Smart, sophisticated, and timelessly stylish, Steve McQueen (titled Two Wheels Good in the U.S. after threats of a lawsuit from the actor's estate) is a minor classic, a shimmering jazz-pop masterpiece sparked by Paddy McAloon's witty and inventive songwriting. McAloon is a wickedly cavalier composer, his songs exploring human weaknesses like regret ("Bonny"), lust ("Appetite"), and infidelity ("Horsin' Around") with cynical insight and sarcastic flair; he's also remarkably adaptable, easily switching gears from the faux country of "Faron Young" to the stately pop grace of "Moving the River."

After visiting Central America, Bruce Cockburn recorded Stealing Fire, part of which passionately and eloquently details what he'd seen while in Nicaragua and Guatemala. With the opening track, the terse rocker "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," Cockburn conveys both a sense of urgency and uncertainty. There's a brief calm as the second half begins, before a triad of songs written about his time spent in Central America brings the record to a sober conclusion. These three tunes, which, like the majority of the album, sport a tight, worldbeat, folk and rock flavor, are the true highlights of Stealing Fire, and Cockburn at his very best.

Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, referred to as simply Guitar Heaven, is the twentieth studio album by Santana, released on September 21, 2010. It is a classic rock covers album and features guest performances by several popular vocalists, including India.Arie, Joe Cocker, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden & Audioslave, Scott Stapp of Creed, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots & Velvet Revolver, Chris Daughtry of Daughtry, Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Dead By Sunrise and Stone Temple Pilots, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Pat Monahan of Train and rapper Nas. The album was certified gold by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry.

In 1984, a 45-year-old Tina Turner made one of the most amazing comebacks in the history of American popular music. A few years earlier, it was hard to imagine the veteran soul/rock belter reinventing herself and returning to the top of the pop charts, but she did exactly that with the outstanding Private Dancer. And Turner did so without sacrificing her musical integrity. To be sure, this pop/rock/R&B pearl is decidedly slicker than such raw, earthy, hard-edged Ike & Tina classics as "Proud Mary," "Sexy Ida," and "I Wanna Take You Higher."

Atomhendge, the home of Hawkwind’s catalogue from 1976 1997, continue their series of definitive reissued editions of these classic albums with the Limited 3CD Deluxe Edition release of Levitation. Recorded in 1980 and featuring Ginger Baker, the album was a classic work and spawned an equally legendary tour. Although Baker’s tenure with Hawkwind was brief, a concert at Lewisham Odeon in December 1980 was recorded by a mobile unit. Now remixed from the original multitrack masters this deluxe edition includes the entire concert (during which Sci-Fi author Michael Moorcock guested).

Electronic, esoteric & unusual music from Enterphase, Jan Hanford, Chris Harvey, Peter Maydew, Bekki Williams, David Wright & Robert Fox. A sampler of new and unreleased material from AD Music.

From Real Gone Music comes a discovery that already has the collector community buzzing, and especially those collectors in search of previously unheard stereo–20 tracks discovered deep in the vaults of the Red Bird label, every one of which makes its true stereo debut right here! Founded in 1964 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and run by George Goldner, Red Bird is considered to this day as the girl group label of the '60s, and this collection produced by long-time archivist and engineer Ron Furmanek together with Ash Wells and annotated by James Moniz features the biggest stars on the label roster, and sources its first-time stereo mixes straight from the original master tapes. Among the most notable tracks are Call Me His, a totally unknown and unreleased recording from the great Ellie Greenwich written by a neophyte songwriter named Neil Diamond; an early, unreleased version of The Boy from New York City, recorded by the Ad-Libs back when they were known as The Cheerio's; Go Now by Bessie Banks, a song that became a big hit for The Moody Blues a year later, and I Can t Let Go by Evie Sands, which, similarly, became a hit for the Hollies; I Wanna Love Him So Bad by The Jelly Beans featuring a rare lead vocal from Alma Brewer, and The Young Generation's The Hideaway featuring a very young Janis Siegel before she became a superstar with Manhattan Transfer. Meticulously documented inside a 16-page booklet boasting copious photos and interviews with Siegel, Sands and songwriter/producer Brooks Arthur among many others, The Red Bird Girls Very First Time in True Stereo sheds a new light on the genius artists, songwriters and producers that recorded for the Red Bird label, and displays their work in all its sonic stereo glory.

