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.

The Brecker Brothers-The Brecker Brothers (1975)

By the time the Brecker brothers released their first album, they already had extensive experience as backing musicians for other artists. Randy and Michael Brecker had built a strong reputation in the New York jazz-rock and jazz-fusion scene, so it was no surprise that a major label like Arista quickly took notice and signed them in the mid-70s, releasing their debut album in 1975. On this first release, the Brecker brothers featured a stellar lineup of guest musicians, including David Sanborn, Ralph McDonald, Harvey Mason, Bob Mann, and Chris Parker, among others. Produced by Steve Backer and recorded at Secret Sound Studios in New York, this debut album showcases the duo's perfect synthesis of the best contemporary jazz fusion, replete with complex horn arrangements that nonetheless remain accessible to a wide audience. An album where the funk/jazz rhythms "Some Skink Funk", "Sponge" or "Rocks", coexist with smooth jazz passages "DBB", "Levitate" or "Oh My Stars" and pieces closer to contemporary soul jazz with the addictive "Sneakin' Up Behind You", forming with all of them one of the most attractive jazz fusion albums of the 70s, which had its deserved recognition at the Grammy Awards with three nominations, for best performance, best new artist and best instrumental arrangements.

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.

Blackfoot-Strikes (1979)

Blackfoot are one of those bands that have had a long and winding road to success and the recognition they deserve. After two commendable works, their debut album "No Reservations" (1975) and the subsequent "Flyin' High" (1976), they failed to achieve the desired notoriety due to poor marketing by the record labels Island and Epic. After another change of record company, this time with ATCO, they released their third full-length album, "Strikes", which brought them the sweet taste of success thanks in part to the album's effective promotion by the new label and an irresistible collection of great Southern rock tracks like "Highway Song" and "Train Train", which propelled it into the US Top 40, selling a million copies in the following two years. However, this album didn't just rely on the success of those two excellent tracks; it also featured addictive covers like Free's "Whising Well", Blues Image's "Pay My Dudes", and Spirit's "I Got A Line On You". With these, the band employed their tried-and-true strategy of revisiting well-known hits, but imbuing them with their own unique and unmistakable style. The album's warm reception paved the way for commercial success and widespread popularity, and for the next two years, the band toured triumphantly across the United States alongside established acts like Foreigner, Journey, AC/DC, and Blue Öyster Cult.

Blackfoot-Medicine Man (1990)

In 1990, singer and guitarist Rick Medlocke wanted to completely revamp Blackfoot, reinforcing the Southern rock that had been the band's original hallmark in the 1970s, after releasing the albums "Vertical Smile" (1984) and "Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot" (1987), which leaned more towards melodic rock. With a completely revamped lineup, except for Medlocke, featuring drummer Gunner Ross, guitarist Neal Casal, and bassist Rikki Mayr, along with contributions from keyboardist Doug Bare and guitarist Mark Woerpel, they recorded "Medicine Man", a powerful Southern rock album in the truest sense, where the guitar riffs have a distinctly hard rock edge. On “Medicine Man”, they returned to their roots with powerful, high-caliber tracks like “Doin’ My Job”, “Sleazy World”, “Soldier Blue”, “Runnin’ Runnin’ ”, and “Chilled to D’Bone”, in addition to epic songs such as “Guitar Slingers Song and Dance”. The group also included a vibrant cover of Free’s original “The Stealer”. With this ninth studio album, the Jacksonville band firmly established themselves as one of the cornerstones of American southern rock.

Blackfoot-Tomcattin´ (1980)

Blackfoot, along with Molly Hatchet, are the most hard-rocking band in Southern rock. They produced a series of highly acclaimed and commercially successful albums, especially the trilogy comprised of "Strikes" (1979), "Tomcattin'" (1980), and "Marauder" (1981). Focusing on the second of these, "Tomcattin' " is their rawest and most aggressive work, where the band, led by vocalist and guitarist Rickey Medlocke and bassist Greg Walker, delivers powerful songs like "Warped" and "Gimme, Gimme Gimme", as well as typical Southern rock anthems like "Fox Chase", "On the Run", "Dream On", and "In the Night". With this album, their fourth chronologically, Blackfoot remained true to their Southern rock roots, achieving one of their greatest successes with their devoted fans in the United States and Europe.

Wishbone Ash-No Smoke Without Fire (1978)

In 1978, the British band Wishbone Ash released their ninth album, "No Smoke Without Fire", once again working with Derek Lawrence, the producer of their early releases. This time, the quartet of guitarists Andy Powell and Laurie Wisefield, bassist and vocalist Martin Turner, and drummer Steve Upton delivered a more energetic and musically diverse sound, a stark contrast to the more relaxed "Front Page News". Here, their signature twin guitars once again took center stage, underpinned by the dynamic and powerful rhythm section of Turner and Upton. Genuinely rocking tracks like "You See Red", "Anger In Harmony", "Stand And Deliver", "Like A Child", and "Baby The Angels Are Here" showcased Wishbone Ash's talent and high level of musicianship. While not quite surpassing their early, iconic work, they maintained a high standard as one of the most important bands of the 1970s.

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.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer-Works Volume 2 (1977)

Like its predecessor, "Works Volume 1", Emerson Lake and Palmer's sixth studio album, "Works Volume 2", is a compilation of tracks composed individually by the three musicians, along with others created collaboratively. It again comes across as somewhat pretentious, though it must be said that this new release features a significantly more interesting and creative repertoire. Some songs feel more organic, like the instrumental "When The Apple Blossoms Bloom In The Windmills Of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine", a track originally intended for the album "Brain Salad Surgery" but never included. The title track from that album is another standout, a dynamic and daring piece. The jazzy "Bullfrog" is essentially a showcase of Carl Palmer's drumming prowess, while the boogie-woogie "Barrelhouse Shake-Down", the acoustic "Watching Over You", the big band jazz tracks "So Far To Fall" and "Close But Not Touching", the ragtime "Maple Leaf Rag" and the honky-tonk "Honky Tonk Train Blues", complete an album that, despite lacking a certain final cohesion, contains a repertoire of good songs, although certainly far removed from the grandiosity of his earlier studio works.