Boris Godunov is a work that, with its long, continuous scenes and monumental structure, does not lend itself easily to a highlights disc, especially if the intention is to give a fair cross-section of the opera. The producers of this compilation, drawn from a complete recording originally issued by Erato, wisely concentrate the choice on a few substantial chunks, covering most of Boris’s part. To this they add a couple of snippets that can stand on their own, out of context.

After dropping the synthesizers and reformatting his group Horizon in 1990, alto saxophonist Bobby Watson recorded one of the most memorable CDs of his career. His opener "The Punjab of Java Po'" is a powerful hard bop number with elements of East Indian and Brazilian influences, while its catchy bass vamp supports strong solos by pianist Edward Simon, trumpeter Melton Mustafa, and the leader. Drummer Victor Lewis proves to be as gifted a composer as Watson. He wrote two vehicles for Watson's soprano sax: "Big Girls" and the tense, uptempo "7th Avenue." The arrangement of standards such as "Falling in Love with Love" and "In a Sentimental Mood" are also worth noting.

Wann haben Sie schon einmal in einem Konzert Musik von Leopold, Wolfgang Amadeus und Franz Xaver Mozart gehört? Besonders Werke von Franz Xaver – Wolfgang Amadeus’ jüngstem Sohn – sind nahezu in Vergessenheit geraten. Den diffusen Anforderungen, die sich mit dem idealisierten Bild seines Vaters verbanden, konnte er nicht gerecht werden, und mit zunehmendem Alter dürfte er immer mehr darunter gelitten haben, den gleichen Beruf wie sein Vater ergriffen zu haben. Spannend ist sein Klavierquartett in g-Moll op. 1, besonders in der Gegenüberstellung mit dem seines Vaters.

As its album title suggests, Starship's compilation Greatest Hits (Ten Years and Change 1979-1991) covers not only the group's popular heyday, 1985-1991, but also the earlier era, 1979-1984, which was actually the latter days of Jefferson Starship, after the departures of co-lead singers Marty Balin and Grace Slick, with former Elvin Bishop Group singer Mickey Thomas replacing Balin, and Slick, eventually, returning. The history that is described by the collection is largely one of attrition, effectively traced by the performer credits listed in the booklet. In 1979, the group is a sextet consisting of Thomas, lead guitarist Craig Chaquico, rhythm guitarist Paul Kantner (the last remaining holdout from the original Jefferson Airplane lineup), keyboardist Pete Sears, bassist David Freiberg, and drummer Aynsley Dunbar.

While he's best known as guitarist Brownie McGhee's longtime partner, harmonica ace and vocalist Sonny Terry made many excellent recordings as a solo act, and also recorded with Blind Boy Fuller and others. The 17 songs on this anthology include Terry playing with McGhee's brother Sticks, Pete Seeger, and others, as well as several featuring Terry's biting harmonica and wry leads relating stories of failure, triumph, and resiliency, backed by McGhee's flickering but always audible guitar. The title is a bit misleading, since the earliest date for any session is 1946 (one number), and most are done between 1955 and 1959.

Among modern recordings of the opera, this one is a safe bet, assuming you want a safe version of this opera. Unlike Herbert von Karajan's oppressively string-heavy reading with the Berlin Philharmonic on EMI, this is a balanced, idiomatic account of the score, given a special luster by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's coloristic instincts and the warm recording acoustic at St. Eustache Church. Conductor Charles Dutoit has a fine instinctive feel for Debussy in general and this score in particular. The singers in the title roles–Didier Henry and Colette Alloit-Lugaz–have both come to terms with the opera's enigmatic dramaturgy. However, it's very much a symphonic rather than operatic performance, clearly a product of the recording studio rather than of the stage.

Kit Watkins has played keyboards for Happy The Man, Tone Ghost Either, and between 1979-1982 was a member of Camel (recording on I Can See Your House From Here as well as On the Road 1981 and On The Road 1982). He has also perfomred on recordings by Forrest Fang, The Blind Messenger, Richard Sinclair, Paul Adams and Djam Karet.

Released after the studied, meticulous Flowers in the Dirt, the live acoustic concert album Unplugged was a breath of fresh air, and it remains one of the most enjoyable records in McCartney's catalog. Running through a selection of oldies – not only his own, but Beatles and rock & roll chestnuts – McCartney is carefree and charming, making songs like "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (which finds Paul melding Bill Monroe with Elvis) sound fresh. But the real revelations of the record are the songs McCartney hauls out from his debut – "That Would Be Something," "Every Night," and "Junk" – which sound lovely and timeless, restoring them to their proper place in his canon. They help make Unplugged into a thoroughly enjoyable minor gem.

Patti Austin, a gifted singer when she gets good material, works in murky waters on this '91 release. There are so many different things offered, from fusion and pop to more mainstream jazz and soul, that the album has no main course or personality. On the other hand, Austin does sing everything well, and GRP has enlisted enough of their session pros to ensure that the musical support is excellent. It's well-played, superbly sung filler.

After two albums with singer Jack Bruce, Robin Trower brought back original vocalist James Dewar for his 1983 release Back It Up. Longtime fans surely hoped for another Bridge of Sighs, but by this time the songwriting had been reduced to pedestrian hard rock, with only occasional flashes of the old cosmic brilliance. Both "The River" and "Benny Dancer" have some of the old edge, and the instrumental "Island" is one of the most beautiful songs Trower ever did. Unfortunately, however, this record was ignored by the old fans (many of whom were now busy starting families and toting briefcases), and it was hard for him to win over a new audience when haircut bands like Culture Club flooded both the radio and the latest media sensation – MTV.