Paul Rodgers-The Royal Sessions (2014)

In 2014, Paul Rodgers returned with a covers album after his blues tribute albums, the tremendous "Muddy Water Blues" and "The Hendrix Set", both released in 1993. This time, however, in addition to some blues tracks, there are also versions of soul classics, all personally selected by Rodgers himself. For this recording, the former vocalist of Free, Bad Company, and The Firm surrounded himself with a legion of musicians who had originally recorded the versions featured here, such as bassist Leroy Hodges, keyboardist Charles Hodges, and drummer Steve Potts, among many others. Recorded live at Royal Studios in Memphis, Rodgers achieves a powerful and fiery sound, which elevates this phenomenal covers album. Songs like Booker T. Jones' "Born Under A Bad Sign", Albert King's "Down Don't Bother Me", Ann Pebbles' "I Can't Stand The Rain" or Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long" are performed by the excellent voice of a Paul Rodgers in his prime, demonstrating that the years have not taken their toll on one of the great legends of rock music.

Chris Youlden-Citychild (1974)

Chris Youlden was better known as the lead vocalist for the blues-rock band Savoy Brown during their heyday than for his own solo career. This singer was characterized by his superb voice and his accomplished songwriting, as demonstrated during his years with the aforementioned British band. With them, he produced high-caliber albums such as "Getting To The Point" (1968), "Blue Matter" (1969), "A Step Further" (1969), and "Raw Sienna" (1970), undoubtedly Savoy Brown's best works. However, after this last album, and due to his dissatisfaction with the musical direction the band was taking and the continuous and exhausting tours, he decided to leave the music world for several years. In 1973, he unexpectedly reappeared, debuting with his first solo album, "Nowhere Road", released by London Records (ironically, the same label as his former band). The most striking aspect of this album was his complete departure from the blues-rock sound of his previous band, focusing his compositions on a more funk-infused blues style, as heard in tracks like "Chink of Sanity" and "Mama Don't Talk So Loud", the standout "One October Day", and the radiant "Cryin' in the Road". However, this remarkable album failed to garner the desired response from the public and went largely unnoticed. A year later he would return with “Citychild”, a self-produced album, which received a similar reception to his first album, and which has a much more eclectic repertoire with songs with a clear blues rock accent very close to the style of Savoy Brown such as “Little Cog In A Big Wheel”, “Love And Pain” and “It Ain’t For Real” or close to funk blues such as the surprising “Born and Raised In The City” or “Keep You Lamp It”, while the unsettling “Spare Change” puts the rock note on this great album.

Ozric Tentacles-Jurassic Shift (1993)

Ozric Tentacles boast an extensive discography brimming with monumental and brilliant works, all of which showcase superb displays of progressive rock, jazz fusion, hard and heavy rock, hints of electronic music, and even sounds bordering on new age. “Jurassic Shift”, released in 1993, was the British band's fourth studio album, infused with atmospheric keyboards, sharp guitars, and dynamic instrumental passages, a powerful and precise rhythm section, and astonishingly spatial and complex soundscapes. However, there's also room for Eastern and exotic sounds, further enhancing Ozric Tentacles' already unmistakable style. This is an album where there isn't a single weak point; everything fits together perfectly, taking the listener on one of the most breathtaking and exciting musical journeys imaginable. And while it's true that we can find many other bands that are perhaps more creative and influential than them, none offer this elaborate blend of sounds and inspiration, as demonstrated in the progressive ambient electronica of "Sunhair", the space rock of "Stretchy", the esoteric "Feng Shui", the oriental "Half Light In Thillai", or the atmospheric "Jurassic Shift". Ozric Tentacles are often criticized by progressive purists for always making and sounding very similar, and while they have a point, it's also true that they never repeat the same musical structures in each track of each of their albums, combining a wide range of styles and a perfect instrumental execution that makes them unique.