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A bit of a supergroup – given that the combo features lead guitar from Harvey Mandel, and work from the Aliotta Brothers!

Really great work by The Association – recorded a few years after their "Cherish" and "Along Came Mary" singles, and with a sound that's a lot more sophisticated and far-reaching! The band still has their sweet harmony sound in place, but the arrangements and songwriting show a lot more signs of their association with the hip LA scene of the 60s – fitting them in nicely with the underground mainstream that was then rewriting the sound of rock at Warner Brothers. Titles include "Broccoli", "The Nest", "Love Affair", "Boy On the Mountain", and "Yes, I Will".

Excellent live work by The Association – quite different than their earlier pop hits, but still with the same great harmony feel! The style here is in the rougher, more guitar-based mode of albums like Birthday and Stop Your Motor – and the band really sounds great in this live setting, which helps us to understand just how much of their magical sound came from the group itself, and not just Warner Brothers studio tricks. The set's got 22 tracks in all – 2LPs worth of music – and titles include "Dream Girl", "Goodbye Columbus", "I'll Be Your Man", "Never My Love", "Seven Man Band", "Cherish", "Requiem For The Masses", "Are You Ready", "Just About The Same", and "Along Comes Mary".

Rare post-Warner Brothers work from The Association – an album that's gentler and more mature than their earlier hits, done in a great blend of soft rock and post-Sunshine styles! The sound here is quite different even than the last Warner albums – which brought in a bit heavier guitars – and the group are going for a style that's beautifully mellow, and produced with this compressed groove that makes wonderful use of their classic harmonies. And while you might expect such a record to be too smooth, or too slickly AOR, the overall sound is still quite personal, and almost fragile – carried off carefully through instrumental arrangements by Benny Golson that never dominate the vocals, and only shade in the tunes with the right touches for the right moments. Titles include "Come The Fall", "Midnight Wind", "Silent Song Thru The Land", "Darling Be Home Soon", "Rainbows Bent", "Kicking The Gong Around", "Indian Wells Woman", and the sublime "Snow Queen".

A great early 70s entry from The Beach Boys – and a record that's nicely balanced between mature pop tunes and more experimental moments! The set kicks off with the sublime "Sail On Sailor" – a tightly compressed, wonderfully catchy number that's easily one of the group's greatest of the decade – and other tracks range from gentle ballads to playful numbers to others that explore more spiritual themes. All group members contributed tunes, and helped in production, but somehow we feel the tighter hand of Brian Wilson behind it all. Titles include "Sail On Sailor", "The Trader", "Funky Pretty", "Only With You", "Leaving This Town", and the "California Saga".

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the tunes – but honestly, this slim little set is more than enough to prove to us that the man's a genius – and it's filled with really wonderful tunes that still stand as some of the most incredible moments in 60s pop! Production is amazing, vocals are wonderful, and the quick changes of theme and setting really keep things interesting – all without making us feel like we're getting hit over the head with some cheap gimmicks. Titles include "Vegetables", "Heroes & Villains", "Fall", "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", and "Wind Chimes".

The slimmed-down, single LP effort that Capitol issued after the collapse of the legendary Smile album – and a pretty sublime set nonetheless! Sure, some might argue that you can't enjoy Brian Wilson's genius until you've listened to 20 bootlegs of the sessions with dozens of takes on the tunes – but honestly, this slim little set is more than enough to prove to us that the man's a genius – and it's filled with really wonderful tunes that still stand as some of the most incredible moments in 60s pop! Production is amazing, vocals are wonderful, and the quick changes of theme and setting really keep things interesting – all without making us feel like we're getting hit over the head with some cheap gimmicks. Titles include "Vegetables", "Heroes & Villains", "Fall", "Little Pad", "With Me Tonight", and "Wind Chimes". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

A record with "surf" in the title, but one that's light years from the earlier Beach Boys albums of the 60s! This set is a wonderfully mature effort – hardly surf music at all, and one that moves nicely in the same territory as Sunflower and 20/20! Some of the tunes are wonderfully gentle and heartfelt, and others try for some new subject matter for the group – sometimes missing the mark a bit, but still holding our interest strongly in the way they try. Genius work include "Disney Girls" and "Til I Die" – both instant classics – and other titles include "Don't Go Near The Water", "Long Promised Road", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", and "Surf's Up". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

Cheap Thrills, maybe – but they cut deeply and last forever! This is one of the greatest albums by Big Brother & The Holding Company – and it's also one of the most important in cementing the legacy of singer Janis Joplin. The raw manic energy of the group at their live best is somehow bottled and presented on record as perfectly as it ever could be – and even better are the delicate moments that show such an incredible depth! Titles include "Turtle Blues", "Oh Sweet Mary", "Ball & Chain", "Summertime", "Piece Of My Heart", and "I Need A Man To Love".

