Pink - Greatest Hits... So Far!!! CD

Greatest Hits... So Far!!! CD music Adele's 2009 debut album, 19, was a Grammy-winning smash hit that revealed the British singer/songwriter's knack for bittersweet soul and folk-infused love songs that brought to mind an infectious mix of Dusty Springfield and Terry Callier. The album earned her a ton of fans, and interest was high for the inevitable follow-up. In many ways, her sophomore album, the similarly age-appropriate-titled 21, is a continuation of the sounds and themes Adele was working with on 19. She is still the bluesy pop diva with a singer/songwriter's soul and seemingly bottomless capacity for heartbreak. The best thing the album does is to showcase Adele's titanic vocal ability, which -- more than a few times on 21 -- is simply spine-tingling. Last time around we got the gauzy, Callier-esque folk-soul ballad "Daydreamer" to slowly draw us into the album; here, Adele immediately injects us with the propulsive gospel fever-blues anthem "Rolling in the Deep." While the track certainly owes a heavy debt to the punk-blues of Beth Ditto and the Gossip, it is also ridiculously sexy and one of the best singles of any decade. Elsewhere, we get tracks like the blues-inflected Ryan Tedder co-write "Rumour Has It" and the old-school-style soul cut "He Won't Go," which are terrifically catchy, booty-shaking numbers and exactly the kind of songs you want and expect from Adele. Similarly enthralling is the centerpiece of the album, the mega-ballad showstopper "Take It All." Co-written by her "Chasing Pavements" partner Francis White, the song begins with Adele proclaiming "Didn't I give it all?" Delivered starkly at first with Adele set against simple piano accompaniment and later backed by a gospel choir, it's an instant-classic sort of song in the tradition of "The Rose," "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going," and "All by Myself" that could stand over the years as a career landmark for the singer and a cathartic moment for fans who identify with their idol's Pyrrhic lovelorn persona. Ultimately, Adele does give us her all on 21, and for now that is enough. ~ Matt Collar Editor: Dana Nielsen. Photographer: Lauren Dukoff. Personnel: Adele (vocals). Recording information: AirStudios, London, England; Angel Studios, London, England; Eastcote Studios, London, England; Harmony Studios, West Hollywood, CA; metropolis Studios, London, England; Myaudiotonic Studios, London, England; Patriot Studios, Denver, CO; Serenity Sound, Hollywood, CA; Shangri La Studios, Malibu, CA; Sphere Studios, London, England; Wendyhouse Productions, London, England.

Greatest Hits... So Far!!! album for sale With Recovery, it becomes obvious that Eminem's richest albums aren't necessarily his most structurally sound, which isn't much of a surprise when considering the rapper's full-on embrace of flaws and contradictions. This lean, mean, bipolar machine began life as Relapse 2, but when Shady decided he wasn't really Shady at the moment, and that he was no longer keen on Relapse -- or the last two albums, as he states on "Talkin' 2 Myself" -- it became Marshall Mathers time again, so damn any 11th hour issues. This results in an album where a shameless but killer Michael J. Fox punch line ("The world will stop spinnin' and Michael J. Fox`ll come to a standstill" from "Cold Wind") is followed by a song with another, less effective MJF joke ("Make like Michael J. Fox in your drawers, playin' with an Etch-A-Sketch"), although that song is the lurching heavy metal monster "Won't Back Down" with P!nk, and it could be used as the lead-in to "Lose Yourself" on any ego-boosting mixtape. Ignoring these contradictions, fans can feed on the energy, the renewed sense of purpose, and Marshall doing whatever the hell he wants, up to and including shoehorning a grand, D12-like comedy number ("W.T.P.," which stands for "White Trash Party") into this emotionally heavy album. It's fascinating when Em admits "Hatred was flowin' through my veins, on the verge of goin' insane/I almost made a song dissin' Lil Wayne" and then "Thank God I didn't do it/I'da had my ass handed to me, and I knew it," before sparring with said Weezy on the Haddaway-sampling "No Love." When the recovery-minded "Going Through Changes" gets back on the wagon by sampling Black Sabbath's very druggy "Changes," it's a brilliant and layered idea that's executed with poignant lyrics on top. Add the man at his most profound (the gigantic hit "Not Afraid") and his most profane ("You wanna get graphic? We can go the scenic route/You couldn't make a bulimic puke on a piece of corn and peanut poop" from "On Fire") plus one of thickest lyric booklets out of any of his albums and the fans who really listen are instantly on board. It may be flawed and the rapper's attitude is sometimes one step ahead of his output, but he hasn't sounded this unfiltered and proud since The Marshall Mathers LP, so to hell with refinement -- bring on the hunger and spirit of 8 Mile. ~ David Jeffries Recording information: Ajax, Ontario; Area 51 Studio; Avex Honolulu Studios, Honolulu, HI; Black Chiney Studios, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Effigy Studios; Encore Studios, Burbank, CA; Parkland Playhouse, Parkland, FL; Shake 'Em Down Studios, Queens, NY; Sun Studios, Temple Bar. Photographer: Nigel Parry.

