University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble - Blue Dawn Into White Heat - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Although the American composer David Maslanka (1943-2017) wrote in a wide range of genres, it is for his generous output of music for wind band that he is best known. Three of the works heard here are in effect symphonic poems, all three infused with that big-hearted sense of space found in the best of American music and the quiet dignity of those endless open landscapes, but also energized by a powerful sense of freewheeling drama. The fourth piece is a charming and hugely engaging presentation of the instruments of the symphonic wind ensemble, a latter-day Peter and the Wolf - likewise intended for children and similarly bubbling with good tunes. The composer himself was closely involved in the preparation for these recordings - the last major project involving his music before his death - which now stand as a testament to a man much-loved in American musical circles.

Angelo Spencer - Love in the Morning [VINYL LP] date 06/23/2015

SPACEHOG / CHINESE ALBUM The second (1998) from the British expat group Spacehog, The Chinese Album was originally conceived as the soundtrack for a movie called Mungo City; the movie never got made but thankfully the album retained the glam/power pop song by the same name (which, in a just universe, would have been a big hit)! This record never really got it's due, partly because the band took three years to follow up on the success of their debut album Resident Alien and it's hit InchIn the Meantime.Inch But The Chinese Album, in many ways, is a much more fully-realized work than it's predecessor; instead of merely playing at being a glam-rock band, Spacehog here crafts a fully-realized sound and aesthetic, with nods to such artists as Queen, Badfinger, The Kinks, and even R.E.M. (Michael Stipe makes an appearance on the mellow InchAlmond KissesInch). And the songwriting (e.g. InchLucy's ShoeInch) is consistently strong, making The Chinese Album one of the late '90s' great lost records. A pink vinyl pressing, nestled next to a 4-page, full-sized, full-color insert holding all the groovy graphics that accompanied the CD !