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Pivotal singles from the amazing Wanda Jackson – one of the greatest female rock and country voices from the 50s onward – who mixes a cutesy coo and a feral growl for a sound that was pretty much unprecedented at the time! The material bridges proto rock and country music in a way that confused the heck outta radio programmers and the label's hope to break her into superstardom back in the day – and Wanda had a voice that could've (and should've) made her a star on par with the Sun Studios boys club. She's tough and tender at the same time – and Capitol producer Ken Nelson is near the top of his game here, too. This really is the best of her Capitol singles – 29 in all – including "I Gotta Know", "Fujiyama Mama", "Honey Bop", "Did You Miss Me?", "Right Or Wrong", "Sinful Heart", "In The Middle Of A Heartbreak", "Mean Mean Man', "Sympathy", You Bug Me Bad", "Silver Threads And Golden Needles", "Rock Your Baby", "(Every Time They Play) Our Song", "Little Charm Bracelet", "No Wedding Bells For Joe", "Honey Bop" and more.

Groovy psychedelic pop on Capitol – showing how strangely, yet appealingly pop could stretch out with the resources of Capitol Records at the disposal of groups, producers & arrangers at a fruitful and furiously creative time in pop music! It was a period when David Axelrod, Ken Mansfield and other pioneering production wizards were at Capitol, and the set is filled with rarities – a number of which have never been reissued before, and stuff that could (or should) have made superstars of some of these cats! Great stuff from groups like This Side Up, Tuneful Trolley, The Four Preps, Sidewalk Skipper Band, Moorpark Intersection, Carnival Connection and more. 26 tracks in all: "Book A Trip" by This Side Up", "Lady In Lace" by Stained Glass, "Cynthia At The Garden" by Sidewalk Skipper Band, "Mr Sun" by The Lettermen, "Yours Till Forever" by Griffin, "Don't Take The Night Away" by Pleasure and more.

The brilliant full exposure of the voice that was always buried in the larger sounds of Pink Floyd – a definite madcap romp from the amazing Syd Barrett – and a record that still sounds as captivatingly chilling all these many decades later! There's a stripping-down here that's really tremendous – no need for all the overblown, long-winded excursions of other forces in the psych generation – as Syd takes the whole thing down to its core, and carries it off with a charm that's almost folksy – yet which, like David Bowie at about this point in his career, manages to manipulate and dismiss the folk generation as much as it does the psych one too! David Gilmour and Roger Waters are on hand to help a bit with production – and titles include "Octopus", "Golden Hair", "Long Gone", "She Took A Long Cool Look", "Late Night", "If It's In You", "Love You", and "Terrapin". CD features 6 more bonus tracks – alternate takes of songs on the album!

A Syd Barrett treasure trove – and an essential compilation of unreleased work that's a much-needed companion to Barrett's classic albums for EMI! The material here is all from the years 1968 to 1970 – tracks recorded before, during, and around the sessions that later became The Madcap Laughs and Barrett – but which often also show a wider-ranging side of Syd's talents, especially on the few demo recordings – which offer an even more personal glimpse of the artist trying to find his way. Instrumentation is a bit more acoustic than on Barrett's full albums, but even the acoustic guitar is played with these dark tones that have the same sinister quality as the chords he brought to Pink Floyd – maybe even more striking here without any fuzz, as they resonate alongside Syd's offbeat lyrics. Titles include "Rats", "Golden Hair", "Opel", "Clowns & Jugglers", "Birdie Hop", "Let's Spilt", and "Swan Lee". Features a number of bonus alternate takes – added to the original core lineup of 14 tracks from the 1988 release of Opel.

