Twilight 1990

This is a day in the life of a city, its denizens shaking off sleep and moving through the busy streets and promenades only to return home and (presumably) start the process all over again. Vangelis' city is cosmopolitan, tastefully blending exotic sounds and disembodied voices, at once futuristic yet reassuringly familiar. Where Direct was remote, The City is almost sensual; swiftly coursing rhythms and bursts of sensation create a tactile quality. As program music, it succeeds at connecting events seamlessly for the first half of the disc. You can actually see the weak morning light dissipate the darkness on "Dawn" and watch the characters shuffle through their morning ministrations on "Morning Papers"…

Few new bands have caused as much of a stir with the release of their debut single and few have, simultaneously, generated so much backlash as German hard rockers Kingdom Come did with "Get It On." Mistaken by many fans as a reunion of the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, the quintet was derisively known to some as "Kingdom Clone." Signed to Polydor, lead singer Lenny Wolf put together a band and entered the studio with producer Bob Rock, an engineer and musician who would later find success working with Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and Metallica…

Time was the last truly great album from the Electric Light Orchestra, released as their world-conquering fame was starting to ebb. A concept album (a brave undertaking in 1981), Time has a space-age theme and is set at the end of the 21st century. What's most remarkable is how all this science-fiction silliness is salvaged by the exuberant playing. "Yours Truly, 2095" uses a number of ELO's hallmarks–a catchy synth riff, sweeping strings, and over-the-top production–to tell a tale of a man in love with a robot; the album's highlight, it should have been a hit single. The epic "Twilight" and "Hold on Tight"–which practically bounces along like an overexcited puppy–also stand among ELO's finest works. Moreover, critical darlings Grandaddy have frequently stated the album influenced their excellent Sophtware Slump, evidence that this futuristic album was itself years ahead of its time. ~ Robert Burrow

This album has very heavy percussion, and mixes them with haunting, and fleeting "ghost sound" synth samples. Like many of Delerium's early albums, it seems to tell a story, without words.

Recorded in 1964. It seems strange that the music on this CD was not released initially until 1980. Trumpeter Lee Morgan had had an unexpected hit with "The Sidewinder," so his more challenging recordings were temporarily put aside. As it turns out, this was one of Morgan's better sets from the 1960s and he had gathered together quite an all-star cast: altoist Jackie McLean, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Art Blakey. They perform "Rigormortis," McCoy Tyner's "Twilight Mist," and three of the trumpeter's originals, including the title cut. The advanced hard bop music still sounds fresh decades later despite its initial neglect.