The latest reviews from Kevin Bryan.

Steve Miller Band,"Abracadabra"(Edsel EDSS 1053)- The appearance of this 1982 album marked the end of the lengthy run of commercial success that Miller and his cohorts had enjoyed since the release of "The Joker" almost a decade earlier.The laid-back bluesy rock which had brought them such worldwide fame and fortune was still firmly in evidence however, as they served up melodic gems such as "Keeps Me Wondering Why" and the chart-topping "Abracadabra" itself.The next few years would find Steve floundering a little as he chose to distance himself for a while from the guitar dominated sound which had become his trademark, prompting some particularly ill judged flirtations with electronics on his subsequent studio set,1984's "Italian X Rays"(also re-released now by Edsel:EDSS 1054) "Then and Now-The Best of Procol Harum"(Salvo SALVOVCD04)-Salvo's latest Procol Harum anthology ranges far and wide in its' quest for subject matter,drawing on tracks from all the albums that the band have released since they made their indelible mark on rock history in 1967 with "A Whiter Shade of Pale."Enigmatic archive gems such as "Homburg,""A Salty Dog" and "Shine on Brightly" are all given an airing,and the current incarnation of the band is captured in particularly fine fettle as they launch into live versions of "Wall Street Blues" and the eerie,doom-laden "Barnyard Stories" recorded a couple of years ago in Germany and Norway respectively.

Susan Kagan,"Ries:Piano Sonatas and Sonatinas-4"(Naxos 8.572299)-The latest Naxos offering from pianist Susan Kagan continues her exploration of the music of German born Ferdinand Ries.This prodigious composer was a friend and pupil of Beethoven,and although fate sadly decreed that he would be condemned to live his life in the shadow of his illustrious teacher much of Ries' music does possess an innately poetic and expressive charm.The natural empathy that Kagan felt for his work prompted her to embark on a series of recordings covering the complete cycle of fourteen Ries' piano sonatas,and classical music lovers owe her a debt of gratitude for rescuing these attractive keyboard creations from the undeserved obscurity that they've been languishing in for the past two centuries or so.

Nazareth," 'Snaz"(Salvo SALVOMDCD 18)-The bulk of this muscular live set was recorded in Vancouver during Nazareth's 1981 jaunt around North America,and found the band's regular line-up augmented by guitarist Billy Rankin and keyboardist John Locke of Spirit fame as they hurtled headlong through some choice extracts from their crowd-pleasing back catalogue."Razamanaz,""Hair of the Dog" and "This Flight Tonight" are all given an airing,and the newly expanded package also boasts Dan McCafferty's German language version of "Love Hurts" and seven more live tracks culled from the Seattle leg of the same tour.

T-Bone Walker,"You're My Best Poker Hand"(Fantastic Voyage FVTD 099)-Aaron Thibeaux Walker was one of the first musicians to pick up an electric guitar and play the blues,and his elegant jazz inflected style has influenced performers as diverse as B.B.King,Jimi Hendrix and Chuck Berry.This impressive new 3 CD anthology from Fantastic Voyage showcases the pioneering showman's finest recordings from the years 1940-1957,including "Bobby Sox Blues,""T Bone Blues" and his most famous musical creation, "Call It Stormy Monday."

The Mission,"Neverland..Plus"(Edsel EDSD 2092)-Edsel's new 2 CD package expands the original contents of the The Mission's sixth album,"Neverland,"with the inclusion of all the non-album singles sides and mixes and a couple of cover versions that had previously only seen the light of day in Germany.These interesting revivals of John Lennon's "Instant Karma" and Status Quo's "Pictures of Matchstick Men" sit snugly alongside gripping self-penned songs such as "Swoon,""Lose Myself In You" and "Celebration",capturing the gothic rockers' distinctive sound at its most elemental and compelling.