Nate, just to muddy the water further. Have you noticed the spate of artists who are making terrible albums in other genres? You mentioned Van Morrison and I have been listening to his country album of late, "Pay The Devil". What a disaster, like slowing down to watch a car wreck. At times Van The Man - whose music I adore - seems to not even know what the lyrics mean. If that was not enough, Willie Nelson's side trip into reggae, "Countryman" reminds me of Yogi Berra's oft quoted phrase, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it". This record makes the Morrison effort seem palatable. Of course, my favorite in the crossover genre will never be equalled; Pat Boone's heavy metal album, "In A Metal Mood" on Curb. To hear him do "Enter Sandman", "Smoke On The Water" and other touchstones of the metal cannon is just too rich. My question is, has anyone ever done a good crossover album? And please, before someone starts spewing that Jean Pierre Rampal and Yo Yo Ma stuff, this is worse than the Morrison and Nelson slumming.
