Rapture 19+65

From the backwoods brimstone labyrinth comes 'Hillbillies In Hell: The Rapture' - a blazing collection of psychedelic pedal-steel guitars, rapturous Gospel odes, She-Devils, possessed minors, hayseed barroom homicides, hallucinogenic nightmares and desperate souls. Originally waxed on microscopic labels and distributed in minuscule amounts, these troubled and forgotten troubadours sing of drug-fueled delusions, suicidal ideation, deathly rivers and Satan's perpetual torments. Years in the making 'Hillbillies In Hell: The Rapture' presents 34 testaments of benighted sinners, timeless tribulations, bottomless graves and the tall, tall flames of eternal damnation. A Luciferian cache of subterranean 45s - some of these sides are impossibly rare and are reissued here for the very first time. All for your primordial listening pleasure.

Deep Purple's 2005 album Rapture of the Deep generally maintains the quality of 2003's surprisingly sturdy Bananas. It's the second release from the re-energized lineup of vocalist Ian Gillan, guitarist Steve Morse, bass guitarist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist Don Airey, who replaced the retired Jon Lord. The band's comfort level has increased, and after nearly a decade on board, Morse's stamp is all over the place. At first, this guitar genius' presence was noticeable because of what it lacked – the incredibly distinctive Fender Stratocaster electric guitar tone of Ritchie Blackmore.

Deep Purple's 2005 album Rapture of the Deep generally maintains the quality of 2003's surprisingly sturdy Bananas. It's the second release from the re-energized lineup of vocalist Ian Gillan, guitarist Steve Morse, bass guitarist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist Don Airey, who replaced the retired Jon Lord…

'Rapture', released in 2012, is the band's third long awaited album. It captures all of Romeos Daughters' style and verve and is full of superbly crafted songs. With a gap of the best part of 20 years between Rapture and Delectable, this album firmly brings Romeo's Daughter into the 21st century. It was written in the most by guitarist Craig Joiner and co produced with Ed Poole, the band's bass player. The album has received critical acclaim, with the first single released from it, 'Bittersweet', reaching Classic Rock Magazine's 'Top songs of 2012' chart.

A complete survey of Ravel’s piano music is an especially challenging prospect for any pianist. It is not merely that this sublime music frequently demands exceptional, post-Lisztian virtuosity. Beyond such dexterity is the fact that, as Steven Osborne observes in this recording’s booklet, the composer’s fear of repeating himself ensure that the lessons from one work can rarely be transferred to the next. This is not merely the aesthetic change from the nightmarish imagery of Gaspard de la nuit to the elegant neo-classicism of Le tombeau de Couperin. Ravel essentially re-imagined how to write for the piano with each significant work. Osborne is more than up to the task. The contrasting fireworks of the ‘Toccata’ from Le tombeau and ‘Alborada del gracioso’ (Miroirs) are despatched with relish, the piano exploding with power in the latter after a disarmingly impish opening. The Sonatine has a refined insouciance, while the love bestowed upon each note is clear. Then there are the numerous moments of sustained control, such as the shimmering opening pages of Gaspard. Sometimes changes of spirit occur effortlessly within a piece. Having been a model of clarity in the ‘Prelude’ from Le tombeau, Osborne treats the codetta not as a brisk flourish, but as if this particular vision of the 18th century is dissolving beneath his fingers.

The first of these pieces, Ma Mere l'Oye, was originally composed just for the piano. However the astute publisher, Durand, recognized their orchestral potential and the impresario Jacques Rouche realized the choreographic possibilities and encouraged Ravel to expand and orchestrate the music. The result was "a vision of magical stillness and rapture" and became highly successful. The Pavane was also an early work of Ravel from 1899 written for the solo piano. This orchestral version with Ravel's "mature mastery of sound-colours" was done some eleven years later. La Tombeau de Couperin was Ravel's last solo piano work.