Face in the Crowd (1999)

The 57-year-old singer's first rock album in a half-dozen years starts out like a house on fire, with the screaming blues ''Love Is a Battlefield'' and the tongue-in-cheek come-on ''Dr. Love.'' But too many of the remaining 10 cuts are uninspired or derivative (in ''Betty Ann,'' Russell even rips himself off -- it's a near clone of his classic ''Delta Lady''). What begins as a rousing comeback quickly flattens out into a disappointment.

You Might Also Like

• Music Review Legend in My Time: Hank Wilson Vol. III | Beth Johnson