The Stooges - The Stooges (1969) 2CD Expanded Remastered 2005

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The Stooges - The Stooges (1969) 2CD Expanded Remastered 2005

The Stooges - The Stooges (1969) 2CD Expanded Remastered 2005
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 559 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 179 Mb | Scans ~ 146 Mb | 01:17:57
Garage Rock, Hard Rock, Proto-Punk | Label: Elektra/Rhino | # 8122-73176-2

Long before the raw power of punk icon Iggy Pop became legend, his first incarnation as Iggy Stooge of proto-punk trailblazers The Stooges roared into being. The essence of punk years before the genre existed, The Stooges' furious music was a howling, visceral, fuzztone-drenched, and unprecedented vortex of sound, as evidenced on their revolutionary self-titled, John Cale-produced 1969 debut album. Their bracing follow-up, Fun House portrayed their evolution into a fiercer, stronger band with Iggy's primal vocals and mad brilliance more potent than ever. Each immortal album is now remastered and twice as amazing with a second disc of rarities and previously unreleased tracks.

Joe Louis Walker - Between A Rock And The Blues (2009)

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Joe Louis Walker - Between A Rock And The Blues (2009)

Joe Louis Walker - Between A Rock And The Blues (2009)
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 440 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 144 Mb | Scans ~ 40 Mb
Modern Electric Blues | Label: Stony Plain/DixieFrog | # DFGCD 8673 | 01:03:14

Multiple Grammy and Blues Music Award winner Joe Louis Walker's second release for Stony Plain is a landmark album that follows on the heels of his highly acclaimed 'Witness To The Blues.' Both produced by guitar legend Duke Robillard. Kevin Eubanks, the longtime leader of the Tonight Show Band is featured on two tracks along with Doug James, Duke Robillard and members of Duke's band.

Minetti Quartett - Joseph Haydn: String Quartets Opp. 64/4; 74/3; 76/5 (2009)

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Minetti Quartett - Joseph Haydn: String Quartets Opp. 64/4; 74/3; 76/5 (2009)

Minetti Quartett - Joseph Haydn: String Quartets Opp. 64/4; 74/3; 76/5 (2009)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 239 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 132 Mb | Scans included
Genre: Classical | Label: Hänssler Classic | # CD98.589 | Time: 00:56:26

This warmly recorded, naturally balanced disc is delightful. The Minetti Quartet offers three late Haydn masterpieces, played with plenty of high spirits and, in the slow movements, a fresh songfulness (both Opp. 64's and 76's are marked "cantabile") that's most affecting. There's practically nothing to criticize here. Highlights include the really zippy final prestos of Opp. 64 and 76, and the intense Largo assai of the "Rider" quartet. In the finale of the latter, the group's articulation is a touch clipped in the main theme, and as a result the music doesn't quite speak as it should, but better too much energy than too little. The minuet (really a scherzo) of Op. 76 also is terrific, smooth as silk until Haydn's disruptive syncopation sets in. If you're looking for a very attractive single-disc collection of late Haydn quartets, I can recommend this without hesitation. Playing time is a bit short–under an hour–so there was still room for another full quartet, but if this doesn't concern you terribly, then go for it.

Sonny Stitt - Kaleidoscope (1957) Remastered 1992

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Sonny Stitt - Kaleidoscope (1957) Remastered 1992

Sonny Stitt - Kaleidoscope (1957) Remastered 1992
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 137 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 107 Mb | Scans included
Label: Original Jazz Classics, Prestige | # OJCCD-060-2, P-7077
Bop, Saxophone Jazz | Time: 00:44:38

Deftly handling the alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone, bebop giant Sonny Stitt is heard to perfection here on a variety of early-'50s dates. Stitt not only shows off his patented speed throughout, but he goes a long way in dispelling criticisms of him being all fire and no grace. The 16-track disc kicks off with four tight, Latin-tinged swingers featuring an octet that includes trumpeter Joe Newman and timbales player Humberto Morales. Switching to piano quartet mode for the bulk of the disc, Stitt ranges effortlessly from frenetic blasts ("Cherokee") to golden-hued ballads ("Imagination"). Capping off the set with four bonus cuts featuring the likes of Gene Ammons and Junior Mance, Stitt delivers one of the top sets of performances from the late bebop era.

