Unplugged

UNPLUGGED -- THE OFFICIAL BOOTLEGPaul McCartney (Capitol 96413)When Paul McCartney agreed to perform with his current band on MTV's acoustic-music show, "MTV Unplugged," he figured some fans might want a better copy than what their VCRs would offer. Hence "Unplugged -- the Official Bootleg," which includes all the false starts, bad jokes and muttered asides, plus some wonderfully offhand renditions of vintage rockers and Beatle classics. It would be worth hearing if only for "I Lost My Little Girl," which McCartney announces as "the first song I ever wrote," but "I've Just Seen a Face" isn't bad, either.

The Memorial Day weekend opening of "The Flintstones" was a major box-office success, which partly justifies tonight's TV schedule, which anticipated that favorable reaction by scheduling several positively prehistoric entertainment options. ABC begins presenting new episodes of its "Dinosaurs" sitcom, TBS has "Weird Al" Yankovic presenting old "Flintstones" cartoons in a format called Mastodon Theatre, and MTV presents an episode of "Unplugged" starring Tony Bennett.* "Dinosaurs." (8-8:30 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13)

Life precedes art: Last week Michael Moriarty, who plays a district attorney on NBC's "Law & Order," handed in his resignation from that series. Tonight on that series, Claire Kincaid (played by Jill Hennessy), another district attorney on "Law & Order," hands in her resignation as part of the plot.* "The Critic" (8:30-9 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- For obvious reasons, I enjoy this new animated series a great deal. Aside from the overweight and balding parts, "The Critic" gets a lot of it right -- including my favorite little subtle touch, the fact that critic Jay Sherman (voiced by Jon Lovitz)

Except for baseball's All-Star Game, it's hardly an All-Star Night for television. And since the major league baseball players are considering going on strike before the season ends, perhaps disgruntled summertime TV viewers ought to get together and go on strike before the new fall TV season begins.* "Baseball All-Star Game" (8 p.m.-conclusion, WMAR, Channel 2) -- Lenny Dykstra, although voted in as an All-Star, can't play because of his appendectomy, which pretty much typifies the luck of the Philadelphia Phillies these says.

Trivia test: What star returning to the CBS lineup after a period of mid-season hiatus made his debut in the very same role more than 30 years ago? Hint: Before that, he was the dapper star of a popular western. (See "Burke's Law," below.)* "What About Your Friends?" (4 p.m.-5 p.m., Channel 13) -- It's that time of year, when high school seniors anxiously scan the mail for college acceptance or rejection. In this "Schoolbreak Special," Monica Calhoun, Lark Voorhies and Malinda Williams are close friends hoping to get into the same school.

London -- Talking with Eric Clapton is like handling a sheathed sword. He seems gentle, calm and harmless. But occasionally his protective covering slips, revealing a man so raw and incisive that his words or simply his gaze can be as piercing as a blade.Mr. Clapton's guitar playing is similar: It sometimes seems as if he's plucking emotions instead of strings. This is one reason some consider him the greatest living guitarist; his fans in the 1960s called him God.It's also why he seldom grants interviews to the press.

You knew it was coming. Three songs into their elaborately staged concert Thursday night at 1st Mariner Arena, members of the country-pop super-trio Rascal Flatts took nasty swipes at that other country-pop mega-threesome: the Dixie Chicks, who had swept the Grammys with five wins just this week. Rascal Flatts, nominated for What Hurts the Most, went home empty-handed, and the guys seemed sore about it. Lead singer Gary LeVox cattily sang the title of the Chicks' hit "Not Ready to Make Nice," then made a disgusted face.

I yam what I yam. - Popeye WASHINGTON - We are gathered here to ponder Bush Unplugged. Meaning, the recent story of how Texas Gov. George W. Bush was secretly recorded on tape by a "friend." And that word requires quote marks because, let's face it, with friends like Doug Wead, Mr. Bush hardly needs lib'rals. Mr. Wead's decision to record their private conversations without Mr. Bush's knowledge was legal, but legal isn't always laudable. In this case, it's downright despicable. For those who came in late: It was reported last week by The New York Times that Mr. Wead, a former aide to the first President Bush, did this sneak recording back when the Oval Office was but a gleam in the younger Mr. Bush's eye. Mr. Wead has said he viewed Mr. Bush as a potentially historic figure.

Bryan AdamsMTV Unplugged (A&M 314 540 831)Originally, the idea behind MTV's "Unplugged" concerts was to transform familiar songs by stripping them of their studio sheen, reducing the arrangement to just acoustic guitars and voice. These days, though, it's the artists who are being remade, using "Unplugged" to present themselves in a new light. So Nirvana emphasized angst over rage in its "Unplugged" session, while Eric Clapton used his to show that he didn't need a Stratocaster to be electrifying.

You might look forward to a vacation as a chance to unplug, but Consumer Reports recommends you take that advice literally. There are money-saving errands you might complete before leaving your home for a trip, such as eating up perishable groceries and putting vacation stops on your newspapers and mail. But don't neglect to unplug your idle appliances and turn down your water heater. You might remember this from previous discussions of 'vampire power', but electric-powered DVD players and battery chargers will all draw a constant amount of power even when you're not home.