The first solo album from Fleetwood Mac singer/songwriter Daniel David Kirwan has the future producer for Human League and Buzzcocks, Martin Rushent, utilizing those skills here, as well as engineering. The sound is crystal clear, and a feather in the cap for Rushent as well as Kirwan. It starts off with an uncharacteristic "Ram Jam City," which has more Lindsey Buckingham sounds than one would expect, especially since the two guitarists come from two different musical worlds. "Odds and Ends" is more lighthearted, the kind of music Paul McCartney toyed with on The White Album's "Rocky Raccoon." What Second Chapter immediately sets forth is the importance of Kirwan as a pop artist, and how, despite Fleetwood Mac's success after he left, his sounds could still have been beneficial to that supergroup…

The legendary French band Rockets released their long-awaited new album "The Final Frontier" on October 31, 2024. An interstellar musical journey, which is a return to spatial sound and lyrics, clearly reminiscent of the eponymous albums Rockets (1976) and Plasteroid (1979), which made the band world famous. The new work contains 10 new tracks in the vinyl version, the CD additionally includes 4 previously unreleased bonus tracks, including a three-part epilogue.

Eric Clapton adopted a new, tougher, hard R&B approach on August, employing a stripped-down band featuring keyboard player Greg Phillinganes, bassist Nathan East, and drummer/producer Phil Collins, plus, on several tracks, a horn section and, on a couple of tracks, backup vocals by Tina Turner, and performing songs written by old Motown hand Lamont Dozier, among others. The excellent, but incongruous, leadoff track, however, was "It's in the Way That You Use It," which Clapton and Robbie Robertson had written for Robertson's score to the film The Color of Money.

Compilation. Limited edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve.

This disc continues Thomas Demenga's project of juxtaposing Bach cello suites with contemporary compositions—by Elliott Carter (12/90), Heinz Holliger, and now Sandor Veress, whose music we can hear growing out of, and away from, its neo-classical roots in Bach's polyphony.

The Newcastle quartet's debut album followed hard on the heels of two superlative hit singles. Beyond a passing affection for a Slade-style stomp, "Don't Do That" and "All Because of You" have little in common with the then-prevalent glam sound, but still their pounding hard rock ethos slipped effortlessly into the mood of the day, to portray Geordie as the unabashed hard rockers that even the teenies could enjoy. (Nazareth pulled off a similar coup around the same time.) Following in those same stack-heeled footsteps, Hope You Like It makes few concessions to the band's newfound fame, a raw and raucous slam through 11 songs that only let the bombast slip when they fall into the closing clown time of the traditional "Geordie's Lost His Liggie," a mad singalong that is absolutely captivating.

The Renaissance French composer Clément Janequin is rightfully regarded today as a master of the chanson, of which 286 have survived. Had only the program chansons "La Bataille de Marignan" (which imitates the sounds of battle) and "Le Chant des oiseaux" (which imitates the sound of birds) survived today, he would still lay claim to greatness in the genre.

Greek mezzo-soprano, Mary-Ellen Nesi, who sings all five works, produces a stream of gloriously firm tone reminiscent of Bernada Fink, another superb mezzo on the scene these days. Her diction and moulding of phrases here is excellent. The two Leonardo Leo settings of the Salve Regina (in C Minor and F Major) which begin the disc are followed by a cello Concerto (also by Leonardo Leo) and a world premiere recording of an Alessandro Scarlatti setting of salve Regina (in C Minor) and then the two better known Pergolesi settings (in C and A Minor) conclude the disc. The cello soloist is lovely too and all works receive excellent support from Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco.

There is no doubt that Mitsuko Uchida is one of the leading Mozart pianists. And that fact alone gives this release credibility. But if we look deeper we find that this release is a magnificent example of her ability.

“Those songs and recordings will live forever and continue to bring joy to those who listen to them. John has left us all a gift, and it is a very precious one.” Geoff Downes, speaking about John Wetton in 2024. ‘Concentus: The John Wetton Live Collection, Volume I’ is the first in an on-going series of three box sets celebrating the life and times of this incredible musician, focusing on the concert arena.

Whom Gods Destroy is an American progressive metal supergroup, formed in 2023 by former Sons of Apollo members, Derek Sherinian (keyboards) and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (guitar), alongside vocalist Dino Jelusick, bassist Yas Nomura and drummer Bruno Valverde (Angra).
Their stunning debut album “Insanium” offers 9 tracks of progressive metal and hard rock virtuosity at its most entrancing.

High Tide is completely ahead of its time. On their first album, Sea Chanties, they combine their folkish influences with a more harsh, aggressive sound. Sometimes sounding jazzy, and one of the first, if not the first prog-metal album. The key here is the battle, the rivalry between the electric guitar of Tony Hill and the excellent playing of Simon House on his electric violin. From the first second we feel something is ahead of its time. A huge guitar riff starts off the album, and the great rythm section soon come along. The violin adds up to the unique sound and forms a melodic mess. Throughout the album, there are a lot of excellent guitar moment and as many violin ones. Diverse, but always true to their roots, High Tide delivers. The only problem may be the vocals, wich do not fit with the intensity of the music. Still, this is heavy stuff for the time and still today, it sounds like a ton of brick.

Near the beginning of his career, Michel Legrand was primarily known as a jazz pianist, so it shouldn't be surprising to learn that none of his compositions are present on these 1959 studio sessions, which were issued by Phillips. With bassist Guy Pederson and drummer Gus Wallez, Legrand covers songs by French composers of the day along with the ever-popular "Moulin Rouge" and a somewhat upbeat arrangement of Edith Piaf's usually maudlin "La Vie en Rose," as well as standards from the Great American Songbook by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Vernon Duke, and Mack Gordon. Most of the songs have a Parisian theme to them. Legrand's piano style is hard to define, as he shows a variety of influences without letting any of them overwhelm his sound…