Cheap Thrills, maybe – but they cut deeply and last forever! This is one of the greatest albums by Big Brother & The Holding Company – and it's also one of the most important in cementing the legacy of singer Janis Joplin. The raw manic energy of the group at their live best is somehow bottled and presented on record as perfectly as it ever could be – and even better are the delicate moments that show such an incredible depth! Titles include "Turtle Blues", "Oh Sweet Mary", "Ball & Chain", "Summertime", "Piece Of My Heart", and "I Need A Man To Love".

David Bowie at his most sinister for the 70s – a landmark set that combines the harder rocking sound of the Ziggy Stardust years with the more sophisticated theatrics of Aladdin Sane – in a style that features some of the darkest, most political work of Bowie's career! There's a depth to the record that goes way beyond the silly, sensational cover image – and there's also a sonic complexity that's wonderful too – a songs slide into each other with a deftness that never fails to amaze us! The whole thing's great, and titles include "Diamond Dogs", "Sweet Thing", "Candidate", "Rebel Rebel", and "Big Brother".

Mindblowing music from The Byrds – and one of the greatest evolutions in pop music from the 60s! The Byrds were always at the forefront of their generation – starting out as a folksy act mixing in early psychedelia, then reaching for deeper roots with a love of country, yet also really keeping their own unique identity – and finding a way for most group members to grow their own interests and help shape the sound of the band! This balance is unique, as is the mighty range of records that encompassed it – their legendary sounds for Columbia Records, which are presented here in a beautiful box of 13 CDs, featuring 11 full albums, all with their original artwork in LP-styled sleeves! Titles include Mr Tambourine Man, Turn Turn Turn, Fifth Dimension, Younger Than Yesterday, Notorious Byrd Brothers, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde, Ballad Of Easy Rider, Untitled Unissued, Byrdmaniax, and Farther Along.

A nice little funky fusion set by Dreams – who were basically the Brecker Brothers, before they stepped out on their own and started calling themselves by that name! The fusion super group actually hews a little closer to the rock side of the fusion game at times, but there's no shortage of jazzy chord structures and some nice riffing and soloing going one – not unlike Chase or some of the other groups that were grooving in a similar jazz rock vein at the time! Billy Cobham joins the Breckers on the set – and titles include "Devil Lady", "15 Miles To Provo", 'The Maryanne", "Holli Be Home", "try Me", "Dream Suite" and "New York".

Fuzzy and genuinely well-crafted private press grooves from the Emerson brothers – with crazy good hooks, some surprisingly solid musicianship – and songs that range from straight-up catchy, though fuzz-drenched rock, to funk and soul! Donnie Emerson is the lead singer, guitarist and bass player, along with some synth – and on the best tunes, he's got a confident, laidback and warm style on vocals that truly doesn't feel the voice of a kid still in his teens – with brother Joe on drums and other friends on backing vocals here and there. Here's a record that profoundly transcends the private press novelty and the goofy jumpsuits they're rocking on the front cover! Includes "Good Time", "Give Me The Chance", "Baby", the instrumental groover "Feels Like The Sun", "Love Is", "Don't Go Lovin' Nobody Else", "Dream Full Of Dreams" and "My Heart".

Fuzzy and genuinely well-crafted private press grooves from the Emerson brothers – with crazy good hooks, some surprisingly solid musicianship – and songs that range from straight-up catchy, though fuzz-drenched rock, to funk and soul! Donnie Emerson is the lead singer, guitarist and bass player, along with some synth – and on the best tunes, he's got a confident, laidback and warm style on vocals that truly doesn't feel the voice of a kid still in his teens – with brother Joe on drums and other friends on backing vocals here and there. Here's a record that profoundly transcends the private press novelty and the goofy jumpsuits they're rocking on the front cover! Includes "Good Time", "Give Me The Chance", "Baby", the instrumental groover "Feels Like The Sun", "Love Is", "Don't Go Lovin' Nobody Else", "Dream Full Of Dreams" and "My Heart".

A hip little rock group from the upstate NY scene – and heck, they had to be hip, to record on the Just Sunshine label! The sound here has a bit of a funky rock approach, colored by a Band-like hominess – but thanks to some strong famous guests on the session, the instrumentation steps out way past the vocals on the best numbers – with help from a crack lineup that includes Toots Thielemans, Tito Puente, David Sanborn, and the Brecker Brothers! The core group are great, too – with the same sort of tight rhythms and soulful vocals we loved from their previous release – and titles include "Vicious Circle", "Freewheelin", "Down To The City", "What Becomes Of Your Life", "Do It Like Ya Mean It", and "Whitecaps".

