Formed in NYC in the mid-'70s by David Byrne, Chris Franz, Tina Weymouth, and ex-Modern Lover Jerry Harrison, Talking Heads soared out of their humble CBGB's beginnings to become Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and one of the most adventurous and influential bands ever. The onstage energy that propelled their rise to fame was documented in the 1982 double-LP set THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS, now available on CD for the first time. Following them through several early evolutions from '77-'81, this live gem - a 1982 Top 40 Billboard Album- is a riveting portrait of a stellar band on the rise. For its CD debut it's been expanded with over 30 minutes of rare and mostly previously unreleased bonus material.

3 X CD SET FEATURING CLASSIC LIVE RECORDINGS 1971 - 1994 This three x CD boxed set celebrates the extraordinary career of The Allman Brothers, and features live broadcast recordings from each era of the band s history. On Disc One, from the group s first wave when brother Duane was still on board, comes the very rare Warehouse broadcast, recorded in New Orleans in September 1971. Next up is the classic broadcast from the Cow Palace in San Francisco on New Year s Eve 1973, by which time, tragically, both Duane Allman and bass player Berry Oakley had been killed in separate motorcycle accidents. The set is concluded with an extraordinary late period show recorded at the Woodstock Festival in 1994 (on the 25th Anniversary of the original 1969 event) when the band performed a dynamic set in front of some 500,000 attendees.

The second album after transferring to Atlantic is back in complete STEREO/MONO! This is the second album from Atlantic released in 1967, following "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You". Although this album is relatively less well-known because it is sandwiched between "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You" and the next album "Lady Soul," both of which are well-known albums, this album contains many cover versions of songs such as "Satisfaction" and "96 Tears," which are familiar to rock fans. The album is a collection of songs that includes many covers, such as "Atisfaction" and "96 Tears," which are familiar to rock fans. This is a must-have for fans of Aretha's music, as it combines the STEREO and MONO recordings, which were released separately in the analog era, into a single disc.

Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, most from the original master tapes or best sources available. The best pre-1965 Beach Boys album featured their brilliant number one single "I Get Around," as well as other standout cuts in the beautifully sad "Wendy," "Little Honda" (one of their best hot rod tunes, covered by the Hondells for a hit), and their remake of the late-'50s doo wop classic "Hushabye." The nostalgic "All Summer Long," another great production, seemed (whether intentionally or not) like a sort of farewell to the frivolous California beach culture that had supplied the lyrical grist for most of their music up to this point, with a longing, regretful chorus that was totally at odds with the bouncy arrangement.

Blue Note's Esquire Jazz Collection: Breakthrough! features a sampling of recordings from the '80s and '90s from the premier jazz label. Among the 13 tracks on this volume are Jacky Terrasson's "Bye Bye Blackbird," Marcus Printup's "Speak Low," Benny Green's "Playmate," and Javon Jackson's "Paradox." This consistently satisfying disc also features tunes by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Junko Onishi, Geri Allen, Tim Hagans, Kevin Hays, Bill Stewart, Charlie Hunter, Fareed Haque, and Joe Lovano.

In the late '70s and early '80s guitarist Norman Barratt brought his undoubted guitar hero skills to Christian music as part of the Alwyn Wall Band and with his own outfit The Barratt Band. At the time I can remember much talk about his mainstream band Gravy Train who had been signed to the Vertigo and Dawn labels. As their albums weren't easily found back then, this CD re-release is the first time I've tracked down his earlier music. At first glance, you might think that 'Strength Of A Dream: The Gravy Train Anthology' would be a best of collection spanning all their releases when in fact it is their third and fourth albums with assorted singles and b sides. What you get is the 'Second Birth' and 'Staircase To The Day' LPs and an interesting journey seeing how the band developed between those two releases from 1973 and 1974.

The Pet Sounds Sessions is a 4-CD box set by the American rock band the Beach Boys. Released on November 4, 1997, by Capitol Records, it compiles tracks from the group's 11th studio album Pet Sounds (1966) and its 1965–66 recording sessions. The entire album is included in its original mono mix, as well as a specially-created digital stereo mix. The set also contains instrumental tracks, vocals-only tracks, alternate mixes, and edited highlights from the recording sessions for many of the album's songs, along with several tracks not included on the album. The box set was nominated for Best Historical Album at the Grammy Awards of 1999. In 2011, it was followed by The Smile Sessions, a similar compilation devoted to the recording of the Beach Boys' unfinished Smile project.

