Destiny's Child
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Boy Band Meets Its Destiny: 'NSYNC might have a bigger posse, but they're going to have a hard time toppling female peers Destiny's Child, whose blockbuster breakup tour is still fresh in mind. Destiny's #1's has three brand-new nuggets in addition to 13 chart-toppers; the DualDisc has the songs in 5.1 stereo, seven videos and a trailer for the "Destiny's Child - Live in Atlanta" DVD. 'NSYNC's Greatest Hits, on the other hand, is a glitter-free set with 12 of the group's most well-known cuts — no incentives for the ardent fan here. Point, set, match: DC.

A Sinful Set: Mötley Crüe fanatics had plenty of chances to catch the band's pyrotechnic summer tour, but for those who missed out, the "Carnival of Sins" DVD will leave them with fewer regrets. Splayed over two discs is their April 27 concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan, plus loads of bonuses, including the obligatory behind-the-scenes footage.

Aerojoint: The title of Aerosmith's latest — Rockin' the Joint - Live at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas — pretty much says it all, except that the set list includes a few rarities ("Season of Wither," on a concert album for the first time, plus a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Rattlesnake Shake," etc.), and that the DualDisc's video side has four clips, backstage material and more.

Faith Evans usually takes three or four years between releases, but the holiday spirit has apparently overcome her this time around. Fresh on the heels of April's The First Lady — her first album that didn't include "faith" in the title — Biggie's widow returns to tradition with A Faithful Christmas, a set of traditional songs including "Happy Holiday," "White Christmas" and "O Come All Ye Faithful."

Incidental Spookiness: Are this week's releases haunted? Sink your fangs into Children of Bodom's Are You Dead Yet?, Renee Heartfelt's Death of a Ghost and Hank Williams III's Straight to Hell, or get bewitched by new LPs and reissues by Dead Can Dance, Dead Kennedys, Goblin Co--, Gravenhurst, I Am Ghost, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult and Program the Dead. BOOyah!

George on Their Minds: George Harrison enthusiasts will want to take note of a remastered version of the two-CD The Concert for Bangladesh, but even more prized is a limited, deluxe-edition version of the DVD, which has a different cover and is jam-packed with unique ephemera like handwritten lyrics, 10 postcards, a static-cling sticker and reprint of the original poster. Joel Harrison isn't one of George's offspring, but he takes advantage of his namesake all the same by redoing 11 selections by the Beatles guitarist. And speaking of the Fab Four, Ben Harper, Ted Leo, Ben Kweller, Sufjan Stevens, Low and Dar Williams laud one of the band's best records with This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul.

Song Titles of the Week:

• "Pretty People Never Lie/ Vampires Never Really Die" (I Am Ghost's We Are Always Searching)
• "F. Ree P. Ersonality T. Est" (Program the Dead's Program the Dead)

Other Notables:

Angie Stone's Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone and "Stone Hits Live: The Very Best of Angie Stone" DVD: The soul revivalist is hoping for another resurgence of sorts with two comps. Her CD has a pair of new cuts, including "I Wasn't Kidding," while her DVD boasts guest spots by Anthony Hamilton at a performance in Atlanta, plus extra footage and photos.

They Might Be Giants' Here Come the ABCs and They Got Lost: The always-unique TMBG really do run through the alphabet on their children's collection ABCs, and there's even more fun for the family with the accompanying DVD, which is full of animated components. Not to be overlooked, so to speak, is They Get Lost, a rarities set with 21 tracks of collectible goodness, due the same day.

Calvin Johnson's Before the Dream Faded: He's been on oodles of albums and played with a bunch of bands (Beat Happening, Dub Narcotic Sound System, Halo Benders), so it's hard to imagine that Faded is only the second solo opus by the Northwest indie-punk guru. Members of his K Records clique — including folks from the Blow, Mount Eerie, Glass Candy and Mirah — prop up Papa Johnson on tracks like "When Hears Turn Blue," "Rabbit Blood" and "Obliteration Overload."

