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Fall To Yield Harvest Of Albums From NIN, ODB, Chris Cornell.

By Gil Kaufman for Sonicnet on September 1, 1999

Anticipating the Christmas retail rush, the record industry is scheduled to unleash a flood of new albums from major artists such as industrial-rockers Nine Inch Nails, rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard, former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and punk icon Iggy Pop.

And that's just in September.

But many retailers said there were a few early entries from rock, rap and pop heavyweights that they expected would be contenders through the new year and beyond. (For a list of September's major albums, click here.)

Among the most eagerly awaited offerings are the first new studio album in five years from industrial-rock band Nine Inch Nails, The Fragile, due Sept. 21, and a new studio effort from actress/singer Barbra Streisand, A Love Like Ours.

"I don't see why [The Fragile] wouldn't be one of the biggest fall releases," said Howard Krumholtz, a rock buyer for the Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. The NIN project is a 23-track, two-CD album, which features the new single "We're in This Together" (RealAudio excerpt).

"But I think the biggest album of the fall for us will be Barbra Streisand," Krumholtz said. "We move a lot of her albums here."

September also will be a season of firsts for some veteran artists.

Blues Traveler singer John Popper will debut his more-introspective side with a solo album, Zygote, Tuesday, preceded by the moody rock single "Miserable Bastard" (RealAudio excerpt).

Cornell's solo debut, Euphoria Morning, coming Sept. 21, is an eclectic brew of rock, R&B, psychedelia and balladry that largely steps away from his former band's bombastic rock sound. The album features the single "Can't Change Me" (RealAudio excerpt).

Rapper Eve, part of DMX's Ruff Ryders crew, will release her first solo album, Ruff Ryder First Lady Sept. 14. Two weeks later country superstar Garth Brooks will release Garth Brooks in ... the Life of Chris Gaines, a so-called greatest-hits album by his fictional, rock-inspired alter ego.

Also releasing debut albums in September: The Madd Rapper � a.k.a. Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, a member of Sean "Puffy" Combs' Hit Men production team � with Tell 'Em Why U Mad (Sept. 21), and the Long Beach Dub Allstars � a project of the surviving members of dub-punk band Sublime � with the reggae-inflected Right Back (Sept. 28).

For rocker Iggy Pop, Avenue B (Sept. 21) is a first of sorts � a surprising mix of spoken-word material and sedate crooning.

Embattled Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard will take a break from court appearances to offer his second solo disc, N***a Please (Sept. 14), featuring production work from Wu-Tang mastermind RZA. Method Man breaks out of the Wu-Tang lineup Sept. 28, teaming with pal Redman for their first joint effort, Black Out!

For some hip-hop record stores, the gold rush has already happened. "We had the biggest release of our year already," said Eclipse (born Eric Winn), manager of New York hip-hop store Fat Beats.

Eclipse said As the World Burns, the recently released debut by old-school-style New York rap crew the Arsonists, and Home Field Advantage, an album by the Rawkus Records act High and Mighty, were his shop's biggest hopes for a holiday bonanza.

A number of veteran stars also will rise again in September. A re-release of the Beatles' classic 1969 psychedelic album Yellow Submarine (Sept. 14) is on the way, as is Brand New Day (Sept. 28), the first album of new material in three years from ex-Police frontman Sting. Singer/songwriter Tori Amos' two-CD set to venus and back, which consists of a live album and an album of new material, will bow Sept. 21.

Also on the release schedule for this month is Liquid Skin (Sept. 21), the sophomore effort from English rockers Gomez.

On Sept. 21, folk duo the Indigo Girls will return with their seventh album, Come On Now Social, scheduled to include cameos from singers Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Sheryl Crow and Joan Osborne. On the same day, Saturday Night Live: The Musical Performances � a two-CD compilation celebrating 25 years of musical performances on the NBC sketch-comedy program � will hit stores; it will feature songs by Nirvana, Oasis, Beck, Neil Young and Hole.

Indie rock also gets its share of significant releases in September with a handful of albums that have Other Music's Josh Madell excited.

"Stereolab will be really big for us," said Madell, the offbeat New York record store's co-owner, referring to the electronic pop band's Cobra and Phases Group Play 'Voltage' in the Milky Night (Sept. 21). Madell also said his store expects to do well with the limited-edition triple-CD and individually available set 69 Love Songs from eccentric synth band Magnetic Fields (Sept. 7).

Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan will release I'll Take Care of You Sept. 21, an album of covers featuring his take on traditional folk, country and gospel tunes. British electronica duo Death in Vegas will return with their sophomore album, The Contino Sessions, Sept. 14; it's expected to feature the single "Aisha," with vocals by Iggy Pop.

Rounding out the month's releases Sept. 28 are Burn to Shine, an album from guitarist Ben Harper; Amen, the third album from singer Paula Cole; and Temperamental, a new album from electronic folk act Everything But the Girl. Also, expect Human Clay, the sophomore album from hard-rockers Creed, whose 4 million-selling 1997 album featured the hit "My Own Prison" (RealAudio excerpt). And, nearly a year after its UK release, the U.S. finally will hear Irish pop group Ash's second effort, Nu-Clear Sounds.

The forthcoming second segment of SonicNet Music News' fall albums preview will include advance word on releases from David Bowie, Melissa Etheridge, the Foo Fighters, Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Mel C, Alice in Chains, Eurythmics, Michael Hutchence and the Notorious B.I.G.

Transcribed by Keith Duemling

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