The classic debut from one of the weirdest concept groups of the 60s – a mime rock band brought together by producer Lew Futterman – who'd also worked on some killer funky jazzy sessions with Brother Jack McDuff! The style here is psychedelic pop through and through – and although the group didn't speak, they do sing (is that really mime?) – and work in a groovy sing-song blend of reeds and rockish rhythms, one that definitely has some of the same sharp changes and funky undercurrents you'd find in Futterman's jazz projects – although honed down here into much shorter Sunshine tunes! The album's a very unique little record – and oddly the group flourished for years. But somehow this first record has a charm that's really undeniable – and is maybe still their best effort ever. Titles include "White Winged Doves","Dream Of Tomorrow", "Pray For Rain", "How Does It Feel To Be Free", "I Ride To Nowhere", "Come & See Me", and "Jelly Jam".

A fantastic record of country harmony spirituals, cut by the legendary Ira and Charlie Louvin, during the height of their years at Capitol! The record's a treasure all the way through – from great cuts like "Satan is Real", "The Drunkard's Room", and "Dying From Home, And Lost" – to the groovy cover that has the Louvins standing next to a flaming pile of garbage with a statue of Satan! Forget all that modern insurgent country bullcracky – this is the real deal!

The soul saving, Satan deterring classic by The Louvin Brothers – plus the excellent Handpicked Songs compilation of Louvin tracks lovingly selected by an eclectic group of indebted artists – in this great 2CD set from Light In The Attic! Satan Is Real is a fantastic record of country harmony spirituals, cut by the legendary Ira and Charlie Louvin, during the height of their years at Capitol. The record's a treasure all the way through – from great cuts like "Satan is Real", "The Drunkard's Room", and "Dying From Home, And Lost" – to the groovy cover that has the Louvins standing next to a flaming pile of garbage with a statue of Satan! The real deal! Handpicked Songs is amazing music from the greatest chapter of the legendary Louvin Brothers – the kind of work that's made them a legend for generations! The set features Louvin classics chosen by a reverent group of singers and songwriters that really run the gamut – Dolly Parton, Beck, Kris Kristofferson, Chris Hilman, Emmylou Harris, Will Oldham, Zooey Deschanel, The Black Angels, Mark Lanegan, M Ward, and Jim James – but all artists who have been undeniably influenced by Ira and Charlie Louvin, and their way of melding melancholy harmonies into something that goes way beyond everyday country music! The packaging is great – very much up to the Light In The Attic standard – and titles include "Almost Persuaded", "My Baby's Gone", "I See A Bridge", "Knoxville Girl", "Great Atomic Power", and "Alabama".

What can we say? This is one of the greatest albums of all time – and it's made even better through the addition of a bunch of previously unissued tracks! The record's got a sound that's completely unique – as crack LA garage punk rock meets Hollywood baroque production, and the result is an amazing bit of loud guitar noise backed by strings and horns, all graced by the godlike vocals of the great Arthur Lee. Forever Changes is a milestone in rock – an incredibly bleak document about insanity, escape, and the coming revolution that never happened. Think of all the best moments of Wild In The Streets, Zabriske Point, and Invocation of My Demon Brother rolled into one – and you'll only have a tiny slice of the picture! A record that will haunt us until the day we die – filled with incredible songs like "Alone Again Or", "Old Man", "Red Telephone", and "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark & Hilldale".

A full blown duets album by Bonnie Prince Billy and Dawn McCarthy of Faun Fables –co-headlining a straight-up beautiful set of tunes once sung by The Everly Brothers! They're not going for the hits here, rather taking on some of the more unusual Everly originals and covers – which include tunes written by Kris Kristofferson, Jackie Edwards, John Denver, King/Goffin and others. As longtime fans of The Everlys at their wierdest and most adventurous, we can't recommend this enough! Billy & Dawn clearly love the songs, and deliver with genuine warmth and affection – and go all in with the production, too! It's sweet and intimate, yet beautifully textured with steel, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, harmonium, flute, cello and keyboards – even a sousaphone and tuba! It's mostly got some leftfield country charm, but there's a chugging rocker or 2 in the mix, too. Titles include "Breakdown", "Empty Boxes", "Milk Train", "What Am I Llivng For", "My Little Yellow Bird", "So Sad", "Omaha", "Poems, Prayers And Promises", "Just What I Was Looking For", "Kentucky" and more.

