canterbury music

Welcome to the CD Services Canterbury Music Department.

The CD Services Canterbury Music department, by our standards, is much smaller than most of the other sections - but that does not mean it is any less important, because this is where you will find a fantastic form of music that is steeped in traditional English culture.  Drawing material from over 25 years of the traditional 'Canterbury' scene and beyond, this department contains a family of groups and artists with an initial musical connection that sprang up in the South-East of England back in the late 1960's.  As just a few selected examples, we are big on bands such as Caravan and Gong, Matching Mole and Soft Machine, plus all the associated members' solo releases and side-projects that fall into the 'Canterbury' category.  Caravan developed a sound and style that also brought them into the 'Progressive-Rock' category, and Soft Machine became the very early pioneers of the 'Jazz-Rock' genre in the UK, spawning other bands such as Henry Cow, Pierre Moerlin's Gong and National Health, so you will find a fair amount of "crossover" with other departments showing up in the 'Canterbury Music' category.

As in most of the CDS Online Store departments you will find a vast selection of titles not only on CD, but DVD, Blu-ray and HQ Vinyl LP formats as well!  A high percentage of the titles on display may just offer basic database details, but over time we will be adding more Images, Reviews and other details from our vast catalogue archive to many of these entries.  Selected items already come with Cover Art Images, General Info on the Artist / Title and Track Lists & Timings, plus certain titles will have an In Depth Review added.  Our reviews are known for giving factual information and honest, direct opinions.  Describing the music as we hear it, our reviews mix accuracy with enthusiasm, and where appropriate, include a certain level of humour to add entertainment value to the experience.  Occasionally we may publish a customer review or one written by a music journalist, in which case the reviewer will be credited.  Also, wherever possible we try to provide a window into You-Tube (and similar sites) where samples of the music are available to listen to.

As well as standard A-Z browsing, this department also contains (when they are available) 'Features' on certain individual Artists & Bands, complete Label Catalogues, Top Sellers and Classics From The Past - These extend the range of choice by highlighting the repertoire of individual artists and labels that we are recommending and can be accessed from the department's sub-menus on the left of your screen.  The Store also has sections containing: New Releases, Special Offers, Bargain Basement and Rarities from this genre of music - These are grouped together and accessed from buttons in the store's homepage and at the top of most department pages.

Like most of the other CDS 'Specialist' departments, some of the titles in this area will have a certain element of "crossover" with other categories in the store, and here there may be crossovers with the: Folk / Folk-Rock  Jazz-Rock / Fusion   Oldies  Progressive / Symphonic-Rock  Psychedelic / Space-Rock departments.

This online department will always be a "work in progress" and will constantly be growing and evolving over time.  On a daily basis we will be fine-tuning the existing data, adding new products, and integrating the vast range of material we have accumulated "off-line" over the past twenty-five years.
If you don't find what you are looking for right now  - PLEASE ASK ABOUT IT - It may simply be down awaiting updates, and we may be able to "fast-track" these for you.

While we do endeavour to maintain an accurate database, it is not possible for us to keep absolutely everything up-to-date for all of the time, and as such, certain inaccuracies and errors can occur.  Please always treat any data we publish as a guideline, and if there is any doubt about the validity of what you read, or you need further clarification of any item details, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will do our very best to help you.