Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier (1979 2001)

This is a very welcome DVD release of an important series of concerts. Anne-Sophie Mutter, as she explains in the documentary, gave up a year of her life to concentrate solely on playing and recording the Beethoven Violin Sonatas in a series of concerts world wide - a luxury, she admits, afforded to few musicians. These performances come from the Paris cycle and are remarkably fresh. From the Haydnesque early sonatas to the altogether more challenging later sonatas, particularly a magnificent 'Kreutzer', these are performances that hint neither at over-preparedness nor over-familiarity. There is real spontaneity in many of these performances and a real sense of partnership between these superlative artists. Mutter is happy to allow Orkis to take the spotlight (and in the case of the op.23 dictate the development of the work). In every one of these sonatas there is ample proof that Mutter and Orkis are working for Beethoven and not for themselves. (Marc Bridle)

La-La Land Records and American Zoetrope proudly present David Ssire’s Apocalypse Now (The Unused Score): Limited Edition, a world premiere release featuring acclaimed composer David Shire’s (THE CONVERSATION, THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE, NORMA RAE) unused score to the 1979 classic Vietnam War drama Apocalypse Now , directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Shire’s musical take on the horrors of war, actual and existential, depicted in Coppola’s ambitious and psychedelic classic, is a riveting revelation – finally unearthed and restored for all to fully appreciate. It’s a fascinating and impressive find: a lost piece in the puzzle of one of the great works of American Cinema and an exemplary piece of early electronic music production.

4 CD boxset of the complete version of Pink Floyd's The Wall with all the missing and restored tracks. Pink Floyd The Wall is more than just a classic album. It is a true rock opera — a musical, visual, and cinematic spectacle on a grand scale. It is perhaps the finest example of rock and roll theatre ever produced. It is a complex, intricate work worthy of the recognition and study we often reserve for traditional classical works. It is huge in scope and full of big themes yet at its core it’s still a deeply personal album about isolation and the damage we inflict upon ourselves. The sound of the album is timeless. Throughout the years, its messages adapt. Decades after its release, The Wall is still a relevant and important work.

Spontaneous, engaging, joyful, this recording perfectly captured all that made Anita O'Day one of the best jazz singers of all time. This particular disc is also an excellent representation of her club work backed by a quartet led by her long time soul mate and drummer, John Poole. Poole was tremendously talented, his brush work was as good as I have ever heard, sympathetic, energetic and at times explosive he nevertheless knew how to stay out of the limelight and allow the incomparable O'Day to strut her stuff. Anita's presentation, led by an uncanny sense of timing, will make appreciative listeners sit on the edge of their chairs. Her interaction with the microphone, her audience, and her fellow musicians on this recording are captivating. Listen to how she plays with the words and wonder at how she did this night after night for years and years and never lost her sense of joy. Wonderful stuff.

There are plenty of anthology collections available for New Wave of British Heavy Metal act Saxon, and if you're an enthusiast looking for a curated overview of the band, they are a great place to begin. But for the Saxon completist, The Complete Studio Album Collection 1979-1988 is your way to celebrate this classic, underrated band…