A full blown duets album by Bonnie Prince Billy and Dawn McCarthy of Faun Fables – co-headlining a straight-up beautiful set of tunes once sung by The Everly Brothers! They're not going for the hits here, rather taking on some of the more unusual Everly originals and covers – which include tunes written by Kris Kristofferson, Jackie Edwards, John Denver, King/Goffin and others. As longtime fans of The Everlys at their wierdest and most adventurous, we can't recommend this enough! Billy & Dawn clearly love the songs, and deliver with genuine warmth and affection – and go all in with the production, too! It's sweet and intimate, yet beautifully textured with steel, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, harmonium, flute, cello and keyboards – even a sousaphone and tuba! It's mostly got some leftfield country charm, but there's a chugging rocker or 2 in the mix, too. Titles include "Breakdown", "Empty Boxes", "Milk Train", "What Am I Llivng For", "My Little Yellow Bird", "So Sad", "Omaha", "Poems, Prayers And Promises", "Just What I Was Looking For", "Kentucky" and more.

A pair of classics from the great Bill Medley – pulled from his key early years on his own! Bill Medley 100% a surprisingly wonderful little record – and a real testament to the blue-eyed soul of Medley! The set's a solo outing that has Bill stepping away from his fame as a Righteous Brother – but almost sounding even better on his own, with a depth of soul to his vocals that's really amazing – echoes of Ray Charles, Jerry Butler, Chuck Jackson, and other 60s greats – served up with a surprising lack of cliche – at least in comparison to folks who tried this sort of thing in later years. Bill Baker serves up some sparkling arrangements for the set – and titles include "Brown Eyed Woman", "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You", "Let The Good Times Roll", "Show Me", "One Day Girl", and "That's Life". Soft & Soulful is a record that really has Bill Medley deepening up his groove – moving past some of the more standard soul music modes of earlier efforts, and stretching out in a rich tapestry of modes that clearly sets the scene for soul singers in generations to come! There's still a strong dose of 60s soul in the mix here, but the arrangements complicate things nicely – and bring in this "adult" approach to the music that no doubt went back from Medley's mainstream presence to have an influence on other soul singers as well – kind of a template for more mature modes that would show up more strongly in the 70s. Medley wrote some of the tunes on the set himself – which further deepens the personality of the record – and titles include "Winter Won't Come This Year", "Peace Brother Peace", "100 Years", "I'm Gonna Die Me", "Softly", "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "Any Day Now", and "Street Of Dirt".

Pulsating Krautrock from Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger – essential stuff that stretches out the dynamics of the first couple of classic LPs! Then first half of the album features Klaus' brother Thomas on drums, and second features Hans Lampe, but the grooves are stripped down and spacious enough that the personality behind the Ur-drumming doesn't matter so much. Stripped down keys and electronics move more into the forfront on 75 – hardly diminishing the power, and actually prefiguring 80s sounds by a longshot – with guitars blending in with the synths to form the bedrock of the pioneering sound! 6 tracks in all: "Isi", "See Land", "Leb Wohl", 'hero", "E-Musik" and "After Eight".

The steely cover's an apt one – as New Order have still largely held onto their edge here – those raspy guitars and moodier moments that first marked their early work – all elements that keep things compelling amidst some of the more tuneful moments of the songs! There's definitely a lot more hooks than before, but most tracks are still pretty far from commercial pop – and if anything, showcase the preference for darker sounds that would mark the alt rock underground that was springing up in the US, clearly a generation inspired by New Order's initial experiments. Titles include "All Day Long", "Weirdo", "Paradise", "State Of The Nation", "Angel Dust", "Every Little Counts", and "As It Is When It Was".

A landmark live set from the Rolling Stones – featuring material from their smoking tour of 1969! The set really captures the Stones at their most nasty – that great turning point when their edge was maybe sharpest of ever, right in the best Let It Bleed mode – but with even more raw energy from the live setting. Titles include "Carol", "Live With Me", "Street Fighting Man", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Little Queenie", and "Stray Cat Blues". Massively expanded package features a huge amount of music – the unreleased Stones tracks "Prodigal Son", "You Gotta Move", "I'm Free", and "Satisfaction" – plus material from sets by BB King and Ike & Tina Turner on a full separate disc – both pulled from the same tour! Also features a DVD with backstage footage by the Maysles Brothers, and song performances of all the extra Stones tracks!

