Enough of the Lollapalooza '93 ambience; how was the music? Lollapalooza was designed in 1991 to showcase a wide diversity of alternative music in a daylong fest. Last year it struck gold as a couple of its acts, Pearl Jam and the headlining Red Hot Chili Peppers, also happened to reach commercial peaks in the Top 10.

This year, the mix of known and unknown have at least one thing in common -- none would have been able to headline a show half as big if it weren't for the brand name of the tour.

There seemed few instant successes, along the line of Nine Inch Nails from the first tour. Openers Rage Against the Machine, Tool and Front 242 all seem to mine similar metallic clang and industrial noise, but each also seems derivative; any of them could have easily played the tour's second stage -- where indeed Tool was booked until Babes in Toyland left the tour for contractual obligations in Europe.

Without Babes there were no female performers at Lollapalooza this year, save for a couple of dancers and chanters in the Arrested Development troupe, who as the token hip-hop band had to represent all kinds of diversity in its set.

It's not surprising, then, that Arrested Development was a standout act in the tour. Musically, its assured groove and positive social messages seemed just the right afternoon balm after the clatter of the metalloids and dusty rage of the non-stop mosh pit. The Atlanta troupe, who dressed up its monitors like bales of hay, are far from cutting edge in hip-hop -- most of its music was more than a year old; it reached a critical boiling point six months ago, followed by the expected backlash.

Still, Arrested Development strangely seemed one of the most progressive acts of the day, especially when paired with Fishbone, the manic L.A. group that followed. Fishbone, who stirred up moshing before it had a name, probably fit the tone of the day better. As welcome as its bright, tight ska was, the band seems to be following alternative rock's general shift to metal. Still, the band has been around so long, it prompted the question: Why was

Fishbone just now being invited to take part?

Dinosaur Jr., from Amherst, Mass., had a bit of a local following urging it on, and J Mascis' set seemed less ponderous and metalloid than it had earlier in the tour. Limited, like most bands, to a 45-minute set, he included more of the countrified songs from their latest album "Where You Been."

While nighttime acts last year used the darkness for a more elaborate stage show, the sun seemed to linger longer this year. All Alice in Chains did was perform behind a webbing of chains while newly shorn singer Layne Staley stood mostly perfectly still. The Seattle band was probably the biggest draw of the day and caused the most determined rush to the stage and frenzied moshing of the evening.

But there doesn't seem that much interesting about its music to hold sway over the entire throng. Still, it was the only band to use the wealth of musicians backstage, by inviting Primus guitarist Larry Lalonde to help add texture to its final song.

Primus is a goofy good-time rock band, whose musical proficiency and penchant for weirdness often place them in the same category as Frank Zappa. But no one ever would expect this cult attraction to be the headliner. Nevertheless, the riff-led tunes by weirdo Les Claypool (looking like Sean Penn's character in "The Falcon and the Snowman") found their target, enhanced by some abstract backing film footage.

With nothing climactic to hold the audience to the end, hundreds were happy to use Primus as background music to the long trek to the parking fields. Like the State Fair, it had been a long, dusty day and it was time to go home

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