Bridge Over Troubled Water was one of the biggest-selling albums of its decade, and it hasn't fallen too far down on the list in years since. Apart from the gospel-flavored title track, which took some evolution to get to what it finally became, however, much of Bridge Over Troubled Water also constitutes a stepping back from the music that Simon & Garfunkel had made on Bookends -- this was mostly because the creative partnership that had formed the body and the motivation for the duo's four prior albums literally consumed itself in the making of Bridge Over Troubled Water. The overall effect was perhaps the most delicately textured album to close out the 1960s from any major rock act. Bridge Over Troubled Water, at its most ambitious and bold, on its title track, was a quietly reassuring album; at other times, it was personal yet soothing; and at other times, it was just plain fun. The public in 1970 -- a very unsettled time politically, socially, and culturally -- embraced it; and whatever mood they captured, the songs matched the standard of craftsmanship that had been established on the duo's two prior albums. Between the record's overall quality and its four hits, the album held the number one position for two and a half months and spent years on the charts, racking up sales in excess of five million copies. The irony was that for all of the record's and the music's appeal, the duo's partnership ended in the course of creating and completing the album.© Bruce Eder /TiVo

Finally! The Strokes never stood taller in their Conversed feet than they did at their début 20 years ago. That's quite a while to be in the wilderness. In 2001, Is This It revitalised a moribund rock. Influenced by Velvet Underground and Television but also, more surprisingly, by Pearl Jam and Nirvana according to Albert Hammond Jr., the five boys headed by Julian Casablancas, son of the boss of Elite and Miss Denmark 1965, had the perfect lo-fi, minimalist rock sound and the nonchalant punk attitude to go with it. Naturally, everything had been well thought-out. "Make it sound old but like it’s from 2001", Casablancas once said. Back to sloppy guitars, bass and drums for fucked-up-sounding tracks. Down with electronics. The first album's miracle formula eroded under the weight of subsequent releases, ego duels, experiments with kidnapped synths, and it ended with the pale Comedown Machine (2013), relegating the New Yorkers to has-been status. But The New Abnormal and its prophetic title are inspired. With its visual portrayal of Bird On Money, Basquiat's exquisite tribute to Charlie Parker, The Strokes walked that thin line between underground and popular, the salt of the 80s. In the Big Apple, with Blondie. But also in Elizabeth's Kingdom. Impossible not to think of Human League's Don’t You Want Me when hearing Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus. Or Billy Idol's sharp lyricism and Morrissey's vocals on Bad Decisions. From the opening and for 45 minutes thereafter, everything will be moving. From the relentless gimmickry of The Adults Are Talking with Casablancas' busted falsetto, to the groovy Eternal Summer that calls up shades of Roger Waters on Pigs, to a plaintive Selfless with a Chris Martin tinge: Casablanca's voice is amazing, and he finally has something to say. To put some freshness back into their maturity, and oil into the sputtering engine, the quintet called upon their "saviour" Rick Rubin, founder of Def Jam. And they struck gold. Calculated melodies that feel spontaneous, synthetic textures with old-fashioned charm, economical guitars and broken-down tempos, everything works beautifully. A work with a chipped but refined beauty, both solar and lunar, that will stand the test of time. © Charlotte Saintoin / Qobuz

Produced by Rick Rubin, Johnny Cash’s legendary American recordings are not only among his major musical statements, but also its moving final will. Released in November 2002, American IV – The Man Comes Around is the last volume of the collection that was released while Cash was still alive (He passed away 10 months after its release). Using the famous “cover” recipe, Johnny Cash managed in this record to turn other musicians’ compositions, sometimes recent work, into his own unique style. Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, and Sting are all covered, and when listening to Cash’s rendition of their songs it is sometimes difficult to recall their original versions. As usual, Rubin’s work on the soundboard is devoted to Johnny Cash’s voice. Caught it its last whispers, the voice is haunting, yet never morose.Indeed, the voice is key in “American IV”.  The material can bring chills (the video clip of Hurt is deeply moving and, after listening to the track, Trent Reznor proclaimed “It’s like I have lost my girlfriend. This song doesn’t belong to me anymore…”), Give My Love To Rose evokes a sadness that is a strike at the heart, and I Hung My Head expresses an innocence that is profoundly tender. Even when he deals with the classic repertoire of country music, many that he recorded in the past (Sam Hall, Give My Love To Rose, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Streets of Laredo, Danny Boy) the Man in Black brings to his interpretation the sorrow and sensitivity of his dying condition, always with grace and dignity. A sad yet festive funeral, the record includes many featured guest artists: Fiona Apple and Nick Cave sing, John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Marty Stuart strum their guitars, old partner Cowboy Jack Clement pulls out his dobro, Joey Waronker abandons Beck and Air to join in the rhythm section, and Benmont Tench brings in an array of keyboards including an organ, harmonium, Mellotron, vibraphone and even a Wurlitzer. Music lovers from all over the world recognized what a masterpiece American IV – The Man Comes Around had been created, and its reception led it to be a gold record, which was Johnny Cash’s first in thirty years. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

