CHER 
Believe (Warner Bros.)
Rating: 2 out of 7
By Bob Gulla

   ItÕs a fairly well-known fact that the Cher weÕve known over the last decade or so has been a class act, as an actor, director, and uh, writer. But the cheesy house rhythms and cheap gimmicks on her latest album Believe donÕt do that reputation justice. In an effort to update her image, sheÕs resorted to heat-of-the-moment electronica and disco-related urban dance tracks, a ploy that simply lands her a distant second to MadonnaÑsomeone who cruised this musical stretch more than a decade ago.
   Of the 10 songs here, Cher escapes programming technology on just two tracks: Amy GrantÕs "The Power," which has a vague gospel feel and a fine vocal performance from Cher, and "DovŽ LÕAmore," in which Cher and her producers inexplicably decided to fuse Spanish guitar with Italian-language lyrics. It may be "what the kids are listening to" and it may give Cher new life on the pop charts, but this two-bit dance stuff does less than zero to enhance the divaÕs impressive body of work.