There's no grand, large-scale music on this exceptional disc–only psalms and hymns for soprano, tenor, bass and strings in various combinations. Typical of the music are three settings of "Confitebor tibi, Domine" (Psalm 110): a jaunty but graceful setting for soprano and tenor, with athletic runs and a gorgeous slow ending; a moderate but charged setting for three voices, each singer delivering a verse in turn before joining dramatically at "sanctum et terribile" ("holy and terrible"); and a setting for soprano and strings combining enchanting delicacy with astonishing virtuosity. That description fits the singing of Emma Kirkby perfectly here; Ian Partridge and David Thomas make ideal partners. After fifteen years in release, this remains one of the best Monteverdi records in the catalog.

Italian composer Francesco Cilea (1866-1950) is best known for his operas, particularly "Adriana Lecouvreur." However, his contributions to instrumental music should not be overlooked. Though less renowned than his operatic output, Cilea's instrumental works exhibit a melodic richness and emotional depth characteristic of the Romantic era. Cilea's orchestral works show his mastery of lyrical themes and dramatic expression. His works are imbued with a sense of Italianate warmth and passion, reflecting the composer's deep connection to his native land.

This performance is considered an unrepeatable document of the Salzburg festival.. The sound has been digitalized and the performance is highly recommended. The singers included some of the greatest Mozart performers of the 20th century. Mehta is the conductor and achieves an incandescent performance from all concerned.

This is the second two-CD set of Beethoven's ten sonatas for piano and violin performed by violinist Henryk Szeryng and pianist Ingrid Haebler. It includes Beethoven's final five works in this form, including the three sonatas of opus 30, the opus 47 sonata, and the opus 96 sonata.

Maneige's first album remains their most daring and their best, the second of these judgments not valid only as the consequence of the first. Yes, the music pushed more toward free improv passages (in "Le Rafiot") and clever dissonances, but these are well wrapped in good melodies elsewhere and never feel gratuitous. No matter how mainstream the group would later attempt to be, the musicians rarely topped the quality of the writing found on this LP. It's tight, rich, and varied, with luscious instrumentation. The production is also excellent, each instrument (close to a dozen at times and mainly acoustic) clearly defined and beautifully recorded. The first side is filled with the 21-minute epic "Le Rafiot" (a decrepit boat), an instrumental tour de force…

Coil's first official full-length album, Scatology, is one of the essential landmarks in the group's discography and, moreover, one of the '80s industrial scene's more vital and influential recordings. This is the first part of the essential Coil trilogy that also includes Horse Rotorvator and Love's Secret Domain. The 1984 album exhibits the group at its early industrial stage, in transition to the undefined genre of astral noise psychedelia that Coil would inhabit for the following decades without peer or precedent. The core duo of Peter Christopherson and John Balance are joined by Clint Ruin (aka Jim Thirlwell), whose role in the production cannot be underestimated, as well as Stephen E. Thrower, Alternative TV's Alex Ferguson, vocalist Gavin Friday of Virgin Prunes, and one Raoul Revere (who is in fact British camp pop legend and Soft Cell vocalist Marc Almond)…

The premise of this Atlantic set is a bit unusual. The Art Farmer Quartet (consisting of flügelhornist Farmer, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Pete LaRoca), which was together from 1962-1964 (after the demise of the Jazztet), was passing through Stockholm, Sweden at the time of this date and the musicians felt inspired to record a full album of traditional Swedish folk songs. Respect is paid to the often haunting melodies, and Farmer sounds quite at home in this context, sometimes hinting a bit at Chet Baker. Fortunately, not all of the tunes are taken at a ballad pace, and once the themes are fully stated, Farmer and Hall have plenty of harmonically sophisticated solos. The band's cool and restrained style suits the music perfectly, turning it into jazz without losing its essence. Although a brief set (at under 33 minutes), every note counts on this successful outing.

Cutting Crew never deserved the hacking they received from critics. Music reviewers lined up to throttle Cutting Crew's debut album, Broadcast, when it was released in 1986. The slick guitar rock on Broadcast may not have wowed the rock & roll intelligentsia, but it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, an underrated collection of simple, heartfelt love songs and up-tempo pop that reside between the stylistic boundaries of new wave and mainstream rock. "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" and "I've Been in Love Before" immediately thrust Cutting Crew onto the U.S. charts; however, both songs aren't sufficient in summing up Broadcast's appeal. Nick VanEede's soulful croon is mesmerizing on "Any Colour" and "Sahara"; instead of bludgeoning the microphone with vocal histrionics common to late '80s rock, VanEede is thankfully restrained, imbuing every track with ample emotion.

Although this 21-track compilation is credited to the 23rd Turnoff, in fact it's a combination of recordings by the Kirkbys, the mid-'60s Merseybeat group led by Jimmy Campbell, and the 23rd Turnoff, the more psychedelic band they evolved into in 1967. It reveals Campbell as perhaps the most unheralded talent to come out of the Liverpool '60s rock scene, as he was a songwriter capable of both spinning out engaging Merseybeat and - unlike almost every other artist from the city, with the notable exception of the Beatles – making the transition to quality, dreamy psychedelia. Both sides of all three of the Kirkbys' 1965-1966 singles are here, as well as a bunch of unreleased recordings and outtakes by the group, all written or co-written by Campbell. While there's no obvious hit among them, they're catchy, Beatles-influenced tracks, showing some folk-rock and Revolver influence on the later efforts…

The show captured on King Biscuit Flower Hour (In Concert) (1996) was recorded circa Greg Lake's 1981 self-titled debut, and features Lake (guitar/bass/vocals) leading an impressive backing combo with Gary Moore (guitar), Ted McKenna (drums), Tommy Eyre (keyboards), and Tristian Margetts (bass). The set originated as a King Biscuit Flower Hour broadcast from the Hammersmith Odeon in London on November 5, 1981. During this time, Lake was on an extended hiatus from Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), and issued a pair of solo efforts.

Procol Harum is a band that is (these days anyway) rather obscure, but has had a definite influence on rock music, in general, and progressive rock, in particular. "Best Of" albums seldom are that, and whether or not this one is certainly falls under the area of debate. However, the album is a good introduction to the many sides of this complex and intriguing band. For those who only know of the group's two hits, "Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Conquistador," the disc provides both of them. However, for the more knowledgeable fans, it has a purpose, too. Fans of progressive rock will certainly find a lot of the material here of interest. Besides the aforementioned "Whiter Shade of Pale," which some consider the first progressive rock song, there are other showings of early prog here. "A Salty Dog" is certainly one of these. The song "Simple Sister" is both a solid rocker and, seemingly, a big influence on Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4." "Shine On Brightly" showcases the group's psychedelic tendencies and Beatles influences.

Endtime Signals channels all the anxiety, fear, and confusion of the world into 12 captivating, empowering tracks.
Endtime Signals is catharsis and darkness, determination, and approbation. The reinvigorated lineup - Joakim Strandberg Nilsson (drums), and Christian Jansson (bass) join Mikael Stanne (vocals), Martin Brändström (keyboards), Johan Reinholdz (guitars) - signifies a new era is upon Dark Tranquillity. Featuring an eye-catching cover by Sundin and a “lived-in” production by Brändström (Rogue Music) and engineering by Alexander Backlund (Fascination Street Studios), as well as a high-octane mix and master by Jens Bogren (Ihsahn, At The Gates), the album parlays all of Dark Tranquillity’s innovatory songcraft into an unparalleled wide-angled experience.