- Rocket Man - Number Ones : by Elton John

Elton John is a living legend. Long after most "celebrities" have been buried and forgotten, people will still remember Elton John. Elton John possesses a singular talent for making people happy and letting them feel their sorrow through his songs. When Elton sings, you listen--and you listen closely, too, because Elton makes every syllable count as he emphasizes the exact sounds he wishes to emphasize for the right effect. We are immensely better off for Elton's sharing his genius with us; and I believe that his career will continue well into the future.

Obviously, Elton's fans will consider this a "must-have" for their collections; and people who enjoy great rock and pop will appreciate this CD/DVD package, too.

- Dreaming Out Loud

OneRepublic made waves with their hit single "Apologize" as a remix produced by Timbaland. Some could argue that if it wasn't for Timbaland remixing the song, they wouldn't be popular. Even if that's so, their debut album "Dreaming Out Loud" Is a great listen from beginning to finish. The best songs are clearly the hits "Apologize" and "Stop And Stare." Every song is good and well-written. They're a very likeable band that has fans of all ages and backgrounds. If you liked the hit singles from this album you'll like the rest like me. I highly reccomend this album, one of 2007's best!

- Flight Of The Conchords : by Flight Of The Conchords

The really funny thing is, that the humor aside, this is just a really good album. (CD... project... whatever...)
If you aren't listening to the lyrics and just have it on the background you'll find the rhythms and sounds a little retro and old school sometimes.. but just extremely well done.
Unlike lots of comedy music acts, these guys are actually incredibly talented musicians with an incredible gift for song writing and musicality.
It's true what a couple reviews have said, that much of it is funnier and fresher in sound and and feel in the much more pared down live acoustic versions.
But it is kind of apples and oranges to me... and it all makes a nice salad.
I've found myself humming one or another of these songs for the past two weeks and, again-and-again - it is what I reach for to put in while I'm just surfing the web or whatever.
Often I'm not even listening intently to the lyrics and laughing any more... I'm just not thinking about it and grooving to the groove.

Best CD I've bought in a long time really.

- Real Animal : by Alejandro Escovedo

Just when you think Alejandro's albums can not get any better! Real Animal is great, great, great. If you ever have a chance to see Alejandro alive, go for it. Go out of your way to see him and the band, it is very unique experience - and different each time! Oh - and to see/hear him "unplugged" in smaller surroundings - wow, BREATHLESS!!!

- Greatest Hits : by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Crosby Stills & Nash are Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famers for good reason! They have been called "the voice of a generation" and at the very least their music is far superior to much of what came out of the Woodstock era. The group worked together for a VERY long time and it is terrific that this CD is coming out remastered after all these years! This CD ALSO features guest artists Jerry Garcia and Art Garfunkel--a wonderful plus! The sound is rather good and you do get 19 (yes, nineteen) songs here. However, I would have to agree with other reviewers and two of my friends when they comment that you do NOT get the song "Woodstock" nor is there anything including Neil Young here. Quite a surprise for a recording they polished up as a remastered release! The producers certainly could have included at least one song with Young.

But make no mistake--this CD is very well done! Crosby Stills & Nash harmonize magnificently on this CD--as they always did--and their varied backgrounds make for an awesome blended finished product. As one Amazon reviewer notes, I also say get this CD but maybe add the album entitled Deja Vu--something a bit more kinetic--to get the experience with Neil Young adding to the Crosby Stills & Nash material.

I recommend this CD especially for two groups: Crosby Stills & Nash fans, obviously, and for those music fans of the Woodstock era. This is also a fine introduction to a very influential group's work!

- Hard Candy : by Madonna

Madonna's final album for Warner Brothers is by no means her best, but it's a fitting swan song for the artist who anchored the label for the past quarter-century. A lot of the reviews for this album are missing the mark, either overzealous in its defense, or obtusely critical in the hope of shining the spotlight on another artist. 'Hard Candy' is a mixed bag of true gems and questionable choices, but it's quintessentially Madonna.

