Ken Long

This reissue from Cherry Red/Soul Music features a pair of LPs by singer Esther Phillips, You've Come a Long Way, Baby and All About Esther Phillips, originally issued in 1977 and 1978. Highlights among the 17 tracks include "Into the Mystic," "You Think of Him (You Think of Her)," and "If I Fall in Love by Morning." Casual listeners who enjoy this era of Esther Phillips' recordings should keep an eye open for Home Is Where the Hatred Is: The Kudu Years 1971-1977 on Raven.

During the last quarter of the '90s, Todd Rundgren spent much of his time on the Internet, distributing music and previews of his in-progress autobiography through his net service, Patronet. Hence, the appearance of One Long Year, a disc that collects highlights from the Patronet service, plus a couple odds and ends. Technically, it doesn't have a cohesive concept like With a Twist or TR-I, but that's fine, because its patchwork quality is not only charming, it results in a ragged, multifaceted pop charmer reminiscent of 1982's The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect.