The grotesque cover illustration is an abomination, but the contents are right in the growling grizzly bear style that we've come to expect. Only four Seals-penned originals, but the R&B-laced "Life Is Hard" and "I'm Gonna Take It All Back" are quality efforts. So is his heartfelt tribute to Hound Dog Taylor, "Sadie".

The Bartholdy Quartet have an excellent pianist in Pier Narciso Masi, and his mercurial style is just right for these early works. The string players are always fluent and show a light-hearted vivacity in Mendelssohn’s scherzos (especially in the very winning Allegro molto of No. 3) and finales, and they play the simple slow movements gracefully. The Piano Sextet has an engaging immediacy. The recording was made in the fairly resonant Clara Wieck Auditorium in Heidelberg, which means that the microphones are fairly close to the strings and the balance is slightly contrived. Nevertheless the sound is good and the piano well caught.

While he left an extensive and significant output of stage-works, the contribution of Kurt Weill to orchestral and instrumental genres was largely restricted to his formative years. The angular Symphony No. 1, completed in 1921, reflects something of the turmoil of post-World War I. In 1933, with Hitler in power, Weill escaped to Paris where he wrote Symphony No. 2, “one of the 20th century’s forgotten masterpieces”. The Symphonic Nocturne, adapted from the Broadway musical, Lady in the Dark, a 1940 collaboration between Weill, Moss Hart and Ira Gershwin, exhibits all the hallmarks of bitter-sweet lyricism of Weill’s theatrical works from his American years.

Reissue of the band's sole album, recorded in 1977. This a jazz-rock album with few zeuhl elements, references are more likely to be found into Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. High energy involved, good vibes, passionate playing and fabulous bass lines of Alain Lecointe. Led by composer Jacques Liot, the album features a stellar crew of musicians : Alain Lecointe on bass (Serge Bringolf's Strave, Alain Eckert, Hamsa Music), Richard Raux (Magma 1st incarnation), Lionel Ledissez (Ergo Sum) etc. Nadavati belongs to the few 70s French bands that went that way : Spheroe, Chute Libre, Transit Express, CCCP. Also comparable to the recent album of Planeto Imaginario - both exploring instrumental landscapes between jazz-rock & progressive.

As a special project to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Eugene Ormandy's death, we will release 10 stereo recordings that represent the essence of Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra from the vast amount of recordings he left behind for Sony Classical and RCA. The rich orchestral sound, with its thick string parts as the foundation, its unparalleled woodwinds, and its beautiful brass, is beautifully imprinted with the spirited 1950s and 1960s, and the 1970s, when Ormandy's voice grew more mature and profound, as he reached the pinnacle of 20th century orchestral art.

Jimmy Thackery's eight CDs for the Blind Pig label rank with the finest work of his career. A passionate blues guitarist and an effective singer, Thackery brings creativity and a freshness to his renditions of blues, blues ballads, and near-blues. This sampler draws its 13 selections from the eight releases, putting the emphasis on the leader. Thackery is heard in guitar-bass-drums trios for eight of the selections and joined by various guests (including one appearance apiece by guitarists Lonnie Brooks, Duke Robillard, and John Mooney) on the other five tracks. The Essential Jimmy Thackery lives up to its name and serves as a perfect introduction to the bluesman's music.

Opus is a pop-rock group from Graz, Austria. Formed in 1973, the group remains active today. The band is chiefly known for its 1985 single release, "Live Is Life", which reached the Top 10 in several European countries. Live Is Life is the first live album by Austrian pop rock band Opus. It was released in 1984 on the OK Musica label. It includes the song "Live Is Life", which was a worldwide hit. The album peaked at #1 in Austria. The track is popular as a sing-along song for crowds at sports events in Europe.

New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Demon were known for their shocking and elaborate performances (quite unique, considering the no-fuss, stripped-down philosophy characteristic of the movement), but never sounded as extreme as their name might suggest. Instead, they forged a mainstream hard rock/metal style, which, though it didn't stand out from the pack, has managed to keep them in business for several decades. Singer Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner had already cut their teeth with various amateur acts in their native Staffordshire, England, by the time they decided to join forces and found Demon midway through 1980.