Elton John
Artist: Elton John
Community Score: 8.35

Empty Sky was followed by Elton John, a more focused and realized record that deservedly became his first hit. John and Bernie Taupin's songwriting had become more immediate and successful; in particular, John's music had become sharper and more diverse, rescuing Taupin's frequently nebulous lyrics. "Take Me to the Pilot" might not make much... Read More

Leon Russell and the Shelter People
Artist: Leon Russell

Leon Russell's accolades are monumental in a number of categories, from songwriting (he wrote Joe Cocker's "Delta Lady") to session playing (with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, just to name a few) to his solo work. Unfortunately, it's the last category that never really attracted as much attention as it should have, despite a multitude of... Read More

Greatest Hits
Artist: Joe South
Manassas
Artist: Manassas
Community Score: 10.00

A sprawling masterpiece, akin to the Beatles' White Album, the Stones' Exile on Main St., or Wilco's Being There in its makeup, if not its sound. Rock, folk, blues, country, Latin, and bluegrass have all been styles touched on in Stephen Stills' career, and the skilled, energetic musicians he had gathered in Manassas played them all on this... Read More

Outlaw Superman
Artist: Kim Fowley

Even if the name Kim Fowley doesn't immediately ring a bell, the average listener has probably heard his most popular early productions -- "Alley Oop" by the Hollywood Argyles, and "Nut Rocker" by B. Bumble and the Stingers. Outlaw Superman is a sampling of some of the bizarre singles Fowley has released on small labels over the years. If the... Read More

Charity Ball
Artist: Fanny
Community Score: 10.00

With guitar and piano riffs buoyed by a pulsing bassline, the "Charity Ball" title track opens this second Reprise disc for the Millington sisters June and Jean, along with their bandmates, keyboard/vocalist Nickey Barclay and drummer Alice de Buhr. Produced by Richard Perry, who would hit later with the Pointer Sister's "I'm So Excited" and... Read More

Catch Bull at Four
Artist: Cat Stevens
Community Score: 8.00

Catch Bull at Four began with a statement of purpose, "Sitting," in which Cat Stevens tried to talk himself into believing that he hadn't stalled, beginning to worry that he might be falling behind schedule or even going in circles. It may be that Stevens' recent experiences had contributed to his sense that he was running out of time. Though he... Read More

Leon Russell And the Shelter People - BONUS TRACKS
Artist: Leon Russell

Leon Russell's accolades are monumental in a number of categories, from songwriting (he wrote Joe Cocker's "Delta Lady") to session playing (with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, just to name a few ) to his solo work. Unfortunately, it's the last category that never really attracted as much attention as it should have, despite a multitude of... Read More

Mind Games
Artist: John Lennon
Community Score: 9.39

After the hostile reaction to the politically charged Sometime in New York City, John Lennon moved away from explicit protest songs and returned to introspective songwriting with Mind Games. Lennon didn't leave politics behind -- he just tempered his opinions with humor on songs like "Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)," which happened to... Read More

Gimme Shelter!: The Best of Leon Russell
Artist: Leon Russell

It's a little problematic to put together a compilation of such an album-oriented artist. But unless you're very deeply into the Leon Russell catalog, this two-CD, 40-track best-of will serve as a retrospective of all that you need, largely covering his work from the first half of the '70s (a couple of songs from his 1992 Virgin album are also... Read More