John Cale Fools

Excellent Double Disc Collection of his Three Studio Albums on Island ("Fear", "Slow Dazzle", "Helen of Troy") and the Spare Track "Mary Lou" from the "Guts" Compilation plus a Bevy of Bonus Tracks (B-sides and Previously Unreleased Gems) to Boot. Lou Reed has hogged the spotlight since the breakup of the legendary Velvet Underground, but his former bandmate John Cale has had a much more consistent solo career. Cale never scored a breakthrough hit like Reed's "Walk On the Wild Side," but this new two-CD collection of Cale's mid-'70s releases-including all of the Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy albums plus assorted unreleased rarities-is the perfect opportunity to reassess his influential merger of art-rock smarts, classical melodicism, theatrical drama, and punk-rock abandon. Cuts range from beautiful, lulling ballads such as "Buffalo Ballet" and "I Keep A Close Watch" to full-throttle sensory assaults like "Fear Is A Man's Best Friend" and an Elvis Presley cover that will make your blood run cold. Jim Derogatis

Excellent Double Disc Collection of his Three Studio Albums on Island ("Fear", "Slow Dazzle", "Helen of Troy") and the Spare Track "Mary Lou" from the "Guts" Compilation plus a Bevy of Bonus Tracks (B-sides and Previously Unreleased Gems) to Boot. Lou Reed has hogged the spotlight since the breakup of the legendary Velvet Underground, but his former bandmate John Cale has had a much more consistent solo career. Cale never scored a breakthrough hit like Reed's "Walk On the Wild Side," but this new two-CD collection of Cale's mid-'70s releases-including all of the Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy albums plus assorted unreleased rarities-is the perfect opportunity to reassess his influential merger of art-rock smarts, classical melodicism, theatrical drama, and punk-rock abandon. Cuts range from beautiful, lulling ballads such as "Buffalo Ballet" and "I Keep A Close Watch" to full-throttle sensory assaults like "Fear Is A Man's Best Friend" and an Elvis Presley cover that will make your blood run cold. Jim Derogatis

Excellent Double Disc Collection of his Three Studio Albums on Island ("Fear", "Slow Dazzle", "Helen of Troy") and the Spare Track "Mary Lou" from the "Guts" Compilation plus a Bevy of Bonus Tracks (B-sides and Previously Unreleased Gems) to Boot. Lou Reed has hogged the spotlight since the breakup of the legendary Velvet Underground, but his former bandmate John Cale has had a much more consistent solo career. Cale never scored a breakthrough hit like Reed's "Walk On the Wild Side," but this new two-CD collection of Cale's mid-'70s releases-including all of the Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy albums plus assorted unreleased rarities-is the perfect opportunity to reassess his influential merger of art-rock smarts, classical melodicism, theatrical drama, and punk-rock abandon. Cuts range from beautiful, lulling ballads such as "Buffalo Ballet" and "I Keep A Close Watch" to full-throttle sensory assaults like "Fear Is A Man's Best Friend" and an Elvis Presley cover that will make your blood run cold. Jim Derogatis

This second album by Equally Stupid sees the same transnational crew of three gents working in the same vein as their first Exploding Head, blending Rögnvaldsson's astringent guitar with saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen's this time more mellow tenor. David Meier is still holding things together with a strong physicality behind the drums, but from the cover onwards there's obviously a major change of style.

Subtitled 100 Hits Of 80 Years Of The Last Century (???), Greatest Hits Of The 80s is a compilation released in 2017, featuring some of the best hit songs of the 1980's decade plus a few obscurities you may have forgotten or didn't know about. What is also not known: why a Marilyn Monroe look-alike is on the cover promoting an album with 1980's music but perhaps it's a Def Leppard/"Photograph" reference, actual reason is unknown.

This Is Us (Music from the Series), a companion to the show America loves, is available September 15 via UMe. With instantly recognizable hits and classics, an original song, and a compelling score, the soundtrack features 20 songs curated by Dan Fogelman and his team, music supervisor Jennifer Pyken, and composer/musician Siddhartha Khosla. Each musical element is carefully woven throughout the series, with the songs clearly defining a moment or serving as a gentle guide through the complex emotional journey.