Columbia - Legacy

Filming a concert is no mean feat, though Roger Waters has nailed it. Mostly thanks to Sean Evans, the director behind the images used for The Wall tour in 2014. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Waters paired up with Evans again for his latest tour Us + Them in 2019. In order to select the best performances while maintaining a visual (and sonic) cohesion, the recording took place over four days, during performances at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam in June 2018. Each new studio album is basically an excuse to go on another tour and bring as much of the Pink Floyd repertoire to the stage – something that’s also true for his brother-in-arms David Gilmour. Of course, there are a few tracks from his record Is This the Life We Really Want? released in 2017 (Déjà Vu, The Last Refugee, Picture That), but what the fans really want are the older tracks. Waters knows that of course, performing Wish You Were Here, Another Brick in The Wall, Dogs and Money. It’s a shame that Comfortably Numb is missing, even in the video version, especially since the classic was performed on stage over the four evenings. While the film strives to be even more politically engaged than those in the past (featuring an anti-Trump speech and touching on the Palestine crisis...), the live album only transcribes the musical magic. Most importantly, it spotlights the talented artists surrounding the bassist, with guitarist and singer Jonathan Wilson in the front row, whose physical (and vocal) resemblance to David Gilmour has wowed us all. Prepare to be surprised. © Chief Brody/Qobuz

Mariah Carey’s eponymous debut album Mariah Carey (June 1990) wasn’t an instant hit. It took almost six months and a Grammy performance the following year for the world to come face to face with the Mariah Carey phenomenon and for her record to go to number 1. Since then she’s sold the most albums of the 90s, become a global star and produced fifteen studio albums. To celebrate thirty years of success, the pop diva has brought out an autobiography and this compilation album – The Rarities. The first track-list is made up of unreleased tracks, remixes and B sides which were never released to the public. Some songs, like Here We Go Around Again (1990) and I Pray (2005), weren’t included in the singer’s biggest albums for reasons that remain unknown. The most interesting thing about this compilation album is the glimpse it offers into the huge amount of material produced during her golden years. Songs like the synth-filled B side Do You Think Of Me (1993) and the RnB-esque Slipping Away (1996) sit alongside covers of previously released tracks. Close My Eyes, from the 1997 album Butterfly, allows you to see how the singer’s voice has changed over time as does the album’s single – Save The Day, featuring Lauryn Hill – which was recorded in 2011. The second part of The Rarities is a live performance recorded at the Tokyo Dome in 1996. And it’s a masterpiece. This release is not the sensationalist box set one might have expected. It is a real work of art that gives a fresh perspective on one of pop’s most important singers. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz