We're easin' on into the last Dave's Picks of the 2022 series with the complete show from AUTZEN STADIUM, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, EUGENE, OREGON, 6/23/90 and you're going to need your sunglasses because the forecast for this one is bright. Doors were at noon with Little Feat opening (fun fact: Little Feat's Lowell George produced SHAKEDOWN STREET) and the Grateful Dead taking the stage at 2pm to deliver what is surely one of their longest performances and what can most certainly be classified as an upper-echelon late-Brent era show.

Following two critically acclaimed John Parish-produced studio albums – New Long Leg (2021) and Stumpwork (2022) – South London’s Dry Cleaning take a moment to reflect on their journey and pay homage to their roots with the release of their first two EPs, now remastered and reissued together on one single record with the original artwork and lyric sheet. Guitarist Tom Dowse, drummer Nick Buxton, and bassist Lewis Maynard had been friends and musical collaborators for years, and invited mutual friend Florence Shaw – a visual artist, picture researcher and drawing lecturer – to join the band in 2017.

David Greco and Erin Helyard present the first Australian recording of Schubert’s masterpiece on period instruments.

Despite its age, this collection remains the best introduction to the wonderfully bizarre sounds of Jethro Tull – a unique combination of folk music, progressive rock, heavy metal, and of course, Ian Anderson's ubiquitous flute. Drawing exclusively from the band's '70s heyday, opener "Living in the Past" sets the retrospective tone, leading the way into the signature guitar riff of "Aqualung," the band's multifaceted pièce de résistance. Though lyrically indecipherable, "Locomotive Breath" is equally timeless, and the moment when John Evan's fanciful piano intro gives way to Martin Barre's guitar feedback remains thrilling. With his acoustic guitar in hand, Ian Anderson becomes a medieval bard, drawing the listener into worlds of legend both threatening ("Sweet Dream," "Witches Promise") and joyously carefree ("Thick as a Brick," "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day"). The unbelievable kaleidoscope of sound which makes up "Songs from the Wood" is simply too original and intricate for words to describe.

There are singers who let it fly from deep within and pour out red-faced bellows complete with bulging eyes and pulsating neck cords. They rip it up with big bands and belt it out until the sun comes up, then follow with swashbuckling encores that bring down the house with slaps-on-the-back and flamenco table top dances.
Then there’s Julie. No gala musical fanfare or big-sound glitter. No jokes, no jugglers, no soft-shoe. Just a blues guitar, a well-placed bass, a drummer’s light brush… and Julie. The combo provides a mere musical skeleton, a framework that serves only to complement the singer; it doesn’t try to compete. The combination is distinctively blues… and distinctively Julie. Julie is a mysterious, sultry woman with a moist-eyed singing style and real feeling for loneliness…

Bruno Walter was always a most persuasive advocate of the gentler Beethoven–at least, that's what everyone thought until his stereo Beethoven cycle was remastered onto CD, revealing a much stronger musical profile than had been suspected. But that just made the cycle's best performances sound better still–and here they are, together on one midpriced CD! It's amazing that a man in his 80s, as Walter was when these performances were recorded, could take what was essentially a pickup orchestra and turn in performances of such power and authority. Walter and the Columbia Symphony had a genuine chemistry between them–they play these two symphonies as if they had been making music together for years.

For the French soprano Élisabeth Duparc, known as ‘La Francesina’, Handel composed no fewer than twelve principal roles in major works - operas and oratorios - written towards the end of his life. She took the title role in Semele, for instance, and the parts of Michal in Saul and Nitocris in Belshazzar. Sophie Junker and the Concert de l’Hostel Dieu pay tribute to her here, through some of her most successful roles as the composer’s muse.

The combination of Neville Marriner and his always sterling evocation of excellence from the Academy of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields offers the perfect accompaniment and support for Malcolm's playing. The late George Malcolm was a brilliantly gifted organist even though his real specialty had always been harpsichord. He always seems to find the lightest most delightful playing to fit the idea of the piece.

Formed as soon as 68 under the name psychotic reaction, this band evolved in two different era, the group changed their name to Missus Beastly (from the Negro doll Mistress Beastly) but was among the first of the jazz-rock progressive group in Germany, but folded after just one album recorded (soon bootlegged with a totally different artwork) in early 70 with a nascent groundbreaking jazz-rock. It must be said that the happy-go-lucky feeling of that era had the group evolve from the standard prog quartet to a sextet and even a heptet within months, obviously not too worried about financial matters, which soon brought the band to an end. The group even managed to have their names stolen from them and an usurping group managed to release a few albums under this name…

Having an album release party in the London Zoo's Aquarium, where the emphasis would no doubt be on stillness, hush and the haunting beauty of the deep, just suits most 4AD label releases to begin with. Given that Brook is known for his mysterious, spare guitar work makes this record of the solo concert he gave there upon the appearance of Cobalt Blue all that more appropriate. Reproducing much of the content of that album but in a different running order, Aquarium consists solely of Brook, his guitar and preset synth/rhythm patterns. The result is quite fascinating; whether a listener thinks that the more stripped-down overall sound of the songs here works better as a result or prefers the generally lusher textures of the studio release must ultimately be up to individual judgment…

Genesis is a unique case in the world of popular music, as it began its career as a cult band and despite losing its lead singer, the charismatic Peter Gabriel, they moved on with then-drummer Phil Collins as front man, which brought them massive and unexpected success in the 80s. In this chapter of our The Many Faces series, we explore Genesis' inner world, including some of its members' rare side-projects, their collaborations, versions of some of their most iconic songs and the early-stages of the band, when they were still a bunch of teens who hardly imagined they would become one of the greatest bands of all times. The Many Faces Of Genesis is an essential album, that showcases the hidden stories behind a unique band.

Celebrated opera star Erwin Schrott dedicates his debut album on the label to the irresistible and passionate music of his Latin American origin. This highly personal album has great significance for Erwin and comes from the depth of his heart. He chose to collaborate with Astor Piazzolla’s former pianist Pablo Ziegler, who not only plays piano on the album, but also provides both authentic musical arrangements, as well as his own original compositions.

Los Angeles-based soul and jazz guitar man U-NAM (Emmanuel Abiteboul) is a busy old bee! He juggles all kinds of projects – one of which is his THE CALIFORNIA FUNK MACHINE – a soul/funk collective that features an ever-evolving raft of top musicians. The outfit have two albums to their name – imaginatively titled ‘California Funk Machine Volume 1’ and ‘California Funk Machine Volume 2’ and now, just in time for the Christmas party season, U-Nam and the gang are unleashing a third album – and guess what? Yep, it’s ‘California Funk Machine Volume 3’ Like their first two volumes this third iteration is a collection of soul and funk covers – some more well known than others.