Eva Cassidy's life story hasn't been made into film … yet. Her love of schmaltzy repertoire and refusal to be pigeonholed as one type of singer made attracting label interest difficult, but she finally made her debut recording in 1992. By the mid-'90s, Cassidy was building a buzz in the Washington, D.C., music scene (despite her hesitancy about performing live and, in general, singing as a career), only to be derailed by a cancer diagnosis. In May 1996 she self-released her second album, Live at Blues Alley, just as the cancer returned and spread through her bones and lungs; six months later Cassidy died at the age of 33. But thanks to a BBC DJ playing her version of Judy Garland's ageless hit "Over the Rainbow" (from Songbird, a posthumous 1998 compilation), Cassidy became a hit in the UK in 2000—Songbird would eventually go six times platinum in the U.K. and gold in the U.S. For its 25th anniversary, Live at Blues Alley, whose original purpose was just to give Cassidy something to sell at gigs, has been digitally remastered by Robert Vosgien (who mastered the original album) from the original mixes. The sound, which was always surprisingly good for a live album recorded in a small Georgetown club, seems audibly improved by the fresh tweaks. While Cassidy's voice and instinctual gift for phrasing allowed her to sing almost anything well, her fondness for popular (read: overexposed) older repertoire like Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" mixes with slightly more adventurous fare like Sting's "Fields of Gold" and Al Green's "Take Me to The River." Cassidy's superpower was that her voice and phrasing were extraordinary at communicating a resounding feeling of sadness. It's tempting to say it's because she sensed her coming tragedy. Supported by a quintet that includes pianist Lenny Williams and her then partner bassist Chris Biondo, Cassidy wrings every drop of pathos out of the Johnny Mercer-penned standard, "Autumn Leaves." Frustrating as a tease for what her subsequent career might have been, Live at Blues Alley nevertheless is a precious crumb of genius tragically interrupted. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

In 2015, David Byrne invited Anna Calvi to perform at the Meltdown Festival of which he is the artistic director. The Brit (Calvi) opted for an unusual arrangement – surrounded by a 12-piece choir – to revisit songs picked from her first two albums, Anna Calvi and One Breath. The recording of this unique show in London was published in 2017 on Record Store Day as a red double vinyl. Now, one year later, we have an official version in Hi-Res 24-Bit. With this unique vocal halo, Anna Calvi’s songs have found an epic, mystic and quite astonishing second wind. Let yourself be carried away by rock which is disconnected from its time and these songs consisting of dark and haunting poetry. Magnificent. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

When you have a musical career as long and as successful as Sting's, it becomes easy for the listener to hear each new album in the context of previous projects. In truth, The Bridge is a great testament to the English singer/songwriter's gift for bringing his diverse influences to bear in a rich and very personal record that rewards repeat listening. This new album is a reflection on a world in transition and the need for a metaphorical bridge to a better state of humanity, so the work is rife with images of water, peril, and crossings to safety and fulfillment. The Bridge was created in Sting's home studio during the pandemic, with guest artists making significant contributions remotely, such as long-time collaborator Dominic Miller's beautiful, chiming guitar work on the haunting "The Bells of St. Thomas," and drummer extraordinaire Manu Katché's jazz-funk backbeat on "Captain Bateman's Basement." There are elements that might have you thinking of past highlights in Sting's oeuvre, such as Branford Marsalis' unmistakable sax on "Harmony," or the beautiful acoustic guitar on "For Her Love" that the English musician utilizes so well in his heartfelt ballads. In songs like "Rushing Water," his songcraft and arranging genius reflects the less-is-more approach that was prevalent in so many of his hits with The Police, while "If It's Love" has the warmth and breeziness of songs from his album Sacred Love. More examples of Sting's creative diversity on The Bridge include "The Hills on the Border," a folk-inspired tune that would not be out of place in his musical The Last Ship, and the Celtic violins on "Captain Bateman." We all need to seek the higher ground at one time or another, and in The Bridge, one of this generation's best singer/songwriters has engineered a structure as solid, as thoughtful, and ultimately as compelling as any he has created before. © Rick Banales/Qobuz

