(Eagle/Shock) 3 stars The Doobie Brothers epitomise the laidback sound of ’70s California, with soulful, gospel-inspired harmonies and guitar-driven melodies underpinned by muscular rhythms. They’ve continued to perform live over the years, in various incarnations and got together again recently for ‘World Gone Crazy’. Aided by veteran producer Ted Templeman who helmed hits like ‘Listen […]

(Raoul) 3.5 stars Lisa Miller’s first ‘Car Tape’ CD started out as a covers side project in 2002 during a career lull, but became the Australian singer’s most successful recording. Eight years later, although the cassette tape concept now seems even more retro (when iTunes playlists are the go) Miller embarked on her follow-up with […]

(Warner) I had Mark Sholtez slotted neatly into a ‘‘cocktail jazz’’ pigeonhole and, when he opened for a concert by US jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, I expected more of the same. Wrong. The Brisbane singer delivered a spellbinding set of pop ballads laced with a few jazzy standards.

(Disney/Universal) Cover albums are suddenly in vogue, including Phil Collins’s faithful Motown tribute, Goin’ Back, and Marcia Hines’ more convincing reprise of Carole King’sTapestry. But the absolute standout is Brian Wilson’s “reimagining” of the George Gershwin repertoire. The former Beach Boy reveals his deep admiration for the great American composers melodic sensibility but the most […]

(Hypertension/Planet) In 2009 rumours circulated about Scots-born singer Gerry Rafferty’s lapse back into alcoholism. Eventually the elusive muso reported in from Tuscany, saying he’d been working on his first album for a decade, the aptly-titled Like Goes On. This, it turned out, was mostly a compilation of 12 favourite songs he re-edited from CDs recorded […]