Getting In True

Many athletes have bestowed musical offerings upon the world, and most of these efforts have been execrable. Says Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan, "I give that stuff about as much credence as an NBA star would give me if I tried to suit up with the Bulls." Here's a quick look at what's out there:

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL
Has his own record label and a slickly produced new CD, Respect, in stores. If nothing else, Shaq surrounds himself with talent.

JACK McDOWELL
Stickfigure, fronted by the Anaheim Angels pitcher, recently released its second CD, Feed-bag, a raw but melodic collection of ;what McDowell calls garage stomp rock. "Our first record was slick and well-produced, and it didn't do s—-in the stores," he says. "So I got pissed land made a stripped-down record."

WAYMON TISDALE
The former Phoenix Suns forward, who retired in 1996 after 13 years in the NBA, may be a better musician than basketball player—he has been compared to big-time talents such as Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller. "He's a killer bass player," says A&M Records executive Dave Rosas. "He can throw down."

ALEXI LALAS
A serious guitarist, vocalist and songwriter since college, the Kansas City Wizards and U.S. national team defender enjoyed little success with two self-released CDs. After gaining fame as a player during the '94 World Cup, Lai as (below), a heavy-metal aficionado whose own sound is more melody-driven, has a four-CD deal with CMC International Records. His newest release is called Ginger.

SCOTT RADINSKY
The St. Louis Cardinals reliever's band, Pulley, is a punk-rock outfit. McDowell, a former teammate of Radinsky's, says Pulley's music is "somewhere between California double-time punk and Green Day."

PETER JACOBSEN
This golfer may be serious about his band, Jake Trout and the Flounders, but you wouldn't know it from his CD, I Love to Play, which puts golf-themed lyrics over rock melodies by Alice Cooper (I'm on 18), Glenn Frey (Straggler's Blues) and War (Low Riser).