Simon & Garfunkel's first masterpiece, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was also the first album on which the duo, in tandem with engineer Roy Halee, exerted total control from beginning to end, right down to the mixing, and it is an achievement akin to the Beatles' Revolver or the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album, and just as personal and pointed as either of those records at their respective bests. After the frantic rush to put together an LP in just three weeks that characterized the Sounds of Silence album early in 1966, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme came together over a longer gestation period of about three months, an uncommonly extended period of recording in those days, but it gave the duo a chance to develop and shape the songs the way they wanted them. The album opens with one of the last vestiges of Paul Simon's stay in England, "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" -- the latter was the duo's adaptation of a centuries-old English folk song in an arrangement that Simon had learned from Martin Carthy. The two transformed the song into a daunting achievement in the studio, however, incorporating myriad vocal overdubs and utilizing a harpsichord, among other instruments, to embellish it, and also wove into its structure Simon's "The Side of a Hill," a gentle antiwar song that he had previously recorded on The Paul Simon Songbook in England. The sonic results were startling on their face, a record that was every bit as challenging in its way as "Good Vibrations," but the subliminal effect was even more profound, mixing a hauntingly beautiful antique melody, and a song about love in a peaceful, domestic setting, with a message about war and death; Simon & Garfunkel were never as political as, say, Peter, Paul & Mary or Joan Baez, but on this record they did bring the Vietnam war home. The rest of the album was less imposing but just as beguiling -- audiences could revel in the play of Simon's mind (and Simon & Garfunkel's arranging skills) and his sense of wonder (and frustration) on "Patterns," and appreciate the sneering rock & roll-based social commentary "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine." Two of the most beautiful songs ever written about the simple joys of living, the languid "Cloudy" and bouncy "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," were no less seductive, and the album also included "Homeward Bound," their Top Five hit follow-up to "The Sound of Silence," which had actually been recorded at the sessions for that LP. No Simon & Garfunkel song elicits more difference of opinion than "The Dangling Conversation," making its LP debut here -- one camp regards it as hopelessly pretentious and precious in its literary name-dropping and rich string orchestra accompaniment, while another holds it as a finely articulate account of a couple grown distant and disconnected through their intellectual pretensions; emotionally, it is definitely the precursor to the more highly regarded "Overs" off the next album, and it resonated well on college campuses at the time, evoking images of graduate school couples drifting apart, but for all the beauty of the singing and the arrangement, it also seemed far removed from the experience of teenagers or any listeners not living a life surrounded by literature ("couplets out of rhyme" indeed!), and understandably only made the Top 30 on AM radio. "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" was a romantic idyll that presented Art Garfunkel at his most vulnerable sounding, anticipating such solo releases of his as "All I Know," while "Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall" was Simon at his most reflectively philosophical, dealing with age and its changes much as "Patterns" dealt with the struggle to change, with a dissonant note (literally) at the end that anticipated the style of the duo's next album. "A Simple Desultory Philippic," which also started life in England more than a year earlier, was the team's Dylanesque fuzz tone-laden jape at folk-rock, and a statement of who they weren't, and remains, alongside Peter, Paul & Mary's "I Dig Rock & Roll Music," one of the best satires of its kind. And the last of Simon's English-period songs, "A Poem on the Underground Wall," seemed to sum up the tightrope walk that the duo did at almost every turn on this record at this point in their career -- built around a beautiful melody and gorgeous hooks, it was, nonetheless, a study in personal privation and desperation, the "sound of silence" heard from the inside out, a voice crying out. Brilliantly arranged in a sound that was as much rock as film music, but with the requisite acoustic guitars, and displaying a dazzling command and range of language, it could have ended the album. Instead, the duo offered "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night," a conceptual work that was a grim and ironic (and prophetic) comment on the state of the United States in 1966. In retrospect, it dated the album somewhat, but that final track, among the darkest album-closers of the 1960s, also proved that Simon & Garfunkel weren't afraid to get downbeat as well as serious for a purpose. Overall, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme was the duo's album about youthful exuberance and alienation, and it proved perennially popular among older, more thoughtful high-school students and legions of college audiences across generations. [The August 2001 reissue offers not only the best sound ever heard on this album in any incarnation, but also a few bonuses -- a slightly extended mastering of "Cloudy" that gives the listener a high-harmony surprise in its fade; and, as actual bonus tracks, Simon's solo demos of "Patterns" and "A Poem on the Underground Wall." Raw and personal, they're startling in their intimacy and their directness, and offer a more intimate view of Paul Simon, the artist, than ever seen.]© Bruce Eder /TiVo

