Mourning Widows was a musical project led by former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. The band was formed in 1997, and they released two albums during their career. Despite not being widely released in the United States, both albums were successful in Japan. Bettencourt formed the band after the moderate success of his 1996 solo album, Schizophonic. The band's sound went back to a funkier guitar-driven rock reminiscent of Extreme, while still having post-grunge and alternative influences. After the end of the Furnished Souls For Rent tour, in 2001, Nuno decided to dismiss the band and released a record as Population 1, mostly recorded by himself. That became the name of his new band too, which would later become DramaGods.

Coming of Age is a live album by progressive rock band Camel released 1998. Two hours of live recordings at Billboard Live in Hollywoodduring their 1997 West Coast tour. 28 tracks total, including 'Lunar Sea', 'Sasquatch', 'Milk 'N Honey' and 'TheHour Candle'.

Though they ultimately made their name as a blues-rock band, and Peter Green's admiration of artists like Jerry Garcia eventually found its way into their music, Fleetwood Mac began as a straight-ahead blues band. A bunch of Brits devoted to the music of Chicago and the Delta, Green and company couldn't help but put their own twist on the blues, but they were simultaneously reverential towards it. This is the situation presented in this 1968 live recording.

The North London group Komputer began its career in the late '90s as an electro-pop act modeled largely after Kraftwerk but changed its style considerably in subsequent years, moving toward a more original sound. Comprised of Simon Leonard and David Baker, Komputer actually began as a trio, also featuring Jane Brereton, and debuted on Mute Records in 1996 with a self-titled, four-song EP led by "Valentina Tereshkova," a future single for the group. A year later, in October 1997, Mute released The World of Tomorrow, Komputer's first full-length album. Seemingly a literal homage to Kraftwerk, characterized largely by analog synths and vocoderized singing, the album spawned three singles - "Looking Down on London," "Valentina," and "Terminus" - that Mute released individually with accompanying remixes over the course of 1997 and 1998…

With no musical background and without ever having performed in public, Zelmani rose to the top of the charts with her debut album. In spite of being known as very shy, she soon reached an audience all over Europe and Asia with her tender singer/songwriter country. Zelmani got her first guitar at the age of 14 and was taught some chords by her father. She learned to write songs, and almost ten years later, sent a few tapes to various record companies. Sony replied first and brought her together with producer and guitarist Lars Halapi, known for having worked with Ulf Lundell and Bo Kaspers Orkester.

Steve Howe's solo albums seem to hold a wide variety of music within. Generally, this disc presents the listener with acoustic guitar solos, progressive rock compositions, country-tinged songs, and more. Historically, the more complex music of Yes has consisted of smaller pieces brought in by the individual members and assembled almost piecemeal into complex song structures. An interesting aspect of Howe albums is the opportunity to hear works that could easily have been such segments and get a glimpse into where the band could have gone. This album is true to that format. Steve Howe performs nearly completely solo on this release, accompanied only on percussion by his son Dylan Howe. When looking over the liner notes on this one, be sure to check out the list of guitars used on the album. For guitar heads, that is always a welcome portion of any Howe solo album.

Of the 14 tracks on Aquarello, 12 are live recordings. Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Nicola Alesini, and Fabio Capanni performed together at the VI Musica Visual in Lanzarote. The liner notes are in German, so listeners are left with no "graphic interference" as they interpret these atmospheres, textures, and timbres. Roedelius is a sound design genius and has crafted some very different music on this CD. It is definitely e-music, but there are extras. Alesini's saxophones offset the atmospheres. The atmospheres approach listeners from two or three different levels. It is almost like harmonic overtones. The deep electronics have minimalist qualities. There are mechanical repetitions with organic overtones. This is a relatively unique effort. It will appeal to fans of Brian Eno, Robert Rich, Matt Harris, and Cyber Zen Sound Engine.

This album features three complete John Peel sessions recorded in 1975, 1976 and 1977. None of these have ever been released before. This CD is the second volume of Caravan's BBC radio sessions and between them the albums feature every available session that the band performed for Radio1. The John Peel sessions include tracks from the albums, "Cunning Stunts", "Blind Dog At St Dunstans" and "Better By Far". Personnel includes Pye Hastings, Mike Wedgwood, Geoffrey Richardson, Dave Sinclair, Richard Coughlan, Jan Schelhaas and Dek Messecar. The CD is released with the full cooperation of the band and features an eight-page booklet with comprehensive liner notes, band photos and detailed recording information.

