Flac Power Ballads Gold

Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal. The lineup from 1978–92 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar), Matthias Jabs (lead guitar), Francis Buchholz (bass guitar), and Herman Rarebell (drums). The band's only constant member has been Schenker, although Meine has been the lead singer for all of the band's studio albums, and Jabs has been a consistent member since 1979…

Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by Rudolf Schenker. Since the band's inception, its musical style has ranged from hard rock to heavy metal. The lineup from 1978–92 was the most successful incarnation of the group, and included singer Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar), Matthias Jabs (lead guitar), Francis Buchholz (bass guitar), and Herman Rarebell (drums). The band's only constant member has been Schenker, although Meine has been the lead singer for all of the band's studio albums, and Jabs has been a consistent member since 1979. During the mid-1970s, with guitarist Uli Jon Roth part of the line-up, the music of the Scorpions was defined as hard rock.

Though he has shown a mastery and affinity for both electric and acoustic axes, Tommy Emmanuel's Higher Octave debut, Midnight Drive, finds him focusing almost exclusively on warm yet frequently aggressive acoustic melodies, complemented here and there by the raw, plugged-in energy of Robben Ford and Larry Carlton. The overall mix is the kind that smooth jazz lovers find easy to swallow, but offers more bite and adventure than most like-minded releases in the genre. Smooth jazz radio may find an easy mark with a laid-back take of Sting's "Fields of Gold," but Emmanuel's other tracks dig deeper, showing off a stylistic chameleon drawing from the many phases of his career. His soft pop side comes out on power ballads "No More Goodbyes" and "Stay Close to Me," the latter reminding us why guest saxman Warren Hill's biggest hit to date was called "The Passion Theme." Emmanuel's more aggressive blues-rock side (honed no doubt by a few years in the progressive mid-'80s ensemble Dragon) emerges with Carlton's help on "Can't Get Enough." The striking contrast between the pastoral, folksy roads of "Drivetime" and the disc's best track, "Villa de Martin" best reflects the gamut of Emmanuel's approaches.

Clockwork Angels has been a long time coming. Rush foreshadowed it in 2010 by releasing "BU2B," and "Caravan" to radio. The next single, "Headlong Flight," didn't appear until 2012. Co-produced with Nick Raskulinecz (who also worked on 2007's Snakes & Arrows), Clockwork Angels is a return to the concept album by the band that perfected it on 2112 in 1976. It centers on a loose narrative about a young man following his dreams. He struggles with inner and outer forces of order and chaos; he encounters an expansive world where colors, images, territories, and characters are embodied by pirates, strange carnivals, rabble-rousing anarchists, and lost cities. His enemy is the Watchmaker, a ruthless authoritarian presence who attempts to rule the universe and all aspects of everyday life with fascistic precision. Neil Peart's lyrics embrace notions of alchemy and steampunk sci-fi in his thematics…

It appears as though many metalheads lost track of the Scorpions after their whistle-heavy ballad, "Wind of Change," hit in 1991. But as fans who have faithfully stuck by the group's side will tell you, they have continued to issue new albums and tour on a regular basis since then. And while there have been quite a few Scorpions compilations issued over the years, none traced their career over a 30-year span from 1974's In Trance through 2004's Unbreakable. But all that changed with the arrival of 2006's three-disc overview, Platinum Collection. What you get is quite a lot of the expected fare – some of arena rock's most foundation-shaking anthems ("Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Big City Nights"), as well as Bic-hoisting power ballads ("Still Loving You," the aforementioned "Wind of Change").

Spellbound represented an amazing evolution for the Tygers of Pan Tang, especially considering that it was released a mere six months after their very rough and unpolished debut. Simply put, the addition of versatile new vocalist Jon Deverill and brilliant guitarist John Sykes (yes – that John Sykes) helped improve the Tygers' musicianship and songwriting abilities to no end, allowing producer Chris Tsangarides to exact an infinitely superior (if not as innocently charming) performance of the band from a technical perspective. With a muscular brand of metal lying somewhere between Def Leppard and Saxon, the revitalized group had all of their bases covered and only MCA (frequently referred to as the "Musical Cemetery of America" in those days) could possibly squander the potential of memorable numbers like "Gangland," "Take It," and the especially hook-laden "The Story So Far." Other highlights include "Mirror," one of the band's best power ballads, and "Don't Stop By," where Sykes takes the first great solo of his career, showcasing both the stunning technical mastery and fluid musicality which would become his trademarks.

Enrique Iglesias made a big splash with his first album, released in late 1995. The son of Latin superstar Julio Iglesias, Enrique's debut is devoted to polished, romantic pop tunes and power ballads, all with a contemporary pop/rock feel that shies away from many common clichés of Latin pop. The album was a major commercial success in Latin America and earned a gold record in the United States; it also won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.

Enrique Iglesias made a big splash with his first album, released in late 1995. The son of Latin superstar Julio Iglesias, Enrique's debut is devoted to polished, romantic pop tunes and power ballads, all with a contemporary pop/rock feel that shies away from many common clichés of Latin pop. The album was a major commercial success in Latin America and earned a gold record in the United States; it also won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.