The Stablegirl

Hannes Minnaar, The Netherlands SO, Jan Willem de Vriend - Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos (2017) DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Hannes Minnaar, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Jan Willem de Vriend - Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos (2017)
DSD64 (.dsf) 1 bit/2,8 MHz | Time - 169:59 minutes | 3,76 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time - 169:59 minutes | 3,21 GB
Source: SACD-R, Challenge Classics # CC 72763 | Artwork: Digital Booklet(s)

Here is the box containing Beethoven’s five Piano Concertos performed by Hannes Minnaar and The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jan Willem de Vriend. So far two single volumes had been issued: while the one including Concertos nos. 4 & 5 was acclaimed by Gramophone as: "beginning a Beethoven cycle with the Fourth and Fifth Concertos is a bold move but one that pays off in all sorts of ways", the same magazine welcomed the disc with Concertos nos. 1 & 2 for “its pleasing mix of finesse and drive”. Now the box also offers the so far unissued Concerto #3. Despite the very large number of recordings already made of this musical corpus, Minnaar and de Vriend have proved that they have something new and totally their own to say about this collection of masterpieces. And it is indeed the peculiar blend of sheer energy and esprit de finesse that can be identified as the distinctive brand or these recordings.

The Righteous Brothers - Gold (Remastered) (2005)  Music

Posted by Rtax at Nov. 25, 2023
The Righteous Brothers - Gold (Remastered) (2005)

The Righteous Brothers - Gold (Remastered) (2005)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks, cue, log) - 885 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps - 330 MB
2:19:06 | Full scans Included | Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Pop | Label: Polydor

Gold Review by William Ruhlmann
The major label Universal Music is the repository for the recordings the Righteous Brothers made in the 1960s, separately and together, for Moonglow, Philles, Verve, and MGM Records. Universal's Gold reissue series, like Sony BMG's Essential series, consists of two-CD compilations of label artists. The Righteous Brothers scored 22 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1963 and 1974, 21 of which are included here. (The exception is a cover of the Jerry Butler hit "He Will Break Your Heart," which spent one week at number 91 as the B-side of the Top 20 hit "He.") Since the set contains 48 tracks in total, that means the format allows plenty of space for non-hits and album tracks. In the Righteous Brothers' case, it also allows for some of the many solo efforts of duo members Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley.
Michala Petri - The art of the recorder: Vivaldi, Handel, Telemann, Sammartini [4CDs] (2007)

Michala Petri - The art of the recorder: Vivaldi, Handel, Telemann, Sammartini (2007)
EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue & Log) ~ 945 Mb | Total time: 186:05 | Scans included
Classical | Label: DECCA | # 475 8464 | Recorded: 1979, 1982, 1984

Denmark's Michala Petri has continued to dominate the modest but persistent recorder "scene" despite the emergence of a host of younger recorder players from the ranks of Dutch-trained historical-instrument specialists. Collecting a group of her 1970s and 1980s recordings, as has been done here, is an eminently justifiable enterprise, for it was these recordings whose laserlike intonation, whip-smart ornamentation, and all-around attractiveness that caught the attention of listeners in the first place. Petri uncovered and recorded a good deal of Baroque repertory for the instruments, recording it with the likes of England's Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

The Space Cossacks - Live Supernova (2016)  Music

Posted by popsakov at Nov. 29, 2023
The Space Cossacks - Live Supernova (2016)

The Space Cossacks - Live Supernova (2016)
EAC Rip | FLAC (Img) + Cue + Log ~ 418 Mb | MP3 CBR320 ~ 169 Mb
Full Scans | 00:57:13 | RAR 5% Recovery
Surf, Cosmic Surf Rock | MuSick Recordings #MuSick 39

Limited Edition CD of classic 1998 concert recorded in Long Beach, CA at the legendary venue The Foothill Club! Artwork by Stephen Blickenstaff (The Cramps' "Bad Music for Bad People") and liner notes by John Blair of Jon & The Nightriders! The Space Cossacks arrived in 1996. They were an all-instrumental, four-piece outfit from Washington D.C. who fit in nicely with the surf music crowd, but had taken the genre to a completely different level. They made quite a splash after only a few live performances; an overabundance of critical acclaim followed.
The Doobie Brothers - Takin' It To The Streets (1976) {1990, Japan 1st Press}

The Doobie Brothers - Takin' It To The Streets (1976) {1990, Japan 1st Press}
EAC Rip | FLAC (Tracks) + Cue + m3u + Log ~ 268 Mb | MP3 CBR320 ~ 125 Mb
Full Scans | 00:38:32 | RAR 5% Recovery
Soft Rock, Classic Rock | Warner-Pioneer Corporation #WPCP-3166

