Just when the first-generation British Invasion bands galloped ahead into pop art in 1966, the Small Faces worked a heavy R&B groove on their 1966 debut. That's not to say that this pack of four sharp-suited mods were unaware of the times. If anything, no other British band of the mid-'60s was so keenly tuned into fashion, the four Small Faces capturing the style and sound of dancing pilled-up mods better even than the Who, possibly because the group could carry a groove better than the Who, as this tightly propulsive debut amply illustrates…

If In Utero is a suicide note, MTV Unplugged in New York is a message from beyond the grave, a summation of Kurt Cobain's talents and pain so fascinating, it's hard to listen to repeatedly…

Gustav Holst was among those few classical composers to exert a major influence on rock music and popular music in the mid- to late- 20th century – which is all rather ironic, since he passed away in 1934. Holst was part of the early- 20th century school of English composers usually referred to as post-Romantics – along with his friend Ralph Vaughan Williams, with whom he shared a common interest in English folksong, he helped advance the cause of distinctly English orchestral music far beyond the boundaries of England; but much of Holst's music, as distinct from that of his contemporaries, was also steeped in Eastern influences that made it unique. Born in Cheltenham in 1874, Holst survived a childhood blighted by poor health (including painful neuritis in his right hand), the death of his mother when he was eight years old, and an overly demanding father.

Francis Poulenc was the leading composer of Les Six, the French group devoted to turning music away from Impressionism, formality, and intellectualism. He wrote in a direct and tuneful manner, often juxtaposing the witty and ironic with the sentimental or melancholy. He heavily favored diatonic and modal textures over chromatic writing. His music also shows many elements of pandiatonicism, introduced around 1920 by Stravinsky, whose influence can be heard in some of Poulenc's compositions, such as the religious choral work Gloria. Poulenc is regarded as one of the most important 20th century composers of religious music, and in the realm of the French art song, he is also a major voice of his time.

In its matching up of Andy Williams titles for a two-fer release, Collectables Records has opted to combine Williams' spring 1972 album Love Theme From "The Godfather" with his spring 1974 album The Way We Were, skipping over his fall 1972 album Alone Again (Naturally) and his fall 1973 album Solitaire. (Those two are together on another disc.) The theory may have been that these two both had something to do with the movies while the two in between did not, but in fact all of these albums take the same approach, more or less. That approach is to have Williams present his interpretations of songs from the pop charts of the period. As it happens, these two albums mark significant milestones for the singer, albeit of opposite sorts.

Joe Jackson's debut single, 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?', was not an immediate hit; however, by the time his debut album Look Sharp! Was released, the song had reached charts in the U.K. and U.S., earning him a gold record. For the follow-up, he produced the top 5 hit 'It's Different For Girls', Joe received the highest musical accolade of the Netherlands, the Edison Award. After two edgy new wave pop records, his next tracks included some reggae influences such as the tracks 'One to One' and 'Mad At You', while Jumpin' Jive - recorded with jazz musicians - was full of old jump blues and swing tunes. The huge commercial success came with his crafted pop songs 'Steppin' Out' and jazzy 'Breaking Us In Two' climbing the charts worldwide. Joe Jackson produced even jazzier hits in 1984 such as 'Happy Ending', (a duet with Elaine Caswell), 'Be My Number Two' and 'You Can't Get What You Want'. The album Big World (1986), a live album of entirely new material including 'Home Town', was recorded during six concerts. It is not a regular live album though, the audience was asked to be quiet during the songs and the applause was edited out. The pop song 'Nineteen Forever' was part of a larger construction from the album Blaze Of Glory, designed to tell a semi-autobiographical story. In 1991 Joe Jackson decided to abandon pop once and for all in favor of more serious music. It spawned the track 'Stranger Than Fiction'. Joe Jackson - collected is a comprehensive series of sounds Joe Jackson has gone through, from old to new, this collection will never get boring!

The Hits Album: The Electronic Album - 80 massive synth-pop and electro-dance classics to get your feet moving, including: Soft Cell, Simple Minds, The Cure, Tears For Fears, Japan, The Human League, Donna Summer and many more! 4CDs packaged in an attractive fold out card digipack.

The Haydn series continues with the Paris Symphony no 87. Julien Chauvin and his orchestra keep shaking us up with historical instruments listening Haydn’s works and several other forgotten scores from the same period. All of them were commissioned for the Concert de la Loge Olympique - ancestor and model for Julien Chauvin and his musicians - and all of them sank into oblivion during the 19th century, except for Haydn’s symphonies. The release offers an opportunity to experience some rare works of Grétry, Lemoyne and Ragué and to revive the success that they once knew.

The impressive discography of Handel operas and oratorios from Nicholas McGegan continues with this recording of Radamisto, made following staged performances of the opera at the 1993 Göttingen Handel Festival. Generally speaking, McGegan has derived better results in those sets using the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra (as here) than in those made with his Californian forces. The German players sustain his brisk tempi with relative ease, though McGegan’s penchant for spiky staccato and short, snatched phrases rather than long lines does not always do the music full justice. The stars are the countertenor Ralf Popken in the title role and Juliana Gondek as his long-suffering wife, Zenobia.

One of those bands where you’re not quite sure why you’ve missed them. The distinctive visual style continues and the foursome of Nick Beggs, Marty Townsend, Frank Van Bogaert and Marcus Weymaere getting a couple of significant helping hands on Black Rain…

Music Brokers Presents Vintage Café: Lounge and Jazz Blends (Special Selection), Vol. 21 album original hits and the original artists genre Jazz.

Brigitte Engerer was a French pianist. In 1980, her career took a decisive turn when Herbert von Karajan invited her to play with the Berlin Philharmonic. She subsequently received engagements with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre de Paris under Daniel Barenboim, and she was a favourite of conductors such as Mstislav Rostropovich and Zubin Mehta.[3] Her subsequent career was divided between giving recitals and teaching at the Paris Conservatoire. Her last concert took place on 12 June 2012 at the prestigious Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, 50 years after playing there for the first time. The performance featured the work of Schumann. She died less than two weeks later, on 23 June, after a several year struggle against cancer. She was 59 years of age.She had been married to the writer Yann Queffélec, with whom she had a daughter, Leonore. She later married Xavier Fourteau, and together they had a son, Harold Fourteau.

Experimental, innovative English electronic outfit that formed in the 1970s, and stand as major pioneers of industrial and dance music. Series of best-of compilations for the band including The Original Sound of Sheffield '78/'82 and '83/'87.

Digitally remastered two CD set containing a pair of albums by the R&B/Soul act. This package brings together two classic albums by Rose Royce, released by Whitfield Records in 1978 and 1979, including the vocal talents of the great Gwen Dickey. Strikes Again features the huge global hit single 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore' (subsequently covered by Madonna and Jimmy Nail), which reached # 2 in the UK.

Sorcerer, the third album by the second Miles Davis Quintet, is in a sense a transitional album, a quiet, subdued affair that rarely blows hot, choosing to explore cerebral tonal colorings. Even when the tempo picks up, as it does on the title track, there's little of the dense, manic energy on Miles Smiles – this is about subtle shadings, even when the compositions are as memorable as Tony Williams' "Pee Wee" or Herbie Hancock's "Sorcerer." As such, it's a little elusive, since it represents the deepening of the band's music as they choose to explore different territory. The emphasis is as much on complex, interweaving chords and a coolly relaxed sound as it is on sheer improvisation, though each member tears off thoroughly compelling solos. Still, the individual flights aren't placed at the forefront the way they were on the two predecessors – it all merges together, pointing toward the dense soundscapes of Miles' later '60s work.