File under: "If you loved me, you'd buy me this": Rhino's putting out Ray Charles' Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959).

By way of new recordings, Genius and Friends is one of the last things he was working on before he passed, based on some original 1998 recordings. It's a follow-up set of duets to last year's big hit. Rand help me, but I'm right real interested in hearing Ray and George Michael sing "Blame It On the Sun."

File under: "If you hate me, you'll make me listen to this": Barbara Streisand puts out Guilty Pleasures, a quarter century later follow-up to her collaboration on Guilty with Barry Gibb. In fairness, that was one of her biggest albums, and this new one is already #5 on Amazon. I for one can hardly wait to hear a BS peace anthem called "All The Children." Oy vey.

Earth, Wind & Fire's new Illumination album features input from the Black Eyed Peas among others.

Night Train to Nashville, Vol. 2 on Lost Highway is the follow up to last year's Grammy winning collection of Nashville r&b from 1945 to 1970. It features among others Arthur Alexander, Clyde McPhatter, the Imperials and Esther Phillips.

Not to put too fine a point on it, Jon Bon Jovi ain't my cup of tea, what with me liking good music. Still, his new Have a Nice Day album has a nicely evil cover.

Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases, courtesy AMG:

David Banner Certified Universal
Dirty South, Southern Rap, Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap

Ray Charles Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959) Rhino
R&B, Soul, Urban Blues

Coheed & Cambria Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness Sony
Alternative Metal, Punk-Pop

Barbra Streisand Guilty Pleasures Columbia
Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock, Pop

Adriano Rebecca: The 1940 Film Score by Franz Waxman Naxos
Film Music

The American Analog Set Set Free Arts & Crafts
Ambient Pop, Indie Rock

Anthrax Alive 2: The Music Sanctuary Records
Speed Metal, Heavy Metal

The Audition Controversy Loves Company Victory
Emo, Punk-Pop

The Bad Plus Suspicious Activity? Columbia
Post-Bop

The Bats At the National Grid Magic Marker
New Zealand Rock, Indie Rock

Miri Ben-Ari The Hip-Hop Violinist Universal
Hip-Hop, Pop-Rap, Crossover Jazz

Bon Jovi Have a Nice Day Island
Pop/Rock, Hard Rock, Album Rock, Hair Metal

James Brown Gettin' Down to It Polydor
Funk, Soul

Ryan Cabrera You Stand Watching Atlantic
Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Teen Pop

Cage Hell's Winter Definitive Jux
Underground Rap

Ray Charles Genius and Friends Rhino
Urban, Soul, Pop-Soul

Sam Cooke Best of Sam Cooke [RCA Bonus Tracks] RCA Legacy
Soul, R&B

Disturbed Ten Thousand Fists Warner Bros.
Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Rap-Metal

Earth, Wind & Fire Illumination Sanctuary
Soul, Quiet Storm, Urban, Smooth Soul, Contemporary R&B

Echo & The Bunnymen Siberia Cooking Vinyl
Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative Pop/Rock

Harry Enfield Classic Fairy Tales Retold: Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty ASV/Living Era
Narration with Orchestra

Ensemble Avantgarde Hommage a Stravinsky MDG
Modern and Contemporary Chamber Music

Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam Carlo Gesualdo: Madrigali Libri 1-3 CPO
Renaissance Choral Music

Louise Hoffsten From Linkoping to Memphis Memphis Int'l
Retro-Soul, Singer/Songwriter, Rock & Roll, R&B

Horse the Band The Mechanical Hand Koch
Post-Hardcore, Noise-Rock

Jamiroquai Dynamite Sony
Alternative Dance, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Urban, Club/Dance, Dance-Pop

Christine Lavin Folkzinger Appleseed
Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk

Steve Lawrence All My Love Belongs to You Varese
Traditional Pop

Maroon 5 Live Friday the 13th Octjay Records
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Bif Naked Superbeautifulmonster Bodog Music
Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter

Old 97's Alive and Wired New West
Alternative Country-Rock, Indie Pop

Oranger New Comes and Goes Eenie Meenie
Indie Rock

Jose Serebrier Mussorgsky/Stokowski: Pictures at an Exhibition [Hybrid SACD] Naxos
Romantic and Modern Orchestral Music

Original Soundtrack The Corpse Bride Warner Bros.
Original Score, Film Music

Joan Osborne One of Us Artemis
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

P$C 25 to Life Atlantic
Southern Rap, Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap

Jon Randall Walking Among the Living Epic Records
Contemporary Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country

Mel Torme
The Bethlehem Years
Shout! Factory
Vocal Jazz, Traditional Pop, American Popular Song

Various Artists Night Train to Nashville, Vol. 2 Lost Highway
R&B, Soul, Swamp Blues, Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Modern Electric Blues, Jump Blues, Soul-Blues

Various Artists So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross J-Records
WARNING: THIS CD IS DEFECTIVE
Urban, Contemporary R&B, Smooth Soul, Quiet Storm, Pop/Rock