Buxtehude’s cantata cycle, Membra Jesu Nostri, is a unique work. Based on texts from a medieval Latin hymn, ‘Salve mundi salutare’, the cycle contains seven cantatas each dedicated to a different part of Christ’s crucified body. The texts are based on the concept of an observer contemplating Christ’s body on the cross starting with his feet and moving up to his knees, hands, side, breast, heart and finally his head. Buxtehude plays cleverly with musical colours and textures and changes the mixture of voices and instruments to dramatic effect as the work develops.
In the mid '60s The Lovin Spoonful were never far from the top of the charts. In their relatively short career, during which time founding group member John Sebastian distinguished himself as one of the finest songwriters of the day, they made an enduring contribution to the soundtrack of a memorable era. Features classic TV performances of their chart hits, contributions from John Sebastian, and an interview with Zal Yanovsky…
With various record labels compiling complete works to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of Bach, EMI's more accessible approach is this luxurious anthology of the Baroque master's sacred music. Over two and a half hours, this program encompasses the grand scale of the Magnificat in D (BWV 243) and Missa Brevis in A (BWV 234). Between these are scared cantatas, the very popular choral Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140) contrasting with sensitive solo vocal writing in Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (BWV 12); motets; arias; and an organ prelude and fugue. It's a well-balanced program, covering every aspect of Bach's church music except the Passions.
This one being a real hidden gem for fans of early 80s AOR and pomp rock fans – the one and only album by USA band Level. Level’s 1982 self-titled release is another of those lost classics, a real AOR obscurity that was only ever issued on LP and even that now fetches huge prices. Tommy produced and engineered the album as well as co-writing one track. Here he has again provided the masters for JK Northrup to upgrade, adding the extra track not credited on the LP artwork and an exclusive previously unreleased bonus track.
This 3-CD/1-DVD Expanded Edition is a true collector’s item and the ultimate vision of Purple Rain. In addition to the 2015 Paisley Park Remaster and “From The Vault & Previously Unreleased,” it includes “Single Edits & B-Sides” and a never-seen on DVD of Prince and The Revolution Live! in 1985…
In the wake of Brian Setzer's success as a retro-swing act, his former Stray Cats partners Lee Rocker (bass) and Slim Jim Phantom (drums) formed their own swing/rockabilly/jump blues combo, the Swing Cats, with another rockabilly revivalist veteran, ex-Polecats guitarist Danny B. Harvey. The Swing Cats released their eponymous debut early in 1999, featuring guest vocal spots from Tim Polecat, Jamie James, and Claudia Cummings, among others. A Special Tribute to Elvis followed a year later. That same year Swing Cat Stomp was released.
Praetorius devoted most of his life to church music: he published more than twenty collections, mostly of settings of Lutheran chorales, and a number of others are known to have existed in manuscript. He also planned a series of collections of secular music named after the various Greek muses, including Euterpe (Italian and English dances), Thalia (toccatas and canzonas) and Erato (German secular songs). Unfortunately, in the event he managed to publish only one, Terpsichore, musarum aoniarum quinta (1612), consisting of 312 dances in four, five and six parts.