UFO - Will the Last Man Standing (Turn Out the Light): The Best of UFO (2019/FLAC)

 For a band with 23 studio albums, 15 live albums and 18 ‘collections’ of songs in various forms already out there its hard to see why another UFO collection is warranted. Anniversaries though are always times for old labels to cash in and Chrysalis (sold to EMI in 1991 , then bought by Universal and subsequently sold to Warners in 2013 before being bought by Blue Raincoat Music in 2016) are no doubt looking at the 50th Anniversary to shift a few more units.

2019 of course sees both the band’s 50th Anniversary and Phil Mogg’s last shows as a frontman, but it’s still unsure at present whether UFO as an entity will continue after Mogg hangs up his ‘tap shoes’ (as he might say). The interesting thing of course is that Chrysalis only had the band for the period of 1973-1985 and whilst that is considered by many to be the bands peak for a 50th anniversary collection there’s another 38 years unaccounted for!

VA - Masters Of Memphis Blues [4 CD, 2004/FLAC]

 

101 tracks on four CDs showcasing the pre-World War II blues of Memphis Tenessee. Expertly remastered and featuring Furry Lewis, Strokes & Sane, Allen Shaw and Gus Cannon.  

James Brown - The 50th Anniversary Collection (2 CD,2003/FLAC)

 James Brown's two-CD 40th Anniversary Collection gathered 40 of the soul-funk giant's biggest hits, and in keeping with its title, The 50th Anniversary Collection is just that little bit bigger and better, with (could you guess?) 50 of his most famous tracks. From 1956's "Please, Please, Please" to 1988's "Static, Pts. 1 & 2," it has almost all of his biggies, though the absence of the 1986 Top Five hit "Living in America" is puzzling indeed. But that's a minor quibble given the dozens of classics onboard, which taken as a whole not only represent the best Brown compilation on the market, but also make a plain case for the singer as one of the major talents of 20th century American music.

Climax Blues Band - The Albums 1969-1972 (5 CD, 2019/FLAC)

Formed in Stafford in 1968 by Colin Cooper, the band (originally known as the Climax Chicago Blues Band) recorded their debut album in September & November 1968 with a line up of Colin Cooper (Vocals, Harmonica), Pete Haycock (Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals), Arthur Wood (Keyboards), Derek Holt (Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Organ), Richard Jones (Bass) and George Newsome (Drums). Issued early the following year on EMIs Parlophone label, the album saw the band gain a wider audience. Shortening their name to the Climax Blues Band, the group recorded and released their excellent follow-up album, Plays On, later that year. By 1970 the band had moved to EMIs progressive label, Harvest, and issued their third album A Lot of Bottle later that year. The 1971 album Tightly Knit was arguably their best of this period. The bands final album for Harvest was Rich Man, issued in 1972. The album made commercial inroads in the United States and was the launching platform for their success in that country over the next few years. This official 5CD clamshell boxed set celebrates the early years of this much loved British band and features each album in a replica card sleeve wallet and includes an illustrated poster. 

DIO - A Decade of DIO 1983-1993 (6 CD,2016/FLAC)

 If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then the hearts of Ronnie James Dio’s fans have surely been beating our of their chests since 2010, when the man who once fronted Elf, Rainbow, and Black Sabbath came to the end of a valiant battle and succumbed to stomach cancer. Beyond the aforementioned bands, of course, your man Ronnie also made a fair amount of music with his own band, the appropriately-named Dio, and in celebration of their decade-long reign within the Warner Brothers family as heavy metal heroes, we’ve put together a box set which includes newly remastered version of the six albums Dio released during the course of those 10 years.

• CD01 - Holy Diver (41:40)
• CD02 - Last in Line (41:32)
• CD03 - Sacred Heart (38:35)
• CD04 - Dream Evil (43:34)
• CD05 - Lock Up the Wolves (01:01:05)
• CD06 - Strange Highways (53:26)