CD LETDOWNS OF 2006

There are artists who, in a sense, are their own worst enemies for having too much talent and having to compete with their own top-notch back catalog.

That said, sometimes they release albums that cannot be classified as good, bad or merely OK.

Instead, these CDs should be termed letdowns, not because of one's sky-high expectations but because the music lacks something. Sometimes what's missing is easy to identify or explain, and other times it's difficult to put a finger on. Nevertheless, listening to the album is more frustrating than enjoyable because it should be better.

That being said, here's a look at four CD letdowns released this year:

Golden Smog, Another Fine Day (Lost Highway).
After two focused CDs by this Americana-rock supergroup (featuring Gary Louris, Jeff Tweedy and Dan Murphy, among others), the way-too-mellow Another Fine Day meanders big-time. Cliched lyrics are forgivable when the melodies are hook-filled and memorable, but that's not the case on this CD. This time around, drummer extraordinaire Jody Stephens only appears on four of the album's 13 tracks, and his energy is sorely missed.

Los Lobos, The Town and the City (Hollywood).
Since breaking through to the masses in 1984 with How Will the Wolf Survive?, Los Lobos have never issued consecutive full-length studio letdowns -- until now. The Town and the City, the proper follow-up to 2004's The Ride, is a David Hidalgo-dominated affair; it could have used a few more edgy and upbeat Cesar Rosas-led numbers for the sake of variety. The album's sound is indeed interesting and atmospheric, but it doesn't come close in overall quality to the band's sonically similar Kiko, as some like to believe.

Bob Dylan, Modern Times (Columbia).
Sure, not everything Dylan does ranks up there with Blonde on Blonde. But it's hard to get excited about an album on which a master songwriter uses traditional blues structures and themes on a bunch of tunes. On top of that, half of the songs on Modern Times are waaaay too long, clocking in at six-minutes plus (the excellent "Workingman's Blues #2" is the lone lengthy exception). And what's with name-checking Alicia Keys in "Thunder on the Mountain"?

Cheap Trick, Rockford (Big3 Records).
There have been times when Cheap Trick albums have suffered from the dominating presence of so-called song doctors. (The same can be said about Aerosmith, by the way.) But despite all four members of the band having a hand in writing every song, Rockford has that same mucked-up-by-outsiders cloud over it. Some of the album's songs reference material from Cheap Trick's salad days (titles, themes or structures), but only one ("Dream the Night Away") is better than its ancestor. ("This Time You Got It" and "Decaf," which do not have obvious connections to the past, are the CD's only other standouts).

GO WITH BENNETT

If a man truly is judged by the company he keeps, then Tony Bennett is the coolest guy in the music industry.

On his latest album, Duets: An American Classic, Bennett sings with Elvis Costello, Michael Buble, Barbra Streisand, John Legend, Elton John and Stevie Wonder, plus other stars.

Legend, John and Wonder, among others, also joined him for the TV special Tony Bennett: An American Classic, which will air at 8 p.m. Nov. 21 on NBC.

Also airing at the same time that day will be the American Music Awards on ABC. It also will be a star-studded affair, with Carrie Underwood, Nelly Furtado, Jay-Z and the Dixie Chicks scheduled to appear and/or perform.

But it's safe to assume it will not be nearly as cool or classy as the Bennett special -- and not nearly as satisfying. He may be 80 years old, but Bennett remains a world-class singer and a great interpreter.

Watching a master at work is reason enough to watch the NBC special. The fact that he'll be joined by stars from various genres is just icing on the proverbial cake.

GENESIS: THAT'S NOT ALL

What a difference a decade makes.

Ten years ago, singer/drummer Phil Collins told Billboard magazine he was "not very interested" in old Genesis material. He went as far as to say he had "no reverence" for it.

On Nov. 7, Collins was singing a different tune. He joined guitarist Mike Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks for a press conference in London to formally announce they'll be reuniting for a tour that begins June 11 in Europe, with 20 U.S. dates to be announced sometime later.

Apparently, this reunion of the most successful and famous Genesis lineup came to be after one that would have involved singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett didn't happen.

"This is just us getting together and playing some songs," said Collins last week.

With no plans to make a new Genesis album, this means the guys will be playing material that Collins said he wasn't interested in anymore back in '96.

Hmm: Maybe the decision to revisit the past was influenced by the fact that EMI is scheduled to reissue 14 Genesis studio albums as SACD/DVD two-disc sets throughout 2007.

After all, Rutherford did say at the press conference it is "the right time" for the band to tour.

And get this: According to Collins, money isn't a motivating factor for the tour. His exact words on Nov. 7: "We're all loaded enough not to worry about where the next million is coming from."

Good for you, Phil, but does that mean tickets for the reunion shows will be cheap? Probably not.

Just once, it would be great to hear a long-dormant band or an on-again, off-again band be totally direct and honest about its reasons for reuniting. There's nothing wrong with admitting to boredom, bankruptcy or that solo projects failed.

Recently, Who leader Pete Townshend came close to full disclosure, telling Rolling Stone that after bassist John Entwistle died in 2002, any future touring with Roger Daltrey had to be artistically driven. Townshend kept his word: The band's set lists at recent shows have revolved around the recently released Endless Wire, the first new Who album since 1982's It's Hard.

Full disclosure in exchange for one's full support -- that might be too much to ask from a politician, but it seems reasonable from a musician.

ALL ABOUT KANYE

Rappers are always looking to top each other, and last week, Kanye West managed to top himself in the sore loser department.

On Nov. 2, West stormed the stage during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Denmark as the best video honor was being presented to a couple of guys named Justice and Simian.

West, cursing up a storm, said he should have won for his "Touch the Sky" video. His reasons? It cost $1 million dollars to make, starred Pamela Anderson and featured him "jumping across canyons."

He even went as far to say that by not winning in that category, the show "loses credibility."

West, in light of his foolish behavior and ridiculous comments, should be worried about his credibility. And if anything has been lost, it is his touch with reality.

For an encore, West admitted during a post-show press conference that he had not seen Justice and Simian's winning "We Are Your Friends" clip. (Nothing beats being prepared, right, Kanye?) He again mentioned his video's million-dollar price tag, and then stated, "Obviously, it's not all about the money." (So why mention the cost again?)

None of this should come as a surprise to those familiar with West. After all, he's the guy who whined in 2004 when country singer Gretchen Wilson won the best new artist honor over him at the American Music Awards.

The security folks working tonight's Country Music Association awards should be on alert: It would be very West-like if he crashed the event in Nashville, Tenn., claiming he should receive the Entertainer of the Year honor, even though he's not among the nominees and he's not a country artist.

Nevertheless, he's fast becoming music's biggest boor of the decade, regardless of genre.