With this album, Oldfield began to make an attempt to break down his extended structures into a more commercially acceptable format, with the side-long title track being separated into four sections. Early versions of the album included "Sally," Oldfield's paean to his partner Sally Cooper, while later pressings include "Into Wonderland."

Commercially, Super Trouper, ABBA's seventh album, was another worldwide blockbuster. "The Winner Takes It All," its lead-off single, released several months in advance of the album in most territories, was a smash; for example, it was the group's 14th consecutive Top Five hit in the U.K. and their eighth number one there. The title track was also a British chart-topper (their last), as was the album, their sixth. "Lay All Your Love on Me" made the U.K. Top Ten, and "On and on and On" was released as a single in some countries, hitting the Top Ten in Australia. (Typically, American success was more modest, though the album went gold, and "The Winner Takes It All" was a number one adult contemporary and Top Ten pop hit.) Musically, Super Trouper found ABBA, always trend-conscious, taking account of the passing of disco and returning to the pop/rock sound typical of their early albums…

The acoustic duo's first album in three years doesn't substantially alter the twosome's established game plan. But its well-recorded mix of studio and live tracks - including one with a full yet laid-back band - shows them to be at the top of their form. Combining traditional Delta and Piedmont blues and gospel classics like Robert Johnson's "Last Fair Deal Going Down" (a concert staple that finally makes it to disc), Blind Boy Fuller's salty, suggestive "Something Smells," and Skip James' "Sick Bed Blues" with their similarly styled originals proves they are not stuck in the past, even as they revel in visiting and interpreting it. John Cephas' "The Pimp in the Pink Suit," with its cowboy chorus, could just as well have been written in the '30s. Phil Wiggins shines on "Burn Your Bridges," an instrumental showcase for his lip-shredding harmonica gymnastics that is as compelling as anything from the great Sonny Terry, an obvious influence…

Partly because of its Brazilian collaborators and partly because of "The Girl From Ipanema," Getz/Gilberto is nearly always acknowledged as the Stan Getz bossa nova LP. But Jazz Samba is just as crucial and groundbreaking; after all, it came first, and in fact was the first full-fledged bossa nova album ever recorded by American jazz musicians. And it was just as commercially successful, topping the LP charts and producing its own pop chart hit single in "Desafinado." It was the true beginning of the bossa nova craze, and introduced several standards of the genre (including Ary Barroso's "Bahia" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Desafinado" and "Samba de Uma Nota Só" [aka "One Note Samba"]). But above all, Jazz Samba stands on its own artistic merit as a shimmering, graceful collection that's as subtly advanced - in harmony and rhythm - as it is beautiful…

Samsara Blues Experiment are a Berlin based band, founded in Summer 2007 by leadguitarist/singer Christian Peters. They went through several changes in the first period but are in constant line-up since September 2008 featuring Hans Eiselt (guitar), drummer Thomas Vedder and Richard Behrens (bass). As the band name implies three elemental aspects are to notice - the blues as the fundament where it all comes from, the inclusion of spiritual influences accompanied by Indian/raga music and the experimental approach to mix up varied elements in a convincing manner.
The band's songs are dominated by a playful dual guitar work as well as a passionate blend of heavy psych, stoner and space rock. This is provided with several nuances and transitions in between - quite retro styled, jamming, even sometimes worked out with a repetitive hypnotic touch in the tradition of krautrock…

This live album was recorded at OMD's show at the Liverpool Empire on 4th November, the hometown show on the 40th Anniversary Greatest Hits tour.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are one of the earliest, most commercially successful, and enduring synth pop groups. Inspired most by the advancements of Kraftwerk and striving at one point "to be ABBA and Stockhausen," they've continually drawn from early electronic music as they've alternately disregarded, mutated, or embraced the conventions of the three-minute pop song. Outside their native England, OMD are known primarily for "Maid of Orleans" and the Pretty in Pink soundtrack smash "If You Leave," yet they scored 18 additional charting U.K. singles in the '80s alone…

The group's follow-up to their comeback album is a major step forward, with more mature songs, more improvisation than the group had featured in their work since the early '70s, and more confidence than they'd shown since Brothers and Sisters. It's all here, from acoustic bottleneck playing ("Come on in My Kitchen") to jazz improvisation ("Kind of Bird"), with the most reflective songwriting ("Nobody Knows") in their history.

The exclusive tribute album A Farewell To Sepultura features iconic and rare cover versions of Sepultura songs by bands such as Napalm Death, Children Of Bodom, Suicide Silence and Krisiun as well as two bonus tracks by Sepultura themselves! This very special Sepultura CD is only available with Metal Hammer 11/2024.

