(MCT)

Blondie: "Parallel Lines (Deluxe Collector's Edition) (Capitol)

Rating: 2

The impact of "Heart of Glass" has been dulled over the years by rampant overexposure, constantly recycled on budget disco compilations and new wave collections, but hearing it on "Parallel Lines" emphasizes its virtues. "Heart of Glass" was the sound of a band with unapologetic pop aspirations and firm underground roots. It bridged two sensibilities that were diametrically opposed to one another. The nine tracks that precede "Heart of Glass" and the two that follow are what make "Parallel Lines" a great album and not just a showcase for the trans-continental, number one hit. A dial tone introduces a cover of The Nerves' "Hanging on the Telephone." The song is less than two and a half minutes long but it's the perfect vehicle to introduce the band. Sustaining the momentum, "One Way or Another" hooks immediately with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of the rock and roll era. "Picture This" momentarily brings the album into soft focus with cascading guitar lines and Harry's nuanced vocal while Stein's "Fade Away and Radiate" is heavy on post-nuclear imagery such as cool neon glows and silver screens. So why does "Parallel Lines: Deluxe Collector's Edition" fall so flat? Rest assured, it has nothing to do with the music contained therein. "Parallel Lines" has already been released in at least four different editions: the no-frills CD release in 1987, a 1994 DCC gold edition, a Japanese mini-album, and a superb 24-bit remastered 2001 re-issue. There's nothing deluxe about the "Deluxe Collector's Edition." For an album purported to be one of the most iconic releases of the '70s, EMI has assembled an underwhelming and unjustifiably dull tribute. _ Christian John Wikane

King Khan and The Shrines: "The Supreme Genius Of" (Vice)

Rating: 7

The mighty King Khan is back after spending this past year writing, among other things, the soundtrack to the newly released German film "Schwarze Schafe." But for Khan's latest stateside offering, he invites us all to re-explore the antics and exploits of his psychedelic super band the Shrines in all its studded glory. "The Supreme Genius Of" retraces the band's history, selecting tracks from "What Is?!" and "Mr. Supernatural" as well as various 10-inch singles. It is a superb playlist of the group's mostly earlier spastic grooves that provide for some excellent party fodder. But whereas in the past Khan has restructured tracks to mix it up a little bit, here, he just sprawls the originals around a handful of new cuts. After spending years marveling at how Khan has stayed under the radar, it seems that now even he has become aware of how under-appreciated he is in the music biz. "The Supreme Genius Of" feels like an attempt to rectify all that by shedding light on his already prolific discography of blissful soul jams and seriously unhinged big band sounds. It makes for a fantastic introduction to Khan's outlandish charm and The Shrines' funk stew concoctions. But it explores only one avenue of Khan's musical work. To get the fuller Bama-lama Khan experience, check out his earlier EPs, King Khan and BBQ project, and maybe even that "Schwarze Schafe" soundtrack. But for the time being, let's hope that this release introduces a much-deserved wider audience to the band's garage-soul stylings. _ Gabriel Baker

T-Bone Burnett: "Tooth of Crime" (Nonesuch)

Rating: 6

T-Bone Burnett has recently catapulted into the peripheral public conscience thanks to his guru-like musical direction on "Raising Sand," the brilliant collaboration of rock demigod Robert Plant and bluegrass siren Alison Krauss. That Burnett, as maestro, has deftly led an all-star ensemble accompanying Plant and Krauss on tour this summer only pads his already distinguished reputation. Yet somehow his latest release from Nonesuch, "Tooth of Crime," seems to have gone largely unnoticed. The album was originally written and recorded as collaboration with playwright Sam Shepard for the musical staging of his noted play "Tooth of Crime (Second Dance)," a 1997 remake of his original "Tooth of Crime." Burnett describes the somber setting for the struggle between the musical protagonist and his iconoclast as a chilling science-fiction future of rock music and violence in which "zones of fame flare up and people can become incredibly famous in their own zones and nobody outside that zone can know anything about it." Much of the album features a heavily minor-saturated tone complimented by dissonant brass chords and harmonies that emphasize the play's catastrophic surrealism. T-Bone Burnett possesses an inescapable ability to create cerebral concept albums within uniquely different settings and contexts. He has proven himself a master of production, film music, and now musical theatre. But regardless of the warm critical receptions, as a relevant solo artist and songwriter he remains an asterisk to the mainstream. _ Thomas Hauner

Odd Nosdam: "Pretty Swell Explode" (Anticon)

Rating: 8

If you are unfamiliar with the Odd one's solo work, you have more than likely heard his contributions to out-there hip-hop group cLOUDDEAD. With Subtle frontman Doseone and Why? at his side, Odd Nosdam helped churn out two fantastic full-lengths and a plethora of EPs in a five-year period. In between producing for other artists and putting in time with cLOUDDEAD, Nosdam was hard at work in the lab creating his own music. Since releasing "Plan 9: Meat Your Hypnotist" in 2001, fans and reviewers alike have anxiously awaited their next Odd fix. And after 2007 brought the release of Nosdam's critically acclaimed "Level Live Wires" _ a trippy patchwork of samples and sounds _ that craving only grew. But rather than follow up with another full-length LP, Nosdam has put together a two-disc collection of b-sides, remixes, and original tracks. From start to finish, it's a meandering journey that will floor you with its subtle beauty and then grab you with waves of static. Some of the producer's strongest efforts, be it a remix or rare track, are those with strong shoegaze influences. To put it simply, fans of Nosdam will absolutely eat this collection up. The tracks on here, from the b-sides to the rarities, are just more examples of his unbelievable knack for making ambient music truly interesting. _ Andrew Martin

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