Moving away from the guitar histrionics of Beauty Stab, Martin Fry reduced ABC to a duo of himself and Mark White for 1985's danceable How to Be a...Zillionaire! Incorporating light hip-hop rhythms, ABC made sure Zillionaire sounded contemporary for mid-'80s dance clubs, and as a result, some of the record sounds stiff and dated. Still, when Fry's sense of melody is on, as on the catchy single "Be Near Me," or when he works in his vicious, cynical wit, as on "How to Be a Millionaire" and "So Hip It Hurts," the record rivals the peaks of Lexicon of Love.

The State of Texas has always displayed a sense of individuality, especially in terms of music. From the Western Swing of Bob Willis in the 30s to the Outlaw Movement of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings in the 70s. Texas music has always shown individuality and originality.
One such musical son of Texas was Townes Van Zandt. His brand of sensitive country-folk-rock has won him a cult following and an appreciation of his considerable song-writing talents from leading lights in both country and folk music. It also precipitated him into a world that had all the makings of a tragic ending, which he duly fulfilled.

His untimely death in 1997 at the age of 52 robbed the world of a troubled genius and one of America's finest songwriters. Already an established bona fide cult figure, his reputation grows by the day. Most of his original output was recorded for the Poppy and Tomato labels during his creative peak between 1968 and 1978.
The deluxe 4 CD set comprises Townes Van Zandt's seven studio albums from that era in their entirity, plus four studio out-takes and eight live songs from 1973.

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. Hayes was one of the main creative forces behind southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served as both an in-house songwriter and producer with partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. Alongside, Bill Withers, the Sherman Brothers, Steve Cropper and John Fogerty, Hayes & Porter were named to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of their string of successful hit songs for Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas and others In the late 1960s. Their hit song "Soul Man" by Sam & Dave has been recognized as one of the best or most influential songs of the past 50 years by the Grammy Hall of Fame, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stone magazine, and the RIAA Songs of the Century.

Swedish keyboard player/composer Bo Hansson first emerged in the 1960s, as part of a duo that made a name for itself, first in Sweden and then on tour in Europe, and a series of three albums. Jimi Hendrix heard the group and recorded some jams with Hansson that are still unreleased. The guitarist recorded one of Hansson's songs ("Tax-Free"), the group later toured with the Experience.

The two discs of Steve Miller Band: On Tour 1973-1976 feature two Steve Miller Band concerts recorded in 1973 and 1976, respectively, by (and for eventual broadcast on) the infamous King Biscuit Flower Hour. The soundboard recordings are pristine, with each bandmember occupying an equal part of the spectrum. The 1973 incarnation, captured at Shady Grove in Washington, D.C., still holds some connection to the earlier, more blues-based years of the band.

One of the more popular new wave bands of the early '80s, the British group ABC built upon the detached, synthesized R&B pop of David Bowie and Roxy Music, adding a self-conscious, campy sense of theatrics and style...