POP MUSIC SPECIAL : The Record Industry’s Big Push

The fall season is always the most active time for pop record releases, as the music industry gears up for its November-December season, during which nearly a third of all records, tapes and CDs are sold. But that can mean confusion for even the most serious music fans, as old favorites compete with newcomers for consumers’ attention.

These are the albums expected to generate the most critical and commercial interest of all the post-Labor Day releases during the hectic year-end rush. The selections, presented in alphabetical order, cover all parts of the pop music spectrum, from heavy-metal fathers (Aerosmith) and sons (L.A. Guns) to rap innovators (the D.O.C., Young M.C.); from rock kings on the rebound (Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones) and pop queens living the lush life (Linda Ronstadt, Barbra Streisand) to country chartbusters (Randy Travis) and folkie mavericks (Tracy Chapman, Michelle Shocked).

The comments are by the Times pop writers indicated, but the star ratings (one is poor, five a classic) sometimes reflect additional pop staff input.

The reviewers are Robert Hilburn, Dennis Hunt, Mike Boehm, Richard Cromelin, Jonathan Gold, Steve Hochman, Connie Johnson, Craig Lee, Kristine McKenna, Randy Lewis, Don Snowden, Chris Willman, Paul Grein, Duff Marlowe and Don Waller.

** ARTHUR BAKER & THE BACKBEAT DISCIPLES, “Merge,” A&M.; Baker’s production credentials (from the hip-hop gem “Planet Rock” to the club mix of Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark”) justify his being the star of an album built around danceable tracks with various artists, from Al Green to Martin Fry. But the results are surprisingly ordinary. Instead of moving forward, Baker mostly recycles. (Hilburn)

*** 1/2 TRACY CHAPMAN, “Crossroads,”Elektra. While most of “Crossroads” matches the craft of her first album, several of the songs seem like echoes, musically and thematically, of the expressions of social injustice and strained relationships that formed the foundation last time. The best moments, however, confirm that Chapman’s artistry is genuine. (Hilburn)

**** TERENCE TRENT D’ARBY, “Neither Fish Nor Flesh: a Soundtrack of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction,”Columbia. There are signs of ambitious overreach here (note that title!), but D’Arby goes for the top in this second outing, and the best moments are splendid indeed. “I’ll Be Alright” may just be the year’s brightest pop moment, a richly celebratory Beach Boys-cum-gospel workout. And “I Don’t Want to Bring Your Gods Down” may be as nakedly personal a song as a sometimes doubting son of a preacher man can deliver. See interview, Page 56. (Hilburn)

**** BOB DYLAN, “Oh Mercy,” Columbia. An especially important and appealing record because it achieves the studio production values that the industry and most of the mainstream rock audience seek, without sacrificing the intimacy that Dylan prizes. Dylan’s most gripping collection of tunes since 1983’s “Infidels.” (Hilburn)

*** JAMES McMURTRY, “Too Long in the Wasteland,”Columbia. Most of thes tales of small-town aspirations and values--lost and found--have been told before, but the son of novelist Larry McMurtry brings a conviction and poetic freshness to the best of the songs to make this a promising debut. John Mellencamp’s production adds a tense, dramatic snap. McMurtry’s challenge is to pry deeper into the subtleties of human experience a la Prine or Dylan. (Hilburn)

*** 1/2 THE ROLLING STONES, “Steel Wheels,”Columbia. Where the Stones once led us on a journey through some dark and forbidden cavities of human experience, the ride this time follows a carefully chosen route that avoides the old bad-boy image in favor of showcasing the band’s power as a concert force. There’s none of the tension that would signal an artistic breakthrough, but there is the consistent, comfortable feel of masters at work. (Hilburn)

*** THE STONE ROSES, “The Stone Roses,”Silvertone/RCA. It’s easy to dismiss as pretentious a band that opens its album with “I Want to Be Adored” and closes it with “I Am the Resurrection,” yet there’s too much fresh spirit in the harmonies and guitar-dominated sound of this promising, young, psychedelic-prone British band not to embrace it. (Hilburn)

*** TEXAS, “Southside,”PolyGram. In one of the year’s most striking rock debuts, this Scottish band mixes the soulful slide guitar of Ry Cooder (only it’s played by Ally McErlaine) and the vocal command of Maria McKee (only the singer is Sharleen Spiteri). The songwriting needs some work, but the sound is intimate and seductive. (Hilburn)

** RANDY TRAVIS, “No Holdin’ Back,”Warner Bros. Travis is a compelling country singer, but something is amiss with the material here. He’s having a hard time finding more tunes like “On the Other Hand” and “Forever and Ever, Amen.” Too many of the songs suffer from clumsy or listless imagery, proving that a great voice is only half the equation in country music. (Hilburn)

** DWIGHT YOAKAM, “Just Lookin’ for a Hit,”Reprise. Yoakam and producer Pete Anderson possess excellent instincts for material, using the Blasters’ “Long White Cadillac” and the Burrito Brothers’ “Sin City” to round out this greatest-hits collection. Too bad Yoakam fails to come close to finding the emotional heart of either song. Some of the hits, however, still pack a wallop. (Hilburn)

Coming Up:

Other albums scheduled for release in the coming weeks include:

ABC, Art of Noise, Basia, Bobby Brown (dance mixes), Club Nouveau, Phil Collins, Erasure, Gipsy Kings, Ofra Haza, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Joan Jett, Quincy Jones, Kid Creole, Kris Kristofferson, Yngwie Malsteem, Roches, Shinehead, Keith Sweat, Tiffany, the Time, Jody Watley (dance mixes), Whitesnake and Peter Wolf.