- Maiden Voyage (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition) : by Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock reaffirmed his importance in modern Jazz history with this stunning album. Hancock always is a pioneer of Jazz music, and this album takes him to another level of Piano brilliance. Using outstanding musicians as backup compliments this album. With Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and Saxophonist George Colman, Hancock explores each and every song on here with different rythmic spacing, and musical influences from Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman and even Art Blakey. Hancock isn't afraid to go for a new sound and we are all gratefull to this Jazz pioneer. From "Maiden Voyage" to "Dolphin Dance" each and every song on this album (CD) is a delight to listen too. Blue Note recordings did an excellent job of letting Hancock explore and the Jazz world is gratefull for it. Highly recommended!

- Weezer (Red Album Deluxe) : by Weezer

A lot of different sounds on this album. For the first time it is not Rivers Cuomo with a band, but a full partnership. Sure Rivers is still the front man, but there are other voices to be heard. You probably have seen Pork and Beans on Youtube, so you already know the first hit. I think this album has possibilities for a few hit singles. After just a single listen it is not my all time favorite Weezer album, but it is very good. Just worth mentioning is that the iTunes version of this album has a bonus 15th song "It's Easy".

- This Moment : by Steven Curtis Chapman

"This Moment" is another classic album from Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman. As he has done in the past, Chapman fuses meaningful lyrics with powerful harmony to fuse what is truly God-inspired music. The standout songs on this album are: "Miracle of the Moment," a song that came to me at a moment of questioning in my life; "Cinderella," a song that will make even the toughest father cry; "Yours," a powerful song of praise to our Father, and; "With One Voice," a fantastic closer to this album. If you're a fan of Chapman's, or are new to his music, then this album is definitely worth it!

- Fleet Foxes : by Fleet Foxes

The Fleet Foxes are a rock band that sounds like no other -- imagine a pastoral choir overwhelming a sweeping folk-rock band, in the middle of a sunlit forest in the spring.

That's about the sound of the Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut album -- it's a stream of lush, jangly folk pop, edged with a touch of baroque and country-rock. While their "Sun Giant" EP was an excellent introduction, it's nothing compared to the rough-edged grandeur of the full-length album, with its glorious instrumentation and vivid lyricism.

The only really offputting part of the album is the opening five seconds, when an off-key chorale sings, "Reeeeed squirrel in the morning/Reeeeeeeed squirrel in the evening..."

Then the song suddenly melts into a gentle acoustic guitar shimmering with keyboard. "The sun rises, over my head/Hold me dear, into the night/Sun it will rise soon in the morn..." Robin Pecknold sings with all the solemnity of a choirboy. His voice soars over the steelier riffs and thumping drums, only to settle down with, "The sun rising, dangling there/Golden and fair, in the sky..."

- Wall-E : by Various

Stanton says in the liner notes that the movie as a whole was a space opera, something he kept emphasizing as Newman composed. Compared to the defining space opera, the original Star Wars trilogy, there are rather a lot of differences. Williams' score in Star Wars had a clear sense of accoustics and an expansive staging that translated even while watching the film. With a good sound system, you can almost imagine an orchestra pit just below the screen. The score seemed to come from the eternally romantic Star Wars universe itself, boldly proclaiming its themes of good, evil, love, and war.

Newman's score for WALL-E, on the other hand, has a sonically closed or condensed aspect to it that draws you in closer to the intimate world of its inhabitants. As breathtaking as Stanton's vision of outer space turns out to be, you are still invited to experience it through the eyes of a newcomer, a little robot who, like yourself, has never been there before. Rather than coming from the universe, the soundtrack to WALL-E seems rather to simply be the music that accompanies the imaginative, curious, and ultimately wonderstruck mind.

Although I liked nearly all of it, EVE stood out as my favorite individual track. In all I recommend the album, especially to those who enjoyed the movie.

- Carlin on Campus [Explicit] :

Carlin on Campus (recorded at UCLA's Wadsworth Theater in 1984) is the only album from the master that has yet to see a CD release. (Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also his only solo album barring his RCA debut not distributed by Atlantic.) What you get with this mp3 is the complete program, both sides, unindexed, and ripped from a very-good-condition LP. You'll hear the occasional light surface noise that shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of the album. The question you have to ask yourself is if you want to pay for a vinyl rip.