John Williams - '1941': Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1979) 2 CDs Remastered Limited Edition 2011

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John Williams - '1941': Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1979) 2 CDs Remastered Limited Edition 2011

John Williams - '1941': Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1979)
2 CDs Remastered Limited Edition 2011

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 862 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 381 Mb | Scans ~ 53 Mb
Genre: Soundtrack, Score | Label: La-La Land | # LLLCD 1179 | Time: 02:35:09

La-La Land Records, in association with Sony Music and NBC Universal, presents the remastered and expanded 2-CD SET of AcademyAward-Winning composer John Williams' (JAWS, BLACK SUNDAY, STAR WARS, RAIDERSOF THE LOST ARK) amazing score to the 1979 Universal Pictures and ColumbiaPictures comedy spectacular 1941, starring Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi and Warren Oates, and directed by Steven Spielberg. Williams provides adelightful, full-on orchestra assault (featuring one of the most infectious marches ever written for film) to compliment this cult-classic's slap-stick tapestry of WWII-era paranoia exploding in Hollywood. Produced by Mike Matessino, Didier C. Deutsch and Mark G. Wilder, remixed and assembled by Mike Matessino and mastered by Mark G. Wilder, this special release is expanded by more than 70 minutes with never-before-released music, including alternates and source cues. The original 1979 album presentation is also presented on disc 2, remastered. 1941 Re-issue producer Mike Matessino provides exclusive, in-depthliner notes. Limited Edition of 3500 Units.

Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Concerto Koln, Peter Dijkstra - Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion (2016) 3CDs

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Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Concerto Koln, Peter Dijkstra - Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion (2016) 3CDs

Johann Sebastian Bach - Johannes-Passion (2016) 3CDs
Julian Prégardien (Evangelist), Tareq Nazmi (Jesus), Christina Landshamer (soprano)
Ulrike Malotta (alto), Tilman Lichdi (tenor), Krešimir Stražanac (bass)
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Concerto Köln, conducted by Peter Dijkstra

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 787 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 409 Mb | Scans included
Classical, Choral | Label: BR Klassik | # 900909 | Time: 02:57:16

The music of Bach's 'St. John Passion', which the composer wrote for Holy Week in 1724 immediately after his appointment as cantor of St Thomas's Church in Leipzig, still retains all its freshness and vitality nearly 300 years later, and is a true Baroque delight. The two main choruses Herr, unser Herrscher and Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine form the beginning and culmination of a large-scale orchestral and vocal structure in which Bach reveals his absolute mastery of polyphony. Inwardly reflective chorales are as much interwoven into the events of the Passion as the haunting arias which comment on the biblical texts of the Gospel of St John. Throughout this solemn Passion oratorio, there is a constant emphasis on Baroque musical magnificence. What makes this live recording of the concert version of March 7, 2015 in the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz so special? The fresh voices of the young and excellent vocal soloists, the regularly praised "astonishing three-dimensionality" and "crystalline clarity" of the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks under the direction of Peter Dijkstra and, of course, the renowned period instrument ensemble Concerto Köln.

Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra - Skyliner: 1940-1945 (1996) featuring Lena Horne, Kay Starr & Peanuts Holland

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Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra - Skyliner: 1940-1945 (1996) featuring Lena Horne, Kay Starr & Peanuts Holland

Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra - Skyliner: 1940-1945 (1996)
featuring Lena Horne, Kay Starr & Peanuts Holland

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 343 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 170 Mb | Scans included
Big Band, Swing | Label: Giants Of Jazz, Promo Sound | # CD 53280 | Time: 01:08:32

Skyliner was one of Charlie Barnet's most exciting hit records, and quickly became as closely identified with his big band as was Ray Noble's Cherokee. This 1996 EPM Musique Jazz Anthology compilation is one of at least six Barnet albums with the word "Skyliner" in the title. Tracks one through twelve were recorded for the Bluebird label between June 19, 1940 and April 30, 1942. Tracks thirteen through twenty follow Barnet's progress through the turbulent wartime years with a trail of Decca sides cut between July 1942 and February 1944. "Skyliner" comes from a V-Disc recorded on July 13, 1944; "E-Bob-O-Lee-Bob," like "Oh Miss Jaxon" a vocal feature for trumpeter Peanuts Holland, was harvested from a Jubilee broadcast on December 6, 1945. Some of this band's arrangements were written by Horace Henderson, Billy May and by the leader himself. Most Charlie Barnet albums are well worth investigating. This one lives somewhere near the top of the heap.

