Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

They changed the world and saved a generation from the doldrums of an otherwise drab world. Now, 40 years on, the Beatles are back—and expectations are running high that, once again, all we need is a little love from the world’s most famous rock band. The Beatles’ albums have been digitally remastered, providing the highest fidelity since their original release. At the same time, fans of all ages will now be able to twist and shout to the Fab Four with the The Beatles: Rock Band video game. The spin-off prospects have retailers anticipating a Beatles bonanza. The band’s catalogue was first re-issued on CD in 1987. The difference in sound quality between then and now is astonishing. Using sta...

There’s a charming theatricality to A Fine Frenzy (a.k.a. Seattle singer-songwriter Alison Sudol)—no surprise given that both of Alison’s parents were dramatic arts teachers and Alison took her stage name from a line in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A Twitter phenomenon, with one million followers, A Fine Frenzy offers a contagiously giddy second album, full of joyous yelps, yodels, handclaps, guitar and electric piano, best heard on the breezy single “Blown Away” and the boisterous ballad “Stood Up.” September 2009

The vivacious judge on Canadian Idol is also one of Canada’s brightest pop stars, a charismatic performer blessed with a distinctive, blues-tinged voice (she once played Janis Joplin off-Broadway). The Montreal native’s latest CD, produced by her guitarist-husband, Derek Sharp, perfectly showcases her Joplin-esque vocals, especially on rockers like “What I Need” and “Stronger” and the ballads “Awake” and “Lonely.” Steeped in classic ’70s sounds, the album also features Sass’ rootsy cover of the Eagles hit “Ol’ 55.” September 2009  

When it comes to pop divas, they don’t come much bigger than Barbra Streisand. A star of film, television, stage and music, with Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys to her credit, Barbra reigns supreme. In music alone, the celebrated singer has achieved sales unequalled by any other female recording artist, with 50 gold and 30 platinum albums, in fact more than any act other than Elvis Presley. Clearly, people—people who need people—can’t get enough of La Streisand. Born in Brooklyn, Barbra got her start as a nightclub singer and appeared in a number of Off-Off-Broadway productions before launching her recording career in the 1960s. An early endorsement came from Judy Garland, who declared the ...

She’s like a bird, flying from folk to funk and pop to hip-hop. Being of Portuguese heritage, Canada’s Nelly is also multilingual. Here, the Grammy and Juno winner delivers her first Hispanic album, teaming up with Spanish hip-hop artist La Mala Rodríguez and Dominican legend Juan Luis Guerra. The Maneater’s most famous guest is classical-pop crooner Josh Groban, who duets on the emotive ballad “Silencio.” And rising Cuban-Canadian star Alex Cuba lends the entire album a convincing Latin tinge. September 2009  

Joss Stone’s voice always raises questions: is she young or old, black or white? As soul star Patti LaBelle once said: “I first heard her before I had seen her, and I said, ‘Where is that black girl from?’ She sounded like a black girl! No, no, not a girl—a black woman.” In fact, when Joss released her debut album, The Soul Sessions, she was a 16-year-old girl with peaches-and-cream complexion from a rural community in Devon, England. Since then, Joss has become a soul star herself, with Brit Awards, a Grammy and sales of more than 10 million copies of her recordings, including Mind, Body & Soul and Introducing Joss Stone. The latter album was inspired by her breakup with Beau Dozier, son of...

Matt can shift effortlessly from Sinatra-style jazz numbers to quirky pop originals. A graduate of Toronto’s St. Michael’s Choir School, which has given the world such top singers as Michael Burgess, John McDermott and the Four Lads, the young crooner mixes both styles on his third CD, including the swinging, finger-snapping “Feel Good” and the dark, synth-laden “Love Attack.” Give him top marks for eclecticism, but Mark is best when delivering a touching piano ballad like the closing “Love, Don’t Let Me Go.” October 2009

Canadian identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin have won legions of fans with their catchy, new wave-ish sound—including rock icon Neil Young, who signed the sister act to his record label. Like their last two albums, the latest from the Calgary-born pair features peppy, edgy songs like “Hell,” “Don’t Rush” and “Red Belt,” with its ping-pong rhythm. As usual, the twins offer detailed accounts of love and relationships. “My misery’s so addictive,” they sing on the spirited, punky “Northshore.” So is their music. October 2009

Rosanne had an enviable music education. Her father, country legend Johnny Cash, gave her a list of “essential” songs he felt his daughter should know. Rosanne’s new album features a dozen of them, including Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country” and Jimmie Rodgers’ “Miss the Mississippi and You.” Some of the standouts are duets with guests such as Elvis Costello (“Heartaches By the Number”) and Bruce Springsteen (“Sea of Heartbreak”). As this superb collection proves, clearly Rosanne’s Daddy knew best. October 2009

Michael Jackson is dead, but his commercial afterlife is already going strong. Since his shocking death on June 25 at 50, more than nine million copies of his albums have been sold worldwide. Now, with the much-anticipated release this week of This Is It, both the concert rehearsal film and a companion two-disc CD, the marketplace is about to experience a massive, Thriller–style increase in Jackson action. The film, which features video footage from rehearsals for Michael’s 50 sold-out concerts at London’s O2 Arena, reportedly captures him in fine creative form, both in his voice and dance moves—no trace of the frail, fragile and doped-up individual some might have expected. The Jackson camp...