Charitable effort is wanting

"The Solution to Benefit Heal the Bay"; Various; Mojo Records; due out May 9; "VHI Storytellers"; Various; Interscope.

It's too bad the folks at Mojo Records weren't around when Chuck Reed and company were producing "VH1 Storytellers." Because the Santa Monica, Calif.-based record label has done a fine job putting together the tracks on "The Solution to Benefit Heal the Bay," an album that showcases its best offerings in alternative, hip-hop, electronica and ska.

Proceeds from "The Solution to Benefit Heal the Bay" go to a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to cleaning up Southern California's coastal waters. One million dollars of the profits from "VH1 Storytellers" will benefit City of Hope, a nonprofit devoted to medical research for diseases such as cancer, HIV and tuberculosis. However, philanthropy is about all these two records have in common.

While Mojo takes advantage of the compilation format by generously sprinkling in several unreleased tracks and rare B-side gems, VH1 serves up tired and overplayed classic hits from its long-running "Storytellers" TV program. Disc one is the better half of "Heal the Bay." Standouts include Weston's "Liz Phair," a truly humorous tribute to the singer/songwriter who Weston views as some sort of alternative-rock goddess. And anyone who lived through the '80s heavy-metal-lite phase will appreciate Reel Big Fish's ska cover of Lita Ford's "Kiss Me Deadly."

Plus, the hip-hop offerings on the CD are a groovy little bunch. Peanut Butter Wolf's remix of "Super Bowl Sundae" by Ozomatli is a trippy track complete with horn samples, scratching and an infectious groove. Also worth a listen is "Indra," the trance tune from Thievery Corporation in which the high-pitched Eastern vocals evoke a mysteriously foggy night and a heavily spiced curry dinner.

The throwaway tracks on the album are those by Mojo's better-known bands: blink 182, Goldfinger and Bad Religion. However, it seems they were included merely to sell the album - precisely the reason that VH1's release doesn't deserve much praise.

The tracks on "VH1 Storytellers" are from perennial soft-rock favorites such as The Bee Gees, James Taylor and Natalie Merchant. You've heard all of these songs before: David Bowie's "China Girl," Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen," John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane." The highlight: Stevie Nicks joining Sheryl Crow on "Strong Enough," a track that features both throaty singers at their best. Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn't strong enough to hold one's interest. If you're looking for some appealing stories, best start with the new sounds of "Heal the Bay."

"Daisies of the Galaxy"; Eels; Dreamworks.

I've been whining all week about the general lousiness of the alternative-rock CDs that have been crossing my desk lately, until finally a friend told me to "quit complaining and check out the new Eels CD." He was right. The new Eels album is fine-tuned and solid, a highly original alternative-rock album worthy of praise.

The songs on "Daisies of the Galaxy" were written and produced by E, (formerly known as Mark Oliver Everett) who's got an appealing vocal style that's two parts smoky Bob Dylan and one part scratchy a Tom Waits.

The Eels previous two albums, "Electro-Shock Blues" (1998) and "Beautiful Freak" (1996), both have done well on the college scene, but neither have garnered serious chart-topping success. This time around, E received help from R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, who co-wrote "Estate Sale," a weird instrumental track with dreamy-sounding piano and muffled suburban background noises, including birds chirping.

None of the other 13 songs on the album is quite as odd, but they all evoke this slightly hazy suburban feeling. The title song is quintessential Eels. It has a nostalgic sound that makes you feel like an 18-year-old sitting in a mall parking lot staring at the big blue sky and kind of dreaming about being somewhere else. Other songs are bizarrely cheery. The playful bells and electronic groove in "Flyswatter" are both eerie and upbeat - an original mix of horns, drums and bells that sounds like a twisted version of Dick Dale surfer rock.

Twisted is a good word to describes E's music and lyrics, which seem to walk a fine line between irony and insincerity. He even crafts his love songs with sarcasm singing, "It's a mother ------ being here without you / thinking about the good times," accompanied by the strains of a wistful piano. When his sense of black humor works, you get subtle wit. However at other times, such as in "Selective Memory," E just comes across as a smart fellow who's a bit too clever for his own good.

For the most part, though, he successfully pulls off this very mellow and certainly strange third release that has sort of renewed my faith in the potential of this genre.

(c) Copley News Service

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Author: Emily Friedlander