Ford Theatre were one of the most promising and best US psychedelic bands of the 60's. A few months after truly excellent Trilogy For The Masses debut LP (from December 1968) they released another concept album for ABC Records - Time Changes. Influenced by the recent works of The Beatles, The Byrds and Love, this slightly more commercial and unjustly underrated record was a kind of musical based on one man’s life. The music itself was very diverse, ranged from dark, atmospheric and ambitious tracks full of hard rock guitar-organ interplay, to much lighter sounds usually coupled with lush sound of strings. This record (an early production by Bill Szymczyk) is specially recommended for those who like classic 60's rock sound.
Lunatic Soul is the solo project of Mariusz Duda, the lead singer and creative force behind the Polish band, Riverside. While far removed from Riverside's Progressive Metal it is not difficult to see comparisons and similarities to the parent band in the music contained on the eponymous debut album - not least of all because of Duda's distinctive clean vocals, the occasional guttural growl and, despite the lack of electric guitars, the pounding acoustic guitar riffs that appear on some of the tracks. However, this is not the lighter, unplugged side of Duda, it is a dark brooding mix of eclectic sounds with ethnic instruments and influences evoking eastern/oriental themes, psychedlic-era Pink Floyd-like rhythms, swirling and ethereal keyboards reminiscent of early Porcupine Tree tied together by songs that are surprisingly accessible and melodic.
With a unique multimedia-based approach and intriguing sound design, legendary French art-Electro-project Die Form is a one-of-a-kind experience. To adequately celebrate three decades of their extraordinary and extreme art, Philippe F. and Éliane P. are releasing a very special box set, titled “BEST OF XXX”, which includes the most powerful and well-known rhythmic titles that have been the foundation for the creative duo’s continuing success. All of the timeless tracks have been completely reworked, rearranging and re-recording all the machines and original elements (sequencers, drum machines, analog- & digital synthesizers, samplers, tapes and effects) and Éliane’s vocals, using current state-of-the-art technology.
The sun has set, it’s cocktail hour and you need some sounds to help you settle into the evening. These are those sounds. More than four hours of the very best after-hours jazz around. Whether sultry saxophone, cool singing, muted trumpet or relaxed piano, this Late Night Jazz is the perfect accompaniment to your wee small hours.
Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Scott, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Kenny Barron and many others.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer's most successful and well-realized album (after their first), and their most ambitious as a group, as well as their loudest, Brain Salad Surgery was also the most steeped in electronic sounds of any of their records. The main focus, thanks to the three-part "Karn Evil 9," is sci-fi rock, approached with a volume and vengeance that stretched the art rock audience's tolerance to its outer limit, but also managed to appeal to the metal audience in ways that little of Trilogy did…