Bob Dylan [ tickets ]
"Love and Theft" (Columbia)
Street date 9/11

1997's "Time Out of Mind" found Bob Dylan brooding on death at midnight; "Love and Theft," his 43rd album, is much more lively, even joyful. It doesn't really break any new ground, but that's not the point. This record is about Dylan cutting loose and celebrating the richness of American music--the album is a swirling brew of traditional blues, folk and vaudeville. Backing him up are a group of mostly Texan sidemen, including guitar whiz Charlie Sexton and keyboardist Augie Meyers (who collaborated with Doug Sahm). The album is not entirely successful--the great lyricist indulges in a penchant for cornball jokes--but there's enough of his inimitable spark to appeal both to Dylanophiles and the general public. Dylan's voice has aged into a potent blues machine--smoky, ragged and full of vinegar--and the loose, rolling "Lonesome Day Blues" is a real treat. --Christopher Bahn, citysearch.com

Tori Amos [ tickets ]
"Strange Little Girls" (Atlantic)
Street date 9/18

Tori Amos' unparalleled ability to pluck out a song's essence and twist, hard, until it becomes her own: this is what drives the all-covers "Strange Little Girls." The black comedy in Eminem's "Bonnie and Clyde 97" is bled dry, the lyrics delivered in a near-death murmur. Slayer's death-metal classic "Raining Blood" turns into a ghostlike, piano-driven dirge. A weary take on Tom Waits' "Time" and a stormy, new wave version of the Stranglers' "Strange Little Girl" also stand out. Amos' sole misstep is her take on "Happiness Is a Warm Gun," which layers tape loops of news reels from the day John Lennon died and pro-gun rhetoric over a lazy keyboard noodle. "Strange Little Girls" is not a pretty album, but that's the point: the ugliness of male-female relations, which she exposes bit by bit with each cover, is a fact that is--in both pop music and pop culture--all too often ignored. --Maura Johnston, philadelphia.citysearch.com

Ryan Adams [ tickets ]
"Gold" (Lost Highway)
Street date 9/25

Some great songwriters have one identifiable sound (Bruce Springsteen), others are more versatile (Beck). From the Pete Townshend-inspired opening chords of "New York, New York" to the Neil Young-flavored balladry of "Sylvia Plath," "Gold" proves that Ryan Adams is capable of blending a myriad of styles and influences. Musically, he pays homage to icons such as the Band, the Waterboys, Bob Dylan, and Paul Westerberg. He is a singer with many vocal styles, some raspy, some smooth, but all his own. Lyrically, Adams paints impressionist images of relationships and the places he associates with them. He has the wit of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, albeit with a sharper pop sensibility. He's part sensitive songwriter, part budding rock star. Most good albums with more than 12 tracks would be stronger with fewer songs, but the 16-track "Gold" whets the appetite for more. --Don Harvey, austin.citysearch.com

Diana Krall [ tickets ]
"The Look of Love" (Verve)
Street date 9/18

With the voice of a husky angel, Diana Krall brings classic jazz songs down to earth for a broad pop audience. The potency and clarity of her enunciation welcome listeners for whom jazz remains a foreign language, and her dedication to standards--the songs here are by George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael and Burt Bacharach, among others--ensures an enjoyable disc, though it limits the opportunity for surprises. The new record does feature one significant cause for excitement: arrangements on each of its 10 cuts by long-retired Claus Ogerman, who performed similar wonders years ago for Sinatra and Streisand. Who else could concentrate the powers of the London Symphony Orchestra into such a soft romantic haze, a light dusting of clouds through which Krall soars? Sometimes, though, Krall sounds so tough--not coarse, but definitely hardened--that it's difficult to empathize with her heartbreak. The best cut is her take on "S'Wonderful," which recalls the tropical flavor of Ogerman's work with Antonio Carlos Jobim. --Marc Weidenbaum, citysearch.com

Charlie Hunter [ tickets ] Quartet
"Songs from the Analog Playground" (Blue Note)
Street date 9/25

For the first time in his solo career, eight-string guitar whiz Charlie Hunter has brought vocalists into the mix--and the results are intriguing. Rapper Mos Def opens the disc with Mardi Gras-flavored, percussion-only "Street Sounds." Def also gives a silky performance on "Creole," a cool, mellow number with riffs echoing Miles Davis' "So What." Galactic's Theryl De'Clouet lends his soulful voice to a version of Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" that's as slow and dark as molasses. Noah Jones' beautiful, airy renditions of Roxy Music's "More Than This" and Nick Drake's "Day Is Done" are also highlights. Kurt Elling's loungey appearance, however, comes off as somewhat cheesy in this setting. With drummer Stephen Chopek, percussionist Chris Lovejoy and saxophonist John Ellis backing Hunter, the instrumental songs are tight and funky, and bop with a danceable energy. --Curtis Waterbury, portland.citysearch.com

Previous Spin Cycles:

Sept. 6: Toby Keith, Macy Gray, Mary J. Blige, Slayer, Jimmie Vaughan

Aug. 23: Björk, The Isley Brothers, Sparklehorse, John Lee Hooker, Robbie Fulks

Aug. 9: Usher, Prince, Freedy Johnston, Joy Division, Chocolate Genius

July 26: 'NSync, Aaliyah, Cake, Toni Price, The Beta Band

Have a comment or question? Send a message to the Spin Cycle editor: Don Harvey.