Stuart Saunders Smith – The Links Series of Vibraphone Essays (2009)

Eight men escape from the most isolated prison on earth. Only one man survives and the story he recounts shocks the British establishment to the core. This story is the last confession of Alexander Pearce.

Andy's long-awaited memoir is coming out this fall, so what better time to revisit the perfectly-crafted pop songs he's recorded throughout his five decades in the music business? This career-spanning compilation consists of 18 songs, and every one's a classic: Moon River; Speak Softly Love; Can't Get Used to Losing You; Butterfly ; the first-time stereo release of the stirring arrangement of Battle Hymn of the Republic he performed at Robert F. Kennedy's memorial service; the rare single One Day of Your Life; Born Free; (Where Do I Begin) Love Story; The Village of St. Bernadette; Days of Wine and Roses; It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year , and more.

A singer/songwriter of considerable grace and wit, Nick Lowe pioneered pub rock and punk, then settled into a dignified third act as an elegant crooner. Lowe started his career as the nominal leader of Brinsley Schwarz, a ragged collection of hippies that helped create the pub rock circuit of the early 1970s. Heavily influenced by the Band, the Brinsleys were at the forefront of a British back-to-basics rock & roll that eventually mutated into punk rock.

In the late '60s and early '70s, many bands were making, or caught in, the transition between psychedelia and hard rock. This comp has 20 cuts from that mini-genre's heyday, most of them from quite obscure bands and releases, though a few actually made a modest commercial impact. Certainly SRC (represented by the "Up All Night" title track) are fairly well remembered and fairly well regarded, as to different extents are a few other acts here, like Damnation of Adam Blessing, the Litter, and Sir Lord Baltimore. Most of these fellas (and they certainly are all fellas, likely strutting their pretty macho-oriented stuff to a largely male audience as well) won't be familiar to many collectors, however, though some had connections to famous figures like Rick Derringer, Frijid Pink, Johnny Winter, Eddie Kramer, Shadow Morton, Mountain, and Frank Zappa.

Recognized for her distinctly raspy voice and soulful pop repertoire, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler had her first worldwide hit in 1978 with "It's a Heartache" from her second album, Natural Force. Characteristic of her work in the '70s, it blended elements of country, rock, and pop. Leaving signs of country behind, she struck recording-industry gold a second time with 1983's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" from fifth LP Faster Than the Speed of Night. A U.K. number one that reached a career-high number four in the States, its unforgettably formidable climax assured the song's place among the iconic songs of '80s soft rock.

Based on the pioneering New York Times series, About Us collects the personal essays and reflections that have transformed the national conversation around disability.

The BBC version of Life arrives with an at-times breathtaking, altogether stunning 1080p/VC-1 transfer; one that boasts gorgeous colors and remarkable detail, and puts most other nature documentary presentations to shame. Still, comparisons to the series' 1080i Discovery Channel release are the most inevitable and the most unavoidable. Simply put, the differences between the two aren't earth shattering – in some instances, our beloved little "p" may as well stand for "placebo" – but they are notable. There are plenty of scenes and shots in which the tiniest strands of animal hair are crisper, distant foliage is more refined, and the craggly crevices of rocky ravines are more revealing.

If you’re a Neil Diamond fan, the latest entry in our songwriter series is a no-brainer must-have. For starters, it collects 11 of the songs Neil wrote during the 1963-1969 timeframe that is its purview, but has never himself recorded. Among the numbers he gave away are the Monkees’ ‘Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)’ (heard here in the unique mix used on the original television broadcast) and Jay & the Americans’ ‘Sunday And Me’.