An earlier classic from The Beach Boys – and easily one of their best records from the prime sun and surf era for the group – with rave up rockers and some sweet ballads! So much as been written about the foreboding behind-the-scenes circumstances in Beach Boys lore, even during these early years, it can steal away from the more innocent charms if you allow it to – but don't! This is all about soaring, groovy harmonies and impeccable production – on tunes that include "I Get Around", "All Summer Long", "Hushabye", "Little Honda", "Wendy", "Carl's Big Chance", "Girls On The Beach", "Drive-In", "Don't Back Down" and more. Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

A really cool little album from the Beach Boys – a set that definitely takes its "party" title seriously, in a way that has the group singing in a somewhat live and spontaneous manner! There's sort of a "live in studio" feel here – with production that's less polished than on other records, and instrumentation that's heavy on acoustic guitar and percussion – almost like the group are hanging out at the beach, riffing on some of their favorite tunes. The album features the group's famous take on "Barbara Ann" – plus versions of a number of other 60s classics, like "The Times They Are A Changin", "Papa Oom Mow Mow", "Mountain Of Love", "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", "Devoted To You", "Alley Oop", and "I Should Have Known Better". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

A repackaged version of the album Summer Days & Summer Nights – one of those stupid Capitol reissues that somehow contains less tracks than the original album! Fortunately, there's enough good stuff on here to make this one worth checking out – like some key pre-Pet Sounds gems that include "Let Him Run Wild" and "You're So Good To Me", both of which define the Pet Sounds love essence at its best – as well as the amazing "Summer Means New Love", an instrumental that hints at what Brian would soon do later in the studio!

"Little Deuce Coupe" makes a second appearance on a Beach Boys album – this time around as a leadoff track to show the group's versatility on the hot rod market! Despite the change from surf themes, though, the music here is magically the same – sublime Wilson family harmonies, produced with a clean, clear simplicity that really makes the voices sparkle. And even when singing about cars, the Boys manage to break our hearts with their ballads and more gentle numbers – as you'll hear on a set of tunes that includes "Ballad Of Ole Betsy", "409", "Shut Down", "Our Car Club", "Be True To Your School", "No Go Showboat", "A Young Man Is Gone", and "Car Crazy Cutie". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". Includes mono and stereo mixes of the whole album!

The Beach Boys' installment in Capitol's hot rod-themed Shut Down series – the first edition of which was devoted to a host of different artists! It's clear that even in this setting, The Beach Boys have way more to offer than just a few gimmicky car songs – as the record offers some of the early group's most tender, personal moments – real early gems like "The Warmth Of The Sun" and "Don't Worry Baby" - mixed in with more playful numbers like "Fun Fun Fun", "This Car Of Mine", "In The Parkin Lot", "Shut Down Part 2", and "Keep An Eye On Summer". It's this mix that really gets at the group's genius at the time – maturity creeping out amidst the youthful themes, in ways that few other 60s acts could ever hope to match. Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes!

My God – they finally did it! After all these years of hearing about the legendary Smile album from The Beach Boys – hearing snippets on other albums, studio bonus tracks, re-recordings, and all the other sources they've dangled in front of us for decades – Capitol's finally gone and done what they never did back in the 60s – released the whole legendary set together, as one package – and in formats that even exceed anything that might have been issued back in the day! You've probably heard a good number of the songs here before – some as they were chopped up and included on Smiley Smile, 20/20, and other post-Pet Sounds albums by the group – and in some recent re-recordings by Brian Wilson. But trust us, they all sound amazing here together – in the original recordings, with sublime 60s studio production, and godlike arrangements by the young Brian Wilson. Titles include "Our Prayer", "Gee", "My Only Sunshine/You Are", "Cabin Essence", "Wonderful", "Surf's Up", "Holidays", "Vege-Tables", "Good Vibrations", "Love To Say Dada", "Do You Like Worms", "Barnyard", and "I'm In Great Shape". Plus, this hip box set has loads of cool bits – 2CDs that include the original album with 8 bonus tracks on the first disc – then a full bonus CD of "finished" work from the project – alternate takes, expanded versions, and more – including "Our Prayer Dialogue", "Surf's Up 1st Movement", "Vege-Tables (fade)", "Cool Cool Water (version 2)", "Heroes & Villains (children were raised)", and more. Box also comes with a poster, a 36 page booklet, and a button!

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 mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new sensitivities – tunes like "Girl Don't Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "Summer Means New Love", and "Let Him Run Wild" – all complicated in subtle ways, with a great sense of tension underneath. Other tracks include "Help Me Rhonda", "California Girls", "I'm Bugged At My Old Man", and "Amusement Parks USA". 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.

