Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection 1974-2004 is certainly the most lovingly crafted of the many Kansas retrospectives. Featuring 27 album cuts that range from classic FM hits like "Dust in the Wind" and "Point of No Return" to fan favorites such as "Song for America," and a 16-track DVD that collects numerous television appearances, videos, and live recordings, Sail On seems to be the definitive tome of the Midwest art rock band's very existence…
This 16-track set from Be Bop Deluxe's short but productive four-year, six-album career captures a handful of highlights from each release, and adds both sides of a rare 1973 single, which see their first CD appearance. Oddly those two songs close the disc, which otherwise is in strict chronological order as it traces the band's evolution from its vaguely glam roots to a more progressive-minded entity that could also churn out snappy near-hits. The specter of David Bowie is never far from the spotlight, especially given that singer/songwriter/frontman Bill Nelson (who also pens witty and reflective liner notes) sounds a lot like Ziggy Stardust. The music also approximates various aspects in Bowie's career, although the synths and general production seem not to have fared quite as well…
British electronic/new age musician David Wright was born in 1953. He has released numerous records both solo and with the groups Callisto and Code Indigo that display a wide range of influences - he spent his formative years in the Far East. Working primarily in the electronic realm - he founded his own label, AD Music, in 1989 - Wright peppers his impressionistic compositions with rock, jazz, classical, and worldbeat flavors, resulting in an instrumental smorgasbord of diverse moods and colors that has been favorably compared to Kitaro, Mike Oldfield, and Vangelis.
From the North Eastern Coast of Spain, Catalonia, Amarok emerges as one of the most prominent and original prog acts worldwide nowadays. Their leaning towards musical sources from Muslim, Celtic and Turkish folk, as well as Renaissance and Medieval tradition, allows them to create a very colourful musical trend of their own, energized by the inclusion of symphonic elements and jazz fusion structures: the result is amazing, exciting, magical. Robert Santamaria is very obviously the leader of the band, not only writing all instrumentations, but also performing keyboards and other sundry instruments (acoustic 12-string guitar, saz, kanoun, autoharp, tuned percussion.) with great skill…
Complete collection of Caruso's performance. the original recording untouched by digital reprocessing makes it even more attractive to me. it makes a great contrast to modern recordings of the contemporary tenors. the modern recording sound so artificial and computer enhanced in comparison - one might as week call them computer generated arias.