Make It Better From June July 2015

Yet another winner in the 'Original Album Series' sets. Brinsley Schwarz will always be known as the band in which Nick Lowe really started to craft his style…

A practical, no-frills clamshell box set celebrating the soft rock/folk-pop hitmakers' '70s heyday, the Warner Bros. Years 1971-1977 rounds up seven complete studio albums and one live LP. Comprised of America (1971), Homecoming (1972), Hat Trick (1973), Holiday (1974), Hearts (1975), Hideaway (1976), Harbor (1977), and America Live (1977), all of which were remastered in 2014, the collection is aimed squarely at completists…

Thomas Søndergård's hybrid SACD of Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 in D major and his Symphony No. 7 in C major is an audiophile showcase that presents two contrasting sides of the composer with optimal clarity. The comparatively lush orchestration of the Symphony No. 2 probably has never sounded better in any recorded format, and the multichannel reproduction of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales brings out its vibrant bass, velvety strings, and sumptuous winds in a resonant acoustic, all of which are essential ingredients in the young Sibelius' post-Romantic sound. Yet the Symphony No. 7 presents the sparer counterpoint and leaner textures of Sibelius' mature phase, so the recording brings out the transparency of the timbres, and the clean separation of parts gives an added spatial dimension. Søndergård's interpretations of both works are wholly sympathetic and masterful, and the orchestra plays with the commitment and vitality that make these symphonies compelling. One hopes this is the first installment of a Sibelius cycle, which would be a great addition to Linn's catalog. Highly recommended.

By this point Henry Cow consisted of guitarist Fred Frith, drummer Chris Cutler, bassist John Greaves, keyboardist Tim Hodgkinson, and, of particular importance to the band's sound at this point, bassoonist Lindsay Cooper. As is so often the case with avant-garde rock & roll, it's the composed pieces that work best, and the fact that Frith is responsible for the majority of them is significant…

The sound world of Bach’s last great Mass has changed radically in recent decades; one-to-a-part performance practice is, as conductor Lars Ulrik Mortensen puts it, “changing our entire notion of Bach’s acoustic universe”. This bold claim is amply proven in an account of dazzling transparency, dance-like rhythms and utter clarity. Sometimes the balance seems not quite right, for example when organ continuo dominates, but some superb ensemble numbers pit voices against virtuosic instruments so each seems to outdo the other in joyous exuberance. The five soloists complement each other well, and the addition of just five extra singers is all that is needed to explode Bach’s universal vision into life.

Eddie Harris - People Get Funny… (1987) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Complete Series CDSOL-6377}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 260 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 96 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 248 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1987, 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6377
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Hard Bop / Jazz Funk

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. Comes with a descripton in Japanese. A later album from reedman Eddie Harris – but a set that still continues some of his best funky styles from the 70s Atlantic Records years! In fact, the record may well be the last that Eddie ever cut in this mode – a real surprise at a time when some of his other sessions were more traditional – and the record's filled with lots of very groovy surprises that include great Fender Rhodes from William Henderson, plus more electric piano from Eddie – who also sings a bit too, in that great raspy tone of his. Rhythms are often pretty great, too – funky, in an offbeat way – thanks to sweet basslines from Larry Gales and drums from Carl Burnett.

Lo and behold, 17 years ago Amon Ra released their debut album „Precarious Balance“, receiving a warm welcome from rock magazines around the globe. The album eventually went on to become a highly praised insider tip in prog circles, pulling in fans of Rush or Dream Theater as well as fans of the early Elton John. In the wake of its release, the band joined the German leg of SAGA’s world tour alongside being booked for shows as guests for main acts like Jethro Tull. In spite of being co-produced by a member of a famous progressive rock band, the follow-up album went down in the flames of a business fiasco. A fate the band shares with so many others, leading to the discontinuation of all live and studio activities. "We Never Said Good-bye" is an ironic take on the band's history, and a tour de force comprising of 12 songs from the German American band.

As was the case with their very uneven career, Sodom's two-disc greatest-hitsset, Ten Black Years: The Best of Sodom, is not the sort of collection one can easily appreciate when heard from start to finish…