Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers famously played 20 nights at the legendary Fillmore venue in San Francisco in 1997. 6 of the shows were professionally recorded and this release features many of the high points of the residency. The small venue allowed the band to vary their sets each night; they included re-arranged and distinctive versions of their hits, deep cuts, and many cover versions – paying tribute to the artists that Tom and the band had been influenced by. The 2CD set includes 33 tracks, 18 of which are covers - 2 hours of music. The triple carton pack includes a 22-page booklet with previously unseen photographs.

The Bomboras have announced that they will return with their first album in 25 years - "Songs From Beyond!" - out May 5th on MuSick Recordings. Glamorous go go girls, looming tiki heads, and Farfisa organs (literally) ablaze are just some of the lasting impressions left by cult '90s L.A. neo-surf band The Bomboras. Now this famously incendiary act is not only picking up where it left off a quarter-century ago, but has returned more inspired and accomplished than ever on long-awaited comeback album Songs From Beyond!, coming from MuSick Recordings on May 5.

Rock Chicks is a compilation of soft-rock classics from the wind-machine-blown, leather-clad divas of the 1980s. This 2-disc set includes power-pop stormers from the likes of the gravel-voiced Bonnie Tyler, the big-gun-straddling Cher, the pouty Jennifer Rush and the slinky black-velvetted Alannah Myles.

"Elysium" is the climax of this process so far. The artist has arrived where he always wanted to be. He himself thinks of Elysium as a "place of perfect happiness". A paradise where acoustic and electric components, triumphant rock and finely entwined jazz, delicate and pumping rhythms, guitars and keyboards, wide panoramas of rock and diaphanous carpets of sound come together in harmony. In this magical Elysium, everyone complements each other. Al Di Meola has brought together a five piece band with no bass. While he plays all the guitar parts himself, both acoustic and electric, including unbelievably fast and elegant riffs and effervescent rocking chords, three keyboard players and pianists provide shades of colour.

Josie Cotton is a classic example of an artist whose entire career is overshadowed by one song. This album's hit, the in-dubious-taste "Johnny Are You Queer?," was such a controversial song at the time of its 1982 release that the rest of this fine album was overlooked in the brouhaha. That's a shame, because Convertible Music is a classic of the whole California girly pop scene of the early '80s, on a level with the Go Go's' Beauty and the Beat, Bonnie Hayes' Good Clean Fun, and the first Bangles EP. The songs, mostly either by Cotton herself or her producers, Bobby and Larson Paine, are neat '60s pastiches with elements of surf (the glorious opener, "He Could Be the One"), Shangri-Las-style melodrama (the sultry "I Need the Night Tonight"), and Farfisa-driven swoony pop bliss ("Rockin' Love," "So Close"). Cotton's voice, which can switch from a bratty whine to a sexy purr from one line to the next, is perfect for this kind of disposable pop, and the production, though a tiny bit slick at times, is sympathetic to the unapologetic good times on display. Convertible Music is one of the most perfectly named albums ever; this is the sort of music that sounds best with the top down on the way to the beach.

Himself is Irish-English singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan's debut album, originally released in August 1971. Union Square Music re-released it 2011 on Salvo label in part of the Gilbert O'Sullivan - A Singer & His Songs collection. In 1972, MAM/London saw fit to let the U.S. have its first proper Gilbert O'Sullivan record, a repackaging of his 1971 U.K. debut release, Himself. The repackaging included new cover art (with Gilbert sporting the first of his famous "G" emblazoned varsity sweaters) as well as an altered track listing. "Susan Van Heusen" and "Doing the Best I Can," from the U.K. release, were omitted in favor of "We Will" and his Number One, U.S. smash "Alone Again (Naturally)."

In this 1988 Montreal concert, Al Di Meola explores the many influences,and the many accomplishments as a guitarist,that had already made him both a virtuoso and a jazzrock superstar.

2014 compilation. The Dubliners are regarded by many as the fathers of Irish pop music, undoubtedly responsible for bringing ballads & traditional music from the small clubs and pubs to the international pop spotlight. They paved the way and influenced future followers: Planxty, the Pogues & U2. After 50 years on the road the Dubliners officially retired at the end of 2012. Not Bad Records.

