Paint me with a bucketful of wow and post me to the BBC! They deserve much love for their seemingly unending archive of excellence. ‘BBC session’ is practically a hallmark for musical lushness, and it’s comforting to have such things to cling to in today’s mixed-up, crazy world of scientific haircare products and pot noodles. Also deserving of a complimentary fruit-basket of joy are the good people at Renascent, who’ve been busying themselves championing the cause of rather marvellous ‘missing from 80’s namechecks, presumed rubbish’ band The Sound; in the form of various re-releases. Of which this is another one. Of them. Except not quite (unless you taped the original broadcasts, or something.) The BBC Recordings find The Sound at the peak of their collective talents, performing some of their very best material. I have the handy excuse of not being born when they first appeared and thus shoulder no guilt for their subsequent underexposure, but it’s time for the rest of the world to make amends; beginning with suitable recognition for this fine record.

“Hero and Heroine” may be the Strawbs best album, but there again, I probably said that about “From the witchwood”, “Ghosts”, “Bursting at the seams”, and “Grave new world”. What I like about “Hero and Heroine” is that it is a complete album, which flows perfectly from start to finish. There really is not a weak track here, the songs are generally straight forward and accessible, but with an underlying depth which belies their apparent simplicity. If you enjoy the music of the Strawbs and have not heard this one, you’re in for a treat.

It’s good to listen to another beautiful Strawbs’ album in the year 1975! I don’t know if Ghosts is my favourite one, but it’s from the same stable as Hero and Heroine and that’s enough to say it’s an impressive record! All the then band members seem to be at the top of their games: David Cousins (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, recorder), Dave Lambert (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), John Hawken (piano, electric piano, harpsichord, mellotron, moog synthesizer, Hammond organ, pipe organ), Chas Cronk (bass guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals) and Rod Coombes (drums, congas, percussion, backing vocals)…what an excellent line-up! Great and more complex arrangements (above all on The Life Auction!), very well played and recorded music, good and catchy melodies, strong and marvellous keyboards and mellotron’s waves…a pleasure for ears!

While "The Lost Chord" established the Moody Blues sound fundamentals with more than a nod to current psychedelic trends, this was the album that solidified their individual, classic sound. Discarding the sitars and pop celebrity references, they hone their songwriting skills and conceptual focus to create a characteristic blend of lysergic love songs and lush, enveloping textures.

The album is considered by some to be a concept album because several of the tracks deal with the theme of a person's search for spiritual fulfillment. Another concept dealt with in the album is the search for a mythical "lost chord," which is revealed to be the mantra "Om" (in the last stanza of Graeme Edge's poem "The Word"). After using the London Festival Orchestra on Days of Future Passed, the Moody Blues played all instruments themselves - approximately 33 - on In Search of the Lost Chord. Indian instruments such as the sitar (played by guitarist Justin Hayward) and the tamboura (played by keyboardist Mike Pinder) made audio appearances on several tracks (notably "Departure," "Visions of Paradise," and "Om"). Other unconventional (for the Moody Blues) instruments were also used, notably the oboe (played by percussionist/flute player Ray Thomas) and the cello (played by bassist John Lodge, who tuned it as a bass guitar). The mellotron, played by Pinder, produced many string and horn embellishments.

Since Skylarking, each XTC album was carefully composed and crafted, and Nonsuch is no different. Working with producer Gus Dudgeon (Elton John), XTC crafted their most immaculate album to date with Nonsuch. A measured and reflective record, recalling the Beach Boys more than the Beatles, the album retains some of their late-'80s psychedelic flourishes, but those have been integrated into an elaborate, lush pop setting that falls somewhere between Skylarking and Oranges & Lemons.

The work of PHOENIX is a pleasant guide through Romanian spirit and meanwhile some really progressive pages. Living guitar, nice bass, accurate drums and emotional vocals alongside proper arrangements, originality and musical depth describe three of the best Romanian albums ever.

