After achieving a reluctant Top Ten hit with a rock version of the traditional Irish pub ballad "Whiskey in the Jar," Thin Lizzy began work on Vagabonds of the Western World – their third, and ultimately last album for Decca Records. The single's surprise success gave the band bargaining power to demand more money and time to record, resulting in their first sonically satisfying album. The environmentally-conscious R&B of "Mama Nature Said" kicks things off with Eric Bell leading the way on slide guitar. The overblown "The Hero and the Madman" and the tepid "Slow Blues" threaten to derail the proceedings, but all is well again when the band break into their first bona fide classic "The Rocker."

Swapping out his rhythm section, Andrew Stockdale proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's the mastermind of Wolfmother on Cosmic Egg, creating a second record that is essentially a replication of the first, equally enamored with all the thick, heavy rock of the '70s, specifically Sabbath and Zeppelin, tempered with a little bit of Jack White caterwaul. All the sounds remain the same, but the songs have changed: with the occasional exception, such as the Stripes-ian salute "White Feather," Stockdale backs away from simple, brutal riff-driven songs, preferring churning exercises in heavy fantasy, sometimes colored with some Deep Purple organ.

UFO, an English hard rock institution, helped pave the way for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with seminal acts like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard citing the band as a significant influence. Led by vocalist Phil Mogg, who has been the group's sole constant member since its formation in 1968, UFO enjoyed commercial success in the '70s and '80s with hits like "Rock Bottom," "Lights Out," and "Doctor, Doctor." Their 1979 concert album Strangers in the Night is often cited as one of the greatest live rock albums. UFO underwent numerous lineup changes over the years – guitarist Michael Schenker, formerly of Scorpions, joined the band in 1973 and contributed significantly to their sound before leaving in 1978 – but managed to release 22 studio albums, 14 live recordings, and numerous compilations before ceasing operations in 2024. Vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way, and drummer Andy Parker formed the British space metal outfit UFO in 1968.

Japanese only remix album, compiled from tracks previously available on Children Of The Revolution (Tony Visconti '87 Remix) and Get It On (Tony Visconti 87 Remix). Erratum: "Cadilac" is incorrectly titled "Cadillac" - Bolan always spelt it with one 'l'.

SUPERB BENEFIT SHOW FROM 1987 FEATURING STILLS & CROSBY By early 1987, both Stephen Stills and David Crosby were in fallow periods of their respective - and collaborative - careers. Stills hadn t put out a solo record since 1984 s Right By You and there hadn t been a CSN album in five years. Crosby had spent the majority of the previous year incarcerated following his arrest for drunken driving, a hit-and-run accident, and possession of a concealed pistol and drug paraphernalia. He hadn t put out a solo effort since 1971 or any new records with Graham Nash in more than a decade. But despite this CSN, in a myriad of formulations, or indeed solo, never stopped playing at benefit gigs and 87 was no exception. On 5th February 1987, Stephen Stills and David Crosby performed at the Cowboys For Indians Benefit, in Manor Downs, Austin, TX as part of a show that also featured sets by Jerry Jeff Walker, Rambin Jack Elliot and David Lindley. Stills and Crosby both performed dynamic solo sets and then collaborated for the final half hour or so, during which the marvellous Mr. Lindley joined the two veterans. This 2CD set features the entire sets by Stills, Crosby and CSL (Crosby, Stills and Lindley!) for the first time.

Metallica is the definitive heavy metal band, the group that brought the gnarly underground sounds of thrash metal into the mainstream, then reshaped the contours of heavy music and hard rock once they became the biggest rock band in the world after the release of their self-titled "black album" in 1991. By that point, Metallica had already experienced enough upheaval for two careers. Emerging from the feverish metal underground of the early '80s, Metallica became a word-of-mouth sensation with their indie releases Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning, records that helped them land a contract with Elektra. Master of Puppets, their major-label debut, found the band marshaling their forces, but months after its release, the group suffered a tragic bus accident that killed bassist Cliff Burton. Vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, and guitarist Kirk Hammett forged ahead with Jason Newsted, who appeared on 1988's …And Justice for All, their first album to reach the Billboard Top Ten.

A singing trio of brothers — Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, and Maurice Gibb. They were born on the Isle of Man to English parents, lived in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England, UK and during their childhood years moved to Brisbane, Australia, where they began their musical careers. Their worldwide success came when they returned to the UK and signed with producer Robert Stigwood.

Simple Minds Scotland's Simple Minds evolved from artful late-'70s post-punks into global purveyors of pop grandeur with a string of U.K. chart-topping albums in the '80s that include Sparkle in the Rain and their global breakthrough Once Upon a Time, and built that success into a long-running career that has continued well into the 2020s. While the band was widely embraced in the U.K., Europe, and Oceania, it took the smash hit "Don't You (Forget About Me)," from the film The Breakfast Club, to break them in the U.S. Along with the similarly anthemic "Alive and Kicking," it is still their best-known Stateside hit, though they remained one of the U.K.'s biggest bands throughout the remainder of the decade. After 1989's Street Fighting Years and a series of personnel shuffles, Simple Minds' popularity faded somewhat. Founding members Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitar) have made up the band's core partnership since its inception and over the subsequent decades have continued to mount successful tours and release high-quality late-period albums like 2014's Big Music and 2018's Walk Between Worlds. Following two live albums and a compilation, they returned to studio recording with 2022's Direction of the Heart.

Cut From The Original Analog Master Tapes By Kevin Gray. All Analog Process (AAA). High Quality Vinyl Release. Original Gatefold Design. All runouts are etched. In 1962, legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans collaborated for the first time on record with jazz guitarist Jim Hall to create the landmark album Undercurrent. And even though it is a two-person improvisational affair, it is almost unfathomable that these two giants alone fill up all the grooves on this record. The thoughtful interplay between these two musicians created such a beautiful, lush, and emotional journey that their work influenced many. At the time of this recording, Bill Evans was one of the top jazz pianists (his performance with Miles Davis on Kind Of Blue is still a high-water mark), but he had stopped performing and recording after the death of his peer, bassist Scott LaFaro.

The rumors are true. On January 30, 1985, Hüsker Dü recorded a peak high performance to 24 track tape at Minneapolis’s Firat Avenue club in front of their hometown massive. This performance was supposed to come out as a live album later that year, but the band’s rapid upward trajectory caused priorities to shift. The tapes were shelved – thought to be possibly lost in the same 2011 house fire that consumed a precious portion of the Hüsker Dü archive. Nearly 40 years later, these tapes have been rescued from the abyss, and we’ve tasked the team at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio on the transferring and Beau Sorensen at Tiny Telephone for the mixdowns.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is the second solo album from the English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released on 3 May 1974 by A&M Records. The album is a live recording of his second of two concerts on 18 January 1974 at the Royal Festival Hall in London. With its concept based on Jules Verne's science fiction novel of the same name, the album tells the story of Professor Lidenbrok, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans, who follow a passage to the Earth's centre originally discovered by Arne Saknussemm, an Icelandic alchemist. Wakeman performs with the London Symphony Orchestra, the English Chamber Choir, and a group of hand-picked musicians for his rock band, which later became the English Rock Ensemble. Actor David Hemmings narrates the story. Journey to the Centre of the Earth was overall well received by music critics. It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, the first album from A&M to do so, and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

Hymn is the twelfth studio album by English soprano Sarah Brightman and first since 2013's Dreamchaser. The five-year gap between both studio albums marks Brightman's longest break between studio releases. This album marks Brightman's ninth studio collaboration with producer Frank Peterson. The album was released on 9 November 2018, entering at No. 1 on both the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums and overall Classical Albums, making Brightman the female artist with the most No. 1s in both charts.

The Cosmos Rocks is the only studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers, released on 15 September 2008. It contains 14 new tracks written by Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Paul Rodgers. This is the first studio album of new material from the two remaining members of Queen since 1995′s Made in Heaven. The album's release came 17 years after the death in 1991 of former Queen singer Freddie Mercury. "It had some great stuff on it," Taylor recalled. "I just think that Paul's more blues and soul – one of our favourite singers, ever, but, when it boils down to it, he wasn't the perfect frontman for us. I felt the album was badly promoted by EMI, who were falling to bits at the time. We were on tour in Europe, and I went into record stores and we weren't in them. And I remember being furious, thinking, 'Why did we make this fucking record?'"

Made of Bricks is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Nash, released in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2007 by Fiction Records, Cherrytree Records, and the Universal Music Group. The album was a commercial success, topping the UK Albums Chart and spawning a number-two single in the form of the lead single "Foundations".

Third & final volume in Ace Records' anthology series for the guitar legend highlights Lonnie's recordings for Harry Carlson's Cincinnati-based Fraternity label between 1963 and 1967. It follows in the wake of Lonnie on the Move & Memphis Wham! 26 tracks including previously unissued versions.