Yuri FALIK (1936–2009) was the disciple of the acknowledged Stolyarsky music school in Odessa. Studying in the Leningrad conservatoire he acquired two specialities: cello (professor A. Strimer) and composition (professor B. Arapov). Post-graduate education (M. Rostropovich). Falik was a professor of composition and instrumentation perfoming as a conductor all over the Russian cities and abroad. Among his creations there are many opuses of diverse genres. Numerous chamber and choral compositions by Falik are perpetually performed all over the world by the European and American ensembles and choral groups.

Hiram Bullock's Warner Bros. debut as a leader is a mixed bag. Bullock was, upon arrival, already an expert session guitarist and producer when he cut this set. (One of the jewels in his crown is Mike Stern's first album as a leader, the almighty Neesh, which was released only in Japan and has never seen the light of day on American shores.) This self-produced set includes eight Bullock originals plus a nice reading of Don Grolnick's "Cactus." The band features many of the same musicians Bullock still works with: drummer Charley Drayton, bassist Will Lee, and Cliff Carter on keyboards, as well as some stellar guest appearances by the late Kenny Kirkland and saxophonist David Sanborn.

Secret Voyage is the seventh studio album by the group Blackmore's Night. According to a SPV press release, Secret Voyage is another kaleidoscopic musical journey through time and space, incorporating and rearranging traditional melodies from all over Europe, blending the "old" and contemporary. Secret Voyage consists of twelve new tracks, recorded by Candice Night, Ritchie Blackmore and their Band of Minstrels. Secret Voyage won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award as the best celtic album.

Galahad formed in 1985 just for fun playing a mixture of covers (Genesis, Zeppelin, Rush, Sabbath, Focus, Marillion etc.), in order to get gigs and original material. Then, after mixing it with the slightly 'bigger boys' such a IQ, Pendragon and Magnum, Galahad decided take it more seriously, playing only original material resulting in the release of their first proper album in 1991, 'Nothing Is Written', which was self-financed, released independently but which sold several thousand copies. Other Crimes & Misdemeanours I (1992). 'Official bootleg' album released on tape cassette back in January 1992. Subsequently re-mastered, tidied up and released on CD by Oskar Productions in 2008…

Nagual Sound Experiment is the downtempo project of pioneering psy-breaks artist Mood Deluxe. 'Invisible Movements' is released on one of the UK's finest new record labels, Liquid Records. NSE, or Cameron Leonard-Schroff, makes music his life, and this album encapsulates his energy perfectly. A whopping eighty minutes and fifteen audio compositions mean not a nano-second of space is wasted, every note a mote of meticulous effort, talent and planning. On top of NSE's knack for siphoning styles from every culture and time period of music conceivable, Cameron has the technical knowledge to back up his imagination…

All of these are live recordings so the sound is quite variable. The standard square box contains separate soft plastic sleeves in which the cds are inserted. The advantage is that the cds are well protected (minor risk for scrapes compared to cardboard), but there is no information printed on the sleeve since it is made of plastic. There is some basic information printed on each cd (name, composer, cd #, the act/s and the date of the recording). There is also a small 24pg booklet that introduces the box including some photos as well as content description for each disc (opera, singers, time and location as well as a list of the separate tracks). I have been collecting these boxes for a while and always find it worthwhile as there are gems nicely interspersed in these collections. By Moonfish

Various Artists - Divided & United (2013) [2CD] {ATO Records}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 755 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 306 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 69 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2013 ATO Records | ATO0204
Folk / Country / Americana / Bluegrass / Neo-Traditional Folk

Nearly 150 years after the Civil War ended, America is still both fascinated and haunted by the events that tore the country apart while defining a vision of this nation that in many respects stands to this day. Plenty of popular songs and stories have been written about the war and its impact, but fewer Americans are aware of just how many songs dealing with the conflict and its human consequences emerged between 1861 and 1865. Divided & United: The Songs of the Civil War is an ambitious effort to study the songs of the era with fresh eyes and ears; here, 32 artists interpret popular songs from the Civil War years, some in styles that reflect the way they were performed in the 19th century and others appearing in arrangements that are radically contemporary.