Featuring Paul "Sandy" Davis (lead vocals, 12-string guitar), Alan Cowderoy (lead guitar, vocals), Martin Kitcat (Mellotron, organ, piano, vocals), Tim Wheatley (bass, vocals) and Robert Lipson (drums), the band first came to prominence in 1968 when they supported The Who on tour. They recorded a single for Polydor Records before a support slot for King Crimson in 1969 led to them purchasing a mellotron and changing style. In 1970 their debut self-titled album appeared on the Vertigo label and the band were greeted with critical praise. This in turn led to Gracious! performing a set at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival (joining a bill that featured Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who, Family, ELP, The Moody Blues and many more). Their set was recorded and filmed but was to remain unreleased.

During the reign of Le Roi Soleil Louis XIV, music played the fundamental role of defining and consolidating the centrality of power: music had to represent the grandeur and divine nature of the sovereign, the power and splendour of the French crown.Instead, one can start the ‘siècle des lumières’ [century of enlightenment] already with the accession to the throne of Louis XV in 1715. Of an introverted nature, little interested in political matters, dedicated to pleasures and amusements, Le Soleil Noir found himself in the hands of a kingdom that was moving in an increasingly opposite direction: the city of Paris became in the 18th century the gravitational centre of France for the presence of the nobility, intellectuals and the emerging bourgeoisie. Musicians preferred to live in Paris rather than in Versailles, where they were not paid as well as before. The sumptuousness of the Baroque thus changed into the elegance and sinuosity of the Rococo in all the arts.

Ten Years After La carrière de Ten Years After est épinglée dans l'espace-temps des 9 minutes et 29 secondes de la prestation du guitariste Alvin Lee, au festival de Woodstock, en 1969. Cet épisode a sublimé pour toujours le parcours d'un groupe issu du British Blues Boom anglais. Le morceau de bravoure intitulé « I'm Going Home » ne doit pas occulter les cinq albums studio enregistrés entre 1967 et 1970 pour le label Deram, ni les albums en public Undead (1968) et Recorded Live (1973), qui représentent l'âge d'or du groupe. Parmi eux, les classiques Stonedhenge (1969) et Cricklewood Green (1970) permettent d'apprécier la formation à son apogée. Par la suite, Ten Years After signe avec Chrysalis (notamment pour l'album A Space in Time en 1971), puis se sépare en 1975. Il ne revient que quinze ans plus tard avec l'album About Time (1989), le dernier avec Alvin Lee qui décède en 2013. Entre temps paraissent Now (2004) et Evolution (2008), avec le nouveau chanteur et guitariste Joe Grooch. En 2017, Marcus Bonfanti prend sa succession sur A Sting in the Tale. Le coffret de dix CD 1967-1974 paru l'année suivante comprend les neuf premiers albums et les séances inédites de The Cap Ferrat Sessions, datant de 1972.

The viola da gamba is not dead, despite a claim to the contrary in the Dictionary of Musicians by German composer, organist and cellist Ernst Ludwig Gerber (1746–1819). From the 16th century to the end of the 18th, the viola da gamba experienced a true apotheosis, becoming the favoured instrument for bourgeois entertainment, particularly in Germany, France, Italy and England, even if the instrument’s origins lie in the Spanish Renaissance. Because of these associations with the aristocracy, but also because of advances in musical style that demanded more from the role of the lower member of the string family, the gamba lost ground to the newer cello during the French Revolution.

Christmas carols - not only from Germany. The Dresden Philharmonic Children's Choir presents winter songs from Canada and Estonia, Norway and Italy, the Czech Republic, France and Spain - and many more countries, supported by members of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 1984 double album Welcome to the Pleasuredome is being reissued as this deluxe 7CD+blu-ray deluxe set and on SDE exclusive blu-ray, amongst other formats.

The Who by Numbers functions as Pete Townshend's confessional singer/songwriter album, as he chronicles his problems with alcohol ("However Much I Booze"), women ("Dreaming From the Waist" and "They Are All in Love"), and life in general. However, his introspective musings are rendered ineffective by Roger Daltrey's bluster and the cloying, lightweight filler of "Squeeze Box." In addition, Townshend's songs tend to be underdeveloped, relying on verbosity instead of melodicism, with only the simple power of "Slip Kid," the grace of "Blue Red and Grey," and John Entwistle's heavy rocker "Success Story" making much of an impact.

