I, errr, well, I errr, I'm a bit ashamed of myself because I haven't put a mention of this person on MWQ earlier than today. And even today I would not have done this if somebody hadn't put my attention to this in the first place. (Thank you Celine Lheen). So Mr. Burt Bacharach... This gentleman has given us so much music that we know his songs without even knowing they were his. Legio are the artists that have performed his songs. We find his music in films, musicals and of course the top 40.  His song structures, accords and instrumental settings have created a collection of songs that shall always be recognised as the songs of Bacharach. Here you can listen to one of the finest collections of Bacharach music as all the songs are performed by the artists who scored hits with them. Get yourself a drink, sit down and enjoy...

An amazing musician, song writer and observer of life. Frank Zappa was a person who questioned through his music, the life of our society and put his points of view and remarks forward. His style of music was a mixture of rock, jazz, musical, soul, funk and pop music. He has inspired numerous bands and artists but has never aimed to become a commercial artist. Frank Zappa did not want to be to told by any label, producer or sound engineer what to do or how to do it. He believed in absolute creativity and refused to work if this would not be the case. It is exactly the opposite of how most modern producers and record companies of today work. Frank Zappa's music is a collection of boundless creativity mixed with criticism and humor. Enjoy... 

Massive Attack is a band that plays a mixture of trip hop, hip hop and alternative rock but you will find soul and reggae influences too.Their music uses various instruments and samples. The services of a large group of other musical artists are found back in their music. Their music has structures that are able to function without choruses and that feat alone makes that the songs have a creativity level that is well above average. It is great to hear that the influences of the different music styles have been mixed in such a way that you will recognise them but at the same time have been able to create this whole new ambiance. This is a band that has been showing the world that instruments and computer technology can live in perfect harmony. Enjoy...

The Hives are a Swedish punk/rock band. Their music is rich in rhythms and melodic structures. In some ways it reminds me of the early work of Joe Jackson with his album:Look Sharp. (This did not have the same powerful sound however.) Besides of making very good music they have a great look as well. Always dressed in matching outfits and they have a great stage presence on top of that. The Hives have created their own sound and style and they deserve a place on Music With Quality. Listen to a compilation of their work and enjoy...

Justin Timberlake makes pop and R&B music. And he does this with skill and creativity which has led him to sales of more than 7 million per album. He started out in N Sync, a prefab boy band but I like to have a word and a listen about and to his solo albums. This has to be a style of music to your liking of course but if you do like this Justin Timberlake offers indeed absolute top notch quality. His music is dance-able and also creates the passion-vibe, that may go from close dancing to closer dancing, to closer without dancing and than still getting closer. This is sexy, sensual and grooving while  staying very entertaining and original. Great rhythms and samples are mixed together and he has put some very good vocals on top of that. Listen to his albums and enjoy...

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The Monkees were a band that originally did not exist. They were actors and played in the TV series The Monkees as a band that wanted to become famous. The funny thing was that they actually became famous and all of a sudden had to learn to play and sing. The music of the Monkees sounded like the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers or the Swinging Blue Jeans. Very poppy and Mersey Beat. The Monkees are a band that stands synonym for the happy sixties times and that is probably one of the reasons that even today their music is known and appreciated. Here is a collection of their songs, enjoy... 

OutKast was a hip hop duo and this is about their most successful album: Speakerboxxx / The Love Below. These are actually two albums created by the duo but a kind of separately. The OutKast duo are:  André "André 3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They each created a disc and played as a sort of guest star on each others disc and than brought it out as a double album. The result was that it sold more than 11 million copies and had number one hits that stayed on the top spot for weeks on end. It is great to hear that this album carries traces of Motown and Stax. Jazz is also a big influence and than there are a number of guest stars featuring on the album as well. A great collection of musical art, enjoy...

This is pop music at its best. Supergrass was a band that created pop music but you will find influences as rock and shoe-gazing as well. The music is over all upbeat, happy go lucky. Great vocal work that fits like a glove with the music, made that this band was very well known in the nineties. After the year 2000 the musical taste of the public changed and Supergrass has not been able to achieve their former successes but that doesn't mean that their music isn't worth listening to. On the contrary. It is creative, has great hooks and very catchy choruses. Here is a collection of their work, enjoy...

This is a band that is probably more known by movie lovers than music fans. The reason for that is simple. The bass player of this band is named Keanu Reeves. Yep, the movie star from films like The Matrix. Dogstar never made it to the top. They did play some large venues however (Hollywood Palladium and Glastonbury) and personally, I like the album: Our Little Visionary. It is is as you can imagine the album that I have published here. Dogstar is just a trio consisting of a drummer, bass player and guitar player and all three do the vocals. The music they have recorded on this album is creative and melodic with a slight melancholic kinda feel. If you are looking for something soulful and different in rock music, listen to this, enjoy...

John Mayall = British Blues. It is that simple. There is no other English person who has put the blues on the map in the way he has done. The people John Mayall has worked with have become stars in their own rights. What to think of Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, John McVie, Paul Butterfield and Mick Taylor, just to name a few? And than later in his career he has recorded with people like Jeff Healey, Gary Moore, Chris Rea, Steve Miller and Billy Gibbons. Without a shadow of a doubt John Mayall is the person who can say: I've been there, I've done that (and that and that too, and that I did with him and the other things with some others) I've got the t-shirt and the rest of everything that has ever been created in the blues. Here is an old collection of his work, enjoy...