plus: Prince [ tickets ], "Now Vol. 8," Marc Anthony, Pink, KISS, Jill Scott, Ghostface Killah, Smashing Pumpkins, more.

Creed [ tickets ]
"Weathered" (Wind Up)

Creed offers up 11 new tracks on "Weathered," the follow-up to the Florida quartet's 10 million-plus selling 1999 album, "Human Clay." John Kurzweg, who produced the bands two previous albums, returned to turn the knobs again.

The album's first single, "My Sacrifice," has been on radio for a month. It currently sits at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 5 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart.

The promotional push behind the album includes the Creed pager, a computer applet that fans can download via the band's official website. Among its features are advance song previews, behind-the-scenes footage, band news and photos.

Creed will perform during the halftime show of the annual Thanksgiving Day Dallas Cowboys football game at Texas Stadium in Irving. The band will perform on the My VH1 Music Awards on Dec. 2, will appear on "The Tonight Show" on Dec. 3, and will present a Billboard Music Award on Dec. 4.

The band is expected to open a year-long tour behind the album in early 2002.

Kid Rock [ tickets ]
"Cocky" (Atlantic)

Rock--a.k.a. Bob Ritchie--is back to try to match the success of his 1998 breakthrough release, "Devil Without a Cause." That album--which features "Bawitdaba," the hit single that put Rock on the map--has been certified multi-platinum for shipping 10 million copies in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Rock is backed by his Twisted Brown Trucker band, which features Rock's longtime collaborator Uncle Kracker, who released his own solo debut, "Double Wide," last year. Sheryl Crow and Snoop Dogg make guest appearances on the album.

"Forever," the first single from "Cocky," surfaced on radio last month. The song and its companion music video are both being streamed at Rock's official website, along with audio streams of three other album tracks.

Mick Jagger [ tickets ]
"Goddess in the Doorway" (Virgin)

For "Goddess in the Doorway," only the fourth solo album of the Rolling Stones frontman's long career (though he didn't release his first one, "She's the Boss," until 1985), Jagger worked with a number of notable guests.

Bono contributed vocals on one song, Wyclef Jean produced another, and other collaborators include Lenny Kravitz and Rob Thomas.

Virgin Records has posted a preview jukebox with streaming audio to promote the album.

"Rolling Stone" publisher Jann Wenner, who reviewed the album review for his magazine, has gushingly given the album a rare five-star rating. His review suggests that "Goddess in the Doorway" is an exceptionally personal album for Jagger.

Jagger recently performed at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre to promote the album.

Sting [ tickets ]
" ... All This Time" (Interscope/A&M)

This live album boasts a mix of songs from Sting's 1999 release, "Brand New Day," and classic songs, including songs from his days with the Police, such as "Roxanne" and "Don't Stand So Close to Me."

The album was recorded in Tuscany, Italy on Sept. 11.

A DVD release of the concert is due in December, and cable network A&E will broadcast a behind-the-scenes special of the show on Nov. 24.

Also in December, Sting will play a handful of U.S. dates.

Prince
"The Rainbow Children" (Redline/NPG)

Prince follows his 2000 release, "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic," with "The Rainbow Children," an album that has been available online since October for members of his NPG Music Club. One track from the record, "The Work--Pt. 1," was released on Napster in April.

Prince, whose battles with the record industry are well documented (click here for details), is releasing "The Rainbow Children" on his own NPG label, and will distribute the album via Redline Entertainment, a subsidiary of Best Buy.

Click here for a review of "The Rainbow Children."

Various artists
"Now That's What I Call Music, Vol. 8" (Virgin)

"Now! Vol. 8" features chart-topping hits from many of the same artists found on July's chart-topping "Now! Vol. 7," including Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny's Child. U2, Gorillaz, and Sum 41.

The "Now!" phenomenon shows no sign of stopping. When "Now! Vol. 4" was released in the U.S. in July 2000, it became the first album of previously released hits to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Marc Anthony
"Libre" (Columbia)

The Latin star releases a nine-song salsa album, to be followed in January by an English-language album.

According to the singer's official website, he will be performing the new album's initial single, "Celos," on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Tuesday (11/20).

A Bruce Springsteen-penned track titled "I'll Stand by You Always" will appear on the English-language album, Billboard.com reported. Springsteen reportedly wrote the song for his son and "thought Anthony would be the right person to sing it."

Pink
"Missundaztood" (Arista)

Twenty-two year old Alicia Moore--better known as Pink--enlisted ex-4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry as a collaborator on the follow up to her two million-selling debut. Other co-writers and producers included Scott Storch (The Roots, Dr. Dre), Dallas Austin (TLC, Madonna) and Damon Elliott (Bone Thugs N Harmony).

On "Missundaztood," Pink moves beyond the R&B pop of her 2000 debut, delving into rock and blues arrangements--Aerosmith's Steven Tyler contributes vocals to one track. However, the album's first single, "Get the Party Started," is a track that's not likely to turn off fans of Pink's debut album.

