An important contribution to our understanding of the ‘gentle master musician.’ Stephen Rice brings perceptive musical insights to these accounts, and also sheds light on Févin’s idiom in the excellent CD booklet. His vocal ensemble may be slender but the singing is robust and buoyantly articulated. Boyish upper voices offset velvety tenors and basses, and the relatively close recording perspective produces a sound at once lucid and lustrous.

In its complexity and individuality, Johann Jacob Froberger's oeuvre represents one of the greatest treasures of 17th century harpsichord repertoire. His travels and friendships with musicians and intellectuals throughout Europe - including, for example, Frescobaldi, Kircher, Kerll, Weckmann, Louis Couperin, Gaultier, Fleury alias Blancrocher, Huygens and many others - are reflected in his stylistic versatillity. What is notable about all these contacts is that the fascination was invariably mutual - Froberger was inspired and also provided strong inspiration to his friends.

In May 1707 George Frideric Handel entered into the service of the Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli, and under his protection, embarked upon a tremendous career. As well as making a name for himself as a spectacular virtuoso on the harpsichord and organ, through his plentiful concerts in the Roman academies, Handel lost no time in also becoming a highly sought-after composer through his felicitous and apparently inexhaustible inspiration. In addition to a significant number of cantatas for solo voice and basso continuo, Handel also involved himself in composing cantatas for larger numbers of voices, combining these with a large supporting orchestral group.

A Scottish band with a crush on all things McCartney. Kirkcaldy McKenzie and the Famous Groupies are a kind of a mystery group and are heavily influenced by McCartney and Wings. "We are delighted to announce that our fourth and ultimately final album has been unleashed upon this world. We have spent these past 8 months working away on these 15 (technically 16) songs, and fruition has arrived. We set you free, Chameleon sessions…"

Revisit the vibrant and eclectic sounds of the late 1980s with The Hits Album: Later 80s. This 3-disc compilation captures essence of an era marked by its bold innovations and memorable hits across various music genres. Sony Music, Universal Music Operations Limited! From synth-pop anthems to heart-stirring ballads, each track in this collection brings to life the dynamic and diverse landscape of 80s music.

The Soft Parade is the fourth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, and was released on July 18, 1969, on Elektra Records. It saw the group departing from the material that encompassed their past three albums. The Doors incorporated brass and string arrangements into their compositions at a point in which the group was experiencing personal issues, particularly related to Jim Morrison. In addition, the album fulfilled the band's desire to feature more jazz and blues influences in their work. Upon release, the album peaked at number six on the Billboard Top LPs chart.

RSD Black Friday release. Limited to 2,000 copies. Soundtrack to the "The Elephant 6 Recording Co." documentary. The Elephant 6 Recording Co is the official soundtrack for the acclaimed documentary of the same name. The film highlights the legacy of one of the most storied DIY scenes in all of indie rock, birthing such bands as Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, and The Apples in Stereo. This soundtrack follows its 2023 wide release and contains music from the film, as well as a pair of unreleased tracks from The Olivia Tremor Control’s forthcoming third and final record. The release is a carefully curated sampling of what has made this beautifully inscrutable scene so enduring and inspiring to musicians all over the world. The vinyl comes in an unique, custom gatefold jacket.

English listeners went mad for Katie Melua with the release of her debut album in late 2003. Issued domestically in June 2004, Call Off the Search posits the lovely Melua pristinely in between pop, adult contemporary, and traditional American musical forms, with savvy marketing handling the finishing touches. (Think Norah Jones.) It's a comfortable, lightly melodic affair that drinks red wine safely in the middle of the road. Raised in Soviet Georgia and the United Kingdom, Melua has a beguiling accent that colors the ends of her phrases, adding character to her velvety, if occasionally only satisfactory singing voice.

In its simplest terms, Blondes Have More Fun is Rod Stewart's disco album, filled with pulsating rhythms and slick, synthesized textures. It's also his trashiest, most disposable album, filled with cheap come-ons and bad double entendres. Of course, that makes Blondes Have More Fun one of his most enjoyable records, even if all the pleasures are guilty. With its swirling strings and nagging chorus, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" was the reason the record hit number one, and decades later, the song stands as one of the best rock-disco fusions. The rest of the record isn't as engaging, but he throws out a handful of winning tracks in the same mold, including "Ain't Love a Bitch," "Attractive Female Wanted," and the title track.

2004 remastered reissue of 1976 debut album features nine tracks & includes original artwork with updated sleeve notes. When Pat Travers exploded onto the scene in 1976, people sat up and took notice. This young Canadian played guitar with a passion and an intensity that took everybody by surprise. This, his debut album, is one of the great debut albums of the period. Tracks like 'Makes No Difference' and 'Medley Parts 1 & 2' are classic slices of 70's hard rock. There was, however, much more to Pat Travers than a Marshall stack and a Fender Telecaster screaming for mercy. Pat's roots lay in the blues, and it's that raw earthiness that runs through the music on this CD. As great as this undoubtedly was, though, better was to come.

You Gotta Go There to Come Back is the fourth studio album by alternative rock band Stereophonics. Produced by Kelly Jones and released on V2 in 2003. This album is the only Stereophonics record which features both Stuart Cable and Javier Weyler. Cable played drums on most tracks as the band's drummer and Weyler, who replaced Cable as the band's drummer in 2005, contributed to the record as an engineer, programmer and percussionist. You Gotta Go There to Come Back joined its predecessors at #1 on release. It was re-issued with bonus tracks in February 2004, coming into the UK charts again at #35, finally re-entering at #16 in September 2004. It was the 28th biggest selling album of 2003 in the UK. The track "Maybe Tomorrow" became one of their biggest hits; it was played over the credits of the Academy Award-winning movie Crash (2004) and also during the opening scene of the film Wicker Park (2004). It was also used in a season one episode of One Tree Hill and featured on the first Charmed soundtrack.

Recorded Live on February 3rd 2024 at the Auditorium Parco Della Musica in Rome.

Two CD set. The Misunderstood must rank as one of the greatest cult bands of the '60 psychedelia era. The band began forging their innovative sound in Riverside, California, where they were discovered by DJ John Peel (then working in the US as John Ravenscroft). Having cut a few recordings locally, the band relocated to the UK on Peel's recommendation. In London, The Misunderstood signed to Fontana Records to cut what are considered six landmark tracks. Issued that December, 'I Can Take You To The Sun' remains a high watermark of the original psychedelia era and was backed by an explosive version of Bo Diddley's 'Who Do You Love', but the band broke up soon afterwards when singer Rick Brown was drafted. A second single, the blistering psych rock of 'Children Of The Sun' (backed by the anti-war gem 'I Unseen') was belatedly issued in February 1969 when a new line-up of the band re-signed to the label. In 1982, Cherry Red released the landmark compilation LP, Before The Dream Faded, which not only unveiled two further Fontana recordings, the high octane 'Find The Hidden Door' and 'My Mind' but also collated seven archive tracks from the band's Riverside days. Since then, additional recordings have surfaced on various retrospectives. Children Of The Sun finally assembles The Misunderstood's entire known output from 1965-1966 onto one package, suitably re-mastered by Alec Palao. With incisive sleeve-notes from Mike Stax (Ugly Things) and involvement with various original band members, and a handsome design from Andy Morten (Shindig!), this is truly the definitive document of a legendary underground band, assembled by those who love their music.

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a 4CD clamshell boxed set by Climax Blues Band, “The Albums 1973-1976”. This release is the second collection of Climax Blues Band albums and features their work issued between 1973 and 1976, a period of commercial and concert success for the group which saw the release of the albums FM Live, Sense Of Direction, Stamp Album and Gold Plated.
Formed in Stafford in 1968 by Colin Cooper, the band (originally known as the Climax Chicago Blues Band) recorded their first live album, FM Live, in New York City at the Academy of Music. The album was originally released as a single LP in the UK by Polydor Records, but issued as an entire performance by Sire Records in the USA. The version in this set is the original US double album running order (with the full version of Goin’ to New York)…

First-ever issue of unknown Summer-of-1967 album by cult UK psychedelic pop group Living Daylights. Mono and stereo mixes of the album are joined by their brace of highly collectable singles, including their near- hit recording of 'Let's Live For Today Led by Garth Watt-Roy and his younger brother (future Blockhead) Norman, five-piece Harlow band Living Daylights signed with Beatles publisher Dick James in 1967. Paired with a studio production team that included Caleb Quaye, the band were given a song that James published, 'Let's Live For Today', as their debut single. Released in April 1967, it entered Radio London's Fab Forty after being championed by the pirate station's DJ John Peel. Also issued in America, the song showed significant sales potential, and Dick James decided the band should record an album that would be rushed out if the single became a success. Unfortunately, 'Let's Live For Today' lost out to a cover version by American band The Grass Roots, who scored a US Top Ten hit.