The Alan Parsons Project was a progressive rock music entity comprised of engineer/ producer Alan Parsons and songwriter, musician and manager Eric Woolfson. They released 10 concept albums between 1976 – 1987 and have sold over 50 million albums world-wide. Their focus was on very high quality studio sound production and they recorded most of their work at Abbey Road Studios in London. They used a variety of different lead vocalists and musicians on every album – choosing who they felt was the best for each song rather than being constrained to moulding the material for one specific artist. They have been name-checked in The Simpsons and Austin Powers film and their music is used regularly in adverts, films, sporting events and is often sampled by US rap artists.

The Blue Things Review by Richie Unterberger
This self-titled CD reissue is basically a reissue of their only album (from 1966), which has been known both as Listen & See and The Blue Things, bolstered by the significant addition of all six songs from their three non-LP 1966-1967 RCA singles. All of this material, except the final 1967 single (recorded after the departure of Val Stecklein), has been reissued in some form on other releases. This edition, however, has a big advantage over other reissues in that it was remastered from the RCA tapes, also adding extensive, excellent historical liner notes. As for the 1966 album that forms the backbone of this disc, it's still one of the finest overlooked folk-rock records of the 1960s, combining some of the best elements of the Byrds and Beau Brummels in its mid-tempo electric-acoustic arrangements. The 1966 psychedelic single tracks "Orange Rooftop of Your Mind," "One Hour Cleaners," and "You Can Live in Our Tree" are also fine cuts that show the band progressing at a furious rate, with psychologically complex lyrics and unusual fuzz and violin-ish distorted guitar textures. The final single ("Somebody Help Me"/"Yes, My Friend"), though, was a pretty lame offering considering the quality of the band's prior RCA efforts.

Rhino began its elaborate Chicago reissue series in 2002 with The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning, a double-disc set that covers 39 hits from all of Chicago's eras from the early jazzy records, through the soft rock hits sung by Peter Cetera, to the post-Cetera adult contemporary records of the '80s, and beyond. It's the first compilation to cover this much ground, actually 1991's Group Portrait stopped around Cetera's departure and while it may go a little bit further than some would want (a cover of Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing" from their 1995 neo-swing album closes the set; it happens to feature the Gipsy Kings on support), it nevertheless is very satisfying, since it rounds up all of the hits, and Chicago were at their very best on their hits.

3CD set. Incredible 61-track collection features "Me Myself I", "Love & Affection", "Drop The Pilot", "Down To Zero", "I'm Lucky", "All The Way From America" and more favourites!

Indeed, whatever happened to Benny Santini? The name that Magnet Records were considering using for their new solo signing but instead he went with his real name of Chris Rea, and Deltics was his second album after Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? and his first to reach the charts, althoug it didn't make much of an impact, only peaking at number 54 in the spring of 1979 – not the best time for an introspective singer/songwriter to crash the charts. Named after the British Rail class 55 of diesel locomotive trains that were built in the early '60s and were just about to be withdrawn from service, Rea showed his interest in various forms of transport that would continue throughout his recording career.

Internationally renowned guitarist Ana Popovic has built her career on defining and describing, on her own terms, the essence of American music, simultaneously pushing limits, bending genres, and reinventing her music and herself with each new record. Not surprisingly, she can claim any number of notable accolades and achievements from the highest quarters of the music industry. She's shown her commitment to celebrating her guitar-driven, eclectic music style through consistent touring, awards, and recognition for the past 25 years. In the process, she's emerged as one of the most thoughtful, dynamic, and committed performers in modern songwriting and guitar. Ana's new album, 'Power', on ArtisteXclusive Records, brings those dynamics to the fore and, in the process, turns this set of songs into both a powerful and personal tale of survival through faith, determination and tenacity.

Felix Draeseke’s works immediately reveal that he was a glowing admirer of Liszt and Wagner and a remarkably gifted creator of expressive harmonic designs and far-ranging melodic lines. Here Draeseke accomplished the feat of combining these powerful expressive means with classical forms. MDG is now rereleasing Draeseke’s Sinfonia Tragica, Piano Concerto, and Symphony No. 1 in a special edition featuring performances by the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra in the historic Wuppertal Hall. The first release marked a discographic milestone.