Iggy and the Stooges
Raw Power: Legacy Edition
(Columbia/Legacy)

Welcome to the third version of Raw Power. Initially released in a notoriously rushed and reedy mix by David Bowie, this proto-punk touchstone was later remixed by Iggy Pop in a more muscular and nuanced version. The Legacy Edition repairs and remasters the Bowie masters, adding detail and punch to the band’s seminal guitar assault. It sweetens the deal with a full concert from 1973 and two fascinating-but-not-essential studio outtakes. The live disc entitled “Georgia Peaches” should be a Rosetta Stone for fans, but it’s somewhat marred by muddy sound and the bafflingly ubiquitous presence of a barrelhouse piano. Newcomers should start with the Iggy remix, but no matter the edition, this remains one of the greatest rock albums—an emotionally bruising, sonically pummeling, and surprisingly stylish death trip that makes most contemporary efforts sound bloodless. —Jeff Jackson

Kevin Burke and Cal Scott
Suite
(Loftus)

Since the days of the Bothy Band in the 1970s, Kevin Burke has been the standard against which Irish fiddlers are measured. The years and the road have not dulled his creativity or passion; this collaboration with guitarist extraordinaire Cal Scott is among Burke’s finest projects. It also throws us a curveball. It opens and closes with three crisply rendered sets of reels, jigs and waltzes, but sandwiched in the middle is “The Irish Session Suite,” four movements that move between traditional music, the tense solemnity of the Russian Romantics, and a mashup of string quartet and folk ensemble. It forces us to hear well-known session favorites with completely new ears. Burke plays with the spirit of a man possessed. He’s still the standard of excellence in his craft. Catch Burke and Scott at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls on May 21.  —Rob Weir

Joe Bonamassa
black rock
(J&R Adventures)

Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa’s new album, black rock, sure has a whole lot of epic “whumpa-whumpa-whumpa” going on. The album is a heavy-handed mix of originals and covers from artists who “inspired [him] to pick the damn thing up in the first place.” (Lingo alert: He’s referring to the electric guitar.) According to the liner notes, he used 14 different things on the album. Also listed are 14 “Amps and Other Assorted Expensive Things.” His original songs are better delivered, though less impressive as songs. During the tributes, he buries his playing in effects, and he strains to evoke someone else’s vocal magic. Even on the down-tempo songs, he packs in layers of unnecessary accompaniment. Special guest B.B. King instantly supplies a huge dose of what the rest of the album lacks: someone who only needs one guitar and one track to leave a lasting impression. —Mark Roessler