Even after over a decade away from the solo focus, Back Being Blue feels less like a return than a natural progression. That’s not to knock Willis’ two fine collaborations with Robison, but it’s a pleasure to have her talent front and center and not sharing the spotlight.

Suffice it to say that unless you simply need to own everything Janis touched, this package is of negligible value. Newcomers will be better served by the 2005 edition with its powerful concert material showing how Joplin and the scrappy Full Tilt reinterpreted her earlier work.

Not only is this a treat for longtime fans, but hopefully a sign for others to take Harper’s lead, creating relevant, incisive songs that are lyrically, musically and philosophically as inspirational and provocative as those here.

Those who haven’t absorbed this music yet will find it to be as edgy and intense as anything in Pop’s catalog, and deserving of the lavish treatment it receives here. Bowie fans, especially of his darker, experimental Berlin recordings, will also find this a welcome and even essential addition to his own classic albums of these storied years.

The 14 tracks clocking in at 50 minutes speak to War’s prolific nature, one that encompasses her diversity yet remains focused on vocal, lyrical, and melodic talents that this disc’s enhanced production, and budget, spotlight.

The tunes on Set You Free will give his long-time followers more than they could have hoped for, while garnering new fans coast-to-coast.

Ultimately, completists may debate the worth of this particular anniversary offering, due not only to the aforementioned repetition but also because of the definitive live Band recordings that accompanied the recent re-releases of The Band and Stage Fright. That said, a half-century anniversary makes any Band album well worth revisiting.

The retro countrypolitan and rawer, roots elements that informed Lane’s previous Dan Auerbach-produced All or Nothin’ have been sanded down slightly on this follow-up.

It's a Corporate World is a refreshing full-length debut that would serve well on any summer playlist.

It’s a haunting, generally melancholy 40 minutes that cries out for repeated playings to best capture the fleeting melodies, atmospheric performances and the singer’s delicate concepts.

As an album for those who have followed Skaggs through the years and think he can do no wrong, Country Hits Bluegrass Style definitely hits the mark.

There aren’t many surprises on Hardware, but with Gibbons now pushing into his mid-70s, should we expect any? He sells everything with his committed performance and sounds like he’s having a blast. At this late stage in his career, we shouldn’t ask for, or expect, more.

The contrast of light and dark has always driven the Raveonettes’ music, but it’s especially effective on this beautifully realized collection that shows the couple to have plenty of tricks left in their already unique and compelling sonic bag.

The Stray Cats remain a well-oiled machine, as super charged in 2019 as they were 40 years earlier. If this is their final road rally, they’re going out in style.

Gilkyson uses her nocturnal musings to create a shimmering album that sounds just as impressive in the daylight as in the darkness that inspired it.

While Welcome 2 Club XIII has been described by the band itself as autobiographical in nature, it still manages to retain the populist appeal that drove those earlier efforts.

The songs aren’t easily digestible but, as he winds into the final stages of his life, they are honest, intricate, personal and above all, uniquely the work of David Crosby.

The arrangements are both agile and emphatic, by turns jaunty, gyrating, and exuberant.

Even with all the experimentation, this remains a recognizable David Gray album with subdued melodies, unforced vocals, subtle acoustics and honest lyrics even in their more obtuse state.

This is just one more related side trip in the band’s tenure and, as usual, they rip into it with typical vibrancy, rearranging Lowe’s material so creatively, these sound like Los Straitjackets originals.

Even though they were assembled from different years and with other artists’ input, Back Roads And Abandoned Motels feels as cohesive and organic as the best Jayhawks releases.

It’s another classy notch in LaVere’s slowly growing catalog belt and shows her boundary pushing, restless artistry results in music that’s heartfelt, reflective, challenging and consistently compelling.

The thrilling Black Sabbath Vol 4 is essential listening for Brit rock enthusiasts since it captures the band gently prodding its established metal genre. Whether anyone but the most fervent fan needs to spring for this pricey and skimpy reissue though is debatable. [Music: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars/ Reissue package: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars]

As its' title suggests, this record is not what it seems at first listen, but one that's worth the extra effort to decipher all of its introverted intricacies.

Overall this record shows not just promise, but quite a bit of realization of that promise. Many of these songs seem memorable and enduring… and individualistic.

It’s little surprise that Hearst and Trent have taken this edgy approach given the dread and despair heaped on the world over the course of the past two years. With Manticore, they attempt to make some sense of it all.

As usual, the originals prevail. Yet even with its musical limitations, it’s hard to dislike an album that’s ultimately a lot of fun.

He’s just a diehard rock and roller with a cool voice and an itchy pen slamming out another pretty great album because that’s what he has always done.