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5^th album by Finnish composer / bassist Pekka Pohjola, one of the greatest Scandinavian musicians of all time, recorded with his a brilliant group of musicians and featuring some of his best early music, which combines Rock, Prog and Jazz. The album contains four extended compositions, which serve as a vehicle for the musicians to improvise and express their individual statements. The depth of the compositions and the incredible performances make this into the most perfect album Pohjola created in the first phase of his magnificent career, associated with Prog, whereas his second phase would be dedicated to both contemporary Classical Music and Jazz. Pohjola's untimely death in 2008 was a tremendous loss to the world of music. This relatively little known Prog masterpiece is very hard to find, so grab it if you get a chance. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

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Argentinean composer and bandoneón player Astor Piazzolla was one of the most important musicians of the 20^th Century and his magnificent work contributed immensely to the popularization of the Argentinean tango in particular but also World Music in general. Piazzolla's music always had strong ties with Jazz and this special project recorded at the Montreux Festival serves as a magnificent example of coexistence between the two worlds. Selecting the vibraphone virtuoso Gary Burton as a guest soloist, Piazzolla composed a new suite for vibraphone and his New Tango Quintet, which is performed here with flare and passion. Music connoisseurs need little encouragement here, as this is a superb piece of music by any standard. Wholeheartedly recommended!

 

 

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My initial expectations from this album were somewhat mixed. As much as I love the music Crosby, Stills & Nash made over the years this seemed as yet another attempt to capitalize on some irrelevant material by the music magnates. Boy was I wrong! This is truly magnificent stuff, which made me literally shed a tear while listening. These demo versions of songs that we all are familiar with in their fully developed versions recorded later by the group, are wonderful examples of the talent and imagination these three musicians possessed. Most of the album is just the songwriter singing solo with an acoustic guitar accompaniment and it's truly amazing how much music can be delivered under such minimalistic circumstances. Their voices in the full magnificence of their youth, full of life, joy and even optimism (in spite of the serious and often melancholic subject matter) are heartbreaking and sadly remind me about time passing by way to quickly and all of us getting mercilessly old. But never mind my personal nostalgic perspective; this is magnificent music created in unusual, inspired times, which stays relevant in full, a musical naked truth! Wholeheartedly recommended!

 

 

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This magnificent box set includes the material recorded for the Bee Gees magnum opus "Odessa", their 4^th album recorded since their return to Britain and definitely their most ambitious effort ever. Originally released as a double LP, the album included a set of highly inspired compositions, lushly orchestrated and beautifully produced. Magnificent melodies, which were always the strength of the group, combined with heavy Psychedelic influences and of course their stunning vocal harmonies make this one of the most perfect Pop / Rock and even Prog works of the late 1960s. Unfortunately the group entered a period of personal hiatus following the recording of the album, creating negative publicity, which resulted in poor sales and lack of exposure to this album, which of course deserved much better. It also marks the end of the first period of the group's career, which would be followed by several years of soul searching, with poor musical results, and eventually the complete downfall into the mindless disco music. Nevertheless in proper historic perspective the band's 1960s output is the pinnacle of musical perfection and imagination, with this album being the crown jewel. Lavishly packaged in a velvet covered box, the 3 CDs include the stereo and mono mix of the original album and a whole CD of bonus material with alternate versions, outtake and other previously unreleased material. This is an instant collectors' item and a wonderful testimony of the most inspired period in the music history. Essential listening!

 

 

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5^th album by singer / songwriter Cat Stevens, and a brilliant follow up to his previous album "Tea For The Tillerman", and one of the grand 1970s classic releases, which remains up to this day as an icon of supreme songwriting. Stevens was a most prolific writer at the time and wrote many songs for other singers as well as for his own albums. Recently recovered form tuberculosis, he changed his approach to writing lyrics, which became much more personal and introvert, as well as touching upon themes of social awareness (he was amongst the first songwriters to talk about environmental issues). But his main strength was of course his incredible talent to carve those unforgettable melodies, seemingly simplistic, but exquisitely crafted and touching. This album is full of such great songs, several of which turned into evergreens. Almost 40 years after these songs were written they lost nothing of their beauty, relevance and potency. This Deluxe Edition adds a whole CD of bonus material, with early demos and live performances of the songs included on the album recorded over the years, some as recent as 2006. This is a gem any way you look at it and an essential item in any decent record collection!

