"Destiny Of The Daleks" is a perfect example of the type of Doctor Who story from the Graham Williams/Douglas Adams era of the series. It is rather silly, lacking in any real tension and has Tom Baker at his comedic best. If you like frivolous stories that aren't taken too seriously (like all of the stories from Season 17, in my opinion), "Destiny" is just right.
The new Romana (Lalla Ward) comes off rather well, even though her self-induced regeneration scene is rather ridiculous. Unfortunately, the return of Davros was not a great success. Original actor Michael Wisher was unavailable and David Gooderson rants and raves too much. The Movellans are an intetersting adversary, but too easily defeated.
So... it all depends on what kind of Doctor Who you like. This was the beginning of Douglas Adams's reign as script editor, when Tom Baker was let off his leash to indulge in comedic excess; not to be taken too seriously. It was certainly not in the same vein as "Genesis Of The Daleks", four years earlier.

I don't have it yet, but I will get this 25th anniversary edition, because the music is really, really worth it. I bought this album on vinyl when it was initially released (and actually have the song "Zanz Can't Dance", before the lyrics got changed). I'm also a bit disappointed that the 'original' aspect of this reissue isn't 100% accurate and that the original "Zanz Can't Dance" isn't on the cd; but that's not a big enough gripe to spoil a truly classic album.

It's hard to go wrong with an Al Stewart cd. The man is a consumate singer/songwriter; and his voice is as good as ever. As with "Rhymes In Rooms" (released in the early 1990's), "Uncorked" is a live acoustic cd with Al supported by only one other person (in this case, Dave Nachmanoff). And what a great pairing of musicians it is. Their playing is fantastic and the choice of songs excellent. None of the songs of "Rhymes In Rooms" are repeated here. Instead, there are good acoustic versions of songs ranging from every point of Al's career. It's hard to single-out any songs in particular; however, after just receiving the cd this week (and listening to it almost endlessly) my favourites are "Last Days Of The Century" (a great, jumpy acoustic version... way better than the too-electric orginal version) and "Bedsitter Images" (from Al's very first album, again better than the original which was a bit too poppy and late 60's sounding with all the strings).
As an added bonus, there are a couple of moments with Al talking to the audience; making it sound almost as if you're there in person. All in all, another excellent Al Stewart cd. If you're a fan, you'll love it. If you're just curious about his music (and like really good acoustic music)... give it a listen.

For years I knew Al Stewart only from "Year Of The Cat", his huge mid-1970's hit. Only in the past few years did I branch out and discover he was(and is) much more than that one album. Stewart is a songsmith rarely seen these days. His tunes have a wonderful variety and his lyrics are among my favourites. "A Beach Full Of Shells" is a wonderful cd. Every song is good, and some are just plain great. The guitar work is restrainingly brilliant and the lyrics range from his usual historical/aeronautical/sea tales, to straight forward rockers like "Class of '58". If you like well-crafted songs with nice melodies, first-class musicianship and great lyrics, check out this cd.

Yes, Mark Knopfler's solo work tends to be more laid back than what he used to do in Dire Straits; but it's still great music. However, there's a difference between laid back and boring, and "Get Lucky" is far from boring. The first track "Border Reiver" begins the cd in a very bouncy and upbeat style with nice Celtic instrumentation; and it's not the only song to have a celtic feel. If you're a Mark Knopfler fan, you won't be disappointed with this cd. The days of Dire Straits are gone, so don't expect roaring guitar solos. Mark's music is now about the lyrics and the melodies, some of which are hauntingly beautiful (the last two, "So Far From The Clyde" and "Piper To The End" in particular). And yes, there is still some nice guitar work but it's restrained, which in itself can be very powerful. When it comes to writing music, Mark Knopfler is a craftsman, and this cd is a fine example of that. It's also a nice bonus that in the liner notes he explains some of the songs' origins. I got this cd two days ago and I can't stop listening to it!

I've been a huge Hackett fan for about twenty-five years. I catagorize his work into three periods: 1) The early post-Genesis period ("Please Don't Touch" to "Defector"), 2) The Pop period ("Cured" to "GTR") and 3) the period he found his writing style again ("Guitar Noir to the present). "Spectral Mornings" is the best from the early period and, without a doubt, one of the best Hackett albums altogether.

It's a very eclectic album, with very different styles: the Japanese style "The Red Flower Of Tachai Blooms Everywhere", the lovely acoustic instrumental "Lost Time In Cordoba", the fun "The Ballad Of The Decomposing Man" as well as more heavier numbers such as "Clocks" and "Spectral Mornings".

The highlight of the album is the first track "Every Day". I never get tired of listening to this song. The guitar solo is amazing. Steve's best since "Firth of Fifth" with Genesis. It sounds like the type of song Steve wanted to do with Genesis but was never given the chance. It still gives me goosebumps. Having this song alone is worth the cd.

If you're a Hackett fan you'll know what I'm talking about. If you're checking him out for the first time and you're wondering if it's worth it... if you like early Genesis and especially Hackett's lovely guitar work this is THE early Steve Hackett cd to get.

If you like great acoustic work, check out Hackett's: "Bay Of Kings", "There Are Many Sides To The Night", "Hungarian Horizons" and his classic orchestral work "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Metamorpheus".