Crucis Cronologia (1992) [rca Bmg Ecd 1044, 1992]

In October 1990, Lou Reed interviewed Vaclav Havel, playwright, poet, president of the newly emancipated Czechoslovakia, and – surprisingly? – a Velvet Underground fan. During the course of their conversation, Havel handed Reed a book. "These are your lyrics, hand-printed and translated into Czechoslovakian. There were only 200 of them. They were very dangerous to have. People went to jail." Nobody will go to jail for owning Between Thought and Expression, but Reed's lyrics remain dangerous – not, as in Communist Czechoslovakia, for what they are, but for what they say…

Two after the Terry, Blair and Anouchka project, Terry Hall returned with Vegas, a one-shot collaboration with Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics. Vegas' eponymous album was released in the fall of 1992 and yielded three minor U.K. hits – "Possessed," "She," and "Walk into the Wind." This is an odd one – and one that should not have worked out nearly as well as it did. This is the debut album from Vegas, which is Terry Hall and Eurythmics' Dave Stewart with help from Eurythmics assistants Olle Romo and Manu Guiot. Trying to picture Terry Hall in Eurythmics just doesn't make sense, yet the result is simply stunning.

Cesaria Evora was a Cape Verdean popular singer. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing without shoes, she was also known as the "Queen of Morna". A native of the island nation of Cape Verde, Cesaria Evora was known as the country's foremost practitioner of the morna, which is strongly associated with the islands and combines West African percussion with Portuguese fados, Brazilian modhinas, and British sea shanties. Evora began singing morna at age 16 after meeting an attractive young guitarist. Her talent soon had her performing all over the islands, and in the late '60s two of her radio tapes were released as albums in the Netherlands and Portugal, respectively.

The debut album by the heavy metal band Killers, led by Iron Maiden's ex-vocalist - Paul Di'Anno. Coming together in 1991, Killers was one of the first metal super groups to exist. Featuring members from bands including Iron Maiden, Tank, Raven and Battlezone, they were hailed by the press as the 'Natural successor to Judas Priest'. With their album "Menace to Society" awarded Metal Hammer's best new album of 1994 and a world tour which included headlining the famous Wacken Festival in Germany, Killers represent all that is British Metal at it's very best. "Murder One", recorded in USA in the line-up: Paul Di'Anno - vocal, Steve Hopgood - drums, Cliff Evans - guitar, Gavin Cooper - bass guitar, Nick Burr - guitar, was officially released in 1992. Acclaimed by the press worldwide, the album became a classic for lovers of British metal. The album includes two cover tracks: "Children of the Revolution" ( T. Rex) and "Remember Tomorrow" (Iron Maiden).

The Steve Lacy Sextet (comprised of the leader on soprano, Steve Potts doubling on alto and soprano, Irene Aebi playing violin and singing, pianist Bobby Few, bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel, and drummer John Betsch) had a rare opportunity to appear on a major American label in the early '90s. This live set is an excellent example of the group's unique music performed live. The versions of Lacy's five scalar originals ("Prospectus," "The Bath," "Morning Joy," "The Wane," and "Blinks") are each at least ten minutes long ("Morning Joy" clocks in over 16) and find the musicians playing with enthusiasm and consistent creativity. Their relaxed but adventurous solo and ensemble work make this a set worth several listens.

One of America's most popular entertainers long after her mid-'40s commercial peak, Dinah Shore was the first major vocalist to break away from the big-band format and begin a solo-billed career. During the '40s, she recorded several of the decade's biggest singles - "Buttons and Bows," "The Gypsy," and "I'll Walk Alone" - all of which spent more than a month at number one on the Hit Parade. After launching a television variety series in 1951, Shore appeared on one program or another, with few gaps, into the 1980s.

This selection received a Grammy nomination for "Best Classical Album" and "Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)." The comparative simplicity of Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes (when placed against his Etudes, for example) and their status as "miniatures" often hide the fact that they are, in fact, extremely demanding pieces, especially in interpretation. These works, probably written in homage to Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Well-Tempered Clavier,' have been the eminent domain of such great pianists as Artur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Claudio Arrau. The Preludes now belong to young Evgeny Kissin.

Gotthard, a Swiss hard rock band who sing in English, are one of the most successful musical acts ever to arise from Switzerland. Gotthard sold over two million albums worldwide, one million of them sold in Switzerland alone (a country of less than eight million inhabitants, keep in mind), as practically all of the band's albums were Swiss chart-toppers. Gotthard were also popular in Germany, where the band's albums regularly charted.
"Gotthard" (1992) is their debut studio album.