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Some works of pop and rock music beg to be orchestrated more richly, to put their original electric or electronic sound into a classical context to see if the music, at its most basic, can survive the translation without losing too much. And occasionally, the original music is already so well arranged and thought-out, there’s no need to try to make that paradigm shift happen.

And this is the fence straddled by the London Symphony Orchestra’s Fortress, an orchestral reworking of songs by Sting and the Police arranged and conducted by Darryl Way. In some places, the new context suits the songs well, and it comes out sounding rather fun - the busy, Gershwinesque treatment of “Synchronicity II” comes to mind here. In other places, especially with Sting’s solo material, there was already a session orchestra, or a portion of one, playing on the original recording, and parroting that material (and the arrangement) comes across as more of an exercise in making a karaoke album (”Moon Over Bourbon Street” is especially guilty of this).

And then there’s the other stuff, the stuff that just seems to lumber around with unremarkable arrangements. In most cases, the original rock recordings were quite interesting, but here, songs like “Invisible Sun” and “King Of Pain” become frightfully bland, resembling a weak marching band arrangement more than anything. Maybe I’m too attached to those songs in their original form to be completely objective, but at least half of this album barely evoked a reaction of active like or dislike at all. Not something I’m used to from songs written by Sting. (Thank God this album pre-dates “Desert Rose”.)

I’ve heard successful orchestral translations of songs by Led Zeppelin and Split Enz before, so I know that more could have been done with Sting’s catalogue than this. I can only give Fortress a cautious recommendation as a curiosity.

1. Russians (5:25)
2. Moon Over Bourbon Street (5:11)
3. Synchronicity II (5:29)
4. Fortress Around Your Heart (5:46)
5. King Of Pain (4:50)
6. Invisible Sun (4:09)
7. Every Breath You Take (5:58)
8. Why Should I Cry For You (5:22)
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger (5:19)
10. They Dance Alone (5:52)

Released by: Angel
Release date: 1995
Total running time: 53:21

What do you get when you put Queen, Art Of Noise, and quite a few others into a blender with a bunch of classic video game sounds? Probably a bunch of chopped-up CDs, especially if the blender’s set on pureè. If you run the same ingredients through Tony Fox’s mixer, however, the result is I Am Humanoid, Fox’s master-mixing tribute to the arcade games of yesteryear.

One thing that differentiates I Am Humanoid from, oh, say, the recent Scitron Digital game sound CDs is that Fox focuses not just on sound effects, but music. Most of the games whose sounds he used have catchy little musical themes, not just sound effects, and in a lot of ways that fires up the memories more than a simple sound effect never could. Games without music are called into play too, however - “vocals” are provided by the likes of Sinistar, the Berzerk robots, the talking green cyclops from Space Fury, and the sampled superstar voices of Star Trek.

There are three versions of the title track (my favorite is still the original mix minus the extra padding), a tribute to Star Trek (both the game and the original series), and game-specific cuts focusing on such coin-op classics as Jungle King, Astro Blaster, Gyruss and Punch Out!. The whole thing kicks off with a thumpin’ remix of the hard-rock Reactor theme, given an extra boost of kick-ass energy by the “stomp-stomp-clap” rhythm of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and some samples from Crystal Castles to boot. The tracks that mix and match the sounds from wildly different games are the most effective, but that element is present everywhere; even in the Star Trek-specific track, when Spock’s voice announces “Sector four - intruder alert,” the Enterprise is apparently invaded by Q*Bert and his chattering chums. (Who here wouldn’t love to see a video for that?) And the crazy thing is, it works - there are few things more alien-sounding than the orange one’s garbled “speech.”

There’s an untitled track at the end of the CD, signified on the track list by the dragon from Adventure, and while on the surface it appears to be yet another reworking of the basic “I Am Humanoid” idea, in some ways it’s the best track on the whole disc. Melding a motley assortment of game samples with a Philadelphia-style 70s brass backing, it manages to bring the games together with a sound that those of us who were there remember quite well. It’s hard for me to hear it without getting a big grin on my face - which pretty much sums up the whole CD.

Tony Fox’s I Am Humanoid is still available while supplies last from Digital Press.

