R&B

If you’re not familiar with the music of the late 1950s and early 1960s, you’ll probably have a hard time guessing which of these tunes rocketed up the charts and which never dented the Hot 100.

Among the many winners on this roller-coaster ride are soulful renditions of “Let It Be” by Aretha Franklin and “Hey, Jude” by Wilson Pickett, the latter with guitar by Duane Allman, and George Benson’s jazzified “You Never Give Me Your Money.”

"Nowadays, I can hear beauty in the flaws,” writes Tim Finn.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience's sophomore LP is loaded with high points and represents an important chapter in Hendrix’s musical history.

As many of the tunes by these artists suggest, this period in rock history wasn’t exactly overflowing with creativity.

Formed from the ashes of a group called the Ashes (which included future Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden), the Peanut Butter Conspiracy dealt in frequently adventurous rock, much of which deserves more attention than it has received.

Gene Wilson (aka Gene Forrest) and Eunice Levy, a married couple, scored several hits in the 1950s but dented the pop charts only once, with “Poco Loco.” But the songs collected here are almost uniformly excellent.

Meek's work is arguably less formulaic than Phil Spector’s and even more experimental and diverse.

Nighthawk (Parker Hawkins) is clearly brimming over with musical ideas, most of them excellent. And somehow, his seemingly disparate material all fits comfortably on one CD.

It's Murphy's 52nd album, so it’s not surprising that ruminations on aging, mortality, and years gone by permeate this engaging CD.