Sweet and dreamy early work from The Beach Boys – an album that has their mellow harmonies taking shape wonderfully – as heard famously on the title track! That sublime gem begins the great little set– a record that has a few hits and some even better obscure numbers – the kind of special treasures that make digging through these early albums so great, as we try to piece together the earliest expressions of the Wilson family brilliance. Vocals are great throughout, and titles include "Surfer Moon", "South Bay Surfer", "Surfer Girl", "Catch A Wave", "The Rocking Surfer", "In My Room", "Hawaii", "Surfer's Rule", "Your Summer Dream", and "Little Deuce Coupe". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo versions.

Early work from The Beach Boys, but Brian Wilson's genius is already starting to show – tucked in between some more obviously poppy numbers that first put the group on the map! The album obviously features the big title hit, but there's some other great gems here that are much lesser known – our favorite of which is "The Lonely Sea", an incredible number filled with sadness and longing, and a real precursor to the Pet Sounds years! Other titles include "Finders Keepers", "Lana", "Farmer's Daughter", "Noble Surfer", "Stoked", "Surfin USA", "Miserlou", "Shut Down", and "Let's Go Trippin".

A pre-Pet Sounds moment of genius from The Beach Boys – a record with some surprisingly wonderful songs tucked in amongst more familiar rockers! There's a growing brilliance here that's clearly evident in Brian Wilson's production, the tunes tender themes, and the complicated harmonics used to carry the whole thing off – a mixture of sadness, lust, and frustration that shows up beautifully on tunes like "Please Let Me Wonder", "She Knows Me Too Well", "In The Back Of My Mind", "Good To My Baby", and "Don't Hurt My Sister". And sure, the album does include the clunky "Bull Session With Big Daddy" – but that's offset by hits like "Dance Dance Dance", "Help Me, Ronda", and "Do You Wanna Dance". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

A great pre-Rubber Soul moment – with tracks that include "Honey Don't", "I Feel Fine", "Baby's In Black", "Mr Moonlight", "I'll Follow The Sun", and "No Reply".

Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Every Little Thing", and "Yes It Is".

Titles include "Roll Over Beethoven", "Thank You Girl", "She Loves You", "I'll Get You", and "I Call Your Name".

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the group, yet also with some catchier numbers too – great sing-songy tracks that undoubtedly were a big mainstream influence to the world of late 60s psych! Titles include "Blue Jay Way", "The Fool On The Hill", "Flying", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", and "Baby You're A Rich Man".

A wonderfully trippy record from The Beatles – filled with songs that have become classics, even though the initial package was designed for a movie that was one heck of a mess! The set's incredibly strong throughout – filled with some of the new post-Peppers ideas explored by the group, yet also with some catchier numbers too – great sing-songy tracks that undoubtedly were a big mainstream influence to the world of late 60s psych! Titles include "Blue Jay Way", "The Fool On The Hill", "Flying", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", and "Baby You're A Rich Man".

Titles include "This Boy", "Don't Bother Me", "Little Child", "Not A Second Time", "I Wanna Be Your Man", and "I Want To Hold Your Hand".

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the catchy complexity of the earlier years too. Production, songwriting, and delivery is superb – and this version features 14 songs that include "Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "Nowhere Man", "Think For Yourself", "The Word", "What Goes On", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", and "Run For Your Life"".

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole".

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole".

An excellent biker soundtrack – very different than the usual bag! For this one, Tony Bruno has come up with some great instrumentals – many of them jazzier than you'd think, and a few with some nice funky Capitol instrumental touches – not so much studio fuzz guitar, as they are groovy numbers that are a lot less hairy than the guys on screen in the movie! The change is a nice one – not as rockish as the regular biker soundtrack – although there are some vocal numbers too, done in the Tower/Sidewalk sort of style. Yet it's the instrumentals that really send us – and which make this album well worth seeking out! Titles include "Chase Of Death", "Goofin", "Bass Lake Run", "Hang On Tight", and "Al and Alice".

