BUTTHOLE SURFERS Electric Larryland Capitol Records 3 - 1/2 Stars THE BUTTHOLES SAFELY administer a dependable musical enema on Electric Larryland. No dose of super-strength Ex-Lax cacophony force-fed here. These Austin acid-casualties elect not to bludgeon listeners into submission as on past efforts. Disappointingly, they leave you empty, lethargic and feeling slightly cheated. What's missing is the twisted dissonance and weird drug-inspired imagery that's made the Buttholes' recordings and live shows near- legendary pagan punk rites of passage. Maybe they've switched from ingesting hallucinogens to popping Prozac. There are flashes of former Buttholian glory with the jackhammer punk-overdrive of "Birds" and the frenzied guitar freakout of "Ulcer Breakout," but regrettably not enough chaos and deranged psychedelic bombast ensues. --Ron Bally VARIOUS ARTISTS World Music Of The Spirit Narada BLACK ELK'S WORDS "the center of the universe is everywhere" underscore this interesting collection of music from worldwide artists whose work derives from a spiritual orientation. Among the featured performers are a Tahitian choir, Native American church members, a Bolivian folk group, and a Ugandan thumb harper. Sounds range from the light to the ponderous, but they've been well chosen to create a unified, contemplative atmosphere. The disembodied chants and sensuous rhythms of Garielle Roth's "Spirit," Rumillajta's sparkling "No Se Muere Nunca," and Noirin Ni Riain's haunting "An Caoineadh" are standouts that add mystery and depth to the airy mixture. Styles and voices brought together here are diverse, but in their confluence of tone and emotion they give life to Black Elk's words. --Jessie Piper ASH 1977 Reprise WHY WASTE MY time, and yours, on more tepid Britpop? I dunno; call me Paul Revere. Always angling for a hook in Merry Olde England, this "irrepressible punk-pop combo" (or so the literature tells us) decided to sell their album at 1977 prices when it debuted on the streets of London. Well, I got my copy for free and I still want my change! The lone anomaly here, "I'd Give You Anything," warrants a star at least; it's a reasonably ballsy, wah-wah-fueled cross between the Stooges, Spacemen 3, and Oasis. Don't crush that Limey, hand me my bell, I've got townships to warn! "The Britpop is coming, the Britpop is coming...." --Fred Mills

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