Look at it this way: Carlin was apparently a vinyl guy. He had Atlantic press up promo copies of Parental Advisory on wax for his personal library, and the albums chronicled in the Little David Years box are housed in LP jacket replicas (complete with ringwear). Vinyl was apparently good enough for Uncle George, why should we quibble? (It's also an economic alternative to seeking out the actual LP on Internet auction sites.)

Technicalities aside, this was Carlin's most consistent release of the 80s and contains some favorite routines cited often in the past two days' obituaries. If this is the only means of mass availability for On Campus, so be it.

- At Last! : by Etta James

It's amazing to think Etta James was just in her teens when these tracks were cut. The vocals on this collection of songs range from sassy to tender to broken-hearted to playful. Truly an incredibly gifted vocalist, and a great selection of tunes. The title track, often used in commercials and movies (perhaps a little too often), is one of the greatest love songs of all time and only hints at the variety herein. Get "At Last." Play it at your cocktial parties, during romantic dinners or on a rainy, lazy Sunday morning at home. It delights, it thrills, and it is an all time classic.

- The Best Of Both Worlds

Like every "Best of" collection that passes our way, there's always a downside. In the case of Van Halen's "Best Of Both Worlds", there are a few. First, the three live tracks which close the compilation feel completely out of place with the rest of the tracks. Also, the live material (which is three Roth-era tunes sung by Hagar from the band's 1993 live release "Live, Right Here, Right Now") is already presented elsewhere on the compilation in their superior studio versions. Secondly, the band's 1981 "Fair Warning" album is represented soley by the track "Unchained". Adding the popular hits "So This Is Love" and "Mean Street" to the compilation (in place of the live material) would have made the track list even stronger. Thirdly, not only is there no material from "Van Halen III" (the band's ill-fated and only album with singer Gary Cherone), there is no mention of it anywhere in the liner notes or the discography. Like it or not, "Van Halen III" did happen and removing it from a career-spanning anthology isn't going to change it. If there was just one track to represent "VHIII" to include on this compilation, my personal choice would be "Without You". Forth, there is an abrupt cut-out at the end of "Finish What Ya Started" which could have been due to a CD-mastering oversight.
Apart from these minor drawbacks, "The Best Of Both Worlds" is a fine collection from this vetran band. It's great to have Eddie, Alex, Michael and Sammy back together again after being apart for so long. Here's hoping the guys will re-enter the studio to make an album of all-new material real soon. If the three new tracks on this CD are of any indication, I can hardly wait for a full album. Until then, this compilation as well as Van Halen's back catalog will do just fine for now.

- All Time Greatest Hits :

This CD is all you really need from Lynyrd Skynrd. It contains 14 of their greatest songs and each one is a classic. There are no fillers on this album. It's filled with hit after hit of some of the best southern rock ever recorded. All of the songs are classics as I said but one song that I'm happy that they included in this collection is "All I Can Do Is Write About It" (acoustic version). This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. The words are simple and yet deeply moving and powerful. Listen to this song carefully and it will touch your heart like it did mine. The CD opens with what is probably one of the most famous songs in the classic rock pantheon "Sweet Home Alabama". This one is considered to be a rock n'roll anthem and I completely agree. Overall this is an album that every fan of classic rock should not be without. This is Lynyrd Skynyrd at their very best and beyond.

- Sellers in Mp3 Downloads - BestThe Best Of Talking Heads : by Talking Heads

This is a magnificent collection of this unique band's most popular songs. Sure there are omissions, but these tracks are representative of their most accessible music and almost every one is a classic.

The opener, Love Goes To Building On Fire is a powerful song with an unorthodox arrangement and evocative imagery, whilst Psycho Killer is a prime example of David Byrne's innovative vocal style.

The omission of The Big Country is a pity, but their version of Al Green's Take Me To The River from the same album remains fascinating. Another highlight is the cinematic Once In A Lifetime with its multi-layered rhythms and gripping vocals.

Burning Down The House, And She Was and Road To Nowhere were huge hits, the last being very much like a flowing country ballad. And that is what made Talking Heads so special - their brilliant explorations of a wide variety of styles. In the process they extended the musical boundaries of rock and made an innovative contribution to the music of the punk revolution.