Not singles as in the world of "hits" – but a really cool collection of rare work from Sun City Girls – mostly tracks issued on 7" singles for the Majora label, plus a few bits from other sources too! Together, the tracks provide a perfect illustration of the wide-ranging aesthetic of the group – some of the exotic tones that would be explored much more fully in their Sublime Frequencies label – mixed with some raspy, trippy elements that marked these guys as some of the few psych experimentalists of their generation! And honestly, this stuff sounds way better than we remember it – really compelling after all these years, especially in light of the later accomplishments of the Bishop brothers. Titles include "Soar/The Flower", "Esoterica Of Abyssynia", "Eye Mohini", "Sun Damaged My Ass", "Borungku Si Derita", "It's Ours", "Abydos", "Kickin The Dragon", and "Kal El Lazi Kad Ham".

Hardly the surf music set you'd expect from the title – but still a set that's plenty surf-washed, thanks to a great choice of exotic numbers for the record! The Surfers are a vocal group, not a guitar-based instrumental combo – and they harmonize with a mixture of jazz and pop modes that's mighty nice – and very unique, given that many of the numbers here have a tropical theme – almost as if The Lettermen or Brothers Four decided to cut an exotica album! Titles include "Pagan Love Song", "Canoe Song", "Island Angel", "Follow Me", "Bali Hai", "Pearly Shells", and "Farewell".

Trippy rock from the three Hurel brothers of Turkey – a fuzzed-up, freaked-out trio that comes off with some great psychedelic touches! The sound here is a great blending of modes – similar to some of the other Turkish rock from the time that merged electric guitar with folkloric inspirations – but the overall Hurel groove is much more strongly progressive, and sometimes slightly funky at times – due to a tight set of rhythms at the bottom. There's a heaviness here that almost hits Cream-like intensity for the power trio – save for the fact that the lyrics instantly mark the work as being of non-Anglo origins, as do the eastern shadings in the use of guitar and some of the percussion. Titles include "Kol Basti", "Hoptirinom", "Yara", "Doner Dunya", "Agit", "Aglaras Anam Aglar", "Kucuk Yaramaz", and "Canim Kurban".

An incredibly groovy album – filled with instrumental tracks that shift between funky big band and groovy 60s soundtrack – all arranged by Mike Nesmith and Shorty Rogers! The feel here is like that of some of Rogers' other groovy late 60s instrumental one-off albums – like his hot rod, dune buggy, or surf-orchestra sides – and Nesmith brings in a slightly cynical tone that manifests itself in the choice of some of the instrumentation for the tracks, and the overall setting of the record. Think Monkees instrumentals gone groovier, and you've got part of the picture – but there's also plenty of snippets of Sunset Strip hip and Warner Brothers longing for the past too! Titles include "While I Cried", "Don't Cry Now", "Tapioca Tundra", "Nine Times Blue", "Carlisle Wheeling", and "You Told Me".

Brilliant, uncategorizable instrumental sounds from Woo! The group is the 2-man brother band of Mark and Clive Ives – with guitars, clavinet, bass and bits of vocals by Mark – and percussion, violin and electronics by Clive. They follow the trail blazed by Eno and others, fusing acoustic instrumentation with electronic experimentation – but there's really nothing quite like Woo out there! It's original and innovative, but at the same time, very warm and inviting. Definitely cozy, or "cosy", if you prefer! Truly wonderful stuff – especially when you factor in how many underground experimentalists found bigger audiences and greater acclaim later on! Titles include "Into", "The Western", "Water Drum", "Downtown Suburbia", "Upside Down", "Wallpaper", "Purple Pussy", "It's Cosy Inside", "Marion", "Did You See", "Final Card", "No More Telly", "End Of The Attic", "Overhead" and more.

Brilliant, uncategorizable instrumental sounds from Woo! The group is the 2-man brother band of Mark and Clive Ives – with guitars, clavinet, bass and bits of vocals by Mark – and percussion, violin and electronics by Clive. They follow the trail blazed by Eno and others, fusing acoustic instrumentation with electronic experimentation – but there's really nothing quite like Woo out there! It's original and innovative, but at the same time, very warm and inviting. Definitely cozy, or "cosy", if you prefer! Truly wonderful stuff – especially when you factor in how many underground experimentalists found bigger audiences and greater acclaim later on! Titles include "Into", "The Western", "Water Drum", "Downtown Suburbia", "Upside Down", "Wallpaper", "Purple Pussy", "It's Cosy Inside", "Marion", "Did You See", "Final Card", "No More Telly", "End Of The Attic", "Overhead" and more.

