None of these improve on Russell’s superlative, often raw and profound recordings. Perhaps if fans of these artists are inspired to dig into his albums, that’s a worthwhile outcome for this well-intentioned, yet frustratingly inconsistent collection.

All told, Women and Country is Dylan's most accomplished work to date, and will set the bar for all future endeavors.

The music on Smoking in Heaven is simple, but these songs are also beautifully rendered with a kinetic energy missing in much of today's auto-tuned chart-topping hits.

This is the sound of growing old gracefully while still maintaining a sparkle in your eye.

Whatever its brew, at its core, Danse Macabre is Duran Duran, 40-plus years later, sounding their best.

There is enough talent, subdued enthusiasm and commitment on I Still Do to justify most fans’ money and attention, with the understanding the fire and intensity of the Slowhand days only appear intermittently.

With her new release, Under the Pepper Tree, Watkins excels once again, courtesy of a tender and touching musical tapestry drawn from nostalgic cover songs that bring to mind childhood memories and shared stories etched in comfort and caress.

There's no shortage of catchy, bopping crowd pleasers on The Carpenter, and the Avetts churn them out with gusto and pride.

Stories Don’t End is still a step forward, if only for the moments of off-the-cuff brilliance that result from all the ambitious effort.

There isn’t much new here, and if you’ve heard earlier Lewis releases, you’ve pretty much heard this one already. But there aren’t many acts out there throwing down with this kind of high-energy trashy intensity.

At times this slick party vibe sounds like Hall & Oates at their least soulful, which is to say the music has an inevitability to it that initially feels fresh, but starts to wear thin when it’s clear the entire album is cut from the same glitzy cloth.

It may not be an album most would expect from Neil Finn, but it’s clearly the one he wanted to make.

Obviously this isn’t for everyone. But Trost and Barnes push boundaries on the often inspirational, always interesting, occasionally off-putting Petrichor. Those with open minds prepared to take the leap into this artsy sea will come away richer for the experience.

As a debut for five musicians who are busy with their own careers, let’s hope there is a follow-up sooner rather than later.

After a few listens, every track reveals gem-like layers in Collingwood’s tunes, often missed on initial listens.

Not everything clicks, though. The spoken word verses and clichéd lyrics of “Don’t Give Up” and the simplistic “Shut Up and Rock” could have been chopped from an album that’s already pretty long. But there is enough of Cooper’s trademarked sleaze and rowdy clenched-fist riffing in “Hail Mary,” a cover of the MC5’s propulsive “Sister Ann,” and the swampy “Wonderful World” to satisfy fans of Cooper’s early work.

Oceania sounds louder, better, and altogether more revelatory than any Pumpkins album in years.

It’s a feisty, dynamic hour long set that does what it sets out to: captures Armstrong’s indefatigable spirit and keeps his music alive for a new generation.

Teeming with melodic hooks and reflective lyrics, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! is both hypnotic (the lingering closer “The End of All Things”) and beguiling (Far Too Young to Die” and second single “This Is Gospel”).

The sound is leaner, a little less rough around the edges and solidly in sync as well.

Vetiver's latest record, The Errant Charm, is certainly more folk than freak.

Basically, you know if you want to buy this album already, and if you do want buy this album odds are you will really enjoy it. But if you aren't familiar with either artist don't bother--there are better Orb records and there are better Gilmour records, and even though Metallic Spheres is quite enjoyable, we wouldn't recommend it for newbies.

Even if there are no classics on the order of the ones that so impressed that youngster from Asbury Park, New Jersey, Eric Burdon’s river is far from running dry.

They just make music that pleases them and in doing that also created one of the most adventurous, least predictable albums of the year.

This record is way cool. It may not seem like it upon first listen, but after a couple spins it's hard to forget.

shed. It’s beautiful, intense, occasionally relaxing but most of all challenging music that borrows from a myriad of influences and never feels derivative.

Happy Ending sounds like a bunch of top notch, jittery Squeeze songs dialed down just a notch.

There is something here for almost everyone making this a unique if inconsistently satisfying glance into the mind of one of pop's most fascinating and under-appreciated artists.