Made in 3D, Tron: Legacy is the sequel to Tron which was released 28 years earlier and produced by Disney. While The Grid matches the film's very first sequence with the cavernous voice of Jeff Bridges (who appeared in the first film), the other pieces on the record are purely instrumental. Performed by the legendary London Symphony Orchestra, but also with synthesizers, the score of the helmeted French duo Daft Punk is a kind of electro opera that blends darkness and sheer scope. Dancefloor fans will still find something to their taste thanks to Derezzed and End of Line, two tracks that play in the scene set in Castor's nightclub. To mark ten years since the release of this sci-fi film set in the world of video games, Daft Punk have unveiled a collector's version of their soundtrack which comes embellished with nine unreleased tracks, including Castor and Reflections. Finally, it's worth recalling that the famous duo make a brief appearance in the film as nightclub DJs. ©Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

The King of Rock & Roll's 1968 Christmas television special and corresponding LP needed no other title than ELVIS (emblazoned in letters as tall as the record itself), but it became enshrined as "The '68 Comeback Special." During the late '60s, several years removed from live performance of any kind, Elvis had become something previously unimaginable: safe. His recorded output and material were strictly controlled to maximize profits, his appearances were limited to movie theaters, and only his friends saw the uninhibited rebel that had shocked America during the mid-'50s. But when Presley and Colonel Tom Parker agreed to record a Christmas television special to be directed and co-produced by Steve Binder, it became the catalyst for a comeback. Binder's previous involvement in television (the widely respected T.A.M.I. Show and Hullabaloo) had proved that he understood the best way to present rock music in a television context. On the eve of recording, Binder and his tested crew were on track to produce an excellent show (with dramatic and thematic set pieces tied to Elvis' performances), but it was Binder's chance witnessing of an informal after-hours jam in Elvis' dressing room that transformed a sturdy television vehicle into one of the signal moments in Elvis' career. Binder proposed that Elvis perform part of his special in an informal sit-down jam session, spending time reflecting on the Elvis sensation of the late '50s while he performed some of his old favorites with a group of friends. Although initial reception to the idea was lukewarm (from the Colonel especially), Elvis finally agreed and, with only a few days before taping, invited two of his earliest bandmates, Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, to join him. Although he exhibited more nerves than he ever had in the past -- a combination of the importance this chance obviously presented plus the large gap between the psychedelic music culture of 1968 and the rather quaint rock & roll of ten years earlier -- Elvis delivered an incredible performance throughout the television special. His vocal performances were loose and gutsy, and his repartee was both self-deprecating and sarcastic about his early days as well as his moribund film career ("There's something wrong with my lip!...I got news for you baby, I did 29 pictures like that"). He was uninhibited and utterly unsafe, showing the first inkling in ten years that life and spirit were still left in music's biggest artistic property. The resulting LP, NBC-TV Special, combined sit-down and stand-up segments, but probably over-compensated on the stand-up segments. Several previous RCA compilations (Memories: The '68 Comeback Special and Tiger Man) issued more of the sit-down shows, but for the 40th anniversary of its recording, RCA released The Complete '68 Comeback Special, a lavish four-disc box set. It collects the original LP plus bonus tracks on the first disc, then presents Elvis' complete performances of the two sit-down shows and two stand-up shows on two successive discs. A fourth disc includes earlier rehearsals for the special that find Elvis incredibly loose and joking with friends as well as the audience. Although four discs centering on a single show verge on overkill for any but the most enthusiastic fans, what impresses about The Complete '68 Comeback Special is how much it prefigures the rest of Elvis' career. Dramatic, intense, driven, and earthy, frequently moving but not without the occasional cloying note, Elvis during the '70s was the apotheosis of rock music, a righteous blend of rock and soul, gospel and pop, blues and country. © John Bush /TiVo

Widely regarded as one of bluegrass' most influential recordings, Foggy Mountain Jamboree introduced audiences -- more specifically radio listeners -- to the crystal-clear vocals and peerless musicianship of former Bill Monroe Bluegrass Boys Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Amassed between 1951 and 1955, the 12 tracks that made the cut served as a veritable blueprint for a genre that had been growing in popularity since the late '40s. While numerous Foggy Mountain Boys appear throughout -- Chet Atkins, Josh "Buck" Graves -- Flatt's fluid tenor and rhythm guitar work anchored the sessions, Scruggs' machine-gun banjo work provided the steam, and fiddler Chubby Wise, along with mandolin player Curly Seckler, carried the whole thing home without a care in the world. "Flint River Special," "Earl's Breakdown," and "Foggy Mountain Special" became part of American culture, celebrating both its trailblazing work ethic and spirituality with equal amounts of grace and hellfire. Foggy Mountain Jamboree is essential listening for anyone with even the most remote interest in bluegrass.© James Christopher Monger /TiVo

