The first in a long series of about-faces and left turns, Visions of Excess forgoes the noise-funk of the Golden Palominos’ debut in favor of more pop-oriented material and staggering lineup of underground luminaries. Built around a nucleus of Anton Fier, bassist Bill Laswell, guitarist Jody Harris, and keyboardist Bernie Worrell, the album recruits vocalists from Jack Bruce to John Lydon to, most impressively, Michael Stipe, who turns in striking performances on the opening “Boy (Go)” (featuring guitarist Richard Thompson), the Jefferson Airplane-like “Clustering Train,” and a cover of Moby Grape’s “Omaha.” The real find of the record is singer Syd Straw, who makes her debut on the lovely “(Kind of) True” and “Buenos Aires” and more than holds her own with the big guns. – Jason Ankeny