Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day and then ages out. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable.

Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn't, he has learned that being an artist isn't about your specific output; it's about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone's life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities.

The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distils the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime's work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments - and lifetimes - of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.

After a multi-platinum debut, Grammy nominations, a successful sophomore album, sold-out tours, and a collaboration with Jay-Z, the pressure was on for Linkin Park to deliver the goods with their 2007 release, Minutes to Midnight. Interestingly, the alternative metal outfit, best known for mixing rap, rock, and electronic touches, deviates from their aggressive, angst-filled sound on their third outing--opting instead to dabble in moody, atmospheric rock. Opener "Wake" establishes the ethereal, synth-driven feel that characterizes much of the disc. Crunching electric guitars are few and far between, and most of the swirling, electronica-textured tracks weigh in at mid-to-downtempo. There are still moments of rock intensity, such as "Bleed It Out" (featuring one of rapper Mike Shinoda's few appearances), but the overall mood seems better suited to pensive bedsitting than a festival mosh pit. Co-producer Rick Rubin makes the dreamy soundscapes gleam, but longtime fans may miss the fist-pumping energy of early Linkin Park. Still, the new sonic palette of Minutes to Midnightshows a band willing to push past their own tried-and-true formulas.

An ambitious double album, Stadium Arcadiumfinds the Red Hot Chili Peppersbuilding on their more mature, latter-day approach, while also acknowledging their lighthearted, youthful sound. The Los Angeles-based funk-rock quartet's third studio outing since John Frusciante returned to the fold, this 2006 release once again reinforces how crucial the guitarist is to the Peppers' aesthetic, with his mix of swirling, psychedelic leads and heavy riffs providing the perfect foil to Flea's bold bass heroics. (Instrumentally, the record also benefits from guest appearances by Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez, percussionists Paulinho Da Costa and Lenny Castro, and the legendary Billy Preston on clavinet.) Remarkably consistent for a two-disc, 28-song offering, Stadium Arcadiumkicks off with "Dani California," an energetic track that hints at a Beatles influence, while showcasing vocalist Anthony Kiedis's neo-rap delivery and the tight rhythmic interplay of Flea and drummer Chad Smith. Other highlights of this collection include the emotive "Wet Sand" and the frenetic "Torture Me," which provide nice counterpoints to loose, limber tunes such as the funk workouts "Hump De Bump" and "C'mon Girl." In many ways a culmination of the Chili Peppers' decades-spanning musical evolution, Stadium Arcadiumstands as one of the group's most impressive efforts.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers of the quadruple-platinum smash "Blood Sugar Sex Magic"are back - revitalized and reunited - with their first album in four years and perhaps their most anticipated album ever. Most importantly, Californication marks the homecoming of guitarist John Frusciante, a key ingredient in the group's most successful albums. His return signals the energized re-emergence of one of rock's premier emotional, powerful and exciting bands.

Mezmerizeis disc one of System Of A Down'supcoming two disc set Mezmerize/Hypnotize. The thirty tracks that make up the set are more complex, more progressive, more unorthodox and more experimental than ever, while retaining the idiosyncratic, ironic and schizophrenic qualities that make System Of A Down so distinctive.

Released in 1994, Wildflowersfeatures Tom Petty & The Heartbreakersat their finest, with the songs "You Don't Know How it Feels," "Time to Move On," and the superb title track.

Renegades is the first cover album by American rap rock band Rage Against the Machine and the final release by the band. The album consists entirely of cover songs and includes covers of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Minor Threat, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, MC5, the Rolling Stones, Cypress Hill, and Devo. It was released in 2000, after Rage singer Zack de la Rocha had already left the band, but featured his vocals.