After the breakup, Beatles fans expected major statements from the three chief songwriters in the Fab Four. John and George fulfilled those expectations -- Lennon with his lacerating, confessional John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Harrison with his triple-LP All Things Must Pass -- but Paul McCartney certainly didn't, turning toward the modest charms of McCartney, and then crediting his wife Linda as a full-fledged collaborator on its 1971 follow-up, Ram. Where McCartney was homemade, sounding deliberately ragged in parts, Ram had a fuller production yet retained that ramshackle feel, sounding as if it were recorded in a shack out back, not far from the farm where the cover photo of Paul holding the ram by the horns was taken. It's filled with songs that feel tossed off, filled with songs that are cheerfully, incessantly melodic; it turns the monumental symphonic sweep of Abbey Road into a cheeky slice of whimsy on the two-part suite "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." All this made Ram an object of scorn and derision upon its release (and for years afterward, in fact), but in retrospect it looks like nothing so much as the first indie pop album, a record that celebrates small pleasures with big melodies, a record that's guileless and unembarrassed to be cutesy. But McCartney never was quite the sap of his reputation, and even here, on possibly his most precious record, there's some ripping rock & roll in the mock-apocalyptic goof "Monkberry Moon Delight," the joyfully noisy "Smile Away," where his feet can be smelled a mile away, and "Eat at Home," a rollicking, winking sex song. All three of these are songs filled with good humor, and their foundation in old-time rock & roll makes it easy to overlook how inventive these productions are, but on the more obviously tuneful and gentle numbers -- the ones that are more quintessentially McCartney-esque -- it's plain to see how imaginative and gorgeous the arrangements are, especially on the sad, soaring finale, "Back Seat of My Car," but even on its humble opposite, the sweet "Heart of the Country." These songs may not be self-styled major statements, but they are endearing and enduring, as is Ram itself, which seems like a more unique, exquisite pleasure with each passing year.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

After the failed experiment of Turbo, Judas Priest toned down the synths and returned to the basics, delivering a straight-ahead, much more typical Priest album with Ram It Down. The band's fan base was still devoted enough to consistently push each new album past the platinum sales mark, and perhaps that's part of the reason Ram It Down generally sounds like it's on autopilot. While there are some well-constructed songs, they tend toward the generic, and the songwriting is pretty lackluster overall, with the up-tempo title track easily standing out as the best tune here. And even though Ram It Down backed away from the territory explored on Turbo, much of the album still has a too-polished, mechanical-sounding production, especially the drums. Lyrically, Ram It Down is firmly entrenched in adolescent theatrics that lack the personality or toughness of Priest's best anthems, which -- coupled with the lack of much truly memorable music -- makes the record sound cynical and insincere, the lowest point in the Rob Halford era. Further debits are given for the cover of "Johnny B. Goode."© Steve Huey /TiVo

After the shaky start of Green Is Blues, Al Green and producer Willie Mitchell established their classic sound with Green's second album, Gets Next to You. The main difference is in the rhythm section. Abandoning the gritty syncopations of deep Southern soul, the Hi Rhythm Section plays it slow and seductive, working a sultry, steady pulse that Green exploits with his remarkable voice. Alternating between Sam Cooke's croon and Otis Redding's shout, Green develops his own distinctive style, and Gets Next to You only touches the surface of its depth. Although the album is filled with wonderful moments, few are as astonishing as Green and Mitchell's reinterpretation of the Temptations' "I Can't Get Next to You," which turns the original inside out.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Ever wonder how it felt for blues historians to uncover the lost 78s containing Robert Johnson's timeless Depression-era recordings? Well, if there's a heavy metal equivalent to this experience, then First Daze Here may well be it. Yet another Pentagram collection gradually unearthing this once amazingly obscure band's rare singles and even rarer studio recordings, it's not the most comprehensive, nor is it definitive, but it boasts the best selection and certainly the best sound quality. Most of these tracks were recorded between 1973 and 1974 at various low-budget sessions in the Washington, D.C., area by the group's original lineup, and digital remastering has done wonders to resurrect their original power and appeal. What most people don't know is that Pentagram's early work was hardly dominated by the Sabbath-heavy proto-metal that would characterize their mid-'80s releases. Rather, while this was certainly a core component of the band's sound (see "When the Screams Come" and "Review Your Choices"), their love for the '60s-based psychedelic hard rock of Blue Cheer was just as pronounced, especially on offerings like "Lazy Lady," "Hurricane," and "Last Days Here." Barnstorming opener "Forever My Queen" is probably their best-known early single, and with reason, as it remains a career high-water mark; but it's long-forgotten gems like "Livin' in a Ram's Head" and the awesome "Be Forewarned" (later given a more traditionally metallic treatment in the early '90s) that will prove especially thrilling to fans of the '70s sonic aesthetic. For them, as well as most serious metal historians, this is an essential purchase.© Eduardo Rivadavia /TiVo