This is a fine collected edition of Azimuth's three ECM recordings from the 1970s; the trio of John Taylor - keyboards, Norma Winstone - voice and Kenny Wheeler - trumpet/flugelhorn, were quietly producing highly experimental and deeply rewarding music in these studio recordings that have since become classics of their kind and have influenced many of today's young musicians. Taylor contributed all the compositions across the three albums with Winstone providing lyrics on some tracks; guitarist Ralph Towner guested on the third album.
At this time many musicians were exploring the possibilities of synthesisers and sequencers, something Taylor took full advantage of, together with some overdubbing on some compositions. All four musicians were experienced in third stream music and free improvisation; elements of these forms are part of the soundscape…

If there's are country where ELP influenced greatly the development of Progressive Rock, it was Germany and Austria due to the proximity plus the obvious ethnic and cultural similarities followed them. Some of this bands encouraged by the success of outstanding albums as "Illusions on a Double Dimple" and "Spartacus" (Triumvirat) tried to repeat the formula but didn't had that luck so they only scratched the surface of success, one of this bands is Klockwerk Orange.
The natural leader of the band was the multi instrumentalist and composer Herman Delago, (Guitar, Trumpet and Organ) formed at the Music Academy of Innsbruck…

Indra’s second solo creation is re-edited, added and carefully prepared for all those who have or have not had a chance to listen to it so far. According to Indra, it seems that Kingdom of Light was the most sold album for many years after its first release and he explains this on the CD booklet, plus some other interesting details about the stages that he took on to record this album.
We are discovering a 2nd album to rhythms surrounded by very nice orchestral arrangements. Oniric rhythmic structures where tempos are mainly moved by an impetuous synth, exception made of "Rustic Pictures" and "Malini", a little as Schulze made it on albums such as Totem and Picture Music but with more musicality and suave orchestral arrangements.

Heart had a pair of greatest-hits collections to their credit by 1997, but both did not contain all the renowned studio versions of their classic hits from the '70s (both 1980's Heart Greatest Hits: Live on Epic and 1997's Greatest Hits on Capitol contained half studio and half live material). 1998's Greatest Hits on Epic/Legacy finally corrected this once and for all - collecting all of Heart's '70s studio hits on a single disc. Nearly all of the songs have become classic rock staples, the best-known being the Zep-esque rockers "Crazy on You," "Barracuda," and "Magic Man," while the more subdued acoustic material ("Dreamboat Annie," "Love Alive," "Dog & Butterfly") showcases the immense talents of vocalist Ann Wilson. Other notables include "Kick It Out," "Heartless," "Bebe le Strange," "Straight On," and "Even It Up," while an all-new studio cut recorded in 1998 ("Strong, Strong Wind") and a live cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" from 1980 are included as bonuses…

Chicago bluesman Eddie Burks was born September 17, 1931, on a plantation outside Greenwood, MS - the 14th and youngest child of sharecroppers, his childhood was marked by tragedy, most notably his brother's lynching at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. Burks discovered the music of Robert Johnson and Sonny Boy Williamson as a prepubescent, and began playing harmonica even before he relocated to the Windy City in 1946; there he worked at a steel mill while singing gospel as a member of the Greater Harvest Baptist Choir, famed for also launching the careers of Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke.
Despite the pull of the spiritual life, Burks could not leave the blues behind, playing so often at the old Maxwell Street Market that locals dubbed him "Jewtown Eddie" - still he became an Apostolic minister, with his own storefront church on Chicago's West Side…

Renowned for his avant-garde approach to the saxophone, Peter Brotzmann unleashes sonic landscapes that push the boundaries of free jazz. His playing style reflects a profound exploration of emotion and technique, making each note a revelation. Anto Pett, a virtuoso pianist and composer, weaves intricate musical tapestries with his nuanced playing. As a pioneer in improvisation, Pett brings an emotive and thought-provoking dimension to the ensemble. His harmonious interplay with Brotzmann and Bystrov creates a dynamic balance, elevating the collective improvisation to new heights. Vlady Bystrov's mastery of woodwind instruments adds a rich and diverse texture to the trio's sonic palette. His skillful exploration of timbre and tone enhances the improvisational landscape, providing a captivating interplay with Brotzmann and Pett…

Prog rock supergroup featuring members of Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, Marillion, and the Flower Kings. Transatlantic is Prog's premier supergroup. A truly illustrious collection of amazing talent that push the barriers which redefine the meaning of a progressive rock supergroup!
Drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment) had a brainstorm that gave birth to the band Transatlantic. He envisioned a band of himself, Neal Morse (Spock's Beard), and Jim Matheos (Fates Warning). As it turned out, Morse was available, but Matheos was not. Morse came up with the idea of recruiting Roine Stolt (Flower Kings) instead, and all that was left was a bassist. Portnoy contacted Marillion's Pete Trewavas and the group was set. They recorded and released their first album, SMPTe, in 2000, working around everyone's main band obligations…