CD

METRONOMY THE ENGLISH RIVIERA

2009 release, the latest installment in the popular Now brand series. To date, the Now series has generated sales of over 200 million albums worldwide, and has sold over 74 million copies in the United States since its debut. This collection of absolute Dance classics features 19 tracks including cuts from C & C Music Factory, Young MC, Salt 'n Pepa, MC Hammer, The Gap Band, Jody Watley, Bobby Brown and many others.

In 1993, Nashville's biggest young stars--Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, and others--recorded an album of Eagles songs called Common Thread. When the disc went platinum, everyone hailed it as the rebirth of country-rock. If you listened closely, though, you heard neither the down-to-earth twang of country nor the metallic aggression of rock & roll. What you heard instead was the romantic sweetness of pop. More specifically, the Eagles represented the southern California pop tradition of harmony-drenched groups like the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. It's a wonderful tradition, but it's misleading to call it something else. Out there in the hinterlands you can still hear authentic country-rock, an exhilarating combination of blunt adult storytelling and blazing guitars as practiced by the likes of Joe Ely, Shaver, the Bottle Rockets, Mike Henderson, and Jason and the Scorchers. Real country-rock remains a marginal commercial force, however, and the real money is in the new Nashville version of southern California harmonies. Call it "suburban pop." --Geoffrey Himes

The Association, Greatest Hits

Limited Edition two CD pressing of this 2006 compilation from the most famous Swedish Pop group of all-time., Abba (AKA Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Frida). This compilation contains a bonus disc with 12 additional tracks taken from their albums, all just as catchy and timeless as their biggest hits. The first disc features all the greats including 'Dancing Queen', 'S.O.S.', 'Fernando', 'Waterloo' and 'Take A Chance on Me'. Disc Two features 'The King Has Lost His Crown', 'Our Last Summer', 'Another Town, Another Train' and more. 30 tracks total. Universal. 2006.