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There are some fine songs here Here's hoping successive albums improve upon what he does best His voice is sensitive and delicate in "Crystal Village," then ragged and growling on the next track, "Carlos (Don't Let it Go to Your Head Slater, who wrote "More" along with Andrews and her boyfriend, Marcel Chagnon, provided her with the lovely "When Gentry Plays Guitar" and co-wrote "God Don't Give Up on Us " After the jangly uptempo version of her current single "More to Me Than You," Andrews settles into a series of ballads better suited to her vocal presentation ending with the acoustic ââ‚¬â€? and more appealing ââ‚¬â€? treatment of "More to Me" in a hidden track It's also quite a surprise, frankly, that Nicks is the real mainstay now But Fleetwood Mac manages that with an album that buries its treasures in an avalanche of mediocrity 98) ââ‚¬â€? Thicke Thicke adopts many different personas on "A Beautiful World," producing a debut album with wildly mixed results ââ‚¬â€? Tom Gardner, AP Writer ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€? "A Beautiful World" (Interscope, $12 The strength of this group, mixed with Coltrane's creativity, makes "Mad 6" a fresh and energetic listen 98) ââ‚¬â€? Ravi Coltrane Ravi Coltrane can thrive in any number of jazz situations 99) ââ‚¬â€? Pete Yorn Pete Yorn should be the next rock 'n' roll superstar Yorn plays most instruments himself ââ‚¬â€? guitar, harmonica, keyboards ââ‚¬â€? just like he did on his critically acclaimed 2001 debut release, "musicforthemorninga fter At 18 songs and more than 76 minutes, you could put this disc on, leave the room to make a sandwich, run a few errands, go to college for four years, come back and it will STILL be playing The producers behind "Thankful," fail miserably at allowing Clarkson to be herself The slow version of "More " Don't hesitate " It must be noted that these two gentlemen are still playing their physically demanding instruments, at the ages of 83 (Terry) and 79 (Roach) without losing an inch of ground As a result, "Say You Will" is like two alternating solo albums with a band that too often is trying to sound like Fleetwood Mac instead of just being Fleetwood Mac "Carlos" is pure classic rock ââ‚¬â€? a steady electric guitar riff set off by a booming bass ââ‚¬â€? Jim Collins, AP Writer He and his quartet handle a diverse mix of originals and covers Andrews' presentation is most effective when it's backed with minimal accompaniment, which happily is the case on most of the album's 16 tracks The album's first single, "Miss Independent," sounds like a half-baked remake of "Dirrty," a recent offering by "Independent" co-writer Christina Aguilera " "I'm A Be Alright," the best thing about a recent Gateway commercial, is another standout track James T Like Aguilera, Clarkson is equally incapable of convincingly growling out song lyrics Clarkson is at her best when she's emulating a more wholesome brand of pop star Ravi ââ‚¬â€? the son of jazz great John "Trane" Coltrane ââ‚¬â€? tests his skills on "Mad 6," his third album 98) ââ‚¬â€? Fleetwood Mac You'd think being gone for 15 years would make it hard for a band to wear out its welcome Yorn's versatility is key to his appeal ââ‚¬â€? David Bauder, AP Writer ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€? "Day I Forgot" (Columbia, $12 98) ââ‚¬â€? Kelly Clarkson Considering how much judge Simon Cowell harps about distinctiveness being key to becoming the "American Idol," it's interesting that the TV contest's first winner, Kelly Clarkson, has come out with such a generic debut ââ‚¬â€? Kim Curtis, AP Writer ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€? "Now" (DreamWorks, $18 Despite these missteps, Thicke should be praised for his willingness to take chances From mellow ballads to eruptions of abstract fury, his saxophone becomes a strong thread that holds a song together Sound Bites: Audio Reviews From the AP Apr 16, 11:02 AM EST Selected audio releases: "Thankful" (RCA, $18 A reigned-in Jim Morrison It's like a conversation between two old friends On the album's best tracks, Coltrane navigates each part with deftness, flowing from verse to chorus " Andrews also shared in the writing on the bouncy "Good Time" ââ‚¬â€? one of only four really uptempo tracks out of 16 What results is a maximal playing style similar to his father's, as hundreds of notes stream forth, darting in all directions That sense of slog is more glaring now that Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are the two main songwriters and voices, given the retirement of Christine McVie Clarkson's voice is well suited for