Try this program Audion (click on link). It can also play mp3pro files which iTunes cannot.

Another possibility is the two files you downloaded are deliberately corrupted files spammed onto the network. Spammers; mp3 Bit-Rates Versus File Sizes (click on link) (ignore reference to T3)

Thanks for the Audion tip, but it, like everything I've thrown at these files, will not play them. They say they're mp3s but nothing can play them.
But everything that Limewire was pulling up as audio files at the time lacked a bitrate number. So I'm still not sure if these are viral or just mutant.

best,
gf