CLASSIC 1973 BROADCAST RECORDING FROM THE LOVE, DEVOTION, SURRENDER TOUR 1973 was a transformative year for both Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, as they each entered periods of musical and spiritual change. Santana, following the enormous success that his ensemble achieved in the wake of their breakthrough performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, now wanted his recently found interest in the philosophy of Guru Sri Chinmoy, to be reflected in his music. Likewise, McLaughlin, a devotee of Chinmoy s too, wished for similar results. In a joint attempt to reflect their desires, in July 73 the pair released Love, Devotion, Surrender, an album inspired by Chinmoy s teachings, dedicated to John Coltrane. The record peaked at number seven on the UK album chart and at 14 on the Billboard 200, impressive feats considering its challenging nature. The album consisted of two John Coltrane covers, a traditional folk song, and a pair of McLaughlin originals. The duo subsequently toured together across the USA and Canada in 1973 and 1974, accompanied by a handful of world class musicians, including Billy Cobham on drums and the pioneering organist Larry Young, both of whom had appeared on the LP. On 1st September 73 the band played The International Amphitheater, Chicago, IL, a show which was recorded for a live FM broadcast in the United States. Featuring numbers from Love, Devotion, Surrender, plus a couple of rarities, in completion this performance provides for a veritable masterclass in improvisation and musicianship.

After releasing a pair of fine albums for Arista, Willie Nile signed a deal with Geffen Records in 1982, but a dispute with the label put Nile's recording career in limbo, and he ended up not making an album until he struck a deal with Columbia and released Places I Have Never Been in 1991. While in many respects Nile's debut was the purest expression of his music, Places I Have Never Been is where he really nailed the elements of record making; unlike the lean, stark textures of Willie Nile or the overcooked bombast of Golden Down, Places I Have Never Been boasts a sound and an approach that really flatter Nile's songs, and it's certainly his most eclectic and musically adventurous major-label set. T-Bone Wolk and Stewart Lerman produced the album with Nile, and though there's a bit more polish on these tracks than they really need, the team also matched up Nile with some stellar studio players (as well as some Grade-A guest stars, among them Roger McGuinn and Richard Thompson), and they fill out Nile's arrangements with a lot more finesse than on his previous sets.

Rare Recordings From The Dawn Of Cream s Short But Dynamic Career A vital power trio and probably the first ever supergroup, in a career lasting little more than two years Cream sold over 15 million albums and had a number of Top 20 singles to boot. This compilation features the recordings that have come to be known as the lost BBC Sessions - sessions recorded for and broadcast by the Beeb, but not previously released - alongside a broadcast recording made in Stockholm in 1967, as the band performed at the Swedish capital s Konserthusert (Stockholm Concert Hall). Certain to prove a delight for fans of Cream, this release is the holy grail for collectors of this timeless act.

When South Africa was still suffering under the apartheid system in the 1980s, Johnny Clegg & Savuka was the last thing apartheid supporters wanted in a pop group. Their lyrics were often vehemently anti-apartheid, and apartheid supporters hated the fact that a half-black, half-white outfit out of South Africa was integrated and proud of it. Released in the U.S. at the end of the 1980s, Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World is among the many rewarding albums the band has recorded. Sting and the Police are a definite influence on Clegg & Savuka, who have absorbed everything from various African pop styles to Western pop, funk, rock, and reggae. The lyrics are consistently substantial and frequently sociopolitical – "Bombs Away" addresses the violence of the apartheid regime, while "Warsaw 1943" reflects on the horrors Eastern Europe experienced at the hands of both communists and fascists during World War II. Clegg and company enjoyed a passionate following at the time, and this fine CD proves that it was well deserved.

