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Any band that had three guitar gods—namely Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page—pass through its ranks is bound to enjoy mythological status. So The Yardbirds legend lives on, even 35 years after the group’s demise. First, there was this year’s reissue of the band’s last studio album, Little Games. Now comes this odd offering, featuring founding members Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty and various guest guitarists, including Beck. Yet, strangely, the rerecorded hits and other Yardbirds-style material sound surprisingly good.

With the crackling sound of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams took a stranglehold on yearning vocals. That big ache is back on her latest, a superb collection that rivals even Car Wheels’ brilliance. Songs like “Righteously” boast a sensuality bordering on horniness, while the gutbucket blues of “Atonement” and the understated protest of “American Dream” tackle social issues with a vengeance. But one of the most stunning tracks is “Those Three Days,” a song of deep, palpable desperation.

Russell Crowe has drawn plenty of skeptics with this oddly named group, although he actually started making music with them long before becoming a Hollywood star. On his new album, the Aussie heartthrob seems determined to be taken more seriously, injecting a tougher, rockier sound and recruiting Pretender Chrissie Hynde to sing a duet with him on “Never Be Alone Again.” But aside from that one track, there’s little here to recommend. Crowe’s voice and songs, while pleasant enough, simply cannot raise this above vanity-project status.

Nigerian master drummer Tony Allen was the rhythmic power behind Afrobeat king Fela Kuti’s throne—the bandleader needed four drummers to replace him when the two parted ways in the late 1970s. Allen’s own star has risen recently—especially in the wake of Kuti’s death in 1997 and the renewed interest in Afrobeat music. Here, Allen stretches his music’s boundaries, venturing into r&b territory on “Calling,” collaborating with Brit rapper Ty on the anti-war “Don’t Fight” and teaming up with Blur’s Damon Albarn on the infectious, shuffling title track.

On his solo debut, the son of Bob exchanges his brothers and sisters (a.k.a. the Melody Makers) for such heavyweights as guitarist David Lindley, Incubus DJ Chris Kilmore and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea and John Frusciante. The result is an album that owes more to reggae’s spirit—and its message of peace and love—than to actual one-drop riddims. Standout tracks include the slow blues of “Melancholy Mood,” the rock-oriented “I Get Out” and the sitar-laden prayer for non-violence “Don’t You Kill Love.”

The Lemonheads were alt-rock’s melodic answer to Nirvana and Evan Dando was a poppier Kurt Cobain. Inspired by Gram Parsons and blessed with a knack for catchy yet subversive songs, Dando seemed destined for greatness. Then drugs took hold and the son of a Boston attorney and a fashion model became tabloid fodder. This solo debut is his comeback. Co-produced by Jon Brion, it shows plenty of promise, especially on “Waking Up,” with its pounding piano and handclaps, and “It Looks Like You,” a sublime country-rocker. More please.

The material mum in cammo? You know the anti-war movement has momentum when la Madonna appears as a grenade-throwing revolutionary in her latest video, amid scenes of limb-less men and women with bloody babies. Already, Bush’s supporters have accused Ms. Ciccone of being un-American. But the lady’s no stranger to controversy—just ask Pepsi, Jerry Falwell and the Vatican. The new album, produced with Mirwais Ahmadzai, with whom she collaborated on Music, continues her current love affair with techno beats and shiny pop balladry.

A product of the Los Angeles scene, Maria McKee is best known as the leader of Lone Justice, a short-lived country-rock band from the 1980s. McKee’s solo work has been equally spotty, her last release being 1996’s Life is Sweet. Somewhere along the way, she left behind the Emmylou influences and adopted grandiose, Kate Bush-style pop pretensions. Despite several engaging story songs, like the childhood reverie of the title track, most of the new material is overblown in the extreme. The worst culprit is “Be My Joy,” a song of agonizing self-indulgence.

A trip-hoppy poet who mixes rap and rock with spoken word and jazzy grooves, Vancouver’s Kinnie Starr is overdue for a major breakthrough. If there’s any justice, it will come with this inspired album. Sun Again boasts a buoyant spirit and a warmer vibe than Starr’s previous outings. Songs like “Soar” reflect her new confidence. And “Alright” and “Dreaming” possess a sensuous, Lauryn Hill-like quality. Most striking are lush, romantic numbers like “Come” and “Amazed,” which reflect real artistic growth. Expect big things from this rare talent.

Baby Bifs, the four teenage girls in LiveonRelease are indebted to their den mother, Vancouver punk queen Bif Naked. At 10, Brittin Karroll co-wrote a track on Naked’s I Bificus album touring with her (Karroll’s dad manages the punk veteran). Then, after Brittin formed LiveonRelease, it seemed natural for Naked to put out the group’s debut album—including the hit single “I’m Afraid of Britney Spears—on her own label. The group’s followup features tough rockers like “Jaded” and “Paranoid.” But it’s worth asking: are they now afraid of Avril Lavigne?