CD Spotlight (Sept. 30 releases)

Two "covers" albums top the list of noteworthy releases this week. Titled, simply, “Covers,” James Taylor’s new CD consists of interpretations of twelve songs from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Among the high points are Taylor's takes on the Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell classic "Wichita Lineman," Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," and Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog."

Rock legend Dion focuses on the ’50s and ’60s on his new album of cover songs. Titled "Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock," the disc pays homage to such six-string pioneers as Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Eddie Cochran. Tracks include Dion's versions of Cochran's "Summertime Blues," Diddley's "Who Do You Love?," and Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes."

The dream-pop band Mercury Rev has been on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough for years. A press release describes their new disc as "a resplendent fractal folding in upon itself, into something continually new, unpredictable and spontaneous, and yet so subtly self-aware, that it never fails to resemble itself as a whole." Huh? Suffice it to say the disc, which is titled "Snowflake Midnight," sports a beautifully melodic, ornate sound.

This year's Christmas CDs are already making their way into record stores. Faith Hill's first-ever Christmas album, "Joy to the World," brings a big-band sound to such classics as "Winter Wonderland" and the title track. Melissa Etheridge's "A New Thought for Christmas" mixes traditional holiday standards with a handful of original songs.

Russell Hall, special to the Independent-Mail