Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

he Quiet One was also the Spiritual Beatle. So it’s not surprising that this posthumous, rootsy album—his first collection of new material since 1987’s Cloud Nine—offers cautionary tales about moral decay and technological idiocy. Before he died last November, George toyed with the idea of calling the album Your Planet is Doomed, Vol. 1 and the actual title track finds him pleading, “God, god, god, won’t you lead us through this mess.” Completed by Harrison’s son Dhani and ex-ELO and Wilbury Jeff Lynne.

On her recent Both Sides Now, Joni performed lush, orchestrated versions of jazz standards—and two of her own classics. Now, with this glorious two-disc set, Mitchell’s catalogue gets the symphonic treatment. Recorded again with the London Symphony Orchestra, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, the collection spans early songs like “The Dawntreader” and “Woodstock” to more recent numbers like “Sex Kills” and “Cherokee Louise.” A classy showcase for an incomparable body of work.

The British r&b sensation has taken knocks for his smooth delivery and squeaky-clean image—which explains the defensive title track and its reminder of the singer’s commercial superiority (sales of seven million copies for last year’s Born to Do It). David also tries to show his toughness by flirting with hip-hop bravado and hard club beats on the album’s first few tracks. But it all proves to be so much posturing, as David quickly slides back into his smooth, squeaky-clean and, yes, ultra-slick, persona.

In its video for “Pain for Pleasure,” from the multi-million selling debut, All Killer No Filler, pop-punkers Sum 41 performed what looked like a heavy-metal parody, complete with wigs and leather. Turns out, the boys from Ajax, Ont. were actually paying homage to bands like Slayer. This new album jettisons their Green Day-style mix of catchy, crunchy, smart-alecky tunes in favor of head-banging riffs and such serious, Metallica-like subjects as drugs, disease and disillusionment. What a drag it is getting old.

Yuletide pop compilations are a dime a dozen, but occasionally one delivers something as fresh as virgin snow. Besides fine offerings from Loreena McKennitt, Ben Folds and Neil Finn, this collection boasts Ron Sexsmith’s tender title track. Even better is Barenaked Ladies’ and Sarah McLachlan’s swinging “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and Coldplay’s stunning “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” featuring the mellifluous vocals of Chris Martin, who may possess the sweetest male voice in the world today.

Although mostly a behind-the-scenes guy, producing hits for singer B.J. Thomas and Linda Ronstadt, Tyrell actually started out singing r&b in Houston. When he returned to performing, his 1999 debut album, A New Standard, became a surprise top five jazz hit. Tyrell followed it with Standard Time and has taken the same, laid-back jazzy approach with this Christmas collection. Some of it’s too cozy by half, but Tyrell puts a fresh spin on "Merry Christmas Baby" and "The Christmas Blues" with a convincing blues sound.

Since breaking away from swingbeat outfit Jodeci, Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey and Joel “JoJo” Hailey have topped the charts with their mix of romantic r&b ballads and slow funk jams. Although the Hailey brothers are talented singers, too much of their fourth album suffers from overwrought emotions and vocal techniques on songs like the sexually provocative “Say Yes,” with its sultry whispers and soaring glissandos. Clearly, K-Ci and JoJo should practice restraint—especially in the wake of K-Ci’s recent lewd conduct conviction.

Pop trends moving too fast for you? Get ready for the latest: teenage lesbians—from Russia. It took a psychologist turned ad exec to come up with the idea of one-upping Britney Spears softcore pop. With Lena Katina and Julia Volkova performing in panties and tiny tank tops and professing sapphic love, svengali Ivan Shapovalov knows he’s on to a good thing. Tatu’s western debut—featuring electronica like “Not Gonna Get Us” and a cool cover of The Smith’s “How Soon is Now?”—is this winter’s biggest buzz.

The Pelvis proved his staying power again this year, a quarter of a century after his death, when his 30 # 1 Hits kept The Rolling Stones’ greatest hits collection out of the top of the charts. In royalty terms, the Stones—and everyone else for that matter—are mere pretenders to Presley’s throne. Although there have been more definitive Elvis collections before, this four-CD package features 100 rare or previously unheard outtakes, private tapings and concert recordings made between 1954 and 1976. As such, it’s the most intimate glimpse yet of the man who Leonard Bernstein proclaimed “the greatest cultural force in the 20th century.” It’s all here: the raw passion, the sexy swagger, his tend...

Miles Davis once said that the history of jazz could be summed up in four words: “Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker.” A less modest assessment would undoubtedly include Davis himself and a few others, but there’s no denying that Parker’s soaring sax improvisations are central to jazz. Like Armstrong’s The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, this three-CD set is essential listening for any music lover, the cream of the saxophonist’s finest studio work—and more affordable than the eight-CD set issued two years ago. With liner notes and annotation by Stanley Crouch, the package features Davis and Dizzy Gillespie on such joyful Savoy tracks as “KoKo” and “Billie’s Bounce” and on brilliant ...