Older is the third studio album from George Michael, released in Europe on 13 May 1996 (and one day later in the United States). It was his first album since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 – the five-and-a-half-year gap was due to the controversial legal battle that Michael experienced with his record company. Michael dedicated three years straight in the recording of Older, and the album found him exploring new musical territories in a more serious fashion compared to his previous work.

This was veteran tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec's final recording as a leader. It was cut in October 1962 and produced by Alfred Lion a little more than three months before the saxophonist's death. Bossa Nova Soul Samba was recorded and released during the bossa nova craze, as Brazilian music was first brought to the attention of pop listeners via Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd's smash hit with Tom Jobim's "Desafinado," on their Jazz Samba record for Verve in February. After that, seemingly everyone was making a bossa nova record. Quebec's effort is a bit unusual in that none of the musicians (guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Wendell Marshall, drummer Willie Bobo, and percussionist Garvin Masseaux) was associated with Brazilian (as opposed to Afro-Cuban) jazz before this, and that there isn't a single tune written by Jobim on the set.

One Thousand Violins – Hey Man That's Beautiful
FLAC | Artwork | 24Bit 96kHz: 869 MB | 16Bit 44.1kHz: 291 MB
Cat#: Rebel Rec. SPV 08-2898 | Country/Year: Germany 1989
Genre: Indie Pop, Brit Pop | Hoster: Uploaded/Filesonic

The indie pop band One Thousand Violins were bound by geographic restrictions during their four-year career. Since the group had no manager, One Thousand Violins had to limit its live performances to England, France, and Germany; however, because of the Internet, One Thousand Violins eventually acquired the exposure the band couldn't get during their lifetime. Their single "Like One Thousand Violins" was voted as one of the year's best songs by the listeners of renowned British DJ John Peel.

The original 1968 recording is short by CD standards – under 30 minutes – but the production is crisp and dynamic. Jerry Goldsmith employs an array of exotic percussion plus artfully arranged strings, brass, woodwinds and his trademark echo effects to create one of the most evocative science fiction soundtracks ever recorded. From the first eerie moments of the "Main Title" to the simian outcry of "No Escape," he sets us in a harsh, inhuman world. Too many science fiction film scores, with their use of sweeping symphony orchestras and soon-clichéd electronics, sound disappointingly earthbound. Goldsmith's music makes you believe you are on a truly alien planet – which makes the film's payoff even more effective. A template for what a science fiction score can be.