Pop, Rock & Punk

Some shows are so momentous, they pass into rock 'n' roll folklore. When Gary Moore stepped onto the stage of Basel's Baloise Session on November 13, 2008, it was a true one-off, showcasing one of blues-rock's biggest names on one of the worlds respected stages. Nobody in the crowd that night suspected the great Irish bluesman was close to the end. But when Moore passed away little over 2 years later, aged just 58, the show took on added poignancy, kept alive in the memories of those who attended.<br/><br/>Now, more then 15 years later, the release of Live From Baloise Session on Artone/Provogue resurrects the much-missed Irishman, bringing his blazing talents back into the spotlight, catching the sparks of that night, and bottling a performance that stands amongst Moore's very best. This official release is coordinated and selected by the Gary Moore estate to keep his legacy alive.

Script For A Jester's Tear was Marillion debut studio album originally released on 13 March 1983, reaching number seven in the UK Albums Chart (eventually achieving a platinum status) and produced the two Top 40 singles He Knows You Know (35) and Garden Party (16).<br/><br/>Formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979, the band went through several personnel changes before recording their debut album. Having attracted attention with a three-track session for the Friday Rock Show they were signed by EMI Records releasing their first single, Market Square Heroes, in October 1982 with their debut album Script For A Jester's Tear following a few months later after their second single He Knows You Know.<br/><br/>The CD version will have the same audio across 4CD plus a bonus Blu-Ray featuring "The Script Interviews" a wonderful documentary covering the formation of the band through to the release of Script For A Jester's Tear in their own words.

Pet Shop Boys: Smash the singles 1985-2020 [3 CD + 2 Blu-ray]

R.E.M.: New adventures in Hi-Fi (Deluxe/Rem) [Digibook / 2 CD + Blu-ray]

Rolling Stones: Welcome to Shepherd's Bush 1999 [Digipack / 2 CD + Blu-ray]

Digipak with 32p booklet and obi strip<br/>CD 1 - Bright-Side Mix<br/>CD 2 - Dark-Side Mix<br/>Blu-ray - In-Side Mix (Dolby Atmos)<br/><br/>Peter Gabriel's first album of new material since 2002's Up.<br/> <br/>During 2023, Peter has been releasing a new song from the album on the occasion of every full moon. Being revealed roughly every four weeks, each track has been allowed to find its own time and space, to enjoy its own orbit. "It's a little like getting a Lego piece each month," Peter explains. Now it's time to stand back and admire the final, completed creation.<br/> <br/>And what a creation - 12 tracks of grace, gravity and great beauty that provide welcome confirmation of not only Peter's ongoing ability to write stop-you-in-your-tracks songs but also of that thrilling voice, still perfectly, delightfully intact. Throughout the album the intelligent and thoughtful - often thought-provoking - songs tackle life and the universe. Our connection to the world around us - 'I'm just a part of everything' Peter sings on title track i/o - is a recurring motif, but so too the passing of time, mortality and grief, alongside such themes as injustice, surveillance and the roots of terrorism. But this is not a solemn record. While reflective, the mood is never despondent; i/o is musically adventurous, often joyous and ultimately full of hope, topped off as it is, by the rousingly optimistic closing song, Live and Let Live. <br/> <br/>Always looking to push the boundaries, i/o is not simply a collection of a dozen songs. All 12 tracks are subject to two stereo mixes: the Bright-Side Mix, handled by Mark 'Spike' Stent, and the Dark-Side Mix, as reshaped by Tchad Blake. "We have two of the greatest mixers in the world in Tchad and Spike and they definitely bring different characters to the songs. Tchad is very much a sculptor building a journey with sound and drama, Spike loves sound and assembling these pictures, so he's more of a painter." Both versions are included on the double-CD package, and are also available separately as double vinyl albums. And that's not all. A third version - the In-Side Mix, in Dolby Atmos, comes courtesy of Hans-Martin Buff "doing a wonderful job generating these much more three-dimensional mixes" and is included in three-disc set, including Blu-ray.<br/> <br/>Peter has kept his trusty inner circle of musicians close to hand, which means guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché are sterling presences throughout. Several songs bear the fingerprints of long-time associate Brian Eno, whilst there are notable contributions from the likes of Richard Russell, pianist Tom Cawley, trumpeters Josh Shpak and Paolo Fresu, cellist Linnea Olsson and keyboard player Don E. Peter's daughter Melanie contributes warm backing vocals, as does Ríoghnach Connolly of The Breath. Soweto Gospel Choir and Swedish all-male choir Oprhei Drängar lend their magnificent harmonies and the mass strings of the New Blood Orchestra, led by John Metcalfe, both soothe and soar.<br/> <br/>Peter has also invited a range of visual artists to contribute a piece of art to accompany each track. The dozen artists make an exceedingly impressive team of collaborators: Ai Weiwei, Nick Cave, Olafur Eliasson, Henry Hudson, Annette Messager, Antony Micallef, David Moreno, Cornelia Parker, Megan Rooney, Tim Shaw, David Spriggs and Barthélémy Toguo. Having handpicked the artists, Peter recognises that "They have the same obsessive attention to their visual work that we musicians have in sound."

Last year, Clapton hosted and curated the seventh installment of his Crossroads Guitar Festival on September 23 and 24 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. It notably marked the event's return after a four-year break, selling out the iconic arena on both days. Once again, Clapton carefully assembled a powerhouse cohort of influential guitarists representing various eras and styles. The impressive lineup boasted Joe Bonamassa, Clapton, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Eric Gales, H.E.R., Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Los Lobos, John Mayer, The Marcus King Band, Roger McGuinn, John McLaughlin, Santana, The Wallflowers, and many more. Not to forget, Bill Murray served as the evening's "Master of Ceremonies." <br/> <br/>Coming together, the set rotated between blues staples, American Songbook classics, and generational rock 'n' roll anthems shocked to life by this elite six-string consortium.