Metamorphosed Rock Best Tribute Albums Transform Old Songs Rather Than Bury Them Within Layers Of Nostalgia

Rock ‘n’ roll tribute albums have gotten so common in recent years that we’re running out of artists to honor: Don’t be surprised if record stores suddenly start hawking copies of “Yanni Revisited” or “Base Hits: The Songs of Ace of Base.”

This season’s crop of all-star tributes includes discs devoted to the English cult band XTC, a recreation of a single LP (Carole King’s “Tapestry”) and the third record paying homage to semiobscure Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen.

But it’s not the subject that counts so much as the approach: The best tribute records set out to reinvent songs, not drown them in respect.

For proof, consider the latest batch of discs remaking the work of Marvin Gaye, John Lennon, Cohen, XTC and King:

“Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King” (Atlantic/Lava) - The beauty behind King’s megaselling 1971 album “Tapestry” was its woman-and-her-piano simplicity. But these artists try so hard to make the songs as radio-friendly as the originals that “Tapestry Revisited” sounds hopelessly grandiose.

After Celine Dion’s bombastic “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and Rod Stewart’s slick “So Far Away,” a note-for-note rehash of “It’s Too Late” by Amy Grant seems almost refreshing. R&B newcomers Eternal turn in a rambunctious gospel/hip-hop remake of “I Feel the Earth Move.”

But for the most part, this “Tapestry” is pure polyester.

“Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon” (Hollywood) - These 15 songs remind us that Lennon’s post-Beatles work was often just as good as his Fab Four material. It also was a lot angrier: The Magnificent Bastards (with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots) tap into the bile of Lennon’s anti-McCartney rant “How Do You Sleep,” the Screaming Trees whip up a furious, cello-laced version of “Working Class Hero,” and Candlebox rages with conviction through “Steel and Glass.”

Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s trippy Flaming Lips carry the surreal wordplay of “Nobody Told Me” to new heights. And both Cheap Trick (“Cold Turkey”) and George “Clinton (Mind Games”) recast songs into crazed rock symphonies.

The only bust here is Mary Chapin Carpenter’s saccharine reading of “Grow Old With Me.”

“Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye” (Motown) - The boldest tribute of the lot, “Inner City Blues” reinvents Gaye’s songs without diluting their messages: Speech of Arrested Development overhauls “What’s Going On” into magnificent rural rap. Neneh Cherry recasts the 1972 hit “Trouble Man” into piano-fired jazz-funk. And U2’s Bono plays an ominous game of call-and-response with a tape of Gaye on “Save the Children.”

Not everything on Blues” is downbeat.

Boyz II Men’s hip-hop remake of “Let’s Get It On” sounds nothing like the original but is every bit as sensual. And Stevie Wonder’s cover of Gaye’s first hit in 1962, “Stubborn Kind of Fellow,” is a joyous dance-floor workout.

“A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC” (Thirsty Ear) - There’s nothing terribly innovative about the Rembrandts’ remake of “Making Plans for Nigel” or Sarah McLachlan’s version of “Dear God.” But with a batch of songs this crafty and catchy, even New Kids on the Block could have made a decent XTC tribute album.

Befitting a cult band like XTC, “Dinner” serves up several little-known acts (who, exactly, is P. Hux?). But the disc also boasts bona fide stars such as Joe Jackson (“Statue of Liberty”), They Might Be Giants (“25 O’Clock”) and Ruben Blades, who reroutes “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul” into high-octane salsa.

“Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen” (A&M) - The black-clad bard has already spawned two tribute discs: Jennifer Warnes’ 1986 album, “Famous Blue Raincoat,” and “I’m Your Fan,” featuring R.E.M. and others. But Cohen’s mysterious songs never run out of admirers.

“Tower” is an inspired collection ranging from Sting’s Celtic duet with the Chieftains on “Sisters of Mercy” to Willie Nelson’s dirgepaced, accordion-fueled “Bird on a Wire.” Martin Gore of Depeche Mode turns “Coming Back to You” into wicked techno-blues, while Bono’s techno-rap remake of “Hallelujah” is almost as good as Jeff Buckley’s recent version.

And while Billy Joel and Elton John don’t add much to “Light as a Breeze” and “I’m Your Man,” respectively, they serve a purpose: If a mere fraction of their fans buy “Tower,” Cohen will finally be rolling in the dough he’s long deserved.