After scoring a handful of chart-toppers with EPs Fearless and Antifragile, South Korean girl group Le Sserafim repackaged some previously released tracks with new songs for their first proper studio album, Unforgiven. Showcasing their bass-heavy, groove-forward dance anthems, the set featured 2022 hit singles "Fearless" and "Antifragile," as well as the chart-topping "Unforgiven" with guitarist Nile Rodgers, who brings his signature funk to the elastic jam. While most of the effort is comprised of sweaty dancefloor fillers and shimmering synth bops, Unforgiven also features the standout "Fearnot (Between You, Me and the Lamppost)," a tender acoustic breather that highlights the group's vocal harmony and vulnerability. As a summary of what they've accomplished thus far, this LP is an ideal entry point into the world of Le Sserafim.© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo

Having built up a considerable reputation thanks to So Tonight That I Might See, Mazzy Star reappeared after three years with Among My Swan, only to receive widespread indifference. It's a touch surprising -- unlike, say, fellow 1993 breakthroughs the Cranberries, David Roback and Hope Sandoval didn't rapidly descend into self-parody crossed with delusions of grandeur. Instead, they kept on keeping on, proffering the same combination of psych, blues, folk, and art-pop touches that made their earlier releases so captivating. That said, though, at base Among My Swan just isn't as quietly involving as the earlier records, that magical fusion of styles somehow coming across as a little been-there, done-that here. There's nothing quite as immediate as "Fade Into You," nothing as awesomely delicate as "Five String Serenade," as woozy and powerful as "Mary of Silence." There are plenty of songs that try for that, though, and even if Among My Swan won't raise the dead or heal the sick, it's still pleasant enough listening, and sometimes the secret of success is in the details. Keep an ear out for the soft chimes that punctuate "Happy," for instance, or how William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain's guest guitar helps turn "Take Everything" into the slow-burning monster it is. Sandoval's singing is as drowsily intoxicating as before, while Roback's ability to create atmospheres is equally fine. Among the better moments: "Rhymes of an Hour," which carefully balances a quieter arrangement with sudden moments that almost but don't quite lead to a full-band jam; the acoustic-based mood-out "All Your Sisters," suggesting such earlier guitar/violin efforts as "Into Dust"; and the soft-landing conclusion, "Look on Down from the Bridge," a bit of a church hymn in its own way, thanks to the organ-led melody.© Ned Raggett /TiVo

Israeli-born trumpeter Itamar Borochov plays a cross-pollinated style of jazz that brings together his love of Sephardic Jewish music, Arabic maquam, and richly textured modal post-bop. It's a sound that informed 2014's Outset and 2016's Boomerang, and one he further develops on 2019's atmospherically engaging Blue Nights. As a trumpeter, Borochov has a soft, warm sound that brings to mind the sultry, late-night style of artists like Miles Davis and Chet Baker. In fact, the opening track "Right Now" is just the kind of slow-burn anthem Baker might have recorded in the 1980s. It's a style that grounds much of Blue Nights, as Borochov builds upon this lyricism with songs that grow increasingly kinetic as he weaves in yet more of his Middle-Eastern and African influences. Part of what makes Borochov's multi-dimensional sound so appealing is that he is as much in command of the jazz tradition as he is any of the other ethnic traditions he explores here. The cinematic title track starts with Borochov playing a lilting, sensual theme that builds to a heart-wrenching pitch of skyward trumpet moans. Equally compelling, "Motherlands" has a sparkling piano groove that Borochov accents with the addition of vocals by the Moroccan collective Innov Gnawa. He also evokes the dramatic, minor-key tension of Love Supreme-era John Coltrane on the driving "Daasa!," whose title is a reference to the song's wavelike 7/4 Yemenite dance rhythm. Similarly, "Broken Vessels" combines Coltrane's spiritual jazz with a fusion-rock dynamism, as Borochov's trumpet brushes warmly against sweeping drums and far-eyed piano chords. Elsewhere, as on the buoyant "Garden Dog Sleeps," his fluid lines bring to mind Wynton Marsalis' early-'80s albums. Ultimately, with Blue Nights, Borochov has crafted a perfect balance between dusky jazz you want to cocoon yourself in, and polyrhythmic percussion grooves that pull you toward the horizon.© Matt Collar /TiVo

