Having reached near legendary status in just two short years, the music celebration "Lilith Fair" started by Sarah McLachlan reaches across the globe to bring female music artists together on one stage. Its reputation for excellence outshines its quiet controversy with feminism and gender bending. Being male and a feminist of sorts myself, I find the whole mystique of this celebration fascinating. As I begin plans to attend this year's show, I find many of my male friends surprised that I want to attend. While their wives and girlfriends want to go, they shy away. I see a hint of fear in their eyes, perhaps a fear of the unknown, like they're walking into a neighborhood racially biased against them. As I said before - fascinating.

When I found "Lilith Fair Vol. 2 and 3" in my mailbox, it excited me. I hoped to find here a bit of the controversy, a bit of the musical magic that must have happened last year. I'm still wishing I'd been able to be there. This was my chance to grab a piece of it for myself I hoped.

VOLUME 2

Volume two opens with "Fire On Babylon" from Sinead O'Connor. Horns introduce the song, while the other performers layer over, and Sinead's vocal flies over the top. It's an impressive version of her song. Most of the songs contained here are the major hits of each artist, so I enjoyed the ones with which I was least familiar. Angelique Kidjo's "Never Know" was one of the nicer surprises for me. The African rock influence of the song reminded me of Johnnie Clegg's music. It's an awesome song, sung only partially in English.

Queen Latifah's "Life" was better than I expected, as I'm not a fan of Latifah's or much of the rap genre. The song has elements of rap, jazz and R&B, making it more palatable. Heather Nova's "Island," opening with a high voice used as an instrument, degenerates into downbeat acoustic and Nova's wrenching tremulous vocals. The effect is riveting, moving. The acoustic trend carries over into Shawn Colvin's "New Thing Now." It's a pleasing version of the song.

"Angel," a duet from Sarah McLachlan and Emmy Lou Harris, is really the first indication that there will be more than just standard fare on the album. Harris comes in after a few verses to back McLachlan on her song. Their voices don't blend together all that well, but it only enhances the feeling of being at a concert, hearing it live.

Morcheeba's electronic samples launch their song "Down By The Sea." I find it to be one of the highlights of volume two. Vocals are on target and the funk guitar is overwhelmingly great. The song drags one in, carrying the listener along at a delightful pace. I wasn't fond of the studio version of Lisa Loeb's "I Do," but the live version crackles with an unexpected energy. Loeb is a natural performer; her voice expresses emotion well throughout the song. Bic Runga's vocals, and her song "Sway," were another pleasant surprise. Her rich voice recalls performers from the past, while charting new ground of her own.

Natalie Merchant's cover of the Elvis song "In the Ghetto" is a concert gem that had to be here, at least for posterity. There's an uncredited vocalist that comes in around the middle of the song. I've never been thrilled with Merchant's vocals. I like her backing vocals here even less, but I still have to give her credit for choosing such an unlikely song for herself to sing. Despite all of this, it's a successful cover and deserves its spot on the album.

I found myself wishing that Volume 2 ended after "Miles from My Home" by Cowboy Junkies. It isn't the best song, but it felt like the right ending to me. Tracy Bonham's "Meat Hook," Holly McNarland's "Elmo" and Wild Strawberries' "Trampoline," while they aren't bad live versions, felt like add ons. It was as though the compiler got lazy, knowing he or she wanted these people included, but wasn't sure how to mix them in. Previously, the album had a nice back and forth flow, from loud to acoustic, one vocal style to another. The last songs have a similar enough feel to each other that they get lost.

VOLUME 3

Me'Shell N'degeocello's "Soul Record" gets volume 3 of "Lilith" off to a rousing start. The song, about black power coming into its own in the late 60's, is part celebration of the politics of the time and part lamentation that the energy of that era is gone. It makes a perfect beginning for an album such as this.

"Naked Eye," a big hit for Luscious Jackson, is next. I've never been particularly fond of the song; hearing the live track didn't change my mind. I'd like to say Liz Phair's "Never Said" helps to improve things, but I can't. The song is a downer because it plods along, never seeming to get rolling. I'll never understand why these two songs follow N'degeocello's great opening. They sap the life from the album much too early. Fortunately, Holly Cole's "Onion Girl" serves to pick up the energy. Her heartfelt vocal and the clean piano and guitar work on the song are a refreshing surprise.

The pace picks up even more as Sixpence None The Richer provide their driving hit, "Kiss Me." The acoustic guitar work is wonderful, with the lead singer's vocal riding the rhythm like a wave. The studio version is good, but this version was what spurred me to order their album last week. While I've never liked Suzanne Vega's classic "Luka," the acoustic honesty of this version is thoroughly engaging. She can breathe life into the old song. It's wonderful here.

Sarah McLachlan returns with "Black and White" from her album "Surfacing." McLachlan never ceases to amaze me. She can do little wrong of late. This live version is no exception. While other artists reproduce their songs exactly, one can always find something new to like in McLachlan's live music. Her voice, as always, is clean, crisp and emotion filled. As you can probably tell, I like her stuff a lot.

N'Dea Davenport's "Underneath a Red Moon" was a wonderful surprise. Its funk energy and her intense vocals completely pulled me in. Her performance is flawless and enticing. The energy flow carries through with "Not an Addict" by K's Choice. The alternative rock hit translates well here, amid cheers from the pleased crowd. It's the perfect transition to lead into the old favorite "Get Out The Map" by the Indigo Girls. Known for their exhilarating live performances, they don't disappoint here. Banjo plucking flows along with their patented rich harmonies stealing the show. Rebeckah's "Little Black Girl" maintains the acoustic trend, her thin high vocals a sharp contrast to the deep richness of Indigo Girls. The song dragged a bit for me.

Emmy Lou Harris returns with her song "Deeper Well." The twang of her vocal over classic rock blues styled guitar work brings one to a different era. It has the feel of a late 60's stadium rock scene. Soft piano becomes an odd transition on, Chantal Kreviazuk's "Surrounded." Her vocal is heartfelt and beautiful. She provides an updated retro feel for this part of the album. Heavy hitter Bonnie Raitt closes the set with "Spit Of Love," a wonderfully titled song. Her voice, as always, is on target. The blues number rocks it's way to the end of the album.

On the whole, I was pleased with these two volumes. Each album offers its surprise diamonds in the rough, while providing the hits of the lesser known acts. Neither one outshines the other, so I can't really say which one to buy if you're only buying one.

One of my few complaints about "Lilith Fair" Vol. 2 and 3 is that they're too clean. The crowd noises were sanitized out, with only a few seconds of cheering leading off or ending the songs. Sometimes even the artist's "Thank You" for her applause is truncated off the end. The result is that the feel of a live show is almost completely lost. The feel of a cutting edge group of female performers at the height of their game is not here. The on-the-edge feminist flavor one expects from a Lilith show is gone. Someone was obviously playing it safe. Make it perfect and no one can complain. In my mind that's the last thing you want to do with the "Lilith Fair."