 

 

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This is probably one of the most underrated and misunderstood albums in Rock history. British wild rockers, The Who, recorded this album in the midst of the blooming Psychedelic era, with their contemporaries home (Beatles) and across the pond (Beach Boys) producing concept albums, which are considered masterpieces to this very day. Wild as they were, and a bit mad (or even more that a bit) vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon responded to all that psychedelic hullabaloo with their version of temporary insanity. The album was initially intended to be a concept album of sorts, about an imaginary pirate radio station, including jingles, chatter and commercials. Sadly never actually completed as such, the underlying concept of the songs is still very much there, being romance or the convoluted male / female relationships. Of course anything touched by the Who turns into mayhem, madness and above all typical British absurd humor. Even the album's title, which is of course an oxymoron to anybody familiar with the band, serves a purpose. In fact the Who are much closer here to Frank Zappa ("We're Only In It For The Money" – sounds familiar?) than to their saccharine British mates. Of course there is plenty of great music here as the band rocks harder and mightier that anybody else at the time. This new edition is a goldmine for the Who fans, with dozens of bonus tracks and both the stereo and mono mixes of the album. To all the people who never got this album, this is an opportunity to wake up. Essential brilliant music!

 

 

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Following the brilliant "The Snow Goose" album, Camel's 4^th album proved to be another masterpiece, considered by many to be the absolute highlight of their entire career. Although not a concept album as such, the individual songs have a loose conceptual underling and the musical unity is truly remarkable. The material, written as usual by keyboardist Peter Bardens and guitarist Andy Latimer, is wonderfully coherent, melodic and highly emotional, with ample space for extended instrumental passages. Bassist Andy Ward and drummer Doug Ferguson support the two soloists with taste and passion and the album immediately achieved the status of a timeless classic. As with all works of substance, in retrospect the music still sounds uplifting and inspiring 34 years later with no trace of getting outdated. This new edition adds bonus material and a whole second CD with live recording. Simply outstanding and an essential piece of music history!

 

 

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One of the most impressive Prog concept albums of all times, Camel's 3^rd album remains a beacon shading its light up to this very day upon the desolated shores of today's music. Brilliantly composed, orchestrated and performed, this subtle music symbolizes everything that was the great musical eruption, which happened in the early 1970s. Completely disregarding any commercial influences, the band and mainly the two members, who composed this magnificent music, keyboardist Peter Bardens and guitarist Andy Latimer showed that music has no boundaries and ambition and talent are rewarded in the long run. Bassist Andy Ward and drummer Doug Ferguson support the two soloists with taste and passion and the entire piece immediately achieved the status of a timeless classic. As with all works of substance, in retrospect the music still sounds uplifting and inspiring 34 years later with no trace of getting outdated. This new edition adds bonus material and a whole second CD with live recordings done for the BBC, an endless source of historic material. Simply outstanding and an essential piece of music history!

 

 

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Pianist Chick Corea and guitarist John McLaughlin are both icons of contemporary music. Their activities in the last 40 years span such a vast spectrum of music that only a very few other musicians on this planet can be counted their equals. Corea and McLaughlin both played a crucial role in the revolutionary Miles Davis ensemble that gave us "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew", and then continued to explore and revolutionize Jazz and Fusion, each with his own numerous ensembles. Although they have performed over the years occasionally as a duo, no formal recordings were issued of these meetings (some of their playing can be heard on the momentous McLaughlin Montreux box set). Therefore the forming of the Five Peace Band, initiated by Corea after his last Return To Forever reunion tour, is a first time the two Masters play together in a regular band. Of course one immediately assumes that the band should sound as a combination of Return To Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra, but since the early days of Fusion are long gone, Five Peace Band's concept is completely up to date and modern. With saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta the band is an incredible music making machine, offering the listener an orgy of sound, beautiful expanded improvisations and sophisticated compositions. Most of the material was written by Corea and McLaughlin, but they also pay tribute to their former boss Miles Davis by including some of his music, with another ex-Davis band member Herbie Hancock present as a guest. There is little need to recommend this album flamboyantly, as any serious music lover surely understands the magnitude of this recording. This is a dream come true and an absolutely essential piece of music!

 

 

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Here is a forgotten album that should have been here earlier:

 

 

3^rd album by Blackmore`s Night led by the legendary ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Continuing the Medieval atmosphere of the two previous albums, but adding a harder edge and electric guitar, which made Blackmore famous anyway, this is the strongest album by the group so far. Ritchie's wife Candice Night handles the vocals with the usual charm. People who loved the two earlier albums will enjoy this for sure.

 

 

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