Music

Talking Heads frontman David Byrne featured Brazilian singer Margarich Menezes on a recent tour. World music critic Milo Miles says she blew Byrne out of the water. Menezes' politically-informed new album, Elegibo, is intriguing but uneven -- though Miles admits that, as an American listener, he may be missing something.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews Madonna's new album, "I'm Breathless." It's music from, and inspired by, the new movie, "Dick Tracy." The album's on Warner.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews "Fear of a Black Planet," the new album by the rap group Public Enemy.

World music commentator Milo Miles reviews the album "Jali Roll." He says it's an ambitious effort involving African folk musicians playing a traditional instrument called the kora, and members of the English group 3 Mustaphas 3. (Three-MUS-TAUF-us-Three).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a never-before-released recording of two Kurt Weill pieces...."The Lindbergh Flight," a collaboration with Bertolt Brecht, and "The Ballad of the Magna Carta," with a text by Maxwell Anderson.

Ken Tucker reviews "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got," the new album from Irish singer/songwriter Sinead (shh-NAY) O'Connor. (It's on Chrysalis records).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz examines some recordings in which the worlds of classical and popular music combine. The most recent example is "Anything Goes: Stephane Grappelli and Yo-Yo Ma play (mostly) Cole Porter." Schwartz looks at other recordings that bring together Jascha Heifetz and Bing Crosby; Paul McCartney and George Mason of the New Philharmonia Orchestra; and Frank Sinatra and the Hollywood String Quartet.

Rock critic Ken Tucker checks out singers Michael Bolton and Lisa Stansfield. Ken says Bolton's nothing to sing about, despite his recent Grammy for best pop male vocal. However, Ken says Stansfield's done a good job in mixing 70's disco-soul with 90's dance music.

World music critic Milo Miles reviews the work of Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Haza's the closest thing to a world music "Superstar," with several very successful albums to her credit.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new reissue of the 1932 recording of "Show Boat," on CD. It includes performances by Paul Robeson and Helen Morgan. (It's part of the CBS Special Products Series).