Coyote Song" you will be transported to the roots of country and what a wonderful journey it is. The clarity and sweetness of Bell's vocals are perfect for such classics as "Wild wood THE SOS BAND ON THE RISE TABUCBS Smooth production, dynamic vocals and strong dance rhythms characterize this album starting off with "Tell Me If You Still Care," a silvery duet between Mary Davis and Abdul Raoof. The hit, "Just Be Good to Me," Is powerful right from the dramatic opening bass chord with the insistent backbeat helping to make it great dance music. "For Your Love," is another upbeat dance song. The second side Is weaker than the first with not enough differences in the material.

Still, Mary Davis' voice is consistently smooth yet dynamic, especially on "Just Be Good To Me," as she declares to her lover: 'l don't care about your other girls, just be good to me The members of the Sound of Success band skillfully provide a textured backdrop with horns, keyboards and percussion complementing but not overshadowing Davis' vocals. The album' finishes strongly with "Steppin the Stones." All in all, good danceable rhythm blues. Marcla Smith BILLY NOVICK PENNYWHLSTLES FROM HEAVEN GREEN LINNET Billy Novlck is the Charlie Parker of the pennywhistle. Also the Bill Keith and the Larry Adler. He has taken a common instrument and redefined it so completely that It can never be the same again.

He also has composed a striking repertoire to showcase it. All but three of the tunes on this, his second pennywhistle album, are original compositions. They range from the haunting unaccompanied air, "The Last Hour of Daylight." to "After the Rain," a Latin jazz number on which Novlck, a fine jazz clarinetist, swings his whistle as if it had been invented Just for that piece. Novick's playing goes beyond gimmickry to make the pennywhistle sound completely at home in its new settings and on. two traditional Celtic numbers he proves himself comfortable with the classic whistle style.

This album ably showpases the range of Novick's placing and proves that his instrument is capable of almost anything in his hands, e. Elijah Wald those little-known artists, not regularly affiliated with the Met, who have come along to sing leading roles on the tour, and surprised us all. One example was Julia Harmari, the Hungarian mezzo-soprano who a couple of years ago sang Rb-sina in "The Barber of Seville" instead of Marilyn Home who had sung it in New York. Do you remember the way conductor Andrew Davis joined the audience in delighted applause for the way Hamarl had just sung "Una voce poco That aria is on Harmari's new Hungaroton recital, and it's just as good as we thought. Nowadays Home's brilliant, brassy way with Rossini is taken as-the standard, as in one way it certainly is.

But there are other ways to sing this music, as those who recall Jennie Tourel, Teresa Ber-ganza and Zara Dolukhanova know; Hamarl is in that gentler, more elegant, wittier tradition. She also sings a delightful and accomplished performance of Cener-entola's final rondo and a fiery account of "Oh mio Fernando" from Donizetti's "La Favorita." Side 1 is devoted to six arias by Mozart two for Cherubino Marriage of two for Dorabella fan and two for Sextus Cle-menza di These also show the beauty of her tone, the finish of her technique, andjier engaging powers of characterization; the performances are very enjoyable, though one is occasionally conscious of Hungarian rather than Italian vowels. Ervin Lukacs conducts the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra will skill and consideration on this record, which is one to listen to with pleasure. Now, someone, bring Julia Hamarl back. Richard Dyer JOHN KAY AND STEPPENWOLF WOLF TRACKS ALLEGIANCE This is a Steppenwolf album in name only.

Singer Kay is the only original member, and' the rest of the band looks like they were in diapers when "Born To Be Wild" topped the charts in 1967. Also missing is the pile-driving metal sound that made Steppenwolf one of the original American punk bands. The" new line-up favors a safer, more easy-going blend of Southern-flavored rock. If not for Kay, they could be any neighborhood band of Lynyrd Skynyrd impersonators. The good news is that Kay hasn't calmed down, and his gravelly voice is still sharp and urgent.

He remains a rough but intelligent songwriter, and his best new songs show a surprising maturity, notably "The Balance," about coping with middle age. Even his standard musical anthem, "For Rock and Roll." he makes every word believable. The album's only failures are the three songs Kay didn't write, especially a third-rate cover of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up." Kay's a true original, but he needs a better band, preferably the real Steppenwolf. Brett Mllano Flower" and "Will 'You Miss Me." Her treatment of "Don't Cheat in Our Hometown" is touching and the mix of resigna tion and realism in I Forgot More (Than You'll Ever Know About Him)" is heartw- renching. The instrumentation is perfect to augment the crystal clarity of Bell's de livery, especially on Wildwood FLower and "Weary Heart." John Anderson chimes in with a duet on "Flame in My Heart." Harris sings a moving duet with Bell on "Good Lord A'mighty." This is a beautiful album, a nearly flawless c5min-gling of vocalist and instrumentation.

Pattl Fanning.