Melodic psychedelia from 70s Iran – an incredible full scale anthology of recordings by guitarist and vocalist Kourosh Yaghmaei from the pre-revolution years – and an absolute treasure! Kouroush often recorded with his brothers – Kourosh singing lead and playing guitars or bass – with Kamran Yaghmaei on guitars and backing vocals and Kambiz Yaghmaei on keys and backing vocals. Other players contribute drums, bass and occasional additional elements – harmonica or horns on few tracks. The sound is a really wonderful amalgam of western garage, psych and strains of funk with native Iranian modes and tempos. The songs here sink in on an emotional level without us knowing a word of the language – the passionate vocals work wonderfully in that regard – but musically, it's innovative stuff that's nicely tripped out and heavily rhythmic, without compromising the melodic sensibility. The heavy duty 3LP set features 21 tracks in all – in a sweet 6 panel gatefold with a 24 page booklet – featuring extensive notes and photos, with Kourosh's story told in autobiographical detail. Like other recent Now Again packages, it's really beautifully done! Titles include "Gol E Yakh", "Dar Enteha", "Paiz", "Leila", "Del Dareh Pir Misheh", "Shirin Joon", "Ghazal", "Mosafere Shahre Baran", "Saghe", "Niyayesh", "Saraabe Toe", "Baroona", "Khaar", Bachehaye Khoobe Koocheh" and more.

A killer compilation of late 50s and early 60s songs that were covered and popularized by British pop legend Cliff Richard – and Cliff not only heard them here first, but the man has impeccable taste! This is a stellar set of proto rock, pop and soul – with completely great, if lesser-remembered treasures by superstars and relative cult faves alike – including Bobby Helms, proto rock era Conway Twitty, Gene Vincent, Ruth Brown, Peggy Lee, Bobby Vee, Sonny James, Johnny Otis, Little Stevie Wonder and many more! Includes "Schoolboy Crush" by Bobby Helms, "I'll Try" by Conway Twitty, "Save My Soul" by Jack Scott with The Chantones, "The Night Is So Lovely" by Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, "Somebody Touched Me" by Ruth Brown, "Tough Enough" by Johnny Otis & Orchestra with The Jayos, "D In Love" by Curtis Lee, "I'm Looking Out The Window" by Peggy Lee, "The Minute You're Gone" by Sonny James, It's All Over" by The Everly Brothers and more. 24 tracks in all.

Really great work by The Association – recorded a few years after their "Cherish" and "Along Came Mary" singles, and with a sound that's a lot more sophisticated and far-reaching! The band still has their sweet harmony sound in place, but the arrangements and songwriting show a lot more signs of their association with the hip LA scene of the 60s – fitting them in nicely with the underground mainstream that was then rewriting the sound of rock at Warner Brothers. Titles include "Broccoli", "The Nest", "Love Affair", "Boy On the Mountain", and "Yes, I Will".

Important work from Robert Fripp and the brothers Peter & Michael Giles – recorded a year before the first King Crimson album with a mad sound that's somewhere in between Bowie's early Deram recordings, and some of the Syd Barrett work with Pink Floyd! Although Fripp's guitar figures nicely in the sound of the group, the overall style is much more whimsical and heavily arranged than any of his later work – done with a playful blend of strings and piano, and also some surprising jazz undercurrents from time to time. There's none of the overblown modes of the early King Crimson sound – and if anything, the record's a charmingly understated set that's ripe for rediscovery by ears trained on newly revived strands of 60s music! Titles include "The Sun Is Shining", "One In A Million", "Saga Of Rodney Toady", "North Meadow", "Call Tomorrow", "Digging My Lawn", "Erudite Eyes", and "The Crukster".

Some of the dreamiest pop ever recorded at Warner Brothers during the early 60s – the full album to back up Joanie Sommers' excellent hit single "Johnny Get Angry". The tune's the epitome of the girl pop sound of the time – and it's backed up by lots of other nice numbers that include "Mean To Me", "The Piano Boy", "One Boy", "Since Randy Moved Away", and "Seems Like Long Long Ago".

Joanie's second album for Warner Brothers – and a date that features some especially nice backings from Neal Hefti, who helps swing Sommers into some great jazzy territory, but always with that playful Hefti touch that we love so much! Instrumentation is always interesting, even underneath the vocals – and the record sparkles like some of the better upbeat jazz vocal sides on Capitol from the time – much better than the usual mainstream fare, with kind of a cool California wink at the listener. Titles include "Aren't You Glad You're You", "For All We Know", "Nobody Else But Me", "This Can't Be Love", "Let There Be Love", and "This Heart Of Mine".

Sure, it's the group's major label debut – but it's also a stunning pop album that blows away most of its generation! Instead of being swallowed in the maw of Warner Brothers, Stereolab take up the challengs of greater professionalism – and hone their skills to an impeccable edge, crafting 10 beautiful little tunes that are every bit as compelling as the promise of the album's title makes them out to be! Titles include "Tone Burst", "Golden Ball", "Pack Yr Romantic Mind", "Paus", "Jenny Ondioline", and "Analogue Rock".

