As with the other volumes in Blank & Jones' 12"-oriented So80s series, the selections here are mostly from the first half of the '80s, and they balance major pop hits with relatively deeper cuts as a way to catch the interest of a wide listening base. This fourth volume includes extended mixes of Gang of Four's "Is It Love," the Cure's "Close to Me," and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Telegraph," as well as alternate mixes of ABC's "King Without a Crown," Propaganda's "Dr. Mabuse," and Act's "Snobbery and Decay." The CD edition contains a DJ mix from the German duo, while tracks are provided unmixed on discs two and three.

Escape Music has the pleasure to announce the re-release of much-loved vocalist Bob Catley (Magnum/Avantasia) "Legends" album with the new artwork by the legendary artist Rodney Matthews and three bonus tracks from Bob's set at The Gods in 1999. Like The Tower, Legends was written by Ten frontman Gary Hughes and may be thought of perhaps as a Ten album with Bob singing instead of Gary as, again like The Tower, we have the always excellent Vinny Burns riffing and shredding away and Steve McKenna on bass. Each of the ten songs on Legends is based on a character either real, from historical literature or mythology. For example Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Dracula, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and Wuthering Heights to name a few. Musically, arguably not surprising given some of the subject matter, Legends is darker and heavier than The Tower with some gothic and symphonic and progressive themes throughout.

Best known for his association with Muddy Waters in the 1970s, Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin is reunited with three other former Waters sidemen on this inspired solo effort: pianist Pinetop Perkins, bassist Calvin "Fuzzy" Jones, and drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. The title sums it up - the album may have been recorded in various parts of the South, but the style is pure, unadulterated Chicago blues. A number of gutsy originals are included (most notably, "She and the Devil" and "Born in the Wrong Time") along with such time-honored Muddy Waters classics as "Mean Disposition," "She's So Pretty," and "Rollin' and Tumblin." As enjoyable as the band recordings are, the most inspired offering is the unaccompanied solo number "Born in the Wrong Time." On this under-produced, demo-quality recording, Margolin rants and raves about life in the early '90s and says some gut-level things that desperately needed to be said.

Nina Simone was a singular artist, and she went where she pleased, leaving behind a recorded legacy that is passionate, political, defiant, and delicate by turns, no matter what strain of folk, blues, jazz, or gospel she was dipping into, and she did it all with dignity, grace, and intelligence. This set collects all nine of her albums for RCA Records (released between 1967 and 1974), and thus includes some of her greatest recordings. Signature songs like "I Loves You, Porgy," "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" (in a couple of versions), and "Mississippi Goddam" (a Simone original - one wishes she had written more than she did) are all here, along with powerful versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Willie Dixon, the Beatles, and Randy Newman, among others. Simone didn't just sing a song. She made it hers.

An enchanting journey through nine responses to love, Banco de Gaia’s ninth studio album arrives at a time when the world needs it more than many of us may realise. Featuring special guest artists, from Pink Floyd’s Dick Parry, Zero 7’s Sophie Barker, The The’s James Eller and No-Man’s Tim Bowness, The 9th of Nine Hearts is a celebration of the spark in all of us: the concept of love itself. Fusing ambient, psychedelia, art rock and acid house, each track evolves naturally into the next, with love the starting point to them all.

VDGG's second step on the mid-'70s comeback trail saw Peter Hammill attempting to meld the introspective and the cosmic throughout, though this did not stop him from taking a dead run at a grandiose concept or two – the consequences of immortality on the title track, and the grand fate of humanity on the epic "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End." The theme of humane cooperation informs the opening "Pilgrims," while "La Rossa" is an epic tale of desire fulfilled (a story that would be concluded on Hammill's solo album, Over). The true highlight, however, is the beautiful, pensive "My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)," with its echoes of imagination and loss. Hammill did not achieve such a level of painful beauty again until "This Side of the Looking Glass" on Over.

Following the tumultuous promotion cycle for 2024's Ohio Players, the Black Keys wasted no time dwelling on the past and forged ahead with their 13th album, No Rain, No Flowers. As the title implies, the duo have taken an optimistic view on events, and the music reflects that attitude, resulting in some of the catchier and more upbeat offerings in their discography. They recruited hitmakers Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves), Rick Nowels (Madonna, Lana Del Rey), and Scott Storch (Beyoncé, Dr. Dre) for the LP, but - unlike the strong stylistic influence exerted by Danger Mouse on El Camino and Turn Blue - Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney haven't suddenly recorded a pop/hip-hop album. Instead, they keep it close to their existing blues-rock sound, with the producers simply adding a little shine here and there…

Dio's rock-solid 2000 concept album Magica would have better fit the musical climate 15-25 years beforehand, but a good album is a good album. Ronnie James Dio's band's previous studio effort, 1996's Angry Machines, admirably addressed modern, non-traditional heavy metal topics. But the musically superior Magica is rooted in the dark, mystical themes he perfected on Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and early Dio albums. One important factor is the solid lineup, particularly the return of Craig Goldy, the best guitarist Dio's had in his band besides Vivian Campbell. Bassist Jimmy Bain and drummer Simon Wright also return. Dio seems inspired, and his vocals are more textured than usual. Magica is a detailed fantasy epic about the struggle between good and evil. Several elements are similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved Lord of the Rings novels, which themselves rely on traditional literary archetypes such as heroes, villains, and mythic quests…

This Deluxe Edition Box Set features the original album, remastered at Abbey Road Studios in London; 8 bonus audio tracks; remastered mono album (previously unreleased commercially; remastered Thrillington album, the instrumental cover version of Ram originally released under the pseudonym of Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington.
In a stunningly presented 112-page book, photo prints, handwritten lyrics, four CDs and a bonus film DVD, telling the full story of a classic album that has gone down in music history as one of the most revered in Paul’s catalogue.
After the breakup, Beatles fans expected major statements from the three chief songwriters in the Fab Four. John and George fulfilled those expectations - Lennon with his lacerating, confessional John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Harrison with his triple-LP All Things Must Pass - but Paul McCartney certainly didn't, turning toward the modest charms of McCartney…