Vulture Culture is the eighth studio album by the Alan Parsons Project, released in 1985 via the Arista label. Vulture Culture's theme is another in which the fallacy of humankind is front and center. This time Parsons' message concerns the fact that everyone lives in a parasitic society, where it's every man for himself. Those who can't fend for themselves simply won't survive in a world where the kindness of the human spirit is rapidly deteriorating. On this album, though, the songs are weaker and are less effective in bringing out the album's complex idea. As it does have its moments, Vulture Culture lacks in cohesiveness and strength both lyrically and, to a lesser extent, musically. "Let's Talk About Me" addresses the theme in its words, but the choppy rhythm takes away the attractiveness that could have been. The instrumental "Hawkeye" adds life and contrast to the album at just the right time. The most appealing song, "Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" with vocalist Chris Rainbow at the helm, combines simplicity with a timeless chorus making for a truly beautiful ballad. Even though Parsons' theme is revealed, it's done so with less clarity and doesn't quite hit home. Without the usual balance of absorbing lyrics and well-maintained music, Vulture Culture remains one of this band's less prolific albums.

Her story is one of the most legendary of all twentieth century musicians' stories, and also, one of the most tragic. Cellist Jacqueline Du Pré, born on January 26, 1945, in Oxford, England, to Derek and Iris Du Pré. (Despite the family name, Derek Du Pré was not French, but rather of British Channel Island ancestry; he could trace his lineage back to the Norman Conquest). She blossomed young and achieved international fame in a few short years during the mid-1960s, during which same time she joined Daniel Barenboim in one of history's most celebrated musical marriages. But her career was shattered in the early 1970s – not even a decade into its maturity – by multiple sclerosis.

The world premiere recording of Torelli's Triosonatas opus 2 (1686) performed by violinist Pietro Battistoni together with the Rosso Verona Baroque Ensemble. This recording is an important contribution to our appreciation of Torelli as a pivotal chamber music composer.

Anna Zassimova invited us to take a third journey through the musical landscape of Russian destiny. This journey through the peculiarly Russian Ouroboros of the tormented twentieth century enables us to discover, once again, rare works and the uncharthered environments in which they took root. All these works are parables of implacable destinies against which it seems futile to struggle, but which must be defied in order to follow the veiled path of the soul.

Kinshasa’s KOKOKO! take up the junkyard Kongo-rock mantle from likes of Konono No.1 and ramp it for the 2020s with a virulent energy accelerated by electronic producer dÉbruit.

Jonas Johansen Adventure Trio, Johansen’s new group, is a guitar trio with music built on catchy lines and grooves integral to the compositions. The spacey and airy vibe in the music presents Johansen’s most melodic side as a composer. And the group reflects mature musicians wanting to tell a story as directly and clearly as possible. Jonas’s ability to fluently incorporate inspiration from his travels all over the world, becomes the backbone of the groove in the band. It’s a global vibe, as Jonas has a passion, in live and music, for everything that’s global.

Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of highly revered Spiritual Jazz collective, Build An Ark from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2001, they released albums and EPs between 2004 and 2010, Produced by Carlos Niño, including contributions from luminaries such Dwight Trible, Derf Reklaw, Nate Morgan, Phil Ranelin, Big Black, Adam Rudolph, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Dexter Story, Gaby Hernandez, Andres Renteria, Mia Doi Todd, Munyungo Jackson, Waberi Jordan, Avotcja, and many more.

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series) Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records! One of the finest albums of the classic rock era! 180-gram 45 RPM double LPMastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analog master tape Pressed at Quality Record Pressings. Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket by Stoughton Printing.

Harmonies of Devotion is both an exploration of the Italian motet repertory of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries and a celebration of the devotion to this sacred repertory displayed by English antiquarian collectors of the eighteenth century.

What's here in summary is the first symphonic album by Mateusz Smoczyński. A violinist, soloist and composer, co-founder of the incredible Atom String Quartet. The album includes two violin concertos: firstly a "Jazz concerto" by Zbigniew Seifert, released for the first time in something like half a century; and secondly a concerto for improvising violin entitled Adam's Apple composed by Smoczyński. For all practical purposes a ''classical'' release but one that exerts a good deal of crossover appeal given its jazz empathy and strong background, we'd suggest the 'Rubato' 4th part of the Smoczyński Jazz Concerto as most relevant to readers of marlbank plus the 'Solos Ad Libitum' of the Seifert.

Previously unheard Ra culled from the archives and compiled based on their association to that children's film corporation with the cartoon rodent.

It’s been over seven years since The Rifles released their previous record, but now the east Londoners return with their new album Love Your Neighbour. Their previous two albums - Big Life and None The Wiser - achieved the highest chart positions of their career to date, while their cult-like popularity has continued in the intervening years with countless sold-out London shows at venues including the Roundhouse, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, O2 Kentish Forum, KOKO, Electric Ballroom and Electric Brixton. The triumphant reaction and electrifying energy of those shows inspired The Rifles as they sent about writing Love Your Neighbour. It’s a record which bursts with the traits that have inspired such devotion amongst fans: songs as gritty as they are anthemic, and full of lyrics which capture broadly relatable experiences and provide evocative snapshots of modern British life.

Bruckner’s Ninth: his best (as some say) symphony, certainly his most daring and, thanks to the missing finale, his most mysterious. It is where Bruckner meets Mahler and, while working on it, his maker. He wanted to write a finale, of course, but too much remains missing. What is left, is a heavenly Adagio, which quietly fades away with references in the brass to the two preceding symphonies. Thus ends Bruckner’s uncompleted life’s work.

The arpeggione would probably be completely forgotten today had not Franz Schubert written for it his famous Sonata in A minor, D. 821, in 1824. Invented by Johann Georg Staufer in 1823, the arpeggione can be described as a kind of hybrid cello-guitar. It had frets and six strings tuned like those of a guitar, but was held like a cello and played with a bow.

Just like most musicians, when the dreaded Covid, along with the accompanying lockdown, hit in 2020, that was it as far as work was concerned. Like some very dark cosmic joke, I not only had a bad case of Covid in March of 2020, but my beloved dog Honeypie had to be put to sleep in April of 2021. In June of that year I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma."