Reviews of new releases from Marianne Ronez, Tricky, and The Magnetic Fields.   The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs Box Set (Matador) Of related interest: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Distant Plastic Trees, The Weimar Republic Aladdin Theater, 3107 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1994 8 pm Wednesday, Sept. 22 $10 Stephin Merritt, the driving force behind the Magnetic Fields, has been holding out on us. On '95's engaging Get Lost, he stole a page from Morrissey's playbook and made despair hip again. Blessed with one of the most sultry and expressive male voices since Nick Cave or even Barry White, Merritt blends picturesque, blunt lyrics with a boundless array of song styles and instruments. So, given his rise to pop iconhood over the last decade, why did he wait almost five years to release a new album, let alone a triple-disc box set? It's all about cabaret, baby. Merritt transforms his obsession with musical revues into a tribute to the one elusive emotion he just can't get a grip on: love. With a dirty mind and a gifted tongue, Merritt has crafted a virtual pop megalopolis of love songs. About one-third of each of these three discs is absolutely incredible. The remainder of the set ranges from pleasant to disturbingly precious. Merritt also knows when to get out of the way, handing over the vocal reins on 24 of the 69 tracks to delightful guests like Claudia Gonson and Shirley Simms. This deft opus, built on one man's obsessions, should prove even more lovable live. A. J. Rose   Tricky with DJ Muggs and Grease Juxtapose (Island) Of related interest: Massive Attack, Cypress Hill, Bjork Roseland Theater 8 NW 6th Ave., 224-2038. 9 pm Wednesday, Sept. 29. $15 advance Ever since he emerged on the scene in Bristol, England, in 1990 as part of Massive Attack, Tricky has stood outside everything and everyone. His art came out of his own space, and it's proved too uncompromising to contain. Over three full albums, numerous EPs and one side project, Tricky has detailed a dark path that is at once inviting and foreboding. On 1998's Angels With Dirty Faces, it appeared that he was going to lose the plot in a claustrophobic haze of paranoia, but Juxtapose is the work of a refocused genius. Part of the success comes from the fact that he chose two of hip-hop's best producers as collaborators, but the end result is undeniably Tricky: the otherworldly sounds, the raspy growl, the surreal rants, the record-industry-gangsta indictment of "For Real," the breathless menace and sexuality of "She Said," the male/female interplay of "Hot Like a Sauna." It's not merely territory that Tricky has covered before; it's the planet he created. To have him back on its surface is the greatest gift music has received since...well, since Tricky planted his flag the first time. Jamie S. Rich Marianne Ronez and Affetti Musicali Biber--Mysterien Sonaten (Winter & Winter) Of related interest: Monica Huggett and the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Reinhard Goebel, Andrew Manze French violinist Marianne Ronez and her Viennese chamber group Affetti Musicali play Biber's sensuous, subtle music with a grace and elegance befitting the subject matter--the 15 "mysteries" of the life of Christ. The sparse instrumentation of baroque violin, viola da gamba, theorbo and chamber organ fits the mood of the alternatingly joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries. Biber--along with Paganini, one of the 17th century's violin virtuosi--paces the soloists' starts and stops like pigeons pick their targets. You just never know when they're coming. Marianne Ronez shines throughout, proving she's a real challenger to Andrew Manze's Baroque fiddle-slinging crown. Affetti Musicali provides intuitive support. Kudos should also go to German creative music guru Stefan Winter's label, which marks another triumphant installment in its ceaseless stream of high-quality jazz and classical releases. Bill Smith   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published September 22, 1999