Listen 7

Ace's Songwriter Series continues to pay tribute to the most eminent tunesmiths of the 20th Century. This month they bring you our salute to one of the UK's highest profile singer-songwriters, with more than 50 years of hits under his belt Graham Gouldman. Listen People offers an overview of almost half a century of great British songwriting, from Graham's early 60s songs for his own first group the Mockingbirds, to his 21st century collaborations with Kirsty MacColl and McFly. Just about all of Graham's best-known songs are included, many of them performed by singers and groups with whom he has long been associated such as the Hollies, Herman's Hermits, the Yardbirds and both Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders…

Joseph Kerman was a leading musicologist, music critic, and music educator from the 1950s to the 2000s. He reshaped our understanding and appreciation of Western classical music with his first book, Opera as Drama (1956), to his last, Opera and the Morbidity of Music (2008), including his studies on Bach, Beethoven, William Byrd, concertos, and more. He was a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, where he served two terms as chair of the Music Department. He wrote Listen together with his wife, Vivian Kerman.

Amid the ever-growing tide of Deep Purple box sets (this was at least their eighth in nine years), Listen Learn Read On stands alone, not only as the ultimate round-up of the band's greatest moments, but also as the answer to more collectors' dreams than most collectors were even aware they'd had. You want Deep Purple's long-legendary, but forever unavailable BBC sessions? They're here. You want the killer live encores that other albums omitted? They're here. You want a solid introduction to the band members' pre-Purple passages? They're here. And, of course, you want the hits. So they're here as well…

Phil Manzanera & 801 - Listen Now (1977) {Expression Records–Virgin EXPCD17 rel 2000}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 344 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 130 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 230 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1977, 2000 Expression Records / Virgin | EXPCD17 / 7243 849276 22
Rock / Prog Rock / Art Rock / Electronic / Experimental Rock

Phil Manzanera had no problem filling his mid-'70s downtime away from Roxy Music. His guitar graced some 20 albums, like John Cale's Fear, Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets, and Nico's The End. This outing from his all-star side group is slicker than his 1976 live debut album, but no less worthwhile; some 16 musicians are credited. The sound is sleek and sophisticated; even lyrics aren't exempt from creative twists, as shown on "Listen Now"'s glistening jazz-pop – which cleverly juxtaposes its title against a bouncy "now, now, listen" chorus.

Island's single-disc Sandy Denny compilation does its best to offer a compact overview of the iconic singer's work. Focusing on the four records completed before her death in 1978, the 17-track Listen Listen winds comfortably through career highlights like "The North Star Grassman and the Raven," "Blackwaterside," and the gorgeous title track. Fans will contest the omission of tracks like "Carnival" and "It Suits Me Well," but for such a slim collection – considering Denny's invaluable work with Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, and the Strawbs – Listen Listen is a fine introduction to the artist's later days.