The composer and pianist Ola Gjeilo threads the needle, introducing rigor and detail into a crowd-pleasing minimal idiom. This release made classical best-seller lists in the autumn of 2023, and it may make a good place to begin with Gjeilo's music for those who haven't heard it before. His music is easy enough on the ears that it can qualify for a "stress eliminator" playlist like that pioneered by a Dallas classical radio station some years ago, but it is differentiated enough to convey a good deal of pictorial and narrative imagery. The first extended piece, The Road, depicts actual scenes from Norway, while the second, the title work, is based on a Norwegian folktale. Both have texts by Gjeilo's frequent collaborator, Charles Anthony Silvestri, and a seamless meeting between text and music is one factor making this work so well. Another is that the piano in these recordings is Gjeilo's own; there is a conductor, Rupert Gough, for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Choir of Royal Holloway, and the solo soprano, violin, and cello, but in a way, Gjeilo himself is the conductor; the piano part holds the pieces together. (There are also smaller pieces, including one for Gjeilo's solo piano and another, the gorgeous Winter Light, for piano and solo cello.) Smooth performances are crucial here, and these musicians achieve it. Another critical element is suitably mystical sound from Decca, recorded at the St.-Jude-on-the-Hill church in London. Gjeilo's existing fans will eat this up, and it seems well on the way toward making him plenty of new ones.© James Manheim /TiVo

20 years old and a brazen amount of talent: the Afro-British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has three idols. Cellists Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovitch and reggae legend Bob Marley, three passionate and extrovert forces. His career really took off after he performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018. His album Inspiration released the same year broke all sorts of sales records in the United Kingdom and his hometown of Nottingham even named a bus after him. As part of a partnership with the label Decca, he is back with a new recording, this time dedicated to the famous Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra headed by their new conductor, Sir Simon Rattle. A first class encounter which produces a poetic vision, almost like chamber music, of this renowned concerto. Made famous by Jacqueline du Pré’s versions (with Barbirolli then with her husband Daniel Barenboim), Elgar’s Concerto is accompanied on the track listing by other shorter pieces which were popular among soloists and music lovers alike a century ago, which the younger generation is bringing back in vogue. The album features arrangements of traditional music and works by Bloch, Elgar, Bridge, Fauré and Klengel. From the infinitely large to the infinitely small with the staggering virtuosity of this bright young talent. © François Hudry/Qobuz

Since their self-titled debut together in 2001, the Millers—Buddy, a supreme guitar texturalist and wise singer/songwriter Julie—have made three honest, unpretentious Americana albums as a couple. (Both also have solo careers.)  Their 40-year marriage has not only survived but it's been apparent since their definitive cover of Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance" on their first album that somehow these two musical pros spark each other's best creative impulses. Julie writes the songs and Buddy devises the settings. They sing together and alone. Music is clearly at the core of their relationship. It's a point made abundantly clear in the aptly titled duet, "I Love You," which also happens to be In the Throes' most engaging melody with Julie's words at their nimble best: "I'd go to any extent/ Call up the president/ To erect a monument/ I love you/ Nothing can make it untrue/ Nothing can make it undo/ I'd take a bullet for you/ I love you." While both are acceptable singers on their own, together the vocal blend makes for a transcending force. Their duet singing, with Emmylou Harris added as a third voice, rises to an even higher level in the sweet and sad eulogy, "The Last Bridge You Will Cross," which Julie wrote upon hearing that Congressman John Lewis had died. The loud rocked-up title track features Julie's now raspy voice alone as the regretful lover admitting faults, on the edge of self-loathing: "I'd be independent if I could/ I can't do anything I should/ I'm just a little bitty baby now/ I oughta grow up, but I don't know how." Their voices together add urgency to the raucous, "The Painkillers Ain't Working"—"I've been biting this bullet so long I'm gonna break my teeth/ Feels like the bed I'm on has fire underneath." Bob Dylan had a hand in writing lyrics for an early version of the solemn "Don't Make Her Cry," which Julie eventually set to music and Buddy sings with passion. Recorded in their home studio with Buddy as producer/engineer, the voices—not surprisingly—are particularly well-recorded. Musical guests include Austin guitarist Gurf Morlix, Alison Krauss collaborator Viktor Krauss on bass, and bluegrass fiddler Stuart Duncan. The Millers are a formidable musical duo who effortlessly share the spotlight while pursuing their passion together. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

One of the founders of the Swiss synth pop band Yello, Boris Blank empties his solo vaults on Electrified, an archival set that came into being with some help from online crowd-funding. The 40 tracks here are mostly instrumental, some of them simple sketches, while others sound complete. Blank's trademarks -- gurgling synths, deep bass, Latin rhythms -- are all present, and while this quirky, infectious set will likely please all as cheeky audio wallpaper, Yello fans will get the most out of all these peeks behind the curtain. Ambitious fans who missed the boat might seek out the original, crowd-funded special edition which adds more music and artwork.© David Jeffries /TiVo