Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Released to acclaim in 1985, The Falcon and the Snowman recounts the extraordinary true story of Christopher Boyce (Timothy Hutton) and Andrew Daulton Lee (Sean Penn), childhood friends who betrayed their country by selling U.S. satellite secrets to the Soviets in the 70s. The film's score, crafted by jazz virtuoso Pat Metheny alongside pianist Lyle Mays, is a masterful blend of tension and melancholy, enriched by orchestral arrangements from the National Philharmonic Orchestra. The standout track, 'This Is Not America,' features lyrics by David Bowie and became one of his notable hits of the decade, reaching No. 14 in the UK. All in all, an exclusive collector's box set.

Review: The long-awaited 6CD super deluxe edition of The Police's iconic 1983 album Synchronicity is finally here, offering fans a bountiful deeper exploration of works around the making of the album as well as previously unheard material. The band's final studio album, featuring hits like 'Every Breath You Take,' 'Wrapped Around Your Finger,' 'King of Pain,' and 'Synchronicity II,' sold 15 million copies globally, solidifying its place in rock history. This meticulously crafted reissue, created with the band's involvement, includes a remastered version of the original album, bonus tracks, and unreleased alternates, outtakes, and demos. Highlights include early versions of Andy Summers' 'Someone To Talk To' and Stewart Copeland's 'Brothers on Wheels,' as well as covers of Eddie Cochran's 'Three Steps To Heaven' and Chuck Berry's 'Rock and Roll Music.' The live recordings from their September 1983 concert at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum are a standout, capturing the band's electrifying stage presence. Accompanied by a 60-page hardcover book with new sleeve notes by Jason Draper and four art prints, this box set is a comprehensive celebration of Synchronicity.

Review: This monumental 27-disc box set spans six decades of the composer's career through his evolution as a pioneer of minimalism and one of contemporary music's most influential figures. Released by Nonesuch Records, the collection includes seminal works like Music for 18 Musicians and Different Trains, alongside recent recordings of Traveler's Prayer (2020) and Jacob's Ladder (2023). These pieces reaffirm Reich's enduring relevance in shaping the musical landscape. The set is accompanied by extensive essays from notable collaborators and admirers, including Nico Muhly and Michael Tilson Thomas, offering profound insights into Reich's creative process and his transformative impact. Particularly compelling is Timo Andres' observation of Reich's music as a utopian microcosm, underscoring its harmonious blend of communal effort and structured innovation. Reich's ability to integrate diverse influencesifrom Ghanaian drumming to Hebrew psalmsiremains a defining hallmark. Notably, Music for 18 Musicians continues to stand as a landmark composition, celebrated for its kinetic energy and harmonic brilliance. This collection, the most extensive yet, is a gateway for new audiences to explore his profound reshaping of modern classical music.

Review: This 17xCD set is a sprawling testament to Lalo Schifrin's genius, charting his journey as a composer who brought jazz, Latin rhythms, and classical grandeur into the heart of Hollywood. 'Mission: Impossible' still brims with tension, its taut rhythm as sharp as ever, while 'Bullitt' is all about brooding jazz-fusion cool. Then there's 'Enter the Dragon', where Eastern motifs meet cinematic swagger. Even lesser-known gems like the haunting 'Kelly's Heroes' theme reveal his knack for blending intricate orchestration with emotional pull. A deep dive into these discs is less a passive listen and more a front-row seat to cinematic history being redefined.

Review: The long-awaited CD release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom OST for Nintendo Switch is a monumental event for fans worldwide. With a staggering 344 tracks spread over nine CDs, this soundtrack dwarfs even its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, offering a comprehensive journey through Hyrule's musical landscape. Composed by Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, and Tsukasa Usui, the soundtrack beautifully captures the essence of the game, blending orchestral, electronic and traditional instruments to create a rich cornucopia of melodies. From intense battle themes to serene exploration tunes, each track evokes the spirit of adventure that defines the beloved Zelda series. The limited edition box set is a true treasure for collectors, featuring a special box and a tall-sized digipack housing the CDs. However, the real highlight is the Master Sword-shaped USB player, offering high-resolution and 5.1 channel sound sources for an immersive audio experience. With 15 tracks included on the USB, players can dive even deeper into the game's vast and majestic world. Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom soundtrack is Zelda fans dream, delivering hours of enchanting music that perfectly complements the game's epic adventure.

Review: The most eminent British rock opera of all time, The Who's Quadrophenia, released in 1973, hears Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey conceive and narrate the angst of a young postroom worker, Jimmy, living in post-war Britain amid the schismatics of the mods and rockers, as they warred in converse step. Exploring rebellion, let-off steam, and alienation through music, the record firmly set the stage for the 1979 film adaptation of the same name, which popularised the thoroughfare connecting London-Brighton as a vital identificatory artery for a certain angst-ridden generation. The album features standout tracks like '5:15' and 'Love, Reign O'er Me', and remains one of The Who's most celebrated works. It's now reissued through Bespoke Editions, with two CDs of Pete Townshend's demos, and a 5.1 DVD-A remix of eight tracks, plus handwritten lyrics in a book and a 13,000-word essay from Townshend.