ABBA - Gold - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Like very nearly every worthwhile thing, making this album was not easy; it was a difficult second album to make. Drawing inspiration from folk/rock from about 1965 to 1973, and Van Morrisons ASTRAL WEEKS in particular, HELPLESSNESS BLUES sees Fleet Foxes heighten and extend themselves, adding instrumentation (clarinet, the music box, pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar, Tibetan singing bowls, vibraphone, etc., along with more traditional band instrumentation), with a focus on clear, direct lyrics, and an emphasis on group vocal harmonies. We have it on good authority that the album is called HELPLESSNESS BLUES for at least a couple of reasons. One, it's kind of a funny title. Secondly, one of the prevailing themes of the album is the struggle between who you are and who you want to be or who you want to end up, and how sometimes you are the only thing getting in the way of that. Having heard HELPLESSNESS BLUES, we mean to get out of it's way. Album Tracks 1. Montezuma 2. Bedouin Dress 3. Sim Sala Bim 4. Battery Kinzie 5. The Plains/Bitter Dancer 6. Helplessness Blues 1. The Cascades 2. Lorelei 3. Someone You'd Admire 4. The Shrine/An Argument 5. Blue Spotted Tail 6. Grown Ocean

Chicago Chicago II on Numbered Edition Hybrid SACD. Mastered from the Original Master Tapes Longtime Audiophile Favorite Now Possesses Reference-Caliber Separation, Tonalities, Balance. Chicago shortened it's name on it's second album but altered little else. Improving upon the creative synthesis shown on it's debut, the ensemble ups the ante for pop, rock, and jazz fusion on it's 1970 sophomore set, introducing classical signatures as well as a penchant to delve even deeper into unchartered waters. Ambitious arrangements and brazen interplay remain, yet further addition of multifaceted melodies and seamless syncopation finds the group stepping up it's songwriting. Witness '25 Or 6 To 4' and 'Make Me Smile,' smashes that resonated with the mainstream. Pulling back the curtain on the recordings, this collector's version exponentially expands the soundstaging dimensions, imaging proportions, and dynamic information, allowing the songs to breathe and enjoy a roominess that enhances the stellar performances and interwoven structures. In particular, the harmonic vocals naturally carry and possess lifelike decay, never in competition with but always in sympathy with the telepathic instrumentation. As reflected by the 7-part, 13-minute 'Ballet for a Girl in Buchanan' suite, Chicago II draws from classical as well as traditional rock and jazz influences in presenting an experience that eviscerates 'disparate' when pertaining to musical styles. Paired amidst progressive rhythms, a surfeit of driving horns and gritty R&B vocals again affords the band the privilege of rocking as hard as any of their contemporaries. And yet, due to the collective's diversity and prowess, Chicago also lends poignant sensitivity to ballads such as the prom favorite 'Colour My World.' The septet's command of switching between aggressiveness and intensity, softness and sensuality, defines Chicago II

Disney Hits, Volume 1 Disney Hits, Volume 1 features 15 classic songs from Disney's most beloved films, including InchLet It GoInch (Frozen), InchI Just Can't Wait To Be KingInch (The Lion King), InchWe Don't Talk About BrunoInch (Encanto), InchA Whole New WorldInch (Aladdin), InchPart Of Your WorldInch (The Little Mermaid)Inch and more! Album Tracks 1. Let It Go (From Frozen) 2. I Just Can't Wait to Be King (From the Lion King) 3. When Will My Life Begin? (From Tangled) 4. Steal the Show (From Elemental) 5. We Don't Talk About Bruno (From Encanto) 6. How Far I'll Go (From Moana) 7. A Whole New World (From Aladdin) 1. Zero to Hero (From Hercules) 2. Part of Your World (From the Little Mermaid) 3. Speechless (Full) (From Aladdin) 4. You're Welcome (From Moana) 5. Nobody Like U (From Turning Red) 6. Touch the Sky (From Brave) 7. Dig a Little Deeper (From the Princess and the Frog) 8. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride (From Lilo & Stitch)