In Brief

*** Various artists, “Red Hot + Dance,” Columbia. The big attraction of this first-rate collection, assembled to raise money for AIDS research, is the three sizzling new dance tracks by George Michael--”Too Funky” ranks with his best and is an indication that he should focus on dance music. The rest of the album comprises imaginative remixes of recent hits, such as Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman” and P.M. Dawn’s “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss.”

Albums are rated on a scale of one asterisk (poor) to four (excellent).