this type of song, but save for the breezy "What's Up Lonely," there's nothing new to hear here Also included are new mixes of "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love" that sound virtually unchanged from the originals 98) ââ‚¬â€? Jessica Andrews Two years after releasing her second album, 19-year-old Jessica Andrews is back with more self-assurance and even more voice with the ballad-rich disc "Now Coltrane's tenor sax flutters deceptively, but behind its clear, soft tone, he pushes each solo, wringing ideas out of his horn The understated elegance of her songwriting and singing is sorely missed Joined by pianist Don Friedman and bassist Marcus McLaurine, Terry and Roach bring their signature styles ââ‚¬â€? Terry, a mellow, sweet, yet swinging trumpet sound, and Roach a polyrhythmic, almost melodic drumming style ââ‚¬â€? to thirteen tracks, six originals and seven standards He's a sensitive Dave Matthews Flat-sounding vocals and ill-placed rock guitars turn "Flex" into one long whine ââ‚¬â€? Rachel Kipp, AP Writer ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€? "Say You Will" (Reprise, $18 " and the powerful "God Don't Give Up on Us" showcase Andrews' unique alto along with her ability to put a song over the top emotionally The grating "Vengas Conmigo," comes off like an ill-advised Santana collaboration " Some of these experiments produce favorable results ââ‚¬â€? Rachel Kipp, AP Writer ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€? "Mad 6" (Columbia, $18 Put them together with a few Christine McVie songs, throw the rest out and you've got a killer Fleetwood Mac album That personality is missing on "Thankful," and there lies the albums greatest fault A tougher-edged Jeff Buckley Buckingham's questioning opener, "What's the World Coming To" and the melodic "Miranda" and "Bleed to Love Her," and Nicks' "Ilume (9-11)," "Throw Down," "Everybody Finds Out" and the closing lullaby, "Goodbye Baby," are the best And with dark, brooding eyes, cleft chin and shaggy, just-out-of-bed hair, he even bears an eerie resemblance to both Buckley and Morrison ââ‚¬â€? Mark Donahue, AP Writer ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€?ââ‚¬â€? "Friendship" (Eighty-Eights, Columbia, $18 On one duet "Brushes and Waltz," Terry's melody line is echoed in Roach's colorful, multilayered drumming )" And musically, the two tracks couldn't be more different With the combination of strummy guitars and humming backup singers, "Just Missed the Train" and "Beautiful Disaster" sound like good outtakes from a Debbie Gibson album circa 1987 Before that catchy little rocker, she shows her versatility in jumping from the touching "They Are the Roses" to "Cowboy Guarantee," a nice venture into the western part of country-western During her run on "American Idol," Clarkson showcased a great voice and an endearing, "aw shucks" personality Among the standards is the Thelonius Monk composition "Let's Cool One 98) ââ‚¬â€? Clark Terry & Max Roach It was a meeting of two jazz giants when trumpeter and flugelhorn player Clark Terry and drummer Max Roach were brought together for a one-day studio session in March 2002 " Terry's lines are beautifully understated and Roach swings gently and steady, but with just the right amount of panache McVie is listed on this disc as a contributor, but it's unclear what she did Thicke also takes on a new personality with each track, going from hook-up happy horndog on "When I Get You Alone" to introspective peace activist on "Cherry Blue Skies Buy both With his smooth, sweet delivery on "The Stupid Things" and "Brand New Jones," Thicke sounds like an "Innervisions"-era Stevie Wonder But the album is not without its growing pains Steve Hass is a tornado of drum rolls an d cymbal crashes, resembling Trane's furious drummer, Elvin Jones "Ginger Bread Boy" finds his snaking sax in moments of introspection and melancholy Coltrane's skilled, backing group anchors his saxophone The artist ââ‚¬â€? son of actor Alan Thicke ââ‚¬â€? attempts R&B, disco, blues and rock, turning the album into a "test kitchen" of different sounds The retooled disco beats of "When I Get You Alone" are infectious, despite the theft of corny 70s-era hit "A Fifth of Beethoven That recording resulted in "Friendship Buckingham often appears too tightly wound and muddled in his writing, while the ethereal hoo-hah of the old Stevie has been replaced with a down-to-earth, world-weary wisdom "Crystal Village," about the fragile, early stages of a relationship is delicately picked acoustic guitars and luminous strings The remainder of the album contains ballads covering the hot topics of high school angst