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* Tony Bennett Astoria: Portrait of the Artist (Columbia; CD, T) Sweet but oversold as Bennett's musical autobiography. B- (Greg Sandow) * The Blue Aeroplanes Swagger (Chrysalis; all formats) They opened for R.E.M. in their native Britain and were anoioied princes of alternative rock; Swagger, their first major-label album, is more absorbing on each hearing. B+ (GS)
* Johnny Cash Boom Chicka Boom (PolyGram; all formats) Cash, who can sound stuffy at times, is refreshingly droll here, offering stylish guitar work. B+ (Alanna Nash)
* Cowboy Junkies The Caution Horses (RCA, all formats) Blanker than last year's glowing debut. Still, there are a few magic moments. B- (GS)
* Stan Getz Anniversary! (Verve; CD, T) Brilliant tenor saxophonist at his peak; romantic. A+ (Gary Giddins)
* Howard Hewett Howard Hewett (Elektra; all formats) There's comfort just in the sound of his voice, which quite properly has been called one of the most beautiful in all R&B. But otherwise his solo debut is subdued; even Anita Baker, who joins in for a duet, sounds anonymous. B- (GS)
* The London Quireboys A Bit of What You Fancy (Capitol; all formats) It's a now-familiar variation on the Rolling Stones: bluesy hard rock but sung with a tattered voice. If you like the gig, these guys do it with a touch of real passion. B (GS)
* Nick Lowe Party of One (Warner Bros.; all formats) Roots music that's sometimes serious, sometimes insane, almost always hard to resist. B+ (GS)
* Midnight Oil Blue Sky Mining (Columbia; all formats) Deep, rewarding, sometimes obscure. B (GS)
* Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson Highwayman 2 (Columbia; CD, T) Fine sequel that salutes the spirit of the American hero. A (AN)
* The Notting Hillbillies The Notting Hillbillies (WarneneBros.; all formats) Folk, blues, and a taste of old pop, polished by Mark Knopfler and other rockers but sounding in the end like superior Muzak. C+ (GS)
* Polka Comes to Your Haus Polka Compilation (Restless; CD, T) So now we have offbeat musicians-even Mojo Nixon-playing polkas. But the joke is too obvious. C (GS)
* Elvis Presley The Million Dollar Quartet (RCA, all formats) The King fooling around back in 1956 with some famous pals. They even sing. B (GS)
* Alisa Randolph Alisa Randolph (Atlantic; all formats) The former lead singer of Madame X has a voice like an incandescent gospel brat, supported by production that keeps you dancing. B+ (GS)
* Sonny Rollins Falling in Love With Jazz (Milestone; all formats) Another brilliant tenor saxophonist; euphoric ballads and originals. A+ (GG)
* Carly Simon My Romance (Arista, all formats) Pop standards-and she just plain can't sing them. D (GS)
* Lisa Stansfield Affection (Arista; all formats) Smoldering dance debut with a varied and subtle beat. A- (GS)
* Sweethearts of the Rodeo Buffalo Zone (Columbia; all formats) Sister duo goes beyond traditional country themes; absorbing. B+ (AN)
