Nellie McKay: Manhattan Avenue [ purchase ] Is is possible to go off-genre just minutes into your first album, in the transition from the f...

Marvin Gaye : Calypso Blues [ purchase ] Despite a strong performance by everyone this week, this really is a challenging theme. I had to le...

Neil Young: Transformer Man [ purchase ] After a disappointing Crazy Horse album, re*ac*tor , Neil switched labels and signed with Geffen R...

Jewel: Under the Water [ Purchase ] Sometimes off-genre goes terribly wrong, and you want to beg the artist to keep their day job, or in mu...

Faith No More : Easy [ purchase ] Faith No More is one of those hard-to-pigeonhole bands that peaked in the early 90s and had disbanded by ...

Fairport Convention: The Lady Is a Tramp [ purchase ] In the late '60s, Fairport Convention were a pretty eclectic bunch. Still, it...

John Hiatt : I‘m Satisfied [ purchase ] Many artists do their thing on their albums, and never go off course. And this is true even for an a...

Patty Griffin: Wiggley Fingers [ purchase ] Last time I mentioned Patty Griffin's sophomore album Flaming Red here in these pages, it l...

Velvet Underground : Jesus [ purchase ] On the first album they gave us Heroin and Venus in Furs, on the second Sister Ray and White Light W...

Pat Boone: Crazy Train [ purchase ] Pat Boone is best known for turning '50s black R&B into pop music, safe for the white masses. ...

Pata~~Miyavi~~You X Japan : White Wind from Mr. Martin (Pata's Nap) [purchase] Miyavi : Jikoai, jigajisan, jiishiki kajou Miyavi : ...

Russell Morris : The Real Thing [ purchase ] In 1969 Russell Morris was a pop singer, best known in Australia for some listenable if asinine...

Joe Jackson : Cha Cha Loco [ purchase ] This week’s theme presents a unique challenge. Often, when an artist steps outside their comfort zon...

Macy Gray: I Want To Be Your Mother's Son-In-Law [ purchase ] Soulful R&B-slash-funk singer Macy Gray - often compared to Billie Ho...