1. Crystal Reactor (2:56)
2. Hop To It! (Frogger remix) (2:34)
3. I Am Humanoid (Humanoids Love House Music remix) (3:28)
4. Tetris Invaders (4:24)
5. Phoenix 2002 (3:18)
6. Jungle Rush (Jungle Hunt remix) (3:27)
7. I Am Humanoid (original version) (4:37)
8. Prepare For Battle (Digital Press theme) (3:57)
9. A Day @ Tony’s Arcade (Mega Mix) (5:17)
10. Welcome Aboard, Captain (Star Trek remix) (4:03)
11. Warp Activated (Astro Blaster remix) (2:59)
12. I Am Humanoid (Save The Robots remix) (4:54)
13. Tony Fox NYC vs. Mario (2:12)
14. Storm Clouds Over Gyruss (2:19)
15. Mr. Do! vs. Dig Dug (featuring Funky Fygar) (2:54)
16. Yeah!! Just Hit Me! (Punch Out!! remix) (4:05)
17. ? (3:55)

Released by: Digital Press Records
Release date: 2002
Total running time: 61:22

Inspired by the unusually candid post-September 11th confessions of fans she met on tour in late 2001, Scarlet’s Walk is Tori Amos’ return to form after the misstep that was Strange Little Girls, as well as her debut on her first new label since 1988. Scarlet’s Walk gets Tori back to the basics of Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink, ditching the club music elements that dominated her later output on Atlantic. Whether this was her decision or Epic’s call, it doesn’t matter - it was long overdue, and reminds me of what first drew me to her music ten years ago in the first place.

That’s not to say that we’re back to the mostly-piano formula of Little Earthquakes, however - Tori spends much of Scarlet’s Walk backed by a full band, with a few obligatory piano ballads thrown in and even an a capella tune (”Wampum Prayer”) for good measure. But the earnestness of her first two albums returns here, and that’s the “element of the past” that I most cherish about this album. At the risk of offending the dance music fans - and I have to admit, I like Tori’s latter-day clubbish numbers like “Raspberry Swirl” and I’ve broadened my palette and grown fond of quite a few other beat-heavy acts in recent years - sometimes that approach didn’t suit Tori Amos with her confessional, introspective style of storytelling-songwriting. The lead single from Scarlet’s Walk, “A Sorta Fairytale”, points up the difference sharply: there’s still a band backing Tori, but her piano and vocals aren’t having to fight for a spot in the mix. It’s a pleasing alternate-rock brew that supports her instead of working against her.

Other standout tracks include “Amber Waves”, “Crazy” (which may actually be my favorite cut off of the entire CD, rediscovering another element of Tori’s early work, namely the mesmerizing sound of Tori harmonizing with her own vocals), “Taxi Ride”, “Strange”, “Pancake” and the curiously jaunty “Wednesday”. There are a few tracks that don’t quite trip my trigger - I expected a little more out of “I Can’t See New York”, for example, but I actually do like it - but on a whole, this album is a cohesive collection that stands well alongside Little Earthquakes and Under The Pink - and stands way, way above such recent efforts as Strange Little Girls and the studio disc from To Venus And Back. It doesn’t hide a nasty stain, and it’s not just lying there - Scarlet’s Walk proclaims that Tori Amos has returned.

1. Amber Waves (3:39)
2. A Sorta Fairytale (5:30)
3. Wednesday (2:30)
4. Strange (3:07)
5. Carbon (4:36)
6. Crazy (4:27)
7. Wampum Prayer (0:45)
8. Don’t Make Me Come To Vegas (4:52)
9. Sweet Sangria (4:03)
10. Your Cloud (4:30)
11. Pancake (3:56)
12. I Can’t See New York (7:16)
13. Mrs. Jesus (3:07)
14. Taxi Ride (4:02)
15. Another Girl’s Paradise (3:36)
16. Scarlet’s Walk (4:18)
17. Virginia (3:56)
18. Gold Dust (5:57)

Released by: Epic
Release date: 2002
Total running time: 74:09

So help me, Jerry Goldsmith almost pulled it out of his hat with this one, very nearly giving Star Trek: Nemesis a completely unique musical score - note almost, as I found the ever-present theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (to say nothing of the recurring four-note Enterprise motif which Goldsmith has been recycling since Star Trek V’s soundtrack) a bit grating. The bits in between, though, are what matter, and the sooner you can tune out Goldsmith’s reheated themes, the better - the dark recesses of Romulan intrigue make for some interesting musical exploration.

Note that I’m reviewing this soundtrack without having seen the movie (the CD hit the shelves two weeks ahead of the theatrical release date), and - as was the case with my somewhat cryptic review of the soundtrack from Star Wars Episode II - I’ve deliberately avoided exposure to anything except the movie trailers where Nemesis is concerned. I can’t tell you if the music fits the plot or the characters, and I certainly can’t comment on whether or not it melds with the action scenes. But I can tell you that the sense of building dread in most of Goldsmith’s score is a refreshing change of pace, reminding me in some ways of Cliff Eidelman’s criminally underrated music from Star Trek VI. There’s a nice surge of dark power, and a much darker, more desperate edge to some of the action cues (”Lateral Run”).

Goldsmith’s lighter touch, as well as his classical training, elevate the music to a whole new level of sheer beauty on tracks such as “Final Flight” and adding a somewhat cryptic quote from “Blue Skies” to the unusually somber, piano-based beginning of “A New Ending” (I’m sure there are plot reasons for the song quote, I just don’t know what they are as yet). The usual bombast is there, and God, am I sick of hearing that ST:TMP theme over and over again for the end credits, but if you can overlook the recycled material, it’s a good soundtrack - hopefully for a good movie.

