�� Music Bits: Reunions popular in music today
�� by Brian Hale / Staff Writer

�� The �American Music Awards� are sure to make this week an exciting time in the music world. The awards show will be telecast live on Monday, January 26, 1998 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The show will air from 8:00 until 11:00, and will be hosted by Drew Carey. The competition for awards includes Beck, Matchbox 20, Mariah Carey, Alan Jackson, U2, Puff Daddy, Bush, and many others. In addition to the regular awards will be a special �Award of Merit� that will go to Frank Sinatra for his many years and contributions to the music industry. In what seems to be a popular occurrence in the music industry today , the British publication, �Dot Magazine�, is reporting that we may see yet another reunion tour and album this summer. Boy George and The Culture Club may be planning a come-back that includes a world tour and possible new album. The band formed in 1981, and includes Boy George on vocals, Roy Hay on guitar, Mikey Craig on bass, and Jon Moss on drums. After a highly successful stint in the early 80�s, the band broke up in 1986 due to drug and relationship scandals between Boy George and Jon Moss. It is unknown if the Culture Club, which made it to number one on the charts, with �Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?�, will include all original members this time around. The four originals have all stayed in the music business in some fashion , but none have come close to reaching the success they achieved together as The Culture Club. Falling right into line with the recent string of reunions in the music industry is the 80�s rock band Ratt. Sony has recently signed the band to a new deal, and Ratt will go into the studio to start work on the new album this month. Vocalist Stephen Pearcy will join guitar player Warren DeMartini and drummer Bobby Blotzer on the new album, and will go on without bassist Juan Croucer and guitarist Robbin Crosby. Replacements for the departed members will be announcement after production of the album is underway. Rounding out this weeks reunion news are two former members of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have announced that their new album will be available on March 17. The album is not yet titled, but a fifty city North American tour will follow this summer to support the new collaboration. Stevie Nicks, of Fleetwood Mac, has also started work on her new solo album. It will be out later this year, but her new box set is due out this March. The box set is titled �Edge of 17�, and a summer tour is planned to support the box set. For those of you that are looking for some new music to listen to, I have a few suggestions. Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese has a new band called The Green Romance Orchestra. Their new album, �Plays Parts I and V� is in stores now. Fans of the band The Cure will enjoy their new singles collection titled �Galore�. It covers all of the bands singles from 1987 to 1997. Barenaked Ladies have a live album in stores now. The album, �Rock Spectacle�, is taken from several shows performed in 1996 and is an excellent compilation. To round things out this week, Ben Folds Five have released a new album full of demo�s and live versions of songs that are the personal favorites of the band. The album is titled �Naked Baby Photos�.