Universal Smash Hits, Vol. 3

Wondering what Universal Records has been topping the charts with lately? That's what this compilation CD is all about: giving you some of the label's hottest (which in many cases doubles as 'biggest-selling') tracks of the past few years.

The energy is clear right from the start, thanks to Terror Squad's "Lean Back," a club hit with a hard beat and a menacing edge. Maybe you'll remember it from the dance floors during summer 2004. That and the Mase/P. Diddy track "Breathe, Stretch, Shake" give the disc a healthy kick right out of the starting gate. But not so healthy we can't ease into the smooth groove of "Locked Up" from Senegalese singer/rapper Akon. With a voice as creamy-cool as this up-and-comer's got, Nelly (whose own "My Place" also earns a place on this collection) better watch his back.

You wouldn't know it from the first dozen or so tracks, but keep in mind this isn't entirely a hip-hop and R&B album. In fact, musically speaking, things are pretty much all over the map: from Nelly and Akon to the Juicy Fruit pop of Lindsay Lohan; from the party-crunk grunts of Dirty South rappers B.A.M.A. (whose "Sweet Home AL" samples the Skynyrd original with finger-licking delight) to the 3 Doors Down power ballad "Here Without You." Even New York alternative-rock group Scissor Sisters makes the cut with the punchy, prickly "Take Your Mama."

That kind of variety is great if you've got a mind to explore and a desire to see what else is on the horizon. Maybe you won't dig Scissor Sisters or Godsmack as much as Nelly, Nitty, or Lil Wayne, but at least now you know. Knowledge is power, right?

Luckily, considering the variety of tones and styles, the songs do work in a flow -- glad to find that the producers put some thought into it. Still, the reality remains that this will always be the kind of collection you turn to in order to hear a certain song, not to throw on at a party and let it roll.

Which is fine. If it's recent, decent pop songs and club hits you're looking for (most of the tracks date from 2004, though a few reach back further), you've got it here in one neat little package.