Nowadays it's slightly disconcerting to hear Handel's music played by a full-size modern symphony orchestra, but when Trevor Pinnock made this recording of the Water Music back in 1983 the period-instrument movement was only just beginning to escape the realms of stuffy academe and reach out to mainstream audiences. Pinnock's English Concert recordings, and this album in particular, were instrumental (pardon the pun) in persuading listeners that this music really did sound better when played "authentically" in what is at least an approximation of 18th-century performance practices. Others had already advanced ideas about authentic bowing and articulation, but Pinnock was one of the first to translate theory into enthusiastic, vibrant music-making with a wide appeal. Here Handel's dotted rhythms are brisk but not too rigid; the dance movements graceful but not formal; and everywhere textures are sparklingly clear. The result was the period-instrument movement's first bestseller. Handily it also coincided with the dawn of the CD era, making the album an essential purchase for the new format (in retrospect it suffers more from the over-bright early digital recording than from any flaws in the actual performance). These days, period players would take a mellower approach, and some of the rougher edges would be smoothed; nevertheless Pinnock's pioneering performance still sounds fresh and exciting. For this reissue, The Water Music suites are accompanied by the Il Pastor Fido overture, recorded in 1985. --Mark Walker
£11.99
Show Detail »
Given their origins, both geographically (San Francisco) and stylistically (founder Joe McDonald and lead guitarist Barry Melton first hooked up in a jug band), it wasn't surprising that the ragtag Fish sounded like an acid-soaked, plugged-in folk band when they debuted in '67. Simultaneously the most political and funniest of all the Northern California bands, the Fish's yippie-hippie philosophy was reflected in songs like "Superbird" (about Lyndon Johnson), "Flying High" (about getting you-know-what), and the bluesy free love saga, "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine." That they could periodically wax serious as well (the wide-angled instrumental "Section Forty Three" and the moody "Bass Strings") only added more bite to their satiric pungency. --Billy Altman
£7.97
Show Detail »
HBO's Mafia masterpiece The Sopranos is a remarkable television series--it's witty, creative, and truly unique. The same praises could be sung for a show's soundtrack, an odd but fun mix of beats, classic rock, and--what else?--Mafia-staple Sinatra. Alabama 3's theme "Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix)" gets things off to a lively start, as does bluesman R.L. Burnside's "It's Bad You Know" (from his Come On In remix album). Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" (from his Slow Train Coming album), Bruce Springsteen's "State Trooper", and Elvis Costello's "Complicated Shadows" aren't tracks you'll hear on the local classic rock station, but they work perfectly here. And when was the last time you heard both Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul and Nick Lowe on TV? In short, a great, eclectic collection. --Jason Verlinde
£4.93
Show Detail »
Top Search
Last Search
