Sheryl Crow

It's hard to call The Globe Sessions a stumble, but its stripped-down, straightforwardness paled in comparison to the dark pop-culture kaleidoscope of Sheryl Crow's eponymous second album. That's why C'mon, C'mon, Crow's long-delayed fourth album, is such a delight – it's the sunny flip side of that masterpiece, a skillful synthesis of classic rock and modern sensibilities that's pretty irresistible. Crow has turned into the professional she always acted she was – she not only crafts songs impeccably, she knows how to record them, filling the record with interesting sonic details, whether it's the Steve Miller-styled "woo hoo"s on "Steve McQueen" or subtle Mellotrons on "Over You."

Crow's made some great music, and collaborated on lots more. From the waifish charm of All I Wanna Do, to her rendition of the theme song for the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, to her latest Grammy-winning album, The Globe Sessions, she delivers the goods on a pretty regular basis. This girl has talent, folks. One of the reasons I like her work, is that Sheryl Crow strikes me as someone who has experienced both the best and worst of what life has to offer. I say that not from any knowledge of her biography, but rather as someone who appreciates her music.

Most concerts in Central Park are an event, and Sheryl Crow designed hers to be an event with a capital "E," performing duets with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde, Sarah McLachlan, and the Dixie Chicks. Such a combination of superstar power and prestigious venue should have generated sparks, and perhaps it did in person, but as the record Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live in Central Park, it falls surprisingly flat. The set list is fine, boasting all the hits, good selections from The Globe Sessions, and several crowd-pleasing covers.

Since her dense, varied, postmodernist eponymous second album illustrated that Sheryl Crow was no one-album wonder, she wasn't left with as much to prove the third time around. Having created an original variation on roots rock with Sheryl Crow, she was left with the dilemma of how to remain loyal to that sound without repeating herself on her third album, The Globe Sessions. To her credit, she never plays lazy, not when she's turning out Stonesy rockers ("There Goes the Neighborhood") or when she's covering Dylan (the remarkable "Mississippi," an outtake from Time Out of Mind).

The 2 CD companion piece to Sheryl Crow's forthcoming feature documentary, Sheryl, featuring 35 songs spanning 3 decades of music from the 9-time GRAMMY Award winner. 3 new songs are included with her hits "If It Makes You Happy," "Soak Up the Sun," "All I Wanna Do," "My Favorite Mistake," "Redemption Day," and many more! Sheryl Crow has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide.

Filmed in California in November of 2010, the majority of the tunes on this DVD come from the soulful, R&B flavored, stripped down disc, 100 Miles From Memphis. Joining Crow onstage for this performance at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, and providing the backbone for her set, is a group of unbelievably tight musicians that call themselves The Thieves.