Classic guitar from one of the all-time greats – a smoking selection of rare Capitol and Deltone Records singles from the legendary Dick Dale – and virtually a blueprint for generations of surf guitar to come! Sure, there were loads of other great players up and down the Pacific coast back in the 60s – but Dick had a way of making things cook that was unlike anyone else – more of an edge, more of a rocking raw feel, and honestly, a lot more balls than most of his contemporary – as you'll hear in this classic set of cuts that includes "Tidal Wave", "Surfing Dreams", "Mr Peppermint Man", "A Run For Life", "Death Of A Gremmie", "Surfin Rebel", "Break Time", "The Wedge", "Shake N Stomp", and an archetypal recording of "Miserlou".

A cool 60s Capitol psych album – with organ from Tony Scott and flute from Paris Sheppard – and nice long tracks that include "I Just Thought Of The Moon", "The House Of Saturn", and "The Happening".

A fantastic lost psych album – with a moody spacey sound augmented by lots of organ, harpsichord, and electric piano! The best cuts are short and echoey – with kind of a trippy pop feel that sounds like post-Brit invasion lyricism, mixed with LA stoner freedom, and a good dash of Love-esque soul. Titles include Tim Hardin's great "You Upset the Grace of Living", "Hang Onto A Dream", and "Never Too Far" – plus a very cool version of "Nature Boy", and the tracks "Tiffany Rings", "I Watch The Moon", and "Me About You".

Let's get this straight. Merle Haggard SINGS "Okie From Muskogee" but he is not THE "Okie From Muskogee". Nevertheless, this is the record that put the honky in honky tonk. Merle sure pretended to not like hippies back in '69, and story has it he even refused an invitation to produce Gram Parson's GP album on the basis that Gram was just another damn dirty hippie. Of course that's just a story – Merle simply didn't fancy himself a producer. Okie From Muskogee is pretty much the definitive portrait of the Hag at his most reactionary, and if the ignorant politics of the title track gives us a few goosebumps along the way, it's well worth it to hear him perform some of his best tracks at the very peak of his career. Besides, what's an outlaw if he doesn't scare you a little? Many of the great ones are here, including "Mama Tried", "No Hard Times", "In the Arms Of Love", "If I Had Left It Up To You", "White Line Fever", "Blue Rock", "Okie From Muskogee", and a medley of "Swinging Doors", "I'm A Lonesome Fugitive", "Sing Me Back Home", and "Branded Man".

Groovier than you might think – but that's what we've come to expect from Jimmie!

This set is from a few years later than the first Beach Boys Song Book – and as such, features a groovier sound overall! There's still plenty of strings in the mix, but the arrangements from Mort Garson and Perry Botkin also show some of the growing love of sound used by the group – little instrumental elements, well-shaded musical moments, just the sort of styles that Brian Wilson might bring to his own backings – although with a bit more strings! The tunes are a great mix of Pet Sounds-era tunes and some earlier numbers – and titles include "Caroline No", "Good Vibrations", "Little Deuce Coupe", "God Only Knows", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Help Me Rhonda", and "Be True To Your School".

Iron Maiden's monumental Live After Death – a standard bearing live album in the metal realm – and a vital snapshot of the British heavy metal heroes at the peak of their powers! Maiden pretty much conquered the live metal world on this tour – and Live After Death features recordings from LA's Long Beach Arena and London's Hammersmith Odeon. Most of their their greatest songs to this point are represented, including "Aces High", "2 Minutes To Midnight", "The Trooper", "Revelations", "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner", "Powerslave", "Number Of The Beast" "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "Iron Maiden", "Children Of The Damned" and more!

One of the best rock and/or country LPs of the late 50s and early 60s! Capitol signed the rockabilly rebel princess several years prior to the release of this collection of her jumpy, frenetic singles, and had Wanda record more crossover material, which she succeeded at in incredible fashion. That left Capitol to finally release a record of her earlier trademark style, and boy it's a doozy! You get "Fujiyama Mama", one of the most incendiary unsung rock and roll singles of all time, plus other great ones like "Rock You Baby", "Cool Love", "Honey Bop", "Baby Loves Him", "Mean Mean Man", "You've Turned To A Stranger" and bonus tracks including "Sinful Heart" and "I'd Rather Have You". Sweet, but feral honky tonk rockers of the first order!

The cover says this is "an album if great rockin songs by Wanda Jackson" and they are indeed pretty rockin! Rather than rock, these tunes are more rockabilly, of course – and Wanda's amazing, raspy yet pretty voice is definitely rooted in classic honky tonk, too. It's a really fun record from her prime at Capitol. Tracks include "Lonely Week-Ends", "Kansas City", "Fallin", "Hard Headed Woman", "Tongue Tied", "Sparkling Brown Eyes", and "Man We Had A Party". One of the highlights of the record is the killer guitar playing – with credit to Roy Clark!

Not the power pop phenom Knack of "My Sharona" fame – and not the mid 60s UK Knack. This is the mid 60s Sunset Strip Knack – and one of at least 3 great band to have that name that we've been hipped to so far! This particular Knack was fairly short-lived. They signed with Capitol and released 4 strong singles back in the day – and all 8 of those sides are on this CD from Now Sounds UK – along with 5 previously unreleased tunes. It's strong, hooky Cali-bred take on post Brit Invasion grooves – well worth the discovery! Titles include "Time Waits For No One", "I'm Aware", "Pretty Daisy", "Softly, Softly", "The Spell", "Freedom Now", "The Girl With The Dark Brown Eyes", "Once Upon A Cheek", "No Show Today", "Merry Go Round" and more.

High school and hot rods – groovy Capitol work, courtesy of producer Gary Usher – and of course, it features an incredible roster of west coast studio geniuses behind the curtain! A fun mix of instrumentals and vocal tunes, with beach and surf harmonies, R&B-indebted rumblers and other thematic touches – honking sax, gritty percussion, nicely grooving organs and chugging guitars – what more could you ask for? The niceness of the vocal tunes is a surprise, but the instrumentals are unsurprisingly great! Titles include "Hot Rod High", "Midnight Auto", "School Days", "Be True To Your School", "Hot Rod, USA", "I Get Around", "Rock Around The Clock", "Skippin' School", "Theme For Teen Love" and more.

Vintage promo photo!

An incredibly lovely record from Kraftwerk – fashioned along the same suite-like style as Radio Activity, and served up with some haunting and charming tunes throughout! The electronics are quite spare, yet very thoughtful – never a note out of place, as the quartet build their careful efforts together to create a tapestry of surprisingly warm sounds – using just a bit of vocals in really great ways, and almost prefacing a whole generation of UK and Euro pop to come – yet without any of their schmaltz! Titles include "Europe Endless", "Hall of Mirrors", "Abzung", "Franz Schubert", and "Showroom Dummies" – not to mention the awesome title track and electro break number "Metal On Metal".

A mindblowing bit of psych from the late 60s – and a record that has way more to offer than just the usual fuzzy guitar, thanks to key use of moog, theremin, and tape tricks! There's a really freaky feel to the record from the start – a quality that's hipper than most of the underground at the time, almost an ironic take on the usual – sometimes through thoughtful lyricism, other times via a more experimental music approach that almost hints at some 70s prog and post-prog styles – yet presented here in much shorter form, without any overindulgence at all! The record's one that really transcends its time – a compelling little set that offers plenty more than just its existence as a rare relic – and which actually features many tunes that would make perfect covers for the contemporary scene today. Titles include "That's Another Story", "Machines", "This Is It", "This May Be Goodbye", "That's Another Story", "Woody Woodpecker", "Paul In Love", and "Sex & Violence". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Rose Colored Glasses", "The Music Never Stops", and "Nobody Knows".

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".

The first moment of genius from the Steve Miller Band – a killer debut that also features a young Boz Scaggs as a key member of the group! Steve's the core star here, though – setting things up in this amazing blend of psych, blues, and hard rock – one that's easily a lot more ballsy than most of his Bay Area contemporaries at the time – really taking off on some propulsive rhythms, razor-sharp guitar, and cooking keyboards! Scaggs' vocal help is mighty nice – and titles include "You've Got The Power", "Pushed Me To It", "Junior Saw It Happen", "Baby's Callin Me Home", "Roll With It", and "Key To The Highway".

