Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

The Manics, once bigger than Oasis or Blur (although lesser known in North America), have been eclipsed by fellow Welsh bands like Stereophonics and Super Furry Animals. The lost lustre has much to do with departed chief Manic Richey Edwards and the band’s drift into conservatism. Its seventh studio CD features wistful, string-laden numbers like “1985” and the dutiful Edwards eulogy “Cardiff Afterlife.” While the Manics still drop names like Nietzsche into songs, their fiery rhetoric has sadly given way to complacency. Dec. 21

This African diva has won a Grammy Award for her global sound, but her eighth album pays tribute to the music that inspired her childhood—much of it American r&b. Angélique teams up with John Legend on Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” and with Dianne Reeves on Aretha Franklin’s “Baby, I Love You.” Whether caressing Otis Redding’s “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” in the Nigerian language of Yoruba or belting out James Brown’s “Cold Sweat,” she proves herself one soulful, funky mama.

Céline Dion’s Taking Chances World Tour saw the Quebec-born superstar perform in an astonishing 25 countries and 93 cities. The tour, which ran from 2008 through 2009, sold a staggering three million tickets to fans on five continents and came on the heels of the singer’s five-year residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Recently, Céline announced she’ll begin another three-year stint in Vegas, starting next March, and also that she is working on new French and English albums—all while trying to become pregnant again through fertility treatments. Later this month, the hard-working icon will treat fans to her documentary Céline: Through the Eyes of the World, which takes viewers behind the ...

Everyone’s gone gaga for Lady G’s oeuvre, from her retro disco to her outrageous fashions and Ziggy Stardust makeup. Here, the New York shockmeister pulls off another audacious coup: re-releasing tracks from both The Fame and The Fame Monster, which have already sold 35 million copies, in new remix versions. Chart-topping duets with Marilyn Manson and Beyoncé are included, but the best additions are the stripped down “Poker Face” and Pet Shop Boys’ dreamy take on “Eh Eh (Nothing Else Can I Say).”

With the Dixie Chicks on hiatus, two of the Chicks have become Hounds. Sisters Emily Robison’s and Martie Maguire’s side project—more folk-rock than country-rock—finds Emily singing lead vocals for the first time and Martie adding sweet harmonies. It’s a refreshing change. There’s humor on “Then Again” and anger on “Ain’t No Son,” while Jakob Dylan joins them on the wistful “See You in the Spring.” There’s also some potent breakup songs, including “It Didn’t Make a Sound,” arising from Emily’s recent divorce.

Often called the world’s greatest rock-and-roll band, the Rolling Stones recorded what is widely regarded as their greatest album in less-than-favorable conditions. Having fled England amid a tax dispute with the British government, the group holed up in the south of France in the summer of 1971, in a luxurious villa rented by Keith Richards, who was busy feeding his heroin habit at the time. Mick Jagger, meanwhile, seemed more interested in his recent marriage to Nicaraguan-born model Bianca Pérez Morena de Macias. Despite the tensions, drugs and distractions, the Stones somehow managed to produce a masterpiece. Released as a double album, Exile on Main Street featured a glorious mess of ro...

This deluxe DVD/CD combo pack is full of delights. It captures La Streisand live at last year’s showcase at Greenwich Village’s tiny Village Vanguard, where the legendary diva first played in the ’60s, performing fine renditions of old favorites like “My Funny Valentine.” And celebrity spotters will enjoy picking out Bill and Hilary Clinton, Nicole Kidman and Barbra’s husband, James Brolin, in the audience or witnessing Sarah Jessica Parker getting all teary-eyed in the front row during the finale of “The Way We Were.”

It certainly might get loud. Jack White isn’t afraid to crank it up, whether it’s with his beloved White Stripes, his vaunted Raconteurs or co-starring in a documentary with Jimmy Page and the Edge. The Detroit rocker’s second album with the Dead Weather, in which he sings and plays drums, not guitar, is another display of raw, primal blues-rock. Featuring Alison Mosshart’s manic lead vocals, blistering songs like “Jawbreaker,” “I’m Mad” and “Hustle and Cuss” are wickedly good, but definitely not for the faint of heart.

Vancouver crooner Michael Bublé is leading a charmed life. Since launching his singing career, raised on his grandfather's love of the sounds of the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and others, he’s been swinging on a star. Discovered by Brian Mulroney, who introduced him to producer David Foster, Bublé has been hailed almost universally as the “new Sinatra.” With his relaxed, crowd-pleasing style, he has wooed audiences across North America and caused women to swoon at sold-out engagements throughout Europe and Asia. His taste for pop standards runs from Sinatra to more recent numbers by the Bee Gees. With just one studio album under his belt, his record sales have already top...

One of the world’s legendary music clubs, the Troubadour in West Hollywood served as the unofficial home to some of the top artists of the 1970s, including the Eagles, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell. It was also the first venue where in 1970 Carole King and James Taylor—two of the era’s defining musicians—played together. When the pair returned there the following year, James’ “Fire and Rain” was a number one hit and Carole’s Tapestry was on its way to becoming one of the top-selling albums of all time.     Live at the Troubadour, a special two-disc CD-DVD, captures the excitement when Carole and James performed at the intimate venue for a three-n...