Translinear Light marks Alice Coltrane's return to recording after a 26-year hiatus. Her last outing, the live and marvelous Transfiguration, was issued by Warner Bros. in 1978. Coltrane's son, saxophonist and composer Ravi, produced the disc; he plays saxophones on five of the set's 11 cuts and contributes percussion to two others. Other musicians here include Charlie Haden, James Genus, Jeff Watts, Jack DeJohnette, and son Oran who plays alto in duet with her on one selection Translinear Light opens with a reprise of Alice's "Sita Ram," originally recorded for 1971's Universal Consciousness. Ms. Coltrane plays her signature style on the Wurlitzer organ with DeJohnette playing a synth drum and Ravi contributing organic percussion. Her long lines of individually played notes are set against a droning chorded backdrop, and are instantly recognizable. There is no speculation in her playing; an authoritative, deeply Eastern melodic sensibility saturates her improvisation. The shimmering piano intro of the traditional "Walk With Me," with its deep gospel roots set against a modal framework, brings the ancient hymn into the modern world and traces the artist's steps from her Detroit roots in the church to playing blues to the edge of the jazz vanguard without slipping into dissonance. It strolls back into a gently swinging lyric that almost literally sings atop the rhythm section of Watts and Genus before moving back to the open minor mode. The title cut is a ballad with Ravi on soprano and Haden and DeJohnette in support. The interplay betweenAlice and Ravi from the tune's slowly evolving head into the knotty modal chords and single-note runs that spark the dialogue, is simply breathtaking. The pair wind around and through one another as the rhythm section offers an insistent chromatic foundation. Though she has recorded them before, there are new readings of her late husband's "Crescent" and "Leo"; both offer new harmonic dimensions and emotional interpretations on the originals. She doesn't revisit them so much as recontextualize them musically. Ms. Coltrane plays piano on the former and a driven, fiery Wurlitzer on the latter, making the track a blistering maelstrom of activity. DeJohnette's drumming on these cuts is wildly incisive and canny. Ravi's soloing and accompaniment here -- and indeed throughout the album -- make this his most inspired performance on record. "Triloka," a duet with Haden, is sublime; a deeply meditative and lyrical work, it is especially poignant after the workout of "Leo." Ultimately, Translinear Light offers a poetic, well-rounded, and utterly convincing portrait of the artist's return to the public eye, at the top of her game. Translinear Light is a major entry in Coltrane's catalog. It is a defining, aesthetically brilliant statement from a master composer, improviser, and player. If ever there were a candidate for jazz album of 2004, Translinear Light is it.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

By the time this long-player hit the street, Roy Buchanan (guitar/vocals) had already departed from his oft-acrimonious relationship with Polydor Records. To their credit, the label issued Live Stock (1975), which captured the artist in performance at Town Hall in New York City on November 27, 1974. This disc features the recently corralled combo of Bill Price (vocals), John Harrison (bass), Malcolm Lukens (keyboards), and Byrd Foster (drums/vocals). Interestingly, the instrumentalists would reconvene behind Buchanan for his next two studio albums, A Street Called Straight (1976) and Loading Zone (1977), as well as the thoroughly superior, import-only Live in Japan (2003). With the exception of the seminal Snakestretchers, this aggregate would stay with the guitarist for longer than any of his numerous other support bands. Practically by default, having returned Buchanan to the stage, the music instantly becomes more conducive to inspiration. The set list highlights both a sampling from earlier efforts, as well as a few covers that are personalized by Buchanan's inimitable stringed artistry. Whether by design or serendipity, each track focuses on his animated solos. Ranging from the driving boogie of Roy Milton's "Reelin' and Rockin" [note: not to be confused with Chuck Berry's rock & roll anthem of virtually the same name] to the stinging fretwork that commences the Memphis soul of Al Green's slithery "I'm a Ram," Buchanan is undeniably at the peak of his abilities. The spirited reading of "Further on up the Road" is particularly worthwhile, as his leads alternately from a rapid-fire slide action to emphatic wails that punctuate the melody with equal measures of deadly accuracy and limber precision. Live Stock is a primary recommendation for all dimensions of blues guitar lovers and those interested in experiencing the craftsmanship of the man once hailed as "The Greatest Unknown Guitarist In The World." Hardcore collectors and the like should also be aware of the essential nine-plus minute rendering of Neil Young's "Down by the River," which was recorded at this show, yet remained unissued until its inclusion on Sweet Dreams: The Anthology (1992) double-disc set. Equally as impressive, and as highly recommended, is the posthumously released archival American Axe: Live in 1974 (2003), as well as the previously mentioned Live in Japan (2003) -- both of which have the same musicians and similarly exceptional results.© Lindsay Planer /TiVo

Anyone who is seriously knowledgeable of metal's past and present can tell you that there's a brave new world in headbanger music. Today's neo-headbangers are likely to be influenced by punk, hip-hop, or industrial music; they probably grew up listening to the Notorious B.I.G., Black Flag, and Skinny Puppy, as well as Slayer and Metallica, and they might even consider a hip-hop DJ the perfect companion for downtuned guitars and chug-chug riffs. But not every metal band that was formed in the '90s or 2000s is part of this brave new world. In the power metal revival field, the past isn't just something you admire -- it's something you carefully emulate, which is exactly what Iron Savior do on Battering Ram. This 2004 release finds the German metalheads continuing to do what they've been doing since 1996; they're still partying like it's 1982. Totally oblivious to trends in post-'80s alt metal, Iron Savior stubbornly maintain their devotion to the classic power metal of the '70s and '80s. Everything on this CD sounds like it could have been recorded 20 or 25 years earlier, which is just as well, because Savior's members are undeniably good at what they do. No one will accuse Savior of being the most groundbreaking band in the world, but in terms of quality and craftsmanship, they deliver the goods -- and what they lack in originality, they more than make up for with passion and conviction. Battering Ram is unlikely to convert anyone who resisted power metal in the past; if treasures like Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast and Judas Priest's Hell Bent for Leather haven't converted you, Battering Ram probably won't do the trick either. But for die-hard believers who never gave up on power metal, Battering Ram is a pleasingly solid, if derivative and predictable, demonstration of Iron Savior's talents.© Alex Henderson /TiVo