It all starts with an Acid-stretched (the 1990s software program) vocal loop of indeterminate origin before the rhythm reveals itself. And that exact combination heralds the return of the Chemical Brothers, with their first new full length in four years. It's a subdued, weird, and slyly eclectic release. Beautiful Feeling isn't situated in any way close to the chill out room, but one supposes it's more suited to the pace that middle-aged bodies can dance to than the all-out assaults the UK-based duo leveled us with in the 1990s.The shimmering, k-hole-dropping "Feels Like I Am Dreaming" and the dissonant track four "Goodbye" are the real treats here; "Goodbye" is its own revelation. The distorted organs collide atop each other and a lovely house vocal sample, with a slew of sci-fi arpeggios beneath it all but the Brothers are not avant-garde. They never let it get weird for too long, but they know how to push an envelope or two. The beat isn't composed of a thousand cats yawning in sync; that beat sounds like a maxed-out 808 and you want to go to carpentry school just to learn how to raise the roof for it (sorry).That bass line which propels "No Reason" is straight-up future funk like one might have heard in a Paris club in 1999. Except not; the production is too of-the-moment, its structure a bit too perfectly skittery. Likewise, "Fountains" pits almost Caribou/Manitoba-style leftfield elements (and some downright ELP-worthy keyboard wankery) with four-on-the-floor crunch and very light funk vocals."Skipping Like a Stone," with Beck, is a sweet reminder that the 53-year-old can really hit falsettos well when he wants to.  Just when you think there might not be enough block rockin' beats, songs like "Magic Wand" and "The Weight" drop heavy funk in recombinant glory. The Chemical Brothers were of course one of the first to bring underground sounds to worldwide arenas. And sure, part of that has to do with the kind of spectacle they worked to create—something that Daft Punk and deadmau5 would later adopt, finesse, and blow to the sky so high that it was dead before it hit the ground. The reason the Chemical Brothers still matter is that they're still so good, and we need them. Even when they're treading water and not exactly innovating, that water's the perfect temperature, filled with really good looking people, and with promise of one heck of a fun weekend. © Mike McGonigal/Qobuz

Whereas most great live rock albums are about energy, At Fillmore East is like a great live jazz session, where the pleasure comes from the musicians' interaction and playing. The great thing about that is, the original album that brought the Allmans so much acclaim is as notable for its clever studio editing as it is for its performances. Producer Tom Dowd skillfully trimmed some of the performances down to relatively concise running time (edits later restored on the double-disc set The Fillmore Concerts), at times condensing several performances into one track. Far from being a sacrilege, this tactic helps present the Allmans in their best light, since even if the music isn't necessarily concise (three tracks run over ten minutes, with two in the 20-minute range), it does showcase the group's terrific instrumental interplay, letting each member (but particularly guitarist Duane and keyboardist/vocalist Gregg) shine. Even after the release of the unedited concerts, this original double album remains the pinnacle of the Allmans and Southern rock at its most elastic, bluesy, and jazzy.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

After the freakish hard rock of The Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie returned to singer/songwriter territory on Hunky Dory. Not only did the album boast more folky songs ("Song for Bob Dylan," "The Bewlay Brothers"), but he again flirted with Anthony Newley-esque dancehall music ("Kooks," "Fill Your Heart"), seemingly leaving heavy metal behind. As a result, Hunky Dory is a kaleidoscopic array of pop styles, tied together only by Bowie's sense of vision: a sweeping, cinematic mélange of high and low art, ambiguous sexuality, kitsch, and class. Mick Ronson's guitar is pushed to the back, leaving Rick Wakeman's cabaret piano to dominate the sound of the album. The subdued support accentuates the depth of Bowie's material, whether it's the revamped Tin Pan Alley of "Changes," the Neil Young homage "Quicksand," the soaring "Life on Mars?," the rolling, vaguely homosexual anthem "Oh! You Pretty Things," or the dark acoustic rocker "Andy Warhol." On the surface, such a wide range of styles and sounds would make an album incoherent, but Bowie's improved songwriting and determined sense of style instead made Hunky Dory a touchstone for reinterpreting pop's traditions into fresh, postmodern pop music.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Released a year after Eat a Peach, Brothers and Sisters shows off a leaner brand of musicianship, which, coupled with a pair of serious crowd-pleasers, "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica," helped drive it to the top of the charts for a month and a half and to platinum record sales. This was the first album to feature the group's new lineup, with Chuck Leavell on keyboards and Lamar Williams on bass, as well as Dickey Betts' emergence as a singer alongside Gregg Allman. The tracks appear on the album in the order in which they were recorded, and the first three, up through "Ramblin' Man," feature Berry Oakley -- their sound is rock-hard and crisp. The subsequent songs with Williams have the bass buried in the mix, and an overall muddier sound. The interplay between Leavell and Betts is beautiful on some songs, and Betts' slide on "Pony Boy" is a dazzling showcase that surprised everybody. Despite its sales, Brothers and Sisters is not quite a classic album (although it was their best for the next 17 years), especially in the wake of the four that had appeared previously, but it served as a template for some killer stage performances, and it proved that the band could survive the deaths of two key members.© Bruce Eder /TiVo

Brothers in Arms brought the atmospheric, jazz-rock inclinations of Love Over Gold into a pop setting, resulting in a surprise international best-seller. Of course, the success of Brothers in Arms was helped considerably by the clever computer-animated video for "Money for Nothing," a sardonic attack on MTV. But what kept the record selling was Mark Knopfler's increased sense of pop songcraft -- "Money for Nothing" had an indelible guitar riff, "Walk of Life" is a catchy up-tempo boogie variation on "Sultans of Swing," and the melodies of the bluesy "So Far Away" and the down-tempo, Everly Brothers-style "Why Worry" were wistful and lovely. Dire Straits had never been so concise or pop-oriented, and it wore well on them. Though they couldn't maintain that consistency through the rest of the album -- only the jazzy "Your Latest Trick" and the flinty "Ride Across the River" make an impact -- Brothers in Arms remains one of their most focused and accomplished albums, and in its succinct pop sense, it's distinctive within their catalog. [In 2005 Mercury released a 20th anniversary limited edition version of Brothers in Arms in the Hybrid/SACD format.] © Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

This might be the best debut album ever delivered by an American blues band, a bold, powerful, hard-edged, soulful essay in electric blues with a native Southern ambience. Some lingering elements of the psychedelic era then drawing to a close can be found in "Dreams," along with the template for the group's on-stage workouts with "Whipping Post," and a solid cover of Muddy Waters' "Trouble No More." There isn't a bad song here, and only the fact that the group did even better the next time out keeps this from getting the highest possible rating. © Bruce Eder /TiVo

Comic actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd received a lot of flak for their Blues Brothers shtick -- mostly for the albums, not 1980's beloved classic film. But they should be given credit for exposing many people -- including this reviewer -- to the music of blues and R&B veterans. The Blues Brothers soundtrack was released on Atlantic Records. On the surface this doesn't seem unusual, since the Blues Brothers' Atlantic debut, Briefcase Full of Blues, was a number one album; but the movie was released by Universal, and its parent company, MCA, passed on the soundtrack. The rollicking remake of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" was a hit, featuring an arrangement notable for the horn section that replaces Steve Winwood's rumbling organ work. Ray Charles has a good time with "Shake a Tail Feather," and he's helped out by Jake and Elwood Blues (Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively). The cover of Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is a lot of fun, thanks to the great overall rhythm and Elwood's lightning-fast stage rap, while James Brown and the Reverend James Cleveland Choir provide a blast of gospel music on "Old Landmark." Aretha Franklin's "Think" is explosive, and Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" is slyly irresistible. Charles, Brown, Franklin, and Calloway all have small roles in the film, yet so does John Lee Hooker, but he's not represented here.© Bret Adams /TiVo

If you're going to listen to the Allman Brothers, make sure you have the first four records. The band made The Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South, At Fillmore East, and three-fourths of Eat a Peach with its original lineup, before Duane Allman's fatal motorcycle accident in 1971. The Tom Dowd-produced Idlewild South, their second album, comes off with a little less ferocity than their debut -- which is perhaps the result of reaching for new sounds the second time around. "Revival," the album's opener, introduces Dickey Betts as a composer. The countrified flavor of his songs gives an indication of where the band will head in the post-Duane era. Betts' other contribution to Idlewild South is the instrumental "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," a centerpiece of the Fillmore East recordings. Gregg's "Please Call Home" and "Midnight Rider" are built around piano and acoustic guitar, respectively, and have a different feel than the band's usual twin Les Paul-and-Hammond sound. That sound is showcased in the balance of Gregg's tunes, however: the funky blues of "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" (with Thom Doucette on harmonica) and "Leave My Blues at Home." The album is also notable for the rollicking version of Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man," with the only vocal bassist Berry Oakley (who died in a motorcycle accident one year after Duane) ever recorded with the group. Though overall it packs less punch than The Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South is all the more impressive for its mixture of chunky grooves and sophisticated textures. © Rovi Staff /TiVo

