The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) [re Up]

A concept album, Jon Anderson's (Yes) "Toltec" is made up of 13 cuts divided into three parts. It tells the tale of the Toltec, a Native American concept of a group of people who have been all over the Earth, existing within different cultures throughout the centuries. They are described in the liner as "Creators of the circles of power, color, perfume, and music healing domes." Musically, this one is arguably Anderson's most ambitious solo effort. It is set in a style that is definitely progressive rock, but focuses less on the rock and more on other elements. Among those elements are new age (no surprise as the CD was released on the Windham Hill label), world music, electronic, and even jazz. Anderson not only provided the expected vocals, but also wrote, arranged, and produced the disc…

Ziggy Elman played trumpet beautifully and made lasting, significant contributions to the ripening of jazz and swing during the months immediately preceding the Second World War. As if to illustrate the point, this first segment of Elman's chronology contains his Bluebird recordings dating from December 28, 1938, through December 26, 1939. During this period, the trumpeter's band invariably consisted of two alto and two tenor saxophones with piano, guitar, bass, and drums. Over the course of 12 months a series of fine players passed through Elman's band. Among them were saxophonists Arthur Rollini, Babe Russin, Hymie Schertzer, Toots Mondello, and Jerry Jerome, and pianists Jess Stacy, Milt Raskin, and Johnny Guarnieri…

This box set is the ultimate pop collection, 43 albums featuring many of the biggest hits performed on the legendary pop music chart BBC TV programme Top of the Pops, which ran for a record shattering 42 years from January 1964 to July 2006! The show totalled an amazing 2205 episodes and at its peak attracted 15 million viewers per week! This complete set features a total of 875 tracks, including over 600 top ten hits and over 150 number one's!

Five more CDs of Connie Francis, picking up right where Bear Family's earlier White Sox, Pink Lipstick set left off, in 1960 – although its 300-plus minutes of music only cover the period of 1960 to 1962. By this time, Connie Francis was established as one of the top female vocal talents of her generation, and she was ready to experiment – you hear her successful move into country music, wonderful outtakes, and never-issued songs from her early-'60s sessions…

Universal is the tenth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 2 September 1996 by Virgin Records. Frontman Andy McCluskey opted for a more organic, acoustic sound on the record, which spawned the singles "Walking on the Milky Way" (a UK no. 17 hit) and "Universal". The media's resistance to OMD, who were rendered unfashionable by the prevalence of indie rock and Britpop, prompted McCluskey to dissolve the group. Universal would remain their final album for over a decade until the band's reunion.

Gary Chandler (guitar and vocals) and Stephen Christey (drums and percussion) founded English neo-progressive rockers Jadis in the late 80's and quickly scored some prestigious opening slots, including a coveted stint supporting progressive rock giants Marillion on their 1988 tour. The following year found them headlining London's legendary Marquee Club and recording their first demos with the help of Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery, but repeated line-up changes would force them to wait two more years before beginning work on their debut album, More than Meets the Eye.

Republica essentially sound like they're stuck in 1990, when house and rave were just beginning to make their presence felt in dance-pop – which, to more critical ears, will mean they sound dated for the mid-'90s, when jungle, drum'n'bass, ambient, and all other forms of techno were finally edging their way into the mainstream. And that argument would be relevant if Republica were attempting to work in that genre, but as their eponymous debut indicated, they had no interest in hardcore techno – they just wanted to dance. Working with strong, accessible Hi-NRG beats and catchy choruses, the trio has a bright, energetic sound that is quite infectious when tied with the right melodies, such as on the hit singles "Ready to Go" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous." If they had more than one sound, however, Republica would be even more entertaining, but as it stands, the record is a stretch of pleasantly numbing dance-pop punctuated by two terrific singles.

Universal is the tenth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 2 September 1996 by Virgin Records. Frontman Andy McCluskey opted for a more organic, acoustic sound on the record, which spawned the singles "Walking on the Milky Way" (a UK no. 17 hit) and "Universal". The media's resistance to OMD, who were rendered unfashionable by the prevalence of indie rock and Britpop, prompted McCluskey to dissolve the group. Universal would remain their final album for over a decade until the band's reunion.

An outstanding UK band with PENDRAGON/GENESIS influences and occasional flourishes of Pink Floyd. The Long Goodbye is a debut album released in 1996. The band has a dramatic vocal style, HACKETTesque guitars. The flute on the album, played by Martin Orford, adds a bit of variation. Fans of symphonic progressive rock should appreciate Moria Falls. Band members include Miff (vocals), David White (keyboards), Patrick Darlington (bass, acoustic guitar), Richard Jordan (drums, 12 string & nylon string guitars) and Glen Sandeman (electric guitars).

An outstanding UK band with PENDRAGON/GENESIS influences and occasional flourishes of Pink Floyd. The Long Goodbye is a debut album released in 1996. The band has a dramatic vocal style, HACKETTesque guitars. The flute on the album, played by Martin Orford, adds a bit of variation. Fans of symphonic progressive rock should appreciate Moria Falls. Band members include Miff (vocals), David White (keyboards), Patrick Darlington (bass, acoustic guitar), Richard Jordan (drums, 12 string & nylon string guitars) and Glen Sandeman (electric guitars).