The shame of it, really, is that Sting’s still-resonant pop smarts are often subsumed on The Last Ship, his first proper album in a decade, by its High Concept beginnings as a theatrical production. You May Also Like: Sting – 57th and 9th (2016) How Laura Branigan’s Passion and EmotionRead More

‘Levin Minnemann Rudess’ was an opportunity to marvel over Tony Levin and Jordan Rudess, but also to dig deeper into the versatility of Marco Minnemann.

This would have been the most variedly accessible, hit-worthy album of Gov’t Mule’s career — even if they hadn’t invited along a raft of famous folks to join them for a second-disc sing-along. You May Also Like: No related posts.

A long-awaited artifact, Live in Athens 1987 corrects the period-piece wrongs of Peter Gabriel’s original film from the So tour — eliminating the edited-in backstage footage that slowed 1990’s P.O.V. You May Also Like: When Peter Gabriel Suddenly Decided to Open Up on ‘Us’

Old-line Hall and Oates fans who may been less interested in John Oates’ more overtly country-inflected side trips of late, take heart: “Pushing a Rock Uphill” finds him returning to a tangy R&B vibe. You May Also Like: No related posts.

This album, Dizzy Gillespie’s first and best for Norman Granz’s Pablo imprint, reaffirms a relationship with bassist Ray Brown that goes back to the mid-1940s. It’s Joe Pass who makes the bigger impression here. You May Also Like: Dizzy Gillespie and Friends – Concert of the Century: A Tribute toRead More

Tony Joe White boasts a uniformly comfortable approach, established with 1968’s “Poke Salad Annie” and repeated since with all the regularity of shotgun rows of Southern-grown cash crops. You May Also Like: Joe Mandica, “I Feel Fine” (1980): One Track Mind

Best known for his genre-shifting early collaborations with Dwight Yoakam, Pete Anderson has spent the last decade focusing on a solo career — and, with Birds Above Guitarland, the blues. You May Also Like: No related posts.

When Tommy Keene decided to make good on the promise of covers like Alex Chilton’s “Hey Little Child” or (more recently) Slim Dunlap’s “Nowheres Near,” he explore deeply into what must be an expansive record collection. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Second acts are difficult; third acts, even more so. But what of a fourth? That’s Elton John, who’s already been a country-inflected singer-songwriter, Captain Fantastic and a mainstream pop star. You May Also Like: Elton John – Greatest Hits 1976-1986 (1992): On Second Thought Elton John – ‘Jewel Box’ (2020)