It’s that old story of Bo meets girl

Bo Bice

“The Real Thing”

(RCA)

* 1/2

FOR a Southern rocker immersed in growling electric guitars and throbbing bass and drums, Bo Bice sure sounds mushy in love.

The “American Idol” runner-up doesn’t use those stainless steel pipes with the burred edges to rail against injustice or to shout down establishment authority figures. Rather, his debut album is full of voluminous proclamations to his girl that she’s the real thing, she’s everything, he’s nothing without her, she makes him better and she should hold onto him. You get the idea.

Producer Clive Davis has supplied Bice with hard rock’s requisite spectacular sonics and has coaxed some really snazzy riffs out of the studio pros who laid down these tracks. Bice sings on key, and knows when to rear back and wail, but there’s no evidence of any special vocal character or interpretive style to distinguish him from the thousands of competent, anonymous rock singers who can claim the same.

Worse, poor Bo is on his own trying to wring meaning out of some side-splittingly embarrassing lyrics (“I’ll open every car door / I won’t go out anymore / I’ll even eat off the floor / God I’ll do anything” he vows in “You’re Everything,” written by Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger). And check your logic at the door when you get to this line in Bon Jovi’s “Nothing Without You”: “I could learn to live without you / But I would die.”

One relative bright spot is “Lie ... It’s Alright,” which recounts a litany of half-truths and untruths a guy decides are acceptable from his girl because she’s cute.

The eye of the beholder strikes again.

*

-- Randy Lewis

*

Rapped for holiday delivery

Daddy Yankee

“Barrio Fino en Directo”

(El Cartel/Interscope)

* * 1/2

THE title of this CD/DVD package refers to its live versions of songs from 2004’s “Barrio Fino,” the career-making album by reggaeton’s reigning superstar. But it seems so slapped together to capitalize on Yankee’s top-of-the-hip-hop-heap popularity, it could have been called “Get ‘Em While He’s Hot.”

A portentous baritone voice announces the cities where the new CD’s nine live tracks were recorded, including Medellin, Colombia, and Los Angeles. But location doesn’t matter. Nowhere do the tracks capture Yankee’s considerable excitement on stage.

In fact, they seem less compelling than the studio versions, lacking the heavy bottom and sizzling midrange that give reggaeton its irresistible effect.

The CD also includes five new studio numbers, which sound fuller but still leave you empty. Though Yankee does some amazing, rapid-fire raps, the songs generally lack the tenacious spirit, outrage and gritty energy of “Barrio Fino,” giving in instead to reggaeton’s repetitiveness of themes, namely sex and machismo.

Guest rapper Snoop Dogg adds profanity and violence with his bilingual track, “Gangsta Zone.” Hey, thanks for stopping by.

To discover how riveting Yankee can be, go straight to the 60-minute DVD. It captures his charisma and convictions in interviews, concert footage and the video of “Corazones,” a fire-and-brimstone condemnation of human envy, hypocrisy, violence and revenge.

*

Agustin Gurza

*

Ludacris leads a good pack

Various artists

“Ludacris Presents ...

Disturbing Tha Peace”

(Def Jam)

* * *

UNLIKE early rap stars such as EPMD (Redman, Das EFX) and Eazy-E (N.W.A, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony), who developed some of the best, most distinctive talent in the genre, today’s rappers who try to champion their own acts often serve up artists unworthy of the attention.

But on this follow-up to a 2002 compilation with the same format, Ludacris and his team show that their ear for talent continues to improve. This dramatic advance is largely due to his new Disturbing Tha Peace signing the Field Mob, a Georgia rap duo that has released two albums with little fanfare.

Field Mob, Ludacris and actor-singer Jamie Foxx combine for a bleak look at life in the Peach State on the Ray Charles-inspired “Georgia.” The Field Mob’s squeaky-voiced Smoke teams elsewhere with raspy-voiced Dr. Dre and Eminem protege Stat Quo on the percolating drug-deal ballad “Come See Me.”

Longtime DTP member Shawnna continues to impress with her stylish delivery patterns on “Gettin’ Some,” and newcomers Norfolk deliver a tough slice of rap braggadocio over a sinister funk beat on “Put Ya Hands Up.”

Having Ludacris, one of rap’s most charismatic and talented performers, appear on several songs brings added firepower to an already strong collection.

*

Soren Baker

*

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