Boyz Ii Men

IIBoyz II Men (Motown 314 530 323)Given the number of heavy-breathing harmony acts that have washed onto the R&B charts in the wake of Boyz II Men's initial success, it would be easy to imagine these four Philadelphians delivering a second album that's just as sex-obsessed as the latest from H-Town or Silk. But "II" not only doesn't find the Boyz running with the pack, but actually shows them adding extra depth and individuality to their sound. It helps, of course, that the quartet is working with top-notch producers like Dallas Austin, Babyface, L.A. Reid and the team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

R&B singer Mario wants a mulligan. The Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling Baltimore native wants people to forget about the sloppy way his last album, "Go," was handled. His record label kept pushing back "Go" until, when it was finally released in late 2007, it had disappointing sales. When Mario started working on his new album, "D.N.A.," he did everything he could to make sure that wouldn't happen again. He took more creative control over how the songs were presented and how the album was handled.

As the Hammer/Boyz II Men/Jodeci road show makes its way across the country, some folks in the music business think the package seems less like a concert tour than a competition. Sure, Hammer is the headliner, but the commercial strength of the openiAs the Hammer/Boyz II Men/Jodeci road show makes its way across the country, some folks in the music business think the package seems less like a concert tour than a competition. Sure, Hammer is the headliner, but the commercial strength of the opening acts -- particularly Boyz II Men, whose "Cooleyhighharmony" debut is currently outselling Hammer's "Too Legit To Quit" -- suggests that the rapper is anything but untouchable.

ICAN'T listen to too much Wagner, ya know? I start to get the urge to conquer Poland," said the perspicacious Woody Allen. (Just had to use that, although it has nothing to do with what follows except it's about music.) I am one of those old softies who did and still do love Motown! Now, coming on Nov. 13, Boyz II Men, one of the most successful R&B groups of all time, will return as a threesome - Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman - with a new CD called Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA. Motown returns these guys to the limelight, features songs that turned us all on in the past and even includes a track produced by Brian McKnight.

It's not unusual to find well-known musicians performing for the pope, and concerts connected to papal appearances have featured artists ranging from Luciano Pavarotti to the Chieftains. Even so, finding the likes of Boyz II Men on a papal bill seems near miraculous.For one thing, the quartet is one of the hottest acts in popular music today. In 1993, the group's single, "End of the Road," set a record by staying at the top of the charts for 13 consecutive weeks. (Elvis Presley was the previous record-holder.

Johnny Gill, Boyz II Men and Shanice have helped Motown Records stage a remarkable resurgence in the last several years. Now the legendary rhythm and blues label hopes to create similar excitement over some of its old recordings.The Hollywood-based label recently announced it has unearthed old material by the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, the

If a symbolic baton has been passed from vintage Motown to the new company, it's wrapped in the smooth, rich harmonies of Boyz II Men.Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. said as much at the dedication ceremonies of the renovated Motown Historical Museum in Detroit and "The Motown Sound" exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. In his comments, Mr. Gordy specifically thanked current Motown chief Jheryl Busby for Boyz II Men, calling them a group "that could have been as much a part of the original Motown as it is the current company."

While the syndicated Soul Train Music Awards don't enjoy the popularity of the Grammys or the American Music Awards, this year they share a major attraction: Michael Jackson.Mr. Jackson's appearance at tonight's ceremony in Los Angeles -- he'll perform his hit "Remember the Time" -- is the latest stop in a publicity blitz that's included the other major music awards shows, the Super Bowl and his top-rated TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.But no matter what it does for Mr. Jackson, who is also receiving a Humanitarian of the Year award, his performance shines a welcome seventh-year spotlight on "Soul Train's" awards.

This year's Artscape will once again be a melting pot of musical styles - and not just because the festival takes place on what is traditionally the hottest, most humid weekend of the summer. Top acts will include R&B crooners Boyz II Men; Southern rockers the Drive By Truckers; jazz's Lafayette Gilchrist; reggae's Maxi Priest and Shaggy; and "Bebop to Hip Hop," featuring the Sankofa Drummers and the Western High School Dance Team. The festival will be held July 22-24 in the 1200 block of Mount Royal Ave. Other notable acts on the list released yesterday by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts include Biz Markie, Ozomatli, Morris Day and the Time, the Subdudes and the Eubie Blake Legacy Band.