Julieta Venegas - Otra Cosa (2010)

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Julieta Venegas - Otra Cosa (2010)

Julieta Venegas - Otra Cosa (2010)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 266 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 106 Mb | Scans included
Label: Sony Music | # 88697659002 | Time: 00:38:33
Latin Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Ranchera

Otra Cosa, the eagerly awaited fifth studio album by Julieta Venegas, is remarkably similar to her previous two, Sí (2003) and Limón y Sal (2006). The similarity is remarkable because both those albums were all-around excellent, loaded with Latin pop hits and first-rate album tracks. There wasn't a bad track on either album, and Otra Cosa is likewise rock-solid, starting off with three fantastic songs in a row, "Amores Platónicos," "Bien o Mal," and "Despedida." Moreover, all three albums are similar in style, produced by Cachorro López and comprised of upbeat pop songs with clever lyrics, rich melodies, and a range of instrumentation (guitar, piano, accordion, and beats, above all). Otra Cosa was eagerly awaited in part because of the four years since Limón y Sal. During that time, Venegas became one of the most popular and critically acclaimed Latin pop artists in the world.

Anita O'Day - Anita O'Day 1956-1962 (1993)

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Anita O'Day - Anita O'Day 1956-1962 (1993)

Anita O'Day - Anita O'Day 1956-1962 (1993)
with Marty Paich, Billy May, Russ Garcia, Buddy Bregman, and Their Orchestras

EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 364 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 147 Mb | Scans included
Vocal Jazz, Bop, Big Band | Label: Giants Of Jazz | # CD 53145 | 01:02:48

In 1993 the Giants of Jazz label released a collection drawing upon seven different Verve albums by Anita O'Day (1919-2006), a skilled and at times somewhat formidable vocalist who had the kind of chops and temperament usually associated with trumpeters, drummers, and booking agents. Recorded in early December 1955, "Honeysuckle Rose" first appeared on the album This Is Anita; technically speaking, this track falls outside of this collection's stated timeframe of 1956-1962. "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Don't Be That Way" come from Pick Yourself Up, an LP that took almost all of 1956 to create. "Star Eyes" as well as tracks one through seven were taken from Anita O'Day Sings the Winners, a 1958 release that found her backed by a somewhat slick orchestra under the direction of Russ Garcia. Anita O'Day seems to have spent a lot of time in the recording studios during April 1959; during that month she made a Cole Porter album with Billy May (cuts 13 through 21) and collaborated with Jimmy Giuffre on the Cool Heat album, from which "Hershey Bar" was extracted. During 1962 this stunning woman made an LP with Gene Harris and the Three Sounds (see track eight "Whisper Not") and teamed up with vibraphonist Cal Tjader on the marvelous Time for Two album, the source for her rendition of Dave Frishberg's pleasantly smutty opus, "Peel Me a Grape."

Eugen Prochac - Tadeas Salva: Cello Concerto; Three Arias; Little Suite; Slovak Concerto Grosso No.3; Eight Preludes (2012)

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Eugen Prochac - Tadeas Salva: Cello Concerto; Three Arias; Little Suite; Slovak Concerto Grosso No.3; Eight Preludes (2012)

Tadeáš Salva: Cello Concerto; Three Arias; Little Suite;
Slovak Concerto Grosso No.3; Eight Preludes (2012)
Eugen Prochác (cello), Nora Skuta (piano), Juraj Čižmarovič (violin)
Bernadetta Šuňavská (organ), Ján Slávik (cello)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marián Lejava

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 321 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 168 Mb | Artwork included
Genre: Classical | Label: Naxos | # 8.572509 | Time: 01:12:51

Tadeáš Salva was one of the foremost Slovakian composers of his generation. His studies equipped him with a thorough awareness of the new Polish School, and his temperament inclined him toward a synthesis between contemporary technique and the inspiration of folklore. The cello was his favourite instrument. The Concerto is vibrantly orchestrated, absorbingly contoured and shares something of Penderecki’s aesthetic. The Slovak Concerto Grosso marries Stravinskian virtuosity with folk impressions, the Three Arias and Little Suite are touching, inspired miniatures whilst the unfinished Preludes illustrate Salva’s richness of originality and imagination.

