Chris Willman
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‘Hatfields & McCoys’: Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton on Guns, Grit and Feud for Thought
In the History Channel's "Hatfields & McCoys," the two actors face off and get grimy as battling patriarchs of the killer clans
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Donna Summer’s Long Last Dance: From Reluctant Moaner, Casablanca Queen to Emeritus Class Act
The preeminent disco diva, Donna Summer's death at 63 has us thanking God it's always Friday when her late-'70s classics come on
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Adam Lambert CD Review: ‘Trespassing’ Shows Us the True, Naked Adam
Lambert vows to show fans his naked self, but ditching rock to overemphasize electronic dance production leaves his musical personality undetermined
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Lisa Marie Presley CD Review: The Best Thing Any Presley Has Done Since ‘Suspicious Minds’
The King's daughter, trespassing into T Bone Burnett territory, finds her voice on "Storm & Grace"
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Willie Nelson CD Review: His Son Also Rises in Duets-Heavy ‘Heroes’
Snoop Dogg, Sheryl Crow and Merle Haggard all show up on Willie's mostly satisfying new album, but it's really a torch-passing exercise
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‘Glee’ CD Review: Po(m)p and Circumstance-Themed ‘Graduation’
The song selection on "Glee's" set of valedictory songs isn't bad, though you're better off using the track list as a guide to download original versions for your own graduation party
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Sara Watkins CD Review: Fiddling While ‘Sun Midnight Sun’ Burns Brilliantly
A Fiona Apple duet and songs by Willie Nelson and Dan Wilson help ex-Nickel Creek member Sara Watkins come up with the year's best Americana album
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‘Smash’ Soundtrack Review: Everything’s Coming Up Skimpy
The curiously short soundtrack is a sampler that particularly stiffs fans of the Marilyn Monroe-themed show-within-a-show "Smash"
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George Harrison Review: ‘Early Takes’ Puts a Gorgeous, Stripped-Down Spin on ‘All Things’
The ex-Beatle's demos and early takes from "All Things Must Pass" offer a stripped-down alternative to the Phil Spector treatment they got in 1970
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Carrie Underwood Review: ‘Blown Away’ Doesn’t Kick Up More Than a Breeze
Although she's in typically expert vocal form, Underwood doesn't offer much sense of a real emotional or musical personality on her scattershot fourth album
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Jack White CD Review: ‘Blunderbuss’ Spins Gold Out of Girl Trouble
White’s first solo album has a bit of a bad attitude about women, even as his all-female band helps drive the diversified rockers home
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Carole King Review: ‘Legendary Demos’ Honors a ’60s Recording Career That Never Was
King’s album of pre-“Tapestry” classics proves she could’ve ruled as a singer as well as songwriter in the ’60s, too
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Jason Mraz CD Review: Severely Laid-Back ‘Love’ Makes Elevator Music Seem Downbeat
Jason Mraz abandons all attempts at pop-rap playfulness in favor of trying to revive easy-listening as an artform
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Train CD Review: ‘California 37’ Derails With Wacked-Out Wordplay
Pat Monahan has gone off the rails since writing 2001’s “Drops of Jupiter”