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The "Score" 2-DVD contains the entire "20th Anniversary World Tour" grand finale recorded live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 1st, 2006 (nearly 3 hours of music - over 90 minutes of which was performed with a full orchestra). The DVD also contains a 1 hour Documentary tracking the entire career of the band from the very beginnings at the Berklee College Of Music in 1985 all the way to the Radio City Music Hall grand finale. Including rare never before seen footage and interviews with current and previous members of the band. Also included on the DVD are several live Bonus Tracks from through the years taken from the Portnoy Archives.

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A duo featuring soundscape programmer Robert Smith and flamenco guitarist Angel Suarez, Bella Sonus crafts a world-influenced style of lush electronica heavy on ambient tones and low-tempo rhythms. Highly emotive, the duo also works with background vocalists to further their sound to more ethereal heights that often drift toward serene tendencies. They debuted with Enamoured on Neurodisc in 2000. ~ Jason Birchmeier @ All Music Guide

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The name Ryan Farish might be new to you, but you may have already enjoyed his music numerous times and not even know it. Ryan Farish has been busy the last few years creating electronic pop, similar to Robert Miles in his 'Children' mode, or Tangerine Dream at their most melodic. Ryan's developed sound has opened many doors, including the theme music for the weather channel's 'local on the 8's' not to mention the 'Storm Stories' themed intro every night. His greatest acheivement to date has been his pressence on the now defunct mp3.com, where he has been downloaded a whopping 1.8 million times!!! That many people can't be wrong, Ryan's passionate music must be heard.

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Absorbing influences from his daily life, Ryan delivers on this album with his distinct 'upbeat' mantra of warm and elegant music for the soul. In typical Farish fashion, Ryan delves into various themes of world-beat, new-age and spiritual sounds awash with his lush piano melodies and powerful minimalistic approach. From the opening "The Promise", a simple piano line pairs with indigenous vocal chants; segueing into lush break-beat washed with beautiful synths. Bouncing beats and bubbling basslines invigorate "Joy"; solemn strings ebb dreamily into stunning female vocals on "Pacific Wind". Joyful Caribbean style beats and call & response style children's choirs weave a tapestry of perfectly blended chillout electronica with an organic style. "From the Sky" dives right in with a brilliance of light; further demonstrating Ryan's brightest moments are yet to come. His music is introspective and reflective; giving you a glimpse into his mind; where the sky is always blue, the grass is always green and the melodies always bring a smile.

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Robert Cray says that Buddy Guy's guitar solos sound like laughter from space, but they can also peal like the cries of lost souls attempting to cross the River Styx. If these 47 songs on three CDs plus a DVD boasting a new 75 minute documentary and six performances from the Montreux Jazz Festival prove anything, it's that Guy is one of the most dynamic, diverse, expressionistic, and emotional guitarists in any genre. The set neatly examines the 70-year-old Chicago blues legend's half-century career, starting with a ragged but soulful "The Way You Been Treating Me" cut in 1957 at a radio station in Guy's native Louisiana that finds him developing his searing, exploratory style. A year later, he's in Chicago working with tunesmith Willie Dixon, and the rest is history (chronicled in Anthony DeCurtis's excellent lines notes) that leads from the glory days of Chess Records to Guy's early breakout recordings for Vanguard to his modern-day mastery. The most recent recordings often find him working with acolytes: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keb' Mo', Jonny Lang, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, and John Mayer (who duets with Guy on the unreleased "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled & Crazy"). B.B. King, who along with Guitar Slim was Guy's most important early influence, also joins Clapton and Guy on a stirring acoustic version of John Lee Hooker's "Crawlin' Kingsnake." This set makes the argument for Guy's ever-continuing growth as a musician--not only as a player whose frenzy, improvisational instincts, and tonal control keep stretching with age, but as a stylist who was unafraid to put aside his trademark electric approach in 2003 to make the acoustic Blues Singer (represented here by "Bad Life Blues" and the Hooker tune) and to embrace primal North Mississippi juke joint music with Sweet Tea, which lends this set a pair of Junior Kimbrough covers. Guy's sole artistic weakness is his songwriting. He's never been prolific, and even in the '60s his lyrics drew on well-established clichés. But, as these performances attest, his playing's never been less than daring--and his voice knows every nuance of heartache and joy.

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StarGaze HD brings the beauty and majesty of the Universe to your HD Home Theatre.Journey beyond the stars with images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.With over an hour of astounding images set to ambient music, StarGaze HD will quickly become a favorite in your HD collection.

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KARMAKANIC is a kind of solo project from Sweden's finest bass player Jonas Reingold. But how could it be any different (anyway we are talking about the FLOWER KINGS), many of his band mates are featured in this project, it seems as if they can't live without each other. KARMAKANIC is one of the better side projects and released two albums so far, "Entering the Spectra" and "Wheel of Life". The difference between these two albums is Roine Stolt's influence. The first one sounds like the FLOWER KINGS with exception of some bass dominated parts. You will get Roine Stolt on vocals and guitar. Unlike "Entering the Spectra" Roine plays a very small role on the new album "Wheel of Life". It sounds more independent and disengages a little from the typical FLOWER KINGS sound, maybe because Roine just plays some guitar parts and Krister Jonzon took over the main guitar work. What both albums have in common is the dominating bass, not really astonishing because we are talking about a project that is led by Jonas Reingold. So if you like the FLOWER KINGS you will love KARMAKANIC, but will also like them if you never heard of the Kings.

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Gold, reissue of The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd, is a two-disc compilation of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the peak years of its classic lineup (1971-1977). If all you know about Lynyrd Skynyrd is “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird,” this album will open your eyes. From their 1973 debut through 1977's Street Survivors (released just three days before the fatal plane crash), Skynyrd was responsible for some of the most powerful rock music of the Seventies. The triple lead-guitar threat of Allen Collins, Gary Rossington and Ed King (later replaced by Steve Gaines) coupled with the gritty vocals of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant was indeed a potent combination. In addition to the aforementioned songs, “Gimme Three Steps,” “Saturday Night Special,” “Gimme Back My Bullets” and “That Smell” (among others) have become FM radio staples.

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Is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve and Other Stories a holiday rock opera? Or perhaps just a holiday prog-rock disc? Or maybe it's New Age? Whatever the case may be, this isn't your typical Christmas album. Filled with electric guitar solos, plenty of synthesized keyboards, a children's choir, and lively drumming, Christmas Eve can only be compared to one other record, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's other holiday disc, The Christmas Attic. On this CD, angelic vocal solos (on numbers such as "The Prince of Peace") are interspersed with driving instrumentals. Sentimental, occasionally bombastic, but as high-concept as holiday albums can be. Jason Verlinde @ Amazon.com

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