Born to Be Alive Review by Bret Adams [-]
Patrick Hernandez didn't have one of the biggest, most iconic one-hit-wonder disco smashes, but he did have one of the best. 1979's hypnotic, gold-selling "Born to Be Alive" reached number 16 on the Top 40 pop chart, yet it's not often cited as one of the genre's definitive songs. It doesn't show up on many disco compilations either, with 1993's Double Knit Dance Hits being an exception. The song is, of course, the centerpiece of its parent album, Born to Be Alive. With the full seven-and-a-half minute album version, you get more of what makes the swirling song a winner over the edited single. The vocals of Hernandez (a Frenchman of Spanish, Austrian, and Italian heritage) are infectious, but the deftly arranged musical hooks tie the song together – nimble guitar lines and dramatic dive-bomb power chords, three-chord piano fills, pulsating synthesizer, multi-tracked handclaps, hyperactive percussion, crisp strings, and siren-like horns. Most disco artists' albums tended to have the hit surrounded by filler, professionally performed by studio musicians and expertly crafted by the producer and arranger, but filler nonetheless. Born to Be Alive basically follows that well-worn path. "You Turn Me On," a duet with Herve Tholance, is brightly tinged with calypso and Latin touches, but it only temporarily delays the descent of Born to Be Alive into repetitive formula. But give the title track its due. On a historical note, Madonna performed with Hernandez as a dancer early in her career before achieving superstardom.

Greatest Guitar Riffs of All Time is a three disc compilation, jam-packed with classic rocking riffs, such as those heard in "My Sharona" and "Another One Bites the Dust". It also includes some more modern favourites like Kasabian's "Club Foot" and "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers.

Paul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, conductor of Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, who specialized in the easy listening genre. He is best known in the United States for his million-selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968.

Suspiria[Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Review by Donald A. Guarisco
This stunning soundtrack from 1977 is the favorite of many a Goblin fan because it represents their sound carried to its most powerful and intense extremes. Suspiria was another score for their cinematic alter ego, director Dario Argento, and backed up the story of a girl who enrolls in a German dance academy only to discover it is a cover for a powerful coven of witches. The music is just as scary as the film itself, blending wailing electric guitar, whooping synthesizers, and screaming wordless cries into a spooky, bombastic sound that manages to be terrifying even without the benefit of the film's gruesome images. Suspiria has long been popular with heavy metal fans because it sports a hard-rocking edge equal in intensity to the scariest works of Black Sabbath or King Diamond: the title theme slowly builds a spooky riff on bells, acoustic guitar, and synthesizer until it erupts into a hard-rocking mid-section where nimble synthesizer solos spar with ghostly cries of "Witch! Witch!," and "Sighs" mixes panting, wordless vocals with an array of furious power chords to create an unbearably high level of suspense. Even when the score downplays the gothic rock theatrics on subtler tracks like "Black Forest" and "Blind Concert," the group's members still manage to create an intensely creepy atmosphere. The end result is an album that is guaranteed to please Goblin fans and is highly likely to appeal to fans of gothic and heavy metal sounds.[Collector's note: the 1997 CD reissue of Suspiria sports four bonus tracks, consisting of three alternate version of "Suspiria" and a slightly different version of "Markos."]

In Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s catalogue, the music for solo keyboard and the chamber music occupy central positions. In his youth, Carl Philipp Emanuel, who was left-handed, did not play string instruments such as the violin or viola, but rather the harpsichord and organ (not to overlook the flute). It was as a harpsichordist that, in 1738, he joined the entourage of the future King of Prussia, Frederick II, before following him to Berlin upon his accession two years later and then formally entering his service. In 1767, he was offered the succession of his godfather, Telemann, as director of music in Hamburg. He arrived in the Hanseatic city in March 1768, and for the last twenty years of his life, it was church music that occupied much of his time and effort.

Enjoy a stellar selection of legendary rock across 80 tracks with NOW That’s What I Call Rock.
This 4CD compilation includes massive hits from British icons - Def Leppard, Elton John, Electric Light Orchestra, The Police, Iron Maiden, and Status Quo, together with stadium-filling anthems including Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’, Survivor’s ‘Eye Of The Tiger’, and Bon Jovi with ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’.
The album features the greatest names in classic pop-rock including Tina Turner, KISS, Cher, Alice Cooper, Blondie, and The Runaways and includes era-defining classics including ‘Baba O’Riley’ by The Who, Thin Lizzy’s ‘Whiskey In The Jar’, Rod Stewart’s ‘Maggie May’, ‘Smoke On The Water’ by Deep Purple, ‘Barracuda’ by Heart, Blue Öyster Cult’s ‘(Don't Fear) The Reaper’, Paul McCartney & Wings’ ‘Jet’ - and we’ve included the full 9 minute plus version of ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ from Meat Loaf.
Immerse yourself in a truly eclectic mix of rock from the 60s-90s – smashes from The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Europe, Lenny Kravitz, Slade and the incredible collaboration between Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith still sound as vital today as they did when they were released.
The perfect gift for friends and family or treat for yourself. Make sure to get your copy today!

