There are four traditional elements of hip hop culture; the rapper or the MC, the DJ who makes music with his turn tables, the break dancer or the B-boy and the graffiti artist.  Then there is the element that some artists would rather the public not know about, the ghostwriter.

Bruce Hornsby’s new album opens with a boisterous bit of fiddle-inflected folk-rock called “The Black Rats of London.” The song’s subject matter is the little known role played by rodents, bugs and microbes in shaping some of our nation’s most important historical events.

For five years, music adventures have counted on Paul Shugrue to serve up the best in what's new and most likely not coming to a commercial radio station near you.

In the spirit of the Woodstock 40^th anniversary, the following list is dedicated to what I consider the top 40 live albums to be released since that magical, iconic concert experience four decades ago. Some say live albums separate the men from the boys. In some cases, it has made a band’s career – just ask Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton. At their best, live performances expand the studio version of a song and bring the tracks to life. Hold the drum solos, please!