Taylored in Silk was Johnnie Taylor's [The Philosopher of Soul] best pure soul release; he was in peak form as a vocalist, and received superb productions, arrangements, compositions and musical backing from the Stax brain trust. The album includes the hits 'We're Getting Careless with Our Love' and 'Cheaper to Keep Her'. Newly remastered with 6 bonus cuts.

Limited box containing four CDs in card wallets housed inside a clamshell box. Susanna Hoffs, a founding member of The Bangles and co-conspirator Matthew Sweet released three full volumes of their Under The Covers series between 2006 and 2013, on which the two teamed up to pay homage to many of the singles (and album deep cuts) from the '60s, '70s, and '80s which informed and shaped their own musical destinies. The Beatles, Dylan, Fairport Convention, Neil Young, The Beach Boys, The Who, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Carly Simon, The Ramones, The Clash, The Pretenders, The Smiths and Prince are amongst the 57 acts covered. With guest appearances from Lindsey Buckingham, Steve Howe, Van Dyke Parks and Dhani Harrison, this 60 song package contains all three albums and fifteen previously-hard-to-get bonus tracks plus a 48 page booklet with annotation by Sweet and Hoffs, all gathered together for the first time.

London Baroque offers another installment in its ongoing European Trio Sonata series, this time devoted to 18th-century Italy; as with the ensemble’s previous efforts the program features generally excellent performances of lesser-known repertoire. Ten years ago I reviewed a similar 18th-century Italian program by this same group titled “Stravaganze Napoletane”, also on BIS, and was generally impressed with the performances–except for one piece: Domenico Gallo’s Sonata No. 1 in G major.

Digitally remastered two CD set containing expanded editions of a pair of albums from the singer, songwriter and producer. His first album, Runt (1970), features the hit single 'We Gotta Get You a Woman' as well as the nine-minute Rock epic 'Birthday Carol'. This edition features, for the first time ever on CD, all the different mixes, performances and exclusive songs from the November 1970 mis-pressing of the album. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren (1971) features more of Todd's Laura Nyro-inspired Soul/Pop ballads, and another hit in 'Long Flowing Robe'. The four bonus tracks are all radio performances from this era. The package contains ephemera and rare photos, all the lyrics, and extensive notes by Paul Myers, extracted from his recent definitive book on Todd Rundgren.

The original, genuine and best selling Pop-Classical crossover. Hooked on Classics was the first of a series of albums first released in 1981 and featuring the worldwide hit single that bears the same nomenclature. ELO arranger Louis Clark conducts a moonlighting Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing hooks from well-known classical pieces set to an up-tempo dance beat. Features not only the original 'Hooked On Classics' album but also the two follow ups 'Can't Stop The Classics' and ' Journey Through The Classics'.

2004 reissue of the Scottish new wavers' 1983 album produced by Tony Visconti, features 14 tracks including 6 bonus tracks, 'Surprise Me', 'I Don't Want To Know', 'Last Goodbye', 'Bring Me Closer' (Dance Mix), 'Don't Talk To Me About Love' (Extended Version), & 'Love To Stay' (Dance Mix). Includes 12-page booklet with extensive updated liner notes & photos.

Drummer and songwriter best known as a member of million-selling album hard rock/glam band Queen. Collection includes: Fun In Space (1981); Strange Frontier (1984); Happiness? (1994); Electric Fire (1998).

This compilation is a perfect work/study/contemplation CD, when you want to reduce the hum and din of modern life. It's wonderfully played, and has 23 tracks for a total of 72:45 minutes of melodic, serene music. The famous Adagio in G minor, so often heard in films, etc., is here given a lovely rendition. Played a little faster than most other versions, with the individual instruments (especially the harpsichord) being heard clearly. It's not as lush and smooth as some recordings, but crisper, and to my ears, absolutely delightful. It's hard to pick favorites among the other selections…each piece is a baroque beauty that flows well from one track to the next. I'm sure this CD will please most people who like 18th century music.

Experimental, innovative English electronic outfit that formed in the 1970s, and stand as major pioneers of industrial and dance music. Series of best-of compilations for the band including The Original Sound of Sheffield '78/'82 and '83/'87.

