Donald 2009

This five-disc set, contained in a cardboard sleeve that bundles standard jewel cases, consists of Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes' four albums for Flying Dutchman – Astral Traveling (1973), Cosmic Funk (1974), Expansions (1974), and Visions of a New World (1975) – along with their first for RCA, Reflections of a Golden Dream (1976). Some of the albums were intermittently elusive, at least when it came to the CD format, throughout the years, so this was a convenient – and affordable – way to get them in one shot. However, it went out of print quickly after its 2009 release.

For about the thousandth time, these very early recordings by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen that have remained officially unreleased for a reason: they're terrible and only vaguely resemble the actual Steely Dan that came years later. This is not to say that there is no merit to them, only very little, and only for those who are so obsessed by the Steely Dan legend they need to hear every bent note, of which there are plenty here. This is another shabby Dressed to Kill effort that should be avoided. Period.

The box set contains the first five original studio albums of Smokie: Pass It Around (1975), Changing All The Time (1975), Midnight Cafe (1976), Bright Lights & Back Alleys (1977), The Montreux Album (1978). Originally formed in Yorkshire, England, in 1966, Smokie hit the British pop charts several times during the late '70s with updated psychedelic pop, influenced by the band's stay on Mickie Most's Rak Records as well as the writers of most of the band's hit material, Rak's Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Vocalist Chris Norman, bassist Terry Utley, and guitarist Alan Silson had played in the Elizabethans, but formed the band Kindness in 1968, with the addition of drummer Pete Spencer. The quartet recorded many singles during the late '60s and early '70s, but failed to show any chart activity until 1975.

The box set contains the first five original studio albums of Smokie: Pass It Around (1975), Changing All The Time (1975), Midnight Cafe (1976), Bright Lights & Back Alleys (1977), The Montreux Album (1978). Originally formed in Yorkshire, England, in 1966, Smokie hit the British pop charts several times during the late '70s with updated psychedelic pop, influenced by the band's stay on Mickie Most's Rak Records as well as the writers of most of the band's hit material, Rak's Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Vocalist Chris Norman, bassist Terry Utley, and guitarist Alan Silson had played in the Elizabethans, but formed the band Kindness in 1968, with the addition of drummer Pete Spencer. The quartet recorded many singles during the late '60s and early '70s, but failed to show any chart activity until 1975.

Reference Recordings is proud to present The Complete Beethoven Piano Concertos played by Grammy®-winning Garrick Ohlsson, performing with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, conducted by Sir Donald Runnicles. This album was recorded during live Festival performances in July 2022.