Number five, and the Steve Miller Band is still going strong – working here with some great help from Area Code 615, who bring a slightly rootsy vibe to the set! That core Miller brilliance is still very firmly in place – and Steve's got an even sharper ear for writing songs this time around – working in more influences than before, and really finding his voice – or more appropriately, that great way his vocals can be filtered in with the production. Other guests include Ben Sidran and Nicky Hopkins – helping to reinstate the keyboard sound in the group – and titles include "Steve Miller's Midnight Tango", "Industrial Military Complex Hex", "Never Kill Another Man", "Going To The Country", and "Hot Chili".

One of the rawest recordings made by Fred Neil – and a record we really love – featuring one side of live tracks, and another of unusual studio material! The first half of the album has Fred playing in a spare setting up in Woodstock – working in a small club, and doing great versions of tracks that include "The Dolphins", "Other Side Of This Life", "Roll On Rosie", "Everybody's Talkin", and "Sweet Cocaine". The sound is nice and rootsy, with some 12 string guitar work that's totally great. The other half features an assortment of studio tracks that have Fred working with some diverse guests that include Les McCann, Vince Martin, and Gram Parsons – on titles that include "Felicity", "Badi Da", "Come Back Baby", and "Ya Don't Miss Your Water".

A cool record by ne of our favorite artists of the mid 60s to early 70s! Fred Neil is best known to the world as the man who wrote "Everybody's Talkin'", which was used excessively in the film Midnight Cowboy, but since the version in the film was sung by Nilsson, Fred's talents werelargely eclipsed. This Capitol album has the singer/songwriter playing in a very relaxed studio vibe – with some spare backing, and edgey playing that opens up a side of him that we've rarely heard elsewhere. Supposedly, the session was largely improvised, and designed to recreate the feel of his legendary live shows. The tracks are fairly long, and include titles like "Felicity", "Send Me Somebody To Love", "Looks Like Rain", and "Fools Are A Long Time Coming".

A key compilation of early Floyd nuggets – with cuts that include "Arnold Layne", "Interstellar Overdrive", "See Emily Play", "Julia Dream", "Careful With That Axe Eugene", "Cirrus Minor", and "Bike".

An incredible little record – and one that helped take the Capitol Records surf sound of the early 60s into much hipper territory for the 70s! The record is certainly a "surf symphony" – in that it features a larger orchestra conducted by Jan Rubini – set to groovier themes that have a leaner, cleaner, more "adult" sort of easy feel – but one that also bounces along with a fair bit of groove in the mix! The style is somewhere in the territory of Pat Williams at his hippest – but also has some slight rockish touches as well – stepping around the larger strings with a soundtracky mode that's totally great. Players on the record include Jim Gordon on drums and Lyle Ritz on bass – and Ritz's strong electric pulse at the bottom of the orchestrations really help keep things moving along nicely! The overall sound is tough to describe, but it's wonderful throughout – a really unique little record that's Capitol at its finest and hippest. Titles include versions of "Warmth Of The Sun", "Theme From A Summer Place", and "My Cherie Amour" – plus "The Last Thrill", "Green Water Sails", "The Promise Of Rain", and "Night Of The Lions".

A madly tripped-out little record – about as wild as you could hope to expect from a group named Shiva's Headband! There's a real San Francisco hippie feel going on here – a blend of rootsy rock and psychedelia, plus a few bluesy touches – done in a mode that's down-homey, yet which is also the kind of vision of "down home" that was playing big in Haight Ashbury at the time! Instrumentation includes harmonica, violin, and electric piano – in addition to the usual guitar, bass, and drums – and the vocals often have a rough and ragged quality – fragile, yet also a bit bluesy too. Spencer Perskin arranged, wrote, and produced most of the record – and also sings lead vocals too – and titles include "My Baby", "Take Me To The Mountains", "Song For Peace", "Ripple", "Ebeneezer", "North Austin Strut", and "Good Time".