* JUST ANNOUNCED--Lou Reed, above, will be at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on May 16. Tickets go on sale April 10. Call (410) 481-SEAT or (202) 432-0200. Blur with Senseless Things will be appearing at Max's On Broadway on April 26. Call (410) 675-MAX'S.* BALTIMORE ARENA, 201 W. Baltimore St.: The Winans One Family Tour, April 12, and Hammer, Boyz II Men and Jodeci, April 26. Call (410) 481-SEAT.THE CAPITAL CENTRE, Landover: Eric Clapton, May 10; Hammer, Boyz II Men and Jodeci, April 24 and May 14, and Neil Diamond, August 6-7. Call (410)

FREE FALL SHE NEVER LOST A PASSENGER / / 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, 830 E. Pratt St. Free. 410-727-6000 or baltimoreopera.com. ....................... Vikki Jones stars as Harriet Tubman in this one-act Baltimore Opera Company production directed by James Harp and featuring a 25-child chorus. The opera, honoring Tubman, explores her travails in guiding 300 fugitive slaves to safety and freedom in the North.

Artscape always feels like a family reunion. You spot folks you haven't seen since ... who knows when? Children run free, chasing one another, bumping into adults. Organizers try to have a little something for everybody. There's so much food: barbecue, hamburgers, gyros, kettle popcorn. Sugary confections abound. Entertainment also is usually family-friendly and diverse. There is generally a fine mix of music at Artscape - a burgeoning alternative rock band shares the stage with a soul great; a traditional jazz musician follows a progressive rapper.

This year's Artscape will once again be a melting pot of musical styles - and not just because the festival takes place on what is traditionally the hottest, most humid weekend of the summer. Top acts will include R&B crooners Boyz II Men; Southern rockers the Drive By Truckers; jazz's Lafayette Gilchrist; reggae's Maxi Priest and Shaggy; and "Bebop to Hip Hop," featuring the Sankofa Drummers and the Western High School Dance Team. The festival will be held July 22-24 in the 1200 block of Mount Royal Ave. Other notable acts on the list released yesterday by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts include Biz Markie, Ozomatli, Morris Day and the Time, the Subdudes and the Eubie Blake Legacy Band.

Boyz II Men get a hit record with an a cappella version of "In the Still of the Night." Take 6 wins a Grammy for an a cappella album. And the Persuasions -- who broke ground for Take 6 and Boyz II Men -- still go largely unrecognized by the music industry and mainstream audiences."

Boyz II MenEvolution (Motown 314 530 819)For a quiet storm album to succeed, it needs both storm and quiet -- that is, there must be some emotional intensity burning beneath those mellow melodies. There are moments on the new Boyz II Men album, "Evolution," that could be textbook examples of how to get that balance right. In another group's hands, the dulcet beauty of the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis tune "4 Seasons of Loneliness" could easily have turned saccharine, but the Boyz convey the tartness of romantic regret while still savoring the full sweetness of its melody.

The Memory of TreesEnya (Reprise 46106)Because she's so partial to breathy synths and soft, billowing clouds of harmony, Enya's music is so vaporous and ethereal that her albums often sound like the soundtrack to somebody's dreams. What sets "The Memory of Trees" apart, though, is that it augments those insinuating whispers of melody with material that is not merely upbeat but downright infectious. There's an energy to "Anywhere Is" that goes beyond anything Enya has recorded before, a liveliness that makes the regularity of its cadences seem positively hypnotic.

These days, spectacle is simply part of the package for most big-name pop concerts. Whether it's a matter of computer-controlled lighting, Disney-style mechanized props or choreography of a sort that would have left Busby Berkeley reeling, no effect is too special if it promises to leave the crowd dazed and amused.But even the usual level of high-tech razzle-dazzle is not enough for Hammer. He wants to go beyond spectacle, and take his audience into unknown realms of sight and sound. Some might consider it hyper-entertainment; others may call it sensory overload.

These days, spectacle is simply part of the package for most big-name pop concerts. Whether it's a matter of computer-controlled lighting, Disney-style mechanized props or choreography of a sort that would have left Busby Berkeley reeling, no effect is too special if it promises to leave the crowd dazed and amused.But even the usual level of high-tech razzle-dazzle is not enough for Hammer. He wants to go beyond spectacle, and take his audience into unknown realms of sight and sound. Some might consider it hyper-entertainment; others may call it sensory overload.

Sure, Boyz II men were the headliners at last night's papal concert. And yeah, the screaming didn't let up for even one second of the 20-minute set.But the loudest cheer of the evening was reserved for a 75-year-old from Rome who wasn't even there, a transplanted Pole who closed the concert not with a song, but simply by telling the crowd by satellite that he was looking forward to his visit to Baltimore.So who was more popular at Pier Six last night, the pop singers or the pontiff?For the 4,500 screaming fans who were lucky enough to land the free tickets distributed to parishes and youth groups by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, it was probably a draw.

It's not unusual to find well-known musicians performing for the pope, and concerts connected to papal appearances have featured artists ranging from Luciano Pavarotti to the Chieftains. Even so, finding the likes of Boyz II Men on a papal bill seems near miraculous.For one thing, the quartet is one of the hottest acts in popular music today. In 1993, the group's single, "End of the Road," set a record by staying at the top of the charts for 13 consecutive weeks. (Elvis Presley was the previous record-holder.