STUNNING 1984 BROADCAST BY LINDA RONSTADT WITH THE NELSON RIDDLE ORCHESTRA Having released over 30 studio albums and 15 compilations to date, and charted 38 Billboard Hot 100 singles, with 21 reaching the top 40, 10 in the top 10, three at number 2, and one chart topper, Linda Ronstadt remains among the most successful American performers of all time, having sold over 100 million records in her lengthy career. In 1983, wishing to diversify, Ronstadt had enlisted the help of 62-year-old orchestral band-leader and conductor, Nelson Riddle. The two embarked on an unorthodox and original approach to rehabilitating the Great American Songbook , recording a trilogy of traditional pop albums: What's New (1983) Lush Life (1984) and For Sentimental Reasons (1986), cumulatively sold almost seven million copies in the US alone. Following the release of What s New, Linda, with Riddle and his band in tow, put on a number of concerts in the US, showcasing the first two albums of the trilogy, and on March 9th 1984, at Santa Barbara s Arlington Theater, they performed a stunning set which was broadcast across FM radio along the West Coast. One of the finest performances of the short tour, this previously unreleased recording is now available in its entirety on this CD for the first time.

On the morning of April 25 1962, directly after the conclusion of his final Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album session, Bob journeyed to Chicago for a live club appearance and a radio interview. The gig, on the evening of the same day, was at a newly opened club called The Bear, in which manager Albert Grossman was a partner. But the primary reason for the 700-mile excursion west was for Dylan to appear on a radio show the following evening, hosted by the extraordinary Studs Terkel. Capturing the entire broadcast, during which Dylan is questioned and discusses with Studs his thoughts and ideas behind both the songs he performs and others he had written by this juncture, this CD contains a legendary event during which a 21 year old Bob Dylan also performs full acoustic versions of 7 self penned numbers. Across just over an hour of airtime, Studs and Bob chat like old friends as Dylan is prompted towards playing certain tracks from his then fairly slim body of work, but comes up trumps by pulling songs not just from his imminent second record, but including one from the album after that and showcasing 3 songs that wouldn't see the light of day on record until the 1990s. Serving both as a historic document of a little known event in the career of a true musical icon, but also as a wholly enjoyable listening experience that stands up to numerous repeat listens.

Early Broadcast From A Newly Formed ELP In 1971 Keith Emerson and Greg Lake first met in December 1969 when Emerson's band, The Nice, and Lake's band, King Crimson, were billed together for a series of concerts at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Emerson was looking to form a new group, and Lake wanted to leave King Crimson. During a sound check before one of the shows, Emerson described the first time he and Lake played together: "Greg was moving a bass line and I played the piano behind, and Zap! It was there. Auditions for a drummer led to the inclusion of former Atomic Rooster and Crazy World Of Arthur Brown sticks-man Carl Palmer, following which the new group settled on Emerson, Lake & Palmer or ELP as their moniker. ELP s debut album, recorded in 1970 with Lake producing, was issued in November the same year in the UK, and in January 1971 in the US. From September 1970 to June 1971, the band completed their first concert tour with shows across the UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. On 3rd June, the group performed an extraordinary show at Dusseldorf s Philipshalle, which was recorded for live radio and TV transmission. Concentrating largely on their debut (despite their sophomore album having already been released by this time) alongside a few choice rarities and some superb classical interpretations. Available here on CD for the first time, this superb concert illustrates just how fully formed ELP were, even at this early stage in their illustrious career.

What the world needs more of is intelligently planned, stupendously played, and brilliantly recorded collections like this one. These two discs contain all the piano works of Michael Tippett, works that come from every period of the composer's very long life except his very last. It includes the youthful, tuneful Piano Sonata No. 1 written between 1936 and 1938 and revised in 1941, the massive Fantasia on a Theme of Handel from 1941, the exuberant Piano Concerto from 1955, the experimental Piano Sonata No. 2, the gnomic almost Beethovenian Piano Sonata No. 3 from 1973, and the gnarly post-Beethovenian Piano Sonata No. 4. It features a bravura performance by pianist Steven Osborne that makes the best case for all the music, no matter how outré or recherché its harmonic proclivities or rhythmic audacities.