Many long-lived rock artists (Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson, to name two) are starting to see the value in releasing live archival material. It's a way to thwart the bootleggers, plus it pleases longtime fans. Hackett joins in with this box set release of three shows, one from the 1970s (Hammersmith Odeon, London, June 30,1979), one from the 1980s (Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Sept. 13,1981), and one from the 1990s (The Grand Theatre, London, June 8,1993). It's a viable collection, coming complete with a photo-laden booklet which includes an intro to each show written by Hackett (or, Stefanovitch Von Hackenschimdt, as he signs one), a complete tour itinerary covering his solo career to 2000, and track-by-track comments on each song from the 1993 disc (but, strangely, not for the other two shows). A couple of drawbacks to the discs are the only-average sound quality of the 1979 and 1981 shows…

Over fifteen years ago the DJ duo from Cologne (Blank & Jones) decided to strike quieter, more relaxed tones. From the passion for Ambient, Chill Out, Downbeat, Lounge Music, Beach House, Bar Grooves and Co. was created the idea of ​​Milchbar Seaside Season - a summer soundtrack for the cult Norderneyer Location milk bar. On the first compilation followed in recent years regularly further new Chillout compilation.

A protégé of the composer and conductor Gustav Mahler, from 1907 Klemperer was appointed to a succession of increasingly senior conductorships in opera houses in and around Germany. Between 1929 and 1931 he was director of the Kroll Opera in Berlin, where he presented new works and avant-garde productions of classics. He was from a Jewish family, and the rise of the Nazis caused him to leave Germany in 1933. Shortly afterwards he was appointed chief conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and guest-conducted other American orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and later the Pittsburgh Symphony, which he reorganised as a permanent ensemble.

Scottish hard rockers Nazareth dominated the airwaves in the late '70s with the biting rock anthem "Hair of the Dog" and the enduring proto-power ballad "Love Hurts." Emerging in 1971, the band found mainstream success in 1975 with the release of their platinum-selling fifth album, Hair of the Dog. Despite numerous lineup changes, the group remained prolific and popular in Europe throughout the '80s and '90s, and continued to tour and record into the 2000s, with bassist and co-founder Pete Agnew serving as the sole constant member. In 2018, Nazareth celebrated its 50th Anniversary with the release of Tattooed on My Brain. Surviving the Law, the band's 25th studio album, appeared in 2022. Formed in Dunfermline in 1968, Nazareth's initial lineup featured vocalist Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew, and drummer Darrell Sweet.

There are many reasons why Gloria Gaynor is synonymous with "I Will Survive." The 1978 single topped Billboard's disco and pop charts, went platinum, and won Best Disco Recording the only year the Grammys recognized the subgenre. A belter if there ever was one, it set the standard by which all subsequent perseverance anthems have been measured. Its eternal appeal has been recognized by the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Registry. The inextricable links, however, obscure the depth and range of Gaynor's career.

The product of producer Paul Rothchild, Rhinoceros were conceived, planned, and executed as a "supergroup." This was the group's raison d’être and, ultimately, its downfall. Pieced together after a marathon series of jams at the producer's house in the spring of 1968, Rhinoceros were intended to be the heaviest band of the time. Rothchild and Elektra came very, very close. With former members of Iron Butterfly (Danny Weis, guitar), the Daily Flash, and Buffalo Springfield (Doug Hastings, guitar), as well as some highly respected studio aces such as Billy Mundi on drums, they formed a very good band indeed, but not really a group. Fortunately, although the chemistry is a bit skewed, the music isn't half bad. There are some excellent soul-drenched rock recordings here - from the album-opening "When You Say You're Sorry" to possibly one of the best-ever versions of "You're My Girl," the group was capable of some mighty music…

Although his tenure with Willie Dixon at Chess Studios is what made him a star, Howlin' Wolf's short-lived association with Ike Turner, Sam Phillips, and Sun Studios in the early '50s produced some of the most powerful and raucous music ever recorded. (Muddy Waters' first electric recordings are downright tame in comparison.) The Wolf Is at Your Door is a sizeable chunk of Howlin' Wolf's Sun sessions - a diverse slate of music recorded over the span of 11 months. Seven of these songs (including the legendary "Moanin' at Midnight" b/w "How Many More Years") were leased to Chess, while the rest were left unissued until the late '70s. This is about as unrestrained as Wolf ever got in a studio setting, thanks in part to the crude backing he got from guitarist Willie Johnson and drummer Willie Steel…

Gregory Isaacs One of Jamaica's most beloved vocalists, Gregory Isaacs' career stretched from the heady days of reggae through lovers rock – a genre he virtually invented – and into the 21st century. Born in the Fletcher's Land area of Kingston, Jamaica, on July 15, 1951, Isaacs arrived in the music business via the talent show circuit, a tried-and-true formula for many of the island's budding singing stars. Byron Lee was the first in the industry to spot his talent and brought him and Winston Sinclair into the studio to record the duet "Another Heartbreak" in 1968. Sadly, it went nowhere, and Isaacs decided to try his fortunes with a new vocal trio, the Concords.