A key slice of Scott Walker genius – and his only recording from the 80s, cut on the heels of a re-discovery of his older music, but a far step ahead than anything Walker had done before! Climate Of Hunter is far darker than the famous Philips albums – and carries with it echoes of his last few tunes with the re-formed Walker Brothers in the late 70s – a bleaker look at life than ever before, but one that's still touched with the sense of poetry that Scott always brought to his work, and sung in that godlike voice we love so much! Instrumentation carries a definite feel of the time – with some echoes of British post-punk production, especially in the way the drums and guitar are recorded. Yet there's also a timeless quality to the album here too – and each year past its release settles it more warmly into the classic and better-known Scott Walker catalog. Surprising guest appearances on the set include Evan Parker, Ray Russell, Mark Isham, and even Billy Ocean – and titles include "Rawhide", "Dealer", "Track 3", "Sleepwalkers Woman", "Track 5", and "Track 7".

A pair of classics from Sea Level – back to back on a single CD! First up is Cats On The Coast – sweet smooth grooves from Sea Level – a killer crossover 70s group, one with roots in the Allman Brothers, but a sound that's much more wide-reaching overall! This sublime album is an AOR classic – a set that graced countless collections back in the day, thanks to a warm blend of rock and soul elements – all tied up in the kind of tight production you might guess from the cover! There's still some southern roots present in the music – especially on a few of the Allman-like guitar licks – but the overall approach is more cool and compressed, with a sweet 70s Cali sort of vibe, and some nice jazz undercurrents too. Titles include "Midnight Pass", "Cats On The Coast", "Song For Amy", "Had To Fall", "That's Your Secret", and "It Hurts To Want It So Bad". On The Edge is the great second album from Sea Level – one of those records that loads of folks dug, back in the day – and not just the cats who remembered these guys for their work with The Allman Brothers! The set's got a tight blend of jazz, soul, and some crossover elements – almost rootsier mode of music melded with a Steely Dan/Crusaders sort of vibe – so that the fusion styles come together and really help the whole thing soar! Vocals often still echo the early years of the players, but the overall presentation has a much more LA vibe – despite the fact that the album was recorded at Capricorn Studios in Macon. Titles include "Electron Cold", "On The Wing", "A Lotta Colada", "Living In A Dream", and "King Grand".

A wonderfully weird record from the mighty Mason Williams – a set that's filled with lots of cool little surprises at each new twist and turn – yet which also comes across with a really solid, tuneful feel overall! The album's got a bit of folk, a bit of moog, and a bit of kitsch – but has a way of serving it all up with the kind of warmth and wit we love so much in that unique late 60s Warner Brothers moment – the same sort of vibe you might get from Van Dyke Parks or Harpers Bizarre at their best. Some tunes have Mason Williams singing these beautifully poetic lyrics straight, while others evoke the playful feel of his appearances on the Smothers Brothers Show – but things are really balanced throughout, and give the record that sense of discovery we hardly ever find in albums these days. Titles include a new version of "Baroque A Nova" from Mason's first album, the cool electronic "Generatah Oscillatah" instrumental, the groovy "Last Great Waltz", a "One Minute Commercial", and a wild remake of "Cinderella Rockefella" – plus "Saturday Night At The World", "$13 Stella", and "Whistle Hear".

Amazing stuff – one of those records you see for years, and always pass by – but which yields some real surprises once you dig in! Mason Williams is one of the cooler cats in the Warner Brothers stable of the late 60s – but he's also one of the more subtle, too – a folkie at heart, but an artist with a really great sense of wit, warmth, and variety – very much in the best genre-stepping style of the Burbank scene of the time. The set features, of course, Mason's huge hit "Classical Gas" – an instrumental you'll recognize instantly – but next to that is the sublime "Baroque A Nova", a very cool scatting harmony track that's like some lost late 60s Hugo Montenegro gem – and the camp psych gem "The Prince's Panties" – done with all the wit of late 60s Warner – as is the whole album! Other tracks include "Wanderlove", "Overture", "All The Time", and "She's Gone Away".

Raw sounds from the American underground – a great set of twang-heavy tracks from obscure 45s – most of them with a unique blend of rock and country styles! There's lots of the spirit here of Johnny Burnette – and a few artists actually seem to pay him tribute with their work – but most of the recordings have a rougher style too, with some especially great echoey production on the guitars! Titles include "Willie Joe" by Mystery Trio, "Dark Mood" by Bartlett Brothers & The Country Paupers, "Still As The Night" by Clint Blacklaw, "Kentucky Fandango" by JP Dunn, "Misery" by Jacky Lee, "A Woman's Mind" by Jimmy Merrill, "Ghost Train" by Electro Tones, and "If You Love Me" by Johnny Fortune.