- Best sellers in MP3 downloads - The Reminder : by Feist

Sweet silky sweeps of melodious comfort introduce an exciting album in "So Sorry." Indie artist Feist seems to be returning to the heart of her music where her voice melts pleasantly with jangly flourishes and playfully insistent guitar. Her pacing captures your attention as a toy box of sounds almost makes this album feel more organic.

The album merges jazzy pop with folk sensibilities to produce a pleasant vibrancy that draws you subtly into an intoxicating experience. The interesting transition with sounds of someone running in a park blends "My Moon My Man" effortlessly with "Park." Here even sentimentality feels modern with an artistic warmth. The originality of the ideas slip into "Water" with a delicate sultry ambience that turns whispery. "Sea Lion" is much more adventurous and is more like cold water splashing in your face as it jolts you from your contemplative solitude. Feist then almost turns country in "Past in Present."

The album quiets and returns to contemplative lyrics as it turns sweetly sultry again and charming in "1234." Her silky voice turns breathy in "Brandy Alexander" and then strikingly clear in "Intuition." The harp is a surprise on "Honey Honey" and each song continues to amaze with creative appeal. The entire album feels like one line of the lyrics when she sings: "The harbor becomes the sea." This is an album of infinite possibilities with invitations into a memorable experience.

- Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles

I have never seen John Mayer perform live. This two disc set is the next best thing to watching him play live in the Nokia theater. He performs most of his hits here. I love the acoustic versions of "Daughters", "Neon" and a lesser known track entitled "Stop This Train". Mayer's cover of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" John can jam on the guitar like no musician I've seen this decade. I love his performances of the bluesy track "Vultures" and the fast pace of the track "Who Did You Think I Was" My other favorite tracks are "Waiting On The World To Change" and "Why Georgia". This are such happy songs that John performs with his band. I also love the song "Gravity". It is a slow paced track in which John displays his vocal skills. I love the music of John Mayer.

-Best Sellers in Mp3 Downloads - The Bird And The Bee Sides : by Relient K

A Relient K Fan's dream CD. All these rare songs you haven't been able to attain, listen to, or shell out the money for. In my quest for everything Relient K, I've heard most of these songs before. Except of course everything from The Vinyl Countdown, which nobody could hear unless they had a vinyl player. The great thing about all these songs is that they're remastered, which almost makes them sound like they were recorded yesterday. And boy you can tell the difference.

From "The Creepy EP," you have the amazing "Jefferson Airplane," which is different from the original in the fact that the chorus is distinctly changed. This version itself is completely amazing and certainly one of the best Relient K has ever done. However, if you want the rest of the amazing tracks from this EP, you'll still have to keep looking. But more on that later.

Their variation in style yet unbelievable quality continue in this special compilation of un-releases and remixes. LOVE IT!

- Best Sellers in MP3 downloads - 19 : by Adele

The last time I was this moved by a songwriter was the first time I heard Ani DiFranco. Adele is just 19 years old and has an ability to weave words and wisdom together as if she's been around much longer. Add to that a voice that is so striking and soulful it'll leave you suspended in time just hanging onto her words and phrasing. Her influences include Billie Holiday, Etta James and Peggy Lee, but the pendulum swings wide and she's also inspired by the likes of The Cure and Jeff Buckley. The beautiful, full-figured, young Brit speaks, sings and writes with an East End accent (working class), which only adds to her earthy appeal. When discussing her weight she's said, "I don't actually care. I don't want to be on the cover of Playboy or Vogue, I want to be on the cover of Rolling Stone or Q. I'm not a trend-setter, I'm a singer." Columbia Records inked a deal with Adele's worldwide label XL Records to break the youthful chanteuse in the states. Since debuting on MySpace in 2004, she has received nearly 3.5 million profile views! The phenom entered the UK Album Chart #1 and 19 has already been certified Platinum in her homeland! The single, "Chasing Pavements" is a global hit and promises to be a smash on several radio formats here in the U.S. We're delighted to welcome Adele to our world of Smooth! Thanks for the burst of articulated, raw expression... it's been sorely missed 'round these parts.