Everybody Is a Star
You may not like every track onEverybody Is a Star, because the CD's reach is all over the musical map, but you can't miss the good time the Sugar Beats had making the album. There are recovered versions of "Cool Jerk," the Music Explosion's one-hit wonder "Little Bit of Soul," and a rousing cover of theBeatles' "I Saw Her Standing There," which sounds so good the players and singers almost refuse to stop rockin'--not even for the next cut. In a similar vein, theFour Tops' smash "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Her Goodbye)" are just downright feel-good tunes that the whole family can sing along with. What slows the disc down are some of the ballad choices: "You've Got a Friend,"Paul Simon's "Loves Me Like a Rock," and the too-often recorded "Lion Sleeps Tonight," which opens the record. Maybe too much variety here spoils the overall effect. But for sheer rock &  soul excitement, there are several tracks onStarthat will rip the joint apart and give you a good dose of "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu."--Martin Keller