John Berger on Artists

TopPop was the first regular dedicated pop music television series in the Dutch language area. The Netherlands broadcaster AVRO aired the programme weekly, from September 22, 1970, to June 27, 1988…

This 50-CD collection of analogue albums aims to represent the heyday of Philips’ passion for great natural sound – the Stereo Years. There was a firm belief within the label’s team that recording technique was there to serve the music - the Musicians had their own views about how any given piece should be interpreted and how it should sound; the recording team’s job was to grasp that vision and make it a reality. This recording philosophy, combined with great artistry and visionary repertoire policy, created a special chapter in the history of classical music recordings that still inspires artists, sound engineers and collectors alike.

LIKE an early taste of summer, the new double CD compilation of ‘So Frenchy So Chic’ is here, with yet another great line up. Now is the chance to hear some of the musical acts who will appear at the January picnic parties in Melbourne and Sydney, such as Lou Doillon, who will be playing songs from her highly acclaimed folk rock record ‘Lay Low’. There is also the wonderful voice of the Franco-Moroccan singer Hindi Zahra, whose music is drenched in a hypnotic world blues universe.