A wickedly tight album from SRC – perfectly blended guitar, keyboards, and snapping drums – and the kind of a record that should have made them much bigger players at the time! The album is jamming, yet also lean and clean – almost a sunshine approach to hard rock, with some great harmonic touches that really make the album sparkle. Includes their jamming take on "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" in a medley with "Bolero" – plus the cuts "Checkmate", "The Angel Song", "No Secret Destination", "Eye Of The Storm", and "Show Me".

One of the greatest rock albums to come out of Detroit in the 60s – even if these guys aren't as well known as The Stooges or MC5! There's a similar brilliance here, though – a heady brew of ripping guitars, burning Hammond, and massively pounding drums – all recorded with a slightly garagey edge and expansively searching quality that stretches things out without overindulging in too much jamming. There's also a really dark feel to the record too – one that has the same sense of danger and urgency as SRC's bigger contemporaries, yet never sounds forced. Titles include "Onesimpletask", "Daystar", "Exile", "Marionette", "Black Sheep", and "Refugeve".

One of the greatest rock albums to come out of Detroit in the 60s – even if these guys aren't as well known as The Stooges or MC5! There's a similar brilliance here, though – a heady brew of ripping guitars, burning Hammond, and massively pounding drums – all recorded with a slightly garagey edge and expansively searching quality that stretches things out without overindulging in too much jamming. There's also a really dark feel to the record too – one that has the same sense of danger and urgency as SRC's bigger contemporaries, yet never sounds forced. Titles include "Onesimpletask", "Daystar", "Exile", "Marionette", "Black Sheep", and "Refugeve". Includes a bonus live version of "Black Sheep".

Three hard-grooving records from late 60s Motor City rockers SRC – self-titled, Milestones and Traveler's Tales – together in a 2CD set! The debut is straight-up one of the greatest rock albums to come out of Detroit in the 60s – even if these guys aren't as well known as The Stooges or MC5! There's a similar brilliance here, though – a heady brew of ripping guitars, burning Hammond, and massively pounding drums – all recorded with a slightly garagey edge and expansively searching quality that stretches things out without overindulging in too much jamming. There's also a really dark feel to the record too – one that has the same sense of danger and urgency as SRC's bigger contemporaries, yet never sounds forced. Titles include "Onesimpletask", "Daystar", "Exile", "Marionette", "Black Sheep", and "Refugeve". Milestones is the wickedly tight follow-up – with perfectly blended guitar, keyboards, and snapping drums – and the kind of a record that should have made them much bigger players at the time! Includes their jamming take on "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" in a medley with "Bolero" – plus the cuts "Checkmate", "The Angel Song", "No Secret Destination", "Eye Of The Storm", and "Show Me". The group had some lineup changes for Traveler's Time, but the lumbering rhythms and heavy organ grooves are as solid as ever! Titles include "Street Without A Name", "By Way Of You", "Diana", "Across The Land Of Light", "The Offering" and more. One bonus track: "My Fortune's Coming True".

Not as guitarry or AM-pop heavy as the group's earlier classics, but still a pretty nice little record nonetheless – filled with the kind of playful McCartney tunes that we've always loved, and carried off with an undeniable charm. Includes the hit "With A Little Luck", plus "Famous Groupies", "Deliver Your Children", "London Town", "Café On The Left Bank", "I'm Carrying", "Backwards Traveller", and "Cuff Link".

A masterpiece from SF rocker Steve Miller – and a perfect summation of the years of blues, soul, funk, and rock he'd been soaking up in the Bay Area scene! The album crossed over instantly with the massive cut "Fly Like An Eagle" – already great on its own, but supported here with the massive "Space Intro", which adds an extra minute of cool electronics to the tune. Other great cuts include the amazing funky rocker "Take The Money And Run", plus "The Window", "Mercury Blues", and "Dance, Dance, Dance".

Titles include "Rags & Bones", "Acadian Driftwood", "Hobo Jungle", "Ophelia", and "It Makes No Difference".

A definitive Beach Boys collection that graced many a stereo back in the 70s!