In 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon and Johnny Cash discovered the stage of the San Quentin State Prison. The Man In Black, the man who wore only black for the prisoners, the poor, the needy, the elderly and the sick. He who always rubbed shoulders with people living in misery, he − the rebel of Nashville, the pioneer of outlaws − always brought together very disparate audiences. In 1968, the legend married June Carter of the famous Carter Family. It was a genuine and sincere love that led her to follow her husband on their honeymoon, which consisted of extensive tours and a series of concerts in prisons. This idea came to Cash in California with the song At Folsom Prison, and a year later he played the legendary show at San Quentin. He was just 37 years old at the time, but his face already looked tired by the time of this 31st album, something which was not helped by his various addictions and other vices. Regardless, this is no doubt one of the major works of Country music and comes with a unique archive of images captured by the British channel Granada. Cash was king in the land of the madmen. All listened ceremoniously, respected him, and a striking bond was developed. The Man in Black was in his element. Accompanied by Carl Perkins on the guitar, even June joined him on Darlin’ Companion, slightly intimidated by the situation. Symbolically opening with Wanted Man, the track selection spoke to the inmates. Wild applause, shouts of joy, or conversely complete silence, Johnny Cash’s charm was inscrutable. Provocative and gifted with a great sense of humour, he was at times censored with “beeps” and didn’t shy away from playing a risky new song specially composed for the occasion: San Quentin. “San Quentin, you've been livin' hell to me… San Quentin, I hate every inch of you.” This was followed by a chilling Shel Silverstein composition titled A Boy Named Sue, which Cash sang for the very first time, the lyrics absolutely delighting the crowd. It was a bloody and dark style of Country music reminiscent of Eddie Noack’s Psycho or the Louvin Brothers’ Knoxville Girl. During this concert Cash talked almost as much as he sang, connecting with the inmates, and closing the magical event with the wild vibrations of Folsom Prison Blues. © Clara Bismuth/Qobuz

This release has long been considered Thelonious Monk's acknowledgement to the flourishing youth-oriented subculture from whence the collection takes its name. Certainly the Grammy-winning cover art -- which depicts Monk as a World War II French revolutionary toting an automatic weapon -- gave the establishment more than the brilliant swinging sounds in the grooves to consider. Underground became Monk's penultimate studio album, as well as the final release to feature the '60s quartet: Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Ben Riley (drums), and Larry Gales (bass) behind Monk (piano). One of the motifs running throughout Monk's recording career is the revisitation of titles from his voluminous back catalog. The tradition continues with the autobiographical leadoff track, "Thelonious." The instantly recognizable stride piano lines are delivered with the same urgency and precision that they possessed over two decades earlier when he first recorded the track for Blue Note. The presence of Charlie Rouse throughout the album is certainly worth noting. "Ugly Beauty" best captures the sacred space and musical rapport that he and Monk shared. Each musician functions as an extension of the other, creating solos that weave synchronically as if performed by the same pair of hands. Newer material, such as the playful "Green Chimneys" -- named after the school Monk's daughter attended -- as well as the unbalanced hypnotism of "Raise Four," asserts the timelessness and relevance of Monk's brand of bop. The disc ends as it begins with a new twist on an old favorite. Jon Hendricks -- who provides lyrics and vocals on "In Walked Bud" -- recalls the hustle and bustle of the real and spontaneous underground Harlem jam sessions of the late '40s. It is likewise an apt bookend to this chapter in the professional life of Thelonious Monk.© Lindsay Planer /TiVo

Made in 3D, Tron: Legacy is the sequel to Tron which was released 28 years earlier and produced by Disney. While The Grid matches the film's very first sequence with the cavernous voice of Jeff Bridges (who appeared in the first film), the other pieces on the record are purely instrumental. Performed by the legendary London Symphony Orchestra, but also with synthesizers, the score of the helmeted French duo Daft Punk is a kind of electro opera that blends darkness and sheer scope. Dancefloor fans will still find something to their taste thanks to Derezzed and End of Line, two tracks that play in the scene set in Castor's nightclub. To mark ten years since the release of this sci-fi film set in the world of video games, Daft Punk have unveiled a collector's version of their soundtrack which comes embellished with nine unreleased tracks, including Castor and Reflections. Finally, it's worth recalling that the famous duo make a brief appearance in the film as nightclub DJs. ©Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

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George Jones duets with some expected country contemporaries (Tammy Wynette, Johnny Paycheck), some outlaws (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson), and, most interestingly, some up-and-coming and pop-oriented guests (Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Elvis Costello), often to beneficial effect for both.© William Ruhlmann /TiVo

In 1989, at the tender age of 16, Brooklynite Special Ed burst on the scene with enough talent and swagger to stake his claim among hip-hop's big boys. For Special Ed, MC stands for master of cleverness, and Youngest in Charge is replete with it. The gifted manchild boasts a versatile repertoire, using various lyrical styles and rhymes spiked with punchlines and metaphors that indicate wisdom beyond his 16 years. The meat of the album lies in its first three tracks. The opening cut, "Taxing," is Ed's coming-out party as he kicks entertaining verses over a slickly produced, squealing guitar-riff-laced track produced by Howie Tee. The following track is a masterpiece, Ed's claim to hip-hop immortality, "I Got It Made." It's four-plus minutes of artful arrogance, an instant hip-hop classic and anthem for all precocious hip-hop-heads of the era. To round out the trio comes "I'm the Magnificent," a continuation of Ed's bragging rights over a sample from "Shantytown" (off Jimmy Cliff's The Harder They Come soundtrack). Because the first three tracks are so stellar, the rest of the album seems to be something of an afterthought; however, the remainder of the album does contain a few jewels. "The Bush," Ed's ode to his stomping grounds of Flatbush, features a sample of Al Green's "Love and Happiness," while "Think About It" is Ed's warning to those who wish to test his supremacy on the mic. On "Heds and Dreds," Ed flips a dancehall cadence to show his West Indian heritage. Youngest in Charge is a delightful release from a young hip-hop pioneer, a demonstration of the Edenic age of hip-hop when youthful exuberance and expression were highly valued.© M.F. DiBella /TiVo