With the 1974 disintegration of the original Alice Cooper group, Alice was free to launch a solo career. He wisely decided to re-enlist the services of Bob Ezrin for his solo debut, Welcome to My Nightmare, which was a concept album tied into the story line of the highly theatrical concert tour he launched soon after the album's release. While the music lost most of the gritty edge of the original AC lineup, Welcome to My Nightmare remains Alice's best solo effort – while some tracks stray from his expected hard rock direction, there's plenty of fist-pumping rock to go around…
By the time of "Welcome to the show", BJH were almost forgotten in their UK homeland, outwith their small but faithful band of followers. Their reputation in continental Europe, and Germany in particular, however meant that there was still a market for their albums. Consequently, this release was very much geared towards fans in that country…
As the 1950s came to a close, Nat King Cole (vocals/piano) continued creating stylish renditions of pop and jazz flavored standards. On Welcome to the Club (1959) the artist teams up with Dave Cavanaugh and the Count Basie combo – minus the maestro himself due to contractual restraints – for one of Cole's most powerful collections supported by a big band. In fact, it is Cole's unmistakable ultra-cool intonations that flawlessly reign in the fiery – and at times overbearing – ensemble arrangements. Right from the start, the vocalist proves that he can swing on the refined and syncopated opening title track "Welcome to the Club."…