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the catchy complexity of the earlier years too. Production, songwriting, and delivery is superb – and titles include "Norwegian Wood", "Think For Yourself", "The Word", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", and "Run For Your Life"".

Mystically grooving psychedelia from Chocolate Watch Band – a heady mix of the psyche sounds of the era with some really groovy Eastern inspired spirals of sound! The band doesn't skimp on the hip shaping and head nodding rock vibes – with some Stones-y swagger, especially in the vocals – but they bring the freaked out instrumental vibes into the mix very nicely – some sitar, really heavy bass grooves, shakers and other leftfield percussive touches. Titles include "Voyage Of The Trieste", "In The Past", "Inner Mystique", "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", "Medication", "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go", "Baby Blue" and "I Ain't No Miracle Worker".

A mix of spiraling psychedelia and grittier garagey rock from Chocolate Watch Band! No Way Out has a bit more grit than the more mystical follow up LP, but we wouldn't complain about that – the mix of more tripped out organ and atmospheric touches paired with harder hitting, sweaty r&b and fuzz rock influenced sounds match pretty well in our book! Groovy stuff from the late 60s Cali scene! Titles include "Let's Talk About Girls", "Midnight Hour", "Come On", "Dark Side Of The Mushroom", "Hot Dusty Road", "Gone And Passes By", "Expo 2000" and "Gossamer Wings".

Surf guitar hits the drag strip – as Dick Dale makes the same move as most of his Cali contemporaries of the 60s – shifting his groove from waxed boards and woodies over to the world of hot rods! The sound's still pretty much the same, though – smoking instrumentals filled with Dale's amazing lines on guitar – a way of hitting the instrument that was a lot harder, heavier, and more frenetic than most other surf/instro players of the period – with a raw bite that arguably sets the scene for hard rock in the part of the decade to come! Vinyl version features 14 tracks rom Dale's hot rod recordings for Capitol – with cuts that include "50 Miles To Go", "Nitro Fuel", "Surf Buggy", "Firing Up", "Taco Wagon", "The Victor", "Mag Wheels", "Wild Wild Mustang", and "Night Rider".

With "Europa & The Pirate Twins", "Flying North", "Weightless", "Leipzig", "Windpower", "She Blinded Me With Science", "Commercial Breakup", "Urges", "Airwaves", "Radio Silence" and "Cloudburst At Shingle Street".

With "Who Knows", "Machine Gun", "We Gotta Live Together", "Power To Love", and "Changes" – all recorded live at the Fillmore East on New Years Eve, 1969!

The cover says this is "an album if great rockin songs by Wanda Jackson" and they are indeed pretty rockin! Rather than rock, these tunes are more rockabilly, of course – and Wanda's amazing, raspy yet pretty voice is definitely rooted in classic honky tonk, too. It's a really fun record from her prime at Capitol. Tracks include "Lonely Week-Ends", "Kansas City", "Fallin", "Hard Headed Woman", "Tongue Tied", "Sparkling Brown Eyes", and "Man We Had A Party". One of the highlights of the record is the killer guitar playing – with credit to Roy Clark!

One of the greatest power pop albums ever recorded – a blistering batch of tight little rocking tunes that took pop music back to basics at the end of the 70s! The group have an almost Beatles-esque flair for the short catchy tune – but have also pumped up things nicely with a smoothly compressed 70s approach to production. There's an urgency to the work that seems to drive the whole thing with an uptight adolescent sense of horniness – a strange force that kicks most tunes into ultradrive by tapping into a virtually limitless source of energy! Titles include the mega-hit "My Sharona", plus "Heartbeat", "Lucinda", "Frustrated", "Good Girls Don't", "Selfish", "O Tara", and "Maybe Tonight".

One of the many chapters of Jimi's career before his famous Experience recordings – a set of hard rocking soul tracks with singer Curtis Knight, recorded in a really lively sort of party feel! The quality of the set almost makes us think this one was a live session – especially on the really great 10 minute track "Get That Feeling" – a stone jamming number that features some mean funky guitar from Jimi, and some screaming vocals from Curtis! Other titles include "How Would You Feel", "Simon Says", "Hush Now", "Welcome Home", and "Strange Things".