Virgin Report

Limited 12 CD + NTSC/Region 0 DVD box. Curated by Steve Hillage and released with the full involvement of original members, legendary psychedelic surrealists Gong are the subject of a box set with the release of Love From Planet Gong: The Virgin Years 1973-75. Released to coincide with Gong's 50th Anniversary, the set covers the band's classic years in a stunning package that includes: their seminal first four Virgin studio albums plus bonus tracks; previously unreleased, multi-tracked full gigs, the complete John Peel Sessions from 1973 and 1974; previously unreleased quad Pye and Westlake mixes of You re-formatted to 5.1 surround-sound, and artwork including rare and previously unseen work by the late Daevid Allen…

Mike Oldfield - Boxed (1976) {Virgin CDBOX1 - 3CD 1989 Issue rec 1972-1975}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 869 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 395 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 219 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 1989 Virgin | CDBOX1
Art Rock / Prog-Rock / Progressive Electronic

A curious four-LP set consisting of the original version of Ommadawn, a vastly remixed version of Hergest Ridge, a remixed/remodeled version of Tubular Bells, and a platter called Collaborations in which Oldfield's bits on the recordings of others were excerpted, often with the result that sans context, the excerpts made little sense (certainly the case with Oldfield's work alongside David Bedford).

Who would've thought Tubular Bells, a 49-minute prog symphony, could kickstart the career of a famous billionaire? This 40th birthday celebration of Richard Branson's baby spans two discs (plus a six-track bonus disc), and at its very heart there is, as the liner notes state, "a desire to challenge conceptions and be risk-takers". Post-1977, the danger appears to have petered out – in fact there's something a little Jeremy Clarkson about this drivetime-pop pick'n'mix. But there is always that lustrous Virgin sheen, a cinematic ostentation to the music – from Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight through Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy to Air's Sexy Boy. Its latter half – the economy-saving Emeli Sandé, the new EDM overlords – does prompt the question: will we be listening to Deadmau5 in 40 years? Probably not. But will Virgin still be releasing hit records? Absolutely yes.

This collection is a comprehensive, 4-CD curation of T'Pau's Virgin Records career: all those glorious singles from the mighty, quadruple platinum debut album Bridge Of Spies ('87), the two Top Ten albums which followed, the platinum-selling Rage ('88) and Top 10 gold-selling The Promise ('91), plus a glimmering collector's grotto of B-sides, remixes, tantalising rarities and unreleased demo versions of the songs which lit up the late-80s skyline like luminous shooting stars. This sumptuous box set includes unseen photos, memorabilia and an essay by Sylvia Patterson, ex-Smash Hits writer and author of acclaimed book (nominated for the Costa Award) I'm Not With the Band.

A multi-disc CD + blu-ray box set, In Search Of Hades, containing Tangerine Dream’s trailblazing 1970s recordings for Virgin Records is set for release through UMC/Virgin on 31 May.

Tangerine Dream follow up their superb In Search of Hades box set with another Virgin-era package. Pilots of Purple Twilight: The Virgin Recordings 1980-1983 showcases the next chapter and features newly remastered versions of the albums Tangram, Thief, Exit, White Eagle, Logos, Hyperborea along with the previously unreleased soundtracks.

Fans generally acknowledge the classic era of Tangerine Dream as coinciding with their Virgin years, which this collection rounds up nicely, opening with two landmarks, Phaedra and Rubycon, then including the group's broadening of scope and direction with the live Ricochet, Stratosfear, and Cyclone. This was directly after the early avant-garde years, consisting of experimental, arrhythmic work like Atem and Electronic Meditation, and before the Hollywood years, when Edgar Froese and co. began composing work for movie scores like Risky Business. Phaedra and Rubycon have not dated at all since their early-‘70s recording, despite Froese, Peter Baumann, and Chris Franke’s early adoption of Moog technology, along with Mellotron and other electric or electronic instruments. Along with the full LPs in their most recent remastering, the collection also rounds up single edits and 7” versions when they were originally available.

Limited 10 CD set. Original members of Sheffield's Human League, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh left after the first two albums and formed Heaven 17 in 1980. Named after a fictional band in Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, they recruited Glenn Gregory on vocals (who had been the original choice for lead singer of the Human League). Signed to Virgin Records, debut single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" attracted a lot of attention in March 1981, and a BBC Radio 1 ban. Debut album Penthouse And Pavement was released in September 1981 and was certified Gold the following year…