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Gentle Giant's fourth album has a harder, more rocking edge, making a striking contrast with their more symphonic third album. No doubt the reason was the introduction of John Weathers on drums. The album still contains a wide variety of sounds and textures, from the rocking power of The Advent Of Panurge to the vocal intricacies of Knots to the beauty of Think Of Me With Kindness. The title was allegedly invented by Phil Shulman's wife, Roberta. It is short for "Octo Opus," or eight musical works. Considered by many to be Gentle Giant's best album, Octopus represented a key transitional time for the group. This was simultaneously Phil's last and John's first album as members of Gentle Giant. The result is a fascinating blend of the old and the new.

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Gentle Giant's third album was their first concept album, as stated in the liner notes: "The idea of this album came about simply from normal conversations within the group. You know how people often reminisce about old school friends and wonder whatever became of them; or the people who surprise us with their successes or failures. Anyway, the theme in this album is based on three people - friends at school but inevitably separated by chance, skill and fate." The three school friends grow up to become a road digger (Working All Day), an artist (Peel The Paint), and a white-collar worker (Mister Class and Quality) who can no longer understand each other's lifestyles. But regardless of the storyline, the music is astounding, ranging from raucous rock to exquisite choral work, and ending with the stunningly beautiful title song.

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Free Hand was to become their most successful effort; in America it peaked at No. 48, their best placing in a run of chart albums which stretched from Octopus in 1973 to The Missing Piece in 1977. In Britain, where their following remained fiercely loyal but relatively small, Free Hand made a fleeting appearance in the lower reaches of some album charts, the only one of their twelve albums to do so. Their new label's publicity drive, some favourable airplay, and the attention of one or two rock journalists(most notably Phil Sutcliffe of 'Sounds') all helped, but in retrospect the album's success was well-deserved on its own merits. It was, perhaps, more commercial than previous releases, but still had the complexity and polish fans had come to expect.

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A concept album, supposedly about how people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. But this short explanation does not do justice to the album, which is a complex tour-de-force. Under-rated on its release and only sporadically available since, In A Glass House offers a satisfying taste of one of Britain's most technically accomplished rock bands.

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Since Home Plate brought Bonnie Raitt within shooting distance of the Top 40, thereby being the greatest chart success she yet attained, it made sense that she re-teamed with its producer Paul A. Rothchild for its follow-up, Sweet Forgiveness. Rothchild's modus operandi remains slickness, but he has backed away from his fondness for studio musicians, letting Raitt record the majority of the record with her touring band (who only were spotted occasionally throughout Homeplate).

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Homeplate takes Bonnie Raitt even further down the path toward mainstream production than the unjustly maligned Streetlights, but, ironically, it works better than its predecessor

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Following her first three albums, all of which were wildly eclectic affairs, Bonnie Raitt was poised for a mainstream move, and 1974's Streetlights is it. There's no blues edge here whatsoever, and Raitt's guitar playing is subdued--both detractions--but the album also introduces "Angel from Montgomery," the definitive version of John Prine's piercing ballad. Raitt dips further into contemporary singer-songwriter fare with Joni Mitchell's "That Song About the Midway" and James Taylor's "Rainy Day Man," but the album peaks with Allen Toussaint's thoughtful (and funky) "What Is Success."

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This album is an overlooked gem in the catalog of Bonnie Raitt. On Takin' My Time, she wears her influences proudly in an eclectic musical mix containing blues, jazz, folk, New Orleans R&B, and calypso. Although she did not write her own material for this album, she demonstrates an excellent ear for songs and chooses material from some of the best songwriters of the day.

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Amazon.com essential recording This 1972 collection set the bar it took years for Raitt to clear again. Moving easily between sensitive singer-songwriter and bawdy blues-mama roles, the blazing redhead proved she was a talent to watch on several fronts.

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Debut albums simply aren't supposed to be as accomplished and beautifully crafted as Kate & Anna McGarrigle's first record, which is as lovely and superbly realized as folk-rock gets.

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Dream Attic heralds the return of Richard Thompson, one of the most distinguished guitarists and songwriters of our time, with a magnificent collection of 13 new songs. This deluxe edition includes a bonus CD of all 13 tracks performed as acoustic demos.

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This is the bonus dvd for pre-ordering Warren Haynes Band - Man In Motion CD, or in my case 2xLP ;)
Live from the Asheville Civic Center, Ashville, NC. December 11th, 2010

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Marianne Faithfull's songwriting partner, also featuring the rest of the Island Compass Point, Nassau studio house band - Sly & Robbie, Wally Badarou, Mikey Chung & Sticky Thompson with Marcia Griffiths & Judy Mowatt on backing vocals. Mastered - Ted Jensen, Sterling Sound

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Lacquers Cut from the Original Analog Masters and Pressed on 180g Vinyl at RTI Features the Original Mixes for Anthem of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa for the First Time in Nearly 40 Years Limited Edition Hard-Shell Box Contains 12" x 12" Book with New, Insightful Liner Notes Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Song-Based, Era-Defining Roots Landmarks Workingman's Dead and American Beauty At last. One of the most sorely neglected catalogs in music history has finally received the sonic upgrade it's long deserved, and the results are as heavenly as Jerry Garcia's mellifluous guitar tones. The analog refurbishment involves two of the most beloved rustic classics ever made, a high-flying debut, and a pair of experimental mind-benders.

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Recorded in three short days in January 1965, Bringing It All Back Home found Dylan “going electric” and gaining his first Top 40 airplay with “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” Sundazed proudly presents Bringing It All Back Home in an exact reproduction on High-Definition Vinyl, featuring the album’s original mono mix--unavailable for over 30 years!--and, as is Sundazed customary, all-analog mastering.

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