Released for the first time on this 1999 Challenge CD, this live set features the unusual duo of guitarist Jim Hall and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, two-thirds of the 1957 Jimmy Giuffre Three. Although there are occasions when one of the musicians accompanies the other one, much of the time Hall and Brookmeyer function as equals, improvising together on a set of standards plus an ad-lib blues called "Sweet Basil." Their ability to improvise while thinking of the whole picture and their knack for spontaneously harmonizing really come in handy during this intriguing and frequently exciting outing. Among the selections reborn in the playing of Hall and Brookmeyer are John Lewis' "Skating in Central Park," "Body and Soul," "Darn That Dream," and "St. Thomas." A successful effort that should not have taken 20 years to release.

Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys make up Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who were responsible for some of the catchiest and brightest synth pop that the '80s had to offer. O.M.D.'s material was a step above other keyboard pop music of the time, thanks to the combination of intelligently crafted hooks and colorful rhythms that bounced and jittered with pristine charm. Their squeaky-clean brilliancy initiated by both their synthesizers and subdued yet attractive vocal styles gave them a more mature sound over bands like Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls, who were attracting a younger audience. The Best of O.M.D. is an excellent compilation of their polished music, starting out with less provocative material like the basic electronic wash of "Electricity" and the bare but ebullient fervor of "Enola Gay." As this set moves along, so does the craftiness of their work, which is evident on tighter sounding songs like "Tesla Girls" and "Locomotion," where the intricacy of their formula begins to take a more resounding shape. O.M.D.'s best work came from 1985's Crush album, which harbored the midnight airiness found in "So in Love" as well as the adolescent innocence that streamed its way through "Secret," which are two of the best tracks on this set.

Richard D. James Album is an electronic album by Aphex Twin, whose real name is Richard David James. The work features use of software synthesizers and unusual beats. It is his fourth official full-length album. The album garnered high acclaim from music critics, and was named 40th in Pitchfork Media's "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s" list. It was also placed #55 on NME's Top 100 Albums of All Time in 2003.

This album marks the return of Battiato to pop, after a period in which he substantially produced experimental music (1972–1978). The title song's theme, the "white boar", is inspired to an ancient Celtic myth.

Bland, incurious and passionless, this documentary about the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti is like a promotional video licensed by a team of copyright lawyers – and about as challenging as a Three Tenors gig at Wembley stadium. Pavarotti’s glorious voice all but drowns in a 114-minute montage of obsequious syrup…

Guitarist Pat Martino's second recording as a leader finds him essentially playing advanced bop. His quintet (with Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Walter Perkins) really roars on an uptempo version of "Minority" and is diverse enough to come up with meaningful statements on four of Martino's originals.

Recorded at Brunel University in November 1978 on the tour to promote the album Hawklords: 25 Years On , the Hawklords show was Dave Brock and Robert Calvert's vision of a mechanised society that perfectly embraced the influence of the musical New Wave to deliver some of the most effective music written during Calvert s tenure with Hawkwind. This new release comprises the band s entire set and is newly mixed from the original 24-track tapes and includes four previously unreleased tracks.

When We Were the New Boys finds Rod Stewart tackling the music of his Brit-pop offspring and coming to terms with his pub rock roots. It's a bit of a risky move, since he could have embarrassed himself with stodgy singing but, surprisingly, he (more or less) pulls it off. Granted, he's not nearly as energetic as he once was, and he stumbles on occasion, but he recasts Oasis' "Cigarettes and Alcohol," Primal Scream's "Rocks," and Graham Parker's "Hotel Chambermaid" as comfortable rockers in the vein of "Hot Legs." They're not as vibrant as the Gallaghers' rolling thunder or Bobby Gillespie's ironic classicism, but they're easily the best rockers Rod has cut in ages.

Although glam had long slipped off the radar by 1981, that year found Suzi Quatro releasing one of her finest albums. With Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman (the producers behind her biggest hits) at the controls, Quatro and her band craft a series of songs that blend the hard rock power that fueled her glam rock era hits with a new soundscape that tarts up the songs with some ear attracting new wave hooks. The tone is set by the title track, which starts the album with a blast thanks to its effective combination chugging guitar riffs, a stomping beat, and a shout-along chorus that praises the song's tough female heroine…

Buvette porte le nom le plus improbable qui soit et est le nouvel enfant de la grande famille du label Pan European, qui a découvert récemment Flavien Berger mais aussi Poni Hoax et Nicolas Ker ou encore Koudlam. Sur son nouvel album « Elasticity », Buvette met de côté les productions purement électroniques pour faire la part belle à l'organique. Porté par sa voix de crooner, Buvette passe en revue pop, reggae, dub, classic house et krautrock ; on croise sur le disque Flavien Berger, ou des membres de Poni Hoax et de L'Imperatrice. Un des albums les plus attendus de la rentrée !

Following the success of Unplugged…and Seated, Rod Stewart had shrewdly repositioned himself as a mature, middle-aged man who still had a slight streak of his wilder days in him. Unsurprisingly, the music both recalled his past glories in instrumentation, yet the attack was different the acoustics rocked, but it wasn't bracing; it was like a back-porch jam session. Stewart expanded that approach on A Spanner in the Works, his first album since Unplugged. The acoustics are still there, but they're strummed a little more gently and set in a bed of unobtrusive synths.

Syntonic is the 1990 second album by Canadian duo Kon Kan. Originally a solo project for Barry Hans, he had a huge hit in 1989 with "I Beg Your Pardon", forcing Atlantic Records to request a follow-up album. This album featured the singles "Liberty!" and "(Could've Said) I Told You So"

The World's Most Beautiful Melodies: Magical Melodies From Great Musicals is the 1997 CD by The New York Pops. Released by Reader's Digest, the Pops were conducted by Skitch Henderson and are accompanied on some tracks by singer Michael Maguire.

Mantovani's Golden Hits is the 1967 album by Mantovani & His Orchestra. This edition came out through London/Polygram in 1989.

Rod Stewart continued to regain his strength with Vagabond Heart, the follow-up to his comeback album, Out of Order. Vagabond Heart is a stronger, more diverse album than its predecessor, featuring a more consistent set of songs, including Robbie Robertson's "Broken Arrow" and the hit "Motown Song," as well as a convincing, impassioned performance by Stewart.