
Artist: Glenn Miller
Album: The Popular Recordings (1938-1942)
Release Date: 1989
Genre: Jazz
Format: mp3 / FLAC
At the time of its initial appearance in 1989, this three-CD set was a significant improvement over any of the compact disc editions of Glenn Miller's music to have made it out before. Not only did its 60 songs offer the proper scope and range to allow one to fully appreciate the depth of Miller's popularity and talent, but this was also part of the CD era's second wave of compilations and remasterings -- in contrast to the boomtown recklessness and corporate ineptitude that had characterized CD reissues in the mid-'80s, producers were now aware that there were gradations in the sound quality of digital masters and room for improvement in the technology. The late Joe Lopes engineered this set to last in the ears of the listener, and producer John Snyder oversaw what was, at the time, one of the finest and most comprehensive CD reissues ever accorded a big-band leader. The brass has bite and the horns and reeds have body, and the entire band is in sharp relief as they hadn't been heard since the early '40s and their last civilian concerts. It has since been supplanted, itself, by other, more recent remastered editions utilizing still better technology, including The Essential Glenn Miller (1995), Platinum Glenn Miller (2003), and The Centennial Collection (2004) -- reducing the noise in the masters even further, among other differences -- but holds up as perhaps the best authorized, large-scale survey of Miller's work other than the 13-disc complete set from BMG. These 60 songs represent a compromise between that set's completeness and the superficiality of 1988's Pure Gold, with its ten songs and minimal annotation.

Artist: Quickspace
Album: The Death of Quickspace
Release Date: March 21, 2000
Genre: Pop/Rock
Format: mp3 / FLAC
Taking a step back from the vast scope and experimentalism of their brilliant, sprawling album Precious Falling, Quickspace's Matador debut, The Death of Quickspace, hones in on the group's precarious, invigorating fusion of giddy noise bursts and moody, hypnotic lock grooves. Songs like "They Shoot Horse Don't They" and "The Lobbalong Song" feature their signature mix of rolling drums, bubbling keyboards, and twining, chiming melodies, but surprisingly thrashy guitars slash through "Munchers No Munchers," "Lob It," and "4," making this album the group's most raucous to date. Though the cascading,11-minute epic "Climbing a Hill" doesn't quite achieve the liftoff that most of Quickspace's extended pieces accomplish effortlessly, the band more than makes up for that with two of their finest pop confections, "Gloriana" and "A Rose." As sunny and winding as a country road in the summertime, both songs blend sweet harmonies, pastoral fiddles, slide guitars, and the otherworldy theremins that always hover around the periphery of Quickspace's songs. Though Precious Falling is a hard act to follow, much like their first album and early singles, The Death of Quickspace makes its sneaky way into the listener's affections, creeping up and offering something surprising when it's least expected.

Artist: Turtle Island String Quartet
Album: Skylife
Release Date: October, 1990
Genre: Jazz
Format: mp3 / FLAC
The Turtle Island String Quartet's music spans many idioms, from the blues and bluegrass to country, classical and Indian music, with the improvisation and swing of jazz always being in the forefront. Their music, although obviously well-rehearsed, is quite spontaneous in spots and consistently takes chances. Each of the string players (violinists David Balakrishnan and Darol Anger, Katrina Wreede on viola and cellist Mark Summer) contributed compositions to this CD which also includes a rockish version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" and Chick Corea's delightful "Senor Mouse." A stimulating session of surprising string music.

Artist: The Only Ones
Album: The Only Ones
Release Date: April, 1978
Genre: Pop/Rock
Format: mp3 / FLAC
The Only Ones were a band that became identified with the British punk scene largely because leader Peter Perrett had a funny voice and could write a great straightforward rock & roll song at a time when such virtues were possessed almost exclusively by the faster-and-louder brigade. This helps explain why The Only Ones' self-titled debut album is regarded as a classic of the first wave of U.K. punk despite the presence of the midtempo jazz-accented "Breaking Down"; the '50s pop moves of the opening cut, "The Whole of the Law"; "The Beast," which sounds like some sort of lethargic neo-boogie; and the graceful semi-acoustic semi-samba "No Peace for the Wicked." Of course, when The Only Ones felt like rocking out, they did it brilliantly, and along with the instant classic "Another Girl, Another Planet," this album includes the sinister but rollicking "City of Fun" and the feedback-drenched crunch of "The Immoral Story," which points to another factor that made The Only Ones heroes in their day -- their eclecticism was rooted in a genuine talent for embracing different sounds rather than the inability to pick a style and master it. Perrett and his bandmates -- John Perry on guitar, Alan Mair on bass, and Mike Kellie on drums -- sound like a tight and imaginative combo even when they're surrounded by keyboard and horn overdubs, and Perrett's tales of one guy's search for love and coherence in a fractured world are intelligent, witty, and deeply cutting at all times. If the creative ambition of The Only Ones sometimes comes at the price of a tight stylistic focus that would make these songs cohere better, every track is memorable in its own way, and these ten songs always have heart, soul, and honesty to spare -- and if that isn't always the benchmark of punk rock, it's at least in the neighborhood.

Artist: Black Uhuru / Culture / Don Carlos
Album: Roots & Culture
Release Date: 1982
Genre: Reggae
Format: mp3 / FLAC
In the early '80s when "artist meets artist" clash albums were becoming a popular format for reggae releases, producer and label owner Henry "Junjo" Lawes released Roots & Culture on his Jah Guidance imprint. This Culture meets Don Carlos effort is simply a one side Culture, one side Don Carlos affair since the two acts never collaborate. What's even more important is that this edition of Culture does not feature leader Joseph Hill. Hill, the most identifiable member of the group, was at the time using the Culture name himself for a solo career, but here it refers to remaining members Kenneth Lloyd Dayes and Albert Walker. They do a fine job delivering laid-back, spiritual roots music like the opening "Tell Me Who Jah" and an even better job with the lighter, uplifting tunes like "Rub a Dub Train" and "Jah Tabernacle" which is delivered over the always pleasant "Three Blind Mice" riddim. The Don Carlos side features early versions of later hits like "Hog & Goat" and "Say You Will Be My Baby" -- better known as "Ride on Christine" -- along with the light dancehall vibe of "Rub a Dub Queen" which brings reminders of his massive hit "Laser Beam." Solid grooves and good tunes but without Hill and the Channel One versions of the Carlos hits, this fringe release is best suited for the reggae faithful, not the casual fan.