KISS
"KISS" (Mercury)

Soldiers in the KISS Army who for years have clamored for a box set from the band finally get their due this week: a five-disc set that houses 94 tracks, totaling over six hours in playing time. Each disc represents a certain era in the band's nearly 30-year history.

The collection includes previously released tracks that have been digitally remastered, along with previously unreleased demos, studio cuts and recordings from band members' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley's pre-KISS days.

A 120-page booklet featuring photos and track by track commentary from all four original band members--Simmons, Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss--is included. The set is offered in both a standard edition and a limited edition that is packaged in a "guitar case" with a hard-cover version of the 120-page book.

Jill Scott
"Experience: Jill Scott 826+" (Epic)

The soul-pop singer follows up her highly touted debut album, "Who Is Jill Scott?" with a two-CD set.

One disc is a live recording of the songs from her debut, plus a poem, titled "The Sickness." The second disc is a studio recording of nine original songs plus a cover of the Bill Withers hit "Lovely Day." The rapper Common duets with Scott on another track.

The number "826" in the title refers to the date of the live recording, August 26.

Ghostface Killah
"Cuban Linx 2: Bulletproof Wallets" (Epic/RZA)

The Wu-Tang Clan rapper's third solo album features 17 tracks that include cameos by fellow Wu-Tang folk Raekwon and Method Man, plus Carl Thomas, Ruff Endz, Takitha and Trife, among others.

The video for the album's first single, "Never Be the Same Again," is viewable on Ghostface Killah's official website. It features Thomas, Raekwon, Judge Mills Lane and actress Lisa Raye ("Player's Club").

BET.com will stream "Cuban Linx 2" in its entirety on Monday (11/19). The album is available in clean and explicit versions.

Smashing Pumpkins
"Greatest Hits" (Virgin)

The 12-year history of now-defunct Smashing Pumpkins is represented on this collection, which is joined by the simultaneous release of a DVD comprising the band's music videos and other footage.

A limited-edition version of the album will include a second disc titled "Judas O" that features rare tracks and b-sides.

Since disbanding last year, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain have gone on to form a new quartet named Zwan. That group is in the midst of its first batch of club dates.

Other new releases:

Eightball - "Almost Famous" (Jcor)
Bluescreen - "Undercurrents" (Shadow)
Sarah Brightman - "Classics" (Angel)
Deana Carter - "Father Christmas" (Rounder)
Catch 22 - "Washed Up" (Victory)
Chocolate Bandit - "Lyrical Warfare" (Warlock)
John Corbett & Davey Williams - "Humdinger" (Atavistic)
The Deadlines - "Fashion Over Function" (Tooth & Nail)
DJ Colette - "Our Day" (Nettwerk)
Sarah Dougher - "The Bluff" (Mr. Lady)
Dungeon Family - "Even in Darkness" (Arista)
Egill S. - "Tonk of the Lawn" (Thirsty Ear)
El Vez - "Boxing with God" (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
Eso Charis - "Eso Charis" (Solid State)
Fugitive Elf - "Soulbound" (Shadow)
G-Dep - "Child of the Ghetto" (Bad Boy/Arista)
Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle - "H-Wing" (Nettwerk)
Hoobastank - "Hoobastank" (Island)
Abdullah Ibrahim - "Ekapa Ludumo" (Tip Toe)
Kidneythieves - "Phi in the Sky" (Extasy)
Bireli Lagrene - "The Gypsy Project" (Dreyfus)
Patty Loveless - "On Down the Line" (Universal)
Monteloco - "Keep on Look’n" (Thump)
Nad Navillus - "Show Your Face" (Jagjaguwar)
Onesidezero - "Is This Room Getting Smaller" (Warner Bros.)
Keith Perry - "Inspirational Favorites" (Curb)
Kelly Price - "One Family: A Christmas Album" (Def Jam)
Jill Scott - "Experience" (Epic)
Jon Secada - "Gift" (Epic)
Silver Jews - "Bright Flight" (Drag City)
Brian Tarquin - "High Life" (Instinct)
The Temptations - "Awesome" (Motown)
Clifford Thornton's New Art Ensemble - "Freedom & Unity" (Atavistic/UMS)
Timbaland & Magoo - "Indecent Proposal" (Virgin)
Various artists - "Get Your Praise On - Church Praise" (Tommy Boy)
Various artists - "Hey Punk ... Get Riddim" (Victory World)
Various artists - "Ministry of Sound: The Annual 2002" (Ministry of Sound)
Various artists - "Monkey Wrenching the New World Order" (Alternative Tentacles)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Dean Quixote" (Spin Art)
"Holiday in the Sun" (Trauma)
"Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (New Line/Reprise)
"Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" (Nick/Jive)

Compiled by Jon Zahlaway with Rob Evans, Scott Henkemeyer, Marc Weidenbaum and James Woster.