New Releases:

• A Day in Black and White - Notes (Level Plane)
• Aberdeen City - The Freezing Atlantic (Dovecote)
• Aerosmith - Rockin' the Joint - Live at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas (DualDisc; Columbia)

Buy Now: Rockin' the Joint - Live at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas (Columbia)
• Allele - Point of Origin (Corporate Punishment)
• Annie - DJ Kicks (Studio K7)
• John Arnold - Style and Pattern (Ubiquity)
• The Bacon Brothers - White Knuckles (spinART)
• Jeff Bates - Good People (RCA)
• Jay Bezel - Diplomats Present Jay Bezel: Philadelphia Beast (Sure Shot)
• Bigg Milt - Power 2 the People (Thump)
• Rick Braun - Yours Truly (Artizen)
• Breakestra - Hit the Floor (Ubiquity)
• Buckethead & Friends - Enter the Chicken (Serjical Strike)
• Julie Budd - The New Classics (Ruby/Ryko)
• Vashti Bunyan - Lookaftering (DiCristina Stair Builders)
• Children of Bodom - Are You Dead Yet? (Fontana International)
• Dirty Faces - Superamerican (Jagjaguwar)
• DJ Muggs Vs. GZA the Genius - Grandmasters (Angeles)
• The Drift - Noumena (Temporary Residence)
• Earlies - These Were the Earlies (Secretly Canadian)
• Faith Evans - A Faithful Christmas (Capitol)

Buy Now: A Faithful Christmas (Capitol)
• F-Minus - Won't Bleed Me/ Failed Society EP (Alternative Tentacles)
• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)
• The Fire Still Burns - Keeping Hope Alive EP (Blackout)
• Girls in Hawaii - From Here to There (Titan/Pyramid)
• Goblin Co-- - Bagged and Boarded (Absolutely Kosher)
• Gravenhurst - Fires in Distant Buildings (Warp)
• Great Big Sea - The Hard & the Easy (Zöe)
• G3 (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci) - Live in Tokyo (with DVD; Epic)
• Joel Harrison - Harrison on Harrison: Jazz Explorations of George Harrison (High Note)
• Marcos Hernandez - C About Me (TVT)
• Scott Holt Band - Revelator (Rockview)
• Hoods - The King Is Dead (Eulogy)
• I Am Ghost - We Are Always Searching (Epitaph)
• Il Divo - The Christmas Collection (Columbia)
• Jin - Jin Presents the Emcee's Proper?Ganda (Draft)
• Colin John Band - Acousticland Lady (Rockview)
• Calvin Johnson - Before the Dream Faded (enhanced; K)
• LaSalle - Expedition Songs (Thick)
• The LeeVees - Hanukkah Rocks (Reprise)
• Jacques Loussier Trio - Mozart Piano Concertos 20/23 (Telarc)
• Matt Maneri - Pentagon (Thirsty Ear)
• Bette Midler - Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook (DualDisc; Columbia)
• Mikoto - Mikoto EP (Level Plane)
• Milemarker - Ominosity (Eyeball)

Buy Now: Ominosity (Eyeball)
• Niacin - Organik (Magna Carta)
• Joe Nichols - III (Universal South)
• Tony Orlando & Dawn - A Christmas Reunion (R2 Entertainment)
• Rebecca Pidgeon - Tough on Crime (The Lab)
• Pinetop Seven - The Night's Bloom (Empyrean)
• Program the Dead - Program the Dead (Low Altitude/Universal)
• Queenadrena - The Butcher and the Butterfly (One Little Indian)
• Collin Raye - Twenty Years and Change (Infinity Nashville)
• Renee Heartfelt - Death of a Ghost (Textbook)
• Report Suspicious Activity - Report Suspicious Activity (Alternative Tentacles)
• Lisa Shaw - Cherry (Naked)
• She Wants Revenge - She Wants Revenge (Geffen)
• The Skygreen Leopards - Jehovah Surrender (Jagjaguwar)
• Silver Sunshine - A Small Pocket of Pure Spirit EP (Empyrean)
• Slum Village - Slum Village (Barack)
• Socialburn - The Beauty of Letting Go (IRock Entertainment)
• Solea - Solea (Textbook)
• Spyritual - Wall of Soul (Kitty Yo)
• Marty Stuart - Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota (Universal South)
• Stereocell - Into Tomorrow (Rockview)
• They Might Be Giants - Here Come the ABCs (with DVD; enhanced; Walt Disney)
• Randy Travis - Glory Train: Songs of Faith, Worship, and Praise (Word)
• Townes Van Zandt - Live at Union Chapel, London England (Tomato)
• Vaux - Beyond Virtue, Beyond Vice (Lava)
• Hank Williams III - Straight to Hell (Curb)
• Various artists - Imaginational Anthems (Near Mint)
• Various artists - Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked (Impulse)
• Various artists - Pull My Finger: Jingle Smells (Oglio)
• Various artists - This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul (Razor & Tie)
• Various artists - Windham Hill Christmas: The Night Before Christmas (Windham Hill)
• Various artists - "Saw II" soundtrack (Image Entertainment)

