For the better part of the Seventies, Sherbet were the Kings of Pop in Australia. By mid-decade they were undisputed rulers of the Australian charts and stages, and only with the appearance of the mighty Skyhooks was Sherbet confronted with its first serious rival. Sherbet were marketed as a teen-oriented singles band producing polished highly commerical pop/R&B.

Though her track record as an album artist isn't as unblemished as some, including the Recording Academy, would have us believe (though not bad, The Globe Sessions was a disappointment following its self-titled predecessor, and C'mon C'mon was MOR pap at its most painful), Sheryl Crow remains a consistently impressive singles artist. From her charmingly belligerent debut, "Leaving Las Vegas," to 2005's lush, quietly contemplative "Good Is Good," Crow hasn't released a lead single I haven't loved. That streak, it seems, would be broken by the singer-songwriter's hippy anthem "Love Is Free," which chugs along like a well-oiled parade float but is a little too cute-n'-bouncy for its source material (the failed federal response to Hurricane Katrina), if not for a technicality: The single was preceded by the airplay-only "Shine Over Babylon," a more sobering take on current events that is sonically closer to "If It Makes You Happy" than "Soak Up the Sun."

Taxi shows a mature Bryan Ferry, suave and controlled, very much in line with his general career from 1979 on. The choices of songs to cover doesn't make for any surprises -- the same selections of classic rock, pop, and soul numbers dominate, with an interesting ringer here and there like "Amazing Grace." As with his other recent solo records, a cast of thousands supports him, ranging from the Grid's Richard Norris on synth programming to Brit guitar legends Robin Trower and Michael Brook, plus vocalist Carleen Anderson.