To measure the success of a jam session is a daunting task. The parameters of success are different than with a composed work, and require a different kind of empathy and listening from both players and audience.
To live up to the legacy of a cult classic is a daunting task. While The Soul of All Natural Things isn't quite up to the challenge, it does add a number of memorable songs to her catalog.
Sacred Bones delves into the darkened corners and crevices of obscure '80s post-punk, goth, and death rock with Killed by Deathrock, Vol. 1. The result is a reclamation project of the highest order.
Age has given Lambchop's Nixon additional poignance and grace, and it fully deserves the recognition Merge Records is giving it as the launch of their anniversary celebrations.
Rockin' the Fillmore was an excellent double live album in 1971, but the complete recordings from which it was created show the true greatness of Humble Pie.
Qat, Coffee & Qambus, a collection of Yemeni 45s from the 1960s and '70s, captures this musical culture when it was relatively untouched by Western influence. As such it is more than a curio; it's an intriguing glimpse into a rarely heard part of the world's music.