This compilation CD has material recorded by Gary Moore between 1977 and 1979, when he was signed under MCA label, and issued on albums and singles either as a solo artist as well as a member of Colosseum II. Four songs: Back On The Streets, Fanatical Fascists, Don't Believe A Word and Parisienne Walkways come from his second solo album titled Back On The Streets, originally issued in december 1978. All these four songs fwature Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy in a way or another. Back On The Streets has Phil Lynott on backing vocals, Fanatical Fascists was written by Lynott, Don't Believe A Word (a Lizzy song played here in a slower tempo) and Parisienne Walkways have both Lynott on lead vocals. Musicians on these four songs are Gary Moore (guitar and vocals), Phil Lynott (bass and vocals), Don Airey (keyboards), Simon Phillips (drums). Parisienne Walkways has Thin Lizzy's Brian Downey on drums.

Though Cheap Trick's second album, In Color, draws from the same stockpile of Midwestern barroom favorites as their debut album, it was produced by Tom Werman, who had the band strip away their raw attack and replace it with a shiny, radio-ready sound. Consequently, In Color doesn't have the visceral attack of its predecessor, but it still has the same sensibility and a similar set of spectacular songs. From the druggy psychedelia of "Downed" and the bubblegum singalong "I Want You to Want Me" to the "California Girls" homage of "Southern Girls," the album has the same encyclopedic knowledge of rock & roll, as well as the good sense to subvert it with a perverse sense of humor. Portions of the album haven't dated well, simply due to the glossy production, but the songs and music on In Color are as splendid as the band's debut.

While not quite as strong as the band's debut, Scoundrel Days is still a-ha succeeding as a marketed "pretty boy" band which can connect musically and lyrically as much as any musical sacred cow. The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket's soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and "The Swing of Things," a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over. Although the rest of the disc never quite hits as high as the opening, it comes close more often than not.

Formed in 1967 by former Motions guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen, the Dutch quartet Shocking Blue originally had a lineup of VanLeeuwen on guitar, lead vocalist Fred DeWilde, bass player Klaasje Van der Wal, and drummer Cornelius Van der Beek, and the initial configuration of the band had a minor homeland hit with “Lucy Brown Is Back in Town” a year later in 1968. Things really got moving, though, when DeWilde was replaced by sultry singer Mariska Veres, whose sexy presence and solid singing brought the band a second Netherlands hit, “Send Me a Postcard,” and then a huge international smash with “Venus” in 1970 after the group had signed to Jerry Ross' Colossus Records imprint.

West Coast vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Robert Lucas forged a path for himself in the blues world after the release of his much-hailed 1990 self-produced debut cassette, Across the River. Based in Long Beach, CA, as a solo artist Lucas recorded for the Audioquest label out of San Clemente. He was also a member of the legendary boogie blues band Canned Heat, singing and playing bottleneck guitar and harmonica with the group off and on starting in 1994. Lucas paid homage to traditional blues but also carefully crafted his own singing and slide guitar style. These talents are on ample display on his Audioquest albums, including Luke and the Locomotives, Usin' Man Blues, Built for Comfort, Layaway, and Completely Blue, all released during the '90s, as well as latter-day Canned Heat albums on the Ruf and Fuel 2000 labels.

The magnificent ‘Spiral’ was Vangelis’ third album for RCA Records. Released in 1977, the album was recorded at Nemo, his personal studio in London and was a defining electronic album of the era, with Vangelis demonstrating his total mastery of the synthesizer technology of the period. Pieces such as the majestic ‘To The Unknown Man’ brought electronic music to new dimensions.

One of a series of remastered and sonically enhanced editions of the Vangelis albums recorded for the RCA and Arista labels. All of which come in deluxe digi-pack designs, with masters personally supervised by Vangelis in 2013. The magnificent “Heaven And Hell’ was the first album by Vangelis to be released by RCA Records in 1975 and was also the first album to be recorded at Nemo, his personal studio in London. This epic work in two parts featured the English Chamber Choir (conducted by Guy Protheroe) and Vangelis’ first collaboration with Jon Anderson of Yes on ‘So Long Ago, So Clear’. This Esoteric Recordings release (undertaken with the full approval and supervision of Vangelis himself) features a booklet that restores the original album artwork.

Blu-Spec CD2 reissue; 2022 Remaster. Issued in mini-LP style replica sleeve, with OBI, a color booklet with photos and the original 1988 liner notes in English, and a black-and-white booklet with new liner notes in Japanese. The CD release of Direct includes bonus material – which fits the flow of this intense and dramatic offering – not included on the cassette or vinyl releases. Like most Vangelis, this defies categorization. It has strong elements of rock & roll, symphonic synth ambience, and new age instrumental aspects. At the same time, the bold synthesizer strokes and washes fit the Berlin school of electronica. Given Vangelis' proclivity for soundtrack work, it is no surprise that this disc sounds like great film music. It is a great CD that will appeal to many different audiences. Fans of Kitaro, Deuter, and Constance Demby will like this disc.

Former Asia front man John Wetton has released more than his share of live albums in recent years. The performance, recorded in Poland on the Arkangel tour, is strong and nearly perfect.

A collection of musical gems by great contemporary composers of the minimalist and postminimalist trend. Music of Steve Reich (Vermont Counterpoint, New York Counterpoint - first recording of the saxophone version), Arvo Pärt (Pari Intervallo), Hans Otte (Eins), Ludovico Einaudi (Quattro Passi), Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (For you Ann Lill, Op.58), skilfully interpreted by Andrea Ceccomori and Goffredo Degli Esposti on the flutes, Paul Wehage on the saxophones, Cecilia Chailly on harp and Fabrizio Ottaviucci on piano.