Manson (1973) [limited Edition] [re Up]

If it seems as though the familiar ABBA sound isn't present on this album, that's because there was no entity known as ABBA at the time that the earliest sides here were recorded. Growing out of an attempt by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus to record together with their respective companions, Agnetha Faltskog and Frida "Anni-Frid" Lyngstad, the first side cut here, "People Need Love," featured the two men singing just as prominently as the women, and was credited to "Bjorn and Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid." It was only after its release and the cutting of a further single, "Ring, Ring," that the more familiar sound of the quartet began to coalesce along with the idea of a permanent professional association. Unreleased in the United States until 1995, this album is more of a generic European pop release than an ABBA release; the music has several unusual attributes…

If you are looking for a CD to become acquainted with Lemongrass, or you are already a fan and would like another CD for your collection, Pour L'amour is a solid choice of jazz / electronica you won't regret having made…

Increasingly, and especially in a day and age where music is so widely and readily available thanks to advanced technologies, when a company or act wants to make a good box set, it had better deliver. To its credit, Beggars Banquet did just that with Rare Cult, an astoundingly comprehensive and entertaining collection that packs in 90 tracks over the course of six discs…

Many words come to mind when you hear the name Cannibal Corpse, but one truly defines the soon-to-be thirty-year death metal veterans: Unstoppable. Returning with their 14th full-length, the monstrous Red Before Black, serves to not only reiterate this but to once more raise the stakes, making it very clear who sets the standard when it comes to always compelling music that is equally brutal and complex.

Rhys Fulber had already proven his skills in ambient dance with Delerium. On Conjure One, he develops his own ideas further, applying a wonderful grasp of sounds from the Mediterranean and Middle East. Fulber traveled the world to put together this breathtaking work, which was recorded in Amsterdam, Vancouver, London, and Los Angeles. Given his busy production schedule, it's no surprise that this took three years to finish. The result is satisfying to say the least, as Conjure One is nothing short of sweeping ambient dance-pop. Like Sarah McLachlan's contribution to Delerium's "Silence," the guest vocalists here enhance Fulber's already powerful songwriting. Most magnificent are Sinéad O'Connor ("Tears From the Moon"), Poe ("Center of the Sun"), and Marie Claire D'Ubaldo ("Manic Star"). With other collaborations from Billy Steinberg and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, this ethereal solo debut (if you can call it a solo effort) is another big step forward for Fulber, as well as culturally diverse pop. A limited-edition version comes with a second disc of remixes.