Many observers were prepared to write off the B-52's after the release of Bouncing Off the Satellites. Granted, the album was completed in the wake of Ricky Wilson's death, but the group appeared bereft of new musical ideas and were sounding rather stale. In other words, the last thing anyone expected was a first-class return to form, which is what they got with Cosmic Thing. Working with producers Don Was and Nile Rodgers, the B-52's updated their sound with shiny new surfaces and deep, funky grooves – it was the same basic pattern as before, only refurbished and contemporized. Just as importantly, they had their best set of songs since at least Wild Planet, possibly since their debut. "Cosmic Thing" and "Channel Z" were great up-tempo rockers; "Roam" had a groovy beat blessed with a great Cindy Wilson vocal; and "Deadbeat Club" was one of their rare successful reflective numbers.

There are a number of arguments to be made for and against Maria Muldaur's 2008 antiwar statement Yes We Can! on Telarc (before actually listening to it; remember, we live in a cynical culture). The "perceived" negatives all relate to the intent of the recording and who it's supposed to reach (no doubt an expression of the same set of beliefs rooted in Muldaur's 1960s music), and the fact that it's loaded with guests (in all fairness, these star-studded affairs seldom work). On Yes We Can!, her guests include Muldaur's old friends (Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Phoebe Snow, Jane Fonda, and Holly Near) and influences (Odetta) and new pals (writers/spiritual gurus Anne Lamott and Marianne Williamson, and Indian spiritual teacher Amma). Does it read as if it is yet another exercise in self-referential backslapping? Yep. But don't believe everything you read on the back of a CD jacket. The positives are all musical.

This 3CD-set assembles all of the Fish-era singles released by Marillion, the undisputed leaders of the neo-prog movement. Clearly the stuff of manic collectors' dreams, this will far exceed both the interest and budget of casual listeners; but for those keen to possess a truly special heirloom to commemorate their heroes, this will fit that description quite nicely.

Farewell, Angelina is the sixth studio album by folk icon, Joan Baez. Originally released in 1965, the album peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200. Featuring traditional folk standards alongside tracks written by Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and more, No Depression hailed the album as “perhaps the finest sounding folk record ever.”

Reggae legend Johnny Clarke reflects back on his origins with this excellent set of new studio recordings featuring an equal mix of both his own songs as well as gorgeous cover versions! Clarke revisits some of his most memorable moments including the 1976 single "Declaration Of Rights" as well as "None Shall Escape Judgement," "Crazy Baldhead," "Roots, Natty Roots, Natty Congo" and more! Soulful reinterpretations of songs made famous by Bob Marley, The Eagles, The Spinners and more!

The hugely well-respected and historically important Kinks seventh studio album Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire was released on 10th October 1969, and celebrates its 50th anniversary on 2019. 'Rock musical' in style and one of the most effective concept albums in rock history, the album was constructed by Kinks' frontman Ray Davies as the soundtrack to a subsequently cancelled Granada Television play. The album receiving almost unanimous acclaim upon its release.

Iconic singer, songwriter and Grammy-nominated artist Sophie B. Hawkins offers this immensely bold, raw set of acoustic reinterpretations of songs from her 1995 breakthrough album Whaler! Unfiltered and surprisingly vulnerable, these recordings bring the audience closer than ever to Hawkins' passionate, artistic heart with these fresh takes on such memorable songs as "As I Lay Me Down," "Right Beside You," "Only Love (The Ballad Of Sleeping Beauty), and more!

On his upcoming album Tchaikovsky, star-pianist Daniil Trifonov presents a beautiful selection of the iconic composer’s solo works that reflect him at his most intimate and private. The work is threaded through with themes of both mother and childhood, youth and family. It contains the rarely performed early Piano Sonata in C sharp minor, Op. 80, the Thème original et variations in F major, Op. 19/6, and the Children’s Album. Additionally, Trifonov has recorded the Concert Suite from the Ballet The Sleeping Beauty, created by a young Mikhail Pletnev in 1978. The album unearths a side to Tchaikovsky that is often overlooked. “We think of him as an archetypical Romantic,” says Trifonov. “But particularly in his younger years, Tchaikovsky found joy in his close relationships and emotional comfort in his family.”