Somber Songs, Leftovers Fill Princess Di Tribute

VARIOUS ARTISTS

“Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute”

Columbia

* *

Like the sea of flowers outside Kensington Palace following Diana’s death in August, this collection benefiting the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fund is an impressive outpouring--36 songs from a culture-crossing roster of international superstars. But only nine of these musical flowers were actually recorded for the occasion. The rest seem to have been merely tossed on the pile in a well-meaning but ultimately hollow gesture.

Bruce Springsteen’s AIDS-related “Streets of Philadelphia,” Puff Daddy’s Notorious B.I.G. eulogy “I’ll Be Missing You” and Eric Clapton’s “Tears of Heaven,” to cite three examples, are fitting expressions of loss and sorrow. But would it really have been too much for these accomplished artists (or other contributors including George Michael, U2, Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Paul McCartney) to come up with new material actually inspired by Diana? Even the new “Every Nation”--a maudlin would-be anthem by the R. Kelly-led Red Hot R&B; All Stars--was originally intended for a Red Hot Organization AIDS awareness album.

So kudos to Annie Lennox, Sinead O’Connor, Neil Finn, Rod Stewart, Peter Gabriel, Bryan Ferry, Aretha Franklin, Cliff Richard and Lesley Garrett, who actually went to some effort. O’Connor’s version of “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” a hymm that was a part of Diana’s funeral service, and Ferry’s orchestra-backed song from a Shakespeare sonnet are particularly moving. But still, every song here carries a somber sense of mourning. Nowhere on the album is celebration of the vibrancy that made Diana so beloved.

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