Meshuggah is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer Tomas Haake and bassist Dick Lövgren. Since its formation, the band has released nine studio albums, six EPs and eight music videos. Their latest studio album, Immutable, was released on 1 April 2022 via Atomic Fire Records.

In celebration of guitar legend George Freeman’s 95th birthday on April 10, 2022, Southport Records is pleased to announce the release of Everybody Say Yeah!, a new compilation of recordings documenting 26 years of Freeman’s music from our “Real Jazz Made in Chicago" catalog. Eleven of the fourteen songs are Freeman's originals including a new recording of “Perfume.”

Following on from the success of NOW That’s What I Call 12” 80s, NOW Music proudly presents NOW That’s What I Call 12” 80s: Extended. We’ve dived even further into the musical treasure trove of the 80s to bring you 45 stunning extended tracks in a 4CD compilation.

Shoegaze lovers rejoice in the new sounds coming from Blushing’s new album Possessions on Kanine Records. Featuring Miki Berenyi, the front person of 90’s shoegaze, indie pop greats Lush and her new band Piroshka on the main single ‘Blame’ you instantly feel that you are transplanted back into 1990. Focused on charismatic vocals with dreamy guitar hooks and swirling bass lines the ‘Blame’ is a strong introduction to an album filled with Dream Pop greats. To top it off Mark Gardener of Ride adds his mastering talents to the song, while also mixing an additional album track ‘The Fires’.

Singer, songwriter, and pianist Jamie Cullum is back with The Pianoman At Christmas – The Complete Edition, a deluxe repack of his 2020 holiday album which is due out Nov. 19 via Blue Note Records in the U.S. and Island Records elsewhere. The new release completes last year’s part 1 with a thoroughly enjoyable 13-track part 2 that features 11 covers of classic Christmas songs, as well as 2 festive original songs including the lead single “Christmas Don’t Let Me Down”.

Roger Headling Barclays UK Open Air Festival At Hyde Park London 6th July (One off date only). Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park, kicks off festival announcements for 2018 with another world-class headliner and the promise of yet another legendary night in the park. Pink Floyd visionary Roger Waters becomes the latest in a long line of era defining artists to grace Hyde Park – one of music’s most spectacular showmen at the greatest outdoor venue in the world. Roger Waters – Us + Them will showcase highlights from Waters’ groundbreaking body of work, with songs from Pink Floyd’s greatest albums (Wish You Were Here, The Wall, Animals, Dark Side of The Moon), along with tracks from his critically acclaimed new album “Is This the Life We Really Want?”. The tour title is derived from the 1974 track “Us And Them,” from the multi-million selling album The Dark Side of the Moon.

In The Flesh was a series of worldwide concert tours by Roger Waters that spanned three individual tours over the course of three years (1999, 2000, and 2002). Returning from a 12-year-long hiatus from the road, In The Flesh was a showcase of his best known work from his days with Pink Floyd, with that material dominating shows. Songs were also performed from Waters' most recently released solo album, 1992's Amused to Death, being played live for the first time. The tour's name is an allusion to the 1977 Pink Floyd tour for the Animals album, as well as the two songs so titled on the album The Wall.

Since the early '80s, Manowar has lived life by their infamous battle cry, "Death to false metal!" And to the casual observer, the group is either the truest metal band that ever walked the planet, or the falsest of the false – after all, who in their right mind would take the stage in nothing but furry loincloths? But the bandmembers never paid mind to their harsh critics, having stuck to their guns through thick and thin while building a rabid cult following (especially in Europe)…

On each album, Jack Broadbent is used to people saying, “Oh, this is a departure from your previous stuff.” That’s something the British-born singer, songwriter and guitarist has heard to varying degrees, over the course of his six albums to date, and is certainly fitting of his latest release, RIDE. As someone who is as connected to the quality of his relationships with people as he is to the quality of his music, rest assured he considers that a compliment.