Having delivered their comeback with ease, the Jonas Brothers were faced with a difficult prospect: they needed to keep the good times of Happiness Begins rolling. To that end, they decided to ditch many of the collaborators from that 2019 affair and hire Jon Bellion -- a songwriter/producer known for previous work with Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, and Eminem with Rihanna -- as executive producer. Bellion and the Brothers decide to extend the shiny sunniness of Happiness Begins by buttressing the frothy melodies with bright, soulful grooves that split the difference between disco and retro-minded modern revivals. It's a fleet, sleek sound that helps draw attention to the trio's natural effervescence without seeming especially sugary. It does seem tailored for the sunshine, though, particularly a stretch in the second half where the Jonas Brothers sing about "Vacation Eyes," "Summer in the Hamptons," and "Summer Baby," all amounting to a summery EP buried in the middle of an LP. Truth be told, most of The Album sounds as if it was made with relaxation in mind; it's all shimmering soft rock and tempered disco, soundtracks for Montana skies and celebrations. The exceptions to the rule are "Little Bird" and the Bellion duet "Walls," a pair of slower, introspective numbers that end The Album on a curiously dour note, as if the trio decided they'd had too much fun, so they added serious songs as an afterthought.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Award-winning film composer Brian Tyler is no stranger to franchises, having helmed seven installments of the Fast & Furious, The Expendables Trilogy, and multiple Marvel projects. Tyler joined Nintendo's Mario video game franchise with his score for the computer-animated adventure film The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Incorporating new melodies with the original themes from longtime Mario composer Koji Kondo, Tyler infuses the past with a fresh coat of paint, turning 8-bit motifs into epic orchestral moments. Also included are the singles "Mario Brothers Rap" and "Peaches," the latter of which was co-written and performed by Jack Black. © James Christopher Monger /TiVo

After the freakish hard rock of The Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie returned to singer/songwriter territory on Hunky Dory. Not only did the album boast more folky songs ("Song for Bob Dylan," "The Bewlay Brothers"), but he again flirted with Anthony Newley-esque dancehall music ("Kooks," "Fill Your Heart"), seemingly leaving heavy metal behind. As a result, Hunky Dory is a kaleidoscopic array of pop styles, tied together only by Bowie's sense of vision: a sweeping, cinematic mélange of high and low art, ambiguous sexuality, kitsch, and class. Mick Ronson's guitar is pushed to the back, leaving Rick Wakeman's cabaret piano to dominate the sound of the album. The subdued support accentuates the depth of Bowie's material, whether it's the revamped Tin Pan Alley of "Changes," the Neil Young homage "Quicksand," the soaring "Life on Mars?," the rolling, vaguely homosexual anthem "Oh! You Pretty Things," or the dark acoustic rocker "Andy Warhol." On the surface, such a wide range of styles and sounds would make an album incoherent, but Bowie's improved songwriting and determined sense of style instead made Hunky Dory a touchstone for reinterpreting pop's traditions into fresh, postmodern pop music.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Brothers Osborne—siblings TJ and John, and their band—are in their adult-contemporary era on their fourth album, and that's not a boring thing. Nor is it criticism to call "Who Says You Can't Have Everything" smooth, easy listening country. "We Ain't Good at Breaking Up" brings along Miranda Lambert for a Fleetwood Mac-ish slow-burn. "Love You Too" melds Alabama's trad-country and Southern rock with the grandiosity of Kings of Leon. The brothers from Maryland sound confident and sure of their place in contemporary Nashville, which is important considering that TJ came out in 2021, making him the first major country star who is openly gay. You can't help but read a bit of pride in the ass-shaking Southern rock of "Might As Well Be Me": "Somebody gotta shake things up/ Somebody gotta shut things down/ Somebody gotta strike a match/ Break the ice and buy the first round." Maybe it's about his history-making declaration or maybe, at face value, it's about getting the party started, but the song makes the most of TJ's signature baritone twang, layering on revving guitar and an on-fire solo from John. TJ's voice is rich as ever on the album's sole ballad, melancholy-sounding love song "Rollercoaster (Forever and a Day)", with its message of how opposites attract and complement. "New Bad Habit," meanwhile, finds him pushing smoldering temptation and bad-boy flirtation alongside Stonesy guitar: "I want to be your pack a day ... I want to be your 90 proof … can't quit cold and you can't rehab it." TJ has long had a habit of singing about vice as a metaphor—for relationships, for humility (getting effed up and effing up), for a good time—and there's no shortage of that here. Kissed by a bit of dub and R&B, "Goodbye's Kicking In" explores how break-up regrets hit "like that first cigarette, like that second shot of whiskey." And "Sun Ain't Even Gone Down Yet," with its bluesy honky-tonk riff, is an ode to day drinking: "We were already high noon high/ If a cold libation's any indication/ We're gonna have a hell of a night." Some things never change, and TJ makes it clear on '80s-rich "Nobody's Nobody" that he wants the music to speak for itself: "Some people never ever make a name/ But change the game in someone's story/ I'm still tryna leave my mark/ With a simple song and an old guitar/ One thing I've learned out on the road is/ Nobody's nobody."  © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz