BY JOHN M. JAMES

The new Paul McCartney album, Run Devil Run (due in October) is a return to the music of his teen-age roots with 12 covers of 1950s material and three new originals with guest musicians including Mick Green, Ian Paice and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. The first British CD single from the set is "No Other Baby," a two-parter that has some fun with the '50s theme: Both parts are the same three tracks, but one is mono and one is stereo. ... An interesting new sound collage from Tricky (serving as executive producer) is due at the end of this month. Titled Product of the Environment, it's a spoken word album of conversations with U.K. underworld criminals of the 1960s, set to music. ... A tribute to the band The Jam is due in November, titled Fire and Skill. Contributors announced so far include Buffalo Tom doing "Going Underground" and a collaboration of Oasis and Ocean Colour Scene covering "Carnation." ... Speaking of covers, Reload, a new album from the Welsh make-'em-sweat, white Godfather of Libido, Tom Jones, is set for release later this month in the U.K. on the Gut label. The all-covers album finds Jones dueting with such strange teamings as Van Morrison, The Pretenders, Portishead, Barenaked Ladies, Catatonia and the Manic Street Preachers. One track of mind-boggling adventure is the first single, the Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" with the Cardigans. ... The fourth in the series of self-released CDs from Sonic Youth is due in November, a two-CD or two-LP collection of their interpretations of work by contemporary composers John Cage, Yoko Ono, Steve Reich and James Tenney.

Television Alert
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Alanis Morissette on Thursday, Britney Spears on Friday, and Garth Brooks on Monday. The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Sugar Ray on Friday and Tom Waits on Monday. The Chris Rock Show on HBO rolls out the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Friday. And The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn gets slappy with Ice Cube on Monday.

Releases Coming Tuesday
And like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change... Marc Anthony - Marc Anthony (Columbia) hot Latin superstar who starred in Paul Simon's Broadway production of The Capeman; featuring a duet with Jennifer Lopez; Arcwelder - Everest (Touch & Go); Ash - Nu-Clear Sounds (Reprise); Bloodhound Gang - Hooray For Boobies (Geffen); Meredith Brooks - Deconstruction (Virgin); Garth Brooks - The Life of Chris Gaines (Capitol); Paula Cole Band - Amen (Warner Bros.); Creed - Human Clay (Wind-up) limited-edition colored vinyl will be available in a gatefold sleeve; Marshall Crenshaw - Number 447 (Razor & Tie) terrific new album; his first in 3 years; Shannon Curfman - Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions (Arista) 14-year-old female funky Blues guitar prodigy with guest appearance by Jonny Lang; Everything But the Girl - Temperamental (Atlantic); Indigo Girls - Come On Now Special (Epic) with guests Me'Shell Ndegéocello, Kate Schellenbach of Luscious Jackson, Sheryl Crow and Joan Osborne; Long Beach Dub All-Stars - Long Beach Dub All-Stars (Dreamworks) ex-members of Sublime; Material - Intonarumori (Axiom) further sound experimentation from Bill Laswell's collaborative featuring Kool Keith, Killah Priest and Public Enemy's Flavor Flav; Method Man & Redman - Blackout! (Def Jam); My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult - Dirty Little Secrets: Music To Strip By (Rykodisc) 18-track collection of remixes; Our Lady Peace - Happiness ... Is Not A Fish You Can Catch (Columbia); Matthew Sweet - In Reverse (Volcano); Pete Townshend - Pete Townshend Live (House of Blues) recorded last year at Chicago's Maryville Academy Benefit with a bonus 10-minute CD of Townshend and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder dueting on "Magic Bus" and "Heart To Hang On To"; Yes - The Ladder (Beyond) features a CD-ROM preview of the Homeworld game they've composed the music for.

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