Maturity always seemed an alien concept to Oasis. The brothers Gallagher may have worshiped music made before their birth but there was no respect to their love: they stormed the rock & roll kingdom with no regard for anyone outside themselves, a narcissism that made perfect sense when they were young punks, as youth wears rebellion well, but the group's trump card was how their snottiness was leveled by their foundation in classic pop. This delicate balance was thrown out of whack after the phenomenal success of 1995's (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, when the group sunk into a pit of excess that they couldn't completely escape for almost a full decade. When Oasis did begin to re-emerge on 2005's Don't Believe the Truth they sounded like journeymen, purveyors of no-frills rock & roll. All this makes the wallop of 2008's Dig Out Your Soul all the more bracing. Colorful and dense where Don't Believe the Truth was straightforward, Dig Out Your Soul finds Oasis reconnecting to the churning psychedelic undercurrents in their music, sounds that derive equally from mid-period Beatles and early Verve. This is heavy, murky music, as dense, brutal, and loud as Oasis has ever been, building upon the swagger of Don't Believe and containing not a hint of the hazy drift of their late-'90s records: it's what Be Here Now would have sounded like without the blizzard of cocaine and electronica paranoia. Dig Out Your Soul doesn't have much arrogance, either, as Oasis' strut has mellowed into an off-hand confidence, just like how Noel Gallagher's hero worship has turned into a distinct signature of his own, as his Beatlesque songs sound like nobody else's, not even the Beatles. His only real rival at this thick, surging pop is his brother Liam, who has proven a sturdy, if not especially flashy songwriter with a knack for candied Lennonesque ballads like I'm Outta Time. To appreciate what Liam does, turn to Gem Archer's To Be Where There's Life and Andy Bell's The Nature of Reality, which are enjoyable enough Oasis-by-numbers, but Liam's numbers resonate, getting stronger with repeated plays, as the best Oasis songs always do. But, as it always does, Oasis belongs to Noel Gallagher, who pens six of the 11 songs on Dig Out Your Soul, almost every one of them possessing the same sense of inevitability that marked his best early work. Best among these are the titanic stomp of Waiting for the Rapture and the quicksilver kaleidoscope of The Shock of the Lightning, a pair of songs that rank among his best, but the grinding blues-psych of Bag It Up and gently cascading The Turning aren't far behind, either. These have the large, enveloping melodies so characteristic of this work and what impresses is that he can still make music that sounds not written, but unearthed. These six tunes are Noel's strongest since Morning Glory -- so strong it's hard not to wish he wrote the whole LP himself -- but what's striking about Dig Out Your Soul is how its relentless onslaught of sound proves as enduring as the tunes. This is the sound of a mature yet restless rock band: all the brawn comes from the guitars, all the snarl comes from Liam Gallagher's vocals, who no longer sounds like a young punk but an aged, battered brawler who wears his scars proudly, which is a sentiment that can apply to the band itself. They're now survivors, filling out the vintage threads they've always worn with muscle and unapologetic style. [A Japanese version was also released.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

This double-CD set, not the legendary triple-CD (four-LP) Carnegie Hall concert, is the one to get to hear what Chicago sounded like in their classic early period. In contrast to the Carnegie Hall show, where the band emphasized its precision to the point of deadening any excitement that might have been generated, here Chicago sounds upbeat and lively, bent on giving a good, exciting show and not on capturing a perfect performance. There are moments, as on the crescendo of Dialogue, where the spirit outstrips the cleanness of the performance, but the group is so tight and forceful that one lets them slide by; at other times, as on Beginnings, they're so smooth and lithe in their extension of the piece that one just wants to bask in it; and then they switch gears to the rougher, harder Mississippi Delta City Blues, and make that work too. The whole performance is good, with a steady stream of worthwhile high points. The repertory runs up through Saturday in the Park and Dialogue, and includes the core of their albums up through Chicago V (including the notorious Song for Richard Nixon and His Friends). The recording is so close that one hears every bass note and guitar lick, and feels practically in the bells of the trumpets, trombones, and so on, and the mix is vivid and spacious. It shows what an embarrassment of riches Columbia was faced with in the group's output that they never issued this performance in America, favoring the more hyped but far less entertaining and exciting Carnegie Hall show -- it was only Chicago's buying back of their catalog in the mid-'90s that got Live in Japan released in the U.S., more than 20 years after its first appearance in Japan. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

1993, Pony Canyon records Japan. Brilliant sophomore effort from all-star hair metal supergroup, Bad Moon Rising, who were a chart topping sensation in Japan in the early 90s, but barely made a splash in North America, where disposable trends have since been the way of life for most music fans. Led by Kal Swan and Doug Aldrich, the group also featured L.A. Sunset strip noteable Jackie Ramos (Herricane Alice, among others), and Ian Mayo. 10 Tracks. Out of print since 1994.

This Special Edition three-CD set features the three 1972 concert recordings from which the classic Made in Japan album was selected, remixed, and remastered. It's almost complete -- a few encores and two songs from Made in Japan had to be left off, as the remaining tracks clock in at over 230 minutes. Deep Purple played almost exactly the same set each night, so there's a lot of duplication here, but they're in fantastic form throughout most of the performances. The second show, over half of which did make it onto Made in Japan, burns brilliantly and white hot from start to finish, and there are other new highlights as well, including the wailing encore Black Night. Only you can decide if you need three 20-minute versions of Space Truckin', but for fans this is a valuable set -- not only for comparative listening (Jon Lord never plays the intro to Child in Time the same way twice), but also for presenting more of the band at and near the height of its powers. This is another fine set released through the efforts of the Deep Purple Appreciation Society, who also provide the excellent liner notes and packaging. ~ Stephen Raiteri, Rovi

Limited edition 2 CD import edition form Japan on Toshiba-EMI records Japan. Catalog: TOCP-7580. Bonus disc features exclusive Japan-only bonus tracks (not included on the domestic versions). Comes in a deluxe 2 CD case. Out of print.