Pentangle - Light Flight: The Anthology (2002) 2CDs

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Pentangle - Light Flight: The Anthology (2002) 2CDs

Pentangle - Light Flight: The Anthology (2002) 2 CDs
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 730 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 292 Mb | Scans ~ 26 Mb | 02:07:58
British Folk-Rock, Psychedelic Folk, Folk-Prog | Label: Castle | # CAS 72357-2

Two CD set. Pretty much the first UK Folk-Rock supergroup and the inventors of the sound that would later be adopted by Fairport, Trees and others. Pentangle were an unusual agglomeration of seemingly disparate talents, and at their best succeeded in mixing elements of traditional Folk, Jazz improvisation and Pop into a seamless whole. Featuring the brilliant and contrasting guitar talents of Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, against the rhythmic undertow provided by drummer Terry Cox and superb bass player Danny Thompson, and topped off with the bell-like purity of Jacqui McShee's vocals, Pentangle garnered much critical acclaim. This is the perfect introduction to their work. 31 tracks.

Pram - The Museum Of Imaginary Animals (2000)

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Pram - The Museum Of Imaginary Animals (2000)

Pram - The Museum Of Imaginary Animals (2000)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 277 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 119 Mb | Scans included | 00:44:59
Experimental Rock, Post Rock, Dream Pop, Downtempo | Label: Domino | # WIGCD80

It's true that Pram has shared the same bubbly, French-pop sound of Stereolab and Broadcast. But that's where the similarities end. A few cuts into The Museum of Imaginary Animals, the seven-piece band – which includes the recent addition of ex-Broadcast drummer Steve Perkins, no less – makes a beautiful departure into a surreal journey of sound. Rosie Cuckston's reserved vocals help, but it's Pram's original combination of devices (flute, trumpet, and theremin, to name a few) that occasionally evoke an aquatic atmosphere, not unlike Meddle-era Pink Floyd. Like the imaginary creature on the album's back cover, this fifth full-length from Pram is certainly mythical.

Tommy Emmanuel - The Journey (1993)

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Tommy Emmanuel - The Journey (1993)

Tommy Emmanuel - The Journey (1993)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 333 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 123 Mb
Label: Columbia | # 474489 2 | Time: 00:51:09 | Scans included
Guitar Virtuoso, Pop Rock, Jazz Rock, Fusion, Smooth Jazz

Tommy Emmanuel, four-time winner of Australia's Best Guitarist Award, has helped bring the art of rock guitar down under to a higher awareness by bringing a sense of jazz improvisation into a mix that also includes blues, country, rock, classical, and Spanish music. After years as a popular sideman and ace songwriter, the two-time ARIA Award winner launched his solo career in 1988 with Up from Down Under. Several releases followed, notably 1993's critically acclaimed The Journey, which hit high on Gavin and Radio & Records NAC airplay charts.

The Cult - Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995 (2000)

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The Cult - Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995 (2000)

The Cult - Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995 (2000)
EAC | FLAC | Tracks (Cue&Log) ~ 546 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 194 Mb
Beggars Banquet | # BEGA 2026 CD | Time: 01:17:37 | Scans included
Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Gothic Rock, Post-Punk

Say what you want about the Cult, a band who will certainly go down as one of the most schizophrenic in rock history, but singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy could sure write a great tune. Just glance at a few titles included on the greatest-hits collection Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995: "Edie (Ciao Baby)," "Love Removal Machine," "She Sells Sanctuary," "Wild Flower," "Fire Woman," "Rain," "Lil' Devil" – you get the picture. Spread haphazardly across the disc (rather than in chronological order), each track's uniqueness is even more evident, further showcasing the Cult's fearless creativity. Early songs such as "Spiritwalker" and "Resurrection Joe" will surprise most fans with their class and maturity, while later cuts like "Wild Hearted Son," "Heart of Soul," and "Coming Down" (from their disappointing latter-day albums) are given new life when viewed on their own merits.

Otis Rush - Screamin' And Cryin' (1974) Reissue 1992

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Otis Rush - Screamin' And Cryin' (1974) Reissue 1992

Otis Rush - Screamin' And Cryin' (1974) Reissue 1992
XLD | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 295 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 138 Mb | Scans included
Electric Chicago Blues | Label: Evidence | # ECD 26014-2 | Time: 00:51:00

Otis Rush's crunching guitar and vocals were never more emphatic than during the '70s when it seemed that he would actually find the pop attention and mass stardom he deserved. These mid-'70s tracks were originally cut for the Black and Blue label, with Rush playing grinding, relentless riffs and creating waves of sonic brilliance through creatively repeated motifs, jagged notes, and sustained lines and licks, while hollering, screaming, moaning, and wailing. Jimmy Dawkins, an outstanding lead artist in his own right, has also long been one of Chicago's great rhythm artists and shows it by adding plenty of tinkling, crackling figures and lines in the backgrounds. While not as consistently riveting as his live Evidence date, this one is also a valuable Rush document.