Deep Purple went through more than their share of personnel changes over the years. In 1990, their lineup consisted of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (who had returned to the Purple fold in 1984 after leaving the band to form Rainbow following the release of Stormbringer in November 1974), singer Joe Lynn Turner, keyboardist/organist Jon Lord, drummer Ian Paice, and bassist Roger Glover…

Anyone that hadn't paid close attention to the post-Purple careers of Ian Gillan and Roger Glover may have been shocked by the sound of their 1988 reunion, Accidentally on Purpose. In fact, many Purple fans might be shocked as well, since Accidentally on Purpose is hardly reminiscent of any of the group's records, relying almost entirely on synthesizers, pop melodies, introspection and breezy rhythms…

Ever since he first began to be noticed in 1992, Eric Alexander has developed into one of the giants of the tenor sax. He is not an avant-garde trailblazer; nor are there scores of saxophonists who sound like his clones…

While they started out in the late '60s as a psychedelic band, delved into progressive rock, and even recorded an album in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deep Purple achieved their greatest success as a strong, straightforward, hard rock band, anchored by the powerful guitar work of Ritchie Blackmore and the show-stopping vocals of Ian Gillan (and later David Coverdale). From 1970's Deep Purple in Rock to 1974's Stormbringer, Deep Purple were one of the most popular hard rock bands on Earth, and Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple captures the band at the top of their form on some of their best-known songs…

One thing buried amidst all Bon Jovi's detours of the new millennium – there wasn't just 2007's contemporary country Lost Highway, there was the acoustic reworking of hits This Left Feels Right in 2003 – is that the group has been sober-minded throughout the decade, reacting to 9/11 on 2002's Bounce, exploring the morass of W's America on 2005's Have a Nice Day, and now creating a soundtrack for the Great Recession on 2009's The Circle…

2002's two-CD Whitesnake compilation Here I Go Again: The Whitesnake Collection assembles remastered versions of all three of the band's biggest albums for Geffen – 1984's Slide It In, 1987's blockbuster Whitesnake, and 1989's Slip of the Tongue – as well as non-album mixes and B-sides…

Ever since 2001's Songs from the West Coast, Elton John and his longtime collaborator, Bernie Taupin, have been deliberately and unapologetically chasing their glory days of the early '70s, but nowhere have they been as candid in evoking those memories as they are on 2006's The Captain & the Kid, the explicitly stated sequel to 1975's masterpiece Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy…

In addition to being one of the top tenor saxophonists of his generation, Eric Alexander has developed quite a following in Japan, as evidenced by his series of recordings for the Venus label. These 2004 sessions with pianist Mike LeDonne, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth are much in the mold of John Coltrane's Ballads album of the early '60s…

John Mayall gets the star treatment in this installment of the fantastic LIVE FROM AUSTIN series, which features uncut performances from perhaps the greatest live televised music showcase ever, Austin City Limits. Throughout his career, Mayall has been more famous as a picker and pruner of talent–among the ranks of his famed Bluesbreakers stood Peter Green, Eric Clapton, and Mick Taylor–than as a bluesman in his own right, but here he challenges all comers with a confident set of blues classics and self-penned numbers, plus a wildly effusive stage persona. The set was originally recorded on September 13, 1993.

Lead singer of Van Halen. He left the band in 1985, to be replaced (mainly) by Sammy Hagar, but after a 21 year break he rejoined them in 2006. In 2007 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…

Splinter Group/Destiny Road is a remarkably good value for anyone interested in the comeback of Peter Green. Combining the self-titled debut of the Splinter Group along with Destiny Road, this two-fer offers a good snapshot of the man's return…

Have a Nice Day, Bon Jovi's ninth studio album of original material, picks up where 2002's Bounce left off, showcasing a harder, heavier band than either 2000's Crush or Jon Bon Jovi's 1997 solo effort, Destination Anywhere. Not only that, but this 2005 album finds Jon Bon Jovi picking up on the serious undercurrent of Bounce, writing a series of angry, somber neo-protest songs that form the heart of this record…

The official release of The Basement Tapes – which were first heard on a 1968 bootleg called The Great White Wonder – plays with history somewhat, as Robbie Robertson overemphasizes the Band's status in the sessions, making them out to be equally active to Dylan, adding in demos not cut at the sessions and overdubbing their recordings to flesh them out…

"Bring Me to Life" is a song by American rock band Evanescence recorded for their debut studio album Fallen (2003). Wind-up released it as the lead single from the album on April 22, 2003. The track was written by group members Amy Lee, Ben Moody, and David Hodges and produced by Dave Fortman…