Last Time Around – Live At Legends is a fitting farewell to the late, great Junior Wells and his partnership, friendship and kinship with Buddy Guy that lasted decades. The album is a historic release in many ways. It reunites two blues legends who began their unique association in the 1950s. The album was recorded live in March 1993 at Buddy Guy's world-famous Chicago blues mecca Legends, and it's an acoustic document of many classic songs that made both Wells and Guy legends in their own right, such as "She's Alright" and "I've Been There," along with other classic blues standards such as "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Key to the Highway," all delivered with a looseness and power that define both Guy and Wells. It also marks the last time the two ever played together.

This live American concert in 1992 emerged on cd at about the same time as the Geffen release "The road to you" which was culled from PMG's european concerts in the early 90's. While this current selection may not quite equal that release in the quality of the sound, it is a much better live performance overall. There are a couple of small blips in the performance but this is live and taken from one concert. Raw Metheny but edge of your seat performance.

Before emerging as a cult star in the 1970s, Lowell George was a presence on the L.A. folk-rock/psychedelic scene in the 1960s. With his group the Factory, he only managed to release one single during this time. Lightning-Rod Man rescues 15 tunes cut by this unit, including the single and over a dozen outtakes and demos. Almost exclusively original material, most of these tracks were recorded in 1966 and 1967. They show the group pursuing a slightly eccentric folk-rock vision that neither bears much similarity to George's more famous work nor matches the best work done in this genre by their L.A. peers. At times they echo Kaleidoscope in their vaguely spacy, good-natured folkish rock; just as often, they take cues from Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa in their skewed blues-rock and obtuse songwriting. In fact, Zappa himself produced and played on a couple of the demos, and one-time Mothers of Invention members Elliot Ingber and Roy Estrada show up on a few others. A few songs cut toward the end of the decade feature a heavier, bluesier sound that show George edging in a different direction. An enjoyable vault find, but not a major revelation.

La-La Land Records, Sony Pictures and Sony Music presents the world premiere release of the first official remastered and expanded edition of renowned composer John Williams's (JAWS, STAR WARS, SCHINDLER'S LIST) original score to the 1991 Tri-Star Pictures' adventure/fantasy epic HOOK, directed by Steven Spielberg. Long considered one of the maestro's best scores in collaboration with Mr. Spielberg, this masterwork is finally presented here in a worthy 2-CD release that contains more than 140 mins of music, including bonus alternate and unused cues, greatly expanding the score's original 1991 album assembly with more than 65 minutes of music previously unreleased in any official format. Produced by Didier C. Deutsch and Mark G. Wilder, mastered by Mark G. Wilder and Maria Triana and supervised and approved by John Williams, this expanded reissue features amazing art design by Jim Titus and exclusive, in-depth liners from film music writer Daniel Schweiger. It's an amazing soundtrack experience that will have you never wanting to grow up!

Lark in the Morning: The Early Years is a mid-priced, two-disc rendering of the band's first three records. Remastered for the first time, Hark! the Village Wait, Please to See the King, and Ten Man Mop are featured in their entirety, and in their original sequence, making this an absolute necessity for fans, and a perfect entry point for the uninitiated. Steeleye Span are masters of arrangement, and nowhere is that more evident than on their debut. Though familial tension ran high during its recording, Hark! the Village Wait yielded some of the most agreeable tunes the band ever laid to tape. Beginning with the a cappella "A Calling-On Song," the group established itself as peerless singers, utilizing the dual lead vocals of sirens Gay Woods and Maddy Prior to a tee, particularly on "My Johnny Was a Shoemaker" and "Dark Eyed Sailor." The lineup is legendary, rivaling only Fairport Convention in their Sandy Denny/Richard Thompson heyday. Ashley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks, Tim Hart, future Pogue Terry Woods, and Gay and Maddy produced a landmark album that continues to inspire countless musicians and fans alike.

The Gipsy Kings' main strength is their consistency. Throughout their career, they have managed to craft an accessible, pop-oriented version of flamenco and gypsy music that also pushes boundaries. During it all, they recorded classy, satisfying albums like Compas. There's not much different about Compas, but since the album is so well made and enchanting, that isn't a curse; it's a blessing.