Originally released in 1969, Ssssh marked Ten Years After's breakthrough into mainstream rock, blending blues riffs with the raw energy of British psychedelia.

Duran Duran Specializing in danceable, synthesized pop delivered with visual flair, Duran Duran epitomizes the sleek, fashionable side of new wave, – a talent crystallized in a series of groundbreaking music videos from the early 1980s and continued through decades of recording and touring. The group had the good fortune to deliver their debut album in 1981, the same year MTV began broadcasting, and their success was intertwined: Duran Duran gave the network clever, cinematic clips for "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf," which MTV played ceaselessly, helping to turn the Birmingham, England-based band into global superstars. Between 1982 and 1985, they were fixtures on the British and American charts, with "Is There Something I Should Know?," "Union of the Snake," "The Wild Boys" and the James Bond theme "A View to a Kill" reaching the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic.

After a five-year break, 'Magic 8 Ball' marks Gazpacho's return with eight new tracks built around the idea of fate. How it moves without warning & how the choices we make can slowly strip away who we thought we were.

Poll Winners Exploring the Scene (1960) is a jazz album by guitarist Barney Kessel, drummer Shelly Manne, and bassist Ray Brown, collectively known as The Poll Winners. Released on Contemporary Records, it was the fourth in their celebrated series highlighting West Coast jazz excellence. The trio—each a top-ranked musician in DownBeat magazine polls—showcases remarkable interplay and technical mastery. The album features interpretations of contemporary jazz compositions, delivered with relaxed swing, clarity, and precision. Known for its warm production by Lester Koenig, it captures the synergy of three virtuosos exploring modern jazz landscapes with sophistication and vibrant energy.

Accompanying the band's documentary is a companion piece, Energy Dome Frequencies: Songs From The DEVO Documentary, available as a 1LP and CD on October 31. Featuring unforgettable Devo hits like "Girl U Want," "Uncontrollable Urge," and their platinum-certified single, "Whip It."

This extensive collection gives an unprecedented insight into how The Who made what was to be their final studio album with Keith Moon. The eight discs are housed in a 12” by 12” slipcase and include a new re-mastered version of the album, plus demos and out-takes from the Who Are You sessions as the band developed the songs. Also includes the 1977 Shepperton tour rehearsals, and the 1978 Shepperton studio recordings made for The Kids Are Alright movie.

Vocalist Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way, and drummer Andy Parker formed the British space metal outfit UFO in 1969. Originally known as Hocus Pocus, the group, which took the name UFO in honor of a London club, debuted in 1971 with UFO 1. Both the album and its follow-up, the same year's Flying, found great success in Japan, France, and Germany, but was barely noticed in the band's native country; as a result, their third effort, 1972's Live, was released only in Japan.In 1974, Bolton left the group; after brief trial runs with ex-Pink Fairies guitarist

Forever Home: Live in Japan with Orchestra PITREZA celebrates MONO’s 25th Anniversary ‘OATH’ Orchestral World Tour, which stretched to 20 concerts in Europe, Asia, and the United States of America in the final months of 2024. Recorded in front of a sold-out crowd at Spotify O-EAST in Tokyo, Forever Home features a 12-piece orchestra – led by orchestra director and frequent collaborator, Chad McCullough – supporting MONO as they perform their latest album, OATH, in its entirety. The 100-minute concert concludes with a pair of the band’s most iconic songs – “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light” – that pay homage to that first-ever orchestral live performance in NYC 15 years ago. Recorded and mixed by MONO’s longtime touring sound engineer, Matt Cook, Forever Home captures the venerable group in their natural environment, and at their most transcendent. With the symphonic accompaniment of Japan’s Orchestra PITREZA, MONO makes a room in Tokyo feel like a limitless sea – mercurial, contemplative, and overwhelming. This is MONO. This is Forever Home.