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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cds By Van Halen, Extreme Among Top January Releases

Brett Atwood Billboard

New titles from Van Halen and Extreme highlight the post-holiday list of releases due to hit retail in January. Other key releases include offerings from Neal McCoy, and Siouxsie & the Banshees.

Van Halen returns with its first studio album in three years, “Balance,” due Jan. 24 from Warner Bros. Another long-absent rock act, Extreme, ends its fans’ wait with “Waiting For The Punchline,” due Jan. 17 from A&M.

Though the month is light on major releases, four high-profile soundtracks aim to fill the void.

Arista’s “Boys On The Side” soundtrack, due Jan. 24, features 11 new and previously released tracks from prominent female musicians, including Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, the Cranberries, and Bonnie Raitt. The Warner Bros. film, which stars Whoopi Goldberg and Drew Barrymore, opens Feb. 3 in more than 2,000 theaters nationwide.

“The Jerky Boys” soundtrack, due Jan. 24, contains an eclectic mix of modern rock and rap, including contributions from Collective Soul, Green Day, Coolio, and Wu-Tang Clan. The music comes from the phone pranksters’ film debut.

John Singleton’s “Higher Learning” soundtrack, due Jan. 10 on 550 Music/Epic Soundtrax, features new tracks from Ice Cube, Liz Phair, Mister Grimm and Tori Amos.

Finally, “Tales From The Crypt Presents Demon Knights” features a hard-edged alternative soundtrack, with tracks from Pantera, Ministry, Megadeth, and Rollins Band.