The Times I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape CD - Import

This CD will be a delight for many collectors as all the tracks on this CD are currently unavailable and have been for some time and are much in demand.

Whoever decided to devote not just one record, but an entire label to the genius of Edward Ball deserves a medal or Nobel Peace Prize, or something of that magnitude. In the halls of pop music in the U.K., Ball is a woefully underrated genius whose output deserves a second look over. Here's to Old England is a 20-song compilation taking moments from his tenure in such important post-punk groups as Teenage Filmstars and O Level, as well as solo tracks and his tenure in Britpop band the Times. But throughout the phases and changes in the pop music landscape, Ball's songwriting and vocal delivery remained honest and potent, crafting simple songs with catchy melodies and lyrics that stick for days like rubber cement. He's no Jonathan King, and that's definitely a good thing, because these aren't just pop songs for the sake of pop music, these are beautiful works of art. Here's hoping the next installments aren't too far behind and in the works. ~ Rob Theakston

HERE'S TO OLD ENGLAND: AN ARTPOP SAMPLER contains the songs "Welcome," "Manchester," "Pressure," and others. Many of the tracks included here have long been unavailable or hard to find.