Dusty Springfield De grootste popdiva van Groot-Brittannië, Dusty Springfield, werd als Mary O’Brien geboren op 16 april 1939. Ze was ook de beste blanke soulzangeres van haar tijd en een artieste met een opmerkelijke emotionele resonantie. Haar werk ligt verspreide over de tientallen jaren van haar muziekcarrière. Haar consistente en pure muzikale transformaties zijn ongeëvenaard onder haar tijdgenoten. Hoewel ze een theatraal icoon was met veel glitter en glamour, opgestoken haar en zwarte mascara, bracht haar stem zwoele intimiteit en hartbrekende drang over. Ze bracht haar muziek en boodschap over met een ongekende diepgang en verfijning. Dusty Springfield bracht meer dan tien soloalbums uit gedurende haar succesvolle muziekcarrière.

Welsh singer Shirley Bassey is arguably best known internationally for her poised, belting renditions of the themes to the cinematic James Bond series, with Goldfinger in 1964, 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, and 1979's Moonraker. Bassey earned the distinction as one of the most enduring, popular vocalists in Great Britain during the latter half of the 20th century. Known as "Bassey the Belter" and also the "Tigress of Tiger Bay," her early career in touring shows and cabaret brought her a recording contract with Philips by the late 1950s. After reaching the top of the British charts in 1959 with "As I Love You" and, later, "Reach for the Stars/Climb Every Mountain," Bassey's voice, at once brassy and seductive, conveyed the James Bond myth perfectly; the song "Goldfinger" also became a Top Ten hit in the States. Appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2000, she recorded well into her eighties, releasing I Owe It All to You in 2020. It became her first album in 50 years to reach the U.K. Top Five. Further, Bassey became the first female artist to chart Top 40 on the U.K. Albums Chart in seven consecutive decades. In 2025, Cherry Red released the multi-disc retrospective Dame Shirley Bassey: The Singer - Classic and Undiscovered Gems from the EMI/UA Years 1962-1979.

Drummer Bill Stewart (best known for having formerly been a regular member of John Scofield's group) has been developing into a notable bandleader and composer himself. In fact, seven of the nine numbers on this CD are his (they are joined by Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" and an eccentric version of Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning"), and the interesting and unusual structures clearly inspire Stewart's sidemen to some of their best playing. Steve Wilson (on alto and soprano), tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, pianist Bill Carrothers and bassist Larry Grenadier are all up and coming players, and someday this CD may be looked upon as an all-star group. The post-bop solos and occasional surprises make the stimulating set easily recommended.

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's third LP, Io Sono Nato Libero, was released only a few months after the impressive Darwin!, and featured the same lineup (brothers Vittorio and Gianni Nocenzi on keyboards, Rodolfo Maltese on guitar, Pierluigi Calderoni on drums, Renato d'Angelo on bass, and Francesco Di Giacomo on vocals). It yielded one classic track, "Non Mi Rompete," a beautiful Italian ballad that would be part of the band's set list for the rest of its life. Another important track is "Traccia II," which develops the musical idea found at the end of the 1971 LP Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. Music history may have preserved these two pieces, but the real point of interest on Io Sono Nato Libero is the 15-minute opus "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico," a complex and very moving piece (the title translates to "Nomad Song for a Political Prisoner")…

Martha Argerich There are very few good pianists, many average ones, and only one Martha Argerich.

The Sessions VI contains a long instant live composition from the current Tangerine Dream line-up Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss, Hoshiko Yamane and new TD member Paul Frick. This live session was recorded at the RBB Sendesaal in Berlin (November 3, 2018) during the Elektro Beats Festival organized by Radio Eins. Tangerine Dream are very much enjoying their new respectively revived concept of performing a so-called real time composition session at the end of their concerts.

The Smurfs Movie Soundtrack (Music From & Inspired By) was released on June 13, 2025, by Paramount Pictures. The soundtrack features music from and inspired by the live-action animated musical comedy film, "The Smurfs". The film stars Rihanna as the voice of Smurfette, alongside a large ensemble cast.