Because the Runaways were much better known in Japan than the U.S., it stands to reason that their only live album was recorded in that country. This hard to find LP was available in the U.S. only as a Japanese import and sold for around ten to 12 dollars, which was a lot to pay for vinyl in the late '70s. But American Runaways fans who were willing to make that investment found a lot to admire about the album, which boasted superior sound quality (by '70s standards) and explosive, uninhibited versions of You Drive Me Wild, Cherry Bomb, California Paradise, and other hard rock pearls. The original Runaways lineup (Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox, and Sandy West) was still in place, and the rockers' primary focus is on material from The Runaways and Queens of Noise. Holding nothing back, Ford is at her most metallic. Except for a handful of bootlegs, Live in Japan is the only documentation of the Runaways on stage. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi

Release Date: 1996-10-23, Audio CD, Bmg Int'l

Out of print since 1987. Released on CD format in Japan only, on the Victor records Japan label. Nine tracks: Used to be, Heaven help us all, I want to go back there again, If you take away the pain until the morning, The last song, Some things never change, Richie's song (for Richard Oliver), You're home.

The members of Simple Plan don't have anything new to say, but at least it sounds like they're having a good time saying it. They're so full of pep and energy that they even seem to be having fun even when they're singing God must hate me, or proclaiming that life is a nightmare. Granted, they sing mostly about typical adolescent trauma -- their philosophy is best expressed in I'm Just a Kid when they bemoan that the world is having more fun than me -- but they do seem to have the knack for putting these issues into words. Simple Plan doesn't break any new ground and doesn't stay revved on all cylinders all the time. This probably won't move you if you consider bands such as blink-182 and Sum 41 to be too mainstream for your tastes, and you might also be disappointed if you're searching for the perfect pop record. But if you're interested in an unpretentious collection of reasonably catchy and energetic songs, then you might want to consider this album. ~ Todd Kristel, Rovi

1998, Mercury records Japan. Limited edition 2-CD set, featuring a total of 9 bonus tracks on disc two: Keep the faith/In these arms/I believe/I'll sleep when I'm dead (all live, 1992, at Count Basie theater), I'll sleep when I'm dead (live, Wembley, 1995), Bed of roses (acoustic), Cama de Rosas (Bed of roses, Spanish version), Save a prayer (Bonus track for Japan), Starting all over again (Bonus track for Japan). Out of print since 2000. Catalog: PHCR-90019/20.

Digitally remastered and repackaged two CD set from the Prog Rock supergroup. Recorded live in Osaka in 1992, the Asia line-up consisted of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, John Payne, Vinny Burns and Trevor Thornton. Originally released as part of an Official Bootleg series, Acadia have re packaged the collection with extensive liner notes and a new cover art. Acadia. 2007.

1988, Warner-Pioneer Japan. 25XD-1052. Exclusive, out of print (since 1989) Japan only release featuring: Live wire (original leathur mix), Piece of your action (original leathur mix), Too young to fall in love (remix), Knock'em dead kid, Home sweet home (remix), Smokin' in the boys room (live).

Import live archive release from this supergroup featuring Keith Emerson, Joe Walsh, John Entwistle, Simon Phillips and Jeff Baxter. Each of these amazing musical personalities could dominate a concert on his own. So the stops are really pulled out when they get together in an over-the-top display of unmitigated greatness. The stars bring to this 1990 Japan concert an extraordinary catalogue of songs, from their multiple Classic Rock endeavors, and they showcase their mind-blowing chops - yet also remain always tight and cooperative, a true Rock band formed of great soloists. An overwhelming night of Rock intensity from some of the greatest players in the world: literally The Best.

1990 release by European rockers Jackal. 12 tracks in total including: Into the night, I'm lying, Alone, Stealing hearts, Is it love, Escape, Hot love, Walking in the distance, Hold on, I must be dreaming, and more. Out of print. Zero records JApan (XRCN-1073).

Despite benefiting from the expert assistance of legendary producer Martin Birch (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, later Iron Maiden) Whitesnake's early studio albums all tended to sound unexplainably flat. Their fourth effort, 1980's Ready an' Willing, was no exception, but it did make up for this somewhat with solid songwriting. In fact, David Coverdale and company were growing increasingly more consistent and self-assured with each record, and this album's first half shows great progress over the previous year's hit-and-miss Lovehunter. Opener Fool for Your Lovin' was their best single yet, as well as their highest charting; with its clever combination of hit-savvy chorus and authentic bluesy resignation, it set the template for subsequent triumphs, and the fact that Coverdale re-recorded it (in disappointing pop-metal fashion) over a decade later for 1989's Slip of the Tongue is a testament to its staying power. Further highlights include the live favorite Sweet Talker (given extra bite by Micky Moody's expert slide guitar), the groove monster of a title track, and a set of memorable ballads in Blindman and Ain't Gonna Cry No More. The same laurels can't be awarded to the album's closing trio of songs, all of which evince the tired and formulaic blues-rock that had dominated previous releases. But this didn't stop Ready an' Willing from qualifying as Whitesnake's finest hour thus far, with ever-greater glory waiting just over the horizon. [The 2006 reissue includes five bonus cuts.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi