Selah Sue All The Way Down

Die Befürchtung, dass der AC/DC- beziehungsweise Krokus-Faktor zu dominant ausfallen könnte, bewahrheitet sich zum Glück nicht. Denn auch wenn die ersten Strophentakte des Openers ‘Dreamer’ die Vorliebe der Schweizer Gloria Volt für pumpenden Pub-Rock’n’Roll mit Boogie-Faktor unmittelbar zur Schau stellen, nimmt schon die Bridge eine erfreuliche Ausfahrt und verlässt mit glorreichem melodischem Golden Earring-Gestus (eine Referenz-Band, die auf ALL THE WAY DOWN durchaus Mehrfach­nennungen für sich beanspruchen kann) den Pfad der stumpf vor sich hin stampfenden Vorhersehbarkeit.

2009 CD/DVD live release from the veteran Synth Pop band fronted by Terri Nunn includes a bonus DVD. Berlin's Electro-Pop sound features the enduring and assertive voice of Nunn, which is why All The Way In is the most preferable place to hear this Los Angeles-based group's music. Berlin made its first national impression with the provocative single 'Sex (I'm A…)' from the gold-selling debut EP Pleasure Victim in 1982. The Synth-soaked punch of 'No More Words' from 1984's Love Life album and the number one ballad 'Take My Breath Away' from the film Top Gun are the album's high points. Berlin's '80s poignancy provided some rather palatable music, even if the charts didn't say so. Songs like 'Dancing In Berlin' and 'Scream' could compete with anything Depeche Mode or Duran spouted at the time, and the range of Nunn's vocals elevated most of Berlin's efforts above the norm of the run-of-the-mill synthesizer glitz. All The Way In captures Berlin at their best in front of a hometown Los Angeles crowd.

Of the album and recording, the Levellers say 'It was truly a fun record to make, under the rigorous guidance of Sean. Sean's a musician himself, always bringing ideas and get out of jail free suggestions when we got stuck. It's a stripped back, raw iteration of the collective with deep folk leanings. As energetic as the first one but definitely different'.

The Casablanca Records Story is a 4CD box set exploring the soul and disco sides of Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records. Released in 1994, this is dedicated to just their soul and disco sides, not the rock side so no Kiss or Angel. This was taken from the promotional version of the collection so no booklet, as it was packaged in a thick case (clam shell).

Vocalist Susie Arioli's performances on All The Way are all about impact through intimacy. Arioli's laidback and understated vocals don't fall in line with the textbook definition of "powerful," but her ability to create highly emotive atmospheres in cloistered and relatively calm surroundings marks her as a powerful singer nonetheless.

Universal Music Presents Joe Christmas All The Way contains the defining tracks of the decade and features some of the biggest hits from artists including John Lennon, ABBA, Boney M, Sting, Elton John and many more.

A rhetorical question: what makes a great Christmas album? We know all or most of the chestnuts, both commercial and religious. The Drummer Boy flams, someone's dreaming white, and another will be home in their dreams. The annual marathon Yuletide programs rely heavily on the tried and true with an occasional novelty thrown in. Classical purists hit up the legit pantheon. With this album, a capella vocal group, Accent adds a Who's Who of world-class arrangers (Jorge Calandrelli, Nan Schwartz, Elliot Deutsch and including group members James Rose and Simon Åkesson), celebrated musicians (including Arturo Sandoval), and takes the obligatory jazz Holiday album to an invitingly unique level the appeal of which is infectious.