Enjoy Life

Winter 2025 CDs

Great new sounds to wile away winter evenings, selected by Simon Evans

Ringo Starr - Look Up (Decca)

When the Beatles broke up Ringo was the former Fab whose career prospects looked less than wholesome. For a few years he confounded the sceptics with some great singles – It Don’t Come Easy, Back Off Boogaloo and Photograph – a highly regarded country-flavoured album, Beaucoups of Blues, and the monster hit LP Ringo, which briefly united the four Beatles although, sadly, not at the same time. Then came the almost inevitable dip followed by decades of touring with a series of good-time all-star bands and a couple of pleasant but inconsequential albums.

Which makes this new country-tinged release nothing short of a revelation. Aided by T Bone Burnett, who co-produced and co-wrote several of the tracks, and several Nashville stars, including Alison Krauss, Larkin Poe and Molly Tuttle, it’s the perfect showcase for Ringo’s lugubrious vocal style - gently melancholy songs wrapped in a luminous wash of pedal steel and 12-string guitars. It may also be the best solo album from an ex-Beatle in many a year. Who’d have thought it?

10cc - 20 Years: 1972-1992 (Demon)

Whereas the late Sixties saw rock and pop return to its roots, with the revival of country and folk and the rise of the singer-songwriter, the early Seventies were a reminder that pop could also be fun. These were the years of glam, of artifice, of dressing up, but also a time when producers held sway, employing all manner of studio trickery to season their three minute wonders.

10cc were unique in that they were not just accomplished musicians and songwriters, but also knew their way around a recording console, and employed these multitudinous gifts in the service of some of the most sophisticated, but also accessible, pop records of the Seventies.

This excellent box set gathers together all their albums from those glory years, as well as less regarded but no less interesting records from the Eighties and Nineties. There’s also a disc that hoovers up stray singles and B sides, the latter often being vehicles on which the band could give their creativity full bloom.

Of the albums the pick of them have to be The Original Soundtrack, featuring the group’s signature hit, I’m Not In Love, and How Dare You, on which their studio prowess is most evident, with all manner of gimmickry employed, but always in the service of such enduring hits as I’m Mandy Fly Me and Art for Arts Sake.

It’s a brilliant set and, such is the enduring power of these records that you’ll keep finding new treasures on every listen.

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway: 50th Anniversary Edition (Rhino)

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, originally released in 1975, marked a key point in the development of Genesis, signposting their gradual move away from the progressive rock of the early albums towards the more pop-based records of the following decade.

The stark graphic design of the sleeve demonstrated in itself the stylistic shift from what had gone before; albums like Nursery Cryme and Selling England By The Pound had purveyed a quintessentially eccentric English mix of symphonic textures, folky interludes and lyrics steeped in the creepy surrealism of Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll, but this was something new, all hard edges and the starker more metallic sound that would characterise Peter Gabriel’s early solo albums. It’s no surprise that this was his swansong with the band.

This 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition provides a deep dive into the music and visual elements around the album, featuring a newly remastered version of the original double album and a live performance of The Lamb Lies Down recorded in January 1975. There are also select demos and outtakes, a lush coffee table-style book telling the story of The Lamb from the writing sessions right through to live performances, and a reproduction of the 1975 Tour Programme.

Supertramp - Live In Paris ‘79 (Eagle Rock)

In 1979 Supertramp were on top of the world. Their album, Breakfast In America, had topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, spinning off no less than four hit singles, and this came as no bigger surprise than to the band itself.

Supertramp had broken through in 1974 with their quirky album Crime Of The Century, a beguiling mixture of progressive rock and 10cc-infused pop that had provided a very welcome palate cleanser to the bland, corporate stodge that by then was clogging up the charts.

Its follow-up Crisis, What Crisis? had misfired but the group found its voice again with the charming Even In The Quietest Moments. Breakfast In America, however, took Supertramp to a whole new level, and although the gentle irony that was a characteristic of the band’s work might have appeared problematic to American audiences they lapped up the album, which sold more than four million copies in the United States alone.

Inevitably there was a massive tour to accompany the album and a live recording duly followed, Paris, a selection of tracks recorded at various concerts in the French capital. This, however, is the real deal, and features the complete set list from the tour. Inevitably it is heavy on Breakfast In America, but there also prize cuts from earlier albums, making it something of a snapshot of the band at the height of their game. Sadly, it was all downhill from here but the music endures, and on their day Supertramp were very good indeed, as this excellent set amply demonstrates.

Laura Nyro - Hear My Song: The Collection, 1966-1995 (Madfish)

Laura Nyro’s flame burned briefly but brightly and in the late Sixties, as the singer-songwriter movement gathered pace, she would become one of its most celebrated exponents, producing, while still in her teens and early 20s, such memorable, much-covered, songs as Stoned Soul Picnic, Stoney End and Wedding Bell Blues. This expansive box sets features all of her albums, including the extraordinary 1967 More Than A New Discovery, and 1971 covers collection Gonna Take A Miracle, recorded with Labelle. There’s also a fascinating disc of rarities and live recordings as well as Laura’s first ever demo tape.

After her initial burst of creativity Laura recorded just four albums between 1976 and her death in 1997, at the age of 49, but it’s that extraordinary run of LPs between 1967 and 1971 that are at the heart of her legacy. If ever there is an artist worthy of rediscovery it is Laura Nyro.

All available on CD, Spotify and other streaming services

Other stories in Enjoy Life

Summer reads
Latest book reviews May 25
Latest DVD Reviews
April 2025 book reviews
Spring 2025 Book Reviews
Spring 2025 DVDs
March 2025 book reviews
Winter books 2025
Winter DVD's
Great Christmas Music Ideas
Christmas books - gift ideas
Autumn Reads
Summer 2024 Books
Summer DVDs
Summer CDs
Latest book reviews
May DVD Reviews
May's book reviews
May's CD reviews
That English Riviera Touch
April's DVD reviews
April's book reviews
April's CD reviews
March's DVD review
March book reviews
March's CD reviews
February's DVDs
February's books
Winter books
January's DVD releases
Christmas book reviews
November DVD reviews
November's Music Reviews
November book reviews
October's DVD reviews
October's New CD releases
October's book reviews
September's DVD Reviews
DVD selection for August 2023
September's book reviews
Latest music reviews August 2023
August Round up
August Paperback Reviews
August hardback book reviews
July 2023 Roundup
Pick of the paperbacks July 2023
July 23 Hardback book reviews
July 2023 DVD releases
July 2023 CD reviews
Pick of the paperbacks June 2023
June DVDs
Hardback book reviews - June 2023
Simon Evans CD Reviews for June 2023
Tesco Summer indoors and out
Book reviews
May 2023 paperback book reviews
May 2023 Hardback book reviews
May's DVD Selection
May's CD selection
Round up of April 2023's book reviews
April 2023 paperback reviews
April 2023 Hardback book reviews
More March 2023 must-reads
March - Pick of the paperbacks
March hardback recommendations
Afternoon Tea
March 2023 - DVD releases
March 2023 Music
February 2023 Books Round up
Pick of the paperbacks - February 2023
Book reviews February 2023
DVD recommendations
February's music reviews
Freedom on two wheels
Make do and mend
Foray into the Fens
Christmas reads
Tasty, healthy recipes by Joanne Wood
Keeping fit and healthy with the Green goddess Part 2
Keeping fit and healthy with the Green goddess Part 1
Finger-licking Good! Tasty Chicken recipes
Beauty: Say 'Allo 'Allo to an alluring look
British Library: Palace of the printed word
Look good and feel great with CBD
Interior design: Inspiration for outdoor spaces
Summer fun at Belvoir Castle
Finding Fitness Starts With Fashion
‘In Vogue’ Veg – Cavolo Nero Sales Grow by 14%
Eat Continental and live longer
A life-affirming book... about death
Get Sewing: Floral bespoke notebook cover
Find your family fortunes... for FREE!
Beauty: Get set for spring...
Spanish Recipes: Small is beautiful
The Vegan Revolution
Interior Design: Maximise your living space
Pets need a spring clean too
Visit Family Tree Live
MasterChef: Classic with a Twist
Get Sewing: Quilted pot-holder
Bob Dylan "Rock and Roll music wasn’t enough for me”
Plant Power Day: 7th March 2019
Interior Design: Less is more in minimalist home
A second chance at love
Interior Design: Great Gatsby Cabinet
The rise and rise of the birthday cake
Walking back to happiness
Baking With Veg
Totally Tina Tour
How to take care of your hair over-50
The nation's most popular cake recipes
Your views: Can you help?
Hail the grandparent aupairs
Beauty: Denise Welch "I love the shape I'm in at 60"
The Austerity Olympics
Healthy reasons to acquire a taste for olives
Grand Treats for Grandchildren
Declutter your home, and clear your mind
Scandi-style Mules for Swollen Feet
Beetroot and Walnut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
In your garden: October
Dr Norman Croucher: The toughest summit of them all
Craft Corner: Sweet Easter Basket
Have your cake and eat your Easter egg too!
Interior Design: Moroccan inspired drawers
BR remembered... 70 years on
A gentleman's guide to spring fashion
Why antique jewellery is glittering
New Year, new beauty habits
Cliff Richard "I have a deeper faith now"
Do you remember? Oliver!
What we really look for in retirement living
Interior Design: Wedding bells on a budget
Counter culture: The revival of the board game
Jodie Whittaker: "Doctor Who is all about change"
85 year old Grandmother gains a PhD
Dame Eileen and a Crowning glory
Writing the story of you life
Why winter shouldn't stop you: don't wait until New Year
World' first 'wellness shed' stirs up mindfulness
Growing old is amazing
Don't miss out on the internet age
Prepare to feel ancient...
Hawks: Up close and personal
Studious retiree heads back to school
Garden Expert: Soaking up the sun
Emily Watson "I'ts such a gypsy life"
Here's to you Mrs Robinson
Brits Embracing 'Urban Birding'
Volunteering for Nature
The Secret to Younger Looking Eyes
Anti-ageing Options Part 2
Anti-ageing Options
End of the road for a pop icon
Reaching out to Dementia Sufferers: Sporting Memories Network
Are you ready for retirement?
Afternoon Tea Recipes
Surprisingly Good Wholegrain Recipes: Savoury
Staying safe in the Summer heat: Drowning prevention
Stardust Memories
Baking made easy
Cooking for one
The real cost of your wine