The Red Hot Chili Peppers are having fun in 2022. After Unlimited Love, released seven months ago, the Californians are following up with Return Of The Dream Canteen, certainly their best album in a long time. Why? Because its raw, stripped-back vibes drop us right in the middle of a hefty, super-controlled jam session. Of course, the two records were recorded at the same time, but the band clearly wanted to deliver two distinct musical intentions—and it works. It’s obviously impossible to escape their adolescent ravings about ‘high school’, and tedious teachers on the single ‘Eddie’. But the main thing is that the second half is all Stratocaster, which entails a series of pretty adventurous ideas. For example, there are two tracks which use electronic drums: ‘My Cigarette’ (which is almost reminiscent of Prince) and the TR-808 cowbell-clad ballad that is ‘In The Snow’. These pleasantly surprising choices are mixed together with the usual irony of ‘Peace and Love’, the whispered pop delirium of ‘Shoot Me A Smile’, and of course the essential funk-rock urges on ‘Afterlife’ or on the single ‘Tippa My Tongue’. Like its predecessor, Return Of The Dream Cantine is produced by Rick Rubin, who clearly pushed the band to remove any sense of artifice and thus contributed to making this album such a great success in terms of its composition and arrangement. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz

In the proto-typical Scandinavian ECM style of modern jazz oriented music, pianist Tord Gustavsen follows the path of previous progenitors influenced by Bill Evans, forged by Keith Jarrett, and extended by the likes of Mike Nock. This is certainly late-night, nocturnal music, completely reserved and relaxing, ultra-melodic, calm, peaceful, and non-threatening. Rarely does a tempo move beyond medium, a dynamic merge above mezzo piano, and any mood goes farther than moderately cool. Well within this consistent timbre, Gustavsen and his trio show a modicum of diversity and influences. Fellow ECM labelmate Bobo Stenson's style and technique is most extant during the lilting "Edges of Happiness," "Twins" is spiritual, calm, and light but not somber, while "Token of Tango" is perfectly representative of its title. "Curtains Aside" mixes march rhythm in 6/8 with a regal light funk, the delicate waltz "Being There" is reminiscent of "The Shadow of Your Smile," while darker ballads "Colours of Mercy" and "Sentiment" sport undoubtedly religious overtones. Gustavsen, while playing laid-back, pristine, pretty, and serene music, is far from challenging convention or pushing the envelope. Conversely, his personal voice is fully realized. Time will tell whether this style finds a worldwide audience, moves away from this type of contemporary texture music, or takes the approach he has established to any more extreme measures, even softer or more forceful.© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo

In 2016, prog metal progenitors Dream Theater issued the 130-minute conceptual opus The Astonishing, which all but left metal behind to pursue a classic prog direction. Widely acclaimed by mainstream rock media, it proved divisive among fans and the metal press. Whether they admit it or not, DT took note. When it was time to record for new label Inside Out, they collectively decamped to a rural spot and lived together for the four months it took to write and record Distance Over Time. Ultimately, they took full measure of their history together and made a nearly complete U-turn, heading (mostly) back to basics for an injection of inspiration and renewed force. First single and opener "Untethered Angel" is classic Dream Theater, offering an abominably heavy riff from bassist John Myung and guitarist John Petrucci. James LaBrie's clean vocals soar above Jordan Rudess' driving organ and synth and Mike Mangini's thundering double kick drums. It's replete with time and tempo changes. "Paralyzed," despite its 4:17 length, is a riotous crunch-and-crush jam with roiling snare and tom-tom thud; the unhinged grooves from Myung and Petrucci, along with Rudess' piano, add ballast and drama for LaBrie, and he delivers the lyrics with characteristic commitment and remarkable range. "Fall Into the Light" with its bell-like cymbals and crashing snares provides a backdrop for seriously heavy shredding, offering two of Petrucci's finest solos. Musically, "Barstool Warrior" and "Out of Reach" could have been part of The Astonishing (though they wouldn't fit its subject matter). Their hooky prog ranges from anthemic rock djent to ELP-esque keyboard runs to Peter Gabriel/Steve Hackett-era Genesis -- which all entwine and add an expansive dimension to Distance Over Time. "At Wit's End" is a creative peak that illustrates the band's preference for leaving the heaviest hitters near the album's end. It delivers a kaleidoscopic range of prog metal tenets with frenetic polyrhythms, screaming guitar and keyboard solos, chugging bass, and emotive, soulful vocal refrains. The eight-and-half-minute "Pale Blue Dot" is another. Using Carl Sagan's phrase for describing earth from space, it commences with an ambient sci-fi intro that balances intense heaviness, knotty, time-stretching progressions, near-symphonic bombast, a taut hook, a foreboding chorus, and killer solos from Petrucci and Rudess that aggressively engage counterpoint. Vintage-era Deep Purple were a big influence on Dream Theater. The bonus track "Viper King" is a charged yet radio-friendly tribute to the Ritchie Blackmore/Jon Lord/Ian Gillan era, with its punched-up hard/prog rock swing showcasing insane collisions of organ, with unhinged guitar and bass exchanges prodded by maniacal drumming in supporting a loping cinematic chorus. Dream Theater reaffirm their identity on Distance Over Time, displaying a collective hunger, abundant energy, creativity, and musical (re)discovery. This set should erase the schism between fans and win the band a whole slew of new ones.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Though it's one of the best Four Tops records of the '60s, Reach Out still feels weighted down by a few vain attempts at adult pop crossover. It certainly starts out right, with the glorious "Reach out, I'll Be There," the group's second pop/R&B chart-topper. After a faithful cover of the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee," though, listeners are forced to sit through trite versions of "If I Were a Carpenter," "Last Train to Clarksville," and "I'm a Believer" to get to real highlights like the dramatic, impassioned "Standing in the Shadows of Love" and "Bernadette." There is room for a great lesser single ("I'll Turn to Stone"), but the flip side finds the Four Tops taking on "Cherish," which could've worked well but didn't. Reach Out still did better than any other original LP by the group, almost breaking the Top Ten.© John Bush /TiVo

Even if you were expecting something different, this still comes as a surprise. With Let’s Start Here, Lil Yachty, a rapper too easily lumped into the SoundCloud mumble rap crowd, ventures into psychedelic and synthetic pop. His cleverly autotuned voice is the only thing that reminds us it really is him. This fifth album is divisive—so much the better. By drawing upon the likes of Tame Impala, Pink Floyd, Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean, Lil Yachty seeks to establish himself as a recognised and recognisable artist. He relies on a team of producers, including Justin Raisen (Billie Eilish, Angel Olsen), Sad Pony (Nicki Minaj, Kelela), and Patrick Wimberly, one-half of the pop duo Chairlift. Lil Yachty frequently and skilfully pushes the boundaries of rap, not by simply stretching its limits, but by taking an altogether new direction and constantly positioning himself against them, anchoring himself in a completely distinct aesthetic. There’s no doubt that he’s mixing his favourite genres together here, but Let's Start Here is a new artistic path. Perhaps it’s nothing more than a fleeting digression, but it still features some fascinating tracks, such as the convoluted ‘REACH THE SUNSHINE.’ and the loosely rhythmic ‘paint THE sky’. Lil Yachty successfully achieves his goals with this album. He makes himself stand out and encourages people to consider his musical talents in a way that’s relevant, all whilst expressing a visceral need to explore musical realms other than those that the public would like to impose on him. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz

Her self-titled debut LP (later retitled Ain't No Mountain High Enough after the single became a hit) was arguably her finest solo work at Motown and perhaps her best ever; it was certainly among her most stunning. Everyone who doubted whether Diana Ross could sustain a career outside the Supremes found out immediately that she would be a star. The single "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" remains a staple in her shows, and is still her finest message track.© Ron Wynn /TiVo

