Fire & Roses

Guns N 'Roses took the pop music scene of the '80s by storm. With their wild looks, their irreverent attitude and a repertoire firing in all directions, Guns N' Roses caught the attention of both rockers and pop fans alike. Their legacy and influence has been undeniable. The Many Faces in a stunning triple album, that not even the band itself had possible imagined. With an impressive presentation and remastered sound, this collection presents many of the band members' side projects; some of their not so well known songs plus a complete map of music scene where they were born, with songs from each of the bands that shared their beginnings. For all these reasons, The Many Faces Of Guns N 'Roses is a unique album, a must for anyone who has ever enjoyed the band's music.

Reuniting with all their original members plus original producer Stephen Street just over a decade after their swan song Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, the Cranberries recapture the sound of their earliest records on 2012's Roses. Nearly 20 years have passed since their breakthrough Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can't We?, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are some signs of age on Roses, notably in an increased sense of professionalism in the band's craft and also in a slight stripping of the ethereal echo that gave their debut an appealing floating quality. Without this dreaminess, the Cranberries are merely pretty, but unlike the turgidly ambitious Bury the Hatchet and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee – or on Dolores O'Riordan's pair of perfectly fine solo albums – Roses has definition and momentum, momentum that doesn't derive from artificially enhanced electric guitars, either.

Georgia rock quintet Blackberry Smoke could write the book on how to "slow build" a career. Since 2000, singer/guitarist Charlie Starr, guitarist Paul Jackson, keyboard player Brandon Still, and brothers Brit and Richard Turner on drums and bass, respectively, have played in excess of 250 dates a year in funky honky tonks, rock clubs, and on festival stages on both sides of the Atlantic, learning how to write songs in the process. Holding All the Roses is their Rounder debut, the follow-up to 2012's killer The Whippoorwill. It was recorded in less than two weeks, during a brief touring respite, with producer – and Georgia native – Brendan O'Brien (AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam). While it might startle longtime fans, there are no sprawling jams on this set – all 12 tunes are under five minutes.

"Start The Fire" is RPWL's first live album after their album success "World Through My Eyes". Disc one is featuring songs from a "Rockpalast" show highlighting the band’s first three albums ("God Has Failed", "Trying to Kiss the Sun" and "Stock") with a special appearance of Ray Wilson ("Roses", "Not About Us"). Disc two, on the other hand, is a tour de force that reflects RPWL's live experience from three tours. More upbeat and borderline sublime - punctuated by some Pink Floyd covers like the surprise version of Syd Barrett's "Opel" or the great "Welcome To The Machine". The album concludes with the complete 12-and-a-half-minute version of the evocative "New Stars Are Born" Only the first seven minutes of this song were included on "World Through My Eyes".

After the disastrous "Gottle O' Geer" album from the previous year (which had been intended as a Dave Swarbrick solo album), stalwart Simon Nicol returned to the group and provided the group with the crucial ingredient it had been missing since he departed in 1972 with his perfectly sympathetic guitar. Here we have them sounding like Fairport Convention again, tackling traditional fare with great enthusiasm and aplomb. Their joy in playing as a reconstituted group shines through on tracks like "The Eynsham Poacher", with its lovely harmonies, and as a formidable instrumental group it's tracks like bassist Dave Pegg's "Jams O'Donnell's Jigs" that satisfy most. The title track is one they attempted clear back in 1970 and is a sure-fire jaw-dropping classic. A fine return to form.