Released on March 16, 1971, the instantly familiar ‘Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon’ meant James Taylor wouldn’t go down as a one-shot wonder.

Between age-old rock snobbery and this nasty squabbling, it’s easy to forget what once made the Little River Band great. Time for a cool change.

Something Else! remembers multi-faceted guitarist Jeff Golub, who succumbed to progressive supranuclear palsy today at just 59 years old.

The concensus Something Else! Top 10 for 2014 features Lucinda Williams, D’Angelo, David Crosby, Brian Blade, Seth Walker, Matthew Shipp and others.

Enough gushing about guitars, saxes and drums. Here are Steely Dan’s five best miscellaneous performances, as selected by our panel.

Here are Steely Dan’s five best keyboard performances, selected in tandem by our panel of Steely Dan authorities.

S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2014’s non-jazz albums, including Lucinda Williams, Me’Shell Ndegéocello, Drive-By Truckers and others.

Here are Steely Dan’s five best bass performances, selected in tandem by our panel of Steely Dan authorities.

Here are Steely Dan’s five best drum performances, selected in tandem by our panel of Steely Dan authorities.

Keith Jarrett’s ‘Hamburg ’72,’ with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, bears witness to a talent in the process of exploding in many directions.