In the end, though, the recycling bugs me a bit. Consider this: Nemesis is the tenth Star Trek movie, and it’s the fifth to be scored by Goldsmith. His music for the first movie was stunning, still standing as one of the finest SF film scores in the history of the genre. His music for First Contact was impressive, and Nemesis comes in at a close third musically. But given that each successive iteration of the theme from the first film loses more and more of its “oomph” - not only due to overexposure, but due to some less than enthusiastic cut-and-paste arrangement - perhaps next time Paramount needs to bring some new musical talent to the table. The previously un-Trek-tried writer and director on Nemesis were a good start, and one can see where the studio might have wanted Goldsmith around to provide a safety net of identifiable themes to ground the new movie. But if the gamble on the new talent pays off with a box office blockbuster, why not extend that willingness to experiment to a new composer next time?

1. Remus (1:57)
2. The Box (2:21)
3. My Right Arm (1:04)
4. Odds And Ends (4:37)
5. Repairs (6:25)
6. The Knife (3:09)
7. Ideals (2:16)
8. The Mirror (5:21)
9. The Scorpion (2:23)
10. Lateral Run (3:54)
11. Engage (2:12)
12. Final Flight (3:48)
13. A New Friend (2:38)
14. A New Ending (6:06)

Released by: Varese Sarabande
Release date: 2002
Total running time: 48:11

Recorded in the months leading up to his death in late 2001, Brainwashed was always going to be George Harrison’s posthumous album. Knowing he wasn’t going to be around to apply the finishing touches, Harrison left copious notes on how he wanted everything to sound. That task was left to Harrison’s son Dhani and Traveling Wilburys collaborator Jeff Lynne. (Even that surprised some observers, given that Harrison was quoted in 2001 as saying that Lynne wouldn’t be involved in his next album because he didn’t want it to “sound like an ELO album,” though this may be yet another example of the dry wit that distinguished Harrison back in his Beatles days.)

In the end, though, Lynne did finish Harrison’s swan song, and it looks like Harrison planned it that way all along. Brainwashed is as fitting and haunting an exit for George Harrison as Mystery Girl was for Roy Orbison.

Given that Harrison knew the end was near, the slate of songs on Brainwashed is surprisingly cheerful and philosophical at the same time …and it’s no more downbeat than anything that came before. Given that the ex-Beatle had recently suffered through a prolonged series of cancer treatments, as well as recovering from being stabbed by an unstable fan, I doubt anyone would’ve blamed him for being a bit darker and more bitter…but in the end, that just wasn’t George Harrison. And maybe that, along with his music, is his legacy and lesson for everyone. And while he didn’t spend his last opportunity venting, he does wax a little more spiritual than usual - the outstanding “Rising Sun” (with its “I Am The Walrus”-esque cello backing arrangement) is a good example of this, as is the lead single, “Stuck Inside A Cloud”. He also pokes some gentle fun at the Catholic Church in the Wilbury-esque “P2 Vatican Blues” (which also shows more than just a little hint of Bob Dylan’s influence), and laments what he sees as the duping of society in the title track. Chances are, George Harrison mentions God more often in the course of Brainwashed than any other non-Christian mainstream album has in the past year.

I also have to say, for the record, that “Never Get Over You” is one of the best songs I’ve heard anyone do in the past few years; it has some incredible harmonies and the kind of non-date-specific sound that gives it a feel not unlike Harrison’s best music from the 70s. It’s that good. I tend not to put one song on continuous repeat unless it really trips my trigger, and I think I listened to nothing but “Never Get Over You” for two or three hours straight the first time I heard it. “Rising Sun” and the wistful “Marwa Blues” instrumental inspire that kind of compulsory repeat listening too. I’m not trying to be funny when I say I can’t get them out of my head.

Overall, it’s amazing stuff - it doesn’t sound like the last album of someone’s career, let alone the last album they’re going to make while they’re alive. And as for the naysayers who are complaining that George Harrison’s final set sounded like “an ELO record,” relax…it really doesn’t. And almost as sad as the fact that George is no longer with us is the fact that he didn’t grace the world with more of his unique sound in the decade before his death. Brainwashed is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year, and not just for the nostalgia factor.

1. Any Road Will Take You There (3:54)
2. P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) (2:41)
3. Pisces Fish (4:54)
4. Looking For My Life (3:51)
5. Rising Sun (5:28)
6. Marwa Blues (3:43)
7. Stuck Inside A Cloud (4:07)
8. Run So Far (4:08)
9. Never Get Over You (3:28)
10. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (2:36)
11. Rocking Chair In Hawaii (3:08)
12. Brainwashed (6:07)

Released by: Capitol
Release date: 2002
Total running time: 48:11