Bryan Ferry

Good heavens, but this is an awful album. Coming in the wake of 1999’s As Time Goes By, a collection of cover versions, Frantic finds Ferry mixing up originals with covers, some of which are downright embarrassing. Chief among the embarrassments are the two Bob Dylan songs, one of which ("It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue") he sings in what sounds like a weird sort of parody of Dylan’s own voice. His interpretation of "Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right" is almost as bad. Then there’s his take on the Folk Scare classic "Goodnight Irene," which is not quite as embarrassing but nowhere near listenable, either. Are there bright points? A couple: His remake of the Drifters’ classic "One Way Love" is a delight, and his own "I Thought" is also worth hearing. That’s two out of 13.