1995 anthology, originally released to coincide with the release of the four disc box set Thrill Of It All. Roxy Music began life as a British Art Rock band in the early '70s but by the time they split a decade later, they had matured into a smooth Rock outfit capable of creating some of the most lush, romantic and beautiful music on the Pop charts. Lead vocalist Bryan Ferry carried on the Roxy tradition on his solo albums recorded during and after the band's original 10 year career.

Keiko Matsui is well known for blending smooth jazz, new age and world music genres together to form a rather theatrical and dramatic fusion. This live album is in some ways both a "Best Of" and an improved master of her better work before the end of the 90s. The sound quality and production is excellent - kudos to both her husband Kazu (producer) and the mixing and engineering team because all parts sound clear, full and excellent.
In terms of melody, progressions, voicing and so on, Keiko doesn't break new ground, but in terms of arrangement, selection of instruments, and the 'feel' of the music she's manages to give her material an unique and enjoyable signature. This album brings that to the fore very nicely, with many of her more genre-defying pieces included…

A real tonic, this, and unexpectedly stimulating, too. We know how effective Grainger’s colourful orchestrations can be, but in her excellent introductory booklet-note pianist Penelope Thwaites asserts that ‘the balancing of textures to bring out key melodic strands can often be achieved more clearly in Grainger’s multi-piano versions.’ Well, given the superbly poised and concentrated advocacy on show here, that certainly applies to both the extraordinary ‘music to an imaginary ballet’, The Warriors (which, incidentally, lasts 19'19'' and not 9'19'' as printed) and the irresistible Jutish Melody (more familiar in its orchestral guise as the last movement of the Danish Folk-Music Suite), while the amazing English Dance (the work which prompted Faure to exclaim ‘It’s as if the total population was a-dancing!’) now acquires a very Griegian flavour in some of its gentler episodes.

Released in the wake of Subterranea's success, The Lost Attic: A Collection of Rarities (1983-1999) is exactly what the title says. The reference to Tales From the Lush Attic, IQ's first album (its second if one counts the self-released cassette Seven Stories Into Eight), indicates most of the material included here focuses on the periods when Peter Nicholls was with the band (1983-1985 and 1991-1999), whereas the previous collection J'Ai Pollette D'Arnu was more centered on the Paul Menel years. The Lost Attic includes two unreleased songs from the Subterranea sessions, many fan club-only releases and compilation tracks, a couple of oddities, and three songs from a 1984 BBC session. "Wintertell," an unused song circa Tales from the Lush Attic, presents the band in a different light, very close to 1969 Genesis…

Affirmation is the second and final studio album by Australian pop duo Savage Garden. The album was released on 9 November 1999 by Columbia Records. It won the 2000 ARIA Music Award for Highest Selling Album along it nominated the 2000 ARIA Music Award for Best Group but lost to Killing Heidi's Reflector and Best Pop Release but lost to Kylie Minogue's "Spinning Around".

All of Fasch's music that I've heard is extremely attractive and pleasurable to listen to without being shallow. Many have said that he sounds similar to Telemann. I disagree. His harmonies are richer and more masculine without sounding plodding, and he has an excellent command of melody. He uses the woodwinds in these suites very cleverly, inserting very rich sounding interjections between the tutti sections. The suite for double orchestra is a wonderful example of his lushness of sound.

Nach dieser Produktion könnte man durchaus auf den Gedanken kommen, die Oper müsse eigentlich Teseo in Creta heissen, so beherrschend und überlegen gestaltet Wilke te Brummelstroete die Partie des Teseo! Neben ihrer Fähigkeit, sich dem Stil von Händels Musik anzupassen kommt ihre ungeheure Bühnenpräsenz und Ausdruckskraft, die sie zur alles beherrschenden Figur der Oper werden liess.

This series of the complete harpsichord concerti of C.P.E. Bach is one of the most important and monumental recording projects of the century so far… it is a whole planet of delights and amazing discoveries.

Listening to just the first minute of Stephen Scott's "Rainbows, I" (the album's first track) will shatter your notion of what piano music should sound like. With a heavy nod to the minimalism of Steve Reich, Scott and his group of students from Colorado College created one of the most memorable and original compositions of bowed piano strings ever recorded. Here, the white and black keys are overshadowed by a handful of musicians crawling over the open-topped instrument, armed with Popsicle sticks glued with horsehair (the perfect bow for reaching into a grand's tight corners).

Adept and international specialist of bansoori (a bamboo flute among the Indians of North), Andreas Ludwig attempts to produce an ethnic music slightly tinged with electronic music and progressives. Our man in particular is helped by drummer Harald Grosskopf and guitarist-keyboardist Axel Manrico Heilhecker, the duo is Sunya Beat in full force! Recorded between 1993 and 1998, parts of "Callings Of The Night" looks like an imaginary film, which leads the listener to the depths of the mysteries of the orient. Very relaxed and a kind of New Age.

The participants in this project are Jens Peschke and Andy Bloyce from Kubusschnitt. The first thing you hear on this album is a rumbling sequence which leaves you in no doubt that the territory to be explored is decidedly retro. There are Tangerine Dream references but they are mixed in equal part with Klaus Schulze and Ashra influences. The opening track title 'Klaus to the Edge' (!) makes the Schulze reference even more obvious. The guitar when used is very subtle giving colour rather than dominating as a lead instrument. The sequence provides the backbone but the accompanying atmospherics and effects are just as effective. This is a truly incredible CD mixing many different elements of the "golden era" of Electronic Music. Sequences are used for much of the time but they are never allowed to just run, they come and go and are constantly shape shifting…

Heart of a Woman is a great idea for an album. James chose 12 love songs from her favorite female singers - Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae - augmenting the album with a new version of her signature song, "At Last." She has recorded several of these songs before (including Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed," which inexplicably became a standard for both her and McRae), but the difference with Heart of a Woman is the context. Here, they're put in a smooth jazz setting, masterminded by James, who has producer credit. No matter how well she sings the songs here - and she still possesses an exceptionally strong voice, robust and filled with passion - the well-scrubbed, glossy surfaces on the record keeps it from being engaging…