Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Living in the shadow of his famous Beatle father can’t be easy—which may be why Julian has released so few recordings. His first album in 15 years is filled with plenty of Beatlesque flourishes, especially on the piano ballad “Lookin’ 4 Luv” and the eastern-tinged “Someday,” a duet with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

The year was 1976 and arena rock was in its heyday. Paul McCartney, who had not performed in North America since the Beatles’ last tour a decade earlier, took his band Wings on the road in Canada and the United States. The concerts sparked scenes reminiscent of Beatlemania and the resulting live album, Wings Over America, became an instant bestseller. Now reissued as a two-CD set (an expanded deluxe edition also includes a bonus CD, DVD and several souvenir books), Wings Over America is McCartney at his post-Beatles best. Along with Fab Four favorites like “Yesterday” and “Lady Madonna,” he performs thrilling renditions of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Live and Let Die” and “Band on the Run” that far...

Time has been kind to Ram. When the McCartneys first released the album in 1971, critics savaged it as lightweight and inconsequential. It certainly offered no big artistic statement of the Sgt. Pepper’s variety. Instead, it reflected Paul’s embrace of a simpler life away from the Beatles. Written during his and Linda’s extended holiday in Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre, while the band was in the midst of a bitter legal break up, the songs offer a sense of unbridled joy. Now available in several formats, including a Deluxe Edition Box Set featuring bonus CDs, a DVD and a 112-page book, the reissued Ram is a revelation. Along with hits like “Another Day” and “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,” the son...

To mark the 50 years since he joined the Beatles, Ringo has released a sweetly nostalgic tribute to his early musical roots, including skiffle (“Rock Island Line”) and Buddy Holly (“Think It Over”). The album, featuring guests from the Eagles (Joe Walsh), the Heartbreakers (Benmont Tench) and Eurythmics (Dave Stewart), boasts one touching highlight: Ringo’s autobiographical “In Liverpool,” in which he sings “Me and the band/living our fantasies/breaking the rules, acting like fools/that’s how it was for me.”

The Beatles may have been born in Liverpool, but they grew up in Hamburg. The German city was where they honed their chops—performing 281 concerts during five visits—and made these career-launching recordings. Along with stereo and mono versions of rock ’n’ roll songs recorded with Tony Sheridan, this 2-CD set includes such Beatles-only relics as “Ain’t She Sweet,” sung by John Lennon, and George Harrison’s instrumental “Cry For a Shadow.” A photo-filled color booklet rounds out the package.