Sufjan Stevens is a name that if you haven't heard it yet, now is the time. I first heard this artist, I kid you not, over the radio at work, and I quite honestly thought I was listening to some '60s band's song that I may have never heard before (the song I refer to is "Chicago") and remembering a few lyrics after coming home one evening, I did a lyrics search via Google, and turned up the name Sufjan Stevens. It turned out one of the reasons for the popularity of this particular song was its inclusion in the movie soundtrack for Little Miss Sunshine, the blockbuster feel-good hit of a year or so ago. Stevens' music sounds like a cross between '60s pop and folk, with VERY heavy avantgarde and fusion elements, and could be classified, according to my standard, as no less than progressive in nature. Stevens' vocal style could be very closely compared to Paul Simon or Cat Stevens, and his storytelling abilities could easily stand beside those of an Al Stewart or Harry Chapin. Rather unfortunate that in this day and age his music gets tossed into the "catch-all" category of indie, although as an independent artist, I guess the classification is relatively apt, but pigeonholes him too much for his range and totally unique style.

Infected was The The's second album (if one excludes Burning Blue Soul and Pornography of Despair, which was never officially released), released in 1986. This one-man band is sadly underrated and virtually unknown, possibly because Matt Johnson is too literate for the layman to stomach, or possibly just because he tends to take 5-year-long vacations once in a while. No matter. Infected was his first platinum disc, and rightly so. It's a commentary on the state of the world today - mainly Britain, since he lived there, but really it could apply to any "civilized" modern country. Not every song is explicitly about politics, but every one has the same mood and theme - that things have reached the point where they can't go on the same way any longer and something must be done. Every song burns with desperation as Johnson tries to find a way out but can't.

This underrated 1977 release marks the return of keyboardist Rick Wakeman and the return of shorter song structures. Home to the gorgeous single “Wonderous Stories,” this reissue includes new liner notes and seven bonus tracks.

This is Bryan Ferry's first solo album of all original material and it is truly an artistic gem. In this work he weaves blues, R&B, 70's funk, and even oriental themes into a seamless pop album with intelligence, superb musicianship and sophisticated production.

Taxi shows a mature Bryan Ferry, suave and controlled, very much in line with his general career from 1979 on. The choices of songs to cover doesn't make for any surprises -- the same selections of classic rock, pop, and soul numbers dominate, with an interesting ringer here and there like "Amazing Grace." As with his other recent solo records, a cast of thousands supports him, ranging from the Grid's Richard Norris on synth programming to Brit guitar legends Robin Trower and Michael Brook, plus vocalist Carleen Anderson.

Fear not Ferryphiles, Bête Noire is nothing to be afraid of. A red rose with some thorns, downbeat and moody at times, but otherwise the same immaculately conceived matters of the heart that fans would expect from the author of Boys And Girls. The primary difference between the two is the participation of Patrick Leonard, who coproduces, plays on and cowrites much of Bete Noire. Leonard’s rich, exotic landscapes share the spotlight with Ferry’s voice, here subdued but still expressive.

It seems like Ferry set out to prove that some songs are just SO good, no matter how strangely you sing them, you can't diminish their power. That sentiment, in fact, sums up this album. Definitely odd, (even by Ferry/Roxy standards) probably goofy, but to my ear, excellent in its own idiosyncratic way. Camp and schmaltz have always been a part of the Ferry/Roxy music pantheon, and they are played to the forefront here. That said, the musicianship is fantastically professional, the arrangements deep and eclectic, the recording (of course) pristine, and the title track (a Ferry original) one of the best things he's ever sung.

This may be the ultimate of the so-called "pastoral" progressive rock albums. Acoustic guitar arpeggios, flute, mellow crooning vocals and piano with a brick left on the sustain pedal all permeate this album; and on top of it all, there's almost as much Mellotron as Genesis used in their entire career. The music is meandering and ethereal, with more musical complexity than the average New Age album, but very much the same mood. In short, it's the epitome of the seventies' pastoral-progressive style.