Recently UMG reissued the Mercury Living Presence Box Set, which consists of 6 LPs. Many websites including elusivedisc.com stated the LPs were pressed in Germany by Optimal. I have pre-order one set at Amazon.com before its release in the US market, the doubt part is the box set I received is pasted with small sticker indicating that it was “Made in Czech Republic”. Another doubt issue, since UMG have a ultimate pressing facility in Hanover, why they pressed this set title at Optimal ?

Twenty five years later, it’s easy to forget that Graceland, the album many consider to be Paul Simon’s finest musical achievement, was mired in controversy because of the continuing disgraceland that was apartheid South Africa. Nelson Mandela was still jailed and protests erupted on college campuses and in the halls of government around the world.

This eclectic instrumental group combines synth, drums, guitars, bass and cello to produce a hard driving, propulsive percussive sound that's  rich with scraping, edgy textures one minute and warm, inviting and lagoon-like the next—though almost always with strong forward motion.

A fully realized production conceptually, musically, spiritually and sonically, Dusty in Memphis has rightfully attained legendary status since it was first issued by Atlantic Records as SD 8214 back in 1969. By bringing the British pop star to Memphis, Jerry Wexler figured he could do for Springfield what he managed when he redefined Aretha. Plus the former folky had had her musical life turned around when during a stopover in New York in the early ‘60s on her way to Nashville to record with her group The Springfields she heard The Exciters’ supercharged Lieber/Stoller penned hit “Tell Him.” After that, the powerfully voiced Dusty began covering American pop songs and making her covers the definitive version, though her first hit single was an original written for her: the memorable “I Only Want to Be With You.”

In 1989 digital was all the rage. New vinyl records were on the verge of extinction. And Kate Bush remained silent - four years after her chart-topping album Hounds Of Love. Her famously loyal fans were literally chomping at the bit for the next release from the mystical chanteuse. The Sensual World was just around the corner. Would it be brilliant or bizarre?

Named for a now defunct Northern New Jersey, Route 23 lawn furniture emporium (bought my chaise lounges there!), Fountains of Wayne has been making consistently tuneful and erudite observations about just plain folks since 1996 when they released their eponymous first album on Atlantic Records. The core was then and is now, the delightfully bratty-voiced Chris Collingwood and his multi-instrumental partner Adam Schlesinger.

While still with The Jeff Beck Group, Rod Stewart signed as a solo artist with Lou Reizner, an American Mercury Records producer living in the UK at the time, who had his ear to the musical firmament.

Long considered one of the great recordings of the early stereo era, España was originally issued in the UK on the British Decca label (SXL 2020) and on American subsidiary London (CS6006).

A terrible wrong has been corrected! Lovingly produced by Phil Ramone and engineered by the great Al Schmitt all-analogue at Shelby Lynne's insistence, the original vinyl release of this album was mastered from an 88.2K digital file and pressed at United in Nashville, America's and one of the world's worst pressing plants.