New CDs This Week

If you're headed to the record stores, here are the CDs I'm checking out. The new Prince (no, it won't be great, but maybe a few songs will be keepers), Loose Fur (the Wilco spinoff that outdoes itself on this sophomore release), Ben Harper (who I finally grew to like after his collaboration with the Five Blind Boys of Alabama), and the terrific new CD by Sparks, a UK duo I'd ignored for years but now love. I'll also buy the Elvis Costello reissue The Juliet Letters, though I'm slightly disappointed. I admired the original album, but was BLOWN AWAY when I saw Costello and the quartet in concert. They had really gelled tremendously since recording the songs, all of which sounded vastly superior live to their studio versions. I'd hoped at the time, they would record a live album or at least put out a live DVD since it seemed so obvious how much better the songs sounded. Now this reissue includes a bonus disc with live cuts, but most of them are of other songs. I know it would have been fanatical, but I'd have loved a complete concert on that second disc to confirm what I'd believed at the time. Oh well. Go to NYCD.com for more info and cheap prices.