CD-Charts Position 121
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The Wire And All the Pieces Matter OST Five Years Of Music From The Wire (Deluxe Complete Edition)

by: Various Artists

Release Date January 21, 2008
The Wire was almost universally acclaimed as being one of the best programmes ever made for TV and I, like many others, was sorry to see it come to an end earlier this year. If you miss the series yourself, but perhaps don't want to buy the DVDs and work your way through the whole saga again then this CD could be just what you need! It is a companion CD to The Wire: Beyond Hamsterdam Baltimore Tracks from The Wire (Hip Hop Edition) and features the tracks listed:


1. "This America, Man"
2. Way Down In The Hole - The Blind Boys Of Alabama
3. "Why Would Anyone Ever Wanna Leave Baltimore?"
4. Oh My God - Michael Franti & Spearhead
5. Dance My Pain Away - Rod Lee
6. My Life Extra - Dj Technics ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 122
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Relaxin' 'round Midnight - The Very Best of Classic FM Jazz

by: Various Artists

Release Date August 11, 2008
I was so looking forward to this, based on the radio advertising that I had heard. But when it arrived I could not have been more disappointed. The songs that were heard on the radio, were basically all the best ones, the rest of the album was rubbish. I love jazz but this album is not relaxing or enjoyable and I would not recommend it.

CD-Charts Position 123
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Top of the Pops 1968

by: Various Artists

Release Date December 10, 2007
I was so looking forward to this, based on the radio advertising that I had heard. But when it arrived I could not have been more disappointed. The songs that were heard on the radio, were basically all the best ones, the rest of the album was rubbish. I love jazz but this album is not relaxing or enjoyable and I would not recommend it.

CD-Charts Position 124
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The Brazilian Funk Experience: Patrick Forge Presents Rare Grooves from the EMI & Odeon Vaults 1968-1980

by: Various Artists

Release Date April 03, 2006
Some real gems here. Granted some of the tracks have been released on other compilation records (namely Gilles Peterson's; indeed Forge used to DJ with Gilles back in the eighties; check out their excellent Dingwalls record) but that's because the songs are excellent. There's a nice mix of funk, jazz, folk and soul here that is sure to make your average party goer stand up, take notice, and applaud your unique and well flavoured musical taste.

CD-Charts Position 125
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The All New Electric Muse - The Story Of Folk Into Rock

by: Various Artists

Release Date November 17, 2008
Agreed, this has been done before. In 1975, to accompany a book on the story of how folk transitioned into rock, and 20 years later in the 6-CD New Electric Muse and New Electric Muse II on Sanctuary. That a re-branded return to the first golden age of British folk rock works so well in this latest incarnation is testament to the skill of writer/compiler David Suff and some unsurpassable music from the Island and Transatlantic catalogues. The moment when in 1966 at Manchester's Free Trade Hall, Dylan swapped his acoustic guitar for a Stratocaster to a fan's cry of "Judas!" is often cited as marking the birth of electric folk. But Suff's journey starts over a decade earlier in Lonnie Donegan's `Rock Island Line' and the early `60s' recordings of Davy ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 126
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Spirit Of Joy - Tales From The Polydor Underground 1967 - 1974

by: Various Artists

Release Date August 25, 2008
Hot on the heels of "Strange Pleasures" (the second 3 CD Decca/Deram box set of late 60's/early 70's underground sounds) Universal Music has again let Esoteric Records boss Mark Powell loose in its vaults. After issuing similar box sets of Vertigo material and the aforementioned Decca/Derams, Mark (teamed again with maestro Paschal Byrne at the mixing desk and the highly creative Phil Smee in the design room) has produced another excellent offering. As with the aforementioned releases,the packaging is first rate. The 3 cds come in their own mini fake aged LP sleeves accompanied by an informative 48 page booklet with a section per artiste and plenty of rare photos/original album covers. In his introduction, Powell also gives a history of the label and how ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 127
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Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan

by: Various Artists

Release Date February 25, 2008
Whilst I have no argument with the music on this album, it's all great stuff, if you are hoping to hear the great man introducing each track, then think again "he's NOT there" and this is a great disappointment. I had expected from the album description that it would contain those wonderful insights that Bob Dylan is so good at when introducing the tracks, that's why I can only give it three stars.

CD-Charts Position 128
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Classic FM - Music for Christmas

by: Various Artists

Release Date November 15, 2004

This is a collection of traditional Christmas carols and music from two of today's most respected choirs - The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, and The Sixteen. These performances are subtle and restrained ones from a quiet chapel rather than a Songs of Praise edition from Westminster Abbey, so they are perfect for a quiet sit-down on Christmas Eve or calming Christmas Day morning reflection on life before the work begins.

Christmas CDs are in abundance, but this one offers some lovely traditional versions of songs as they were intended to be heard.

The others in the `Classic FM For' series are albums dedicated to Babies, Dinner Parties, Driving, Fitness, Mums, Romance, Studying, Weddings, so it will also appeal to those wanting ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 129
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A Christmas Present From Motown - Volume 1

by: Various Artists

Release Date October 08, 2001
Many Motown stars recorded Christmas albums and tracks from those albums have been the source of many Motown Christmas compilations. This is one of a pair of British budget compilations that are as good as any I've seen, with an excellent mix of famous and obscure songs and all the singers you expect to hear.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Jackson five and Stevie Wonder are each represented by three tracks. The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes each get two tracks, though Diana also gets a solo track. The Four Tops also get two, including one featuring guest vocalist Aretha Franklin. The Funk brothers and Marvin Gaye have one track each.

For me, the highlights are Everyone's a kid at Christmas time (Stevie Wonder), Merry Christmas ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 130
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100 Hits - 70s

by: Various Artists

Release Date October 15, 2007
Yes the price is good, but before you buy this make sure you look at the listings first (unlike me)!!! For example, no ABBA, no Queen, no Blondie etc. etc. etc. I'm very disappointed with it. The "101 70s Hits" one looks a bit better, but from now on I'll stick to downloading individual tracks, or gettings Greatest Hits albums from the individual artists.