Be Here Now (Epic)
It's one of the great mysteries of rock history why the English have almost always done the pop thing better than Americans. The simplistic explanation -- the missing link theory of pop, so to speak -- is the English have the music hall tradition to toss into the \ miscegenated mix that is rock. Whatever. Britpop, as the '90s version of English rock has been dubbed, is the antidote to all those whiny, self-absorbed Seattle guitar bands. And while Oasis may be more Cheap Trick than the Beatles, "Be Here Now" is a lot more fun than anything by Pearl Jam.[ 10/12/97 ]
Gospel Oak (Chrysalis/EMI)
This six-song EP is a modest return to form for Sinead O'Connor, who has struggled to find her way, musically and otherwise, since her 1990 breakout album, "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got." O'Connor returns to her Celtic folk roots here on original, prayer-like songs that focus on motherhood and its spiritual and political aspects. Songs like "My Love" and "This Is a Rebel Song" suggest that O'Connor is on the brink of an artistic comeback which, give