Greatest Hits... So Far!!! buy CD music Pink's insistently hooky, attitude-filled pop-rock has kept the singer a fixture on the radio and on singles charts since the early 2000s. The artist's fifth effort, FUNHOUSE, doesn't tamper with the formula: Pink's powerhouse vocals and in-your-face approach, backed by stadium-sized production, are in full effect on all 12 tracks. Even though the album deals primarily with aftermath of her divorce and includes serious moments of self-confrontation like "Sober," fans needn't worry that Pink has lost any of her chutzpah. If anything, there's an increased sense of confidence and newfound liberation on tracks like the chest-thumping "So What" and the mischievous, bouncing "Bad Influence." In softer moments, like the ballad "I Don't Believe You" and the soulful "One Wrong Foot," Pink channels her personal experience into expressions that carry no less strength or muscle. But FUNHOUSE is a pop album first and foremost, and its catchy choruses, rollicking beats, and memorable vocal performances won't disappoint. Recording information: 3:20 Studios, Los Feliz, CA; Decibel studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; House Of Blues Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Malibuddha Studios, Malibu, CA; Maratone Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Modern Dirt Laboratories, London, England; Sha Recording, Malibu, CA; The Chateau Marmont, West Hollywood, CA; The Document Room, Malibu, CA; The Magic Shop, New York, NY; Westside Pacific Music, Inc., Pacific Palisades, CA. Photographers: Andrew McPherson ; Deborah Anderson. Arrangers: Stevie Blacke; Eg White; Uli Janson; Henrik Janson. Personnel: P!nk (vocals, background vocals); Eg White (guitar, guitars, strings, Hammond b-3 organ, drums, percussion); Jimmy Harry (guitar, guitars, keyboards); Peter Parente (guitar, guitars); Billy Mann (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Shellback (guitar, acoustic guitar, omnichord, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, percussion, drum programming); Pete Wallace (guitar, piano, harmonium, bass guitar, programming); Max Martin (guitar, keyboards, bass guitar); Butch Walker (guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming, background vocals); Robin Mortensen Lynch (guitar, programming); Chris Galland (guitar); Stevie Blacke, Stockholm Session Strings, Uli Janson, Henrik Janson (strings); Guy Baker (trumpet); Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. (piano, keyboards); Roger Manning (keyboards); Niklas Olovson (bass guitar, programming); Tony Kanal (bass guitar); Josh Kane, Joey Waronker, John Yarling, Darren Dodd (drums); Daniel Chase (programming); DJ Willrock (turntables); Kinnda Hamid (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Al Clay; Mark "Spike" Stent; Serban Ghenea; Tom Lord-Alge; Billy Mann.

Greatest Hits... So Far!!! songs Eminem's RELAPSE, a double album released after five years of recorded silence, a record featuring Dr. Dre behind the boards for the first time since 2000, faced no shortage of the relentless pressure of expectations. A narrative of survival after facing down his demons in rehab unfurled with Eminem's usual twisted Swift-ian wit, RELAPSE should disappoint few fans (or critics for that matter) with its patented mix of hilariously spit venom and delirious self-loathing. Like Darren Aronofsky's adaptation of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, 2009's RELAPSE finds the full horror element in drug addiction. Eminem's raps, for all their over-the-top humor, have always conjured up images fit for Fangoria, but as he comes out of rehab, seeking solace from his demons, Mr. Mathers amps up the gore on RELAPSE. Dre's beats lurk dark-thumping sinister while Em unleashes nightmare dreamscapes of murder, mayhem, and Britney-Spearsacide. One target who gets off surprisingly lightly this time around is his mother (a topic even Em admits in his introduction of which the world is probably sick); "My Mom" boasts softer, bouncier beats and a final line few hip-hop fans would ever expect to hear coming out of his mouth. Recording information: 54 Sound, Detroit, MI; Effigy Studios; KDS Music Studios, Orlando, FL; Record One Studios, Sherman Oaks, CA; Studio At The Palms, Las Vegas, NV. Photographers: Karin Catt; Julian Alexander. Personnel: Elizabeth Keener, Matthew St. Patrick (vocals); Jeff Bass, Mike Elizondo (guitar, keyboards); Sean Cruse (guitar); Trevor Lawrence (keyboards, scratches); Dawaun Parker, Luis Resto, Mark Batson (keyboards); Eric Danchick (sampler); Traci Nelson (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Dr. Dre; Eminem.

Greatest Hits... So Far!!! album for sale Preceded by her second number one single on Billboard magazine's Hot 100, "California Gurls," Katy Perry's Teenage Dream is filled with dance-pop that made One of the Boys her breakthrough album, but this time there's a decidedly summer spin. Hitmakers like Greg Smith, Dr. Luke, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, and even Weezer's Rivers Cuomo lend a hand for what Perry predicts "will be one of those records that is everybody's favorite guilty pleasure." Recording information: Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Playback Recording Studio, Santa Barbara, CA; Roc The Mic Studios, New York, NY; Rocket Carousel Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Silent Sound Studios, Atlanta, GA; Studio At The Palms, Las Vegas, NV; The Boom Boom Room, Burbank, CA; Triangle Sound Studios, Atlanta, GA. Photographer: Will Cotton.

Greatest Hits... So Far!!! CD music Featuring recently finished material that Michael Jackson was developing prior to his death -- as well as some album outtakes -- Michael is made of songs that were recorded in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New Jersey with a few collaborators, including producer Eddie Cascio. It's the first posthumous release from the King of Pop. Recording information: Boom Boom Room; FC Walvisch Studio's, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Marvin's Room; Metropolis Studio's, London, UK; Palms Studio's Las Vegas; Solitaire Studio's, Atlanta; Wisseloord Studio's, Hilversum, Netherlands.