The group's first album with Michael McDonald marked a shift to a more mellow and self-consciously soulful sound for the Doobies, not all that different from what happened to Steely Dan – whence McDonald (and Jeff Baxter) had come – between, say, Can't Buy a Thrill and Pretzel Logic. They showed an ability to expand on the lyricism of Patrick Simmons and Baxter's writing on "Wheels of Fortune," while the title track introduced McDonald's white funk sound cold to their output, successfully. Simmons' "8th Avenue Shuffle" vaguely recalled "Black Water," only with an urban theme and a more self-consciously soul sound (with extraordinarily beautiful choruses and a thick, rippling guitar break).
The Parley of Instruments, Mark Caudle - The Noble Bass Viol: From Purcell To Handel  (1999)

The Parley of Instruments, Mark Caudle - The Noble Bass Viol (1999)
Purcell, Bocchi, Conti, Corelli, Draghi, Finger, Gorton, Hely, Handel

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 345 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 180 Mb | Scans included
Genre: Classical | Label: Hyperion | # CDA67088 | Time: 01:17:58

The viol consort was introduced to England in the early sixteenth century and was mainstay of domestic music until the middle of the seventeenth century. After the Restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, things rapidly changed with the rise in popularity of the violin amongst court musical lfe and amateurs. Composers soon ceased to contribute to the viol consort repertory, with some of Purcell's contemporaries such as Roger North regretting the change. North acknowledged that the violin was 'very excellent in it's kind', but thought that the 'noble Base Viol' embodied all its 'sublimitys'. As North recognised, the viol was not entirely supplanted by the violin in the Restoration period. The bass viol remained in use as a continuo instrument in chamber music until the early eighteenth century, and the instrument acquired a new repertory of solos, duet and trios with continuo. This recording is a survey of this little-known but rewarding repertory.

The Kinks - Photographs and Souvenirs (Live 1972) (2023)  Music

Posted by ciklon5 at Nov. 29, 2023
The Kinks - Photographs and Souvenirs (Live 1972) (2023)

The Kinks - Photographs and Souvenirs (Live 1972) (2023)
FLAC (tracks), Lossless | 1:04:42 | 359 Mb
Genre: Classic Rock

The Kinks One of the great bands of the rock & roll era, the Kinks pioneered hard rock with such wild early ravers as "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night," singles that inspired such peers as the Who and David Bowie while also pointing the way forward for punk and metal. That turned out to be the first act in a career that ran into the 1990s, making them the only British Invasion band outside of the Rolling Stones to last that long. Where the Stones always occupied center stage, the Kinks operated on the margins, both by accident and design. Lead singer/songwriter Ray Davies fashioned himself as an observer of human behavior, developing a gift for character and commentary that flourished on such mid-'60s singles as "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" and "Sunny Afternoon."
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Junk Culture (1984) [2CD Deluxe Edition 2015] (Repost)

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Junk Culture (1984) [2CD Deluxe Edition 2015]
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 752 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 267 MB | Covers - 144 MB
Genre: Synth-pop, New Wave | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Virgin/Universal Music (4701075)

Remastered Deluxe Edition with bonus disc includes B-sides, rare mixes and 5 previously unreleased tracks.
Smarting from Dazzle Ships' commercial failure, the band had a bit of a rethink when it came to their fifth album - happily, the end result showed that the group was still firing on all fours. While very much a pop-oriented album and a clear retreat from the exploratory reaches of previous work, Junk Culture was no sacrifice of ideals in pursuit of cash. In comparison to the group's late-'80s work, when it seemed commercial success was all that mattered, Junk Culture exhibits all the best qualities of OMD at their most accessible - instantly memorable melodies and McCluskey's distinct singing voice, clever but emotional lyrics, and fine playing all around…
Big Brother And The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (1968/2013) [Official Digital Download 24/176]

Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills (1968/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/176,4 kHz | Time - 55:12 minutes | 2,67 GB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Artwork: Front cover

"Cheap Thrills" is the band’s sophomore album and the final to feature Janis Joplin as lead vocalist. The band members were pioneers of the psychedelic era and their 1968 classic is widely considered one of the greatest masterpieces of the genre. It features the hits “Piece Of My Heart,” “Summertime” and “Ball And Chain.” It is included on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and listed in the book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Absolutely essential.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - The Pacific Age (1986) (New Rip)

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - The Pacific Age (1986)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 263 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 97 MB | Covers - 34 MB
Genre: Synth-pop, New Wave | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Virgin (CDV 2398)

The Pacific Age is the last OMD album to feature founding member Paul Humphreys (although The Best of OMD does collect a pair of subsequent singles). With producer Stephen Hague returning and guests Graham and Neil Weir elevated to full-time members, OMD aggressively targets the American pop market cultivated with Crush and the Top Ten single "If You Leave." With the Weirs' horns and a trio of female backing vocalists, the music on The Pacific Age sounds larger than life (the opening "Stay" in particular), a trait common to popular music in the mid-'80s. The added production value and better material represent an improvement over Crush, despite the opinion of some that The Pacific Age is a bland sellout. It's true that tracks like "(Forever) Live and Die," "Shame," and "Goddess of Love" are more style than substance, but it's a style that plays to OMD's mastery of melody and mood…