Notable Reissues:

• Sarah Brightman - Love Changes Everything: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection - Volume Two (Decca)
• Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas (DualDisc; Columbia)

Buy Now: Merry Christmas (Sony)
• Johnny Cash - The Legend of Johnny Cash (Hip-O/Sony BMG/UME)
• John Coltrane - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Harry Connick Jr. - Harry for the Holidays (DualDisc; Columbia)
• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Miles Davis - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Dead Can Dance - Memento: The Very Best of Dead Can Dance (Rhino)
• Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables: Special 25th Anniversary Edition CD + DVD (Manifesto)
• Destiny's Child - #1's (DualDisc; Columbia)
  Read: "Destiny's Child Look Back With #1's Before Going Their Separate Ways"
  Buy Now: #1's (Columbia)
• Eric Dolphy - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Jerry Garcia - Ladder to the Stars: Garcia Plays Dylan (Rhino)
• Red Garland Quintets Featuring John Coltrane - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Gun Club - Mother Juno (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• George Harrison and Friends - The Concert for Bangladesh (Capitol)
• Coleman Hawkins - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Lightnin' Hopkins - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - Give Me Back My Bullets - Deluxe Edition (Geffen/UME)
• Jackie McLean - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult - Gay, Black & Married (Rykodisc)
• 'NSYNC - Greatest Hits (Jive)

Buy Now: Greatest Hits (Jive)
• Jeffrey Lee Pierce - Wildweed (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop)
• Sonny Rollins - Prestige Profiles (with bonus collectors' CD; Prestige)
• Jimmy Smith - Christmas '64 (Verve)
• Angie Stone - Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone (J)
• They Might Be Giants - They Got Lost (Rounder/Zöe)
• Toots & the Maytals - Roots Reggae: The Classic Jamaican Albums (box set; Trojan)
• Various artists - The Concert for Bangladesh (Capitol)
• Various artists - For a Decade of Sin: 11 Years of Bloodshot Records (Bloodshot)

DVDs:

• ABBA - "The Movie" (Universal)
• The BellRays - "At the Barfly" (Music Video Distributors)
• Blues Company - "Keepin' the Blues Alive" (Music Video Distributors)
• Captain & Tennille - "Ultimate Collection" (Bayside)
• George Harrison and Friends - "The Concert for Bangladesh" (limited deluxe edition due same day; Rhino)
• Billie Holiday - "Ultimate Collection" (Verve)
• Mötley Crüe - "Carnival of Sins" (two DVDs; Clear Channel Entertainment)
• The Residents - "Wormwood" (Music Video Distributors)
• Frank Sinatra with Dean Martin and Bing Crosby - "The Frank Sinatra Show: High Hopes" (Music Video Distributors)
• Angie Stone - "Stone Hits Live: The Very Best of Angie Stone" (J)
• Thunders, Kane & Nolan - "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory" (Music Video Distributors)
• Trick Daddy - "Thug Holiday" (Music Video Distributors)
• Voivod - "D-V-O-D-1" (Music Video Distributors)
• Various artists - "The Dirty South - Raw & Uncut" (Music Video Distributors)

Coming Attractions:

November 1:

• Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of the Box (Geffen)

Buy Now: Sliver: The Best of the Box (Geffen)
• Blink 182 - Greatest Hits (Geffen)
• Santana - All That I Am (Arista)
  Read: "Guest List For New Santana LP: Big Boi, Mary J., Will.I.Am, Bo Bice And More"
  Buy Now: All That I Am (Arista)

• Limp Bizkit - Greatest Hitz (Geffen)
• The Mars Volta - Scab Dates (Universal)
• Young Buck - T.I.P. (Mass Appeal)

November 15:

• Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi: Platinum Edition (Island)
  Read: "Mariah Carey Emancipating Mimi Again, With Bonus Tracks"
• Green Day - Bullet in a Bible (with DVD; Reprise)
• Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor (Warner Bros.)
  

Buy Now: Confessions on a Dance Floor (Warner Bros.)

• Destiny's Child
• NSYNC
• Aerosmith
• Mötley Crüe
• Faith Evans