This is the first of two collections of material Caravan recorded for the BBC, spanning the years 1970-1974. Caravan is one of the most versatile of the Canterbury family of English psychedelic and progressive rock, capable of winsome, witty pop songs as well as complex but melodic extended workouts. Songs for Oblivion Fishermen features examples of both styles. Half the disc features the band's original lineup with highly rated bassist Richard Sinclair. For the seasoned Caravan enthusiast, the repertoire is somewhat predictable, including standards "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You," "Hello Hello," "In the Land of Grey and Pink," and "Memory Lane Hugh." To the band's credit, it does not attempt to recreate its studio recordings note for note, adding interest for longtime fans…

Rodelinda was the first of Handel's operas to be revived in modern times (at Gottingen, in 1920) and the first to be performed in the USA (at Smith College, Northampton. Massachusetts, in 1931), and this summer it adds to its laurels the distinction of being the first Handel opera (as opposed to oratorio) to be staged at Glyndebourne. Composed just after Giulio Cesare and Tamerlano, it must, I think, rank in many people's top half-dozen of the Handel operas, with its complex plot of dynastic intrigue revolving around the powerful, steadfast love of Bertarido (the ousted king of Milan) and his queen Rodelinda: just the kind that unfailingly drew strong music from Handel.

Following in the footsteps of your father is a difficult task, particularly if your father is someone as darkly gifted and idiosyncratic as Leonard Cohen. Adam Cohen, however, is sharp enough to avoid being pegged as a "new Leonard Cohen." That doesn't mean he establishes himself as an individual musical talent on his eponymous debut. Cohen does occasionally flirt with the somber poetry his father made famous, but his music is altogether more polished, sounding like smooth adult contemporary instead of haunted folk. That would have been forgivable if the songs actually said something. Instead, Cohen wallows in sophomoric poetry and insights that are far removed not only from his father's work, but most of his late-'90s peers. There is some promise in his melodies, as in "Tell Me Everything," but for the most part, Adam Cohen delivered his debut album before his talent had truly gestated.

The Doors returned to crunching, straightforward hard rock on Morrison Hotel, an album that, despite yielding no major hit singles, returned them to critical favor with hip listeners. An increasingly bluesy flavor began to color the songwriting and arrangements, especially on the party'n'booze anthem "Roadhouse Blues." Airy mysticism was still present on "Waiting for the Sun," "Queen of the Highway," and "Indian Summer"; "Ship of Fools" and "Land Ho!" struck effective balances between the hard rock arrangements and the narrative reach of the lyrics. "Peace Frog" was the most political and controversial track, documenting the domestic unrest of late-'60s America before unexpectedly segueing into the restful ballad "Blue Sunday." "The Spy," by contrast, was a slow blues that pointed to the direction that would fully blossom on L.A. Woman.

Schubert's quintet (which gets its name from his song "The Trout," used for a set of variations at its apex) is as lighthearted as it is melodious, qualities reflected in this excellent performance. The period-instrument balances are ideal; the fortepiano, less resonant than a modern piano, does not overpower the strings. The arpeggione was an odd, newly invented six-stringed instrument when Schubert wrote for it. The lovely sonata is here played on an obsolete five-stringed instrument, the violoncello piccolo–closer to the original than the modern cello or viola usually heard on recordings. The "Notturno" is a haunting movement, probably intended for a larger work.

Brother to Brother marks the first time Johnny and Donnie Van Zant have ever collaborated together, and the results are exactly what fans of either Lynyrd Skynyrd or .38 Special would expect – a set of tough, bluesy Southern rock. Instrumentally, it nearly achieves its full potential, capturing both of the guitarists in fine form. However, the material is a bit inconsistent, with several songs lacking memorable hooks or melodies. Still, the songs that do work are dynamite, and even the weaker tracks have their moments. And that means Brother to Brother is a worth a listen by any serious Skynyrd, Special or VanZant fan.