m Révalité

The R.E.M. By MTV documentary is now available as a stand-alone DVD and on Blu Ray for the first time. The program includes the 111 minute documentary, as well as five deleted scenes featured on the REMTV box set and two trailers…

Maurice Ravel composed a number of works which have become classics of the repertoire both for solo piano and for orchestra. On the present disc, all except one work were first conceived for piano, which raises the question how it is possible to transfer such pianistic music to the orchestra without making it sound like a mere ‘colourized’ version. Ravel’s orchestral writing was the result of a long apprenticeship and careful study of orchestration treatises as well as scores, notably of works by Rimsky-Korsakov and Richard Strauss. Although his skills as an orchestrator are much admired today, his ability to coax new sounds out of the orchestra wasn't always appreciated in his own time, however – in 1907 the critic Pierre Lalo complained that ‘in Ravel’s orchestra, no instrument retains its natural sound…’

A collection of songs featured or inspired by the comic-book-turned-movie Dick Tracy, I'm Breathless is essentially Madonna's take on popular music from the '40s, particularly big-band pop. Although her singing shows a surprising amount of range, the material tends to be nothing more than cutesy novelty numbers, like the double entendre-laden hit "Hanky Panky." I'm Breathless approaches greatness only on "Vogue," a hit single tacked on to the end of the record. Featuring an endlessly deep house groove and an instantly memorable melody, "Vogue" is a detatched, affectionate celebration of transcendent pop and gay culture and stands as Madonna's finest single moment.

The Searchers were not only slipping in popularity by the time of this release, but were also slipping considerably behind the prevailing musical trends of the times. Maybe that's why they offered more original tunes (four) than usual…

A clutch of rare tracks, B-sides and a previously unreleased song from David Pajo aka Aerial M, Papa M or indeed sometimes just ‘M’! ·Influential guitar innovator David Pajo (Slint, Tortoise, Stereolab, Palace Music) presents this collection of rare, hard to find and out of print singles. The very first M 7” single is here (‘Safeless’ / ‘Napolean’), so is the first M 7” split single side (‘Vol de Nuit’). ·The Aerial M CD Singles of ’97 and ’98 (‘M is…’ and ‘October’) are also in evidence. So is the Papa M 1999 Tour Single. An old Christmas card from 2000 is included (a sixteen minute version of The Byrds’ ‘Turn Turn Turn’), and a previously unreleased Christmas song, to boot. Plus another fifteen or so minutes of the timeless, eternal sounds of M! If you like your Americana infused with a rich cinematic quality that at times dips into electronic terrain - look no further.