CD REVIEWS COUNTRY
Randy Owen, "One on One"
(Broken Bow)
Owen apparently wants to establish pretty quickly that his solo career will differ from his four decades as the leader of Alabama. His solo debut opens with a seductive country rocker, "I Confess," positioning him as a romantic older man. His lustful persona rises repeatedly on "One on One," which was produced with subtle flair by John Rich. On "Let's Pretend We're Strangers for the Night," he sets up a scenario for renewing passion in a marriage. On "Slow and Steady," he's an all-night lover. On the power ballad "Holding Everything," he pours his heart out to his duet partner, up-and-comer Megan Mullins. Elsewhere, "Braid My Hair" is the kind of sentimental song Alabama often did late in its career, while "Barbados" is a misdirected Kenny Chesney-style attempt to tap into island rhythms. Despite a couple of weaker moments -- including the clunky rocker "Urban's on the Country Radio" -- Owen proves that he can be compelling and likable on his own.
MICHAEL MCCALL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
HIP-HOP
Q-Tip, "The Renaissance"
(Universal Motown)
Q-Tip's 2003 solo album, "Kamaal the Abstract," was never released by Arista, which doubted its commercial appeal. That decision touched off a period in which the Queens, N.Y., native jumped from label to label. Now he returns with his second official solo album, "The Renaissance," a casually complex, brilliantly executed work of neo-soul made for the street philosopher. The former de facto front man of the landmark '90s hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest immediately dispenses with legend, rapping wearily in his trademark nasal flow, "I'm not a deity / I'm far from perfect, see," on the opening track, "Johnny Is Dead." Although he gripes that fans are always bringing up Tribe, "The Renaissance" is a showcase for Q-Tip's cool consciousness. Norah Jones, channeling her inner Nelly Furtado, appears on the bright and smooth "Life Is Better"; "We Fight, We Love," with Raphael Saadiq, is one of the album's standout tracks, a sophisticated take on a complicated relationship made even more so by the man fighting in Iraq. This CD is a renaissance.
MARGARET WAPPLER, LOS ANGELES TIMES
