In Brief

** Various artists, “8 Seconds” soundtrack, MCA. If albums were bull riders, this all-star country companion to the Luke Perry rodeo movie wouldn’t make it to the bell. It jumps out of the gate promisingly with revved-up performances by John Anderson and Pam Tillis and a sweet ballad by Karla Bonoff but then loses its grip with syrupy numbers from Reba McEntire, Patty Smyth, Billy Dean and film composer Bill Conti.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).