The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Pop and rock groups such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, the Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, the Hollies, the Swinging Blue Jeans, the Animals, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and the Searchers were at the forefront of the "invasion".

Two highly dramatic short works by Monteverdi, Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda and Ballo delle ingrate are performed by distinguished French soloists with Jean-Claude Malgoire directing La Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy.

This instalment follows on from our acclaimed ‘Volume One’ – Lauren Laverne’s ‘Compilation Of The Week’, supported by the likes of Disclosure, Horsemeat Disco, Hunee and Laurent Garnier. ‘Volume Two’ picks up where the last one left off — with a touch more soul and disco — records we’ve been spinning in our DJ sets and on the radio show of the same name, that inspired this series.

Recorded live at the Casino de Montreux in Switzerland, this 1982 broadcast features 19 Browne performances: Somebody's Baby; That Girl Could Sing; Fountain of Sorrow; For Everyman; Knock on Any Door; Your Bright Baby Blues; Tender Is the Night; For a Dancer; and more.

Solos is a sonic exploration of the acoustic guitar. But that glib description gives short shrift to the daring and abstract worlds unearthed from within the instrument by Matteo Liberatore (using such unconventional tools as metal springs, alligator clips, a bass bow, and a kick drum beater). The mountainous, medieval region of Abruzzo, Italy, where Matteo grew up, inspired an overarching darkness in his sound as much as being the son of an architect fostered his deep appreciation of textured expression and modern art movements. Now resident in Brooklyn, Matteo's new album draws from his early experience of life in America - the rawness of a world where incredible art and expression flourish alongside money market-driven politics.

Cliff Richard is indisputably Britain’s all-time greatest hit-maker – the ultimate pop star! No other UK band or solo artist is even close to equalling his 123 single hits, or can claim to have occupied a place in our charts for the equivalent of over 20 years! Highlights of this remarkable career are too numerous to mention, but where is his music is concerned, Sir Cliff holds the record (with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s–2000s). He is also the only singer to have had a No. 1 single in the UK in 5 consecutive decades. Stronger Thru The Years is a brand new 2CD collection bringing together his finest songs of love and reflection.

At the time César Franck was born in Liège, Belgium, on 10 December 1822, Beethoven had not yet composed his 9th symphony, or his last string quartets. When Franck died at the age of 67 in 1890, Claude Debussy had already made his mark with works including the Cinq poèmes de Charles Baudelaire; it is perhaps not surprising, therefore, that a composer whose life spanned such extremities, had trouble finding his own voice.

A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It was released in the UK and US on 7 September 1987 by EMI and Columbia. It was the first Pink Floyd album since the departure of bass guitarist, singer, and songwriter Roger Waters in 1985…

There are many incredible music genres that originated in the great land of America. Rock ’n’ Roll, Blues, Country, Gospel, the list goes on. Stars Of American Anthems gathers many of these leading genres & delivers 60 American timeless classics by iconic artists that remain influential in today’s popular music. The great names include Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Bill Haley, Little Richard, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, The Everly Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner plus many more celebrated legends. Featured are the greatest favourites that have stood the test of time & will continue to be enjoyed by audiences for decades to come.

Nightlife is a loose concept album – more of a song cycle, really – about nightlife (naturally), a collection of moods and themes, from love to loneliness. In that sense, it's not that different from most Pet Shop Boys albums, and, musically, the album is very much of a piece with Very and Bilingual, which is to say that it relies more on craft than on innovation…

Pierre Génisson and Quartet 212 resurrect the arresting delicacy of Mozart’s clarinet quintet in this quietly authoritative album. Génisson nails the composer’s tender lyricism with an airy nonchalance that gives the impression he has pondered every note and cadence. Quartet 212 offer a formidable balance to Génisson’s solos.