An anthology of solo recordings from the original Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, starting with his ‘comeback’ album on Sire, through to the current day & a new track ‘Run James Run’ which is unreleased & recorded specifically for this album. The record also features another unreleased track – ‘Some Sweet Day’ – from the sessions with Andy Paley. And the remainder comes from his various solo releases, the self-titled album on Sire, the ‘Smile’ release on Nonesuch, the duet ‘Soul Searchin’’ with his brother Carl from ‘Gettin’ In Over My Head’ right through to the most recent full length ‘No Pier Pressure’ on Capitol.

From a landmark Janacek album to a previously unpublished Schubert/Mozart recording, this collection presents the Deutsche Grammophon, British and American Decca, and Westminster legacy of Rudolf Firkušný (1912-1994), acclaimed by Stereo Review as 'the outstanding champion of Czech piano music on the international circuit'.

This splendid and authoritative recital by Elissa Edwards and Richard Kolb of arias and cantatas from Barbara Strozzi’s last published opus showcases the dramatically coloured, highly charged power of the composer’s expressive toolkit, lit by the emerging harmonic language of the Baroque, influenced by Monteverdi through her teacher Cavalli, as a serious precedent for the future of opera. In his booklet notes Kolb comments that in Strozzi’s time a taste for ‘indulgence in the sensual pleasure of vocal melody or as an esoteric manifestation of nothingness’ was growing – the future indeed.

Even though Vladimir Ashkenazy is most often celebrated for his brilliantly virtuosic interpretations of Romantic repertoire, his skills in playing works of the Classical era are just as worthy, as proved by this 10-disc set from London of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's piano concertos. These performances span a period from 1966 to 1988, capturing a youthful and vigorous Ashkenazy playing and conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard, in approved Mozartian fashion. All of the keyboard concertos are here, including the official 27 concertos for piano and orchestra, the Concerto for two pianos in E flat major, K. 365, the Concerto for three pianos in F major, K. 242, as well as the two Rondos K. 382 and K. 386. Ashkenazy's elegant playing has been highly praised by critics and placed on a level with his esteemed contemporaries Murray Perahia, Daniel Barenboim, and Alfred Brendel, all past masters of Mozart's primary medium of expression.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the next release in the continuing series of reissues of the entire catalogue by the legendary classical rock band Sky. Formed in 1979, Sky brought together the worlds of rock and classical music in a highly successful and inspiring way. Featuring the gifted talents of guitarist John Williams, percussionist Tristan Fry, legendary bass player Herbie Flowers, former Curved Air keyboard player Francis Monkman and guitarist Kevin Peek, Sky recorded their debut album at Abbey Road studios in the early months of 1979. The band’s self-titled debut reached the UK top ten in May 1979 and went on to achieve Platinum status in the UK and was also a major hit in Europe and Australia.

Jaco Pastorius was a meteor who blazed on to the scene in the 1970s, only to flame out tragically in the 1980s. With a brilliantly fleet technique and fertile melodic imagination, Pastorius made his fretless electric bass leap out from the depths of the rhythm section into the front line with fluid machine-gun-like passages that demanded attention. He also sported a strutting, dancing, flamboyant performing style and posed a further triple-threat as a talented composer, arranger and producer. He and Stanley Clarke were the towering influences on their instrument in the 1970s. Collection includes 'Broadway Blues' & 'Teresa', 'Heavy'n Jazz' & 'Stuttgart Aria', 'Live In Italy' & 'Honestly'.

By 1978, David Liebman had played with Miles Davis and Elvin Jones, founded the adventurous cooperative Free Life Communications and led a funk band with James Brown alum Pee Wee Ellis. Early that year, he booked a week at the Village Vanguard. The gig reunited him with pianist Richie Beirach, combining their previous flights of freedom in a grounded, straightahead setting. Trumpeter Randy Brecker joined the frontline while bassist Frank Tusa and drummer Al Foster helmed the rhythm section. The group on the Mosaic Select Pendulum set didn’t last beyond that February week, though Beirach and Liebman would continue to work together closely, in duos and groups like Quest, which included Foster. The three discs recall a transitional time for jazz when musicians had freedom, fusion and tradition to draw on in their playing. Aside from three originals, the group expands on material like “Impressions,” “Footprints” and a few standards (“Night and Day” and “There Is No Greater Love”). The set list was called on the Vanguard stage and most tracks last well beyond a quarter of an hour. The loose nature and the anything-goes mood of the time brought out the best in the group.

For this second volume of Beethoven’s string quartets, the Doric String Quartet has combined one middle period, one late, and two early quartets to create a programme that works on its own terms, as well as forming part of the complete cycle. The musicians start off with a vivid performance of Op. 18 No. 2, following it with the Quartet, Op. 130, in which, as finale, they perform the Große Fugue (Op. 133), as Beethoven long contemplated it.