HOT TRACKS LISA ROBINSON

"It's not the money. It's the money." —Promoter Bill Graham.

Thinking of putting your money in CDs? Here are some pre-holiday releases that rate the highest interest.

With the spontaneous, brilliant Demolition, Ryan Adams proves that his so-called "demos" (outtakes from five recording sessions) are superior to most people's much-hyped, overworked "real" albums. Producer-archivist Hal Willner has compiled Songs to No One: 1991-1992, a collaboration from the late Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas. Redemption's Son is the third CD from talented singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur. If Jakob Dylan wants to avoid comparisons to his father, he shouldn't have started his album with a song that sounds note for note like "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"; other than that, the Wallflowers entertain on Red Letter Days. Matchbox Twenty have two things going for them: Rob Thomas's vocals and Rob Thomas's melodic songwriting—both are evident on More than You Think You Are, which features "Disease," the song Thomas wrote with Mick Jagger, who was a fool not to keep it for himself.

High fidelity: Mariah Carey's big "comeback" includes the big ballad that faces her big drama head-on, with a big walk-through-the-storm-holdyour-head-up-high mantra. Shania Twain is good to go with Up!, an Abba-sounding, cash-money-sounding bunch of catchy pop tunes. At Tori Amos's 2001 concerts, her cultlike audience didn't seem to mind that no one was allowed to leave the hall during the show; undoubtedly they'll welcome her serious, celestial Scarlet's Walk. India Arie's Voyage to India is a strong, sultry statement from the seven-time Grammy nominee. Sean-Nds Nua is an uplifting collection of traditional Irish songs from unconventional Irish singer Sinead O'Connor.

Sound investments: Solomon Burke, the Isley Brothers, Erma Franklin, and other soul legends sing on The Heart and Soul of Bert Bents, a celebration of the legendary songwriter who co-wrote the classics "Piece of My Heart," "Cry Baby," and "Twist and Shout." Jim Dickinson, who's played piano with the Flamin' Groovies and the Rolling Stones, produced the Replacements, and is the father of the guys in North Mississippi All Stars, releases the bluesy, rollicking Free Beer Tomorrow. LL Cool J professes manliness and good intentions on 10. Reggae, jazz. Big Daddy Kane, and Nelly Furtado enhance Jurassic 5's Power in Numbers. Sum 41 sounds a lot like the Clash on Does This Look Infected? Fat Joe has the prerequisite references to Dior, Kimora Lee, Brooklyn, Central Booking, and the like on Loyalty. Peter Gabriel's Up is a grand, majestic work. Mark Knopfler is introspective on the mostly acoustic The Ragpicker's Dream. Badly Drawn Boy's new one is the delightfully titled Have You Fed the Fish?

Insider trading: The extraordinary two-CD, remastered A Love Supreme, with newly released material, is out from John Coltrane. Both Eric Clapton and Diana Krall have made excellent live records. Joni Mitchell has recorded her classics with the London Symphony Orchestra. Yo-Yo Ma and Philip Glass collaborate on the soundtrack for Naqoyqatsi. Santana's follow-up to Supernatural is the much-anticipated Shaman, and notable new albums are out from Italian superstar Laura Pausini, singer-songwriter Taylor Barton, pop-soul star Deborah Cox, Jay Z, the Pretenders, Rhett Miller, David Gray, Faith Hill, the Realistics, Sigur Ros, Shemekia Copeland, and U2—who have two new songs (one from the movie Gangs of New York) on their U2 The Best of 1990-2000.

And Pearl Jam, who sound like they're marching into battle on Riot Act, were so afraid that the advance disc would get on the radio, the Internet, or into the hands of bootleggers that they sent copies to the press in permanently glued-shut Discmans— numbered, but not signed.