Mindblowing music from The Association – a heady double-length package that features every single the group ever cut for the Valiant and Warner Brothers label – which together make for an amazing evolution in sound! Although best remembered for their few soft rock hits, The Association were a hell of a group who never stopped growing back in the 60s – from sublime folksy harmonies at the start, to more complicated baroque pop as years went on, to some psych elements, and even a return to rootsier sounds they never had in the first place – always delivered with qualities that were head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries – and perfectly put together in the best LA studio styles, with help from giants like Curt Boettcher, Gary Paxton, Bones Howe, and others. The group also became quite skilled in the studio themselves – as you'll hear in the book's copious notes and comments from members themselves – all a perfect package for a set that features 37 mighty tunes that include "Six Man Band", "Goodbye Columbus", "Like Always", "No Fair At All", "Standing Still", "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies", "Looking Glass", "Birthday Morning", "Makes Me Cry", "PF Sloan", "Just About The Same", "Traveler's Guide", "I Am Up For Europe", "Hear In Here",a nd "Forty Times" – not to mention some bigger hits!

HP Lovecraft drummer Michael Tegza soldiers on with a new group as Lovecraft – with a tighter sound that blends hard driving drums and guitars with more delicate, harmony vocal accented songcraft! It's a far cry from the psychedelic experimentation of HP Lovecraft – but it's actually a pretty impressive rock record in its own right – prefiguring the later 70s rock sounds long before the better known giants of the decade! Titles include "We Can All Have It Together", "Brother I Wonder", "Love Has Come To Me", "Will I Know When My Time Comes", "Two Step Hustle", "Lady Come Softly", "The Dawn", "Never Gonna Go Back", "Dear" and "Hopefully".

Wild, psychedelic era material from the very hip Lutheran pastor Brother John Rydgren! He sports a smoky voice and a poetic, playful, almost comedic spoken word style – in a way that's very much reminiscent of Ken Nordine – as if Ken was a groovy Christian poet! The sound is fuzzy, tripped out psychedelic pop – and his mission seems to be to satirize the sounds and styles of the time as much as it is to spread the Good Word – but at the same time, he's fully embracing the psychedelic sounds! It's almost entirely spoken word on the vocal front – with some oddball choir backdrops and other, often female voices floating in and out from time to time – and pretty diverse instrumentation that often feels like he's vocalizing over some psych funk sound library grooves! Also like our man Nordine, Brother John was a radio personality – but he released some incredibly rare LPs – with '68's Silhouette Segments, '67's Cantata Of New Life and '66's World Of Youth anthologized here by Omni – along with some additional material and a nice little booklet. Incredibly cool stuff! Includes "Music To Watch Girls By", "The Happening", "An Offering Of Music", "Butterfly", "Great To Build Something", "The Air Terminal", the nearly half hour "Cantata Of New Life", "News (The Kite And The News)", "Forgiveness (The Boy Looking Natural)", "Baptism (Come To War)", "Martyrs" and more.

Frank Zappa live in the 70s – working with a surprisingly hip large ensemble, with all the sharp changes and unusual moments of his classic studio albums! Like some of Zappa's other concert performances, there's an approach that steps a few years back – clearly to please the group coming to hear their favorites, but in a way that also offers up a nice sharpening-up of the music too – especially given that the whole thing's happening live on stage! There's some great jazz help here – horns from The Brecker Brothers, Lou Marini, Ronnie Cuber, and Tom Malone – plus wonderful vibes from Dave Samuels and keyboards from Eddie Jobson – and even a bit of narration from Don Pardo. Titles include "I'm The Slime", "Titties & Beer", "Cruisin For Burgers", "The Illinois Enema Bandit", "Punky's Whips", "Big Leg Emma", and "Sofa".

A record with "surf" in the title, but one that's light years from the earlier Beach Boys albums of the 60s! This set is a wonderfully mature effort – hardly surf music at all, and one that moves nicely in the same territory as Sunflower and 20/20! Some of the tunes are wonderfully gentle and heartfelt, and others try for some new subject matter for the group – sometimes missing the mark a bit, but still holding our interest strongly in the way they try. Genius work include "Disney Girls" and "Til I Die" – both instant classics – and other titles include "Don't Go Near The Water", "Long Promised Road", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", and "Surf's Up".