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Bach Partitas by Perahia (Sony). Actually, this was issued as two separate CDs—both imaginatively played and well recorded.
Every once in a while, an artist or album will pop out of the background and renew your love of music. Which single album has really stood out for you recently?
Antonio Vivaldi Concertos for Two Violins. Viktoria Mullova and Giuliano Carmignola on violin and Andrea Marcon conducting the Venice Baroque Orchestra (Archiv/DG). This album brought me back to Vivaldi's violin concertos, and rekindled my search for more baroque violin works.
Old as I am, I think 19 by Adele is terrific—especially the 6 song, live set, bonus CD. But if I may be allowed two, I'd like to comment on the SHM CD version of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. Through my audio system, the SHM combines the detail of my original CD and the warmth of my original LP. To my ears, it has the most agreeable and lifelike sound of the three.
Us by Peter Gabriel. Not such a great album from an "audiophile" perspective, but remarkably far-ranging musically and, at the same time, united by a common thread through all the tracks. A true "album" in that sense, something that is all too rare nowadays.
Hocico's Memorias Atras. I was surfing on Digg.com and they had some video game link that looked interesting, so I clicked on it, and the soundtrack for the video game (by the submitter, not the game maker) sounded really cool. The YouTube poster provided detailed credit and I went searching for the music they used. Wikipedia and iTunes later, I bought a copy. According to WP, the style of music is called aggrotech. I think it's unique and I've been enjoying it ever since.
John Martyn: Solid Air. I first heard the track "Go Down Easy" on a Mojo magazine CD a few months ago. I then found an 80's pressing of the album on eBay. Now I can't get "May You Never" out of my head. Such a fantastic album from a fantastic musician.