The 21st century soul revival has spawned many projects that seem too artificial. But one thing is certain: Durand Jones & The Indications excel in this kind of material: with them, it all feels perfectly natural. Rather than revisiting old recording techniques, or painstakingly reproducing the recipes of iconic albums of Great Black Music, the band from Louisiana and Indiana prefers to base itself on the rhythm & blues of the 1970s, on its ballads and its joyful string orchestrations. Take, for example, the magnificent Ride Or Die, a model of the genre, a choral piece that distils the science of chorus and sensuality. Their influences are Sylvia Robinson, the Delfonics, the Dramatics and Phyllis Hyman's disco-funk, as evidenced by The Way That I Do and the single Witchoo. In 2016, their debut album sounded more dogmatic. But Durand Jones & The Indications have taken a freer approach with this third, almost-flawless album. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz

It's a bit strange to think that an album that originally contained 13 tracks could be re-released in a collector's edition, or more precisely a Super Deluxe edition that boasts a hundred songs to get stuck into. But that is exactly what is on offer in this exceptional re-release of The Who's Sell Out, which is rich in surprises and other rare treats. When first released in 1967, the album shocked some audiences who didn't always understand quite what the group was trying to do. With advertising jingles interspersed between the tracks, the album feels more like a pirate radio broadcast emanating from The Boat That Rocked.Offbeat, and adopting a somewhat sarcastic tone, The Who Sell Out was an amazing journey. Although it is not quite a concept album (as was Tommy, released in 1969), a connecting thread does run through it, and it enjoys a real sense of overall coherence. In particular, it was an opportunity for The Who to get more closely acquainted with psychedelia, a few months after the release of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The band go easy on powerful riffs, and put more of an emphasis on the pop side of things, bolstered with a smattering of hallucinogenics, but they manage to not lost in endless flights of fancy and lashings of echo and reverb. The Who Sell Out is very much an album of songs, and it contains some of the four-piece's most famous tracks, such as the magnificent I Can See for Miles, which nestles among other gems like the incredible opening number Armenia City in the Sky and Tattoo. The result is a daring, audacious and adventurous record, which has not always been given the credit it deserves. But over the years it has been rehabilitated, thanks in large part to a number of generous reissues.This Super Deluxe edition is surely the ultimate version for any fan wishing to soak up even more of the work’s off-beam atmosphere, charged with British humour and very elegant writing. In addition to the album's mono and stereo mixes, we get a heap of bonus material like previously-unreleased versions of Pictures of Lilly (which was released at the time as a single) and of various songs recorded in studio sessions in 1967 and 1968... Most notably, there are 47 pieces which have never made it out of the archives until the present day, including 14 demos by Pete Townshend. It all adds up to a fitting tribute to an album that broke the mould, a kind of magical interlude flavoured with just the right amount of sarcasm. This record really highlights the songwriting talent of the guitarist, Townshend, who was then preparing for a sally into rock opera, but along the way he produced this seemingly-lightweight article, which in fact turned out to be a real masterpiece. © Chief Brody / Qobuz

Run for Cover took the heavy metal ingredients of Gary Moore's previous two albums and added a little pop refinement to the mix. Thankfully, this did not compromise the overall heaviness of the record, and Moore even achieves a successful remake of his classic ballad "Empty Rooms." Calling on his many friends to help in the studio, Moore obtains fantastic vocal performances from former Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes on "Reach for the Sky" and "All Messed Up," and former Thin Lizzy leader and childhood friend Philip Lynott on the dramatic "Military Man." The latter also trades vocals with Moore on the album's biggest single, "Out in the Fields." Written about the religious turmoil in their native Ireland, it was actually Lynott's final recorded performance before his tragic death. It also presaged the musical and lyrical Irish themes which would dominate Moore's future work.© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo

Make Way For is Dionne Warwick's third long-player for Scepter Records. The album would eventually be her first to make the charts and was undoubtedly propelled by the hits "Walk on By," "You'll Never Get to Heaven," and "Wishin' and Hopin'" -- all of which became key components of Warwick's performance repertoire. Interestingly, the latter track as well as "I Smiled Yesterday" had also been included on Warwick's debut album, Presenting Dionne Warwick. However, that didn't seem to deter listeners eager for new tunes. Warwick's musical mentors and collaborators Burt Bacharach and Hal David also presented the singer with several additional compositions that would become signature songs for other performers in the ensuing years. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" became synonymous with the Carpenters, while Dusty Springfield shared some of Warwick's notoriety with her own hit version of "Wishin' and Hopin'." The trio of tracks not derived from the voluminous Bacharach/David catalog include Jule Styne's "People," from Funny Girl, as well as a few numbers from a pair of other well-known Brill Building teams of pop songwriters. Gerry Goffin and Carole King serve up "Make the Night a Little Longer," while the arguably lesser-known pairing of Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller offer the somewhat antiquated "Get Rid of Him."© Lindsay Planer /TiVo

At two discs and 32 songs, 2006's The Essential Michael Bolton is by far the most comprehensive Michael Bolton collection ever assembled; at 17 tracks, the previous Bolton comp, 1995's Greatest Hits 1985-1995, was nearly half the size of this set. Longer isn't necessarily better, at least as far as the average Bolton fan is concerned, since every one of Bolton's biggest hits is on the 1995 collection. In the decade that followed the release of Greatest Hits, Michael Bolton was a fairly regular fixture on the Adult Contemporary charts but had only one hit that crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 -- "Go the Distance" in 1997 -- which means that there wasn't much from the late '90s and 2000s that crossed into the popular consciousness the way that "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," "How Can We Be Lovers," and "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" did. Anyone just wanting those hits, along with other '80s and early-'90s singles as "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and "Soul Provider," would be better off with Greatest Hits, but listeners who want to dig a little deeper into that classic era and the years that followed are well-served by The Essential Michael Bolton, which covers both eras equally by serving up all the big hits (minus "Love Is a Wonderful Thing," which has been written out of Bolton's history) and selected album tracks.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Eric Clapton is usually thought of as John Mayall's most important right-hand man, but the case could also be made for his successor, Peter Green. The future Fleetwood Mac founder leaves a strong stamp on his only album with the Bluesbreakers, singing a few tracks and writing a couple, including the devastating instrumental "Supernatural." Green's use of thick sustain on this track clearly pointed the way to his use of guitar riffs with elongated, slithery tones on Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross" and "Black Magic Woman," as well as anticipating some aspects of Carlos Santana's style. Mayall acquits himself fairly well on this mostly original set (with occasional guest horns), though some of the material is fairly mundane. Highlights include the uncharacteristically rambunctious "Leaping Christine" and the cover of Freddie King's "Someday After a While (You'll Be Sorry)."© Richie Unterberger /TiVo

Burt Bacharach's second album will either delight or sorely disappoint modern listeners, depending upon how aware they are of who he really is. It's easy to forget, amidst his '90s revival, that Bacharach was never fundamentally a "rock" songwriter. Reach Out was reissued in 1995, just as Bacharach's star was rising among more mature rock listeners. Parts of this album do aspire to a kind of big-band pop soulfulness. The rest is quasi-jazz of the light variety, very cleanly and carefully arranged by the composer, who tends to emphasize the obvious. A lot of what is here is very basic, well played but displaying no dazzling interpretive details. That's often a risk when a composer interprets his own work -- frequently, it is the outside personality, the performance specialist rather than the composer, who picks up the hidden and unusual sides of a score. Some listeners will also be thrown by the presence of "Lisa," a throwback to pre-'60s pop. But that is a valid part of what Bacharach was about -- he grew up in an environment in which big-band jazz represented mainstream music, and was aspiring to make it as a pop composer when rock & roll hit. So it should be expected that he would have had an affinity for elegant pop music, which he would indulge on his first album for a soft-jazz and pop label like A&M. Reach Out isn't a Rosetta Stone to understanding his music, but it does present Bacharach's vision of his work at its most straightforward, and it is enjoyable on its own terms, as a snapshot of his own sensibilities at that time. © Bruce Eder /TiVo